Today, FCPS recognized employees who served our country during our annual Veterans Day ceremony.

As part of the event, we announced our Veteran in Education Service Award nominees for 2024. In its eighth year, the award was created to honor an FCPS employee who has served our nation in the Armed Forces and provided exemplary service to FCPS and the community.

This year’s nominees are:

John Hayden, Oakdale High, Boys Lacrosse Coach

Kenji Hicks, Walkersville Middle, Resident Substitute Teacher

Paul Hoffman, Walkersville High, Social Studies Seacher

Kevin Jaye, Brunswick Elementary, User Support Specialist

Randi Kirkland, Linganore High, English Language Arts Teacher

Renee Rosa, FCPS K-12 Visual & Performing Arts Curriculum, Administrative Secretary

Brian Stocks, Middletown High, Instructional Assistant

Kenneth Winters, Catoctin High Feeder, Maintenance Area Supervisor,

Urbana High School HVAC technician Earl Gibson was selected as the 2023 FCPS Veteran in Education Service Award recipient.

The 2024 recipient will be announced at a later date and recognized at the Wednesday, November 20, Board of Education Meeting.

Once again this year, we encouraged employees who are veterans to share a photo from their time of service. We compiled those photos into this video, which is available via our FCPS Maryland YouTube page and shared above.

We are so grateful to our veterans on staff for their service to this nation and to our students. Thank you for all you do!

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Dyson

Nine FCPS marching bands competed in the MMBA (Maryland Marching Band Association) state championships at Towson University on Saturday, November 2. FCPS marching bands took home three state championships as well as several other placements.

Walkersville High, Gov. Thomas Johnson High, and Tuscarora High earned state titles.

You can find more details here.

High School winter sports begin Friday, November 15!

All sport physicals must be dated April 1, 2024 or after and must be completed prior to Friday, November 15.

Online registration must be completed prior to Friday, November 15.

Once each athletic team is chosen and the roster is finalized, parents will receive an email to let them know when they may go online and pay the participation fee via School Cash Online, the preferred method of payment.

Note to parents: You will not be able to pay online until your student athlete is selected for the team and the roster has been finalized.

Follow @FCPSAthletics on X and visit www.fcps.org/athletics for additional information and updates.

Several Frederick County Public Schools staff members and students were recently announced recipients of this year’s Frederick County 2024 Sustainability Award. Check out our blog post here to learn more!

November is National Native American Heritage Month! Visit the FCPS LibGuide for more information.

Our high school theatre productions are in full swing! Check out the schedule on our flier.

See the earliest creatures of the Triassic Period to the monsters of the Cretaceous Period in a “life-sized” giant screen presentation at the FCPS Earth & Space Science Lab.

Join renowned paleontologists as they discover new fossils and uncover evidence that dinosaur descendants are still among us.

Dinosaurs Alive will be presented at 6 and 7 p.m. on Tuesday, November 12 and Thursday, November 14. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Tickets are $6 each and are available online only. Admission includes a chance to view ESSL exhibits and animals!

FCPS wants to hear from you! Families are invited to participate in the 2024-25 FCPS Family Survey. Our goal is to continue to build on our strengths and work to make upgrades based on your feedback as a partner in your child's education. Your participation is completely voluntary. Your responses will remain confidential and anonymous and will be summarized with other responses. Take the survey here.

If you have more than one child enrolled in FCPS, please complete one survey per child.

The survey will close on November 19 at 11:59 p.m.

The Civics and Law Academy is a free opportunity for Frederick County Public School students to engage with local attorneys and judges in learning about the law and society through a program specifically designed for high school students.

Registration is now open for this year’s Civics & Law Academy to be held at Frederick High School Saturday, November 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Register at https://www.fcps.org/law.

High school students, as well as Grade 8 students interested in the legal field, are encouraged to participate in this program. Submit your questions to Dr. Colleen Bernard, Curriculum Specialist, via email at Colleen.Bernard@fcps.org.

The public is invited to several community budget listening sessions as FCPS Superintendent Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson gathers feedback prior to releasing her Recommended Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget in January.

Feedback from all stakeholders are welcome. In September and October, Dr. Dyson offered staff engagement opportunities.

Four feedback sessions are scheduled:

Community Budget Virtual Listening Session

When: Monday, November 18 from 6-7 p.m.

Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/tdj-gtwf-moi

Community Budget Virtual Listening Session:

When: Tuesday, December 3 from 6-7 p.m.

Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/tdj-gtwf-moi

Community Budget Virtual Listening Session:

When: Tuesday, December 9 from 9-10 a.m.

Google Meet Link: meet.google.com/tdj-gtwf-moi

Community Budget In-Person Listening Session:

When: Monday, December 16 at 6 p.m.

Where: Board Room, 191 S. East St., Frederick

Dr. Dyson is scheduled to share her Recommended Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget on Monday, January 6, with a budget discussion scheduled during the Wednesday, January 8, Board of Education of Frederick County meeting.

The full FY2026 Operating Budget Calendar is available online, where stakeholders can also view the FY2026 Budget Roadmap with details about the process.

The Blueprint Quarterly Review is part of our commitment to engaging staff, students, and families in our FCPS Blueprint work .Our latest newsletter has information and resources that highlight our FCPS work as part of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a 10 year investment in transforming public education.

In our latest edition of the Leveling Up Podcast, FCPS Chief of Staff Dr. Sarah Sirgo is joined by Dr. Keith Harris, Chief of Equity and Organizational Development, and FCPS Teacher Specialist Ann Workmeister.

Topic: Self-awareness and regulating emotions at work – some tips for when dealing with stress at the workplace.

Did you know FCPS has a Facebook page for Spanish speaking community members? FCPS Informando has important updates for families. We encourage our community to check it out!

¿Sabía que FCPS tiene una página de Facebook para miembros de la comunidad de habla hispana? FCPS Informando tiene actualizaciones importantes para las familias. ¡Animamos a nuestra comunidad a comprobarlo!

FCC Night for High School Seniors

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

6:00- 7:30 p.m.

FCC Student Center

This event is open to all seniors who are interested in attending Frederick Community College. At the event, you will learn about the enrollment steps, advising, financial aid, and more. Hear from current FCC students during a student panel and engage with faculty and staff at a campus resource fair. You can also apply for Fall 2025 or shop in the FCC Bookstore!

For more information and to register for this event, visit https://www.frederick.edu/admissions/fcc-night.aspx.

Questions? Email admissions@frederick.edu.

Email: communications@fcps.org

Website: www.fcps.org
Location: 191 South East Street, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: (301)644-5000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fcpsmaryland
Twitter: @FCPSMaryland