I hope that you and your family are doing well. Our second semester has begun, and I am reminding our seniors that this is the last semester of their high school education, so finish strong. Our senior parent meeting will take place at Montgomery Blair High School Auditorium, on March 14, 2023, at 7:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. We will provide you with all the need-to-know very important information for all upcoming events and address your questions. As always, if you cannot attend, the presentation slides will be posted on our school website after the meeting.

Last month, I had the pleasure of attending the League of Educators for Asian American Progress (LEAAP) Dinner, which provides scholarships for Asian Americans who want to pursue a career in education. It was great to see Blair Senior Elina and her dad, Adam Lee, who is Blair's Cluster Coordinator at the dinner (see our picture above).

This month we are celebrating Black History Month. Our staff and students have planned instructional activities and spirit weeks to celebrate the achievements of Black/ African Americans. Our annual performance of Sankofa, a celebration of Black History and Culture is this weekend. Ticket information is below and on our website. We will be hosting Montgomery County Board of Education members at our performances.

As you know, we have the largest high school enrollment in Maryland with over 3200 high school students; and middle school students who are dual enrolled in middle school and high school. I receive hundreds of emails each day from students, staff, families, and community members. The best way to have your questions answered or to resolve a concern is to contact your child's teacher, department resource teacher, school counselor, or grade level/program administrator; their information is below. These professionals are here to help you.

In addition, our main office staff can direct your calls to the appropriate staff, Monday - Friday, from 7:00 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. at 240-740-7200.

Our students are amazing and earn many awards and accolades, please send me your teen's good news, and I will share it on social media or in my newsletter.

As always, please check our website at https://mbhs.edu/ and social media pages for up-to-date school news and information.

Follow on Twitter @blairprincipal

Like Montgomery Blair High School on Facebook

Follow on Instagram @blairprincipal

Thank you for your support,

Renay Johnson

Proud Principal

We do not lock students in the building but there are consequences for leaving school during the school day which violates school policy. Please speak with your teen about this important rule. In the event of a school emergency or lockdown, students who are off campus will not be permitted to re-enter our building. In addition, there is no staff supervision off campus.

After school, students can respectfully visit businesses as needed. I am disappointed to hear from our neighboring businesses that students are not behaving appropriately in their establishments and that is not the Blair Way!

Hey Blazer Families! The month of February (February Newsletter) has been a busy month, with our signs of suicide lessons beginning and Blair's Impact Week occurring through February 22nd to February 24, 2023. Blair's Impact Week will bring awareness to substance use through discussions, and activities for students through the school day. Students will be able to earn SSL hours with their participation.

Be sure to review the March Newsletter as well as we highlight the chance for students to change course selections for next school year. Ms. Delos Reyes, our College and Career Information Coordinator, highlights upcoming events and helpful information within her February and March Newsletter as well!

February School Counseling Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kt1zR2ak2PyPqhFFefHFA2BTL23QMEFo/view?usp=share_link

March School Counseling Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1lZlB6Wm7M-H5E6dYYdZ9Xyup_w5cWZUe/view?usp=share_link

February College & Career Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OjHLNqhv_emwvbnZx9T4jbdkeWsHV6-M/view?usp=share_link

March College & Career Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GvbV6uwQcHgwbzFBS8wTpbkGPxdOQWUU/view?usp=share_link

Join Us for PTSA General Meetings, there is always school news and information and topics that matter to you.

PTSA GENERAL MEETING DATES:

Feb 21, 2023 07:00 PM

Apr 18, 2023 07:00 PM

May 16, 2023 07:00 PM

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/85250504172?pwd=c2FMZWZNU1JYNTVGR0V0QWFMME41UT09

Meeting ID: 852 5050 4172

Passcode: PTSA

A Thought:

If every Blair family donated just $5, the total would be

approximately $15,000 - mind-blowing, right?!

That would be enough

to fully fund the After Prom event AND some Academic Mini-grants to

staff PLUS a little extra for Staff Appreciation!

Ask your barber, your neighbor, a loved one,

your manicurist, your landlord,

your boss … and who else?

The tax-deductible donation can be made here:

https://blairptsa.org/donate/

- - - - -

Un Pensamiento: Si cada familia de Blair donara solo $5, el total sería

aproximadamente $15,000 - ¡¿increíble, sí?! ¡Eso sería suficiente para

completamente financiar la fiesta después del baile de fin de curso

Y algunas Mini-becas Académicas para empleados MÁS

un poco extra para Agradecimiento de Empleados!

Pregunte a su peluquero, su vecino/a, un ser querido,

su manicurista, su dueño, su jefe …

¿y quien más?

Se puede hacer la donación deducible de impuestos aquí:

https://blairptsa.org/donate/

- - - - -

Une Idée: Si chaque famille de Blair donnait juste $5, le total serait

environ $15,000 - époustouflant, oui?! Ça serait assez de financer

complètement la fête après le bal de fin d’année ET quelques

Petites-bourses Académiques pour le personnel ET EN PLUS

un peu pour Reconnaissance de Personnel!

Demandez à votre barbier, votre voisin(e), un être

cher, votre manucure, votre propriétaire, votre patron

… et qui d’autre?

On se peut faire le don déductible des impôts ici:

https://blairptsa.org/donate/

Quarter 1: November 15, 2022 ✅

Quarter 2: February 6, 2023 ✅

Quarter 3: April 18, 2023

Quarter 4: June 28, 2023

Interims, and mid-quarter progress reports, will be available on ParentVue and StudentVue.

Very Important Senior Parent Meeting:

Don’t miss this meeting. This will be the only opportunity you have to hear the latest information for the journey to graduation. This meeting will include information regarding Senior Events and most importantly Graduation. The meeting will take place at Montgomery Blair High School Auditorium, on March 14, 2023, at 7:30 a.m. or 6:30 p.m. We will provide you with all the need-to-know very important information for all upcoming events and address your questions. As always, presentation slides will be posted on our school website after the meeting.

Graduation Tickets: Due to our school stadium capacity and our senior class being 750+ students strong, each senior will receive 5 tickets for family and guests to attend graduation. If your family needs more than 5 tickets, we encourage students to speak with their classmates who will not be using all of their assigned tickets.

My name is Farzaneh Nabavian and I am the Parent Community Coordinator (PCC) at Blair, I also am the PCC for Takoma Park Middle School and Takoma Park Elementary School. You can visit my website to learn more about what I do as well as a wealth of resources.

I am always looking for ways that we can assist our students and families and provide them with resources. I work collaboratively with the administration and school staff. The Kindness Corner at Blair high school is now in its 3rd year! It has been a great success with the support of Ms. Johnson, the administration team, school staff, Blair HS PTSA, community members, and community organizations. We are so grateful for all the contributions we have received in many ways to support our school community and continue the mission of the Kindness Corner! We appreciate your kindness.

In 2022, we had three Freebie Fridays and we will continue having them in 2023. Freebie Friday is an event in the Student Activity Center on a selected date during lunch and it is open to ALL students at Blair. We have lots and lots of items for students to look through and get what they want FREE!! Ms. Johnson has been there at every single one supporting the event.

https://silverchips.mbhs.edu/content/a-look-behind-blairs-kindness-corner-35252/

At our last event, we met Arvin Kim, the Student Member of the Board of Education, and he got a bit of exposure to Kindness Corner!!

Our next Friday Freebie Event is Friday, February 17, during the lunch period in our cafeteria.

If you have any questions or know of anyone at Blair HS that may benefit from PCC and/or Kindness Corner, please share my information.

Farzaneh_nabavian@mcpsmd.org​

Cell: (240) 506-8576

https://blairpcc.weebly.com/

International Night

SGA is currently planning for International Night on March 14th from 5:30 - 8:00 pm. International Night is a significant event for the Blair community as it provides an opportunity for students, teachers, and families to come together and celebrate the diverse cultures represented at our school. This year's event will feature performances by various Blair clubs and students, music, and a variety of foods from different cultural restaurants in the area. As the event approaches, SGA will be sharing more information regarding the specifics of International Night on their Instagram @mbhssga.

Spring Fling

This spring, SGA is hosting our 2nd annual spring fling– “A Night in DC.” Our student body picked this theme via Instagram. The dance will be held on April 15th from 7:00-10:00 pm. Our first floor and courtyards will be transformed into the US Capitol that we know and love. A combination of students, teachers, and professionals will be DJ’s. There will be food, games, activities and much more!! A portion of proceeds will be donated to GOOD PROJECTS DC, an organization that provides food, health care and enrichment opportunities for DC youth. Students should follow @mbhssga on Instagram for opportunities to win free tickets to the event.

Blazer Athletics has had a strong year so far with the completion of a fantastic fall season and the current successful winter season. The winter teams are finishing their seasons or are in post-season! There are some great tournaments coming up!

Swim & Dive (Coach Labriola)

Post-season includes the METROS happening 2/8 – 2/11 where many Blazers will compete against the best in the area. After METROS, Blair Swim & Dive will head into the Regional meet and to those who qualify, the state meet at the University of Maryland.

Wrestling (Coaches Grover, McMahon, McCaw and Funyas)

Wrestling advanced through duals to the Regional championship where they lost a close match. Blair wrestlers will advance to the county, regional and state tournaments over the next three weekends.

Indoor Track (Coaches Johnson, Lindo and Bosse)

The Boys Indoor Track team earned the title of Indoor Track County Champions for the first time in Blair history! The entire team competed in regionals and the qualifying student-athletes will go to the state championships.

Boys Basketball (Coaches Mensah, Charles, Sturm and Melton)

Boys basketball has senior night on Tuesday, February 14 after their final regular season game. They will continue into the regional tournament on February 24.

Girls Basketball (Coaches Launi, Warner and Richardson)

Girls basketball has senior night on Tuesday, February 14 before their final regular season game. They will also continue into the regional tournament starting on February 24.

Poms (Coaches Soriano and Saravia)

Poms competed in the County Championships on February 4 and did extremely well! They competed in 3 other invitationals, always doing very well. Their season is complete.

ON TO SPRING SPORTS! The registration for spring sports has started! Spring sports will start on March 1 and will start competitions on or about March 21. Our spring sports teams are Baseball, Softball, Boys Lacrosse, Girls Lacrosse, Track & Field, Boys Volleyball, Coed Volleyball, Boys Tennis, Girls Tennis, Gymnastics and Allied Softball. Information for spring sports can be found on the Registration Information sheet and Frequently Asked Questions, which is in both English and Spanish.

Congratulations to the several senior Blazer student-athletes who will continue playing sports at the next level! The signing ceremonies have been celebrations of hard work, both in the classroom and in the sports arenas.

Blair coaches and Athletics staff and act emails can be found on the Blair Athletics 2022-2023 list.

The Blair Blazers Athletics website has lots of information for all including the schedules. County Sports Zone also has all schedules for all sport: https://www.countysports.zone/.

If you should ever have questions, concerns or comments, please reach out to Athletic Director/Specialist Rita J. Boulé at Rita_J_Boule@mcpsmd.org. Stay safe and healthy! Let’s Go Blazers!

I am thrilled to share the good news that Asher, Hannah, and Sophia have recently won awards in the 2022 Ocean Awareness Contest, a global competition sponsored by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs that engage youth in creatively raising awareness of environmental issues. They each received a cash award and are featured in Bow Seat’s ocean advocacy Gallery. View their award-winning pieces:

• Asher
• Hannah
• Sophia

On behalf of the Maryland Tech Council (MTC), we invite you to share the attached scholarship information with your students so that they may have the opportunity to apply for the annual Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc. (ARE) STEM Scholar of the Year award. Each year, MTC hosts our Industry Awards Celebration, where we gather to honor C-suite executives of the year, life science and technology companies of the year, and more.

As part of our commitment to education, MTC has partnered with ARE to award eight STEM scholarships. Each selected scholarship winner will receive a $5,000 per year scholarship, for up to two years, while they attend either a two- or four-year program at a Maryland-based community college or college/university of their choice to study in one of the STEM fields. The scholarships will be awarded at MTC’s Industry Awards Celebration on April 27, 2023 at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center.

To submit an application or for more information about the awards, please share the link below with your students. The deadline to apply is March 3, 2023.

STEM Scholars

Attendance office 240-740-7201

Cafeteria 240-740-7204

Career Center 240-740-7235

Counseling 240-740-7220

Health Room 240-740-7202

Main office 240-740-7200

Media Center 240-740-7237

School Registrar 240-740-7236

Security office 240-740-7239

If you do not receive log-in information for your teen, please contact Ms. Melissa Young, Latino Achievement Coordinator, Melissa_Young@mcpsmd.org or Ms. Andrea Lamphier, Media Specialist, Andrea_Lamphier@mcpsmd.org.

Student Schedules:

Student schedules will be available in ParentVUE and StudentVUE on Monday, August 23. Parents and students will need to log in to the report using the student’s ID and password. Report Link: https://studentschedule.mcpsmd.org

Scheduling, Transcript, Social Emotional Wellness Questions, Contact Your Teen's Counselor

School Counseling Department: 301-649-2810

https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mbhs-schoolcounseling-team/home/mbhs-school-counseling-team

All Things College and Career: Contact Jazmine Delos Reyes, College and Career Coordinator.

JazmineChareez_G_DelosReyes@mcpsmd.org

Melissa Young, is our MyMCPS/Synergy Parent Portal Staff Liaison, Melissa_Young@mcpsmd.org

Health Room: Full-Time School Nurse: Anisa Harris, Anisa_Harris@mcpsmd.org

Health Room Tech: Angela Romero, Angela_Romero@mcpsmd.org

Principal's Administrative Secretary, Claudine Biggs, Claudine_Biggs@mcpsmd.org

Attendance Office: Roxanne Fus, Roxanne_F_Fus@mcpsmd.org

Blair Security Office: Adrian Kelly, Security Team Leader.

Adrian_D_Kelly@mcpsmd.org

Financial Specialist: Donna Franklin, Donna_M_Franklin@mcpsmd.org

Parent Community Coordinator: Faye Nabavian, Farzaneh_Nabavian@mcpsmd.org

https://blairpcc.weebly.com/

MBHS ADMINISTRATION:

Renay Johnson: Principal, Renay_C_Johnson@mcpsmd.org

Joseph Fanning: Grade 9, A-L, Administrator, Joseph_M_Fanning@mcpsmd.org

Tracy Pettis-Jones: Grade 12, Administrator, Tracy_Pettis-Jones@mcpsmd.org

Lavina Carrillo: Grade 11, Lavina_Carrillo@mcpsmd.org

Rahman Culver: Grade 10, M-Z, Administrator, Culver, Rahman_A_Culver@mcpsmd.org

Adriana Burgos-Ojeda: Grade 10, A-L, Administrator, Adriana_Burgos-Ojeda@mcpsmd.org

Ramona Washington: Grade 9, M-Z, Administrator ,Ramona_L_Washington@mcpsmd.org

Peter Ostrander: Magnet & CAP Programs, Peter_M_Ostrander@mcpsmd.org

James Funk: School Business Administrator, James_W_Funk@mcpsmd.org