FCPS Community Bulletin Board

March 6, 2025

Thank you,

Dr. Dyson

Congratulations to the 2025 FCPS Teacher of the Year nominees! Each school is eligible to move forward one teacher in the Teacher of the Year program. Thank you to all these dedicated educators for all they do for students.

The full list of Teacher of the Year nominees is available online: https://www.fcps.org/public-affairs/teacher-of-the-year-award

This year, 42 Frederick County Public Schools educators achieved National Board Certification through the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

In addition to the 42 teachers who received their initial certification, three additional teachers were re-certified.

FCPS has 143 National Board Certified educators.

Find information about Women's History Month on womenshistorymonth.gov

Kick off Youth Art Month and read the latest blog about the 15-year tradition of the Artist in Residence Program at New Market Elementary School and Art Teacher Elizabeth Anspach.

Read the blog told from the dual perspectives of Academy for the Fine Arts student and Public Affairs Intern Kaitlyn Valle as she prepared for and performed in the AFA Collaboration Week and from the perspective of a Public Affairs staff member who attended the AFA Collaboration Week Presentations on February 14.

• The BOE recognizes and proclaims School Social Work March 2 - March 8, 2025 and highlights the commitment FCPS has made to the behavioral health and wellbeing of students.

• Staff shared that Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) has been awarded a $35,700 grant from the Frederick County Government to support our participation in the ENOUGH Initiative.

• The BOE approved a project to replace the stadium scoreboard at UHS based upon a donation from UHS Athletic Boosters Club with no cost to FCPS.

• The BOE reviewed the CCMPCS annual report and approved the charter renewal for CCMPCS.

• Policy 501, Selection and Approval of Library Media Materials, was approved for publication. Policy 118, Personal Mobile Devices, was presented and will return to a future BOE meeting for final action.

• Staff provided a Special Education update on Special Education staffing, audit, and recommendations regarding inclusive practices, specifically co-teaching.

• Staff presented the annual update of the FCPS Systemic Survey.

FCPS is accepting nominations for the 2025 Charles E. Tressler Distinguished Teacher Award. Named for a former Hood College faculty member who encouraged students to enter the teaching profession, this award recognizes an FCPS teacher who has had a significant positive impact on young people.

Hood College presents the Tressler award annually to honor distinguished teaching in the Frederick County Public Schools’ system. A gift from the late Samuel Eig of Gaithersburg, MD, established the award. Hood College will recognize the winner during its master’s degree reception in May.

FCPS has posted eligibility and nomination criteria, nomination process and selection guidelines at www.fcps.org/awards. The school system welcomes nominations from current or former students, teachers and support staff, parents, community members, administrators and supervisors. Nomination packets are due to the FCPS Public Affairs Department, 191 S. East Street, Frederick, MD 21701, Friday, March 21, 2025.

FCPS Youth Art Month: Every FCPS art teacher submitted three outstanding student art pieces for the exhibit, which will include more than 400 imaginative two and three-dimensional student creations. The exhibit highlights exceptional student artists and is a testament to the always creative FCPS art teachers. Exhibit on view Saturday, March 1, through Sunday, March 30

The Bettie Award Exhibition: Artworks created by local youth that were selected as the 2025 Bettie Award winners will be on display through April 27. Congratulations to Dorian Lukaszewicz of Linganore High School, the 2025 Bettie Awards Grand Prize Winner, which comes with a $1,000 prize, sponsored by the Frederick County Art Association. Other artists in the Bettie Awards exhibition received a $100 prize. A People's Choice winner will receive a $250 prize at the end of the exhibition. Stop by the exhibit to get your vote in.

FCPS Faculty Art Show: To coincide with the student art exhibit, the Delaplaine coordinates an FCPS faculty art exhibit on the second floor. Be sure to check it out!

Get ready! FCPS staff from the Brunswick High and Middletown High feeder patterns will be competing on the basketball court for top honors while raising money for the Mental Health Association of Frederick.

This year’s staff basketball game will take place on March 28 at Brunswick High School. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. The game starts at 7 p.m.

Last year, Middletown High staff won in an event that raised $4,000 for the MHA.

This is a cash-only event. Admission is:

$10 - Courtside Seats (Limited Availability)

$6 - Adults

$4 - Students 18 & Under

FREE - Children 5 & Under

Join us on March 18 at Frederick High School for an exciting showcase of talent, creativity, and innovation from Frederick County Public Schools! Students from 6th, 7th, and 8th grades will go head-to-head in a series of thrilling challenges:

• 6th Grade: Energize your marketing taste buds with the Energy Bar Challenge, get creative with Movie Magic Coding, and showcase your skills in the Engineering Design Challenge.
• 7th Grade: Dive into the world of tech with Games and Animation Coding, tackle the Engineering Design Challenge, and put your money skills to the test with the Budget Challenge.
• 8th Grade: Take on the future with Applied Computer Science, speed through the Hovercraft Challenge, and master the world of business in the Business and Finance Competition.

Location: Frederick High School

Doors Open for Students: 4:45 p.m. (Teachers may arrive at 3:30 p.m)

Awards Ceremony: Most competitions will be completed by 7:00 p.m.

Snow Date: Monday, March 20

Don’t miss this opportunity to see our talented students in action as they compete in hands-on, real-world challenges. It’s going to be a night of innovation and inspiration for the entire community!

WHAT: Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee Resource Fair
WHEN: March 29, 2025 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Rock Creek School
55B West Frederick St.
Walkersville, MD 21793

Find details about the Resource Fair in the flyers below.

Save the Date for the FCPS Racial Equity Committee's event: A Community in Action; happening on April 8 from 6-8 p.m. at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School.

Questions? Email FCPSRacialEquity@fcps.org

The 2025 Minds in Motion Scholar-Athlete Scholarship is officially underway! This 18th annual program recognizes those seniors who have excelled on the playing field and in the classroom. Applicants must have a minimum 3.25 unweighted overall GPA and have participated in interscholastic athletic activities sponsored by MPSSAA during their high school careers. Selected male and female recipients receive a $1,000 scholarship toward post-secondary education.

More information on how to apply is available here: https://www.mpssaa.org/minds-in-motion-scholarship-application/

For the upcoming 2025 spring season, FCPS is expanding cashless admission to include all girls and boys JV and varsity lacrosse games. For added convenience, GoFan credit card readers will be available at the ticket table for those who do not pre-purchase their online tickets.

GoFan is the same online ticket company the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association (MPSSAA) uses for postseason play and all of their cashless state semifinal and state championship contests. Additionally, Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Calvert, Carroll, Charles, Harford, Howard, St. Mary’s, and Wicomico counties are currently 100 percent cashless for all of their sports.

FCPS staff considered the numerous benefits of moving to cashless ticketing including avoiding bottlenecks and long lines, the ease of accounting, school staff being able to better prepare for athletics events due to seeing live updates of tickets sales, reducing safety concerns associated with large sums of cash being collected at the gate, fraud prevention, contactless payment and entry, and providing our spectators with a better overall experience.

The cost to attend most athletic events is $6 for adults and $2 for high school or younger students. Children ages 7 and under, FCPS employees, FCPS retirees, and all guests ages 60 or older are admitted free of charge. There is a $1 transaction fee charged by GoFan so attendees will be paying $7 and $3 when purchasing electronic tickets.

Schools will continue to offer discounted spring seasonal pass options that may be purchased through the school's athletic department.

The 5-Star Service Award is for community use in recognizing FCPS employees who show excellence in one of the 5 FCPS goals. Community members are welcome to nominate any worthy FCPS employee.

This award is designed to provide recognition by community members to employees for excellence in one of the 5 FCPS goals.

Community members are encouraged to nominate any worthy FCPS employee.

Nominations will be reviewed on the 15th and 30th of each month by staff in the Offices of the Chief of Staff, Human Resources, and Public Affairs.

More information on the selection timeline and next steps can be found on the 5-Star Service Award nomination form.

A reminder that the main FCPS phone number is 227-203-3277.

If you are trying to contact a school, be sure to check our online schools directory, which includes a direct line for each. If you need to contact a school, you can contact that school directly, rather than using the main FCPS number.

Spring Break is April 14-21. Schools are closed April 14-17. Schools and Offices are closed April 18 and April 21.