The Viking Weekly Newsletter
Week of October 20, 2024
Save the Date: Aug. 25, 2025—Student Transition Day
Scheduled for Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, the first day of the 2025–2026 school year, Student Transition Day is a new non-instructional full day designed to support students transitioning to new school levels or schools by fostering a sense of belonging and preparedness.
This full day will welcome students entering kindergarten, Grade 6 and Grade 9, and those new to MCPS schools, ensuring that they receive a positive first experience with staff and other students. Schools will share individual messaging to welcome students with their communities. Parents and guardians are asked to fill out this brief survey to provide additional input for Student Transition Day.
Note: the first day of school for all students is Tuesday, Aug. 26.
Join Councilman Jawando, MCPS Superintendent, MC President for Operating Budget Forums
Montgomery County Council Vice President Will Jawando will host a series of upcoming forums on the Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget. Jawando, who also serves as chairman of the council’s Education and Culture Committee, will be joined by MCPS Superintendent Thomas Taylor and Montgomery College President Dr. Jermaine Williams.
The events will be held:
- Thursday, March 13, 6:30–8 p.m., Virtual Session via Zoom
(Link to join: https://mcpstv-org.zoom.us/j/88481640202, Webinar ID#: 884 8164 0202) - Monday, March 17, 6:30–8 p.m., Springbrook High School, media center
- Tuesday, April 1, 6:30–8 p.m., Rockville High School cafeteria
RSVP.
Spanish and American Sign Language interpretation will be available.
Math Curriculum Nights Scheduled for March
The Elementary and Secondary Mathematics teams are hosting two Curriculum Nights, which will include information on math curricular resources, course programming for Grades K–12 and upcoming changes from the Maryland State Department of Education regarding Integrated Math. Attendees will also participate in learning experiences from the Eureka Math and Illustrative Math curricula.
The in-person sessions will be held:
- Tuesday, March 18, 6:30–8 p.m., Wheaton High School, 12401 Dalewood Drive, Silver Spring
- Wednesday, March 26, 6:30–8 p.m., Watkins Mill High School, 10301 Apple Ridge Road, Gaithersburg
Recordings will be available on the mathematics website on Monday, April 7, in English and Spanish.
As a reminder, the Elementary and Secondary Literacy teams are also hosting Curriculum Nights to introduce families to the new elementary literacy curriculum, Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts. Upcoming sessions are:
- Wednesday, March 5, 6:30–8:30 p.m., John F. Kennedy High School, 1901 Randolph Road, Wheaton
- Thursday, March 6, Virtual session via Zoom, 6:30–8:10 p.m.
RSVP.
Special Ed Hosting Two Virtual Parent Workshops
The Office of Special Education is hosting upcoming virtual workshops for parents. See details below:
Monday, March 10, 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. (All presentations will offer the same information.)
MCPS is partnering with the Autism/Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Unit of the Montgomery County Police, Autism Society of Maryland and local swim schools to present water safety workshops supporting children with disabilities in and around water. This one-hour workshop is for families and caregivers to learn safety tips, how to respond in an emergency, information on adapted swim classes and other free resources.
Register.
Water Safety Workshops, 2025
Tuesday, March 11, 7 p.m. The Black Coalition for Excellence in Education is hosting a workshop and breakout sessions with speaker Marcy Rachamim Jackson. She is a special education advocate and author of Pour the Water: Transformative Solutions for Equity & Justice in Special Education.
More information and register.
Student Opportunities
Heads Up, Phones Down Video Contest: Entries are due by Friday, Feb. 28 for this competition, which raises awareness about the dangers of distracted walking and driving.
Women’s History Month Webinar: From 6:30–8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4 join the University of Maryland’s Lavender Lab for a webinar and earn two Student Service Learning (SSL) hours. Register.
Keeping It Safe Video Contest: Learn more about this contest, which invites middle and high school student teams to submit a 30-second video on the risks and dangers of under 21 alcohol use. Entries are due Sunday, March 23. More information.
The Matt Papirmeister Award: Youth Art for Healing created two $3,000 scholarships for student artists who are creating, giving and doing good in their community. Entries are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, March 2. Apply.
KID Museum Offering Programs for MCPS Students
KID Museum Offering Programs for MCPS Students
KID Museum is offering opportunities this spring for students, including middle school Maker Night and spring after-school classes. What’s coming up:
Middle School Maker Night: Friday, March 7, 5–7:30 p.m., for 6th to 8th graders, at 3 Bethesda Metro Center. Tickets are $10 per person. Pizza and drinks will be served. Register. Scholarships are available! If cost is a barrier, please fill out this Access for Every Maker form.
- *NEW* 6th–8th Grade: KID Museum, Wednesdays – Invent the Future Club
- 2nd–5th Grade: Davis Library, Thursdays – Big Idea Workshop
2025 Sustainability Poster Contest
All MCPS students and staff members are invited to participate in the Division of Sustainability and Compliance's (DSC) 2025 Sustainability Poster Contest. The contest seeks to increase awareness and demonstrate the importance of environmental sustainability, energy conservation, waste reduction, and responsible recycling.
All art must be a student or staff member's original work and not contain copyrighted elements. Posters should be no smaller than 8.5 inches by 11 inches and must not exceed 18 inches by 24 inches in size.
Please submit posters to DSC, 45 W. Gude Drive, Suite 4000, Rockville, by Friday, April 4, 2025. For more information, email or call 240-740-3210.
More information: Contest Flyer
To enter, complete the Contest Entry Form
Read about Contest Guidelines
🎶🎹 Exclusive Piano Sale for MCPS Families & Staff! 🎹🎶
Looking to bring beautiful music into your home? 🎼 MCPS families and staff have an exclusive opportunity to purchase high-quality grand, upright, and digital pianos at special discounted prices!
✨ Annual Piano Sales Event ✨
📅 March 8–16, 2025
📍 Schaeffer’s Piano Co. | 105 North Stonestreet Ave, Rockville, MD 20850
📞 Appointments only – Call 301-424-1147 to book!
🎹 What’s Included?
✔️ 15-year transferable warranty
✔️ A matching bench
✔️ One free in-house tuning
Schaeffer’s Piano Company, the area’s oldest piano store, has partnered with MCPS to keep our school music programs thriving while offering our community these incredible savings before the public sale!
🎵 Don’t miss this chance to bring the joy of music into your home! Visit www.schaefferspiano.com for more details.
Happy playing! 🎶💙💛
Masks Encouraged in School Health Rooms
With the recent increase in respiratory and viral illnesses (including COVID-19, influenza and RSV) in Montgomery County and the state of Maryland, MCPS has received guidance from the Maryland Department of Health to encourage students, staff and visitors to wear masks when visiting the health room in schools. While wearing a mask is not required, it is encouraged to help prevent the spread of illness. If your child doesn't have a mask during their health room visit, your school will provide one.
Working Together to Create a Safe and Welcoming School Community
As we begin the second half of the school year, we want to remind students and their families of the many resources available to support everyone. These resources also reflect our shared commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive school community.
Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse
MCPS is committed to fostering civic engagement and civil discourse among our students. These are essential skills and strategies that empower young people to navigate a diverse world with respect and confidence.
The MCPS Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse Google Site provides centralized resources for staff and is easily accessible via the MCPS Resources tab in Google Chrome. The website provides resources to support creating an environment where students can participate productively, engage safely, and experience uniform rule application across the district.
Strategies concerning political engagement, including guidelines for students.
Supporting Our Diverse Community
Our diversity is a huge strength for us, and it’s our duty to ensure every individual feels valued and supported. Please keep the following resources in mind:
Addressing Hate-Bias and Antiracism
MCPS tiered protocols are critical for addressing hate and bias incidents, ensuring we respond thoughtfully and effectively when these situations arise.
Summer RISE Student Registration Now Open
Student registration for Summer RISE 2025 is open until Feb. 18.
Summer RISE offers a hands-on, career-based learning experience with businesses, government agencies, higher education institutions and nonprofit organizations. The program is open to high school sophomores and juniors who want to gain real-world experience over the summer.
Participating students will be matched with career hosts based on their industry preferences for a minimum of 50 hours of in-person, virtual or hybrid opportunities from June 23 through July 25. This program allows students to:
Explore careers and workplace expectations.
Develop essential professional and technical skills.
Make informed college and career decisions.
Build a network of mentors to guide their career paths.
To learn more, join one of our Student & Parent/Guardian Information Sessions or visit www.MCPS-SummerRISE.org.
Registration closes on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Fall Parent Academy Schedule Now Available
Families and students can stay engaged throughout the school year with Parent Academy TO GO, a series of free virtual webinars for families. October, November and December webinars are now available on the Parent Academy website. Topics include managing bedtime battles, learning skills for better communication and tools to diffuse power struggles, and handling disappointing grades. Registration is available here.
George B. Thomas Saturday School
Affordable academic tutoring for grades K-12 at Gaithersburg High School, other high schools, and on-line. Saturdays from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. Program begins September 2024. Click here to register and learn more.
MCPS Parent Academy
Student, Family, and School Services is very excited to provide "Parent Academy TO GO," a series of virtual presentations for families to participate and view at home. Click here to learn more and register.
Gaithersburg Youth Club
Click here to learn more about the GYC, an after-school, supervised, and fun club for our students. The center is right across the street from GMS and the program costs only $20 or $25 per year.
Contacting Us
During the school year, if your question is about your child's class, the first person to contact is always your child's teacher. Use Synergy to quickly email your child's teachers or see our Staff Directory.
Email: Sofia_M_Grant-Dewitt@mcpsmd.org
Website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/gaithersburgms/
Location: 2 Teachers Way, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Phone: (240) 740-4950
Instagram: @GMSVikings
Twitter: @GMSVikings