Montgomery County Public Schools

Throughout the summer and school year, the International Student Admissions Office (ISAO) enrolls students from foreign countries relocating to Montgomery Countyand helps orient their parents to the school system. The office also assists U.S. citizens coming from foreign schools. During the 2006–2007 school year, ISAO served 6,462 international students from 171 countries.

About 50 MCPS students networked with peers and mentors, learned about resources for college and began to develop a long-term career vision at the Washington, D.C. Hispanic Youth Symposium July 23–26 at Trinity University. The event, attended by students from several counties, included competitions for scholarships from the Hispanic College Fund. Another group of MCPS students attended a similar symposium at Towson University earlier in the month.

The four-member Team USA—including two MCPS students—took home gold medals at the International Biology Olympiad held in Mumbai, India. Fifty-five nations competed in the event. This was the youngest group of U.S. biology students to be sent to the international competition. The USA Biology Olympiad is sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Education.

ESOL students at Sherwood High School helped create a new world earlier this year. Teacher Marcus Tompros and paraeducator Nancy Lesnick received a grant to transform their classroom into Narnia as students read C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. For a culminating project, students planned and acted out their scenes with costumes, lighting, music and memorized lines. They also prepared essays on topics of their choice.

The first day of school is Aug. 26, and summer will be over before you know it. Teachers and administrators have been hard at work planning for students’ return. Students have assignments as well. So have a fun vacation, students, but remember to tackle that summer reading list and math packet so you’ll be at the top of your game for the 2008–2009 school year. 

Students have been learning skills in reading, writing, language and math to give them a head start for the upcoming school year during this summer’s Extended Learning Opportunities Summer Adventures in Learning (ELO SAIL). The free summer program, available to students entering kindergarten through fifth grade, is being offered in 28 Title I elementary schools.

Schools are full of activity this summer as students participate in a range of courses. At White Oak Middle School, for example, many students are preparing for rigorous algebra and Math B courses in the fall, students are receiving targeted assistance with reading and math skills, and others are participating in the Lights, Camera, Literacy! course developed as part of middle school reform.

The Montgomery County Pre-K through 20 Council held its first meeting July 29 with the goal of ensuring that all students in the county have access to a high-quality education and seamless transitions through all grade levels through postsecondary education and employment. The retreat helped foster the partnership among Montgomery County Public Schools, Montgomery College and the University System of Maryland.