Dear Churchill Cluster Families,

Thank you to everyone who joined Tuesday’s community town hall on the boundary study. The best of Potomac was on full display — your heart, care, and commitment to both our neighborhood schools and the broader MCPS community truly stood out.

I heard your key priorities loud and clear:

• Stability for students and families
• Mental health and well-being at the center of our decisions
• Avoiding split articulations
• Ensuring walkability and logical boundaries
• Supporting Crown High School as a holding school 

Your thoughtful feedback will continue to shape this process.

The next step is to attend the Boundary and Regional Program Community Engagement event on Thursday, November 13, from 7–8 p.m. at Churchill High School. Please send a school representative or join personally to share your input.

The superintendent will release additional options in early December, followed by his recommendation to the Board in January. The Board will then hold another round of community engagement before making a final decision in the spring.

For me, community feedback must shape outcomes in this process. My job is to make sure that the government works better for the people. Thank you again for your partnership, your civility, and your unwavering advocacy for our students.

Warm regards,

Julie Yang
President, Montgomery County Board of Education

Recently MCPS released revised boundary study options for its opening of the new Crown High School in Gaithersburg. These options impact which middle school some of our Cabin John communities would attend. Please use the Interactive Map Tool to enter your home address and understand the impact of the options on your assignments. We want our community to be aware of the following changes:

• Two of the proposed options would split students from Bells Mill ES between CJMS and Hoover MS, then all move onto Churchill
• All of the proposed options would send students from Stone Mill ES to Frost MS and then onto Wootton
• All of the proposed options would send students from Cold Spring ES to Hoover MS and then onto Wootton
• All of the proposed options keep students from Seven Locks going to CJMS then onto Churchill

On October 30, the Board of Education voted to allow MCPS to explore additional options that may include using Crown as a holding school while it completes renovations to Damascus, Magruder, and Wootton High schools. These options will be available in early December for public comment. In recent Board of Education meetings, members of the Wootton community and others have provided testimony. On November 4, the Churchill cluster was invited to meet with Julie Yang, Board of Education, and Dr. Taylor, MCPS Superintendent (see recap below) to provide specific feedback on the boundary study.

What can you do?

• PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE BORDER STUDY OPTIONS TO MCPS USING THIS SURVEY. It is important to share which options you prefer and what you like and do not like about them. You may wish to comment again after additional options are released.
• Attend an upcoming engagement session (November 13, 7-8pm at Churchill) to learn more and provide feedback
• Share this information with your friends and neighbors
• Engage with the PTAs of your local Elementary Schools to learn more about their advocacy efforts
• Information will be shared in Cougar Clips as it becomes available. Reach out to Debbie Fleischer at president@cabinjohnptsa.org if you have questions or would like to speak to the impact on the CJMS community.

The Cabin John Middle School PTSA is proud to participate in the 2025-2026 National PTA Reflections Program. 

We are now accepting submissions for this year’s theme: “I Belong!” 

Display your creativity via Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, or Visual Arts.

For details, submission forms, contest rules, and questions, please visit: https://cabinjohnptsa.org/reflections-arts-program/.  

Submission Deadline: Friday, December 5, 2025.

We’re almost there—just 9 members away from reaching our goal of 450! When you join the PTSA, you’re not just helping us fund programs, events, and resources that make our school shine, you’re joining a community that supports every student and family. Plus, members get access to our online PTSA Directory. Let’s reach this goal together—join the PTSA today and help us cross the finish line!

Join and Donate HERE!

Last week, two local families with children attending Cabin John Middle School and Bells Mill Elementary School were severely impacted by a devastating fire. As a result, Amanda and her son Michael, as well as Danielle, Kendall, and their four children—including Brycin, a 3rd grader at Bells Mill–have been displaced from their homes.

Both school communities and the CJMS PTSA and BMES PTA are coming together to support these families. Thank you to everyone who has already donated or reached out with help. As recovery continues, these families still need additional support. If you’re able, please consider contributing items or gift cards. Every bit of help truly makes a difference.

Please see the sign up genius for information on what items are needed and where to drop off please see the sign up Genius Link.

Thank you for helping our school community come together in support.

The Cabin John MS Counseling Department is partnering with the Salvation Army for a second year to support Montgomery County students in need this holiday season. The CJMS community will sponsor 50 students.

There is a giving tree in the main office by the VMS. Each tag (“angel”) represents a student and lists four gift categories:

• Need: essentials like diapers, shoes, coats, or grooming/hair kits
• Want: a toy from their age range (no bikes, scooters, tablets, drones, or other high-cost items)
• Wear: clothing such as pajamas, socks, underwear, shirts, or pants
• Read: a book

When you choose an angel, please plan to purchase all four items (Need, Want, Wear, and Read) for that student. For many of these children, these may be the only gifts they receive this holiday season.

How to participate:

1. Take an angel from the tree (feel free to take more than one if you’re able).
2. Scan the QR code on the tree to let us know which student you selected.
3. Take a photo of the tag in case it gets misplaced.
4. Drop off all unwrapped gifts at Cabin John Middle School by Wednesday, December 3.

For any questions, please contact Ms. Poole in the counseling office at Jennifer_A_Poole@mcpsmd.org or 240-406-1560.

This holiday season, the Wootton PTSA’s Holiday Helping Hands Program is sponsoring 37 Wootton Cluster families. Our program relies on donors from our community, and we need your help! Links to each child’s registry can be found here, and if you don’t have time to shop, feel free to donate cash/gift card, and we will shop for you. We also need grocery store gift cards for each family, and some students have requested gift cards to specific stores. Click here to find out how you can help!

Winston Churchill High School Performing Arts brings us “Once Upon a One More Time”—a Britney Spears Musical that promises to entertain. The group is putting on multiple shows all this month; get your tickets here.

Step into the colorful world of Dr. Seuss as the Patriot Players bring your favorite characters to life in Seussical KIDS! From the Cat in the Hat’s mischievous grin to Horton the Elephant’s big heart, this musical adventure celebrates imagination, friendship, and believing in yourself, no matter how small. 

Join us as we travel through the Jungle of Nool and the tiny world of Who-ville, where anything is possible when you think and dream. Filled with catchy songs, whimsical costumes, and joyful energy, Seussical KIDS is a heartwarming celebration of creativity and community that audiences of all ages will enjoy. 

So grab your truffula trees, dust off your top hats, and come support the Patriot Players November 8th, at 2:30pm and 6:30pm! 

Get your tickets here