Friends of Janie Monier Updates

     As young people, we often questioned how our lessons related to real-life scenarios. When I worked as an archaeology technician at Monocacy National Battlefield in Urbana, the fields of history, geometry, and technology converged. Specifically, I worked alongside another archaeology technician on the L'Hermitage site, a French-Caribbean plantation in Urbana, Maryland. Starting as a volunteer, I eventually joined the National Park Service to complete the season's tasks. Throughout my tenure with NPS, I guided visitors through the site's features, shedding light on its significance in Frederick County history, the lives of the enslaved individuals, and the culture of the family who owned them.      This experience emphasized the distinction between memorizing facts and the art of applying our education to practical situations. This is one example of many for why I support policies and funding that encourage students to apply their knowledge critically to...

                 As a registered nurse, I have advocated compassionately for my patients and I have had to make quick decisions in high stress situations. I bring these skills and traits to advocate for our students, schools, and communities. As a PTA President after a pandemic, I brought families and communities together celebrating holidays, participating in charitable activities, volunteering in the school, showing our appreciation for the educators, support staff, and administrators that supports learning and a positive workplace.      Schools are centers for community engagement: whether it is a 5K run, a town hall meeting with county leadership, or the football game bringing out all the alumni to cheer. As such it is important for voters, with or without children, to see our schools succeed -- to know that the graduating classes are not only academically ready, but also prepared to enter the world knowing how collabo...