So. Md Education News

News from the local county public and private schools and colleges.
Parents can apply now for free and reduced price meal benefits for the 2020-21 school year. The application is live on the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) website at https://www.myschoolapps.com/Application. The application includes a language option in Spanish for Spanish-speaking families. The language option is located in the upper-right hand corner of the application’s main screen. CCPS determines eligibility through income guidelines established by the federal government. CCPS...
The Charles County Board of Education voted today to start the 2020-21 school year with virtual learning for all students, with a goal of transitioning to Phase 2 as quickly as possible. Phase 2 would include in-person instruction for special populations of students. The first day of the 2020-21 school year is Monday, Aug. 31. The Board asked the Superintendent to conduct another survey, this time asking students in special populations and their parents, as well as all teachers, their...
Dr. J. Scott Smith, Superintendent of Schools, 301-475-5511, ext. 32178 Dr. Maureen Montgomery, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, 301-475-5511, ext. 32178 LEONARDTOWN, MD – St. Mary’s County Public Schools will host a virtual town hall on Wednesday, July 15, 2020, at 4:00 p.m. to discuss the planning process for the return to school in Fall 2020. Dr. J. Scott Smith, Superintendent, will share information with the community about how St. Mary’s County Public Schools will be addressing the...
St. Mary’s College Director of Publications Lee Capristo Wins 14th Award of Excellence for Writing Michael Bruckler July 13, 2020 - 9:19 am July 13, 2020 Lee Capristo, director of publications in St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Institutional Advancement/Integrated Marketing office, recently won an Award of Excellence in the 32nd Annual APEX Awards for Publication Excellence Competition. The award recognized the writing of the editor’s note column in the Mulberry Tree magazine over three...
Seven student-athletes from the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) were named to the 2019-20 National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-Academic Teams for maintaining a grade point average (GPA) above 3.6, the NJCAA announced last Friday. Sophomore Katelyn Kluh, member of the CSM’s volleyball and women’s basketball teams, and sophomore Sierra Walker with CSM’s women’s cross country team were named to the All-Academic First Team. This is Kluh’s second consecutive year making...
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan appointed Charles County resident Cordelia Postell to serve CSM as trustee, effective 2020 through 2025. Postell is an accomplished educator and leader in her military, civilian and faith-based paths in life. She has served in various capacities, to include science teacher, STEM school coordinator; Non-commissioned Officer in Charge, and in more recent years, as founding principal and administrator at all grades, pre-K through grade 12. Postell and her husband...
The following article is reprinted in its entirety with permission from the July 2 edition of Southern Maryland Woman Magazine, in which College of Southern Maryland President Dr. Maureen Murphy reflects on the American experience during a global pandemic and the important role community colleges have always played in closing social equity gaps. Dr. Murphy, you earned a Ph.D. in American Studies. Why? I am fascinated with the ever-changing American experience. [This country was] founded...
Town Hall Meetings with Region’s Businesses Underway The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) and the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland (TCCSMD) announce a new regional workforce development collaboration set to immediately respond to the economic catastrophe caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. TCCSMD’s Workforce Development Division and CSM’s Continuing Education & Workforce Development Division have partnered to launch the Getting Southern Maryland Back to Work initiative – a joint...
Visiting Associate Professor Sharpless Published in Sleep Medicine Angela Draheim July 08, 2020 - 4:50 pm July 08, 2020 Brian A. Sharpless, visiting associate professor of psychology, recently published an article in the journal Sleep Medicine with several colleagues from the U.S. and the U.K. The article, “Exploding Head Syndrome: Clinical Features, Theories about Etiology, and Prevention Strategies in a Large International Sample,” was based on data from over 6,000 participants. It was...
The following post is reprinted in its entirety, with permission, from the Humans of Calvert County Facebook page. The Humans of Calvert County is modeled after Humans of New York, which doesn’t share names as a general rule, with the thought that it helps make the story being shared the most important piece of what is being discussed, rather than who said it. (Although we think the person who said this is pretty darn important.) “I’m a Maryland girl. I was born and raised in Montgomery...
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan appointed Kenneth Abell of St. Mary’s County to serve the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) as trustee, effective July 1, 2020 through 2025. Abell is currently the director of the Strategic Education Office at the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) at Patuxent River Naval Air Station where his team engages in education outreach and training throughout Southern Maryland spanning kindergarten to entry-level NAWCAD permanent employees. He has an...
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan appointed College of Southern Maryland (CSM) alumna Christy Lombardi of Calvert County to serve CSM as trustee, effective May 13, 2020 through 2021. Lombardi is currently the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Community Bank of the Chesapeake in Waldorf, Maryland. The Saint Leonard resident has worked for the bank from more than 20 years and held numerous leadership positions including senior vice president and director of human resources...
The Board of Education’s next meeting is 1 p.m. Tuesday, July 14. The meeting will be held virtually using WebEx conferencing. There is no public access to the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata; however, the meeting will stream live on the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) website, www.ccboe.com and air live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12. CCPS will rebroadcast the meeting as well as post it on CCPSTV under the Board meeting tab...
The Board of Education met July 7 to discuss how individual members view reopening schools in August and their thoughts about different instructional options. Superintendent Kimberly Hill will present the school system’s 2020-21 school year opening options to the Board in a follow-up meeting on Tuesday, July 14. Hill’s plans will take Board, staff and community input into consideration, and the report to the Board will outline staff recommendations. The Board plans to discuss and vote on...
Dr. J. Scott Smith, Superintendent of Schools, 301-475-5511, ext. 32178 Dr. Maureen Montgomery, Deputy Superintendent of Schools, 301-475-5511, ext. 32178 LEONARDTOWN, MD – St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) and St. Mary’s County Library are excited to announce the launch of new student library cards called St. Mary’s Access to Research & Technology, or S.M.A.R.T cards. S.M.A.R.T cards will be issued to all students currently enrolled in St. Mary’s County Public Schools. S.M.A.R.T...
College Moves from Remote Operations to Restricted Operations The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) announces it will move to Phase 2 of its ‘Return to Campus Plan’ and shift from Remote Operations to Restricted Operations in July. This change in status eases restrictions for campus access and allows for some in-person student services and instruction. Beginning Tuesday, July 7, CSM will open every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students seeking services from...
In observance of Independence Day, all College of Southern Maryland remote operations will be closed July 3-4. Access to online services, including registration, remains available at www.csmd.edu and through my.CSMD services.
With the restrictions put in place to stem the spread of COVID-19, there have been casualties among some programs and activities. Barbershop Books, an initiative focused on getting books into the hands of young Black boys between the ages of 4 to 8, has had to rethink its approach. Traditionally, books that appeal to young boys are housed in area barbershops on a designated book shelf. Kids waiting to get a haircut or who are tagging along with an adult can select a book, and if they like...
A Virtual July 3 River Concert with Virtual Fireworks Scheduled to Celebrate Independence Day Michael Bruckler July 02, 2020 - 1:07 pm July 02, 2020 The 2020 season of the River Concert Series, presented by the Chesapeake Orchestra and St. Mary's College of Maryland, continues tomorrow night, July 3 at 7 p.m. with a “A Traditional 4th in an Unconventional Way!” The virtual concert features jazz artist Hilary Kole performing from New York City, the Southern Maryland Community Gospel...
Families visiting the Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School meal site this summer will be able to feed their minds with STEM challenges aimed at preventing the “summer slide.” Every other week until Aug. 13, the school, which is collaborating the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Title I office, will give out supplies for a Virtual Summer STEM Challenge, an activity that allows children in kindergarten through fifth grade the opportunity to use creativity, critical thinking and engineering...
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