Montgomery Blair High School
Principal's Newsletter November 2022
Dear Montgomery Blair High School Families,
We have completed the first marking period and report cards will be distributed on Friday, November 15. Please check your teens' grades and celebrate their achievement or meet with your teen's counselor to collaborate on a plan for improvement. To schedule a meeting with your teen’s counselor call, 240-740-7220, or visit the counseling department website, https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mbhs-schoolcounseling-team/home.
There are several events happening at Blair on Friday and Saturday this week. We have playoff football, state semifinals for soccer, and our fall play all taking place. Because of multiple events occurring simultaneously, we are encouraging visitors to carpool to Blair for these events when possible due to limited parking. We also ask that audience members for our play park in the Colesville Roadside parking lot and that those attending the athletics events in the stadium park in the University Boulevard parking lot.
I am so PROUD of our Blazers and I look forward to seeing you at our events. For ticket information, please use the links below to attend one of these events:
Blair’s Fall Play: Hit & Myth, A Mythological Mashup:
https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5618641 (be sure to select the correct show time in the menus provided)
Thursday, November 10, 4 pm
Friday, November 11, 7 pm
Saturday, November 12, 2 pm and 7 pm
Thursday, November 17, 4 pm
Friday, November 18, 7 pm
Saturday, November 19, 2 pm and 7 pm
Football State Playoffs, 2nd Round
Friday, November 11, 6:30 pm vs. Albert Einstein High School - https://gofan.co/app/events/776991?schoolId=MD24810
Soccer State Semifinals (All-state 4A semifinals held at Blair starting at 12 pm)
Saturday, November 12, 5 pm, Blair Girls Soccer v. Walt Whitman High School - https://gofan.co/app/events/774560?schoolId=MPSSAA
Saturday, November 12, 7:30 pm, Blair Boys Soccer v. Severna Park - https://gofan.co/app/events/774561?schoolId=MPSSAA
Finally, I want to THANK our staff, coaches, and many parent volunteers who work at our school and weekend events and advocate for more resources for our school. I truly appreciate your support.
Have a joyous Thanksgiving with family and friends.
Renay Johnson
Proud Principal
Blair High School was named “Best High School” in Washington City Paper’s annual “Best of D.C.” rankings.
Superintendent McKnight
Recognizes Blair High School
Mental Health Supports For Students!
The FINAL deadline to register for AP Exams is November 15.
The FINAL deadline to register for AP Exams is November 15. This is also the deadline to cancel an existing exam registration. (Exceptions: Microeconomics, Physics C: E&M, Statistics) Any changes made to exam registrations after this date incur a $40 fee.
Payment Options:
- Spring AP Testing Fee ($101/exam): Please check the mbhs.edu website for the most updated link. We apologize for the issues with School Cash Online!
- Spring AP Testing Fee for students who qualify for a fee waiver ($15/exam): https://mcpsmd.schoolcashonline.com/Fee/Details/16313/354/False/True
- Cash or check made out to “MBHS” should be brought to Ms. Blaha in Rm 342 or the testing office.
Happy Veteran's Day!
In honor of Veteran's Day, we celebrate our Staff Veterans and thank them for their services to our country and school.
Dr. John Davis, Air Force, Science Teacher
Mr. Kevin Moose, Army, Social Studies Teacher
Mr. Raymond Moreno, Army, Special Education Paraeducator
Mr. Kirk Simms, Army, School Counselor
Ms. Tracy Pettis-Jones, Army, Assistant Principal
Mr. Donald Wharton, Army, Technology Education Teacher
2022-2023 Report Card Distribution Dates
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.
MBHS Cares Academic Acceleration
George B. Thomas Learning Academy Saturday School at Blair!
We are to welcome our Saturday School community members and families back to our building after more than a year of remote learning! This month we re-launched our traditional, in-person 1st through 12 grade academic support (including Pre-K) classes -- building on an over 30-year tradition. Through this county-wide program, we strive to ensure every student believes they can achieve and has the tools to maximize their potential. SAT/ACT prep classes are also available at our site, in addition to general tutoring in the core subjects, for high school students. Please register online at www.saturdayschool.org.
Rahman A. Culver, M.P.A. (he/him) What’s this?
George B. Thomas Learning Academy Center Director
Montgomery Blair High School
51 University Blvd. East, Suite 340
Silver Spring, MD 20901
(240) 621-2760
rahman.a.culver@mcpsmd.net
www.mbhs.edu
https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/blazing-toward-equity-mbhs
Twitter: @mrculverteaches
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mrculverteaches
Facebook: www.facebook.com/mrculverteaches
Explore Montgomery Blair High School's equity journey!
Register now for the 2022-23 year of the George B. Thomas Learning Academy Saturday School Program!
PTSA Meeting, Ayo Atterberry, President
Join our PTSA: https://blairptsa.org/
PTSA Zoom Meeting: Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at 7:00 p.m.
Topics:
Blair Field Renovations
Report Card Overview
Academic / Social-Emotional Supports
Dual Enrollment College Program
Join Zoom PTSA Meeting
https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/j/85250504172?pwd=c2FMZWZNU1JYNTVGR0V0QWFMME41UT09
Meeting ID: 852 5050 4172
Passcode: PTSA
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,85250504172#,,,,*056663# US (Washington DC)
+13092053325,,85250504172#,,,,*056663# US
Dial by your location
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 309 205 3325 US
Meeting ID: 852 5050 4172
Passcode: 056663
Find your local number: https://mcpsmd.zoom.us/u/kc47ceZr3H
Seniors: Class of 2023
Counseling Department News & Information
Hello Blazer Families! We hope your student(s) enjoyed our Mental & Physical Wellness Week activities in October! Check out pictures from our events! We can't believe it's November, but we are excited about our programs planned this month. Check out our Counseling Newsletter to learn more about the Bridge to Wellness Staff, and other opportunities occurring this month! Ms. Delos Reyes has had a full month of activities throughout lunch for our students and will continue to do so. Check out our College & Career Information Coordinator Newsletter to learn about the workshops, speakers and representatives visiting Blair in November.
Links embedded above are below:
Counseling Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SllyLRqxeRJFFrhaRVuW6LfHXCbS6sWf/view?usp=sharing
CCIC Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14eFk6jyktb6qRxR2hrLvDnESgsY0o733/view?usp=sharing
Highlight Pictures: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTKdFar8Gf8yc66hXzfZquMfNpjimwNJ7hQx8O4rY9Txa9Y7e3yK-moBJWlPMqW5A1sl4GdmO2GM88r/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000
Mrs. Makeyda Soriano, NCC (she/her)
Resource School Counselor
Montgomery Blair High School
Phone: 240-740-7220
School Counseling Website: https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mbhs-schoolcounseling-team/home
Course Registration will be Happening Soon...
MARYLAND SEAL OF BILITERACY
REGISTER NOW: https://bit.ly/SealRegisterMCPS23
Are you BILINGUAL and BILITERATE?
Do you want to add the MD Seal of Biliteracy to your HS diploma and résumé to prove your skills to future employers, college and university admissions offices?
Montgomery Blair High School will be offering testing for SENIORS (for free) on November 15, 2022 and JUNIORS ($20 fee) on January 24, 20203
Note: If a student has taken an AP language exam in another language other than English and score a 4 or 5, there is no need to take the test. Your language requirement has been met.
Testing is open to all Native and Heritage speakers of Languages Other than English and to all language learners (suggested for students in level 4 or higher of class).
Ask Brenda Barrera, World Languages Resource Teacher for more info at:
brenda_a_barreramercado@mcpsmd.org
RECORDATORIO
SELLO DE BILINGÜISMO DE MARYLAND
¡INSCRÍBETE YA! https://bit.ly/SealRegisterMCPS23
¿Eres bilingüe y bi-alfabeto?
¿Te gustaría incluir el Sello de Bilingüismo en tu diploma de secundaria y currículum vitae para demostrar tus destrezas lingüísticas a empleadores y universidades?
La escuela secundaria Montgomery Blair está ofreciendo evaluación para este honor a estudiantes del grado 12⁰ (gratis) el 15 de Noviembre de 2022 y estudiantes del grado 11 (cargo de $20) el 24 de Enero de 2023
Nota: Si un(e) estudiante ha tomado un examen de idioma AP en otro idioma que no sea inglés y ha obtenido un puntaje de 4 o 5, no hay necesidad de tomar el examen. Ha cumplido su requisito de idioma.
Las pruebas están abiertas a todos los hablantes nativos y de herencia de idiomas distintos del inglés y a todos los estudiantes de idiomas (sugerido para estudiantes en el nivel 4 o superior) Haga click aquí para preguntas y respuestas frecuentes, Para más información comuníquese con Brenda Barrera, Maestra de Recursos de Idiomas del Mundo
Media Center News
Thank you so much for the donations to our Puzzle Table. It took a few weeks for the news to get out, but now the Puzzle Table is a destination! It's a great way for students to get together and engage in some fun downtime.
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, we asked Latino or Latino identifying staff to select their favorite books. We had quite a display of staff favorites that students were happy to check out for themselves.
Our Project LIT @Blair club is thriving, thanks to the excellent direction of Sandie Chen. Right now, the club is planning two service projects. On Friday, November 4, the students are going to Silver Spring Day School to read picture books to the pre-school students.
The second major Project LIT @Blair service project is the Free Book Fair that will take place at lunch on Friday, December 16. Donations will be accepted until Tuesday, December 13. Other ways you can support this effort would be to donate paper or other gift bags. Last year, we had well over 1,000 books donated and Blazers were very eager to select books for themselves, younger siblings, or a parent. Donations of new or lightly used books for age ranges pre-school to adult are happily accepted for Project LIT @Blair's Second Annual Free Book Fair!
Our Media Center's staff's biggest project this year has been years in the making! We are Genrefying the media center's fiction collection. What does this mean? We are creating sections around broad themes like Mystery, Romance, Dystopian Fiction and Humor. Many of our students come to Blair from middle schools that have already genrefied, and ask where our Science Fiction or Realistic Fiction, etc., sections are. Research indicates that students are more likely to self-select based on their preferences. Our motto: "the more you read, the more you read."
Lastly, we'd love your support for our popular First Book Free Book Giveaway program. We began this program during the dark days of the Pandemic, and it proved very popular. Through this program, we donated over 1500 free, well regarded young adult novels and non-fiction titles to Blazers. There was no obligation to return the books and our hope was that students would find a book they loved through this program. This year, a couple of students have asked when we are having our next First Book Free Giveaway. With your support, we'll be able to bring many, many more free books to our students at Blair. Here is a link to our very ambitious fundraising page: https://support.firstbook.org/mbhsreaders and we've already had donations!
Andrea Lamphier
Montgomery Blair HS
51 University Blvd., East
Silver Spring, MD 20901
240-740-7237
2022 Jensen Hughes Fire Prevention Challenge!🔥
Create a video teaching the community about the importance of fire safety. The video must be no longer than 5 minutes. Winners will receive a $1,000 Visa gift card.
https://info.jensenhughes.com/acton/fs/blocks/showLandingPage/a/43128/p/p-001f/t/page/fm/0#webform
Congratulations Blazers!
Congratulations to Raunak Banerjee, grade 11, who participated in the Steven H. Strogatz Prize for Math Communication, 2022 and was recognized for his writing on Mathematics communication in the “Honorable Mentions” category. Strogatz Prize recognizes high school students for outstanding math communication projects from all over the world. Dr. Steven Strogatz is an eminent writer and Professor of Applied Mathematics at Cornell University.
This year there were numerous entries from eight different countries and 13 different states. Raunak's writing was on the topic “PCA Made Easy” (weblink to the pdf version of the writing material). The award ceremony was held on September 25, 2022. Here is the link to the event 2022 Winners.
The Strogatz Prize event is a great example which encourages high school students who love to share more to the world. The projects could be using any media like writing, drawing, podcast, videos, music, poetry, or any other mode of public communication. More details about the event are here and we would encourage more Blair students to participate in the coming years.
Congratulations to our Recently Elected 9th Grade Class Officers!
Congratulations to the MBHS Blazer Pride Marching Band 4th Place in Class 2A at the Maryland Marching Band State Championships!
Blair Athletics
The fall 2022 season is coming to an end and the Blazer teams have done incredibly well using most definitions of success. Not only do we have plenty of victories, but teams have worked tirelessly on improving themselves as young people, students, and athletes. Although not perfect, certain growth and progress! See below for each team’s news and playoffs information for football, soccer, and cross country happening this weekend.
Cheer (Coaches DeFilippo and Bloom)– We hosted the County Cheer Championships on Saturday, October 28. All 25 high schools competed at some point throughout the day, in one of 3 different divisions. Blair competed in D3 in the morning. We did not place, unfortunately, but the kids worked so hard and gave it a good shot. Their routine was a difficult routine, one their skills are capable of, without a doubt. Their competitive season is done but they will continue to cheer through playoffs. They have cheered for a lot of games this season and we are very proud of the cheer team!
Golf (Coach Hoelman) – The team competed in states on Monday, October 24, and made the cut which allowed them to compete on Wednesday 10/26 in the finals, both rounds at the University of Maryland. We ended up placing 7th in the state in 4A, pretty impressive. This talented team has no seniors and are already looking forward to next season!
Team Handball (Coach Losekamp) – Team Handball won in the semifinal that we hosted. Then they went to Wootton for the championship and lost a heartbreaker, 25-24. They finished as runners-up in the county. Great season this year!
Poms (Coaches Drammeh and Soriano) – Poms continue to impress with their hard work and halftime routines. They continue through the competitive winter season and will compete at the Poms county championships that we host on February 2. Poms ran concessions on Saturday at cheer championships for Boosters in addition to the many events that they support. They get stronger every week and we are looking forward to the upcoming competition season.
Volleyball (Coaches Earle and Liang) – Volleyball finished their season about a week ago. Senior night picture attached. They finished in 5th in the region and went to Paint Branch for the first round of playoffs, winning 3 – 0. They went to Sherwood on Monday and lost to a very talented team to end their season. Picture of post-match huddle attached. A terrific season for volleyball and looking forward to its continued building. The JV team had a very successful season this fall.
Field Hockey (Coaches Stofa and Balimtas) – FH finished as Division Champions and with a #1 seed in playoffs and had a first-round bye last week. They played Wheaton and then Einstein to become the Regional Champions! Picture attached. In the state quarter-final, they traveled to Dulaney, losing 2-1 in overtime. This program is nothing but hard-working and resilient, always prepared and improving. Congratulations on an excellent season, both varsity and JV.
Cross Country (Coaches Angie Bosse and Anna Bosse) – Cross country finished its season with many successes. The boys finished 2nd and the girls finished first for the DCC championships, the girls finished 9th and the boys finished 10th in the county championships, and both the girls and the boys finished 2nd in the Regional Championships which sends them to states as teams, this Saturday! It is one of the most exciting races and the best place to watch a race in Maryland. Alexa Avila set a new school 5K record, 18.24!
Girls Soccer (Coaches Gibb and Galloway) – GS finished as Division Champions and with a #1 seed in playoffs. They won their second-round game here at Blair 2 -1 against Wheaton. They played Einstein at Blair, winning decisively to become the Regional Champions! The girls' soccer team went on to Beat Bowie for the state quarter-final game held at Blair, 4-1. Girls' soccer is now in the state semi-final game against Whitman on Saturday. The JV team did very well, dominating most of the season.
Boys Soccer (Coaches Coyle and Jimenez) – BS finished as Division Champions and with a #1 seed in playoffs. They won their second-round game here at Blair on Saturday by defeating Blake, 2-0. They played Einstein here at Blair, beating them to become the Regional Champions! Picture attached. They also played at Blair in the state quarter-final against Dulaney and won decisively. Boy soccer is now in the state semi-final game against Severna Park on Saturday. The JV team did very well, winning most games after their early loss.
Football (Coaches Nosoff, Seals, Verene, Carter, Efantis, Carter, Nelson, Aumen) finished the season with a terrific 8-1 record and are the Division Champions as well as receiving a first-round bye and second-round home playoff game! Their number one seed gave them a first-round bye and will host Einstein on Friday at Blair at 6:30 pm. Should they win, they will head to the regional Championship on November 18, opponent and place TBD. The JV team did very well and beat Sherwood for their last game of the season setting the tempo for the off-season and next season.
Congratulations to all teams and coaches for their successful Fall 2022 season!
Thank you for all of your support, Blazer Community!
Blair Cheer Perform at the County Competition
Field Hockey 4A South II Regional Champions!
Blair Football (4A North) Regional Champions!
Blair Cross Country
Blair Golf
Blair golf at state championship - a 331 team score & finished w/ a 657 total, 8th in the state! A great way to end an historic season. Congrats to the entire team! Ind. today’s scores& state tnmt rank: Brigg 80-18th; Logan 79-21st; Angela 85-18th; Alex 87-51st.
Blair Boys Soccer Regional Champion 2022!
Blair Girls Soccer Regional Champion 2022!
Kindness Corner
If you or someone you know needs resources and seasonal items, please refer them to Kindness Corner at Blair High School. Together, we provide resources and supplies to our students and families, through Kindness Corner and county and federal resources.
Please visit the resources page at https://blairpcc.weebly.com/
Kindness Corner at Blair is grateful to many for their generous contributions and we continue to collect gift cards and other items through the kindness corner registry.
Please contact Faye Nabavian with any questions.
Cell: 240-506-8576
Email: farzaneh_nabavian@mcpsmd.org
Kindness Corner
Distributes Free Coats, Clothes & Personal Items
To Our Students
School Information
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.
Financial Specialist: Donna Franklin, Donna_M_Franklin@mcpsmd.org
Parent Community Coordinator: Faye Nabavian, Farzaneh_Nabavian@mcpsmd.org
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
Montgomery Blair High School
Website: http://mbhs.edu/
Location: 51 University Boulevard East, Silver Spring, MD, USA
Phone: (240) 740-7200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Montgomery-Blair-High-School/1631578030396596
Twitter: @blairprincipal