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Dr. Worthington’s Message Twitter: DrLouise Worthington@BAKERprincipal

MCPS Coronavirus Info at https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/coronavirus/

Monday, October 19 — Day 1

Tuesday, October 20 — Day 2 Breakfast/Lunch pick-up at DHS cafe entrance, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Student Survey during Homeroom

Wednesday, October 21 — Day 3 Breakfast/Lunch pick-up at DHS cafe entrance, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 22 — Day 4 No Breakfast/Lunch pick-up

Friday, October 23 — Day 5 Breakfast/Lunch pick-up at DHS cafe entrance, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Monday, October 26 — Day 1

Tuesday, October 27— Day 2 Breakfast/Lunch pick-up at DHS cafe entrance, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 28 — Day 3 Breakfast/Lunch pick-up at DHS cafe entrance, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 29 — Day 4 No Breakfast/Lunch pick-up

Friday, October 30 — Day 5 Breakfast/Lunch pick-up at DHS cafe entrance, 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

October is ...

LOOKING AHEAD ...

Now that we are concluding Marking Period 1, we would like to know from our students how we can better support their academic success and serve their well-being needs. To gather this Student Voice Data, we will be conducting a Student Survey on Tuesday, October 20, during Homeroom. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Worthington at Louise_J_Worthington@mcpsmd.org.

Day 3 Virtual Check-Ins

Students and Parents, To ensure you receive the help you need, teachers will be available for Virtual Check-ins on Day 3 during your scheduled class period.

Please be sure to contact your teacher if you have any questions about Virtual Check-in.

On Day 3-Wednesday Virtual Check-In, your child may receive a notice from StudentVUE or Synergy asking him/her to attend TEAM class. This class is not an actual course. This is simply the county taking “attendance” for your child on this day. Please note, there is no Zoom link or graded work for your child to complete in TEAM.

Vaccinations Requirements for Students Entering Grade 7, Kindergarten, and New to Montgomery County Public Schools

• All students entering Grade 7 or Kindergarten, or who are new to Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), must provide documentation of vaccinations.

• Vaccination records are being verified remotely by Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) staff member.

➢ Families may email their child’s vaccination records to SHSIZ@montgomerycountymd.gov and copy the school’s registrar or attendance secretary.

➢ DHHS free back-to-school vaccination clinic schedule: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1HCTK2DHCqbtrM7LeUxEIzRVjaL0DZ5CG?us p=sharing

• Student and Family Support and Engagement staff members are collaborating with the Student Well-being Teams to reach out to families and students about the importance of vaccinations and the state requirements.

➢ Students will need to be vaccinated and have those certificates verified in order to return to in-person instruction when MCPS makes that transition.

➢ During a healthcare pandemic, vaccinations against typical childhood illnesses are extremely important to help protect students from getting sick.

Period 1 10:05-10:25

Period 2 10:30-10:50

Period 3 10:55-11:15

Period 4 12:30-12:50

Period 5 12:55-1:15

Period 6 1:20-1:40

Period 7 1:45-2:05

SEE SOMETHING? HEAR SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING!

Resources for Students

• Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is an anonymous reporting system used to report threats to the safety and/or well-being of students. Call 1-833-MD-B-SAFE or download the app. https://schoolsafety.maryland.gov/pages/tipline.aspx

• Contact the Montgomery County Hotline at 240-777-4357 or 301-738-2255 (EveryMind). A trained staff member or volunteer will provide supportive listening and information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students may text the EveryMind hotline telephone number every day, between noon and midnight.

• Students may contact the Victim Assistance and Sexual Assault Program (VASAP) for support. VASAP provides information, referrals and advocacy, as well as crisis and ongoing counseling for victims of sexual assault. https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/hhs-program/bhcs/vasap/vasapindex.html

Student Service Learning (SSL) Information Looking for information about Student Service Learning (SSL)? Check out the new page in the Baker MS myMCPS Classroom/Canvas course tile. Because parents do not have an MCPS Google account, they will need to log into their Synergy ParentVUE account, click on the Parent Resources folder in the left nav bar, and then click on the link to myMCPS Classroom from there. Open the Baker MS course, and look for the SSL button on the homepage.

If students are logged into their MCPS Google account, the link below should take them directly to the SSL page. https://mcpsmd.instructure.com/

courses/145294/pages/SSL%20information?titleize=0

Looking for pre-approved opportunities (in-person and virtual/remote)? Click on the links below.

• https://bit.ly/SSLOpportunities – all nonprofit-hosted opportunities

• https://bit.ly/VirtualSSL2020 – all nonprofit-hosted virtual/remote opportunities

Be sure you check if an activity is approved prior to completing your service to ensure you will be able to get SSL credit. Once you have completed the service, complete a Student Service Learning Activity Verification Form. All sections of the form must be completed before you submit the form using the link on the new myMCPS Classroom SSL page.

Contact Becky_L_Nelson@mcpsmd.org if you have any questions.

Virtual Workout Club Intramurals is bringing you Mr. Fisher’s Virtual Workout Club! All students can participate in these virtual workouts. This intramural club will started Monday, October 5, and will be held at the end of the school day. If you are interested, please contact Mr. Fisher at Harrison_Q_Fisher@mcpsmd.org

Important Information from the MCPS Office of Teaching, Learning, and Schools: Appropriate Use of Technology [Virtual Classroom Reminder] There has been an uptick of inappropriate behavior on our Zoom virtual classrooms. Specifically, we have noticed inappropriate images in the background of students’ screens, as well as inappropriate and offensive student profile pictures. Students must always use good judgment when expressing themselves or their personal beliefs while using their MCPS assigned accounts. Any questionable images or concerns should always be brought to the attention of school administration. As a reminder, Board of Education Policies and Regulations designed for “brick and mortar” classrooms apply in full effect while in virtual learning environment. This includes polices on bullying, sexual harassment, incidents of hate-bias, and consequences through the Student Code of Conduct.

Parent and Student Grade Access Over the last several weeks, parents and students have expressed confusion and concern when assignments and grades do not align between myMCPS Classroom (Canvas) and Synergy’s ParentVUE and StudentVUE platforms. Assignment grades and course grades may differ between the systems for several reasons including but not exclusive to: • Teachers entering assignments and grades directly to Synergy;

these would not be reflected in Canvas. • Teachers updating assignment scores in Synergy after syncing

from Canvas. • Excluding assignments in Canvas from the final grade yet

including it as part of the final grade in Synergy. • A lack of weights for assignment groups in Canvas that are

necessary to mirror assignment category weights in Synergy, the official system of record.

Parents and students should go to Synergy ParentVUE and StudentVUE for questions regarding official assignment and course grades. Students can still access assignment grades via the Assignments link.

Winter Basketball at Baker Dear Baker family — we have some great news for you —the Winter Basketball season is now open for registration on our Baker website. If your 6th, 7th, or 8th grader likes Basketball, please sign them up for our season this year. Thank you and we hope all is well with your family!

Scott Frye, Athletic Coordinator

SEE SOMETHING? HEAR SOMETHING? SAY SOMETHING!

BRAIN Initiative Challenge An essay and video contest for high school students

The National Institutes of Health is supporting the scientific programmatic, communication, and engagement activities for the Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative, a research initiative aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain.

We are holding an essay and video contest for high school students and welcome your help in spreading the word to encourage students to join. For the contest, we are asking students to express their perspectives on the ethical implications of new brain technology used to watch living brains in action, record brain signals, and stimulate brain regions for treatment purposes.

Starting October 1, 2020, ideas can be submitted as a written essay or a video. Winners could receive up to $1000 in prize money. The deadline for submission is October 31, 2020 at 11:59 PM ET

For more information, please go to the BRAIN Initiative Challenge campaign at https://ninds.ideascalegov.com/a/campaign-home/1110 or Challenge.gov https://www.challenge.gov/challenge/brain-initiative-challenge/

Holiday Giving Project of Montgomery County

The Holiday Giving Project (HGP) of Montgomery County has provided Thanksgiving meal and December holiday assistance to families in need for over 30 years. A network of social workers, school counselors, and other human service professionals refer families and individuals in need of assistance. Local non-profits, faith-based organizations, service organizations, and other government agencies serve Holiday Giving recipients, as donations are available.

If you and your family are in need and would like to be referred to possibly receive assistance for the Thanksgiving or Winter holiday season, please complete the Holiday Giving Project Referral Form. This information is required to make a referral to The Holiday Giving Project. You may apply for both Thanksgiving and Winter Holidays.

To be referred to be considered for assistance for the Thanksgiving services, you must complete the Holiday Giving Project Referral Form by THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020. Please understand that referrals are not guaranteed.

The links for the Holiday Giving Project Referral Form are shown below and can also be found on the Counseling Page on Baker Middle School’s website.

English: https://forms.gle/qdjNpLVFpohQsVGP7

Spanish: https://forms.gle/Tsyo6viStWzWUZyM7

Please contact your counselor at the emails listed below regarding any questions with the referral process.

8th grade families: Lori Headdings lori_a_headdings@mcpsmd.org

7th grade families: Lindsey Buffum lindsey_c_buffum@mcpsmd.org

6th grade families: Corinne Whited corinne_e_whited@mcpsmd.org

ESOL/LFI/SCB programs and any Spanish speaking families (habla español): Mary Slotkowski mary_h_slotkowski@mcpsmd.org

Thank you from the Baker Counseling Department

A Message from the Baker Counseling Department

Board of Education Makes Changes to MCPS Academic Calendar

IMPORTANT

Please note that there have been some changes to the

“Day” schedule for the remainder of Semester 1. New

calendar pages for the rest of the semester have been

provided for your convenience. As always, please check

the Sunday Weekly Update ConnectEd Messages and the

Paw Prints for the most up-to-date information.

In order to accommodate the different needs during this

time of virtual learning and instruction, the Montgomery

County Board of Education made several changes to the

current academic calendar for Semester 1. The school

board moved the two November half days from

Wednesday, November 11, and Thursday, November 12,

to Monday, November 23, and Tuesday, November 24.

The school board also added a professional development

day for teachers on November 4. This is a non-instructional

day for students.

Home/Base High School Regional/Countywide Programs Available Note: HS regional/countywide programs that have a criteria-based admissions process may have additional eligibility requirements. Review specific program information for more details.

Damascus

• Healthcare Professions at Seneca Valley HS (Lottery)

• Hospitality and Tourism Management at Seneca Valley HS (Lottery)

• Information Technology & Cyber Security at Seneca Valley HS (Lottery)

• Construction Management and Architecture at Seneca Valley HS (Lottery)

• Project Lead the Way Engineering at Seneca Valley HS (Lottery)

• Network Operations & Information Technology (P-Tech) at Clarksburg HS (Lottery)

• PLTW Biomedical Sciences at Gaithersburg HS (Lottery)

• Middle College @Montgomery College (MC2) Program at Northwest HS (Lottery)

• Aviation and Aerospace at Magruder HS (Lottery)

• Global Ecology at Poolesville HS (Criteria)

• Humanities at Poolesville HS (Criteria)

• Regional International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Watkins Mill HS (Criteria)

• Countywide International Baccalaureate Diploma Program at Richard Montgomery HS (Criteria)

• Science, Math, Computer Science Program at Poolesville HS (Criteria)

• Visual Art Center at Albert Einstein HS (Criteria)

High School Regional/Countywide Program Eligibility by Home/Base HS for Grade 8 Students (Home/Base high school is derived from your student’s home address; Students must apply the year before the program begins)

MCPS Middle and High School: Special Programs Applications: Application Deadline for Grade 8 is November 6, 2020

The Grade 8 High School Common Application for Regional/Countywide Programs is now open to parents/students in ParentVUE. The application due date is November 6, 2020. Parents/guardians have recently received program information via ConnectEd and in their ParentVUE accounts.

More information can be found here: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/

If you have any questions, contact Karen Danco, supervisor, Division of Consortia Choice and Application Program Services.

Program eligibility is based on the student’s address and middle school for current Grade 8 students.

The criteria-based application programs will continue to use multiple measures and require teacher recommendations as part of the application process. Given the conditions associated with COVID-19 and virtual learning, options for the administration of an external assessment as part of the admissions process are still being explored.

As the new school year kicks off and you begin to think about the transition to high school next year, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is excited to share information about the wide array of opportunities that are available at the high school level. These opportunities include rigorous college and career readiness programs in your local high school, as well as regional and countywide programs that help students gain an early edge in preparing for their future. MCPS is committed to expanding these opportunities to ensure access for all students and has launched many new programs in recent years.

Some of these recently added opportunities for Grade 8 students to apply to (eligibility varies) include:·

• PTECH at Clarksburg HS

• Project Lead the Way Biomedical at Gaithersburg HS

• Middle College at Montgomery College (MC)2 at Northwood HS

• Middle College at Montgomery College (MC)2 at Northwest HS

• Aviation and Aerospace at Col. Z. Magruder HS

• Regional College and Career Programs Programs at Seneca Valley HS

• Regional College and Career Programs at Wheaton/Thomas Edison HS

• Regional International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at John F. Kennedy HS

• Regional International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Springbrook HS

• Regional International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Watkins Mill HS

• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Career-related Programs (IBCP) at Rockville HS

These new programs are available in addition to the following application programs:

• Science, Math, Computer Science at Montgomery Blair HS

• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at Richard Montgomery HS

• Whole School Magnet Programs at Poolesville HS

MCPS students have a vast array of opportunities at their local high school and regional/countywide programs. The Regional/Countywide High School Application Open Houses (virtual) are a great way to learn more about the program offerings.

The admission process opens in early October and Grade 8 students will apply to the programs using the high school common application. This information along with the Programs-At-A-Glance, Eligibility, Frequently Asked Questions and October open house dates are all available on this website: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/curriculum/specialprograms/high/.

For more information, email DCCAPS@mcpsmd.org