Magruder High School

Community Letter from Mr. Ascienzo
Community letter from Mr. Mullenholz

Dear Magruder High School Students, Staff and Community,
I am writing to introduce myself as the acting principal at Magruder High School for the 2023-2024
school year. I am excited to serve the Magruder community and our vision and mission for academic
excellence as we ready students for college, career, and community. I will be working closely with
Mr. Mullenholz to have a smooth transition into the principalship. I want to thank Dr. Lee Evans for
his outstanding leadership of Magruder as the principal for the past 16 years.
During my 20-year career as an educator in MCPS, I have served as a social studies teacher at three
high schools and a social studies content specialist at a middle school and the department of
curriculum and instruction. Most recently I served as an assistant principal at Northwest High School
and the principal intern at Gaithersburg High School during this past school year. These array of
experiences have built my capacity to lead the Magruder staff and students into the next school year
and beyond.
As your principal, my work will continue to be driven by a focus on students’ social-emotional
wellness and instruction that provides equitable opportunities for all students. I have a passion for
building student-centered classrooms in which students not only see themselves in the content they
learn, but play an active role in engaging environments that prepare them for life after high school.
My vision includes collaborating with staff and the community so that students have access to
rigorous instruction and an array of opportunities to maximize their talents and interests. My core
values of resilience, equity and family are seen in the positive relationships that I build and maintain
with all stakeholders.
I’m proud to be a lifelong resident of Montgomery County and alumnus of MCPS schools. I received
my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Maryland, College Park. As a resident of
Rockville, Maryland, my wife and I are also excited for our daughter to start high school this fall.
As a transparent and accessible leader, I am committed to creating strong lines of communication
transparency with families and the Magruder High School community. I look forward to meeting
everyone in meet-and-greets and school events that will soon be scheduled and announced. If you
have any questions do not hesitate to contact me at Christopher_J_Ascienzo@mcpsmd.org or
240-740-5550.
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Ascienzo