Dorchester County Public Schools -

This past weekend, Dorchester County Public Schools Pupil Personnel Worker Dr. Charles Pinkett received the Distinguished Service Award from the Maryland Association of Pupil Personnel! Dr. Pinkett is completing his 29th year with DCPS and has supported countless youngsters throughout those years, both as a PPW and in other capacities, professional and personal. Congratulations, Dr. Pinkett, on your well-deserved recognition! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Career Day isn’t just for the big kids! Many of our elementary schools invite community partners to introduce possible career directions for our younger students. On Friday, it was Choptank Elementary School’s turn, with 2nd through 5th graders learning about fields as diverse as healthcare, banking, law enforcement, and more. We’re grateful to these community-minded businesses and organizations for taking the time to meet our students: ALL4LOVE Cambridge Police Department Dorchester County Emergency Services Dorchester County Health Department Dorchester County Public Library I’d Rather Johns Hopkins Community Partners Rescue Fire Company Shore United Bank #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Thank you to the Dorchester County Public Schools team of Speech Language Pathologists who work with students to improve their communication skills, thus improving their academic progress and building confidence! Erin Beelen, C-SD, DCTC, Vienna Elementary School Gabby Leclerc, Hurlock Elementary School, North Dorchester High School Beth McDonald, Sandy Hill Elementary School Taylor Palamaras, Mace’s Lane Middle School, South Dorchester School Carol Lee Russ, Infants and Toddlers Larissa Street, Maple Elementary School Nicole Toye, Warwick Elementary School, North Dorchester Middle School Natalie Trice, Choptank Elementary School, South Dorchester School Ren Singh, Choptank Elementary School Morgan Widdowson, Infants and Toddlers #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to the C-SD scholar athletes who will continue their sport in college! • Mackenzie Morrissette is heading to Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, where she will play lacrosse. She’s pictured here with her parents Cat and Dave Morrissette, coaches Brooke Webster and Lynn Shoop, and DCPS Athletic Director Casey O’Bier. • Blake LaBelle is celebrating becoming a Bobcat, playing football at Frostburg State University. He is surrounded by his Viking football coaches and his parents. • Aaron Evans (not pictured) will also play football during his collegiate career at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania. Good luck, and may the scores always be in your favor! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

North Dorchester High School students had the opportunity to explore numerous career options at last week’s Career Expo Networking Event at the school! Organized by Career Coach Ms. Audrey Roberts, students from freshmen to seniors were able to meet and ask questions of representatives from a variety of fields., as pictured below. Also pictured is Del. Chris Adams, Career Coach Audrey Roberts, and Chamber of Commerce President Bill Christopher. Thank you to those businesses who attended and/or contributed in some way to its success: Del. Chris Adams Chesapeake College Coast Guard Delaware Elevator Department of Labor – Amanda Burrows Department of Natural Resources – Harriet Tubman State Park Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce East New Market Fire Department Harvest Drive Greenhouses Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Marines Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) Maryland State Police Maryland Youth Apprenticeship Mountaire Shore Rivers Tuckahoe State Park UMES – Nadine Burton WHCP – Amanda Tilghman Workforce Development #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to these Dorchester County Public Schools winners in the Young People’s Art Show! The show, with works by students from most of our schools, is open until May 25 at Dorchester Center for the Arts, 321 High St. in Cambridge. Elementary Schools: 1st place – Brooklyn Camper, 3rd grade, Hurlock Elementary School 2nd place – Helen Herrera-Roblero, 2nd grade, Hurlock Elementary School 3rd place – Johan Lopez-Velasquez, Kindergarten, Maple Elementary School Middle Schools: 1st place – Mackenzie Clarke-Gainer, 8th grade, North Dorchester Middle School 2nd place – Autumn Koski, 8th grade, North Dorchester Middle School 3rd place – Reagan Friend, 8th grade, North Dorchester Middle School High Schools: 1st place – Haylie Seigle, 12th grade, North Dorchester High School 2nd place – Owen Turner, 11th grade, Cambridge-South Dorchester High School 3rd place – Macy Peterson, 10th grade, North Dorchester High School Top Digital work: Wyatt Parrigin, 7th grade, South Dorchester School Best in Show: Mackenzie Clarke-Gainer, 8th grade, North Dorchester High School #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

As our school buses were off the road yesterday, it gave the DCPS Transportation folks an opportunity for training. Here are Special Ed drivers and attendants renewing their CPR certifications, helping to ensure the safety of our kiddos! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The Every Student Succeeds Act requires all schools to assess 95% or more of their students in ELA and mathematics. The final day for students to submit their answers is Friday May 31st. Help us by encouraging your students to try their best on these test events and to follow up for a make-up session if they are absent. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Here’s just one more item from last week’s Teacher Appreciation Week, showing the connection between educators. Dr. Barbara Woolford, a 39-year-veteran of Dorchester County Public Schools before her retirement, and a former principal at Maple Elementary School, dropped by the school last week to deliver some ice cream treats for Teacher Appreciation Week - wearing the shirt signed by staff members she was given when she left Maple in 1996! Dr. Woolford continues as a DCPS supporter through the Dorchester Retired School Personnel Association (DRSPA) and is pictured here with Maple’s present principal, Ms. Myesha Ford. Thank you, Dr. Woolford and DRSPA! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

As the new week begins, please remember two things: 1. Tomorrow (Tuesday, May 14, 2024), school is VIRTUAL for ALL students. Today elementary and middle school students will be bringing home paper packets of work to be completed tomorrow and returned to their school on Wednesday. High school students will work online through Schoology. Your student will have any further information pertaining to individual schools. This change is because many DCPS buildings are being used as polling places for the state’s Primary Election. 2. VOTE! Have a great week! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

What was up with Thursday night’s traffic jam in Secretary? The hottest ticket in town, that’s what! Warwick Elementary School had its annual Spring Fine Arts Night, which was very fine indeed. WES kiddos had the opportunity to display their vocal and instrumental skills, under the direction of Music Teacher Mr. Robert Lewis, as well as their artistic talents, under the direction of Art Teacher Ms. Darrah Baden, and Mother Nature cooperated to enable it to be outdoors. Great show, Huskies! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The regular monthly meeting of the Board of Education will be held on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at the Central Office of the Board of Education, 700 Glasgow St., 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.

The BE-U Ambassadors and Dream Big Academy at Mace’s Lane Middle School welcomed two distinguished visitors to their Career Leadership Lunch and Learn yesterday. Ms. Joy Thomas-Moore, a vastly experienced media consultant, journalist, and editor (and, as it happens, mother of Maryland Governor Wes Moore) and Mr. Kevin Beverly, originally from Taylor’s Island, Maryland, a graduate of Cambridge High School, and the now-retired President and CEO of Social Scientific Systems, Inc. spoke to the MLMS students about leadership, philanthropy, and following their heart in determining a choice of career. Welcomed by Interim Superintendent Dr. Jymil Thompson, students listened raptly as Ms. Moore and Mr. Beverly spoke of their careers, urging the youngsters to take advantage of opportunities as they come along, but to also remember to think of others and “pay it forward”. Thank you to these inspiring professionals for sharing their stories with our youngsters, to Mr. Chris Branch for sponsoring the Dream Big Academy and for catering the lunch, and to Ms. Shay Lewis-Sisco for working with the BE-U Ambassadors and organizing this event. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Dorchester County, you’ve been showing the love for our teachers this week! Teacher Appreciation Week involved lots of goodies at schools, including lunches, massages, ice cream, flowers, more lunches, s’mores, doughnuts, beach towels, bags and bags of snacks and (you guessed it!) more lunches! Thank you to those individuals, organizations, parents, and students who have made our teachers feel special: American Legion Post 91 Ladies Auxiliary; Cambridge Police Department; Bondservants; Zeta Phi Beta sorority; South Dorchester School parents coordinated by Erin Scheele; 3C USA Church; Warwick Elementary P.A.W.S.; Anonymous; Hailey Pritchett and family; Hooper’s Island General Store; Dorchester Retired School Personnel Association; Church Creek Market; Erica Wright; April Hall; the Williams Family; and others known and appreciated by their school. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month, and congratulations to the student winners of the Mental Health Awareness Poster Contest organized by Student Services at Dorchester County Public Schools! Check out the posters and the youngsters’ messages about good mental health in businesses throughout Dorchester County, thanks to the efforts of the Chamber of Commerce. This year’s winners are: Leah Parker, Hurlock Elementary School; Ja’Miah Simms, Mace’s Lane Middle School; Taylor Oldham, Sandy Hill Elementary School; Taylor Budd, Warwick Elementary School; Deshaela Adams, C-SD; Audrey Tsala, Maple Elementary School; Serenity Cephas, Choptank Elementary School; Josie Beans, North Dorchester Middle School; Harleigh Littleton, Vienna Elementary School; and Jessica Cowgill, North Dorchester High School. Winners each received a $50 Walmart gift card, thanks to the generosity of contest sponsors Creative Spaces Child Therapy, LLC; Harvesting Hope Youth & Family Wellness, Inc.; Corsica River Mental Health Services; Dorchester County Health Department; Channel Market, Inc.; Magalene Molock, retired educator; Grandma’s Kitchen Co.; and Walmart itself! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Congratulations to the Dorchester County Public Schools Administrators of the Month for March and April! Honorees Mr. Jerome Stover of Cambridge-South Dorchester High School and Ms. Dawn Corkran of Hurlock Elementary School are pictured, flanking Interim Superintendent Dr. Jymil Thompson. Our principals rock! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The Rotary Club of Cambridge recently invited Katelyn Robinson, Dorchester County Public School Teacher of the Year 2024-25 and our two First Class Teachers of the Year, Jordan Lewis and Haley Wright, along with their principals, to their weekly meeting. The teachers were all presented with gift cards in appreciation of their work with Dorchester County children. Also in attendance was Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jymil Thompson, who extended his appreciation to the Rotarians for recognizing the teachers in this way. Thank you, Rotary! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Today is National School Nurse Day! We celebrate and thank our school nurses for the important role they play in keeping all students in school, healthy, safe, and ready to learn! Carin Budd, North Dorchester Middle School Michelle Dietrich, Choptank Elementary School Betty Feldmeier, Vienna Elementary School (part-time) Paula Hurley, Vienna Elementary School (part-time) Carlie Marshall, C-SD Shelby Melton, Sandy Hill Elementary School (part-time) Dania Moxey, Warwick Elementary School Hope Padilla, Maple Elementary School Tammy Rue, North Dorchester High School Courtney Travers, South Dorchester School Stacy Thompson, Hurlock Elementary School Traci Tull, Mace’s Lane Middle School Adrienne Welch, Float Nurse Beth Ball, Substitute Donna Payne, Substitute Marcia Spicer, Supervisor of School Health #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Get your hankies ready, Moms and Dads; your little ones aren’t so little anymore! The C-SD Class of 2024 is ready to hit the road! Caps and gowns were distributed today by Administrative Secretary Rhonda Robertson - take a look at George Spry, Mia Jackson, and Jayonna Austin looking all grown up! C-SD Social Worker Kevonya Moment couldn’t wait to get a peek at soon-to-be graduate daughter Kassidy Young. Only twenty-three days until Vikings cross that stage! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Next Tuesday, May 14, 2024, is an asynchronous Virtual Day of school due to many of our schools being used as polling places for the Maryland State Primary Election. Generally speaking, high school students will be working online with Schoology; middle school and elementary school students will be issued paper assignments. Look out for more specific information coming from your child’s school! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS