Neelsville Middle School

11700 Neelsville Church Road

Germantown, MD 20876

Telephone Numbers:

Main Office: 240-740-6630

Counseling: 240-740-6640

Administration:

Mrs. Barbara Escobar, Principal   Barbara_M_Escobar@mcpsmd.org

Mr. Matthew Bowerman, Assistant Principal Matthew_J_Bowerman@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Kristen Sullivan, Assistant Principal  Kristen_M_Sullivan@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Rebecca Sutton, Assistant Priincipal Rebecca_J_Sutton@mcpsmd.org

Counseling:

Ms. Robin Greene, Resource Counselor Robin_M_Greene@mcpsmd.org

Mr. Todd Geary, Grade 6 Counselor Todd_J_Geary@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Nadine Allen, Grade 7 Counselor Nadine_Allen@mcpsmd.org

Ms. Sheri Snyder, Grade 8 Counselor Sheri_M_Snyder@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Alexandra Ortiz, EML Counselor Alexandra_E_Ortiz@mcpsmd.org

Mrs. Delmy Martinez, Counseling Secretary Delmy_A_Martinez@mcpsmd.org

Instructional Leadership:

Accelerated and Enriched Instruction Support Teacher (AEIST)

Ms. Marnetta Buford................................Marnetta_Buford@mcpsmd.org

English/Reading/English Language Development (ELD) 

Mrs. Nicolle Joshua .................................Nicolle_A_Joshua@mcpsmd.org

Mathematics

Mrs. Sara Hudson………………….........Sara_E_Hudson@mcpsmd.org

Physical Education/Electives

Mr. Daniel Skibicki…………………............Daniel_Skibicki@mcpsmd.org

Science

Mr. Josue Rentas……………...................Josue_Rentas@mcpsmd.org

Special Education

Mrs. Megan Overholtzer.............................Megan_D_Wahl@mcpsmd.org

World Languages

Mrs.Shilah Marks…………….......................Shilah_O_Marks@mcpsmd.org

World Studies

Mrs. Gisela Morales-Colon..........................Gisela_Morales-Colon@mcpsmd.org

VISION

We, the Neelsville community, strive to inspire students who think globally and critically, and who promote mutual respect and positive relationships in order to become highly productive leaders of society.

Nosotros, la comunidad de Neelsville, nos esforzamos por inspirar a los estudiantes que piensan global y críticamente, y que promueven el respeto mutuo y las relaciones positivas para convertirse en líderes altamente productivos de la sociedad.

Mission

At Neelsville Middle School, through an equity lens, we:

1. Nurture the well-being of our community

2. Hold each other accountable

3. Encourage positive risk-taking

4. Value healthy relationships

5. Embrace the contributions of all our students' rich backgrounds and cultures

En la Escuela Intermedia Neelsville, a través de una lente de equidad, nosotros:

1. Fomentar el bienestar de nuestra comunidad

2. Responsabilizarse unos a otros

3. Fomentar la asunción de riesgos positiva

4. Valora las relaciones saludables

5. Abrazar las contribuciones de todos los ricos orígenes y culturas de nuestros estudiantes.

Gifted and talented (GT), honors and advanced courses provide opportunities for academically talented and motivated students to accelerate and enhance their learning experiences through exposure to advanced content, differentiated instruction, and on-going assessment.  These courses follow the approved grade level curriculum using instructional and assessment strategies that cover course objectives with more depth and require greater use of abstract and higher level thinking skills. Neelsvile offers GT, honors or advanced courses in the following content areas at all three grade levels: English, world languages, mathematics, social studies and technology.  For more information regarding advance course offerings, contact Ms. Buford, the Accelerated and Enriched Instruction Support Teacher at Marnetta_Buford@mcpsmd.org.

Neelsville Middle School offers after school activities based on student interests.  Nighthawk Activities run from 3:00pm to 4:30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.  Activities are open to students from all grade levels.  Click the link - After School Activities Bulletin - for more information.

For questions regarding Neelsville After School Activities:

• Ms. Garner, After School Activity Coordinator at Sarah_A_Garner@mcpsmd.org

• Mrs. Sullivan, After School Activties Supervising Administrator at Kristen_M_Sullivan@mcpsmd.org.

• For questions regarding the Identity After School Program, contact falfaro@identity-youth.org.

Students at Neelsville are also able to take part in Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB) activities (cooking, art, sports, robotics, etc) from 3:00pm to 5:30pm. These activities are sponsored by the Montgomery County Recreation Center and run two times during the year - Semester 1 and Semester 2.  

• For questions regarding Excel Beyond the Bell (EBB) contact Ms. Blagmon, Neelsville EBB Coordinator at vanessa.blagmon@montgomerycountymd.gov.

Neelsville Middle School offers team sports during the Fall (Cross Country and Softball), Winter (Basketball and Volleyball) and Spring (Soccer) seasons for 7th and 8th grade students.  Though sixth grade students cannot play on team sports there are opportunities for intramurals. For more information, please contact Ms. Marnetta Buford, Athletic Coordinator.

Resources:

• MCPS Middle School Athletics Website

• Neelsville Middle School After School Activities Bulletin

The ELD program provides support for non-native English speakers as they improve their American English speaking, listening, reading, writing and viewing skills. The program is broken into four sequential levels with the goal of becoming proficient in the English language.  For more information about the Neelsville English Language Development program please contact Mrs. Joshua the English Language Development Team Leader at Nicolle_A_Joshua@mcpsmd.org.

Credit and grades for middle school students taking a high school course are awarded by earning a passing grade each semester. Students who meet this criteria, by earning an A, B, C, or D, will receive high school credit. For students who entered Grade 6 during or after the 2016-2017 school year, the final grade and credit earned for high school courses successfully completed while in middle school will be reported on the high school transcript, but will not be calculated into the cumulative GPA, unless the grade earned improves the student's cumulative GPA.  If the course grade for the high school course taken in middle school improves the student student's cumulative GPA, it will be applied automatically by MCPS.  Parents/guardians may opt out of the automatic calculation by contacting the school counselor.  If your child is not satisfied with the grade earned, he or she may retake the course in grade 7 or grade 8 if it is available, or they may retake the course in high school.  High school credit courses offered at Neelsville  may include: Algebra 1, Honors Geometry, Spanish 1, Spanish 2, Honors Spanish 3, Spanish for Spanish Speakers 1, Spanish for Spanish Speakers 2, French 1, French 2, Honors French 3, and Introduction to Engineering Design.

• For more information regarding high school credit for mathematics courses, contact Mrs. Hudson, Mathematics Content Specialist at Sara_E_Hudson@mcpsmd.org.

• For more information regarding high school credit for world language courses, contact Mrs. Shilah Marks, World Language Content Specialist at Shilah_O_Marks@mcpsmd.org.

• For more information regarding high school credit technology courses, contact Mr. Daniel  Skibicki, Electives Content Specialist at Daniel_Skibicki@mcpsmd.org.

The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.

These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

IB learners are:

• Encouraged to think critically and solve complex problems

• Drive their own learning

• A core part in educational programmes that can lead them to some of the highest-ranking universities around the world

• More culturally aware through the development of a second language 

• Able to engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world.

The IB Learner Profile 

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) learner profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success.The IB Learner Profile aims to develop learners who are:

Inquirers Knowledgeable Thinkers Communicators Principled Open-minded

Caring Risk-takers Balanced Reflective

Approaches to Learning

Approaches to learning (ATL) are skills designed to enable students in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) to “learn how to learn.” They are intended to apply across curriculum requirements and provide a common language for teachers and students to use when reflecting and building on the process of learning.

For more information regarding the Neelsville Middle School Middle Years Programme, contact Mr. Lorenzo Deloatch , MYP Coordinator at Lorenzo_Deloatch@mcpsmd.org.

Students in middle school take a number of assessments that provide information to educators, parents and students on the students progress towards proficiency of the Maryland state content standards. 

Link to description of middle school assessments.

For more information regarding the Neelsville Middle School comprehensive testing program, please contact:

• Mrs. Sullivan, School Testing Coordinator at Kristen_M_Sullivan@mcpsmd.org.

• Mrs. Quiroz, Instructional Assessment Coach at Raquel_E_Quiroz@mcpsmd.org

Neelsville MS has various special education services through our Learning Academic Disabilities (LAD) Program.   Students that receive these services have varied Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that provide specialized instruction to address their academic needs.  General and special education teachers collaborate to ensure students have meaningful opportunities to access the general education curriculum.  Instruction is designed to incorporate strategies that will enable students to make progress on their IEP goals and manage the rigor of content across all subject areas.  A continuum of services is offered, including consultation, full inclusion, self-contained classes, and a combination of inclusion and self-contained classes.

For questions regarding Special Education, please contact Mrs. Overholtzer the Resource Teacher for Special Education at Megan_D_Wahl@mcpsmd.org.

Student Service Learning helps students learn and develop through active participation in thoughtful, organized service that meets a recognized community need. Students are required to complete 75 SSL hours to earn a Maryland high school diploma.  Students can earn 10 hours per year while in middle school for a total of 30 hours by successfully completing the service-learning components of designated courses.  These courses include Investigations in Science 6, English 7 and Advanced US History.  Teachers will provide information about the service learning projects available in their courses.  The remaining required 45 SSL hours may be earned throughout their middle and high school career by involvement in approved, unpaid activities within the school and community.  A list of approved non-profit organizations is available on the following website: www.montgomeryserves.org.  Students who accrue more than 260 hours receive an MCPS Certificate of Meritorious Service.  Students who accrue all 75 hours before April of their 8th grade year will receive the Superintendent’s Student Service Learning Award.

In order to receive credit, students must keep in mind the following requirements:

1. For an activity not on the approved list, the Individual SSL Activity Request Form must be completed and approved prior to community service being performed.

2. Activities that further or promote a student’s religion, faith or faith community are not eligible for SSL hours.  SSL activities can be conducted by a faith based group but must serve the greater community outside their religious organization.

3. The Verification Form must be filled out completely, with particular attention given to the Student Reflection statement.  The deadline for turning in this form is the first Friday in June.

For questions regarding SSL hours, please contact Mrs. Parikh at Jignasha_U_Parikh@mcpsmd.org.

Helpful links:

Student Introduction to Student Service Learning

SSL Activity Verification Form 560-51

MCPS SSL Webpage

Montgomery County Volunteer Center