Dorchester County Public Schools -

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Central Office of the Board of Education, 700 Glasgow St., in Cambridge, with the open session beginning at 6:00 pm. The agenda and related documents will be found online via Board Docs on the Dorchester County Public Schools website at www.dcps.k12.md.us. The public is welcome to attend. If you are unable to attend but would like to submit comments electronically to be included in the minutes, email them to comments@dcpsmd.org by 2:00 pm on the date of the meeting. The meeting will be livestreamed at https://townhallstreams.com/towns/dorchesterboe.

The BE-U Ambassadors and Dream Big Academy at Mace’s Lane Middle School welcomed two distinguished visitors to their Career Leadership Lunch and Learn yesterday. Ms. Joy Thomas-Moore, a vastly experienced media consultant, journalist, and editor (and, as it happens, mother of Maryland Governor Wes Moore) and Mr. Kevin Beverly, originally from Taylor’s Island, Maryland, a graduate of Cambridge High School, and the now-retired President and CEO of Social Scientific Systems, Inc. spoke to the MLMS students about leadership, philanthropy, and following their heart in determining a choice of career. Welcomed by Interim Superintendent Dr. Jymil Thompson, students listened raptly as Ms. Moore and Mr. Beverly spoke of their careers, urging the youngsters to take advantage of opportunities as they come along, but to also remember to think of others and “pay it forward”. Thank you to these inspiring professionals for sharing their stories with our youngsters, to Mr. Chris Branch for sponsoring the Dream Big Academy and for catering the lunch, and to Ms. Shay Lewis-Sisco for working with the BE-U Ambassadors and organizing this event. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Dorchester County, you’ve been showing the love for our teachers this week! Teacher Appreciation Week involved lots of goodies at schools, including lunches, massages, ice cream, flowers, more lunches, s’mores, doughnuts, beach towels, bags and bags of snacks and (you guessed it!) more lunches! Thank you to those individuals, organizations, parents, and students who have made our teachers feel special: American Legion Post 91 Ladies Auxiliary; Cambridge Police Department; Bondservants; Zeta Phi Beta sorority; South Dorchester School parents coordinated by Erin Scheele; 3C USA Church; Warwick Elementary P.A.W.S.; Anonymous; Hailey Pritchett and family; Hooper’s Island General Store; Dorchester Retired School Personnel Association; Church Creek Market; Erica Wright; April Hall; the Williams Family; and others known and appreciated by their school. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and congratulations to the student winners of the Mental Health Awareness Poster Contest organized by Student Services at Dorchester County Public Schools! Check out the posters and the youngsters’ messages about good mental health in businesses throughout Dorchester County, thanks to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce. This year’s winners are: Leah Parker, Hurlock Elementary School; Ja’Miah Simms, Mace’s Lane Middle School; Taylor Oldham, Sandy Hill Elementary School; Taylor Budd, Warwick Elementary School; Deshaela Adams, C-SD; Audrey Tsala, Maple Elementary School; Serenity Cephas, Choptank Elementary School; Josie Beans, North Dorchester Middle School; Harleigh Littleton, Vienna Elementary School; and Jessica Cowgill, North Dorchester High School. Winners each received a $50 Walmart gift card, thanks to the generosity of contest sponsors Creative Spaces Child Therapy, LLC; Harvesting Hope Youth & Family Wellness, Inc.; Corsica River Mental Health Services; Dorchester County Health Department; Channel Market, Inc.; Magalene Molock, retired educator; Grandma’s Kitchen Co.; and Walmart itself! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to the Dorchester County Public Schools Administrators of the Month for March and April! Honorees Mr. Jerome Stover of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School and Ms. Dawn Corkran of Hurlock Elementary School are pictured, flanking Interim Superintendent Dr. Jymil Thompson. Our principals rock! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The Rotary Club of Cambridge recently invited Katelyn Robinson, Dorchester County Public School Teacher of the Year 2024-25 and our two First Class Teachers of the Year, Jordan Lewis and Haley Wright, along with their principals, to their weekly meeting. The teachers were all presented with gift cards in appreciation of their work with Dorchester County children. Also in attendance was Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jymil Thompson, who extended his appreciation to the Rotarians for recognizing the teachers in this way. Thank you, Rotary! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Today is National School Nurse Day! We celebrate and thank our school nurses for the important role they play in keeping all students in school, healthy, safe, and ready to learn! Carin Budd, North Dorchester Middle School Michelle Dietrich, Choptank Elementary School Betty Feldmeier, Vienna Elementary School (part-time) Paula Hurley, Vienna Elementary School (part-time) Carlie Marshall, C-SD Shelby Melton, Sandy Hill Elementary School (part-time) Dania Moxey, Warwick Elementary School Hope Padilla, Maple Elementary School Tammy Rue, North Dorchester High School Courtney Travers, South Dorchester School Stacy Thompson, Hurlock Elementary School Traci Tull, Mace’s Lane Middle School Adrienne Welch, Float Nurse Beth Ball, Substitute Donna Payne, Substitute Marcia Spicer, Supervisor of School Health #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Get your hankies ready, Moms and Dads; your little ones aren’t so little anymore! The C-SD Class of 2024 is ready to hit the road! Caps and gowns were distributed today by Administrative Secretary Rhonda Robertson - take a look at George Spry, Mia Jackson, and Jayonna Austin looking all grown up! C-SD Social Worker Kevonya Moment couldn’t wait to get a peek at soon-to-be graduate daughter Kassidy Young. Only twenty-three days until Vikings cross that stage! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Next Tuesday, May 14, 2024, is an asynchronous Virtual Day of school due to many of our schools being used as polling places for the Maryland State Primary Election. Generally speaking, high school students will be working online with Schoology; middle school and elementary school students will be issued paper assignments. Look out for more specific information coming from your child’s school! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Dorchester County Public Schools is already preparing to welcome next year’s three-, four-, and five-year-olds and making sure their transition to school is as smooth as can be! Each elementary school is holding a special evening during May to introduce those hoping to join PreK-3, PreK-4, and new Kindergarteners to school life. Schools will be providing dinner, a visit to the classrooms, fun goodies to help parents prepare their child for school, and even a short ride on a school bus so the new students know what to expect. The schedule for these Transition Nights is as follows: Vienna Elementary: Thursday, May 9, 5:30 to 7:30 pm Hurlock Elementary: Wednesday, May 15, 6:00 to 8:00 pm Sandy Hill Elementary: Wednesday, May 15, 5:00 to 7:00 pm Maple Elementary: Thursday, May 23, 5:00 to 7:00 pm Choptank Elementary, Wednesday, May 29, 5:00 pm South Dorchester School, Wednesday, May 29, 4:00 to 5:00 pm Warwick Elementary: Thursday, May 30, 5:30 pm Questions? Contact your child’s school, who can help. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

It's Teacher Appreciation Week 2024! From Vikings to Huskies, from Owls to Lions, from Hummingbirds to Skipjacks and more, here are just a few of the 400+ classroom heroes and sheroes we celebrate. Thank you, teachers, for being the heart of Dorchester County Public Schools! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to Mr. Khail Johnson of Choptank Elementary School who yesterday was named Dorchester Educators’ Education Support Professional of the Year! Mr. Johnson received a Visa gift card donated by Ms. Theresa Miles; a luggage set donated by Transquaking Farms to take on an all-expense paid trip to Ocean City this fall; an expense-paid trip to Louisville, Kentucky where the National ESP of the Year is named; and a computer donated by The Barnes Family is memory of Lucille Barnes. Thank you for supporting this event! The other distinguished finalists for the title were Rebecca Compton of Vienna Elementary School; Kara Jones of Sandy Hill Elementary School; Dianeanna Molock of NDLA; Logan Price of North Dorchester Middle School; Wendy Sylvestri of DCTC; and Jose Barrios-Munoz of South Dorchester School who was unable to attend. The event was coordinated by DE officers and ESP Committee members Deanna Boston and Crystal Cephas, who are pictured below with ESP of the Year Mr. Johnson, Interim Superintendent Dr. Jymil Thompson and Director of Operations and Human Resources Dr. Mike Collins. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Thank you, once again, to the Dorchester Center for the Arts for hosting the Annual Young Peoples’ Show, a celebration of the talent of the young artists of Dorchester County Public Schools! The exhibit opens today, Friday, May 3 and runs through Saturday, May 25, displaying creations of students from Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. Opening hours are Tuesday 12-8, Wednesday 11-5, Thursday 12-8, Friday 11-5, Saturday 11-5. There will be an awards reception on Second Saturday, May 11, during which winning artists in various categories will be recognized, and there will be extended hours for the exhibit until 8 pm. Here’s a tiny taste of what you can find in the gallery! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Our last finalist for the DE Education Support Professional of the Year title came to DCPS as a volunteer, signed on as an employee, and 20+ years later is still here! Wendy Sylvestri has held various positions at Warwick Elementary, Choptank Elementary, and Maple Elementary before her present position as an Instructional Assistant with the Pathways to Independence program at DCTC. Pathways is designed for students who participated in the Alternate Assessment during their four years of high school and helps them learn vocational and self-advocacy skills and experience a variety of jobs and settings, allowing them to make decisions best fitting their interests, skills, and work preferences. Ms. Sylvestri accompanies students to their work placements and coaches them in work etiquette, appearance, responsibilities, and skills needed to succeed in the job. She says, “The best thing about my career is watching the students realize the things they can do and getting to know the students and finding their abilities as they become more independent.” Your contribution to the future of your students is important and valued, Ms. Sylvestri – thank you for giving so many years to DCPS! Tomorrow (Saturday, May 4) is the day Dorchester Educators names its DE Education Support Professional of the Year. As a reminder, the finalists are Jose Barrios-Munoz, South Dorchester School; Rebecca Compton, Vienna Elementary School; Khail Johnson, Choptank Elementary School; Kara Jones, Sandy Hill Elementary School; Dianeanna Molock, New Directions Learning Academy; Logan Price, North Dorchester Middle School; and Wendy Sylvestri, Dorchester Career and Technology Center. Good luck to all, and stay tuned! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

They aren’t called Mighty Eagles for nothing! Congratulations to the Girls on the Run team at Hurlock Elementary School who succeeded in completing their 5K race in Baltimore last weekend! For those who don’t speak metric, 5K = 3.1 miles, a long way for third to fifth graders and even for grown-up school staff after a full week in the classroom! But the Mighty Eagles weren’t the only DCPS runners! Congratulations, too, to the Girls on the Run teams from Choptank Elementary and Mace’s Lane Middle Schools, who also worked hard to train and complete Saturday’s 5K race! Our girl runners rock! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Next week – Monday, May 6 to Friday, May 10, 2024 – is National Youth Apprenticeship Week, and Dorchester County Public Schools is offering opportunities for students, parents, employers, and the community to learn more about how the apprenticeship program works in Dorchester County: Monday, May 6th: Parent Mix and Mingle (in-person), 4:30-5:30 pm. Parents, this is your opportunity to ask questions and learn about the Maryland Youth Apprenticeship Program. Students are welcome to attend as well. Tuesday, May 7th: DCPS Apprenticeship Panel Discussion, held in partnership with the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce. This is a recorded video, available online at your convenience. It will be available on the Dorchester Career and Technology Center Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063492787290 on Tuesday 5/7/24. Wednesday, May 8th: Wisdom Wednesday! Learn more about how we are expanding Youth Apprenticeships to underserved populations. This is a recorded video, available online at your convenience. You’ll be able to find it on the Dorchester Career and Technology Center Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063492787290 on Wednesday 5/8/24. Thursday, May 9th: Thriving in Career and Business – learn what to expect on Apprenticeship signing day. This is a recorded video, available online at your convenience. Check it out at the Dorchester Career and Technology Center Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063492787290 on 5/9/24. Friday, May 10th: DCPS Apprenticeship Networking Event (in-person), 2:30-4:00 pm. Meet and greet with employers and partners of the Maryland Youth Apprenticeship Program. In-person events will be held at Dorchester Career and Technology Center, 2465 Cambridge Beltway in Cambridge. Questions? Shay Lewis-Sisco, DCPS Career Coach, is happy to help. Contact her at lewiss@dcpsmd.org #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Introducing Khail Johnson, Student Support Monitor at Choptank Elementary School and finalist for DE Education Support Professional of the Year! What does a Student Support Monitor do? They help ensure a safe and positive school environment, thus promoting good behavior and learning. This involves building relationships and trust with students, mentoring students and providing positive reinforcement, and intervening in cases of disruption. Mr. Johnson is a graduate of C-SD, the Teacher Academy of Maryland program at DCTC, and hopes to begin a college program to become a teacher. Previously a substitute teacher in various DCPS schools, he has now been a Student Support Monitor for one year. He says, “The best thing about my job is everything . . . from building relationship(s) with kids to building personal growth within myself. These students have played the biggest role in my life.” Thank you for the positive impact you have on the lives of our kids, Mr. Johnson! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Introducing Rooms, the new DCPS Parent-Teacher communication tool! Rooms is fully integrated into our district app so you have one app for everything. Parents/Guardians can use the DCPS app for district and school news, events, dining, and now Rooms. Please check your email for more information and to get connected to your child's teacher(s).

Happy May 1st, Principals Day! Here’s another chance to celebrate some of our favorite people, our sensational school leaders: Teresa Berry, NDLA Marybeth Blake, Warwick Elementary School Dawn Corkran, Hurlock Elementary School Vaughn Evans, North Dorchester Middle School Myesha Ford, Maple Elementary School Debbie Gibson, Sandy Hill Elementary School Jennifer Green, South Dorchester School Gaven Parker, Choptank Elementary School Susie Price, Vienna Elementary School Patricia Prosser, Mace’s Lane Middle School Ashley Robinson, DCTC Dave Stofa, North Dorchester High School Jerome Stover, C-SD Thank you for all you do for your students and Dorchester County Public Schools! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The two finalists of Hurlock Elementary’s Amazing Shake competition, Camden Helgason and Karter Slacum, went head-to-head during Friday’s last round, when the two sat down to a “formal” lunch with DCPS’ Dr. Donald Boyd, Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives who had the tough job of judging the finalists on their social skills and poise. Big congratulations to Camden, who took home the 2024 Amazing Shake trophy! But the other 33 members of Hurlock’s 5th grade who pushed themselves out of their comfort zones by participating in the competition were winners too, by sharpening their manners, discipline, and social graces, thus improving their ability to conduct themselves in a professional environment. Well done, Mighty Eagles! A special thanks to School Counselor Ms. Heather Powell who coordinated the event. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS