Things to Know

Don’t Delay; Take the Climate Survey Today!

MCPS invites parents/caregivers to share your experiences and thoughts on academics, communication and overall satisfaction with your school and the district. We want to improve our teaching and make our schools and district a more welcoming place for all students, staff and families. 

Surveys are now available in eight languages.

The survey will ask for your child’s student ID number. You can find this by going into ParentVue and clicking on Student Information. Responses are confidential; the student ID helps us make sure responses are linked to the right school.

Programs Analysis and Regions Models — Why This Work Matters — and Why It Can’t Wait

MCPS is committed to ensuring that every student in every community has access to high-quality academic programs that match their interests and ambitions, without barriers of distance or opportunity. The ongoing Secondary Programs Analysis and proposed Regions Models are important steps toward a more equitable system. It’s a collaborative effort built with the input of students, staff and families through open conversations and community sessions. Read more.

In-Person Engagement Sessions Scheduled for Nov. 13, 17-18

MCPS invites the community to participate in a series of engagement sessions on the boundary studies and academic programs analysis efforts. See when and where they will be held. 

Why It Matters
Academic Programs Analysis Webpage

MCPS Welcomed Furloughed Federal Families for Lunch and Career Connections

Last week, schools across the district invited parents and guardians who are furloughed federal government employees to eat lunch with their students. Nearly 1,600 RSVP’d and close to 1,900 parents and guardians joined their children for lunch. At the same time, more than 120 guests attended the Central Office pop-up job fair to explore career opportunities within the district. 

See the photos and watch the video.

Monitoring Progress Toward Graduation

Parents should have received student report cards for the first marking period. A Student Grades and Graduation Credit Report, which will help parents monitor their high school student’s progress toward graduation, has been delivered to schools to send home. This report, sent to parents of 10th-12th graders, includes a Grade Point Average and Weighted Grade Point Average, course grades and credits, and summary of Student Service Learning hours. Read more.

Thanksgiving Week Schedule and Attendance

A reminder that schools will release students early on Monday, Nov. 24, and Tuesday, Nov. 25. It is important for students to attend school on these days and complete their work to stay on track before the holiday break.

Schools and offices will be closed Wednesday, Nov. 26, through Friday, Nov. 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

For a full list of important dates and to stay up to date with the school calendar, visit the MCPS School Calendar.

Share Your Feedback on the 2026-2027 School Calendar

As MCPS continues to develop the 2026-2027 school calendar, the district is seeking more input from you!

Please complete this second survey to share input on the proposed draft traditional calendars for the 2026-2027 school year.

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, inclement weather and other emergencies, staff professional days and early release days, and alignment with assessment schedules.  

Take the survey.

BOE Seeking Comment on Emerging Technologies

The Montgomery County Board of Education is seeking comments on proposed amendments to Board Policy IGS, Emerging Technologies in Education, to update guiding principles for integrating emerging technologies into MCPS operations and instruction.  The policy has been available for comment since Oct. 27, 2025. Public comments are due by Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. 

Review the draft policy and submit comments.

How Do the Changes to SNAP Affect School Meals?

Students directly certified for free meals under Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will continue to receive meal benefits for the rest of the 2025-2026 school year. Students newly eligible for SNAP benefits when their applications are processed will also qualify for free school meals this school year. Parents/guardians who are furloughed can apply for Free and Reduced-price Meals for their children here. Read more.

Now You Know: Report Cards

Report cards are now available in ParentVUE. Take a few minutes to review your child’s progress so far. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate their successes and talk together about areas where they can keep growing.

Watch in English | Spanish | French | Chinese | Vietnamese | Amharic | Korean | Portuguese

Student Opportunities

• Speak Up; Save a Life: Create an original video to promote awareness of the dangers of opioid/fentanyl abuse and overdose among teens. Deadline is Sunday, Dec. 7.

• BOLT Leadership Academy: This program is open to high school freshmen and sophomores wanting to strengthen their leadership capacity through advocacy and management skills. 

• C-SPAN StudentCam Competition: Students in 6th through 12th grades are invited to participate in C-SPAN’s annual national video documentary StudentCam competition. Students are asked to create a video documentary on a topic that relates to the competition theme, “Exploring the American Story through the Declaration of Independence.” Top prize is $5,000. Deadline is Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.

•  Choose Respect Video Contest: Open to secondary students, this contest challenges teens to create an original video promoting awareness of dating violence/abuse among teens. Videos can be in English or Spanish. Top prize is $1,000. Deadline is Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.

•  America’s Field Trip: This contest invites students in grades 3-12 submit writing or artwork in sharing their perspectives on what America means to them — and earn the opportunity to travel for field trip experiences at some of the nation’s most iconic historic and cultural landmarks. Deadline is March 30, 2026.

• Seeking High School Election Workers: This Montgomery County Board of Elections program provides students with an opportunity to serve Montgomery County voters during the 2026 Gubernatorial Elections in June 2026. Students registered to vote can submit an application. Students not registered to vote should download, complete and mail these three forms: Maryland Voter Registration, Election Worker Application and Permission Slip (for workers under 18 years old).

Prioritizing Safety in Our Schools

Last week, MCPS teams visited the Richard Montgomery and Northwood cluster of schools and the district remains on track to complete the background check, fingerprinting and badging process by mid-December. Below is an update on the progress to date, reflecting the number of employees who have already been rescreened.

Reminders

• Job Fair: Know someone interested in being a bus driver or bus attendant? Come see us from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 13. The fair will be held at the Division of Transportation Services (DOTS), 16651 Crabbs Branch Way in Rockville. For more information, call 240-740-6080.

• Enrichment Opportunities: The Accelerated and Enriched Instruction office has two more webinars to help families learn about enrichment opportunities for students in grades K–12.

• Remembrance and Reconciliation Month: Students can earn one SSL hour for attending a webinar on the Impact of Montgomery County’s Urban Renewal Programs on African American Communities, from 7:30-8:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 24. Learn more and register.

• Financial Aid Workshops: High schools are hosting these workshops for families to learn about the options available to help students pay for college. Parents can attend any financial workshop at any school. Learn more. 

Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade Is Looking for Volunteers!

Who doesn’t love a parade?

The annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade will be held starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22. The parade features marching bands, lively dance troupes, floats, fire trucks and fun inflatables. The route starts at Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street in downtown Silver Spring, heads south on Georgia Avenue and ends at Silver Spring Avenue. The parade will be held rain or shine.

The parade is looking for volunteers, who will dress in costume, serve as unit leaders, and be inflatable and balloon handlers. The hours for volunteers are from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (volunteers need to be present the entire six hours). Students 13 years old and older can receive Student Service Learning (SSL) hours for participating. Register as a parade volunteer here.

The Latest from the News Page

• National School Psychology Week: During the week of Nov. 3-7, MCPS recognized school psychologists, who support students’ learning, health and well-being. Read Q&As with four of them: Dr. Trellis Jones, Dr. Sharon Huang, Nicole Rodriguez-Caraballo, Harriet Kuhn and Dr. Kenneth Reimer.

• Honoring Military Families: Glen Haven Elementary School welcomed military-connected families for its second annual Purple Star Breakfast Bunch. The event brought together students, families and staff to celebrate service, strengthen connections and enjoy a meal together.

• Up, Up and Away: As Roberto Clemente Middle School works to support the “whole child” and builds more social-emotional time into the school day, students SOAR.