1. High School Summer School Registration Opens Friday, March 22

High school summer school registration will begin on Friday, March 22. Regional Summer High School Programs will be offered in-person at Montgomery Blair, Seneca Valley and Richard Montgomery high schools. Classes begin at 8 a.m. and end at 12:30 p.m. MCPS transportation will be offered at limited central stops and meals will be provided. Read full details.

2. Student Transfer Application Closes April 2

The Change of School Assignment (COSA) process allows families to submit a request for their children to transfer out of their assigned home school. All COSA requests must be submitted no later than Tuesday, April 2. COSA requests submitted after April 2 will only be accepted if the student is a new resident of Montgomery County or there is an emergency event that could not have been foreseen prior to April 2. Information on the COSA process, including two different ways to submit a request, can be found on this webpage. 

For questions, call the Division of Pupil Personnel and Attendance Services at 240-740-5620. 

Read more. 

Attend an Upcoming Superintendent Search Forum to Share Your Input 

Your valuable input is needed as the Board of Education searches for and selects the next Superintendent of Schools for MCPS. The Board is hosting three in-person town halls the first week of April:

• April 2–Seneca Valley High School, 6 p.m.
• April 3–Richard Montgomery High School, 6 p.m.
• April 4–Wheaton High School, 6 p.m.

The forums will focus on the qualities and characteristics you believe are most important for the new superintendent to possess and the specific goals and priorities you believe  they should focus on to best serve students, teachers, families and community. 

You can also fill out a general feedback form and the superintendent search survey. Visit the search website here for more information. 

Read more. 

4. Status of COVID-19 Procedures

As we head into spring break, please note that MCPS has not officially changed COVID-19 procedures. COVID, flu and norovirus are still circulating so remember healthy habits when traveling and gathering over the break. MCPS continues to follow the five-day isolation period for COVID-19 and will announce updated procedures after the break, effective April 15.

5. Upcoming Events, Reminders and Resources 

The Student Service Learning (SSL) Awards documentation deadline is Friday, April 5 to earn the High School Certificate of Meritorious Service for seniors who have 240 or more SSL hours and the Middle School Superintendent’s SSL Award for any middle school student who has completed the 75-hour SSL graduation requirement for the first time. Visit the SSL website for information. 

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RespectFest To Address Teen Violence and Relationships
RespectFest is a festival featuring online activities and an in-person event at the Wheaton Community Recreation Center on Sunday, April 7. RespectFest celebrates healthy relationships and raises awareness about unhealthy and abusive ones. Read more. 

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Two Upcoming Out-of-School Time Opportunities 

MCPS will host a student “Grow Your Own” career day from 9 a.m.–noon on Wednesday, April 10, at Northwest High School when students are off from school.  RSVP by April 1.

Students are also invited to participate in an Earth Day Urban Farm and Sustainability Hub volunteering and learning event starting at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 22 at A. Mario Loiederman Middle School. RSVP here. Read more.

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Come Out to the Next Youth Climate Summit April 13

Attention middle and high school students! MCPS is hosting the 3rd annual Youth Climate Summit from 8:30 a.m.–3:35 p.m. on Saturday, April 13 at Tilden Middle School. This event is designed to teach MCPS secondary students about climate change and equip them with the tools to create projects in their communities. Read more. 

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Game Changer Conference Set for April 20; Essay Contest Deadline: April 10

Calling all parents/caregivers of young male students in Grades 4-12! Register your student for the spring 2024 Game Changer conference and help empower and ignite their path to success. The conference will be held on Saturday, April 20 at the Universities at Shady Grove, 8 a.m.–2 p.m. Registration closes Wednesday, April 3. Spaces are limited.

Register here. 

Read more. 

6. Good News 

Congratulations to the MCPS high schools and coaches who won state athletic championships and state sportsmanship awards for the 2023–2024 winter season. Read the full list. 

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MCPS student leaders recently attended advocacy meetings with legislators, including U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, and U.S. Reps. Jamie Raskin and David Trone. The students are part of the Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association (SGA), the countywide high school SGA.  Participants researched current legislation to share their voice and advocate on youth-centric bills on critical topics. 

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Congratulations to MCPS students who won the 2024 “Heads Up, Phones Down” video contest, which asked students to produce videos encouraging peers to not allow cell phones to distract them while driving and walking. Anjolaoluwa Adeleke of Walter Johnson High School was the grand prize individual winner. Read the full list of winners. 

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Hundreds of students attended the annual Montgomery County National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) National College Fair held March 19–20. The free event featured representatives from more than 275 colleges and universities. Check out the photo gallery.