School Breakfast Grows More Popular in Montgomery County

Advocates for free school breakfast programs say student achievement is linked to the availability of breakfast in schools.

More schools in Montgomery County are participating in free breakfast programs, a reality that may result in increased student achievement, advocates for school breakfast said.  "Expanding participation in breakfast is one of the best ways to ensure that Maryland’s children are healthy and ready to learn," said Cathy Demeroto, director of Maryland Hunger Solutions. "Efforts to expand school breakfast in Maryland are making a difference, and we’re pleased to see that the state is moving in the right direction. Still, we can build on this progress and reach even more children, especially in urban areas." During the 2011-2012 school year, 49.3 percent of low-income children attending Montgomery County Public Schools participated in the …

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Costco Gas Man

5:11 pm on Friday, May 17, 2013

And, by the way, I love that V8. I really do.   more ›

School Board Agenda: School Renovations in Gaithersburg, Silver Spring and Wheaton

The Montgomery County Board of Education meets regularly in Rockville.

The Montgomery County Board of Education will approve a bevy of school building improvements at its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 14 at 9 a.m. in Rockville.  Projects at Judith A. Resnik, Sequoyah, Summit Hall, Arcola and Rosemary Hills Elementary Schools are on the agenda.  (To see the full agenda, click on the PDF above.) 

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Report: MCPS High School Students Flunking Math Finals

A review of test scores for algebra, geometry, algebra II and precalculus showed that a majority of students failed the final exam last year, local news outlets reported.

More than half of high school students in Montgomery County Public Schools didn't pass last semester's math finals, according to reports in The Examiner newspaper and WAMU.org. Data from MCPS, released after parents at Rockville High began anecdotally comparing test scores, according to WAMU, show that students across the system failed bedrock mathematics course finals—algebra and algebra II, geometry and precalculus. Course Algebra Algebra II Geometry Precalculus Final Exam Failure (%) 61 57 62 48 Those percentages add up to about 11,000 students not passing final math exams out of 19,000 who took the exams, Examiner reported.  Dana Tofig, spokesman for MCPS, said the system is forming a task force to investigate the high rate of failures…

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'History Day Teacher of the Year' Hails from Northwood High School

Alix Medor of Northwood High School in Silver Spring was recognized as the Patricia Behring High School History Day Teacher of the Year for Maryland.

Thursday: Final Games in Wheaton High School Stadium

Reconstruction work on the school begins this summer

On Thursday, the girls and boys varsity lacrosse teams at Wheaton High School will play the final games of the school year in the Richard Riddle Stadium before reconstruction work on the school begins this summer, according to Chris Culkin, Wheaton's athletic booster club president. Both games are against Magruder High School; the girls game begins at 5:15 p.m., the boys game at 7 p.m. Read more about the Richard Riddle Stadium in Chris Culkin's blog post on Patch about the final football game played there last fall.

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Sean R. Sedam

1:50 pm on Thursday, May 2, 2013

I remember playing soccer for Sherwood High School on the Richard Riddle Stadium pitch. (And many more baseball games on the adjacent diamond.) Best of luck to the Knights. Send off the old stadium with style. (Go Warriors!)   more ›

Albert Einstein High School Adds Extensions Program

Special needs program will use school space while remaining separate.

The Extensions Program, a Montgomery County Public Schools special needs program, will officially begin using classroom space at Albert Einstein High School in September.  According to Gwendolyn Mason, director of Special Education Services for Montgomery County, students in the program have disabilities and require "systematic support.” The program—a self-contained class separate from the rest of the school body—currently uses classes at Quince Orchard High School in Gaithersburg. However, the growing size made expansion necessary, and officials determined that Albert Einstein was the best location.  “We were approached last September about housing the classes in some of our empty classrooms, and agreed with the county,” said Albert …

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10 Struggling Schools to Get Extra Layer of MCPS Support

A new model for underperforming schools will work to close the county school system's achievement gap, school officials said.

Ten "Innovation Schools" within Montgomery County Public Schools will receive "shoulder-to-shoulder" support from the system's central office under a new program that will work to close the achievement gap. The new program, announced at the April 23 meeting of the Montgomery County Board of Education, will hire a new position—a chief school improvement officer—to work directly with the leadership staff at the selected schools. This dedicated central office position is new to the system's approach to working with struggling schools, said Deputy Superintendent Beth Schiavino-Narvaez. "We're limiting the number of schools so that (the improvement officer) can be on the ground working shoulder-to-shoulder with the leadership team on their …

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Costco Gas Man

6:55 am on Wednesday, May 1, 2013

You don't get it? Obviously you're one of the ones who if you needed government help would have to get someone to fill it out for you. Here it is another way. If you need food stamps or other forms of government assistance there is a form to fill out. If you can't fill it out you can ask someone to fill it out for you. Is that clear enough? Too many low information voters.   more ›

Community Members Honored at Annual Chamber of Commerce Banquet

Teachers, students, business owners and public safety personnel among award recipients

The Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce held its 29th Annual Community Awards Banquet at Hollywood East in Wheaton Wednesday night. Here is a full list of the awards and their recipients: The 2013 Wheaton & Kensington Chamber of Commerce Tribute Award: Kensington Volunteer Fire Department The Chamber Member of the Year: IHOP, William Moore, President The Outstanding Chamber Service Award: Smart Computer, Inc, Seth Katz The Non-Profit of the Year: Parent Encouragement Program     The Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board Citizen of the Year: Susan DeFord The Mid-County Citizens Advisory Board Civic Association of the Year: Community Partners of Aspen Hill   Wheaton Redevelopment Advisory Committee Wheaton Revitalization Award: The Shops …

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