Mental Health Awareness Week Set for Oct. 21–26

MCPS and the Montgomery County School Psychologists’ Association will host Mental Health Awareness Week Oct. 21–26 to give youth and families the opportunity to hear from mental health experts on a variety of issues. A Mental Health Resource Fair and Student Forum will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Seneca Valley High School, 19401 Crystal Rock Drive in Germantown.

The event is open to students, families and staff and will include MCPS and community partners sharing information about mental health and wellness, as well as a student-lead forum focused on issues impacting Montgomery County youth. Students may earn Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for participating in the resource fair. For more information, visit the Mental Health Awareness Week website.

The keynote speaker is Charles A. Barrett, Ph.D., NCSP, a district-level administrator in Virginia, who practiced as a school psychologist for 13 years at the elementary and secondary levels. He serves as an adjunct lecturer at several universities, where he trains future school psychologists. The keynote and student forum are set for 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

Applications to High School Regional/Countywide Programs Open Oct. 7, Due Nov. 1

MCPS students have a range of opportunities available at their local high school, as well as regional and countywide application programs. Beginning Monday, Oct. 7, Grade 8 students will have the opportunity to apply for the regional/countywide programs using the high school common application found in ParentVUE. Additionally, students in Grades 9-11 may apply for part-time career-readiness programs at various locations throughout the county. Applications for the upper grades will also be open beginning Monday, Oct. 7. Links to interest forms are below:
Grade 9
Grade 10
Grade 11

Information sessions are going on now for students and families. All dates can be found on the special programs webpage. 

The deadline to apply is 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1. Learn more about the programs, eligibility and open house dates.

Share Your Feedback on Upcoming School Year Calendars

MCPS is seeking the community’s feedback as it works to finalize the 2025–2026 and 2026–2027 school year calendars. Please complete this survey to share your input.

Your feedback represents an important component of the development process. MCPS will consider educational interests, operational needs, mandated school closures by state law, compliance with minimum instructional days and credit hour requirements, contingencies for inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, alignment with assessment schedules and more. 

Both draft calendars for 2025–2026 include the following:

• A new Student Transition Day will be introduced for the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar. This Student Transition Day, on Monday, Aug. 25, 2025, will be a re-imagined student orientation day to welcome students in kindergarten, third grade, sixth grade and ninth grade; students in any grade who are new to MCPS or new to a school; those who enroll through International Admissions; and students who receive special education services, language development supports or who are Emergent Multilingual Learners.

• First official day of school for all students: Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2026.

• Spring break: Monday, March 30, 2026, through Monday, April 6, 2026.

The primary difference between the two draft calendars for 2025–2026 is the length of winter break—one has an eight-day break and the second has a 10-day break.

The committee is in the early stages of planning for the 2026–2027 calendar and would like feedback on:

• The first week of school.

• Winter break.

• Thanksgiving break.

Take the survey.

Survey in Other Languages

Comentarios sobre el calendario escolar de MCPS (2025-2026 y 2026-2027)

MCPS 校历反馈（2025-2026 和 2026-2027）

MCPS 학교 달력 피드백(2025-2026 및 2026-2027)

Commentaires sur le calendrier scolaire du MCPS (2025-2026 et 2026-2027)

Phản hồi về Lịch học của Trường MCPS (2025-2026 và 2026-2027)

የMCPS ትምህርት ቤት የቀን መቁጠሪያ ግብረመልስ (2025-2026 እና 2026-2027

Teacher and Coach Steffany Lizama: Inspiring Latinas in STEM and Sports

As part of Hispanic Heritage Month—celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15—MCPS is highlighting the contributions and diversity of the many Hispanic cultures across Montgomery County. Steffany Lizama, a STEM educator and girls' flag football coach at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, empowers students to challenge stereotypes. Read more about her story. 

Applications Due Oct. 4 for Youth Climate Institute

Applications are due Friday, Oct. 4, for high school students interested in applying for the inaugural chapter of the Youth Climate Institute. This extracurricular program will teach student leaders about climate science, impacts and solutions. Students will receive an introduction to a variety of climate topics, including environmental justice, food waste and fast fashion, as well as attend panel discussions and webinars. They will also work with climate experts to complete action projects in their communities. Meetings will be held on Tuesday evenings beginning on Oct. 15 in person at Brookside Gardens in Wheaton or the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Center in Rockville.

The application is available here.

For questions, email Lee Derby or Liz Bullock.

In Case You Missed It …

MCPS issued updated guidance for student and staff speech and expression. You can read it here. Also, remember to register to attend the social studies curriculum nights to learn more about how social studies is taught.