Welcome Back to School Montgomery Blair High School Students and Families,
Welcome to the 2023- 2024 school year! I hope you have had the opportunity to rest, relax and rejuvenate with family and friends this summer.
I want to THANK my administrative team, instructional leadership team, counseling staff, building services team, and main office staff who worked this summer during the construction of a new roof, HVAC system, and improved fields, basketball, and tennis courts to get our large building ready for your return to school.
On a sad note, Mr. Jim Funk, our Business Administrator, passed away suddenly on July 7, 2023. Mr. Funk worked at Blair for over 17 years. His family shared that they will host a Celebration of Life for Mr. Funk at a later date. In memory of Mr. Funk and his legacy at Blair, Ms. Leslie Blaha, staff development teacher, created a gofundme to raise funds for a memorial bench for our courtyard. The link and information are below.
Dr. McKnight, our superintendent, shared her top four priorities for the 2023 - 2024 school year: Improve math and literacy rates, Build a safe and inclusive school climate, Support two-way communications between schools and families, and Improve the recruitment, retention, and distribution of high-quality and diverse staff.
Our theme this year is MBHS Three Keys to Success. I am often asked what high school students need to know and do to be successful. Well as you know there are a myriad of variables and answers. After years of research and experience, I can genuinely say that our students need these 3 keys for success: Academic Achievement, Social-Emotional Wellness, and Extracurricular Involvement. Our theme aligns with the superintendent’s priorities and ensures that all students graduate with the skills to navigate their chosen path successfully.
Finally, I am excited to begin my 13th year as your principal! We have the largest high school enrollment in Maryland, with over 3,200 students and 320 staff members. At Montgomery Blair High School, we celebrate the diversity of students and embrace cultural and ethnic differences. Our Blazers have been recognized nationally and remain at the forefront of equity and excellence.
As always, please check our website at https://mbhs.edu/ and social media pages for up-to-date school news and information.
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Like Montgomery Blair High School on Facebook
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Thank you for your support,
Renay Johnson
Proud Principal
Dropping Your Teen Off at School?
Over 3600 students and staff arrive at our school daily. We need everyone to drive safely on campus and follow our traffic patterns. Please see the diagram below which reflects the traffic pattern for student drop-off on the Colesville Road side of the building. Our security staff are positioned outside to help direct traffic.
Everyone must obey traffic laws.
Back to School Materials
If your teen needs assistance with school supplies, please contact Faye Nabavian, Parent Community Coordinator, at Farzaneh_Nabavian@mcpsmd.org.
Chromebook Distribution
9th-grade students and all students who are new to Blair will be assigned Chromebooks during the first week of school. They will receive their Chromebooks at the same time that they have their student ID pictures taken (between Tuesday, August 29 - Friday, September 1). Students or parents who have questions can contact Tracy Pettis-Jones, Assistant Principal, Tracy_Pettis-Jones@mcpsmd.org.
Student Pictures
Students will have their ID pictures taken beginning on Tuesday, August 29 thru Friday, September 1, with retakes scheduled for Tuesday, October 10. All pictures will be facilitated through their English classes. Detailed information – including dates for additional senior photo days – will be updated on the website by the end of August.
Students or parents who have questions regarding pictures can contact Andrew Fields at Andrew_S_Fields@mcpsmd.org.
School Lockers Are Available By Request
Montgomery Blair High School students can carry their backpacks, book bags, etc. with them during the school day. While using a hallway locker is optional, students can request one using this form: https://bit.ly/MBHS_locker. Please contact Adrian Kelly, Security Team Leader, if you have questions about school lockers, Adrian_D_Kelly@mcpsmd.org.
Students enrolled in a Physical Education class will automatically be assigned a PE locker.
Grade 9 Information
9th Grade and New Student Orientation:
Montgomery Blair High School will host an orientation for 9th-grade students and students who are new to Blair on Thursday, August 24, 2023, from 7:45 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Grade 9 students in Magnet and CAP continue until 12:15 p.m. Students will have an opportunity to meet the principal, and their administrators, follow their class schedules, walk around the building, and meet their teachers. There will be bus transportation both ways for the 9th-grade and new student orientation.
Please note that this orientation is only for students – not parents. There will be a 9th-grade parent meeting on Thursday, September 7, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.. If you have any questions about the 9th-grade and new student orientation, please contact Assistant Principal, Tracy Pettis-Jones, via email at Tracy_Pettis-Jones@mcpsmd.org.
9th Grade Parent Meeting:
There will be a 9th-grade parent meeting on Thursday, September 7, 2023, in the Montgomery Blair High School Auditorium. Parents will be able to meet the 9th-grade administrators, the 9th-grade team leaders, and school counselors. There will be presentations about school grading policy, attendance, athletics, and extracurricular activities. There will also be time for questions. Please look for more details about the 9th-grade parent meeting on the Blair website (www.mbhs.edu) on or before September 1. If you have any questions, please contact Assistant Principal, Tracy Pettis-Jones, via email at Tracy_Pettis-Jones@mcpsmd.org 
NEW Attendance Regulation:
In order to be in line with Maryland State Department of Education guidelines and other school districts in Maryland, Montgomery County Public Schools will be reducing the number of unexcused absences from 15 to 10 for students to be withdrawn for non-attendance.
School Counseling News & Information
Welcome Back Blazers! We hope you all had a wonderful summer break and look forward to you joining us this school year! Our Montgomery Blair School Counseling Department is excited to add Mr. Borja Rebaza to our counseling team! With this addition, there have been shifts to our caseloads, specifically changes with Ms. Gonzalez and Ms. Contreras. Please read our newsletter to see how this change affected you potentially, and all of our other wonderful updates. Our College & Career Information Coordinator Ms. Delos Reyes has been quite busy with summer workshops; however, she is looking forward to students returning to our building! Please read her newsletter to get tools as a 9th grader, learn about application workshops for 12th graders and so much more!
See you soon Blazers!
Links above:
School Counseling Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fssyC5H2384hus7fGwHTNcippqhnA_hz/view?usp=sharing
Spanish Version of Counseling Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YSffsnjC_H9b2mSK7xykKhpBXP_dLHYl/view?usp=sharing
CCIC Newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bYDQSpTbJwsdhxlsKzFlClRT7y9P31AY/view
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
MBHS Emergency Drills
Join Our PTSA, Ayo Atterberry PTSA President
We are excited about our return to school for this upcoming school year. Joining the Montgomery Blair High School Parent Teacher Student Association (Blair HS PTSA) is one of the best ways to get connected and support the Blair community.
Please see information about the PTSA and join here: https://blairptsa.org/join/
Please see our listservs here: https://blairptsa.org/listserves/
Mark your calendars for our PTSA meeting dates at 7:00 PM:
Below are the dates for our PTSA membership meetings (third Tuesday of the month):
- September 19, 2023
- November 15, 2023
- January 16, 2024
- February 20, 2024
- April 16, 2024
- May 21, 2024
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School Lunch
Meal Prices:
MCPS will resume regular meal services during the 2023 - 2024 school year.
NEW this year:
- Students in Maryland who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged for meals.
- Breakfast: Regular Price (All Levels): $1.30; Reduced Price (All Levels): No Cost
- Lunch: Regular Price: $2.55 (Elementary), $2.80 (Middle and High); Reduced Price (All Levels): No Cost
Free and Reduced-Price Meal Applications
Apply online NOW so that benefits will be in place when school starts! Families who meet certain federal income standards are eligible for free or reduced-price meal benefits. All children use their MCPS ID number at the register so confidentiality is maintained and no child is overtly identified as receiving free or reduced-price meals. Only one application is needed for all students in a household.
A new application must be completed for any family requesting assistance this school year. The online application is now open for families to submit applications.
For more information and How-To videos visit the Food Services website: www.montgomeryschools.org/departments/food-and-nutrition/meal-payments/#FARMS APPLY HERE! MORE INFO & How-To Videos
Blair Athletics Information, Rita Boule, Athletics Specialist
Happy summer and welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! And welcome to the class of 2027! Blair Athletics is up and running with the start of fall sports on August 9th. We are looking forward to another successful year in Blazer Athletics and Blair High School with all its outstanding students and staff.
The summer projects at Blair have been numerous. Currently, the back fields are being renovated and completed, the tennis and basketball courts are being completely renovated and the roof of the majority of the building is being completed. These upgrades will be wonderful for our entire Blair community!
There are three sports seasons in MCPS. Blair offers every sport possible in the county and we are very proud of our teams and coaches for the work that they do with our kids and our community. The sports seasons start in August for fall, November for winter, and March for spring. Informational meetings are approximately 6 weeks before the season starts, and online registration opens about one month before the season starts. Information for fall sports was sent to the Blair community in mid-July.
Fall sports are occurring at different sites this pre-season due to the roofing, fields, and courts projects happening at Blair High School. Fall sports include boys' soccer, girls' soccer, football, field hockey, girls' volleyball, golf, cheer, poms, cross country, and team handball. Blair Athletics Staff and Coaches have prepared in the summer for the 450+ students who registered for participation on one of the teams!
Fall sports will open with a double header football night on Friday, September 1 at Blair hosting Wheaton, JV at 3:30 and varsity at 7:00 pm. The schedule for all Blair teams and games across the entire county can be found at County Sports Zone.
The Blair Blazers Athletics website has lots of information for all things Athletics and will be updated as we go through the school year and receive updates. The Blair Boosters is a voluntary parent group that supports our Athletics program in incredible ways and we are always looking for additional parent support. Please visit the Blair Boosters website for more information.
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!
Blair After School Recreation Program: REC ZONE IS BACK
Montgomery Blair High School in partnership with Montgomery County Recreation Department offers a FREE after-school recreation program, Monday–Thursday • 2:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m., in Blair's cafeteria. Students can register for the program and attend on the same day. The program will begin on September 25, 2023. More information to come.
Report Card Distribution Dates:
Marking Period 1: 11/9/2023
Marking Period 2: 2/5/2024
Marking Period 3: 4/18/2024
Marking Period 4: 6/24/2024 (mailed home)
PSAT/SAT
PSAT DAY:
The PSAT provides an important measure of each student’s readiness for advanced coursework, college and careers, and preparation for future college readiness examinations. The PSAT is administered to all Grade 10 students in October. The PSAT will be offered to all Grade 10 students on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, at no cost. However, current Grade 11 students must pay the $19 fee for the assessment. They are encouraged to participate to obtain additional SAT practice and participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program. All 11th-grade students interested in taking the PSAT must register for PSAT Registration. More information on online payment is forthcoming.
SAT DAY:
The SAT (without Essay) is offered to all Grade 11 students during the school day in March of each year. The SAT School Day will be offered to all Grade 11 students (or other eligible students in the same graduation cohort), districtwide in March 2024. Please note that students taking the SAT during a school day must adhere to the same testing protocols that take place on national testing dates. Additional information will be provided at a later date.
For questions on PSAT/SAT DAY, please contact Leslie Blaha (Leslie_V_Blaha@mcpsmd.org), Testing Coordinator.
Blair Information
ParentVUE: If you do not receive log-in information for your teen, please contact Ms. Maria Tanos, Latino Achievement Coordinator, Maria_E_Tanos@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 21. Parents and students will need to log into the site 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:
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
https://sites.google.com/mcpsmd.net/mbhscollegecareercenter/home?authuser=0
MyMCPS/Synergy Parent Portal Staff Liaison: Maria Tanos, Maria_E_Tanos@mcpsmd.org
Social Worker: Emily Callaghan, Emily_P_Callaghan@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, Ms. Eileen Heiss, Eileen_F_Heiss@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
Pupil Personnel Worker: Tee Clark, Tee_Clark@mcpsmd.org
MBHS ADMINISTRATION:
Renay Johnson: Principal, Renay_C_Johnson@mcpsmd.org
Adriana Burgos-Ojeda: Grade 12, Administrator, Adriana_Burgos-Ojeda@mcpsmd.org
Rahman Culver: Grade 11, Administrator, Rahman_A_Culver@mcpsmd.org
Aaron Bernstein: Grade 10, Administrator, A-L, Aaron_M_Bernstein@mcpsmd.org
Ramona Washington, Grade 10, Administrator, M-Z, Ramona_L_Washington@mcpsmd.org
Tracy Pettis-Jones: Grade 9, Administrator, A-L, Tracy_Pettis-Jones@mcpsmd.org
Brenda Barrera Mercado, Grade 9, Administrator, M-Z, Brenda_A_BarreraMercado@mcpsmd.org
Peter Ostrander: Magnet Program, Peter_M_Ostrander@mcpsmd.org
Andrew Fields: School Business Administrator, Andrew_S_Fields@mcpsmd.org
Montgomery Blair High School