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One Week to Go Before School Starts: Let’s Talk About LearningDear MCPS Families, Just one week until the start of the 2026-2027 school year! I hope that you are just as excited as we are - this is going to be a great school year. Last week, I wrote to you about safety and the responsibility we all share in keeping our schools safe. This week, I want to share critical information about the core mission of MCPS: instruction. Learning is our main focus and why MCPS is here to serve you and your family. We want your child to come to school every day, be challenged, discover something new, build confidence, develop relationships, and leave MCPS prepared for what comes next. Thank you for partnering with us and trusting us with your child. Today I want to elevate some practical things that you should know about before the school year starts. For some students, school starts a day early and that is intentional.Monday, August 24, is our second annual Student Transition Day, the first full day of school for kindergarteners, sixth and ninth graders, students entering third grade in our intermediate schools, and students who are new to their schools. This is a full school day designed to give students a head start before everyone else arrives. Why do we do this? Research and our own experience as parents and teachers has made it clear: students who transition between schools, specifically in significant transition grades like sixth and ninth grade, can often struggle at the start of the school year. We also know that students who have a meaningful acclimation without the distraction of other students in their space perform better in their transitioning year. New building layouts, new schedules, new friends, new adults - it can all be very stressful for our kids and we can manage this stress better with carefully crafted activities on a day designed just for them. This is a great opportunity for our students transitioning to new schools to build confidence and comfort that positions them for better success. In other words, we want the first day to feel a little less overwhelming and a lot more welcoming. Learn more here and watch a video here English / español We are making grading clearer and more consistent.There are some important changes to grading and reporting this year. Assignments will have clearly identified due dates (when work is expected to be turned in) and deadlines (the final date work can be submitted for credit) in StudentVUE and ParentVUE; no single assignment or assessment can account for more than 20 percent of a marking-period grade; practice and preparation homework can account for no more than 10 percent; and students will have at least two opportunities each marking period to retake or revise eligible assessments. There are also clearer expectations around late work, extended-time accommodations, absences, and the use of artificial intelligence. Assessments are checkpoints, not roadblocks.Assessments give all of us information about what students know, understand, and are able to do. They also show us where your child is growing (academically), and where they may need additional help. They aren't meant to define a child or turn every testing day into a high-stress event. We are committed to providing more regular updates on how your child is performing - this is an area that we know we can improve to strengthen our partnership. This year, we are providing families with an assessment calendar so you can see what is coming and plan ahead. Our best advice: keep normal routines, make sure your child gets some sleep and breakfast, encourage their effort, and please don't turn a test into a "make or break" moment. If you have questions about an assessment, don’t hesitate to ask your child's teacher. Learn more here
Stay connected to what your child is learning.Knowing what your child is learning makes it easier to stay connected, ask questions and support learning at home. Last school year we made available the Refrigerator Curriculum which provides families with a simple, one-page look at what students will learn each marking period, including major topics, themes and texts. Review the 2026-2027 Refrigerator Curriculum here. Good study habits are built.One of the best things families can do for learning doesn't require advanced content knowledge like knowing algebra, chemistry, or the answer to tonight's homework. One of the best ways to help your child academically is to build regular routines at home. Create a regular time and place for learning at home and talking about what happened at school that day. Regularly review papers and work from school - this can happen for students every grade. Help break down big tasks into smaller ones. Encourage your child to ask questions and solve problems before stepping in to help. Praise effort and progress—not perfection. And stay in regular communication with teachers and the other adults supporting your child. For students receiving specialized supports, these routines are even more important. The attached guide includes ideas for reinforcing IEP and 504 supports at home, encouraging self-advocacy, and helping students become increasingly independent. Even though the attachment is focused on helping students who receive specialized supports, this guidance also works for everyone. Small habits really do make a big difference. Learn more here (for students receiving specialized supports). Make sure you are connected.You shouldn't have to hunt for information about your child's education. MCPS has official digital tools that families will use throughout the school year for grades, assignments, schedules, school and district messages, meals, and other important information. Learn more about official MCPS Apps here with a simple guide to the official MCPS apps and digital tools, what each one does, and how to access each of the apps designed for family use. And if technology isn't your thing, that's okay. Ask your school. We want to help you get connected. One Week To Go!We’re almost there. Next Monday is Transition Day, followed on Tuesday by the first full day of school for every student. To help keep track of all of that, please download or print a copy of this Family-Friendly Calendar. The buses will roll, cafeterias will open, classrooms will fill, and a new school year will officially begin. There will be exciting days. There will be hard days. There will probably be mornings when somebody can't find a shoe. That's school. That's family. Our job is to make sure that when your child walks through our doors, they have adults who know them, believe in them, challenge them, and help them grow. Your partnership makes us better at doing that. Thank you for sending your child to MCPS and thank you for partnering with us. Last week, I asked you to help us make this our safest school year yet. This week, I'm asking you to help us make it a great year for learning. One week to go. I can't wait. Sincerely, Thomas W. Taylor, Ed.D., M.B.A. P.S. We’d love to see you at our upcoming Back-to-School Fair. Check out the flyer. Flyers:
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Email us: ASKMCPS@mcpsmd.org |