Dorchester County Public Schools -

One day last week, a student in Ms. Tabita Enciu’s geometry class at North Dorchester High School looked out the window and noticed an American flag looking rather worse for wear on a neighboring flagpole. The class started talking about the flag, concluded a new American flag was needed for the neighbor to display, and the old one should be retired respectfully. The students pooled some money, the American Legion Post 91 was contacted, and Mr. Walt Moore and friend from the American Legion showed up at the school yesterday with a brand-new flag - for no charge - taking the old flag away to be disposed of properly. Ms. Enciu’s students watched from outside the school as the new flag was raised. Thank you to Ms. Enciu and her students for caring and thank you to Mr. Moore and American Legion Post 91 for making it all happen. Today there’s one more American flag flying proudly over North Dorchester - this is what community looks like! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Welcome to the Week of Love! We love our staff and this week we are sharing some reasons why they love working for us too! First up is Michelle Lewis, Head Custodian at Warwick Elementary School. Ms. Lewis says she loves working at Dorchester County Public Schools because of “all the smiles and hugs from the kids” and how she “feels appreciated by the students and staff”. <3 Want to be part of DCPS and feel the love? Check out our website: https://www.dcps.k12.md.us/ #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Introducing January’s Athletes of the Month! At North Dorchester High School, all the honors went to basketball players. Varsity Boys Athlete of the Month is senior Jamar Williams; the Varsity Girls recognition went to junior Jules Tobat; and the Junior Varsity award was picked up by Christian Chase. Thank you to Farm Creek Insurance for sponsoring the Varsity awards and to Triton Entertainment (Cambridge/Easton Premier Cinemas) for the Junior Varsity awards. Over at C-SD, Athlete of the Month honors went to 12th grade George Spry from the wrestling team and swimmer Christina Hyde, a swimmer. Congratulations to all these star athletes! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Recently the “Science of Reading” has been in the news, as the Maryland State Board of Education passed a resolution calling for all Maryland school districts to use literacy instruction based on the Science of Reading by the 2024-2025 school year. Here in Dorchester County Public Schools, we’re already ahead of the curve, with most of our reading instruction based on elements of the Science of Reading for over a decade and continuing under our Supervisor of Reading/English Language Arts K-12 Dr. Laura Aberg. Here are just a few of our 30+ elementary teachers who last week spent a day continuing their in-depth training in LETRS – Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling – as part of our ongoing commitment to the Science of Reading. We currently have 96 people in LETRS training, including all K-3 teachers not previously trained, and by the end of the summer will have three staff who have undergone the rigorous training necessary to be LETRS facilitators. We’re working hard to ensure that #WeAreReadersDCPS #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Isn’t it great when students seize opportunities and use them in creative ways? That is what North Dorchester High School senior Izzy Juarez did when she signed up for the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM) course at DCTC, taught by Ms. Cherie Robinson. Izzy saw TAM as a way to get experience working with young children, which will help her as she pursues her planned career as a Registered Pediatric Dietician. That’s a great thing about CTE courses: the skills learned don’t necessarily tie a student to a particular path but can be useful in so many contexts. Happy CTE Month! #CreateYourFutureDCTC #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to Ms. Ashley Robinson, principal of Dorchester Career and Technology Center and Ms. Jennifer Green, principal of South Dorchester School! Ms. Robinson was named DCPS Administrator of the Month for December and Ms. Green was chosen January’s Administrator of the Month. They are pictured with Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jymil Thompson, who said, “We are grateful for the professionalism and leadership in which Mrs. Robinson and Ms. Green provide to Dorchester County Public Schools. Their positive attitudes and enthusiasm play an essential part in the academic achievement of students. Both Mrs. Robinson and Ms. Green share a dedication and passion in education making them true assets to our community.” We're glad they're part of Team DCPS! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

We’re sneaking in at the end of it, but we want to make sure we give a shout-out to our hard-working, kid-loving, ever-busy, always-smiling (well, almost!) School Counselors on National School Counseling Week! These often-unsung heroes work tirelessly to help students develop the academic and social skills they need to succeed. Well, unsung no more! We thank you for the important role you play in Dorchester County Public Schools! • Cambridge-South Dorchester High School: William Alexander, Wendy Bowens, Jessica Collins, and Raymond Perry • Choptank Elementary School: Cherokee Bonilla and Annie Plumley • Dorchester Career and Technology Center: Angela Bozman • Hurlock Elementary School: Heather Powell • Mace’s Lane Middle School: Wesley Cooper, Jammie Dutton, and Kurtis Thomas • Maple Elementary School: Madison Sharp and Allen White • New Directions Learning Academy: Allison Atkins • North Dorchester High School: Ami Parks, Kaitlyn Prekrel, and Tyneika Young • North Dorchester Middle School: Jacqueline Hunteman and Jennifer Lake • Sandy Hill Elementary School: Vanessa Bynum and Donald Reisch • South Dorchester School: Jamie Willey • Vienna Elementary School: Michelle Frost • Warwick Elementary School: Amanda Hubbert • Supervisor of School Counseling: LaSina Branch #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Eleven energetic DCTC Cosmetology students, all SkillsUSA members, plus teacher Ms. Jenny Budd, might have set a speed record while packing 400 bags yesterday for Dorchester County Public Schools’ good friend, MidShore Meals til Monday! All DCPS students are eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch on school days, and Meals til Monday helps fill the weekend gap by providing bags with meals for students to take home on Friday afternoons. Thank you, girls, for your efforts! If you are part of a group or business who could give an hour or two to help pack bags for Meals til Monday, Pam Allen would love to hear from you. Email her at pam@midshoremealstilmonday or call 443-225-6789. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

We continue to celebrate CTE Month by introducing another member of the Class of 2024 who is creating their future with the help of a CTE course! Mia Jackson, a C-SD senior, will soon complete the Automotive Technology course at DCTC, taught by Mr. Mike Perry. Mia knew she wanted to work with her hands and after trying several options through the DCTC cluster, she found her happy place working with motors. She spent last summer working at a local marina, and next fall she’ll be heading to The Landing School in Arundel, Maine on their two-year course, learning to build wooden boats and repair boat motors. We’re proud of Mia and pleased that a CTE course at DCTC helped get her where she wants to be! #CreateYourFutureDCTC #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Job interviews are nerve-wracking, and especially if you’ve never done one before. That’s why we are grateful to the Dorchester Chamber of Commerce for answering the call from DCTC’s chapter of SkillsUSA to help organize professionals from local businesses and other organizations to visit the school for mock interviews yesterday, giving more students interview experience and valuable feedback before facing the real thing. Our thanks go to: • Bill Christopher, Dorchester Chamber of Commerce • Holly Gilpin, Dorchester County Tourism • Susan Banks, Dorchester County Economic Development • Lori Nagel, Farm Creek Insurance • Amy Craig, Dorchester County Courts • David Capobianco, Dorchester County Courts • Matt Leonard, CWDI • Chris Wheedleton, Moving Dorchester Forward • Jackie Wongus, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay • Kayleigh Mills, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay • Brandon Hallbrook, Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay • George Ames, Chief Judge, Dorchester County Orphans Court #AllHandsOnDeck

When Hurlock Elementary School heard their good friends, the Hurlock Lions Club, was collecting pull tabs to raise money for Ronald McDonald House, they pitched in, making it a competition between the school houses. Which house would collect the most pull tabs for the Lions? Congratulations to the House of Tvorivost', who brought in the most pull tabs, but everyone wins when they work together for a good cause! Here are a few Mighty Eagles with just some of the huge haul of pull tabs amassed by Hurlock families – thank you all! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

This is Meredith Thompson, Media Specialist at Hurlock Elementary School, and now a nominee for Maryland School Librarian of the Year! Often found with a book in her hand herself, Ms. Thompson loves her job and believes its most important aspect is “to instill a love of books and reading in my students.” Congratulations and good luck, Ms. Thompson, and thank you for encouraging our kiddos to go “just one chapter more!” #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

February is Career and Technology Education (CTE) Month! Over the next few weeks we’ll be introducing you to a few members of the Class of 2024 who are completing CTE courses at DCTC, let them tell you why they chose their course, and how it is helping them create their future. We start off with C-SD student Jaden Ferguson who will soon be a welding completer thanks to his hard work with teacher Mr. Chris Baker. Through the DCTC cluster, Jaden says he got a taste of a few courses and determined welding was a great fit. He already has his eye on a position with a local company – good luck, Jaden! #CreateYourFutureDCTC #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Here is the revised calendar for the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year. Three of the four designated inclement weather days for this school year have now been used. This means that the last day of school is now June 14, 2024 and that the Tuesday following Spring Break (April 2, 2024) is now a school day. We have one more day remaining as an inclement weather day – Thursday, March 28, 2024, the Thursday before Spring Break. If that is used and more days are still required, DCPS will move to our virtual day plan. Keep those fingers crossed for fine weather! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Announcing the cream of the crop, the top of the heap, the best of the best . . . the finalists for Dorchester County Public Schools Teacher of the Year for 2024-25! Congratulations go to: Elementary Schools • Emma Brant, 3rd grade teacher, Choptank Elementary School • Jennifer Filopovic, Kindergarten teacher, Hurlock Elementary School • Katelyn Robinson, Pre-K teacher, Maple Elementary School • Christy Starling, Pre-K3 teacher, Sandy Hill Elementary School • Christie Carels, 4th grade teacher, South Dorchester School • Heather Rhinehart, 2nd grade teacher, Warwick Elementary School Secondary Schools • Colleen Carney, Social Studies teacher, Cambridge-South Dorchester High School • Anthony Thomas, Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness/Criminal Justice teacher, Dorchester Career and Technology Center • Kaylen Trice, Science teacher, North Dorchester High School • Kierra Farrare, Mathematics teacher, Mace’s Lane Middle School • Crystal Carpenter, Mathematics teacher, North Dorchester Middle School We also congratulate the finalists for Dorchester County Public Schools’ First Class Teacher of the Year Award, the recognition of an exceptionally promising teacher during their first year of teaching: • Jordan Lewis, Pre-K teacher, Choptank Elementary School • Devyn Thompson, Reading and Language Arts teacher, Mace’s Lane Middle School • Haley Wright, 4th grade teacher, Maple Elementary School • Brianna Sann, 1st grade teacher, Sandy Hill Elementary School You’ll be learning more about these exemplary teachers in the weeks leading up to the Teacher of the Year and First Class Teacher of the Year Annual Awards Reception, to be held on Tuesday, March 26, 2024. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

February is Black History Month, and Maple Elementary School was quick out of the gate yesterday, inviting guest readers to share books celebrating African-American history and culture! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

These kiddos are here to remind you of the importance of the Board of Education’s Budget Work Session to be held tomorrow, Thursday, February 1, 2024, 4:30 pm, at the Central Office of the Board of Education, 700 Glasgow St., Cambridge. The focus of the meeting will be on the budget for elementary schools. What are your thoughts? What should be the priorities? If you can’t make the meeting, email your comments to comments@dcpsmd.org by 2:00 pm on the day of the meeting. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

DCPS University has been in session this week because, as a teaching and learning organization, it’s important we practice what we preach. Teachers and many support staff were ‘in class’ yesterday and today, sometimes as teachers, sometimes as learners, but always with the end goal of being better able to serve our students. DCPS staff with specialized expertise or who have simply figured out something that works really well in their classrooms are sharing with colleagues for most sessions, but we have welcomed a few external trainers as well. This afternoon, staff have almost 50 short courses from which to choose, a program put together by Director of Curriculum and Assessment Dr. Jodi Colman and team. We look forward to welcoming OUR students back to the classroom tomorrow (Wednesday, January 31) to try out all this newfound knowledge on THEIR students! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The Board of Education of Dorchester County will conduct a Budget Work Session with comments from the public on Thursday, February 1, 2024, 4:30 pm, in the Board Room at the Central Office of the Board of Education, 700 Glasgow St., Cambridge. The agenda and related documents can be accessed online via BoardDocs on the Dorchester County Public Schools website at www.dcps.k12.md.us. Anyone unable to attend but who would like to submit public comments electronically to be included in the minutes can email comments@dcpsmd.org by 2:00 pm, Thursday, February 1, 2024. All open Board of Education meetings will be livestreamed at https://townhallstreams.com/towns/dorchesterboe.

The Rotary Club of Cambridge is a long-time friend of Dorchester County Public Schools, and Superintendent Dave Bromwell was invited to bring the Club up to date with new initiatives at its January meeting. Here he is with Club President-Elect Angie Hengst. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS