MCPS Class of 2012 Earns 81 National Merit Scholarships
Twenty-one Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) students have received National Merit Scholarships in the latest round of awards sponsored by universities and colleges. This represents more than half of the 39 recipients in the state of Maryland.
Each sponsoring college or university selected scholarship winners from among finalists in the 2012 National Merit Scholarship Program. These awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
Earlier this year, it was announced that 60 MCPS students had been awarded National Merit Scholarships — 20 students were awarded college-sponsored scholarships; nine students were awarded corporate-sponsored scholarships; 13 students were awarded National Achievement Scholarships for scholastically talented African American students; and 18 students were awarded National Merit $2,500 scholarships.
This final round of recipients brings the total number of 2012 National Merit Scholarship winners in MCPS to 81. This represents more than one-third of the 209 National Merit Scholarship recipients in the state of Maryland.
John Mannes Sworn in as SMOB
John Mannes, a rising senior at Northwest High School, was sworn in as the 35th Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB) on July 9 at the Montgomery County Circuit Court in Rockville.
“I look forward to working with the Board of Education and the superintendent on the important issues we will be facing in the coming year,” Mannes said. “I appreciate the support of MCPS students, and I am committed to making their voices heard during my time as SMOB.”
Mannes was elected to serve a one-year term on the Board by middle and high school students of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS). He received 62.9 percent of the vote in the April 25, 2012, election, in which more than 85 percent of eligible students cast ballots.
Mannes is active in the Montgomery County Region of the Maryland Association of Student Councils, having served as chief of staff and deputy special elections administrator. He has also served as the legislative chair for the Maryland Youth Advisory Council, has raised money for the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and has been involved in political campaigns.
The SMOB is a voting member of the Board of Education and can cast votes on all items, with the exception of boundary changes, the capital and operating budgets, collective bargaining, negative personnel matters and school closings. The SMOB receives a $5,000 college scholarship, student service learning hours and one honors-level social studies credit.
For more information on the SMOB, visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/members/student.aspx.
MCPS TV Programs Offer Education News
Several shows air on both MCPS TV and the Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) website for those wishing to keep up with education news and information about the county.
A new program hosted by Superintendent Joshua Staff, titled “mcpssuper,” features an in-depth look at the work of MCPS to engage and educate its more than 146,000 students. In the premier edition of the show, Starr visits Oakland Terrace Elementary School and talks with two classroom teachers from Oakland Terrace Elementary to learn more about their experience implementing Curriculum 2.0. This new integrated curriculum is being used in kindergarten through second grade and is expanding to grade three in the upcoming year.
“Our Schools Today” is a monthly program intended to keep parents updated on important issues in MCPS. In the most recent episode, host Laverne Kimball, a community superintendent, is joined by Larry Wong, supervisor of MCPS Information Assurance for a discussion about on Internet safety. The program is cablecast and webcast in six languages.
In addition, “MCPS News Update” provides a summary of the latest news, events and highlights.
These programs can be viewed on MCPS TV, which airs on the following channels: Comcast 34, Verizon 36 and RCN 89. They are also posted on the MCPS website: www.mcpsmd.org.
Other programs available for viewing on MCPS TV range from coverage of specific educational topics to homework help. For complete programming information, visit www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/itv/ITV_AboutITV_FAQ.shtm.