­ Parents, teachers, and administrators working together ­
Friday, March 7, 2014
Administration MCPS May Need to Extend School Year Due to Snow Days
Without a state waiver, last day of school will be June 19.
As of March 6, 2014, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has had a total of
nine emergency weather days (snow days). The 2013-2014 school calendar, as
approved by the Montgomery County Board of Education, has four snow days built in,
so MCPS is five days over its allotted number of snow days.
The state of Maryland requires districts provide at least 180 days of instruction. Unless
MCPS receives a state waiver from this requirement, five instructional days will be
added to the end of the school year as outlined in the Board-approved calendar. The
last day of school for students would be Thursday, June 19, 2014. Parents are asked to
plan accordingly.
The Maryland State Department of Education has not yet begun accepting applications
for a waiver of the 180-day requirement. When they do, MCPS will decide whether to
apply for a waiver, and how many days it will seek to have waived.
Below is a more detailed explanation of how the snow days could impact the MCPS
school calendar:
Information about Snow Days and the 2013-2014 School Calendar
The state of Maryland requires school districts to offer 180 days of instruction. The
MCPS calendar for the 2013-2014 school year, approved by the Montgomery County
Board of Education, includes 184 days of instruction, meaning there are four emergency
weather days (aka “snow days”) built into the calendar. The calendar also includes five
“contingency” days on which school will be held if MCPS has more than four snow days.
1 These contingency days are tacked on to the end of the school year so that the district
can meet the minimum days of instruction required by the state. You can see the
contingency days below.
If schools are closed...
The school year will be extended by...
5 days
one day to June 13, 2014
6 days
two days to June 13 and 16, 2014
7 days
three days to June 13, 16, and 17, 2014
8 days
four days to June 13, 16, 17, and 18, 2014
9 days
five days to June 13, 16, 17, 18, and 19, 2014
So far this year, MCPS has had nine snow days, meaning the district has exceeded by
five the number of days built into the calendar. The last day of school for MCPS was
originally scheduled for Thursday, June 12. Without a waiver from the state, the last
day will have to be moved to Thursday, June 19, in order to meet the 180-day state
requirement. There are no plans to change Spring Break at this time.
MCPS can apply for a waiver from the Maryland State Department of Education
(MSDE) that would allow the district to go below the 180-day requirement. A decision
about whether to apply for that waiver will be made later in the year, once we know how
many snow days the district has had and MSDE begins accepting waiver requests.
Although MCPS has received such waivers in the past, it is not guaranteed that the
district would receive one this year.
The fact that Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley declared a state of emergency on
February 13 and 14 may make it more likely that a waiver would be granted for these
snow days, but it is not guaranteed. The district would still need to apply for such a
waiver.
2 Calendar Friday, March 7
o Third Quarter Interims/Progress Reports
Monday, March 10 &
Tuesday, March 11
o Spring Sports Teams Photos during the
school day
Wednesday, March 12
o Career and College Readiness Workshop at
7 pm in the Cafeteria
Saturday, March 15
o Swing into Spring Dinner Dance @ the Brook
Café – 7 pm in the Cafeteria.
Tuesday, March 18
o PTSA Meeting at 7 pm in the Media Center
Tuesday, March 18
o SGA Blood Drive during the school day
Wednesday, March 19
o STEM Fair – 7 pm in the Cafeteria
Friday, March 21
o “Little Shop of Horrors” – SHS Spring Play at
7 pm in the Auditorium
Saturday, March 22
o “Little Shop of Horrors” – SHS Spring Play at
7 pm in the Auditorium
Wednesday, March 26
o Parents of Seniors (Class of 2014) Meeting
at 7 pm in the Auditorium
Thursday, March 27
o Third Marking Period Ends
Friday, March 28
o “Little Shop of Horrors” – SHS Spring Play at
7 pm in the Auditorium
o Professional day for teachers – No school for
students
Saturday, March 29
o “Little Shop of Horrors” – SHS Spring Play at
7 pm in the Auditorium
3 News from the PTSA Greetings! Despite the recent snowy days, we know that spring is right around the
corner. While we welcome the warmer days and opportunities for more socializing, we
also know spring can be a time of increased reckless behavior. With that in mind, the
PTSA will focus on safety for its March and April meetings.
For our March PTSA meeting on Tuesday the 18th at 7 pm, we are pleased to have
as our guest speaker, Attorney Sal Zambri, who will discuss the Dangers of Distracted
Driving. This is not just a message for our teens, but for all drivers.
At the Thursday, April 24th PTSA Meeting, a representative from the State Attorney's
office will provide a timely update on Teen Substance Abuse in Montgomery
County. This is information that parents of teens need to know to help keep our kids
and community safe. We hope you'll come and hear about these important topics.
Our hard-working After Prom committee is pleased to announce the conclusion of a
very successful fundraising auction. Special thanks to our online auction leader Anne
Regan, and the other parents who helped with the auction, as well as to those who
supported the auction by donating items or bidding. Now it is time for Phase 2: Party
Planning! We need A LOT of help for a variety of tasks. To volunteer, contact one of
our After Prom co-chairs: Eileen Hollander, [email protected] or Carolyn
Briel, [email protected].
Counseling Department
In December of 2013, the administrator of the SAT®, the College Board, announced
that revisions to the SAT will be implemented in the spring of 2016. This past
Wednesday, specific details were released around what these changes will entail. As
with previous test revisions, the PSAT will change first in the fall of 2015, and the SAT
will follow. The new PSAT will serve as a preview for the new SAT.
The revision is comprehensive, and there's no question that the SAT in 2016 will look
significantly different from the current version. We've summarized key updates in the
chart below. The biggest changes include the return to a 1600 scale, an optional essay,
and shifts in approach to both vocabulary and math concepts.
4 Changes to the
SAT
Current SAT
New SAT
(Class of 2014-2016)
(Class of 2017 and beyond)
Scoring
· ¼-point penalty for wrong
answers
· Score is based out of 2400 -800 for Math; 800 for Reading
Comprehension; and, 800 for
Writing
· No wrong-answer penalty
· Score is based out of 1600 -- 800 for
Math; 800 for Evidence-Based Reading
and Writing. Optional essay will receive
a separate score
Timing
· 3 hours 45 minutes
· 3 hours; 3 hours 50 minutes with
optional essay
Administration
· Only available in print
· Test focused on broad range of
non-essential topics and
content
· Available digitally and in print
· Fewer questions with a greater focus on
in-depth analysis of content
Essay
· Essay is required
· Students have 25 minutes to
write a persuasive essay in
response to a prompt
· Accuracy of information not
tested
· Essay is optional
· Students have 50-minutes to analyze
document and draft essay
· Essay requires students to analyze
source documents and explain how the
author builds an argument
· Facts matter
Math
· Focus on wide array of topics
· More emphasis on
computational skills
· Calculators permitted for all
sections
· Focus on 3 topics -- problem-solving and
data analysis, “the heart of
algebra,” and “passport to advanced
math”
· Real-world problem solving including
analyzing data, charts, and graphs
· Calculator no longer permitted for all
math sections
Reading and
Writing
· Writing score combines writing
multiple-choice and essay
· Reading section has two
question types: sentence
completion and passage-based
questions
· Reading and Writing sections combine
into “Evidence-Based Reading and
Writing” section
· No Sentence Completions
· Focus on real-world vocabulary-incontext as well as revising and editing
writing in passages
· Focus on analyzing Literature, Social
Studies, and Science passages
· One passage will be a Primary Source
from American and/or World History,
such as The Constitution or Martin
Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream”
speech
5 As a reminder, current seniors, juniors and sophomores will not be affected by
these changes. These graduating classes should continue preparing for the current
iteration of the SAT. However, current freshmen, or the graduating class of 2017, WILL
see the new version of the SAT in the spring of 2016 as juniors.
Fine Arts Department Senior, Julia Davenport gave her final presentation at the National Gallery of Art’s High
School Seminar in their auditorium in Washington, DC on Saturday March 1st. She
chose two works of art from the gallery’s collection, researched them, and then created
her own work inspired by them. Julia not only engaged with original works of art, she
also learned to think critically about art and art history, and experienced the museum as
a resource for lifelong learning.
6 Journalism Department Yes, spring really will be here soon! Here is a way to earn some extra
money, organize your home and support a worthy cause.
Join us for the first annual “COMMUNITY YARD SALE” on Saturday,
April 26 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. In order to maximize exposure, the
event will be held in the parking lot of White Oak Middle School.
Space is limited. To reserve your spot, please see link below to the rental application.
Then begin gathering the “treasures” that have been collecting dust in your home.
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/springbrookhs/homepage
/Community%20Yard%20Sale%20Application.pdf
Proceeds from this event will benefit The Blueprint, our student newspaper.
www.theblueprintnewspaper.com
Please email me directly with your questions. Thanks!
Timothy Hibberd,
Springbrook HS Journalism Adviser, [email protected]
Math Department Congratulations to Mr. Ishikawa and Springbrook High School’s
Math Team – Number One in the Northeast Consortium and 6th
overall among all MCPS high schools!
7 Science Department Springbrook will host our first STEM Fair on Wednesday,
March 19th at 7 pm!
Please feel free to come out and support out students, who
will be displaying their projects, which range from art using
technology, to mechanical engineering! This is going to be
a great night!! We have already received an invitation
acceptance from the NGA (National Geospatial Intelligence Agency).
If you work for/with an organization that could either donate supplies for our students or
help in any other way, please contact Serenity Moore
([email protected]). If you want to see how wonderful our students are,
just stop in on Wednesday, March 19th! Thank You!!
Music Department / Music Boosters ** Reserve your seats NOW!**
March 15 – Swing Into Spring, 7- 10 pm in the Brook
Café
Invite your family, friends, and co-workers to come enjoy a
fun evening of music, dancing and dinner, all performed
by our music students! You will have a great time, while
supporting the music program in so many ways.
Please see that link to flyer below and ACT NOW to
reserve your seats. Or for that matter, reserve a table and
bring the family!
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/springbrookhs/homepage
/2014swingflyer.pdf
On February 28th, three Springbrook singers competed in a county-wide Solo &
Ensemble competition. All three students received superior ratings and will be
advancing to the state-wide competition later in the year! Congratulations to Lila
Cooper, Cecile Sandjok, and Dumar Valencia!
8 The Instrumental Music Boosters holds its monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of the
month at 7:00 pm. Please join us. We would love to see more supporters of the
program.
Look out for information about future music events and fundraisers, which will be sent
through this forum. You can also find us on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/SpringbrookHsMusic or contact us by email at:
[email protected]
Athletic Department /Athletic Boosters BOYS BASKETBALL are 4A North REGION CHAMPIONS!
Before a packed crowd Friday night, Springbrook Boys Basketball defeated Dulaney
High School 76 - 46 to win the 4A North Region championship. They will play the
winner from 4A South this Thursday, March 13th at 9:00 pm at the Comcast Center.
Tickets will cost $8.00.
9 Drama/Theater On March 21, 22, 28, and 29, Springbrook High
School will be presenting “Little Shop of
Horrors!” Come join us as Seymour and his
terrifying man-eating plant invade The Brook.
Every performance is at 7:00 p.m. and is $5.00
for students and $10.00 for adults. Tickets can
be purchased during lunch or at the door. Don’t
miss this amazingly spooky show!
Ms. Emily DeTroye:
[email protected]
News from the Brook - Upcoming Publication Schedule
Publication Date
Deadline for Submission
Friday, March 7
Monday, March 3
Friday, March 21
Monday, March 17
Friday, April 4
Monday, March 31
Friday, May 2
Monday, April 28
Friday, May 16
Monday, May 12
Friday, May 30
Tuesday, May 27
News from the Brook, point of contact: [email protected]
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