Welcome back to the first day of school in the new year! We hope everyone is rested & ready to finish the first semester strong. In case you missed it, seniors in Ms. Julie Bourne's Raster & Vector Graphics Class designed MSD's holiday card this year. Great job, students! 
The Maryland School for the Deaf is honored to announce that Charity Jackson has been selected as the new Chief Diversity Officer. Charity will begin at MSD on January 4, 2021. Charity has 17 years experience in the field of Deaf Education. In those years she has both a strong background in Kindergarten through 12 education and in student life in residential schools. She has a BS in Education, an MA in Public Administration, and has been actively involved in the work of equity and inclusion for over five years. Because of her years of experience, her qualifications, and her kind and wise manner, we trust that she will be a listener, a leader, and an inspiration to the students, families, faculty, staff and administrators of MSD. We congratulate and we welcome Ms. Charity Jackson to MSD. 
MSD was well represented in the @guyouthprograms Sports Trivia Cup! Congratulations to middle school student Josiah Lockhart for placing third and to three of our high school students, Ciara Luttrell, Crystal Salit, and Jory Valencia for advancing to the Top 16 in this category. 
It's National Children's Book Week! This week, we celebrate books and a love for reading for children of all ages. Neshmayda Bravin, Frederick campus family resource specialist, read one of her favorite children’s books aloud last Wednesday evening, live streaming to Frederick campus Family Education students and families at home. The virtual story time of “Pepe and the Parade: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage” was the first in a weekly Live ASL Storytelling series. Show us what your kids are reading and be sure to tag us! #bookweek2020athome 
Tomorrow is Election Day. Last Friday, MSD Explorers were out encouraging our residents to get out and vote with sidewalk chalk art. As part of their distance learning enrichment unit & the national #ChalkTheVote effort, our students learned about the democratic process and the importance of civic responsibility. 
Congratulations to Josiah Lockhart, Keanu Herzig-Wilcox, and Ciara Luttrell on another successful @guyouthprograms Trivia Cup week! In this week’s U.S. Government and the 2020 Election category, middle school student Josiah took home his fifth consecutive win. High school students Keanu and Ciara made it into the Top 16 for the second and third time respectively. 
Congratulations to Josiah Lockhart and Ciara Luttrell on another successful @guyouthprograms Trivia Cup week. Josiah took home his fourth consecutive win and Ciara made it into the top 16 again during this week’s language and literature competition. Congratulations, Josiah and Ciara! 
Special thanks to our dietary staff who go above and beyond to prepare & serve our students healthy and nutritious school meals. If our schools were open, our staff would have already served 22,700 meals to our students. While we wait for a safe return to campus, these teams have been supporting the completion of various projects around campus. Thank you for all you have done and all you will do! 
A THREE-PEAT for middle school student Josiah Lockhart! Earlier this week in the mathematics competition, Josiah won his third straight @guyouthprograms Trivia Cup. To date, Josiah has won the trivia cup in three separate categories with first place wins in geography, science & technology, and mathematics. Congratulations, Josiah!