Things to Know

Snow Is Coming:
Stay Connected for Updates

(credit: National Weather Service – 4:10 a.m., Jan. 22, 2026)

We’re keeping a close eye on the weekend weather forecast and we know you are, too. Weather forecasts are predicting snow and ice are headed our way late Saturday through early Monday (could be a lot of snow). As we all know, snow has a way of turning roads into skating rinks and frigid temperatures into challenges for buildings (pipes and heating systems included).

As always, student and staff safety comes first. If conditions require changes to school or office operations, such as closures, delayed openings or schedule adjustments, we’ll communicate quickly through email and text messages, the MCPS website, Alert MCPS, social media, local media, MCPS-TV and school homepages. We’ll also continue using our color-coded status system so families know exactly where things stand.

Please refer to the community message sent earlier today about food distribution and other important information.

End of the Marking Period:
Understanding the 50 Percent Rule

As we come to the end of the marking period (Jan. 23), we want to offer a few reminders about the 50 percent rule as students and families evaluate how successfully students were able to show mastery in their courses. Students receiving 50 percent can seek support and/or intervention from teachers to improve the accuracy or quality of their work.

The teacher will assign a zero if:

• The student does not seek support or does no work on the task/assessment after the teacher offers support and/or intervention.
• The teacher determines the student did not attempt to meet the basic requirements of the task/assessment.
• The student engaged in academic dishonesty.

Teachers will document any support and/or intervention, which could include in- or out-of-class support; reteaching or reassessment. The What If Grade Calculator can be a useful tool as students evaluate their performance on various assignments.

Remember that grades, assignments and teacher feedback can be monitored at any time through ParentVUE.

Need Money for College?
FAFSA Can Help

Families of graduating seniors: Get help with financial aid during Montgomery College online events.

The Office of Financial Aid is holding workshops to help families through the process.

• Paying for College: Sessions begin at 6 p.m. on March 11, May 4 and June 10. Register.
• Need Money?: Sessions are Tuesdays, Feb. 10, 17 and 24, and Thursdays, Feb. 12, 19 and 26. These sessions will help families complete the FAFSA or MHEC One-App (for those who don’t qualify for the FAFSA). Register.

More information.

Do you want to learn more about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Maryland State Financial Aid Application (MSFAA)? Consider joining one of the parent workshops below, sponsored by Collegiate Directions. These sessions offer an opportunity to get questions answered and receive follow-up sessions with 1:1 support.

• Tuesday, Feb. 3 and Tuesday, Feb. 24: Complete the FAFSA, 6:30 p.m. Will be offered in English.
• Wednesday, Feb. 18: Completar la FAFSA, 7 p.m. Will be offered in Spanish.

Save the Dates: A Celebration of Rhythm and Story: Dance, Drumline Showcases & Film Festival

Three February events showcasing talented student dancers, musicians and filmmakers are coming up:

• Dance Showcase: This 12th annual event will be held from 7-8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 20 at Montgomery College’s Cultural Arts Center at the Silver Spring campus (7995 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring). Tickets for the public will be available on Saturday, Feb. 14.
• Drumline Showcase: Will be at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27 at Albert Einstein High School, 11135 Newport Mill Road in Kensington. This event, which will be held indoors, will feature more than 10 high school drumlines. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the door.
• Youth Anti-Racist Film Festival: Sponsored by the Minority Scholars Program and Listen Tell Media, this event will feature student-made films from 10 a.m.–noon on Saturday, Feb. 21 at Montgomery College, Cultural Arts Center (7995 Georgia Avenue in Silver Spring). The festival hopes that the films created and produced by MCPS students will push for positive change within schools and communities. Buy tickets or a sponsorship.

Board of Education Requests Public Comment on Three Policies

The Board of Education is seeking comments on three policies:

• Policy IGS, Emerging Technologies in Education, to update guiding principles for integrating emerging technologies, such as generative artificial intelligence, into MCPS operations and instruction. Comments due: Monday, Jan. 26.
• Policy BFA, Policysetting, to update and clarify how policies and regulations are developed and made available to the public. Comments due: Saturday, Jan. 31.
• Policy GCC, Background Screening of MCPS Employees, Candidates for MCPS Employment, Contractors, and Volunteers, to consolidate into an umbrella document the requirements for fingerprint-based checks of national and state crime information databases and additional safety measures. Comments due: Saturday, Jan. 31.

Review the draft policy language and submit comments.

Tonight’s Special Ed Advisory Meeting Highlights Therapeutic and Inclusive Camps

This month’s Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 22 on Zoom. Speakers will include community partners who will share information about therapeutic camps and inclusive community camps. The Zoom meeting link is available here.

Get In the Game:
Spring Sports Registration Starts Jan. 26

The ParentVue spring athletics registration portal opens at noon on Monday, Jan. 26 for high school and middle school. Information regarding the ParentVue login portal is available on the MCPS website. High school spring sports include baseball, girls’ gymnastics, boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, girls’ softball, boys’ and girls’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ track and field, boys’ and coed volleyball, and corollary allied softball. Middle school sports include boys’ and girls’ soccer.

Emerging Leaders Program
Open to Middle, High Schoolers

The Montgomery County Commission for Women will host the 2026 Women’s Legislative Briefing from 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Drive in Rockville.

This event will include an Emerging Leaders Program for middle and high school students, focused on leadership development and civic engagement. There are four available sessions: 2:30-3:15 p.m. (middle and high school) and from 4-4:45 p.m. (middle and high school). Register.

Student Reminders & Opportunities

HBCU Fair: Register for this event, 6-8:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13 at The Universities at Shady Grove, 9630 Gudelsky Drive in Rockville. If MCPS has an early release or closure due to inclement weather, this event will be moved to a virtual format.

Summer RISE registration: Open until Tuesday, Feb. 17, to high school sophomores and juniors. This program offers a hands-on, career-based learning experience.

SMOB Filing Period: Interested students can submit nominations through 5 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29.

Choose Respect Video Contest: Open to middle and high school 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: Sunday, Feb. 15.

Gaithersburg Book Festival Poetry Contest: This year’s theme is “What Is Humanity?” Students must be in high school to participate. Deadline: Friday, Feb. 20.

Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education Scholarships: For graduating seniors, MAEOE is offering three $1,500 scholarships for plans to study environmental fields in college or at a community college. Applications due Monday, March 2.

Water Safety Poster Contest: Open to artists in grades K–12, this contest asks participants to create a poster that highlights the importance of water safety. Deadline: Sunday, March 15. Learn more and submit.

Keeping It Safe Video Contest: Open to middle and high school students, the contest invites students to create a 30-second video on the risks and dangers of under 21 alcohol use. Deadline: Tuesday, March 31.

World Food Prize: The 4-H team at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Extension is inviting high schoolers to participate in the upcoming Maryland Youth Institute of the World Food Prize in May. This event offers an opportunity to engage with critical global issues related to food security while enhancing research, writing and leadership skills. An essay is required and due by Tuesday, March 31.

Sustainability Poster Contest: All students and staff can participate in this annual contest to increase awareness of energy conservation, waste reduction and responsible recycling. Check out the new digital art category! Deadline: Friday, April 3.

The Latest from the News Page

• Driving Inspiration and Support to Paint Branch: DARCARS Automotive Group visited students last week, delivering a powerful message of hard work and integrity, along with a $3,000 check and 500 backpacks.

• One of 40: Alyssa Yu, a senior at Poolesville High School, has been named one of 40 finalists in the Regeneron Science Talent Search for 2026, one of the nation's most rigorous science and math competitions.