FCPS Community Bulletin Board

December 18, 2025

Senior Orchestra

Emily Shi - Violin 1

Jimmy Ye - Violin 2

Marilyn Tang - Cello

Aidan Herrera - Cello

Harang Kim - Violin 1 (Alternate)

Senior Mixed Chorus

Esther Edwards - Soprano 2

Casey Lim - Soprano 2

Senior Treble Chorus

Lolade Aje - Soprano 2

Madison Reed - Alto 1

Senior Band

Inhoo Shin - Clarinet

Dustin Clark - Contra Bass Clarinet

Charlotte Felton - Euphonium

Cade Suddith - Percussion

Benjamin Nie - Trombone (Alternate)

Senior Jazz Band

Jason Koster - Trombone

Junior Orchestra

Vidur Ramadugu - Viola

Junior Mixed Chorus

Eleanor Burns - Soprano

Aveiah Kaiser - Soprano

Evan Laird - Bass

Junior Band

Evan Boggs Lyons - Bassoon

Caleb Ku - Clarinet

Anderson Seiser - Baritone Sax

Natalie Brewer - String Bass

Congratulations to Linganore Field Hockey Coach McKenzie McCaull for being named the Field Hockey Coaches Association of Maryland State Coach of the Year. This fall, McCaull led the Lancers to the Class 3A state championship. This was the first state title for any FCPS field hockey team in 32 years. The Lancers capped their season with a 3-2 double-overtime win over Westminster.

Linganore High girls flag coach Brian Sweene was named the Baltimore Ravens Girls Flag Football Coach of the Year. Sweene led the Lancers to the Class 2A/1A state championship – the first girls flag state championship for any Frederick County program.

to the following FCPS staff members who exemplify an inclusionary mindset of students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors.

These employees were nominated for recognition due to demonstrating:

• A commitment of Inclusion of Marginalized Groups

• A commitment to the development of Best Practices to Promote Inclusion & Belonging in teaching and/or advising students

• Leadership among staff

• Building strong relationships with students

The recognition is being shared during Inclusive Schools Week

Elementary School Staff Winner

Matthew Foertschbeck, Carroll Manor Elementary School

Secondary School Staff Winners

Julie Doyle, Gov. Thomas Johnson High School

Lorraine Marshall, FCPS Career & Technology Center

Administrative Winners

Lindsey Baker, Assistant Principal at Gov. Thomas Johnson High School

Kaelyn Capotosto, Coordinator for Specialized Programs at Gov. Thomas Johnson Middle School

Legacy Honoree for Inclusion and Belonging

Kelle Brumley, Catoctin High School

Inclusivity Award Nominees

Stephanie Andrews, Walkersville Elementary School

Lindsey Evans-Mintz, Gov. Thomas Johnson High School

Ellen Grau, Gov. Thomas Johnson High School

Monica Gutierrez, Windsor Knolls Middle School

Mary Hull, Frederick County Virtual School

Mike O’Brien, Tuscarora High School

Grace Schofield, Gov. Thomas Johnson High School

Adam Weinstein, Gov. Thomas Johnson High School

Congratulations to all who supported the second annual TROhacks Competition at Hood College, largely coordinated by the Tuscarora High Computer Science Honors Society.

Students created projects focused on community and high school needs. The judges were quite impressed. There were 27 participants from seven FCPS high schools.

Victor Wang, from Urbana, brought his winning Science-Fair project, Flying Hawk, to share. Students were also treated to a presentation by Hood College Professor Dr. Jason Miller, a workshop from Tuscarora High student Jeremy Kim, and a presentation on Coding and AI from a Poolesville High student.

With winter break just a few weeks away, we want to provide the community with an update.

FCPS winter break will take place from Monday, December 22, through Friday, January 2. Schools will reopen for students Monday, January 5.

During this time period, our offices will be closed to the public so our staff can rest, recharge and plan for when students return. We recognize some extracurricular activities are scheduled during this time period at our schools and our buildings will be open to accommodate those activities.

We hope everyone has a safe and restful winter break!

The FCPS Community Bulletin Board is typically shared twice per month on Thursdays with the goal of giving you comprehensive systemic information and celebrations all in one e-newsletter.

Please note these changes to the production schedule as we enter the holiday season.

We will be sharing FCPS Community Bulletin Boards on the following dates:

Thursday, December 4

Thursday, December 18

Thursday, January 8

Be on the lookout for future editions!

On September 30, 2025, the Maryland State Board of Education unanimously approved the draft revised Physical Education Regulation and Framework for publication. The Maryland State Department of Education is now accepting public comment through December 31, 2025, and encourages all Local Education Agency Superintendents to share the survey with their community partners. For more information, please visit our Physical Education SFVC webpage. Questions may be directed to Jason Semanoff, Director of Comprehensive Health and Physical Education, Division of Instructional Programs, at jason.semanoff@maryland.gov.

Brunswick’s Kate Virgilio is redefining wrestling and community pride. Read about Kate on our FCPS All-Stars Blog.

On a chilly December afternoon, students from Lincoln Elementary’s Lincoln Leadership Club were seated around the Frederick High School wood shop. A Lincoln Elementary student's bench design was built thanks to the support of her future high school and her community. Read about the collaborative project on our FCPS All-Stars Blog.

The FCPS Earth and Space Science Lab is a place for all to experience the fun of learning. Read about the lab and the Dinovember event on our FCPS All-Stars Blog.

Read the latest articles on the blog.

Meet the dedicated staff and students of Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland, where we support every child, every day through our FCPS All-Stars Blog.

• The FY 2025 Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) Report and the Actuarially Determined Contribution Report (FY2026 and FY2027) were presented.

• The BOE approved the School Facility Mapping Grant for $137,384 from the Maryland Center for School Safety to promote school safety and security by updating mapping data for each school.

• The BOE approved BOE meeting dates for the 2026-2027 school year.

• Staff presented an overview of the collaborative work with the Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) and parent engagement.

• The Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC) presented their annual report to the Board of Education. The report includes commendations and recommendations focused on students with disabilities.

• Policy 443, Ensuring Inclusive School Environments for Transgencer and Gender Diverse Students, was approved for publication.

• Policy 442, Student Data Privacy, was recommended to be decommissioned and Policy 208, Data Security, was presented for a first reading and will return to the BOE for a second reading in a future work session.

The Board of Education of Frederick County elected Dean Rose as President and Rae Gallagher as Vice President.

The Board elections took place ahead of the December 10 Board of Education meeting. Each December, the Board holds elections for leadership positions for the upcoming year. Each Board member has a vote in the election.

Read more in the official press release below.

Do you know an FCPS support employee who goes beyond the call of duty? Have you observed a support staff member excelling in their day-to-day activities? Have they done something particularly noteworthy? There are so many reasons to nominate someone for the FCPS Support Employee of the Year Award! The Support Employee of the Year Award categories have been updated to make them more balanced. The new categories are listed on the Support Employee of the Year Award page found at the link below, as well as in the nomination packet. Complete eligibility, nomination criteria, process and selection guidelines are located online at www.fcps.org/awards.

· Administrative Support

· Food Service Support

· Operations Support

· School Support

· Special Education Support

· Systemic Support

· Technical Support

· Transportation Support

The deadline for nominations is Friday, January 30. (No nominations will be accepted after this date.) It is important to follow the directions for submissions. Please contact Dorian.Munoz@fcps.org or 240-586-7102 with any questions.

Frederick County Public Schools’ (FCPS) students and staff will celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at a free event on Thursday, January 15, 2026, 7:00pm., at Governor Thomas Johnson High School (1501 N. Market Street, Frederick, MD 21701.) In the event of inclement weather, the event will be postponed until Thursday, January 29th, same time and location.

The theme of the 36th annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration is Learning with Character, Leading with Courage. During the celebration, a student from each FCPS school will be recognized as their school’s King Award recipient. Students were selected by their school based on their demonstration of positive leadership qualities characteristic of Dr. King: Responsibility, Caring, Fairness, Trustworthiness, Citizenship, and Respect.

In addition to students being recognized, there will be student performances by the Crestwood Middle School Choir, a Soloist from Frederick High School, the Twin Ridge Elementary School Choir, and the Walkersville High School Step Team.

Students from Frederick High School will host and emcee the event.

If you require any accommodations to fully engage in this event, please notify Cheryl Peters at cheryl.peters@fcps.org 240-586-7952 by (Monday January 5, 2026.)

For more information, please contact FCPS Department of Leadership and Organizational Development Executive Secretary, Cheryl Peters, 240-586-7952 cheryl.peters@fcps.org.

Monday, February 9

BHS & MHS Feeders- Charters

Tuesday, February 24

CHS & WHS Feeders

Monday, March 2

FHS & GTJHS Feeders

Tuesday, March 3

LHS & THS Feeders

Monday, March 9

OHS & UHS Feeders-Virtual Schools

Find more information on the flyer below.

FASSE will award a $1000.00 scholarship in May 2026

The Frederick Association of School Support Employees (FASSE) awards one scholarship each spring to an eligible Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) high school senior who will attend a university, college, or technical school in the fall.

Eligibility

• FCPS high school seniors whose parent/grandparent/guardian is a current FASSE member. Criteria for Application Consideration
• Applicant is enrolled with a two or four-year college/university/technical school for the fall of 2026
• High school seniors must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.
• Application is complete and signed upon submission.
• Application is received via U.S. mail, FCPS courier, or via email no later than 4:00 pm on Thursday, April 2, 2026. The Scholarship Committee will not consider applications received after this date.
• Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For more information, please see the attached document.

Families are invited to the first-ever Frederick County Charter School Night, where our charter schools and FCPS will come together to help parents understand public charter school options in our county.

Join us on January 29, 2026, from 7:00–8:30 PM at the C. Burr Artz Library (Community Room) to learn what charter schools are, how they differ from traditional public schools, and what unique programs are offered at our local charter schools, including Frederick Classical, Sabillasville Environmental School, Monocacy Valley Montessori, and Carroll Creek Montessori.

This event is open to all FCPS families who want to explore educational pathways and ask questions directly to school operators.

Monocacy Montessori Communities, Inc. (MMCI) is pleased to share that the lottery will open January 6th, 2026 and close March 10th, 2026 for both of our public Montessori charter schools—Monocacy Valley Montessori (MVMPCS) and Carroll Creek Montessori (CCMPCS). Results will be posted on March 31, 2026.

Please note: MMCI schools do not accept Early Kindergarten (EK) applicants.

About Our Schools

MVM and CCM are tuition-free public charter schools operated by MMCI. Both offer authentic Montessori education which includes hands-on learning, student independence, mixed-age classrooms, and individualized pacing, all within the FCPS public school system.

CCMPCS Relocation

Beginning next school year, CCMPCS will relocate to Yellow Springs Elementary (8717 Yellow Springs Rd).

Montessori High School

Families are also encouraged to explore our public Montessori high school program, which extends Montessori learning through adolescence.

Please visit the MMCI, MVM, or CCM websites for more information and to apply once the lottery opens.

Are you aware that FCPS has a public Classical Charter School that is currently ranked as the #1 Charter School for both Elementary and Middle school for the State of Maryland?

Find out what makes Classical Education so effective and beneficial for our scholars. Join us for one of Prospective Parent Information Nights:

December 18th @ 6 p.m.

January 8th @ 6:30 p.m.

February 9th @ 6:30 p.m.

March 10th @ 6:30 p.m.

Feel free to call or email our front office with any questions- 227-230-3840 or jennifer.tucker@fcps.org

You’re invited to join the Frederick County Public Schools WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) program designed to encourage high school women who show academic interest in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) careers.

WISE encourages high school students to consider pursuing careers in science and engineering. The group meets once a month in the Earth & Space Science Laboratory (ESSL) at 210 Madison Street, Frederick, MD from 6:00 to 7:15 PM.

Next Meeting: January 14, 2026 – Meredith Bove, Business Technology, Autolus Therapeautics

Learn more about the program and find the meeting dates on the flyers below.

The 5-Star Service Award is for community use in recognizing FCPS employees who show excellence in one of the 5 FCPS goals. Community members are welcome to nominate any worthy FCPS employee.

This award is designed to provide recognition by community members to employees for excellence in one of the 5 FCPS goals.

Community members are encouraged to nominate any worthy FCPS employee.

Nominations will be reviewed on the 15th and 30th of each month by staff in the Offices of the Chief of Staff, Human Resources, and Public Affairs.

More information on the selection timeline and next steps can be found on the 5-Star Service Award nomination form.

December 22-January 2: Winter Break, Schools Closed

December 24-25 and January 1: Winter Break, Offices Closed