Congratulations to the Dorchester County Public Schools student-athletes who have qualified for the Cross-Country State Championships! North Dorchester High School freshman Adison Thomas placed 10th in regionals and C-SD junior Camryn Russum placed 13th, qualifying both as individuals for the girls’ state championship. Vikings Te’kai Drummond (6th) and Zy’Meir Wilson (15th), also juniors, were individual qualifiers for the boys. The C-SD boys team also qualified for the team event at States: sophomores Preston Adkins and Andrew Albert, as well as juniors Te’kai Drummond, Josiah Harris Zy’Meir Wilson, and Jacob Forkum will be running for gold. Clint Falduto is the boys’ coach and Lois Narr coaches the girls at C-SD while Bryan Waters is the girls’ coach at ND. Next stop for all these hard-working, hard-playing student-athletes is the State Championships next Saturday, November 11! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Grandparents and ‘Grandfriends’ spent time this morning at Choptank Elementary School, enjoying a small breakfast before sharing an activity in their favorite little person’s classroom! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Opportunities in the dental professions are growing, and 47 C-SD students were on hand at a recent event at the school to learn more about dental careers. Organized by C-SD Career Coach Ms. Sandy Shaw, the school welcomed Ms. Arlene Guagliano, Regional Oral Health Coordinator for the Maryland Department of Health, who discussed various roles in dentistry, along with educational requirements and the importance of dentistry in maintaining good health. Ms. Guagliano even brought along her friend Dexter the Dummy, enabling enthusiastic students to view his teeth and aspects of oral hygiene with the use of real tools, from the view of a dentist! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Happy Halloween! From a Scrabble board to Spiderman, from the Spice Girls to superheroes – lots and lots of superheroes – DCPS staff and students have had you covered today! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Today may mark the end of National Principals Month, but not the end of our gratitude and respect for the dedicated women and men who lead our schools! Today we salute Ms. Debbie Gibson, principal of Sandy Hill Elementary School. What does Ms. Gibson love about her role? “The best part of being a principal is being able to work with all the kids and watch them grow,” she says, adding, “I love working with our amazing staff and students to build a strong sense of community within our building and our Hives.” Thank you for inspiring all of Sandy Hill’s Bees, Ms. Gibson! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS #ThankAPrincipal
Hurlock Elementary School’s bus loop turned into a real, live Candy Land on Friday evening with the annual Trunk or Treat event! School staff and students all dressed for the occasion, from Ariel, Sebastian, and friends from Under the Sea (aka the Kindergarten team) to skeletons, scarecrows, pirates, bats, and more. Activities included pumpkin decorating, a hayride, and did we mention candy collection? Thank you to the many community partners who helped make such a fun, family evening! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
A reminder that schools will be closed on Wednesday, November 1 for a Staff Professional Development Day. We’ll see you bright and early on Thursday! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Students in our schools earn points for being respectful, responsible, safe, persistent, having a good attitude, and for achievement, which they can cash in to “purchase” items from their Class or School Store. In Ms. Jeanell Todd’s 4th grade class at Vienna Elementary, a few of the items for purchase include such fun items as bringing a stuffed friend to class, having your shoes off in the classroom, or . . . picking your teacher’s hair style. Ms. Todd picks up the story from there . . .
“So far, six students have chosen “pick your teacher’s hair style’. I bring in my brush, hair ties, and accessories. The students then go to town brushing my hair, sectioning my hair, braiding it, or twisting it. Sometimes they request a friend to help them. As they work during breakfast time on my new ‘do, we chat, giggle, and bond with each other. Once they are finished, I take a picture of the hairstyle and a photo with them. I also wear a sticker all day saying “Hair By (student’s name) so everyone knows who gave me the beautiful hairdo.
On Thursday, it was one of my boys’ turn to style my hair and he asked his friend to help him. I had misplaced my hair ties and only had two, so the boys came up with a new plan, deciding that my Days of the Week large binder clips would work perfectly. So, they did! Proud as punch they were, and so was I. Did I look silly? Yes. But I made a connection with those boys in the most unusual way, plus they were persistent and creative. I’m always proud of my hair displays but this one was just a little extra special. I’m now a bit worried about the next kid who chooses to style my hair . . . are they going to try to one-up those boys and make me look silly? Maybe, but it’s worth it!!”
Yes, we have THE BEST teachers!
#AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Parents are our partners in education, which is why schools have activities like Thursday night’s Fall Literacy Night for Grades 3-5 at Choptank Elementary! Families began the evening with a communal supper, and then got down to business with a book about a pumpkin named Jack. Students and parents then took turns at four fall-themed stations to practice and reinforce literacy skills through fun activities, the last ending with a custom-made pumpkin dessert. In addition, there were guessing games, a book raffle, and an opportunity to become a member of one of the most important institutions in Dorchester County – the public library! Fun and learning for all! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
It's no secret – Mr. Jerome Stover loves his job as principal of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School! Why? “I have the opportunity to shape the educational experience of students, create a positive school culture and help students and staff reach their full potential – there are so many rewarding benefits of being a principal!” he says. We thank you for your leadership and boundless enthusiasm, Mr. Stover! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS #ThankAPrincipal
Thanks to our partnership with Dorchester Center for the Arts, we were able to welcome experienced chalk artists into some of our schools today to share their craft with many of our secondary art students! Chalk artist Randy Segura worked at Mace’s Lane Middle School, Colin Cessna at C-SD, and Lori Antoinette and Ed Krell worked with North Dorchester High School artists, all helping to launch art students into the world of chalk art.
These artists, plus some of the works completed today by our students, will be part of this weekend’s 2nd Annual Chalk Arts Festival to be held in the County Building parking lot in Cambridge. The students’ art exhibit will be in the atrium of the County Building. This family festival is free of charge, offering activities for all ages as well as live music, food, and art vendors, all sponsored by Dorchester County Tourism and Dorchester Center for the Arts. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Open the doors, and they will come – in droves! Warwick Elementary welcomed grandparents into the school Wednesday afternoon to share an activity, some refreshments, and the book fair with their grandchildren - an opportunity to spend time with some of their favorite little people and get insight into their school lives. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
“I want my students to obtain the skills they need to be successful, productive citizens in an ever-changing society,” says Ms. Jennifer Green, principal of South Dorchester School. “I want them to be kind, compassionate, and show empathy towards others always.” SDS is unique in Dorchester County, the only school that offers Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade together on one site, meaning Ms .Green oversees the responsibility for the education of children from age 4 through 14. We celebrate you, Ms. Green! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS #ThankAPrincipal
Orange is the color of Unity Day, an anti-bullying initiative reminding all of us to choose kindness, acceptance, and inclusion – all the time! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Last night’s Fine Arts Night at North Dorchester High School was a very fine taste of instrumental, vocal, and artistic talent by students and staff! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
The Board of Education of Dorchester County will hold a special Closed Session at 4:30 pm on Monday, October 30, 2023 at the Central Office of the Board of Education, 700 Glasgow St. in Cambridge to discuss matters of personnel.
Today we celebrate a principal who is all about community! Mace’s Lane Middle School principal Ms. Patricia Prosser, who is in her 20th year of being part of the Dorchester County Public Schools team, says, “The best part of being a principal is by far the kids and being part of the Cambridge community. I now have the children of my previous students and I love being part of their lives.” Happy National Principals Month, Ms. Prosser! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS #ThankAPrincipal
The recent blue skies have been a perfect backdrop to the good ol’ Stars and Stripes! Here are South Dorchester School 7th graders Jacob Moxey and Noah Snyder, who every morning serve their school and community by hoisting the school’s flags and every afternoon lowering them, storing them appropriately until the next day. Thank you, boys! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
Say hello to Dr. Donald Boyd, a new face at Dorchester County Public Schools! Dr. Boyd, an experienced educator hailing from the great state of Mississippi, is our new Supervisor of Strategic Initiatives, meaning he is the point person for overseeing the implementation of the new Maryland Blueprint for Education. “I’m working on how we will make this plan specific to what we need in Dorchester County,” said Dr. Boyd, “with the end goal of student achievement.” Dr. Boyd sees himself as a voice for the community and is interested in hearing thoughts from parents as well as sharing information about the Blueprint and what it means, to interested groups in the community. Welcome aboard, Dr. Boyd! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS
National Principals Month continues with a celebration of the leadership of Vienna Elementary School principal Ms. Susie Price! Ms. Price loves her job and says, “The very best part of being a principal is getting to know ALL of the students at your school instead of just one class!” One of our most experienced educators, we thank Ms. Price for serving the children of Dorchester County for 44 years – that’s a lot of children to get to know! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS #ThankAPrincipal
