𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐨𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡, 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬.
This bacterium is found in the nose, throat, and mouth of an infected person and can be easily spread. Pertussis can occur at any age, but it often causes serious problems in babies, and is usually milder in older children and adults. Children who are too young to be fully vaccinated and those who have not received all their vaccinations are at the highest risk for severe illness and complications. Complications of pertussis can include pneumonia (infection of the lungs), encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), seizures, and other physical and medical outcomes associated with a severe cough.
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧-𝐭𝐨-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.
Pertussis is spread to others by direct, close contact with secretions from the nose, throat, and mouth of an infected person. Droplets from a cough or a sneeze can spread the disease to others. A person with pertussis may be contagious for as long as 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after symptoms begin (if untreated). Anyone with pertussis should not attend childcare, school, work, or other public places until they have completed 5 days of an appropriate antibiotic treatment.
𝐒𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞:
🔹Low fever
🔹Runny nose
🔹Cough that is mild at first, then severe with times of deep, rapid coughing and a crowing or high-pitched “whoop”. The cough often worsens at night.
🔹Vomiting after coughing
Symptoms occur within 5 to 21 days (usually 7 to 10 days) after someone has been exposed to an infected person.
𝐋𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.
People who think they may have pertussis should see a doctor or their local health department to find out if they need to be tested. The preferred method of testing is to swab the back of the nose for culture or other special pertussis testing.
𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.
Pertussis is treated with an antibiotic, and if treated soon enough, the antibiotic may decrease the contagiousness and severity of the disease.
𝐀 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝/𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬.
People in close contact may include:
🔹Persons who live in the same house;
🔹Persons who have contact with mouth or nose secretions, such as through a cough or sneeze, or sharing food and eating utensils;
🔹Persons who have done medical treatments such as mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or intubation; or
🔹Close contacts in child and daycare settings, schools, work, or extracurricular activities.
𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐞.
Every child should get the pertussis vaccine at 2, 4, 6, and 15 to 18 months of age, and another dose at 4 to 6 years of age. A single dose of pertussis-containing vaccine (Tdap) is recommended for adolescents ages 11 to 18, and for adults 19-64 who received their last Td booster greater than or equal to10 years ago. The Tdap vaccine is especially recommended for all healthcare workers and adults in close contact with infants. Age-appropriate vaccination is required for enrollment in Maryland childcare institutions and schools. For additional information about the pertussis vaccine, please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/
UPDATE 12/16/2026:
Based on information received from the Maryland State Board and the State Superintendent, calendar modification requests will not be accepted until the January State Board Meeting of the current school year. This makes Presidents’ Day the earliest holiday on which a local school system may request the State Board for schools to be open on a holiday due to inclement weather. The State Board and the State Superintendent of Schools strongly recommended that local school systems refrain from designating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day as an inclement weather recovery day in their school calendars, as noted in the previously proposed 2026-27 calendar linked above. The calendar committee reconvened on December 15, 2025, to discuss this change. As a result, the committee determined that community input was necessary to finalize the proposed calendar, particularly regarding the placement of built-in snow make-up days and the graduation date. Once the survey closes, the calendar committee will reconvene to propose an updated calendar at the January 13, 2026, Board meeting.
Update 12/11/25 3:15 pm:
Based on information received from the Maryland State Board and the State Superintendent, it will not be possible to use Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a make-up day for inclement weather, as noted in the proposed 2026-27 calendar. The Calendar Committee will reconvene, and a revised proposed calendar will be posted soon.
GCPS is Now Accepting Feedback for the Proposed 2026-27 School Calendar
Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) is collecting feedback on the proposed 2026-27 school year calendar. The feedback collected will be provided to the Garrett County Board of Education (GCBOE) members. The calendar and feedback form may be found under the "Calendars" tab on the Public Relations page of the website: www.gcps.net/calendars.
For the 2026-27 calendar, the Calendar Committee has recommended a pre-Labor Day start of August 31, 2026, with a scheduled end date of June 3, 2027. There are nine (9) Professional Development Days built into the calendar, one per month beginning in September and running through May. There are three make-up days built into the calendar, but if necessary, additional days will be added at the end of the school year. Of note, MD Statute §7–103.2 requires school systems to utilize the make-up days built into the calendar before implementing Virtual Learning. Therefore, based on the proposed calendar, GCPS must have three (3) traditional inclement weather days before a virtual learning day may be implemented.
Additionally, the Calendar Committee recommends adopting a standard practice for determining whether the annual school calendar will begin before or after Labor Day. Under this recommendation, September 5th will serve as the official marker:
• If Labor Day falls before September 5th, the committee will create a post–Labor Day calendar.
• If Labor Day falls on or after September 5th, the committee will create a pre–Labor Day calendar.
Please review the calendar in its entirety before providing feedback. All information collected will be shared with the Board and posted to BoardDocs under the January 13, 2026, meeting agenda item. Please use the Google Form to provide feedback on the calendar selections you believe are in students' best interests. Written comments may also be submitted via mail or by email to the following address:
Garrett County Public Schools
Attn: Public Relations Office
770 Dennett Road
Oakland, MD 21550
public.info@gcps.net
Feedback will be accepted through Thursday, January 1, 2026. The Board will review each comment before voting on the calendar at the January 13, 2026, Board Meeting.
This week, GCPS proudly celebrates the strength that comes from honoring every student’s unique abilities, experiences, and perspectives. Inclusive Schools Week is a reminder of our shared commitment to creating welcoming, supportive learning environments where all students feel valued, respected, and empowered to succeed.
Thank you to our students, families, educators, and staff for working together to build classrooms that embrace diversity and foster belonging every day.
Together, we are a stronger, more inclusive community. 🌟
Today, GCPS celebrates our amazing Substitute Educators—dedicated professionals who step in with flexibility, patience, and care to keep learning moving forward. Thank you for your commitment to our schools and for helping ensure that teaching and learning never miss a beat! 📚
If you're interested in becoming a substitute educator, please be on the lookout for our next sub training, which will take place in January 2026.
This week, GCPS proudly celebrates our incredible educators, support staff, students, and families who make learning possible every day. Every role matters in helping our students grow, achieve, and thrive.
Join us in thanking the dedicated individuals who keep GCPS moving forward and make our schools vibrant, welcoming places to learn.
#AmericanEducationWeek #GCPSMD #ThankATeacher #PublicSchoolsStrong
The Garrett County Board of Education will hold its regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, at the Dennett Road Educational Complex in the Community Room. The meeting is open to the public and will be live-streamed for public review.
Public comment for the October Board Meeting will begin at 4:00 p.m., after which time the Board will go into executive session until 5:40 p.m. to discuss personnel topics. The Board of Education will reconvene for its public session from 6:00 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. Time is set aside during the public session for the hearing of constituents at approximately 7:00 p.m. Please note that this time is approximate, and public comment may be adjusted based on the timing of the presentations.
Topics excluded from Public Comment include:
• Individual personnel issues
• Comments identifying individual students or staff members
• Matters that are on appeal or may be appealed or have been appealed.
• Topics for which the Board schedules formal public hearings
• Advertising or solicitation for products and/or services
The agenda for the Public Session can be accessed at BoardDocs - https://www.boarddocs.com/mabe/garrett/Board.nsf/Public. The agenda is not considered final until the Board takes action to accept it at the start of each meeting.
Part or all of the meeting may be closed pursuant to the General Provision §3-305 of the State Government Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland.
Student progress reports for the first grading period will be released today, Thursday, October 2, 2025. Schools will release the progress reports according to their school-specific policy. Please refer to your student handbook or contact your school office with any questions.
A reminder from GCPS: Parents/Guardians have the option to opt their child out of the Family Life and Human Sexuality objectives included in the Health Education Framework. To support informed decision-making, parents and guardians are encouraged to review the health education instructional materials, which are available at each school. If you have questions about the opt-out process or would like to review the materials, please contact your child’s school directly.
The screener is designed to help students reflect on their experiences at school, including how they feel about their classroom environment, their interactions with peers and teachers, and the overall school climate. It’s a short survey that should take no more than 10 minutes to complete for students in grades 3 through 12. For students in grades Pre-K to 2, the teacher will complete the Behavioral Health Screener.
The results of this screener will provide important insights into how students are experiencing school and how we can improve to better meet their needs. If a student is unsure about any question, they will have the option to skip it. There is an opt-out provision for parents and guardians who choose to do so for their child. For more details about the screener, please refer to
https://www.gcps.net/page/behavioral-health-screener
or contact the Student Services Department at 301-334-8926.
Please take note of the following calendar reminder from Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS). GCPS will dismiss students three (3) hours early on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, for staff development in the afternoon. Staff will participate in school-based professional learning in the afternoon. Full calendar details are available at https://www.gcps.net/page/gcps-calendars.
The GCPS Food & Nutrition Services Dept. is excited to add several new LOCAL items to the menu this year. The first item is a whole-grain-rich pepperoni roll, which will be served on Wednesday, September 10th, made by Chico Bakery in Morgantown, WV. The second item is a Chesapeake Blue Catfish cake, which will be served on Friday, September 12th, made from Chesapeake Bay Blue Catfish at Tilghman Seafood in Tilghman Island, Maryland.
The Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) Department would like to remind families that next week will be the final week for meal handouts. To ensure students have meals beyond the program’s end date, FNS will be providing 10 days of meals instead of the normal 7 days during the final distribution.
𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬:
If you have not yet registered for the Summer Food Service program, you must bring your children with you to receive meals.
GCPS thanks all participating families for their support of the meal distribution program and encourages everyone to plan ahead for the last pick-up.
For more information, please contact Mr. Scott Germain, Supervisor of Food & Nutrition Services, via phone at 301.334.8917 or 888.262.2792, or via email at scott.germain@gcps.net.
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐭. 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓-𝟐𝟔 𝐁𝐮𝐬 𝐏𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
The Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) Transportation Department is pleased to announce that bus pass information is now available for the 2025–26 school year. Student bus passes will remain unchanged from last year, meaning families do not need to update their child’s bus pass unless there is a change in transportation needs for the coming school year. If a change to a student’s bus pass is needed, parents/guardians should use the following link as soon as possible to allow for timely updates: https://www.gcps.net/page/parent-forms.
“We’re excited to welcome students back to school and want to ensure that transportation is as seamless as possible,” said Mr. Ronald Bray, GCPS Supervisor of Transportation. “Keeping the same bus passes for returning students helps simplify the process for families and our staff.”
In addition, bus stop information for all GCPS students is now available. Families are encouraged to review their child’s stop location and time to ensure a smooth start to the school year.
For more information or to review bus stop details, visit the GCPS Transportation webpage at https://www.gcps.net/page/transportation or contact the department at 301-334-8907 or transportation@gcps.net.
Garrett County Public Schools (GCPS) is pleased to announce that beginning with the 2025–26 school year, all students enrolled in GCPS will receive free breakfast and lunch every school day through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program under the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs.
The approval of CEP for GCPS means that families will no longer need to complete meal benefit applications or worry about meal costs during the school year. This district-wide implementation ensures equitable access to nutritious meals for every student, supporting both academic success and overall well-being.
“Removing barriers to healthy meals is a major step forward for our school system,” said Mr. Scott Germain, Supervisor of Food & Nutrition Services. “When students are well-nourished, they are better able to focus, learn, and succeed. We are thrilled to offer this opportunity to all of our families.”
The CEP is a program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that allows eligible school systems to provide free meals to all students without collecting individual applications. GCPS became eligible by meeting federal criteria based on identified student data, including participation in programs like SNAP and TANF.
To learn more about the CEP program as it relates to GCPS, please visit https://www.gcps.net/page/community-eligibility-provision or contact Mr. Germain at 301-334-8917 or scott.germain@gcps.net.
On this #GCPSMDWellnessWednesday, we focus on keeping kids active on the 4th of July by incorporating games and outdoor activities. Here are some ideas to be active on Independence Day.
- Flag Relay Race: Split kids into teams and have them race to collect American flags from buckets.
- Red, White, and Blue Tag: Play a patriotic twist on traditional tag. Designate a "red", "white", or "blue" player to tag others.
- Hula Hoop Contest: See who can hula hoop the longest or try different tricks.
- Water Balloon Toss: A classic summer game that gets everyone moving and laughing.
- Lawn Game Olympics: Set up stations with cornhole, giant Jenga, ring toss, and sack races.
- Family Walk/Hike: Enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise by walking or hiking to a nearby park or viewing spot.
- Bike Parade: Decorate bikes and scooters with red, white, and blue decorations and hold a parade.
- Visit a Park: Explore state or national parks with activities like swimming, fishing, hiking, and stargazing.
- Nature Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of nature items for kids to find in a park or backyard.
- Sidewalk Chalk Art: Let kids create patriotic designs on the sidewalk with chalk.
Remember to...
- Supervise children closely, especially when they are around water, fireworks, or open flames.
- Stay hydrated by providing plenty of water, especially on hot days.
- Incorporate educational elements in activities by discussing the history of the Fourth of July and the meaning of Independence Day.
- Adjust activities for all ages by adapting activities to suit the age and abilities of all the children involved.
Have a safe, fun, active 4th of July!
