December Executive Board Meeting Recap
With the upcoming virtual MCJC/MCR joint General Assembly, the MCR Executive Board met to touch base for the month of December as well as to prepare for the GA. In addition to preparing for future events, MCR Executive Board members and attendees also unwinded by interacting with other executive board members through engaging icebreakers and breakout rooms. With a busy start to the 2021-2022 school year, many MCR executive board members and attendees expressed being stressed out and in response to this, the thoughtful MCR officers organized a productive mental health discussion in small breakout rooms each led by an MCR officer. Regardless of the stress of school, homework deadlines, and teen life, turnout was exceptional at the December MCR Executive Board Meeting.
The meeting was kicked off by MCJC’s Shayaan Wadkar, updating the MCR on the MCJC’s recent activity and upcoming events. Anyone interested in the MCJC’s work should visit their website (https://www.mcjcsga.org/) or visit their Instagram (@mcjc.sga).
Following Shayaan’s report, the 44th MoCo SMOB Hana O’Looney updated the MCR Executive Board with new developments from the Board of Education. Ms. O’Looney outlined the addition of three new calendar days (half days on January 12th, March 24th, May 18th) as well as system wide closure of MCPS schools on June 20th to celebrate Juneteenth. Ms. O’Looney has also been a very strong advocate for menstrual equity, and as a result of her hard work, pilot menstrual product dispensers will be installed at White Oak Middle School and Montgomery Village Middle School starting January of 2022. She was elated to report to the MCR that over the summer, one menstrual product dispenser would be installed per elementary school and two dispensers would be installed in each middle and high school. Her promise was that all schools in MCPS would have menstrual product dispensers in bathrooms by 2025. Ms. O’Looney also reported the addition of a new member to the BOE. She reported that boundary changes were approved in Bethesda and Gaithersburg for elementary schools and that a boundary study had been approved for Clarksburg ES. On a closing note, Ms. O’Looney reported the approved $522 million 2023 Capital Budget, part of the approved $1.8 billion six-year budget.
Hana’s website: https://www.hanathesmob.com/
Hana’s Instagram: @hanaolooney
Hana’s email: Hana_O’Looney@mcpsmd.org
Upcoming Events:
Learning to SMOB
Upper County/Central County - 12/6 from 7-8 PM
Down County/Northeast Consortium - 12/9 from 7-8 PM
Meeting with Board of Education Members & MCPS Staff
12/15 from 6-9 PM
Hybrid setting: Virtual and In-Person *SPACES LIMITED*
Register here: TBA
Following Hana’s report, the MCR officers gave a finance report, showcasing the new MCR design that will be on sweatpants, sweatshirts, and tote bags. Some exciting upcoming fundraisers include the merch fundraiser (dates TBA) as well as a Krispy Kreme fundraiser in January (dates TBA). To conclude the finance report, the MCR officers reminded MCR Executive Board members that first quarter grants were closed and second quarter grant applications were now open.
Following all of the monthly updates, the MCR officers opened breakout rooms where MCR members and attendees pitched to one another why their randomly selected object was the best Christmas gift. Coming back to the main room, the winning objects from each room (roach spray, a ring, huge box of Swedish Fish, and a large bottle of Tylenol) were pitched against each other as the single best Christmas gift. Alex Nguyen of the Chief of Staff department won with his large bottle of Tylenol after making his claim that the MCR Executive Members had no love lives and could thus take the Tylenol to numb the pain of being single during “cuffing season”.
After the holiday icebreaker, the MCR officers switched gears to the topic of mental health. The MCR officers emphasized the importance of destressing and opened the floor to suggestions for things that the MCR could do to help with high stress levels among MCR Executive Board members and attendees. Small breakout rooms were opened with each led again by an MCR officer, where issues like mental health, stress, and how the MCR could help students were discussed. The bottom line that the officers got across was that the MCR cares about student’s mental health/wellbeing and will do their best to help students de-stress and be at their best.
A five minute break was taken, and during that break, a fun Zoom game involving participant’s web cameras was organized by MCR treasurer Maahe Kunvar and played by willing attendees. Following the short break, there was a department breakout so that the different departments could prepare informative slides about their department for the MCJC/MCR joint General Assembly.
The MCR Executive Board followed up by voting for a hybrid January MCR Executive Board meeting. In-person attendance at Richard Montgomery High School and a Zoom meeting room will be available for the upcoming MCR Executive Board meeting.
The spirit winner for the Christmas/holiday-themed was Pratiksha Das from the School Communications department for rocking her matching Snoopy sweater and slippers! Congrats Pratiksha!
The member of the month was Michelle Wong from the Chief of Staff department. Arvin Kim, also from the Chief of Staff department gave some remarks stating “Michelle is what holds us together”, praising her hard work ethic and effort in supporting her department. Congrats Michelle!
Student Leadership Opportunity: If interested in the Financial Literacy Student Focus Group, click on this Google Form to sign up.
With that, the 2021 MCR December Executive Board meeting came to a close on a happy note with students looking forward to the MCJC/MCR General Assembly as well as for Christmas break. The call to adjourn the meeting was seconded and the meeting came to a close at 8:04 PM.
Written by Eugene Choi
Published by PR Department