(301) 649-8240
Coordinator: Dennis Heidler
heidlerd@mbhs.eduFor teacher contact information, click here.
In 1985, Montgomery County Public Schools opened its Science, Mathematics, and Computer Science Magnet Program within Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Magnet Program is designed to offer accelerated, interdisciplinary courses in science, mathematics, and computer science for highly able students particularly interested in these subjects.
Ninth and tenth grade Magnet students take four courses each semester within the Magnet curriculum (science, mathematics, research, and computer science), and four courses each semester in other disciplines (English, fine arts, foreign language, physical education, social studies, etc.) with the rest of the Blair student body. This allows Magnet students to take full advantage of Blair's wide variety of traditional high school offerings, advanced placement, and honors courses. Juniors and seniors have fewer required Magnet courses, and therefore complete their schedules with electives (For more information about Magnet electives, please see the Course and Magnet Life webpage. Electives offered by other departments are outlined in that department's webpage). Since Magnet students have a number of extra academic requirements, Magnet students have an eight-period day, instead of the normal seven-period days of most county high school students. Magnet students can (and do!) take full advantage of Blair's other extracurriculars such as athletics, student clubs, the school's bands and plays, and other activities.
Magnet students have been finalists in the Intel (formerly Westinghouse) Science Talent Search (including taking first place in 1996, first runner up in 1999, and second runner up in 2003), National Merit Semifinalists (more Semifinalists than any other school in the state for over a decade), Montgomery County Science Fair Grand Award Winners, first place winners in the International Science and Engineering Fair, Montgomery County Mathematics League champions over twenty straight years, Super-Quest finalist teams, national winners in the NASA Space Science Student Involvement Project, American Computer Science League National Championship Teams, Grand Winner of the Physics Olympics for the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan Area, first place winners in the National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium, and much more.
