Dorchester County Public Schools -

In partnership with Campaign For Grade Level Reading and ParentPowered, we bring you language skills facts and tips! 📚 Fact: The love and support you give your child helps them every day in every way! It’s all the little things you do daily that make a BIG difference. 💡 Tip: Today, think about your parenting superpower. It’s something you’re REALLY amazing at. Telling stories, giving hugs, or listening are a few. What’s yours? Stay tuned— ParentPowered resources will be delivered straight to your digital device very soon! 📲 #BelieveInUs

On National Substitute Educator Day, we want to extend a huge THANK YOU to all of our incredible substitute educators! Your flexibility, dedication, and passion help keep our classrooms thriving every day — even when the unexpected happens.

You step in with grace and commitment, ensuring our students continue to learn, grow, and succeed. We see you, we appreciate you, and we celebrate you!

Thank you for being an essential part of the DCPS family and for serving our students #withJOY! 💙

#BelieveInUs

From Destiny Brown, to Destiny Brown, J.D.! ⚖ In the realm of education, success stories like Destiny's remind us why we keep dreaming forward. After graduating from North Dorchester High School, Destiny pursued her passion for justice by studying law at Howard University, a distinguished HBCU. Destiny has not only passed the bar exam; she earned a score high enough to practice in any UBE jurisdiction — including 39 states and the District of Columbia! Her journey is a beautiful testament to the power of grit and determination, and staying committed to never losing sight of her goal. From the halls of North Dorchester to the courtrooms across the country, Destiny’s story inspires every student to believe in themselves and to pursue their passions with #withJOY. Congratulations, Destiny Brown, J.D. — your DCPS family is so proud of you and can’t wait to see the incredible impact you will make in the world! 💙💫

💫 Our Rising Stars are shining bright #withJOY this season! Thanks to their positive behavior and commitment to our PBIS values, they earned a fun pumpkin painting activity! 🎨🎃 We’re so proud to see our students demonstrating respect, responsibility, and kindness every day. Keep up the great work, Rising Stars! #BelieveInUs

Today, on National Education Support Professionals Day, we want to shine a spotlight on the incredible people who keep our schools running smoothly and our students thriving. Their work often happens quietly, but its impact is loud and clear — creating safe, supportive, and joyful spaces where our students can learn and grow #withJOY.

To our Education Support Professionals — we see your hard work, your care, and your commitment to the DCPS community. Thank you for showing up every day with heart and passion, and for making DCPS a place where everyone belongs. 💙

#BelieveInUs

Today, Vienna Elementary School came alive with energy and excitement for their annual Turkey Trot! Thanks to the incredible Terrapins who are members of the school's running club, students, staff, and families laced up their sneakers for a fun-filled 4-lap run across the campus.🐢 Special guest runner Dr. Thompson was even honored as an official member of the VES Running Club before the race — complete with a custom Vienna Elementary Running Club shirt! Our Terrapins showed true spirit and determination, making this year’s Turkey Trot a memorable celebration of community, health, and joy! 🦃🏅 #BelieveInUs

Thanks to a generous book donation from guests at the Hyatt, our students now have even more ways to explore new stories and ideas #withJOY! Yagmur Quillin, Wellbeing Experience Manager at the Hyatt, personally delivered these wonderful new titles to Maple. They’ll be featured in Maple's book vending machine, helping to inspire a love of reading across their school community! #BelieveInUs

Dorchester County Public Schools students had an amazing chance to dive into real-world knowledge #withJOY at Dorchester Career and Technology’s in-house Benefits Fair today! 💼 Students explored valuable information about benefits, learned about future employment pathways with DCPS, and connected directly with the people who help shape those opportunities every day. A huge thank you to: 
👥 DCPS MD Human Resources for sharing insight into careers and the hiring process, as well as highlighting the importance of career benefits 
🎓 DCPS Career Coaches for guiding students toward their next steps and sharing their journeys to their career pathways 
💙 Blue Cross Blue Shield Representative for breaking down health benefits in a clear, engaging way Our students left feeling empowered, informed, and inspired about their futures! #BelieveInUs

Maple Elementary School had an unforgettable day at Viking Stadium with their epic House Rally! 🦁🏈 Our Lions roared loud and proud, cheering on their houses with unstoppable spirit. The excitement only grew from there as they watched a thrilling 7v7 football game featuring some of the CSD Vikings varsity football players — and then the fun turned up a notch when our youngest stars took the field for their very own 7v7 showdown! The stadium was alive with laughter, cheers, and pure joy. There’s nothing quite like seeing our oldest students connecting with and inspiring our youngest learners — a powerful reminder of the incredible DCPS family we’re building #withJOY every day! #BelieveInUs

Tonight, Cambridge-South Dorchester High School proudly held its National Honor Society Induction Ceremony! The event was led by CSD student Nathan Corkran and featured inspiring remarks from former CSD assistant principal Ms. Nichole Horton. Congratulations to all the new NHS members—your dedication to scholarship, leadership, service, and character shines bright as you continue to grow and lead #withJOY in our community! 🕯🌟

Dorchester County Public Schools is proud to be recognized as one of the Top 20 districts in the nation for exceptional growth in language development among elementary English Learners! 🏅

This milestone comes in our first year using Flashlight360, an innovative instructional platform that has played a key role in accelerating language acquisition for our multilingual learners. Thanks to the dedication of our teachers, language specialists, administrators, students, and families, we’re seeing remarkable gains in speaking and writing skills.

Special congratulations to David Higgins from Hurlock Elementary School, who was named one of Flashlight360’s Top 100 educators—an honor that reflects his outstanding commitment to student success!

Justin Hewett, CEO of Flashlight Learning, praised our district’s collaborative spirit and focus on student growth: “Being a Top 20 district in language growth reflects the dedication, collaboration, and passion of teachers and school leaders supporting multilingual learners.”

By prioritizing high-quality tools, meaningful data, and goal-driven instruction, DCPS is creating learning environments where every multilingual learner can thrive.

We celebrate this achievement as a testament to our strategic focus and belief that all students can succeed. Together, we’re empowering confident communicators and lifelong learners! ✨

Today, North Dorchester Middle School held its annual Veterans Day Ceremony to honor the brave men and women who have served our country. The event began with a proud presentation of Colors by the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office and paid tribute to all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, including the U.S. Space Force. Each branch was represented by at least one veteran in attendance. Throughout the ceremony, several guest speakers shared inspiring words, while the NDMS chorus, band, and Poms & Cheer teams performed heartfelt tributes to our veterans. Many thanks to NDMS Assistant Principal Mr. Pages for these incredible photos of the ceremony. We thank all veterans for their service and unwavering commitment to protecting our freedoms. Your courage, dedication, and sacrifice inspire us every day. DCPS salutes you today and always! #ThankAVeteran 🇺🇸 #BelieveInUs

Dorchester Career and Technology Center recently hosted an inspiring Business Breakfast #withJOY, welcoming local community partners to see firsthand how DCTC is paving the way for students to step confidently into careers after graduation. Guests had the opportunity to speak directly with students across a variety of CTE programs and witness their skills in action. The event also highlighted exciting opportunities for businesses to partner with DCTC—especially through future apprenticeships that connect students with real-world experience. Together, we’re building a stronger community and brighter futures! #BelieveInUs

In partnership with Campaign For Grade Level Reading and ParentPowered, we bring you language skills facts and tips!

📚 Fact: Asking your child questions throughout the day builds their language skills. Strong language skills help kids read, write, talk, and understand others.

💡 Tip: Start your day with a silly question! In the morning, ask, "If you could ride an animal to school, what would you pick? Why?" Don’t forget to share your answers too — it’s a fun way to spark conversation and learning!

Let’s keep growing those language skills and advancing our students #withJOY!

#BelieveInUs

Who says lions (and the Lorax?!) don’t love to run? 🦁 Maple Elementary School’s 15th Annual Turkey Trot was full of energy, excitement, and community spirit as our Lions proudly embraced their 25-26 slogan, “Going for Gold!” Our amazing CSD and North Dorchester XC teams helped guide the runners along the course, making sure every Lion found their way—and the Lions are thankful for their support! We’re also incredibly grateful to the generous donors who provided turkeys and snacks, including Myesha Ford and family, Dani and Mike Willey, Matt Daniels, Dean and Lauren Samuel, Jessica LaPerch (Cabin Fever), Jacquelyn Wright, and John Pritchett at C Albert Matthews Inc., a longtime supporter of this yearly event. Winners by grade: Pre K: Amani Gibson, Jayden Campos Garcia K: Rayne Perry, Eder Valdez-Lopez 1st grade: Ian Alvarado Martinez,KeYoni Dashiell 2nd grade: Carter Aviles, Dannah Tsala 3rd grade: Jai’Quan Copper, Meira Hasala 4th grade: Darell Gonzales, Rian White 5th grade: Juel Bolden, Audrey Tsala Congratulations to all the winners, especially overall champions Darrel Gonzales and Rian White, and a special shoutout to Jana Robinson for being the fastest staff member—again! Thanks to the incredible generosity of Maple families, the Lions raised $824 to sponsor youth athletics in our community! We were proud to watch the Lions run #withJOY and we can’t wait to see them continue to shine this year! 🏅

📢 We’re excited to share an important mental health resource: "Grief – The Healing Process After Loss," a special series provided through parentguidance.org in partnership with The Cook Center.

There are two opportunities to join this supportive series on November 12, 2025:
🕖 7:00 PM
🕘 9:00 PM

This series offers guidance and healing strategies for coping with loss—an invaluable resource for families and caregivers.

Register now to reserve your spot:
🔗 7PM Session: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UZ1PrOhMR22dRTkuPpMVkA#/registration
🔗 9PM Session: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_gjOC_IJKQ4GUeBfDjfxmNg#/registration

👂We want to hear from YOU! As part of the DCPS Strategic Plan, DCPS is actively collecting input through our Culture and Climate Survey, and your feedback will help shape positive, supportive learning environments for all students.

Here's what you need to know:
📅 Surveys are open from now until November 14
🎒 Students will take the survey at school
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Families & staff will receive survey links from their school (Unique survey links will be provided for each school — information will be forthcoming from your student’s school)
✅ Responses will help guide school improvement and student success


📌 Opt-Out Reminder: Families will receive an opt-out form which only need to be returned if you do NOT want your student to participate.

#BelieveInUs

🐝The hive was buzzing with smiles and support this morning as Sandy Hill families came together to celebrate their October Students of the Month! This event recognized the hard work, kindness, and dedication of students that make their school community shine. Congratulations to all our bees who earned this incredible accomplishment! Keep soaring #withJOY as you continue to grow and inspire, bees! 🌟 #BelieveInUs

This #NationalSchoolPsychologyWeek we want to take a moment to recognize our school psychologists and the important work they do in our district for our students #withJOY! Their dedication, compassion, and expertise make a profound difference in the lives of so many young people. They support the emotional well-being of our students by helping students overcome challenges and thrive.

Today, and every day, we say thank you to our team for being a steady source of guidance, understanding, and hope. We are truly grateful for all that you do every day to create a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for our entire school community! 💙✨

#BelieveInUs

The CSD Vikings know how to celebrate, and that’s exactly what they did this morning as a newly announced 3-star school! 🌟🌟🌟 ☀️🎶The Vikings kicked off the day with a sunrise breakfast celebration for their incredible staff — the music was bumping, the dancing was nonstop, and the smiles revealed their pride in this "level up"accomplishment! But they didn't stop there — to keep the vibes rolling, students and staff were greeted with celebratory stickers, buttons, and water bottles #withJOY as they arrived. 🥓🍳 Here’s to our Vikings continuing to shine and groove their way to even greater success! 🎉 #BelieveInUs