The Board of Education of Frederick County is seeking applicants for its Racial Equity Committee.

If interested in applying, your application letter should include your name, address, telephone number and email address. Applicants should also include an attached resume. In your letter, answer the following:

1. Explain your desire to participate on this committee.
2. What experiences do you possess in working with groups to achieve goals partially established by others?

3. Describe your background or experiences in working to mitigate inequities and the specific skills you would bring to this committee.
4. What expectations do you have for a committee of this nature? Explain how you believe this committee will impact Frederick County Public Schools.

5. To apply for a position on the Racial Equity Committee, please submit a letter of application to boe.committees@fcps.org, or submit a hardcopy to:

Board of Education of Frederick County

c/o Kathryn Fostik, Executive Assistant to the Board

191 S. East Street

Frederick, MD 21701

Applications will be accepted through April 9.The BOE will approve and appoint members to the Racial Equity Committee at its May 12 Board meeting.

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9th Grade (Class of 2024) Fundraiser

Attention 9th Graders -Class of 2024
Join your class fundraiser! April 1-5
Use code: KNP WEN
Set up and share your personal pop-up store and begin earning money for your
class! Your class gets 50% of sales!
No money or products are handled!
Products ship directly to your customers! All sales are done online!

See 9th Grade Fundraiser Flyer (https://fcps.ezcommunicator.net/edu/Frederick/GetFile.aspx?DocId=14329)

for more details.

Funds will be used to pay for class activities, like prom your junior year.
For more information, see Mr. Tuomey in 224 or email
scott.tuomey@fcps.org

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BHS announcements for March 15, 2021 are available at: https://youtu.be/BDs1Tm01L3A

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Superintendent’s Update Edition 15

As we complete the fourth week of our transition to the hybrid instructional model, I am deeply appreciative of the hard work and cooperation between staff and families! The success of this model was dependent on the meticulous planning by staff and the willingness of staff, students and families to adhere to safety protocols and procedures. Thank you to everyone, and let’s continue to follow safety protocols and procedures going forward.

Planning continues for 4th quarter, spring events, summer sessions, and the 2021-22 school year! We have received many questions about next steps. In every situation, we are looking at Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C because we have learned that during the pandemic, circumstances change quickly! Whether it is a press conference introducing new executive orders, or concerning health metrics that force a change in plans, our staff must be able to respond quickly and flexibly. And sometimes, we need clarification on mandates before we can definitively provide an answer.

So, let’s address a few key questions coming our way right now.

1. Will we have graduation ceremonies?
   We are planning to host outdoor graduation ceremonies with graduates and spectators socially distanced. The details of those ceremonies will be dependent on the capacity requirements set forth by the governor and Frederick County’s Board of Health for our school stadiums. Recent changes in the governor’s executive order are promising. We are working with the county to determine compliance with county regulations as well.
2. Will we have proms?
   The capacity limitations on indoor venues are more restrictive. Additionally, the requirement to socially distance is still in effect. These factors make it challenging to hold a traditional “prom” for students and therefore, FCPS has indicated that we will not be hosting proms for students.
3. Can we bring students back to school five days a week?
   Currently, the plan is to continue with our hybrid model for this school year and to look at the 2021-22 school year for the return to five days of in-person instruction. This is based on the current social distancing guidance for maintaining six feet.There is much speculation that the distancing guidance will change to be three feet. Thus, we are looking at how that would affect our options for Quarter 4 and the 2021-22 school year. The Board of Education will be discussing these options at Board Meetings from March 24 through June. Please watch these discussions and share your input.
4. Will you increase the number of spectators at sports events?
   The governor’s latest executive order did increase the opportunity to have more spectators at sports events. The Return to Play Committee indicated that we were going to have two spectators per student athlete and would monitor the implementation. The Return to Play Committee meets regularly and will review the new executive order.  We will communicate any change to the spectator plan as soon as possible.

I hope this week’s update addresses some of the most pressing questions. And again, I appreciate the understanding from the community as we grapple with new directives and guidance. It is our goal to provide the optimal learning environment for our students and staff with health and safety remaining a priority.

Please continue to limit the spread of COVID-19 by wearing masks, maintaining social distance and frequently washing hands. These mitigation strategies, coupled with more people getting vaccinated, are what will make it possible for us to move forward in fully opening our schools!

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Please enjoy the newest FCPS In a Minute video: https://youtu.be/ta3gICBVzTc

• An update on the Career & Technology Center’s annual “House Project.”
• A local elementary school scores a big corporate connection!
• Congrats go out to the next Student Member of the Board of Education!

Know someone who would enjoy FCPS video links to In a Minute? FindOutFirst sends them to subscribers selecting the FCPS Television, YouTube Videos news group at http://www.fcps.org/fof

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FCPS Planning Outdoor Graduation Ceremonies

Frederick County Public Schools is committed to doing all we can to honor the Class of 2021. We are looking forward to celebrating the Class of 2021 at outdoor commencement ceremonies in each of our high school’s home stadiums. Frederick County Virtual School, Heather Ridge, Rock Creek, and the SUCCESS Program are also planning ceremonies.

The graduation ceremony is an important culmination of each student’s academic career. It is an opportunity to celebrate seniors and all of those who have supported their journey and success.

While FCPS would like to adhere to the published schedule of graduation dates and times for each school, our final communication of dates and times is forthcoming.

Dates and time will be dependent upon health and safety protocols in place and gathering size limits (currently 250) established by Governor Larry Hogan’s executive order. Additionally, it may be necessary to adjust graduation events and times to address potential weather concerns.

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March Is Youth Art Month

See FCPS Student and Faculty Art Exhibits!

The annual Frederick County Public Schools Youth Art Month exhibit is going virtual this year with more than 185 imaginative creations from students of all ages across Frederick County.

The Youth Art Month exhibit is typically displayed at The Delaplaine Arts Center. Due to the global health crisis, this year’s gallery will be featured in a Flickr gallery via The Delaplaine’s website beginning Saturday, March 6, through Sunday, March 28.

In addition to the virtual student exhibit, there will be two physical displays at The Delaplaine that can be viewed in person or online. The FCPS Academy for the Fine Arts will have a special display of more than two dozen pieces of art created by high school students enrolled in the academy. There will also be an FCPS exhibit featuring more than a dozen art pieces created by FCPS art teachers and faculty.

The Delaplaine Arts Center is located at 40 S. Carroll Street in Frederick. The Delaplaine is open daily and admission is free. Days and hours of operation are subject to change without notice. For more information, please visit The Delaplaine’s site at www.delaplaine.org.

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FCPS Opens Nominations for Support Employee of the Year

FCPS seeks nominations for the 2021 Support Employee of the Year (by Friday, March 26).

Please see the news release for details: https://www.fcps.org/about/news/1702704/nominate-an-outstanding-fcps-support-employee