Blake Updates
November 10, 2019
Second Marking Period Starts Tomorrow
Early Release Days
Blake PTSA and Students Testifying at the Board of Education Meeting
Senior Yearbook Ads
Seniors and senior parents and guardians! The early bird special for senior recognition ads is ending soon! Purchase by 11/29 to get the sale price. Please consider purchasing an ad to celebrate your senior’s life—friends, accomplishments, memories. If you want to lock in the price but may need more time creating the ad, you can purchase the ad online and update it later—we can help you with that.
Go to https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/customer/1160124/James-Hubert-Blake-High-School/ and click on Yearbook Recognition Ads. While you’re there, make sure you’ve also purchased a yearbook! The cost is $85, and the last day at that price is also 11/29—price goes up to $90 on 11/30.
Contact Ms. Kim with any questions.
Senior Portraits
Seniors need to have portrait appointments with Victor O’Neill by Dec. 16 if they want to be included in the senior section of the yearbook.
Restorative Practices at Blake
The Blake HS NAACP Parents Council and PTSA invite you to our Tuesday, November 19th meeting where we will hear from :
- Mr. Ed Clarke, MCPS Chief Safety Officer and
- Mr. Sean P. Kelly, MCPS Instructional Specialist, Restorative Justice Unit, School Counseling & Student Leadership Services, Office of Student and Family Support & Engagement
Please come out to this very important session and hear how MCPS is working towards developing strategies and policies aimed at building strong community relationships and provide students and the administration with alternative discipline options.
Bring a friend and let's dialogue!
Time: 7 pm
Place : Blake HS Media CenterFree Flu Clinics for MCPS Students
The Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services will conduct free injectable flu vaccine clinics on Tuesday, November 12, from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. for children 18 and under at John F. Kennedy, Northwest, and Rockville high schools. These clinics will be open to any school-aged child. The clinics are free but registration is required due to limited vaccine supplies. For more information, visit apps.montgomerycountymd.gov/FluVaccine/.
NAACP Parents’ Council Kickoff Event to Take Place November 19
The NAACP Parents’ Council kickoff meeting will be held from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 19 at Northwest High School. This event will bring together parents/guardians, MCPS teachers, principals, and administrators to share ideas on how to champion equity and excellence in education. Participants will have an opportunity to attend a resource fair and various breakout sessions. John B. King Jr., former U.S. Secretary of Education, will be the keynote speaker. The event is free. Register today at: www.eventbrite.com/e/2019-2020-naacp-parents-councilmcps-kick-off-tickets-75534215873?aff=erelexpmlt.
Phase One of Districtwide Boundary Analysis Under Way
External consultants from WXY architecture + urban design (WXY), working on behalf of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), have launched the first phase of the Districtwide Boundary Analysis, an initiative designed to provide a comprehensive assessment of MCPS boundaries. WXY will analyze various data points, such as school facility utilization and capacity, student demographics, school assignment and travel patterns. It is important to note that this initiative will not make recommendations on potential boundary revisions. Phase one of this initiative will include data analysis and community engagement activities. The first community engagement activity of this phase will be the Board of Education’s public hearing on Monday, November 18. The hearing will begin at 6:00 p.m. at Carver Educational Services Center, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville. Members of the community who wish to testify are asked to register online at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd3Cq6C9c08s8sup_gZCRDx2kRGOTF1XNk7SErCmUb1SYygEg/viewform.
Regional meetings will be held beginning Wednesday, December 4 and will continue through mid-January 2020. Details about additional dates and locations will be available on the Districtwide Boundary Analysis webpage in the coming days at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/boundary-analysis/.
MCPS Juniors and Seniors Invited to Attend National Hispanic College Fair November 19
The National Hispanic College Fair (NHCF) will be held on Tuesday, November 19, 2019, at the Activity Center at Bohrer Park in Gaithersburg. This annual event sponsored by NHCF and MCPS for juniors and seniors is free for students to attend. The fair features more than 40 colleges, universities, and service organizations committed to providing outreach and opportunity to all students.
MCPS students participate by attending with their schools; this event is not open to the public and is held during the school day. Registration and permission forms for this event are available from the College and Career Coordinator at your child’s school.
For more information, contact NHCF Coordinators Patty Maloney at Patricia_A_Maloney@mcpsmd.org, Lindsay Cao at Lindsay_Cao@mcpsmd.org, or Maria Garcia at Maria_S_Garcia@mcpsmd.org.
Share Your Thoughts on the Superintendent’s Recommended Capital Improvements Program
The Board of Education will hold its final public hearing on the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021–2026 Capital Improvements Program (CIP) and boundary studies on Wednesday, November 13. The hearing will be held in the Carver Educational Services Center auditorium, 850 Hungerford Drive in Rockville.
Superintendent of Schools Jack R. Smith released his $1.82 billion recommended FY 2021 Capital Budget and the FY 2021–2026 Capital Improvements Program on Friday, October 25. Visit gis.mcpsmd.org/cipmasterpdfs/CIP21_EntireBook.pdf to view the CIP.
The public hearing will be conducted according to the following schedule: (Please note: This schedule could change due to inclement weather. Please check the Board of Education website regularly for updates).
- Wednesday, November 13 at 6:00 p.m., testimonies solely related to the Clarksburg, Northwest, and Seneca Valley Facilities and Boundary Study
Individuals who wish to provide input can sign up by contacting the Board of Education office at 240-740-3030 and can also visit the Board’s webpage at
www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/boe/community/participation.aspx.
The Board of Education will hold its second work session on the CIP on Tuesday, November 19, at 2:00 p.m. The adoption of the proposed CIP is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, November 26.
Students Invited to Youth Town Hall on November 13
The Montgomery County Council is inviting students to a youth town hall on Wednesday, November 13 at Wheaton High School to learn more about the issues impacting them. The meeting, which will be held in the auditorium, will be from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Doors will open at 6:00 p.m. for a pre-meeting pizza reception, during which councilmembers will also visit with students and their family members.
The youth town hall and pre-meeting reception provides students with a chance to meet their local representatives and to ask questions and get information about issues that matter to them. Students are encouraged to express their views on any aspect of their education, programs that impact students, or public policy issues that impact their daily lives. They also are encouraged to ask questions. Students also can earn student service learning hours for attending.
The meeting will be broadcast live on County Cable Montgomery (CCM—cable Channel 996 on Comcast, Channel 1056 on RCN, and Channel 30 on Verizon). The meeting also will be streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube (FB.com/CountyCableMoco and
YouTube.com/CountyCableMoCo). Students can participate via social media using #MoCoYouth. For more information, call 240-777-7931.
Winter Coat Drive Under Way
The MCPS Prekindergarten/Head Start Programs are collecting new winter coats for students. They are seeking donations of boys’ and girls’ coats in sizes 5, 6, 6X, 7, and 8, along with other winter wear, such as hats and gloves. Donations can be sent to Rocking Horse Road Center, 4910 Macon Road, Room 141, Rockville, Maryland 20852. For more information, contact Ms. Lisa W. Conlon, social services specialist, at 240-740-4530.
MCPS Community Conversation: The New Curriculum
Please join MCPS curriculum leaders to learn more about the new curriculum, its implementation, key highlights, and available resources and supports for parents/guardians. During the live presentation and virtual conversation, online questions will be answered. Questions can be submitted online and via text message now and through the duration of the live TV program. The program will be live on MCPS TV (Comcast 34/998 HD, Verizon 36, and RCN 89) and online at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org.
Key Dates
- November 11- Early Release Day- Second Marking Period Starts (Blue Block)
- November 12- Early Release Day (Silver Block)
- November 15- Fall Play- Company
- November 16- Fall Play- Company
- November 19- Elementary Science Night
- November 20- Blue Block Day & Report Card Distribution
- November 21- Silver Block Day
- November 21- Fall Play- Company
- November 22- Fall Play- Company
- November 23- Fall Play- Company
- November 26- Winter Sports Parent Meeting
- November 27- Early Release Day
- November 28- No School
- November 29- No School
James Hubert Blake High School
James Hubert Blake High School is a Signature School for the Fine Arts and Humanities
#BESTBlake — #WeAreBlake — #BengalPride
Email: Robert_Sinclair@mcpsmd.org
Website: http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/blakehs/
Location: 300 Norwood Road, Silver Spring, MD, United States
Phone: (240)740-1400
Facebook: facebook.com/BlakeHSPrincipal/
Twitter: @Blake_Principal