Dorchester County Public Schools -

Attention elementary parents! There are BIG changes ahead for elementary report cards! All will be revealed (and more!) at your child’s Back-to-School Night. Here’s the schedule: Hurlock Elementary, Wed., 9/13, 5:30 Warwick Elementary, Tues., 9/19, 5:30 Vienna Elementary, Tues., 9/19, 5:30 Sandy Hill Elementary, Tues., 9/19, 5:30-7:00 South Dorchester School, Thurs., 9/21, 5:30 Choptank Elementary, Thurs., 9/21, 4:00-6:00 Maple Elementary (PreK – 2nd grade), Thurs., 9/21, 5:30-7:00 Maple Elementary (3rd – 5th grade), Thurs., 9/28, 5:30-7:00 #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Dear Crabby Nation, It’s only the first week of school, but students all over Dorchester County have been writing letters to welcome you to the best event ever, Ironman Maryland 2023! Here are Ms. Crystal and Ms. Ray’s 5th grade classes at Warwick Elementary School working on their letters, offering encouragement, and even advice as you prepare for the Big Day. As you can see, we think you’re awesome and we’ll be cheering you on in just nine days! With love from your friends at Dorchester County Public Schools ❤

This morning, Dorchester County Public Schools welcomed (take a deep breath) our Classes of 2038 and 2037 to Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 and the Class of 2036 to Kindergarten! Here are a few of those kiddos from Maple Elementary and South Dorchester School. There’s an important journey ahead and we are delighted to have all these little learners on board with us! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Dorchester County Public Schools hosted a distinguished visitor today, Brigadier General (Ret.) Warner Sumpter, a member of the Maryland State Board of Education. BG (Ret.) Sumpter, along with Superintendent Dave Bromwell, Dorchester County Board of Education President Dr. Susan Morgan and member Sheri Hubbard, toured Hurlock Elementary and North Dorchester Middle Schools with principals Dawn Corkran and Vaughn Evans, who couldn’t be prouder of their Mighty Eagles and Owls! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Starting in Kindergarten, they’ve been through 12 first days of school together, but today, the 13th, is significant – it is their last. To mark the occasion, members of North Dorchester Class of 2024 gathered outside the school stadium this morning to see the sun rise together on their last first day of school. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Hurlock Elementary’s Mighty Eagles looked their best for the first day of school this morning, thanks to generous stylists and barbers in the community! Thank you to Mr. Vaughn Bowen, Mr. Kevin Cephas, Ms. Ebony Cornish, Ms. Elaine Stiegler, Ms. Tyronda Woolford, and Ms. Lisa Green for donating their skills last week to cut, style, braid, trim, bead, and do whatever ensured that the Mighty Eagles looked and felt great. Organized by and at the school, over 40 students signed up for the pampering treatment and left looking absolutely fab! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

All aboard! Our fleet of schools began loading this morning, preparing for the exciting year-long journey ahead of us! First through 5th, along with 6th and 9th graders, climbed aboard. Here are a few of the first-day faces of Sandy Hill and Choptank Elementary! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Once upon a time there was a family of Backpack Buddies living in Pre-Kindergarten teacher Katelyn Robinson’s Maple Elementary classroom, just waiting for someone to adopt them, giving them fur-ever homes. Lucky for them, at Friday’s Open House, Ms. Robinson’s new students received their new backpacks that needed a bit of personalization. Students chose their new Backpack Buddy, the adoptions were quickly finalized, and everyone lived happily ever after. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Dorchester County Public Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, September 4, 2023, in observance of Labor Day.

How dedicated are our teachers? Here’s North Dorchester Middle School science teacher Amber Knoepfel at the school’s Open House yesterday, although she is on maternity leave following the birth of sweet little Gabriella less than a month ago. “I wanted to make sure I met my students before I return later in the fall,” she said. Oh, yes, our teachers are the best! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

There were lots of hugs and “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown!” at our schools’ Open Houses today! Students and teachers got a glimpse of how great this school year is going to be as everyone prepares to cast off on Opening Day(s) next week! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

For many of our county’s children, the first “school” face they’ll see on their First Day of School will be someone like Ms. Bonita or Mr. Frankie, charged with the great responsibility of getting them from bus stop to school and back again safely. But we ALL have a responsibility to help Ms. Bonita, Mr. Frankie and the 85 other Dorchester County school bus drivers keep our children safe. Make sure your children know the safest walking route to their bus stop. Talk to them about appropriate behavior while on the bus. When driving, remain vigilant for small pedestrians who may be excited and distracted and do something unexpected. And never, ever, ever even think about passing a stopped school bus with flashing red lights from any direction. Never. Our bus drivers look forward to a safe year and doing their important part to ensure Dorchester County’s children stay safe! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Say hello to our painting, assembling, hanging, desk-moving, laminating, cutting, stapling, sign-making, organizing crew! It’s been a busy week for our teachers, with professional development sessions interspersed with classroom preparation. It’s all getting ready for the arrival of next week’s VIPs – Very Important Pupils! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

There will be a Special Closed Meeting of the Board of Education to be held on Thursday, August 31, 2023, at the Board of Education building, 700 Glasgow St., in Cambridge. This Closed Session will begin at 3:00 pm, with the purpose of discussing personnel. Because this meeting consists only of a Closed Session, there will be no livestreaming.

TONIGHT! You are invited to join a Back to School virtual community conversation from 6:00 to 7:30, organized by Moving Dorchester Forward. Join in on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84382756732.... Meeting ID: 843 8275 6732; Passcode: 941780; If dialing in: +1 301 715 8592. Join leaders from Dorchester County Public Schools as well as Community Partners who provide supports for our students before and after school, as well as key tools and resources for parents and caregivers. Learn more about: • Early Learning resources – The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Early Childhood Advisory Council. • New resources and connections to the business community – Community Liaisons, Career Coaches, Maryland Youth Apprenticeship Program, Chamber Education Committee. • Parent resources and supports – Parents Empowering Parents (PEP) • Ways that ALL can get involved – Mentoring and tutoring programs, Volunteer opportunities. • Discussion of what else is needed. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Here at DCPS, we love the First Day of School so much, we have three of them! But there’s a good reason for this. A phased start to the school year helps those in transition years. Sixth graders new to middle school and 9th graders new to high school have a day at their new school without the older students, to start to find their way around, learn a new system, and generally become familiar and more comfortable with a new environment. The later start for PreK and Kindergarten allows parent/teacher meetings to take place the previous two days so PreK and Kindergarten teachers can learn more about the little ones soon to be in their care, from the folks who know them best. It all helps get the school year off to a smooth start! This year’s starting schedule is: Tuesday, September 5: Grades 1-5, 6, and 9 report. Grades 1-8 report at South Dorchester School only. Wednesday, September 6: Grades 1-12 report. Thursday, September 7: PreK and Kindergarten report. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Don’t forget your child’s Back-to-School Open House, this Friday, September 1! This is an opportunity to meet the teachers and see the classrooms! Times are as follows: C-SD 2-4 pm Choptank Elementary 3-5 pm Hurlock Elementary 3-6 pm Mace’s Lane Middle School 2-4 pm Maple Elementary 3-5 pm North Dorchester High 2-4 pm North Dorchester Middle 2-4 pm Sandy Hill Elementary 3-5 pm South Dorchester School 2-4 pm Warwick Elementary 3-5 pm Vienna Elementary 3-5 pm

This is just a reminder that clear backpacks are mandatory this year for DCPS students! Schools will be distributing them to all students. Here’s a swaggle of backpacks in their natural habitat, patiently awaiting their new 3rd grade owners at Sandy Hill Elementary. See you next week!

Congratulations and a BIG thank you to staff who were recognized for their service to Dorchester County Public Schools at our recent Kick-Off event for the new school year! 35 years: Reginald Thomas III 30 years: Thomas Cleary, Jennifer Green, William Horsey III, Peter Piatras, Henry Rosario, and Tonya Thompson 25 years: Daniel Catron, Jodi Colman, Renee Harding, Chris Hauge, Sandy Shaw, Holly Spicer, and Katherine Willoughby 20 years: Gloria James, Rhonda Robertson, Jennifer Bailey, Laurie Barnes, Meloney Desire, Karen McGowan, and Michael Overton 15 years: Stacey Brown, Alleen Messick, Megan Daniels, Ashley Eberspacher, Dawn Gootee, Katie Holbrook, Kelly Hornsby, Stephany Perry, John Prekrel #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Yesterday we were delighted to welcome Mark McCauley, General Manager of Hertrich Kia in Easton, to our Kick-Off event at Dorchester County Public Schools to present our 2023-2024 Teacher of the Year Briana Buelah with a brand new Kia Seltos for her use during her reign. Ms. Beulah is pictured with Superintendent of Schools Mr. Bromwell, her daughter, 4th grade Hurlock Elementary student Milan, Mr. McCauley, and Ms. Beulah’s new set of wheels! We thank Hertrich Family of Automobile Dealerships for being a long-time supporter of Teacher of the Year programs throughout the area.