FCPS Connect

The transition from summer to fall in Frederick County coincides every year with an important community event: The Great Frederick Fair.

We were so excited to take advantage of the learning opportunities the fair offers. More than 5,000 FCPS students visited via school field trips.

The kids got to explore the fairgrounds with their classmates and chaperones and learn about the significant role agriculture plays in our community. We had hundreds of students visit our FCPS booth inside the Null Building. Staff collected over 400 postcards written by students for their teachers. We appreciate everyone who took the time to stop by, and I’d like to recognize the students who played an active role in the fair, including those who are active in 4-H! Did you know the current Frederick County Dairy Princess is Frederick High senior and FFA president Abby Effland?

Meanwhile, fall sports are in full swing! Elementary and middle school students from throughout FCPS took part in the Pappy Lorenzen Elementary and Middle School cross country meets. The annual fall invitational meets are named in honor of longtime teacher and mentor Bernard "Pappy" Lorenzen.

Our fall high school interscholastic athletics teams are also starting off strong with more than 4,000 students participating this season, the most we’ve ever had!

I look forward to visiting, and supporting, so many of the fall events and activities that help make our community such a great place to live!

Have a great weekend!

Dr. Cheryl L. Dyson,

FCPS Superintendent

FCPS is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 through October 15! To learn more, visit hispanicheritagemonth.gov.

Congratulations to Oakdale High School for being recognized as a National Blue Ribbon School for 2023 by U.S. Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona!

Oakdale High was one of 353 schools nationally and one of six schools in Maryland to achieve National Blue Ribbon Status this year. Oakdale is the 14th FCPS school to earn National Blue Ribbon Status.

Rigorous state and national requirements for high achievement and significant improvement serve as the basis for Blue Ribbon School selection. The award honors public and private elementary, middle and high schools whose students achieve at high levels or have made significant progress and helped close gaps in achievement, especially among disadvantaged and minority students.

Oakdale High will be honored among the other award winners at an awards ceremony in November in Washington, D.C. In the last 41 years, more than 9,000 schools have received National Blue Ribbon status.

More information is online at http://www.ed.gov/nationalblueribbonschools.

Kindness lifts at Middletown Elementary!

Students at MES worked together to create kindness balloons as part of this year’s collaborative art piece. Each student artist contributed their own balloon to the project.

FCPS and the Frederick County Health Department announced today that they will be enacting a Coaches vs. Overdoses initiative at all 10 high schools during the current football season.

Coaches will distribute a Prevention Playbook, which helps parents and student-athletes tackle root causes of today’s overdose crisis. At-home drug disposal kits will also be distributed. The effort will take place during October, which is Substance Abuse Prevention Month, and will serve as the local kick-off to National Drug Take Back Day on October 29.

Tuscarora High earned national banner recognition as a Special Olympics Unified Champion School for its efforts to provide inclusive sports and activities for all students.

Tuscarora High earned this honor as a result of meeting national standards of excellence in the areas of inclusion, advocacy, and respect.

Tuscarora High and Twin Ridge Elementary have both earned national banner recognition from the Special Olympics.

Pictured above is the state champion THS unified bocce team.

FCPS is eager to showcase the true Impact students are making through their leadership, their kind deeds and their positive attitudes. If you know a student who has contributed positively to their school community, we encourage you to nominate them for an FCPS Impact Award.

Each month, we will surprise Impact Award recipients with their recognition. We will also feature them in video features showcased via FCPS-TV, and social media and official FCPS publications.

Do you know an FCPS Maryland employee who is also a veteran?

FCPS is seeking nominations for the Veteran in Education Service Award to honor an FCPS employee who has served our nation in the armed forces and provided exemplary service to FCPS and the community. Any community member, FCPS student, former student, student's parent or FCPS employee may nominate an individual.

Last year's recipient was Lisa Tucker, Multilingual Learner Teacher at Lincoln Elementary.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, October 6 at 3:00pm. The application is online at https://www.fcps.org/.../veteran-in-education-service-award. Only electronic applications will be accepted. Please submit all application materials in one electronic file to Service.Award@fcps.org.

Check out our news release for more information regarding eligibility.

Interested in joining our team?

The FCPS Human Resources Department will be hosting an event for those interested in teaching! Titled Become an Educator Night, the event will take place Thursday, November 2, at Frederick High School from 5-7 p.m.

In addition to FCPS HR staff, college and university partners will provide information about teacher-education programs and the various pathways to becoming a Maryland certified teacher. Learn what program works FOR YOU. Our hiring staff will be in attendance to provide information about teaching for Frederick County Public Schools.

Registration is required by October 25. Additional information and the link to register for this event are online at https://www.fcps.org/careers/become-an-educator.

Celebrate Sharktober at the FCPS Earth and Space Science Lab! Participate in shark-related activities, see the new ESSL exhibits and say hello to all the animals.

Tickets can be purchased at https://edu.fcps.org/essl/home.

Did you know FCPS has a Facebook page for Spanish speaking community members? FCPS Informando has important updates for families. We encourage our community to check it out!

¿Sabía que FCPS tiene una página de Facebook para miembros de la comunidad de habla hispana? FCPS Informando tiene actualizaciones importantes para las familias. ¡Animamos a nuestra comunidad a comprobarlo!

Email: communications@fcps.org

Website: www.fcps.org
Location: 191 South East Street, Frederick, MD, USA
Phone: (301)644-5000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/fcpsmaryland
Twitter: @FCPSMaryland