Dr. Evans Updates

Message to Magruder High School Community

Good evening Magruder High School families:

I wish you continued good health and safety as we work together to provide students with a meaningful learning experience during this very difficult crisis. It is important to know that your cooperation and support is a significant resource in this effort.

I want to share that during our first week of the new school year; the majority of our students have been actively engaged in the MCPS continuity of learning program. It is our goal that every student will be an active participant in this learning opportunity. We continue to need your help in making sure every student stays engaged and participates in all learning opportunities. We will continue to make every effort to provide students with the needed technology resources and information to actively participate. These distribution dates will be provided to you as we schedule specific distribution and collection opportunities. It is also important to know that students are required to adhere to all school rules as well as MCPS policies and procedures during the virtual learning experience.

The information below provides you with the latest update from MCPS regarding the continuity of learning.

Students are expected to attend all live virtual learning classes in which they are enrolled. However, in some instances, this may not be possible due to illness or extenuating circumstances. Students may then access the recording of the class to engage in the daily learning during an alternate time within 72 hours of the absence. Parents/Guardians may then submit a Live Virtual Lesson Absence Form to document that they engaged in the lesson and to request the unexcused absence be reconciled to present. If extenuating circumstances exist, parents/guardians are encouraged to communicate with the school’s administration ahead of time. The Live Virtual Lesson Absence Form must be completed for each documented absence.

It is important to know that we will continue to work with our central office staff to answer your questions. Every effort will be made to keep the Magruder High School community informed and involved.

I would like to also share that our Back-To-School Night is scheduled for September 16^th. More specific information regarding the agenda for this event will be sent to you in the coming days. Please be reminded that we will have an adjustment in the schedule for next week due to the holiday.

Please stay healthy and well,

Dr. Lee Evans

“The Chinese use two brush strokes to write the word “crisis”. One brush stroke stands for danger; the other for opportunity. In a crisis, be aware of the danger, but recognized the opportunity.”

-John F. Kennedy

Good afternoon Magruder High School families. I hope you remain healthy and safe. I want to welcome you to the 2020-2021 school year.

As we finalize our preparations for the start of the new school year, it is our goal to have all Magruder High School students connected and engaged by the start of the first semester. It is important that parents contact the school by e-mail if you are experiencing any difficulties getting a Chromebook or MiFi access for your student. Teachers and counselors will be actively reaching out to students and families regarding the participation in the distance learning opportunities. As we move forward in our plans to provide students with a meaningful educational experience through distance learning, every effort is being made to meet the needs of all students. In order to achieve this goal, we will continue to need your support and involvement. We greatly appreciate your patience and support as our school community works together to survive and prosper during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The link below describes the Magruder High School daily virtual schedule for online learning semester one:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Elkg7ERqDs5fOEWtcmUsInKsfYE4w1Il_2bpO8wEeF8/edit?usp=sharing

I have also included additional information that is relevant to our work during the first semester of the virtual learning experience.

The guide document and recovery website have been updated and links to both are included in the message which can be found at this link: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2020-2021/community-update-20200825.html

Office of Technology Innovation:

ParentVUE Support for Parents

If families did not receive an email with ParentVUE activation information, you can call 240-740-7020 or email communitytechsupport@mcpsmd.org
If parents can only see some children but not all, please complete this form and we will merge accounts:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc3RJam5Fl3jdbhxmSttrSLB-ybJ3Gwp4sB8dPAwqj1VjmzNg/viewform

We will be recording lessons in order to support families and students, create flexibility in accessing learning experiences when attending live instruction is a barrier, and enhance the opportunity to review lesson content and resources.
When students first log in, their video and audio is off by default. If students should not be recorded, they should leave these off.
Recordings are protected, available only to students through a protected myMCPS site, unavailable for download, and will delete after 72 hours.
We recognize that even with these protections there may be students or families who do not want their children’s images or voices to be captured. If you would like to have your student opt out of being in the recording, they should keep their video off in each class from the start of the school year. Parents/guardians are asked to indicate an opt out in the ParentVUE portal by September 11, 2020.
Link to the ParentVUE Slide Deck provides families with information about activating the Parent Vue Account.

CANVAS links for Spanish speaking families

"Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish."

~John Quincy Adams

Please stay healthy and safe,
Dr. Lee Evans,
Principal

Community Weekly Message June 8th

Good afternoon Magruder High School families:

As we enter our final week of the continuity of learning fourth quarter, I hope you and your families were able to focus on the many positive aspects of our lives during this very difficult time. It has indeed been a difficult experience as we continually struggle with the Corona Virus pandemic at the same time when many in our nation and around the world are gathering in protest of racial injustice. This has borne out the very best in some of us, and the worst in others. I believe it is important for us to continue to come together as a community and work collaboratively to create an environment that is safe for all.

I would also like to emphasize again the importance of reinforcing appropriate use of social media. We recently have experienced incidents where some of our students were involved in a very inappropriate incident on social media. What started as a discussion of the topic, quickly led to the use of racially inappropriate and homophobic language. This interaction and was followed by threats from some of the participants. While we addressed this very inappropriate and unfortunate interaction with our students, threats continued to be made to members of our Magruder HS community. We have worked with the Montgomery County Police Department and staff from our central office to investigate and resolve the issue, however these threats have continued. I realize it is very difficult to completely monitor behavior or student use of social media, it is important to have courageous conversations about the damage inappropriate social media use can have on everyone involved. The results can also unfairly impact the lives of many innocent and unwilling participants. I would like to share the words of an anonymous author to help guide some of the discussion that comes about when inappropriate and bias language is used to address others, “nobody wins when the prize is hate”. Please take the time to help our students understand and make them aware of the impact this could have on their lives now and in the future. Together we can make a difference.

I hope all of you will be able to join us this evening for a wonderful celebration as we honor the class of 2020 with their virtual graduation ceremony. The link to this ceremony has been shared with the entire Magruder High School community. I want to congratulate the members of the class of 2020 on achieving this milestone in their lives. Please remember, “once a Colonel always a Colonel”.

I want to also congratulate those students who were honored in our annual awards ceremony. The students receive recognition from our school departments, for outstanding academic achievement, as well as recognition from many community sources and individuals to honor the outstanding accomplishments they have achieved during their time at Magruder HS. You are commended and applauded for your commitment to excellence.

We will continue to collaborate with members of a central office to finalize the closing procedures for the continuity of learning initiative. When specific details are determined, we will communicate with you immediately.

Please use the link below to access the weekly community update from MCPS: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/coronavirus-update-20200607.html

On behalf of the entire Magruder HS staff, I want to express our appreciation for your continued support and partnership especially during this very difficult time.

I hope you will remain safe and healthy.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lee Evans

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed,

It is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Meade-

Weekly Community Message June 1, 2020

Good afternoon Magruder High School families:

I hope you were able to enjoy your weekend while our nation is experiencing one of the most difficult social and health related tragedies of our lifetime. I realize that these very tragic events have significantly altered your lives and that of your children. I greatly appreciate our partnership on behalf of our students and staff. Please know that as a community, we can survive these unfortunate events together.

I want to express appreciation to those parents and students who took part in the first distribution and collection process for of graduating seniors. We realize that even though this was a success, there is something left to do in the clearing process. Members of our staff are working on a process to enable those families that were not able to participate in last week’s distribution and collection program. In addition, we are working to finalize a separate process for distributing diplomas when they arrive, as well as yearbooks to seniors who have ordered them.

Also members of our staff are adding the final touches to the class of 2020 graduating ceremony scheduled for June 8 at 7 PM. In addition, we are finalizing details for the student awards ceremony. You will soon receive specific details about this program. Please join us to celebrate the achievements of our seniors, as we honor them during the graduation ceremony and the awards program.

Please use the link below to view the latest in MCPS information update:

Community: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/coronavirus-update-20200531.html

It is very important that you know your continued support doing the continuity of the learning process has been a valuable resource in our efforts to provide a quality instructional program to our students.

I hope all of you will continue to be healthy and safe though these very difficult and trying times.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lee Evans

Principal

Weekly Community Message May 25th

Good afternoon Magruder High School families:

I hope you were able to enjoy the extended holiday weekend. I want to take this opportunity to remember the many fallen American heroes who have given their lives so that we can enjoy our daily freedoms. In addition, I want to remember those who lost their lives on this very tragic Corona Virus pandemic. I also salute the frontline workers throughout our county in the nation who put their lives on the line every day to serve us.

I reach out to the members of the Magruder High School Graduating Class of 2020. As you concluded your last week of distance learning on Friday, May 22nd, I was reminded of how special you are by your determination and resiliency. You refuse to surrender to this horrible pandemic. You are focused, creative, and energetic in reaching out to each other and the MHS community. I look forward to celebrating you during your virtual graduation ceremony on Monday, June 8 at 7:00 PM. I also look forward to celebrating your many achievements during the awards ceremony that will be announced soon. While I wish the culmination of your four years at Magruder high school could have been very different, I am deeply appreciative of our time together and honored to have served as your principal.

Attached below is a link to the latest Montgomery County public schools information update. In addition, I have included a link to the senior class distribution day on Thursday, May 28th, during the distribution, it is important that we ensure the distancing guidelines established by our school system and our county government. It is important to know that we continue to work with our central office staff to establish procedures and guidelines for closing school and our returning students. We will communicate these procedures and establish dates as soon as they are proved in collaboration with our central office staff.

MCPS Community Updates: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/Coronavirus-Update-20200523.html.

Senior Class Distribution Schedule: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14ZrHi_lH9bKSo04W6C-e2s5dC7K3auZnFQ6r0b54oVc/edit?usp=sharing

Your continued support, patience, and understanding are greatly appreciated during this very difficult and challenging time.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lee Evans

Please stay well!

Weekly Community Message May 18

Good afternoon Magruder High School families:

I hope you have enjoyed a safe and healthy weekend.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Betel Tenna a Magruder HS senior who will be receiving a Certificate of Achievement from the Washington, DC Princeton University Prize in Race Relations Committee. Betel will be attending Princeton University in the fall on a full scholarship.

A few weeks ago, I reached out to you to share a concern regarding cyber bullying and inappropriate social media behavior. The incidents of cyber bullying, harassment, and intimidation are continuing. I am asking our parents to monitor closely their student’s use of social media. The use of social media as a vehicle for “one-way fun” is totally unacceptable. It should be noted that any Magruder HS student involved in these incidents will be subject to Montgomery County Public Schools disciplinary policy. In addition, Montgomery County police will be involved in the investigation of each incident. This may also have legal ramifications. Please take the time to help us eliminate these very inappropriate and harmful behaviors.

It is very important that you stay informed in order to be involved in the continuity of learning program. Listed below are links to the latest MCPS updates regarding school related activities such as graduation, distribution of materials, and the formal closing of school for all students. This week is the final week of instruction for the Graduating Class of 2020. Members of the Magruder HS staff are working collaboratively with MCPS central office staff to develop a process for the 2020 graduation ceremony and student recognition programs. In addition, we continue to work closely with them to establish procedures for returning and retrieving items from the school. We hope to finalize the procedures and dates for these events and activities. Every effort will be made to keep you informed in a timely manner.

Community message: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/coronavirus-update-20200517.html

All in Blog Post: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/all-in/All-In-2020-05-17.html

Your support, patience, and understanding are greatly appreciated. I hope you continue to stay safe and well.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lee Evans

Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery, and triumph; a beginning, a struggle, and a victory.

Mohandas Gandhi

Indian nonviolent nationalist

Weekly Message to the Magruder High School Community May 11th

Good afternoon Magruder High School families:

I wish you continued good health and safety during this very difficult time as we seek to work together to survive this devastating pandemic.

I want to share that the majority of our students have been actively engaged in the MCPS continuity of learning program. It is our goal that every student will be an active participant in this learning opportunity as we move through phase III of this program. We continue to need your help in making sure every student stay engaged and participates in all learning opportunities. The link below provides you with the latest update from MCPS regarding the continuity of learning phase III specifics. https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/coronavirus-update-20200510.html

If you are still in need of a Chromebook or MiFi access, the Montgomery County Public Schools Department of Technology will be distributing these resources at 45 West Gude Drive, Rockville, Monday through Friday from 10:00 am until noon.

I would like you to know that we will continue to work with our central office staff to answer questions regarding marking period four grading and reporting procedures, student recognition programs, graduation, and procedures for officially closing school at the end of the academic year. Every effort will be made to keep the Magruder high school community informed and involved.

Please stay healthy and well,

Dr. Lee Evans

Good afternoon Magruder High School families, I hope you continue to be healthy and are doing well.

As we continue our distance learning program, we maintain a very important effort to reach out to students who are not participating in the many learning opportunities. We are asking parents to contact your student’s teacher or school counselor if your child needs a Chromebook or MiFi access. Montgomery County Public Schools is entering its fourth phase of Chromebook and Mi Fi distribution. We will be sharing information in the coming days regarding locations and times when distribution will take place. Please continue to support our efforts to provide every student with the opportunity to engage in the distance learning initiative. Your help has made a difference.

Senior class members and their parents are invited to take part in a survey to share your input regarding graduation options. We know that for many of you there are significant concerns around when and if a graduation ceremony will take place. Please know that every effort is being made by our school system to make your final experience in MCPS a meaningful one in spite of this very tragic pandemic. It is important that you use the link below to share your thoughts on the proposed graduation options.

Currently, MCPS is considering these three options:

1. A virtual senior recognition ceremony in May or June

2. An in-person graduation once distancing requirements are lifted

3. A virtual senior recognition ceremony in May or June AND an in-person graduation once distancing requirements are lifted.

We are asking parents of seniors to complete the following survey https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/2020-parent-graduation-survey. We are asking members of the Class of 2020 to complete this survey https://mcpsweb.wufoo.com/forms/class-of-2020-graduation-survey. The survey will be sent to seniors tonight, April 25. The survey for the parents will go out in the community message tomorrow, April 26.

This additional link will connect you with the most recent community information from Montgomery County Public Schools.

Community Message: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/coronavirus-update-20200426.html

Your continued patience and support of distance learning is greatly appreciated.

I wish you continued good health as we travel this very difficult journey together.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lee Evans

____________________________________________________________

Update Message to the Magruder HS Community

Weekly Message To Magruder HS Families

Good afternoon Magruder HS families,

I hope you continue to be healthy and safe during this very challenging period in our lives. I want to use this opportunity to share messages from our school system leadership.

The link below provides information to those families who still need access to Chromebooks or MiFi access. It is very important that every student has an opportunity to participate in the distance learning opportunities.

· RESOURCES: For families from OCTO

o Site for Parents that Provide Resources in Different Languages: o https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/coronavirus/continuity-of-learning/#parents

This message features an overview of phase II of the continuity of learning plan.

Community Message: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/coronavirus-update-

We continue to seek your help in notifying us if your child is not able to participate in the distance learning program for any reason. Please contact your child’s teacher or counselor via email. It is important that you let us know how we can help you.

I greatly appreciate your patience and cooperation.

Stay healthy!

Dr. Lee Evans

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.

-John Quincy Adam

Weekly message to the Magruder HS community

Good afternoon Magruder High School families. I hope you remain healthy and safe. I also hope you were able to enjoy the break and the holiday.

As you may be aware, this is only a three day week for distance learning. This Friday, April 17th, is reserved for teachers to work on completing the grading process and bringing the third quarter to a close. This will mark the end of the third grading period. The fourth quarter will begin officially April 24th.

It is our goal to have all Magruder High School students connected and engaged by the start of the fourth quarter. It is important that parents contact the school by e-mail if you are experiencing difficulty getting a Chromebook or MiFi access for your student. Teachers and counselors are actively reaching out to the families of students who have not participated in the distance learning opportunities. As we move forward in our plans to provide students with a meaningful educational experience through distance learning, every effort is being made to meet the needs of all students. In order to achieve this goal, we will continue to need your support and involvement. We greatly appreciate your patience and support as our school community works together to survive and prosper during the Coronavirus pandemic.

Hope works in these ways; it looks for the good in people instead of harping on the worst; discoverers what can be done instead of grumbling about what cannot; it regards problems, large or small as opportunities; it pushes ahead when it would be easy to quit; it “lights a candle” instead of “cursing the darkness”.

Anonymous

Please stay healthy and safe!

Dr. Lee Evans

Good morning Magruder High School families. I hope this message finds you safe and healthy.

I am writing to you to provide a brief update on our efforts to prepare for the implementation of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) distance learning initiative. Our staff has been working diligently to provide learning activities in order to bring the third marking period to a close. The leadership team is in the process of completing the daily schedule that will also include office hours by the end of today. This will be sent to you as soon as it is if approved by our central office. This should be sent no later than this weekend. If you missed the original distribution date for Chromebooks or did not contact the school, please send me an e-mail at leroy_c_evans@mcpsmd.org. Please include your student’s name, ID number, and the grade level. This information will be forwarded to the MCPS technology department. They are in the process of creating regional distribution sites for electronic devices and MiFi connections. In some cases, we may be able to provide you with a device directly.

I will continue to reach out on a weekly basis to provide you with relevant information. In addition, MCPS will continue to provide families with detailed information regarding school operations and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The most recent information from MCPS regarding the second week can be found at the following site: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/publicinfo/community/school-year-2019-2020/coronavirus-update-20200401.html.

Please stay healthy and safe!

Sincerely,

Dr. Lee Evans

Magruder High School Community,

Please come out tomorrow, Friday, November 8th at 6:00 p.m. to cheer on the Magruder Girls Varsity Volleyball team. The Colonels are 22-0 and face a tough Northeastern High School whose record is 12-7. This is the state quarter final game and is being held at our school. This is a special opportunity to support our team in their drive to a state championship.

Dr. Lee Evans

Good morning Magruder High School parents and guardians,

As we open our doors for the start of the 2019-2020 school year, I want to share a few updates.

The security additions to our school facility have been completed as of this summer. The following is a list of the completed work:

A security gate by the auditorium hallway, which is to be used to restrict auditorium events and intruders solely to that area of the building, is complete. This will make going further into the building impossible. This completes the security vestibule project which Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) started in our school last year.
Signage has been placed on exterior doors instructing building occupants not to open doors for unauthorized people during school hours. This reinforces the expectation that entry into the building is through the main entrance only.
The new Access Control System (ACS) camera with audio has been installed at the main entrance of the building.

I am also excited to announce a new program at Magruder High School this year. We will be piloting an advisory period for the first quarter of the 2019-2020 school year.

We have created a schedule to include a daily advisory period which is in response to both student, staff, and parent voice. All stakeholder groups expressed the desire for more time to work on academic items within the school day. During the advisory period, students will have 20 minutes to work on activities including, but not limited to: homework, missed quizzes, makeup assignments, reassessments, and participation in College and Career Readiness activities. No new instruction will occur during the advisory period. Moreover, implementing a daily advisory period within the schedule will align with Magruder’s Mindfulness initiative.

The Colonel Advisory Period, or CAP, will add 20 minutes to one class during the day with CAP rotating through a different period each day. For example, September 4 will be a “CAP 1” day with the 20-minute advisory period added to period 1. The following day will be a “CAP 2” day, Friday will be a “CAP 3” day, and so on. Days with special schedules, such as early release days, will not have an advisory period. A full schedule for the first quarter will be available on the landing page of the Magruder website. Please find the new CAP bell schedule attached.

We will continue to provide you with updates throughout the school year. Please check the website for updates.

Thank you for your support of Magruder High School.

With much appreciation,
Dr. Lee Evans

Advisory Period Schedule