Dorchester County Public Schools -

Support staff are important at Dorchester County Public Schools. Teachers can’t teach if there aren’t bus drivers to transport students to school, administrative professionals to run school offices, food service workers to feed everyone, classroom helpers to support the teachers, custodians to keep a clean and safe learning environment, and so much more. Thank you to Dorchester Educators for recognizing the contribution of our support staff, with one to be named DE ESP of the Year. We’ll be telling you about the seven finalists for 2024-2025 over the next couple weeks, and here’s the first! DE Education Support Professional of the Year finalist, Kara Jones, is technically an Instructional Assistant – Highly Qualified, but is so trusted and skilled that she is serving as a long-term substitute teacher in a Sandy Hill Elementary kindergarten class. This means that not only does she work on language arts/phonics, reading, math, science, and social studies with the children, it’s also her job to “diffuse tempers, treat boo-boos, celebrate goals/wins, encourage students, rub backs, and play nurse when needed”. Now in her seventh year with Dorchester County Public Schools, Ms. Jones is serious about her work as she is currently attending the University of Phoenix, working on her B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education. “The best thing about my job is building relationships with these little people I get to see every day. Making connections and sharing fun moments . . . are the best! I also love to see when a child ‘gets’ something they have struggled with and suddenly the light goes off and you hear, 'I DID IT!'” Thank you, Ms. Jones, for stepping up for our children when you’re needed! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to C-SD junior Tyler Sears who this past week received the prestigious JA 18 Under 18 Award from Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore at an event at the Perdue Henson Junior Achievement Center in Salisbury! This award recognizes 18 young people on the Eastern Shore who aren’t waiting to become adults to make a difference in the world with their leadership and service to community. Nominated by Interact Club advisor Mr. Phil Reed, Tyler is not only an active member of Interact, but is part of the National Honor Society, the National Spanish Honor Society, SkillsUSA, PBIS student representative, and an all-around positive force for good in his school and community! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

As we approach the latter part of the school year, a sense of accomplishment and pride was the order of the day yesterday as 49 DCTC students, Project Lead The Way’s Biomedical Sciences first year cohort, received their personalized white lab coats in a ceremony attended by family and friends. Congratulations to these students, and their PLTW teachers Ms. Lauren Varner and Ms. Dawn Price. Skyla Ali; Jacob Barnes; MaKenna Blizzard; Damouri’ Brooks; Jade Bryant; Rylee Christopher; Keimoni Collins; Arabella Collison; Mariah Cook; Hanah Donald; A’Ziyah Elliott; Cerys Enders; Amirra Exume; Alex Fonseca-Gonzalez; Jacqueline Gravenor; Madelyn Hall; Kendall Harrington; Diana Hernandez-Chavez; Gabrielle Higdon; Adrianna Hudgins; A’Yanna Jackson; Avery Johnson; Alyssa Jones; Taylor Larimer; Javier Luna-Clemente; Patricia Hollerman; Max Miller; Abigail Mills; Caleb Molock; Alexus Myers; Kinsley Peters; Valeria Nieblas; Manny Reyes; Ellie Sard; Emma Sard; Shelby Seese; Syntycha Shipley; Alexander Shook; Lily Sterling; Hailey Stivers; Micah Swann; Paige Taylor; Adison Thomas; Camryn Turner; Payton Turner; Jazlyn Washington; Katie Wheatley; Evelyn Windsor; and Harmoni Wongus. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Yesterday Choptank Elementary School’s third grade welcomed six distinguished Maryland judges, complete with robes, who were in town for a statewide judicial meeting. The judges are members of the Harry A. Cole Judicial Council, and the visit to Choptank was part of the Council’s “Reading and Robes” program, which encourages their judges to spend time in schools. Each third-grader received a copy of a child’s biography of Maryland native Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, from the judges who were also generous with their time, answering many questions about their roles . . . and maybe inspiring a few future lawyers! Our thanks to Hon. Monice Brown, Associate Judge, Charles County Circuit Court; Hon. Pamila Brown, Administrative Judge, Howard County District Court; Hon. Ada Clark-Edwards, Associate Judge, Prince George’s County District Court; Hon. Jill Cummins, Associate Judge, Montgomery County Circuit Court; Hon. Donine Carrington Martin, Associate Judge, Charles County Circuit Court; and Hon. Elizabeth Morris, Associate Judge, Anne Arundel, County Circuit Court. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

These pre-kindergarteners are so excited to meet their new friends who will be arriving on the first day of school in September! However, before that, there is another important date: Thursday, April 25, 2024 – the date online registration opens for first-time students to reserve a place in a Dorchester County Public Schools PreK-3, PreK-4, or Kindergarten classroom for the next school year. Every postal address in Dorchester County should have received a postcard with information about registration and a QR code to get you online, or you can use this link: https://bit.ly/3J7fCOk which will become live on April 25. Pre-Kindergarten for three-year-olds will be available at Hurlock, Maple, Sandy Hill, and Vienna Elementary Schools. PreK-3 places are limited, and children must be three years old by September 1, 2024 to qualify. Questions? Contact Ms. Julie Lewis, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education at lewisju@dcpsmd.org or 410-228-4747 x1035. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The DCTC Chapter of SkillsUSA flexed its competitive muscles again this past weekend as students traveled to Carroll County Career and Technology Center to participate in the Maryland SkillsUSA State Championships in various categories. Congratulations to Vernon Price and Dylan Ruppert who, for the second year running, were awarded the gold medal in Robotics and Automation, qualifying them for the national competition to be held this summer in Atlanta. Last year, this dynamic duo placed 11th in the SkillsUSA national competition. Vernon and Dylan are both completers of the Project Lead the Way Engineering course at DCTC and will be graduating this year from North Dorchester High School. Two other teams from Mr. Phil Albert’s PLTW Engineering program also won state medals. Congratulations to Julianne Tobat, Andrew Albert, and their sidekick ‘Burns’ who they built from scratch, for picking up the silver medal in Urban Search and Rescue, and McKenna Parker and Hailey Mills who won bronze in Commercial sUAS Drones. Savannah Weber, of the PLTW Biomedical program, won a silver medal for her Health Occupations Portfolio. North Dorchester sophomore Zachary Bozman was elected as a SkillsUSA Maryland state officer, and the DCTC Chapter earned the Gold Chapter of Distinction designation for the seventh straight year. Also competing from DCTC in the State Championships were Zachary Adam (Residential Wiring); Zachary Bozman, Nathan Corkran, and Alexander Shook (Health Knowledge Bowl); Javier Luna Clemente (Medical Terminology); Haylie Siegel (Baking and Pastry); Taylor Larimer (Job Skill Demo); and Madison Tobat, Cristina Nuvia Lopez, and Ta’Tyana Maradiaga (Career Pathways Showcase – Health Services). Chef Charlene Zinnel is the chapter’s advisor. Great job, Skills students – we’re very proud of you! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Let’s start the day with a Public Service Announcement from the one-and-only Ms. Jeanell Todd of Vienna Elementary School with a reminder of the importance of careful punctuation. Thank you, Ms. Todd! (No children were harmed in the making of this post.) #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Practice is what turns knowledge into skill, so kudos to those North Dorchester Middle School students who have, for some or all the last eight Saturdays, participated in the “MCAP Blitz” by spending a few hours with teachers at the school practicing for their upcoming MCAP tests. Why would 6th through 8th graders give up their precious Saturday morning to math and English questions and learning test strategy? “It gives me more confidence”, “I want to feel like I’ve done my best,” “I get nervous at tests and this will help me feel calmer”, and, of course, “My Mom made me.” (Thanks, Mom!) Well done to the Owls who have put in the extra effort to “level up” and “soar for a 4!” And best of luck to ALL our students who are testing this week! Want to know when your child is testing? You can find out here: https://www.dcps.k12.md.us/o/dcps/page/parents #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2024, at the Dorchester Career and Technology Center, 2465 Cambridge Bypass 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.

Schools don’t run by teachers alone, and we’re delighted that the Dorchester Educators sponsor the Education Support Professional of the Year program to shine a well-deserved spotlight on those people without whom schools could not operate. This year’s ESP of the Year will be named on Saturday, May 4, and will be one of these deserving finalists, about whom you’ll be hearing more about in the next few weeks: Mr. Jose Barrios-Munez, Head Custodian, South Dorchester School; Ms. Rebecca Compton, Instructional Assistant, Vienna Elementary School; Mr. Khail Johnson, Education Specialist, Choptank Elementary School; Ms. Kara Jones, Instructional Specialist – Highly Qualified, Sandy Hill Elementary School; Ms. Dianeanna Molock, Education Specialist, New Directions Learning Academy; Ms. Logan Price, Instructional Assistant, North Dorchester Middle School; Ms. Wendy Sylvestri, Instructional Assistant, Dorchester Career and Technology Center. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The first important development in the Superintendent’s Search is that the closing date for the survey regarding the community’s view of the desirable leadership qualities and early priorities of the new Superintendent has been extended to April 24, 2024. All stakeholders, including parents, students, staff, and community members are encouraged to take less than five minutes and share their opinions. The survey can be found at https://hyasurvey.com/dorchester. Thank you to the almost 600 respondents to date! Second, robust discussions took place at the first Community Visioning session this past week, as attendees were asked: 1. What are the strengths/value of the DCPS school system? 2. What are the greatest challenges for DCPS in the next 3-5 years? 3. What are the personal/professional characteristics of the next Superintendent? A summary of their thoughts will soon be available on the DCPS website. The next Community Visioning session will be held on Wednesday, April 17 from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School’s library. If you have an opinion on the questions above, the Board of Education wants to hear it! Opinions expressed at these sessions, along with survey results, will help guide the Board's choice of the new Superintendent. All are welcome! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Welcome to the Board of Education of Dorchester County, Ms. Talibah Chikwendu! Ms. Chikwendu was sworn in by Dorchester County Clerk of the Court Amy Craig at last night’s Special Board of Education meeting as the member representing District 2. This is the seat vacated through the passing of Dr. Theresa Stafford in December, and her appointment to the Board was recently announced by the Dorchester County Council. Ms. Chikwendu is no stranger to the Dorchester County school system. Until January of this year she taught English at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School. Throughout her years with Dorchester County Public Schools she has taught at all grade levels, served as a regular and long-term substitute, and even worked in a school office. Besides C-SD, she has worked at Mace’s Lane Middle School, Maple Elementary, North Dorchester High School, North Dorchester Middle School, Choptank Elementary, Warwick Elementary, and Vienna Elementary. A Dorchester County native and a graduate of C-SD, Ms. Chikwendu has an AA in interdisciplinary studies, BFA in visual communications, MBA in project management, MS in school librarianship, and is certified in Maryland to teach secondary English, secondary business education, PreK-12 art and as a Prek-12 librarian/media specialist. She has also taught undergraduate English and business classes for Sojourner-Douglass College and Chesapeake College. Prior to her teaching career, Ms. Chikwendu was a journalist, having served in several capacities at the Dorchester Banner and the AFRO American Newspapers, including executive editor and managing editor. Ms. Chikwendu says her priorities are to support the staff and students of DCPS and working to improve student outcomes. We’re glad to have you on board! Ms. Chikwendu is pictured being sworn in by Ms. Craig and with Interim Superintendent Dr. Jymil Thompson. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Due to rising water levels, South Dorchester School will be closed Friday, April 12, 2024. There will also be no school bus service to C-SD and DCTC from the south Dorchester area. Stay safe, South Dorchester!

This may seem like a normal Thursday to you, but to a C-SD student, it may be the day that changes the course of their life! Today’s the day of the C-SD Career Fair, organized by Career Coach Ms. Sandy Shaw, when 50 businesses and organizations introduce themselves to students. Thank you to the participants: Affiliated Sante Group Army National Guard BesTemps Big Brothers/Big Sisters Bowie State University Cambridge Police Department Chesapeake College, Cambridge Center Choptank Community Health Choptank Electric Cooperative Circuit Court Clerk’s Office City of Cambridge Club F.E.A.R. Dorchester County Government Dorchester County Health Department/Development Disability Program Dorchester County Public Library Dorchester County Public Schools Dorchester County Emergency Medical Services Dunkin Donuts Eastern Shore Hospital Center Grand Canyon University Hooper's Island Oyster Co. Hub Group (formerly Choptank Transport) Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Ironworkers Local Union 5 Apprenticeship Program Key Beauty Aesthetics Maryland Apprenticeships Maryland Department of Natural Resources Maryland Judiciary Maryland Labor/American Job Center Maryland National Guard Maryland Rural Water Association Maryland State Police Moseley Architects Preston Automotive Group Salisbury University Soistman’s Dentistry Sports Clips The Property Shoppe Truist Bank University of Maryland Eastern Shore Upper Shore Workforce U.S. Army U.S. Coast Guard U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fire Management U.S. Navy USDA Wildlife Vane Brothers Veteran Health Administration WHCP Radio #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Groups of students at C-SD and North Dorchester High School had the unusual opportunity Monday to hear about the work of the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the legal professionals who run them! Organized by Career Coaches Sandy Shaw and Audrey Roberts, U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Ms. Kristen Clarke, Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel for the Office of the Assistant Attorney General Mr. Alex Rias, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Mr. Erek Barron, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ms. Sarah Marquardt spent about an hour at each school, describing their work, answering questions from the students, and asking them about their concerns. We appreciate it when busy professionals take the time to share their part of the ‘real world’ with our young people! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Two items of interest: 1. Tonight (Tuesday, 4/9/24) is the first of three Community Vision sessions, organized by the Board of Education, to discuss the current and future needs of the district as part of the process of selecting the next Superintendent of Schools. It will be held in the cafeteria of North Dorchester High School at 6:00 – 7:30 pm, and all stakeholders – parents, teachers, administrators, staff, students, and Dorchester County residents – are invited to attend. The next one will be at C-SD on Wednesday, April 17, 6:00 – 7:30 pm. 2. Today is the final day to complete the survey of where you think Dorchester County Public Schools is now, and the leadership qualities you believe to be most important in a Superintendent. The survey can be found at https://hyasurvey.com/dorchester. #AllHandsOnDeck

Woo-hoo! Congratulations to the Dorchester County Public Schools winners of the National School Bus Safety Poster Contest! Choptank Elementary School 2nd grader Aamiracle Turner and 5th grader Josselyn Ramirez Gudino, both riders of Bus #53, are shown here with proud principal Gaven Parker, and Derrick Faulcon and Bill Fleming from the DCPS Transportation Department. We’d love to show you their winning posters, but they have gone on to the state level of judging – good luck, girls! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Tomorrow, Monday, April 8, 2024 is the opening of the MCAP testing season for Dorchester County Public Schools, and Sandy Hill Elementary’s 3rd through 5th grade test-takers are fired UP! A pep rally was held Friday afternoon to put the Bees in a winning mindset, the centerpiece being a Student vs. Teacher basketball game, with some special visitors: the runners-up for the 23-24 1A State Basketball Championship, the Viking boys’ team! The teachers had some terrific moves but the students persevered, coming out the winners. It’s kind of like tests: you got to be all in it to win it! Thank you to the Cambridge Police Department for the donation of two bikes to be given away in a prize draw to two Sandy Hill students whose names are picked among those who are present and on time for tests and give it all they got! And thank you to parents for ensuring your well-rested kiddos are in school on time every testing day, so they can do their best! A reminder: the testing schedule for schools is available on our website: https://www.dcps.k12.md.us/o/dcps/page/parents. Go to Assessment Calendar, then Spring 2024 MCAP Calendar. Check out when YOUR child will be testing! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

A special meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the Central Office of the Board of Education, 700 Glasgow St., Cambridge, with the swearing in of the new member of the Board of Education at 5:00 pm. This will be open to the public. The Board will then go into closed session and reconvene in open session at 6:30 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 meeting will be livestreamed at https://townhallstreams.com/towns/dorchesterboe.

If you have a three-, four-, or five-year-old who is not attending a DCPS school this year, this is your date to remember! That’s when online registration OPENS for a place in a Dorchester County Public Schools PreK-3, PreK-4, or Kindergarten classroom for the 2024-2025 school year. All Dorchester County postal addresses should have received a postcard with registration information and a QR code for registration on or after April 25, but in case you were missed, keep reading. To register your child, parents need proof of residency (mortgage, lease, or utility bill); proof of the child’s age (birth certificate or passport); proof of relationship to student (birth certificate, court order, legal documents); and proof of income (for PreK-3 and PreK-4 only) for all adults in the household (2023 tax return, W2’s, schedule C/1099, paystubs, proof of additional income – TCA letter, child support, unemployment). The post card you received has a QR code that will take you to the registration form, or you can use this link: https://bit.ly/3J7fCOk. Important: the registration form will not be available until April 25. Registration is online, but if you have a special need to register at the school, you must call the school to make an appointment. For the 2024-2025 school year PreK-3 will be available at Hurlock Elementary School, Maple Elementary School, Sandy Hill Elementary School, and (NEW!) Vienna Elementary School. Please be aware that PreK-3 places are limited, so please register early (April 25 or soon thereafter). Students must be three years old by September 1, 2024 to qualify. Those registering for PreK-4 must be age four by September 1, and those registering for Kindergarten must be age five by September 1. Kindergarten attendance is mandatory by Maryland law. Please note, children already attending a DCPS PreK-3 or PreK-4 program do not need to register. Questions? Contact Ms. Julie Lewis, Supervisor of Early Childhood Education at lewisju@dcpsmd.org or 410-228-4747 x1035. #AllHandsOnDeck