Dorchester County Public Schools -

If you want to know more details about the cultures of Native Americans and European settlers, find yourself a Vienna Elementary School 4th grader! Mr. Sorrells’ and Ms. Todd’s classes have spent weeks studying about and creating amazingly detailed and imaginative dioramas of the lives of these two groups in the 17th century. This is just a small taste of their hard work! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

We love it when our kiddos step forward for student leadership positions, like these Choptank Elementary 2nd through 5th graders who applied and were chosen to be members of the school’s new Safety Patrol. Yesterday they received their belts and badges from Principal Gaven Parker and School Counselor Cherokee Bonilla (“Ms. B”), as well as training from Ms. B as to their duties. They will help the staff monitor the hallways during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal, accompany the ‘littles’ to their classrooms as needed, accompany visitors to their destination in the school during events, and set a good example of expected Hummingbird behavior. Congratulations to these school leaders! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Monday, December 4, 2023, at which time officers will be elected for the coming year. The first Open Session of the meeting will start at 4:30 pm for the election of officers. The Board will then go into Closed Session, with the second 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 all Open Sessions. 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 day of the meeting. The Open Sessions of the meeting will be livestreamed at https://townhallstreams.com/towns/dorchesterboe.

Please note: Friday, December 8 is an Early Dismissal Day for all students. This is to allow report card preparation for elementary teachers and professional development for secondary teachers. There has been some confusion as our online calendar correctly has December 8 as an Early Dismissal Day but our printed calendar does not, and we apologize for that error. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Superintendent Dave Bromwell will be visiting schools over the next few months, holding open forums for parents to learn more about plans for where Dorchester County Public Schools is heading and to ask questions. The first will be at Maple Elementary School next Wednesday, December 6, at 6:00 pm, with Choptank Elementary School following on Thursday, December 7, at 6:00 pm. The final Forum before the holiday break will be at South Dorchester School on Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 pm. More Forums at more schools will continue in 2024. Parents and the community are encouraged to attend! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

“Caroling, Caroling Through the Town” was the theme of the Festival of Trees at Easton’s Tidewater Inn, a fundraising event for Talbot Hospice, and it was North Dorchester High School’s Chorus who provided the carols yesterday afternoon! The afternoon’s voices were those of Landen Andrews, Jacey Chillog, Jayden Coleman, Ava Collins, Jaden Condon, Ryan Dodd, Makayla Faulkner, Alex Fonseca Gonzalez, Jevon Gibbs, Aniyah King, John Lankford, Manny Reyes Dominguez, Erin Rideout, Hayden Ruark, Elijah Smith, Makayla Smith, and Megan Williams. Hailey Stivers provided a saxophone solo for one piece. The Chorus is led by Ms. Karen Mercer. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

It's almost time to fa-la-la-la-la! Here’s the calendar of Winter Concert performances for our schools: • C-SDHS – Tuesday, December 12, 6:00 pm, at the school • Choptank Elementary – Tuesday, December 19, 6:00 pm, at C-SD • Hurlock Elementary – Tuesday, December 5, 6:00 pm, at NDHS • Mace’s Lane Middle School – Wednesday, December 6, 6:00 pm, at the school • Maple Elementary School – Thursday, December 7, 6:00 pm, at C-SD • North Dorchester High School, Monday, December 11, 6:00 pm, at the school • North Dorchester Middle School, Tuesday, December 12, 6:00 pm, at the school • Sandy Hill Elementary – Friday, December 8, 6:00 pm, at the school • South Dorchester School – Wednesday, December 6, 6:00 pm, at the school • Vienna Elementary – Wednesday, December 13, 6:00 pm at NDHS • Warwick Elementary – Thursday, December 14, 6:00 pm at C-SD #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Suppose your teacher wasn’t actually who you thought they were? Students in Mrs. Susan Thomas’ 5th grade class at Vienna Elementary have been exploring just that topic! Having read the novel, My Teacher is An Alien, students embarked on creating their own narrative where they suddenly discovered Mrs. Thomas wasn’t a human! Each student has been writing their story and working at home to create a bottle buddy, coinciding with their teacher’s identity. Is Mrs. Thomas a human, or is she a master of disguise? Perhaps her class will solve this mystery! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

We all know about Turkey Trots, but what about a Wild Goose Chase? This has been an annual tradition at Warwick Elementary School since 2017, and this year was no exception. Helped with her friend Miss Stephanie, that tricky goose was everywhere, from chasing children approaching the finish line, to roosting on the roof, to making a few new friends among the Huskies! This year the runners in the Final of the Wild Goose Chase represented their Houses – congratulations to overall winners Brooks Daniels and Aubrie Mills, both from the House of Altruismo! Kudos, too, to the several runners who gave up their own chances in the Final to help a fellow student who fell. Great Husky sportsmanship! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

On this Thanksgiving Day, please take a moment to pause and think about all that is good in your life and the people who help make it so. That’s what 2nd and 3rd graders in Ms. Messick’s and Ms. Brant’s classes at Choptank Elementary School did this week, and – even better – they wrote it down to let these people know. Moms and Dads were high on the list, as were grandparents and other extended family. Sisters, brothers, pets, teachers, and House friends were often mentioned. Who are you thankful for? Take the cue from Kadence, Charlee’, Jamontae, Tay’lor, Trenton, Ma’leih, Aubri, Ke’Miyah, Ja’Mari, Ja'Naysha, and their classmates and let them know! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

This morning (Wednesday, 11/22/23) at around 9 a.m. Dorchester County Public Schools will begin conducting mass notification testing at the C-SD campus, DCTC, NDLA, and Maple Elementary. This test is for our new outdoor loudspeaker system that will notify students and staff of an emergency inside or outside of the buildings. The tests will be on and off throughout the day today. Do not be alarmed, there is no emergency – but this will help make us ready should there be one! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to the C-SD Viking football team on their decisive win in the quarterfinals, setting them up for the semi-finals of the Maryland 1A State Championship! The team is heading to Fort Hill High School in Cumberland to play the Fort Hill Sentinels this Friday, November 24, at 6:00 pm. Play like a Viking! #goldpride #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Dorchester County Public Schools and offices will be closed on Wednesday, November 22, Thursday, November 23, and Friday, November 24 for the Thanksgiving break. Enjoy the time off and we’ll see you again, bright and early, when schools and offices re-open on Monday, November 27. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Starting this Wednesday morning (11/22/23) at around 9 a.m. DCPS will be conducting mass notification testing at the C-SD campus, DCTC, NDLA, and Maple Elementary. This test is for our new outdoor loudspeaker system that will notify students and staff of an emergency inside or outside of the buildings. The tests will be on and off throughout the day on Wednesday. Do not be alarmed - this is only a test!

It was turkey and all the trimmings delivered with a smile when CSD’s Interact Club and advisors Mr. Tremper and Ms. Mann helped Rotary Club of Cambridge members serve up and clean up the annual Thanksgiving luncheon at Delmarva Community Services. We love seeing our students step up for the community! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

No CDL? No problem! Ever thought about being a bus driver for Dorchester County Public Schools but don’t have your Commercial Drivers License? The DCPS Transportation Department can help you train to get your CDL with the passenger and school bus endorsements you need for the rewarding career as a school bus driver. Call 410-228-4747 and ask to speak to Transportation to get all the details! #AllHandsOnDeck

This past week three mathletes representing North Dorchester High School traveled to Salisbury University to flex their math-muscles on such subjects as exponents and logarithms, geometry, trigonometry and much more at the 39th Annual Eastern Shore High School Mathematics Competition. Seniors Mark Mason Jr., Fatima Kaleem, and Ta’Tyana Maradiaga, along with teacher Ms. Tabia Enciu, joined students from 20 other high schools for a challenging day of team and individual problem-solving, as well as having the opportunity to try out SU’s Math Lab. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

At Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting, the Board said a heartfelt “thank you” to an organization now in its eighth school year of supporting DCPS students and families with food needs. MidShore Meals til Monday began by distributing 25 bags weekly at Vienna Elementary, and has worked with every DCPS school, currently giving out 600+ bags weekly. Executive Director Pam Allen and Meals til Monday Founder Leslie Bishop were on hand to accept the recognition. Thank you, Meals til Monday, for your loyalty and generosity to the children of Dorchester County! #AllHandsOnDeck

SUPERINTENDENT’S UPDATE The school year has been off to a strong start with the introduction of the Ron Clark Academy House system in those of our schools that had not yet adopted a House system. This means that all our students are not only Vikings or Eagles, Huskies, or Hummingbirds, but are now also members of a House, a smaller, connected community within the wider school community. Houses rely on inclusion and encourage each member’s talents, abilities, and participation to reach specific goals. It has been shown that Houses have the potential to build a sense of belonging that we hope to leverage to increase academic engagement, and we look forward to their activities as the year progresses. We have begun a reorganization of the Alternative Education Program for our most challenging learners. The Board of Education has agreed a contract with Vision Quest, the organization operating Morning Star Youth Academy in Woolford, to work with Dorchester County Public Schools in providing educational and therapeutic services to some high school students who might have previously attended DCPS’ New Directions Learning Academy (NDLA). NDLA will continue to serve and support middle school students as well as provide a learning environment for some high school students receiving remote instruction from their classroom teachers. Beginning in December and continuing over the following few months, I will be holding an evening Superintendent’s Forum in every school. This will give families and the community the opportunity to hear about important issues such as what the implementation of the Blueprint means to our schools, the challenges of next year’s budget, our MCAP data, as well as ask me questions. The first Forum will be at Maple Elementary on Tuesday, December 6 at 6:00 pm, followed by Choptank Elementary on Wednesday, December 7 and South Dorchester School on Wednesday, December 13. Superintendent Forums at other schools will follow in the new year. I’m pleased to say that the gains identified in the recently released results from the MCAP (Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program) taken by our students last spring offer reason for optimism. Significant growth was shown in ELA (reading and writing) at several schools, including Hurlock Elementary, Sandy Hill Elementary, Vienna Elementary, Warwick Elementary, and C-SDHS. In math, our results were not as good as hoped, mirroring the results of the state as a whole. However, the most promising growth occurred at Hurlock Elementary and South Dorchester School. School-level data summarizing the county’s results can be found at https://tinyurl.com/abn7a3ry. Lastly, as the Thanksgiving break approaches next week and we reflect upon our blessings, I am grateful for the trust you put in Dorchester County Public Schools to help shape the future of our children and our County. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

As American Education Week ends, let’s have one more look at a few of the ‘favorites’ our students have about their schools. Take it away, Luis, Jamie, and Jayonna: Luis, 12th grade, North Dorchester High School: “The teachers work hard to make a difference.” Jamie, 2nd grade, Maple Elementary School: “I like when we have House meetings because they’re so fun.” Jayonna, 12th grade, C-SD: “The best thing is Power Hour – it gives us time with friends and time for meetings, like Student Government.” #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS