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October 14, 2026 |
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Calendar Correction: The printed 2026–2027 school year Comprehensive Calendar erroneously indicated that Thursday, Nov. 12 is a non-instructional day. Nov. 12 is a full instructional day of school for all K–12 students.
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MCPS to Host Staff Meetings on Potential School Closures and Consolidations |
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MCPS will hold a series of community engagement meetings for school-based staff to get a “sneak peak” of the information on the potential for school closures and consolidations. Staff will be able to provide feedback and ask questions, and can attend at any location.
MCPS is reviewing elementary and middle schools across the county and developing a clear, transparent framework for considering possible school closures and consolidations. The goal is to review schools against that framework and determine whether — and which — school closures or consolidations should be recommended by the superintendent to the Board of Education. No decisions have been made, and no countywide boundary studies are happening during this phase.
The meetings — six in-person and one virtual —will be held beginning Monday, Oct. 19 through Monday, Nov. 2. In-person sessions will be from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in the media center. The Nov. 2 virtual session will be held from 6-7 p.m. (The virtual session is a public meeting and not dedicated to staff only).
Meetings are scheduled:
- Monday, Oct. 19, Gaithersburg Middle School
- Tuesday, Oct. 20, Kingsview Middle School
- Wednesday, Oct. 21, Rosa Parks Middle School
- Thursday, Oct. 22, A. Mario Loiederman Middle School
- Wednesday, Oct. 28, Julius West Middle School
- Thursday, Oct. 29, Eastern Middle School
- Monday, Nov. 2, Virtual
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New Employees: Complete Your State Pension Plan Enrollment Within 30 Days |
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New MCPS employees who are eligible for the Maryland State Teachers’ Pension Plan must enroll within 30 days of employment. Find out how.
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National Principals Month: Q&A with E. Julian Pineda, Roscoe R. Nix Elementary School |
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October is National Principals Month. Throughout the month, MCPS is recognizing dedicated leaders who guide our schools and support students, staff and families every day. To celebrate, we’re highlighting a few principals around the county to learn more about what inspires them and the impact they hope to make in their school communities. Get to know these leaders, their passions and a few fun facts. Read the Q&A with E. Julian Pineda.
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Look Who’s On Fire This Week! |
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Congrats to Diane Van Yuga, English teacher at Poolesville High School! According to her colleagues, Diane sets a high bar for herself, her peers and her students. She often says, "We have to. The kids need it, so we have to do it," which her peers feel sums up her approach to all things teaching and learning.
MCPS Fire Ribbons recognize those who make a difference through teamwork, collaboration and peer support in MCPS schools and offices. See this week’s winners.
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Center Programs 101: Get the Details on EdTalk |
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On the newest episode of EdTalk, join host Board of Education President Grace Rivera-Oven and guests Anjali Wells, coordinator in the Department of Academic Programs, and Jeannie Franklin, director in the Department of Consortia and Application Program Services, as they discuss the new MCPS Center Programs. Learn how 8th grade families can apply to a variety of four-year academic high school Center Programs in their region. Watch EdTalk | Vea Educación al Día
You can now listen to all the EdTalk and Educación al Día episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Tune in to programming about the Center Programs, Arts in Education, Women Leaders in Education and more.
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Schedule a Free, Confidential Screening This Month |
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A reminder that the MCPS Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is conducting screenings for depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder during October. Screenings are free, confidential and available to all MCPS employees and their adult (18+) household family members. This is an opportunity to learn more about depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mood disorders; complete a brief screening questionnaire and speak one-on-one with a mental health professional. Reviewing the results takes less than 30 minutes. If appropriate, participants will receive referrals for a complete evaluation. The EAP is offering screening appointments in-person or virtually throughout the month of October.
Ready to schedule? Call 240-740-6500.
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Synergy Update Scheduled for Oct. 15: What to Expect |
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Synergy will undergo an upgrade on Thursday, Oct. 15. This will ensure a smoother experience for all users, but will require downtime while the upgrade is underway. Additionally, the old ParentVUE and StudentVUE apps for iOS and Android will stop working once the update is complete. Be sure to update your apps and delete the older versions. Learn how to download the new ParentVUE app.
The system will be down from Thursday, Oct. 15, 9 p.m. until Friday, Oct, 16 at 6 a.m.
- Impacted Applications: Synergy SIS, TeacherVUE, ParentVUE and StudentVUE.
- What to Watch For: While the systems might look like they are “up” during this window, you'll likely run into slow loading times or unexpected logouts. To avoid frustration, MCPS recommends staying offline until the update is complete.
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Sharing Hispanic Heritage Through Culture, Cuisine and Creativity |
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Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and events are continuing this month throughout MCPS schools and offices.
Today (Oct. 14), Col. Zadok Magruder High School hosted a Hispanic Heritage Soccer tournament and activities throughout the building to celebrate the diversity of its school community. The school hosted Hispanic-owned food trucks; had Spanish, Portuguese and French music playing and a photo booth with student-made props. Students could also take part in an arts and crafts activity to create a display for Día de los Muertos on Nov. 1-2. Check out photos from school and office celebrations around the district.
Roberto Clemente Middle School’s Fiesta Latina honored and celebrated its vibrant community with daily themes; honoring the legacy of their namesake; an authentic Peruvian lunch, and student performances, activities and speakers from the community and local businesses.
In a special Latino-Hispanic Heritage Month Edition, the MCPS Department of Food and Nutrition Services showcased a selection of Latino-Hispanic-inspired dishes featured in our schools with Montgomery County Board of Education President Grace Rivera-Oven and At-Large Board Member Karla Silvestre.
Rivera-Oven and Silvestre then made empanadas alongside Margarita Womack, the creator of MasPanadas. Watch the first episode of MCPS Around the Table: Latino-Hispanic Heritage Month Edition and join us around the table.
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Paint Branch and Gaithersburg NJROTC Train Together |
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Earlier this month, the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) from Paint Branch and Gaithersburg high schools came together for a joint Basic Leadership Training (BLT) Camp at the Lathrop E. Smith Environmental Education Center.
Over the course of three days, over 100 cadets participated in this first-ever joint event, learning basic military skills, watchstanding, teamwork and leadership. Cadets also competed in athletic events, drill events and confidence courses. The event ended with a camp fire, s'mores and a flag retirement ceremony. Hear more from the participants.
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Learn About Professional Development Opportunities |
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HIAT Offers Fall Professional Development Opportunities
The High Incidence Accessible Technology (HIAT) team is offering professional development sessions to help MCPS educators explore practical assistive technology tools and strategies that support student access and participation in the classroom. These sessions are open to teachers, administrators and school-based staff.
Topics include text-to-speech, speech-to-text, accessible writing tools and integrating assistive technology with Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA).
Explore upcoming sessions and register through Professional Development Online (PDO):
There is currently no stipend available for these sessions.
Sign Up for a Higher Ed Partnership Program
Higher education partnership opportunities are available to MCPS employees who are seeking teacher certification or licensure, continuing professional development, or who are pursuing career advancement. Register on Professional Development Online (PDO).
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Fight the Flu: Get Your Flu Shot by the End of October |
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Flu season is typically from October through April each year. An estimated 5 to 20 percent of Americans get the flu each year with symptoms lasting for up to two weeks. Avoid the flu by getting a flu shot before the end of October. Learn more.
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Reminders |
- Marching Band Showcase: Starting at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Albert Einstein High School. Free and open to the public.
- Mary Howard Day of Service: From 8 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 24. Projects will include beautifying gardens and pavilions, maintaining trails and building projects. RSVP.
- Mental Health & Wellness Fair: From 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14 at James Hubert Blake High School. Free and open to staff, students and families.
- MCPS and Fidelity Investments are hosting virtual workshops this month to help employees budget, save and manage debt; protect your accounts, identity and devices, and learn about investing for retirement. Get details and register.
- The Maryland Retired School Personnel Association is offering grants of up to $500 to classroom teachers to fund special projects or activities not funded through the school system or PTA. Applications are due Monday, Nov. 2. Apply.
- The MCPS Educational Foundation provides grants of up to $2,000 for individual departments and schools, and up to $10,000 for collaborative projects for multiple departments or schools. Deadline: Monday, Nov. 30. Apply.
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Your Wellness Journey Just Got an Upgrade |
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Achieving your wellness goals just got easier! Well Aware’s physical activity challenges will now be run on Wellable, an award-winning technology platform. With a personal account on Wellable, you can connect your apps and devices, automatically earn Wellable Points and climb the leaderboard. Wellable offers a variety of resources including classes, self-care sessions, videos and more. Keep an eye out for details about the first challenge, coming Monday, Oct. 26. Learn more.
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