March 2021

Monthly SMOB Newsletter

Hello everyone!

Congratulations for making it through the month of March! Thank you for continuing to show your strength and perseverance during these unique times. Please make sure you take advantage of spring break to recharge, rejuvenate, and prepare for the final few months of this school year. However, before we segue into April, I have few updates from this month to share with you.

As always, if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. You can contact me via my website: nickasante.com; through social media: @nickasante; or email me at nick_asante@mcpsmd.org

AAPI Hate Crimes

Over the past few weeks and throughout the pandemic, our nation has seen a rise in hate crimes against the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. It's disgusting that these acts of violence and hatred continue to occur, but we mustn't normalize these attacks and racist ways of thinking. MCPS released a statement about the rise in AAPI hate crimes earlier this month. Our school system condemns any acts of disctrimination towards any group and is constantly working towards become a 100% anti-racist school system. I encoruage you all to think about your own actions and be mindful of the role you play in that anti-racist vision.

As always, I’m here as a resource and available to talk to you if you need it, so please feel free to reach out.

Spring Break Reminders

As we move into spring break, we highly encourage you and your family to avoid travelling, especially if you’re returning to school, to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19. If you plan to return, we encourage you to take a COVID-19 test and quarantine for two weeks before entering school buildings. You can find more about MCPS’ COVID-19 travel guidance here.

A reminder: Please take care of yourself while schools are out of session. This has been a challenging year to say the least and all of you deserve a restoring and revitalizing break. These breaks from school may also be times of isolation and loneliness for many of you, so please take advantage of the many mental health resources that MCPS has available. I hope we can all return from break feeling well-rested and ready to take on the final leg of this year.

New Return Phasing-In Info

In listening to community feedback, the Board of Education has adjusted its phasing-in plan for secondary students. To ensure students have a reasonable time window to obtain a COVID-19 test if they travel for spring break, April 6 and 7 will be systemwide virtual learning days. The first day that group 1.2 (Grades 4–6 and seniors) will be in-person will now be Thursday, April 8.

MCPS also plans on accelerating the return of students in group 2.1 and 2.2 (Grades 7–11), who will begin returning to buildings on April 19.

On Wednesday, March 24, I hosted a live town hall on returning to schools. During the event, MCPS staff answered some questions students had about returning to buildings and the in-person learning experience. You can find the replay of that video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIvftAiz2i8.

Calendar for next year

The Board of Education approved the school calendar for next year on Tuesday, March 23. Next year’s calendar includes operational closures aligning with various holidays (Rosh Hashanah, Diwali, Christmas, Lunar New Year, Eid al-Fitr). Below is a link to the calendar, as well as some major dates next year:

• August 30: First Day of School for Students
• November 4: End of First Quarter
• December 23–January 2: Winter Break
• January 24: End of First Semester/Second Quarter
• April 9 - April 18: Spring Break
• April 1: End of Third Quarter
• June 15: Last Day of School

DACA Info Session

MCPS, Montgomery College (MC) and CASA invite students and community members to an information session about how to apply for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. DACA protects people from deportation and provides work authorization and a Social Security number. DACA enables Maryland high school graduates to qualify for in-state tuition at a public community college or university.

To learn about how to obtain DACA, what the process is like as a high school or college student and meet resourceful contacts at MCPS, MC and CASA, join this webinar on Wednesday, April 14 at 7 p.m.

Register here (Spanish interpretation will be available): https://montgomerycollege.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q-PleN0CTXaYO0VS8X4Akg

SMOB Election

The Special Elections committee has changed the date of the upcoming SMOB election and increased the length of the voting period, to ensure equitable access to the voting process. The election will now take place on April 22 and April 23. You will have the chance to vote during your English classes. The ballot and more information about the election will be sent directly to your MCPS account as we get closer to election day.
A reminder, the two candidates elected at the February 17 SMOB Nomination Convention are Henry Kaye and Hana O’Looney. You can find their contact information below:
Henry Kaye @henry_smob Henrysmob.com
Hana O’Looney @hana4smob Hana4smob.com
You can also find updated information about the SMOB election process here.

Events

• Spring Break, March 27 - April 4
• MCR Executive Board Meeting, April 8
• EmpowHer: Women in Activism, April 13
• SMOB Election, April 22-23
• EmpowHer: How to Write a Resume and Network, April 29