When the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program started in Charles County Public Schools (CCPS), it was housed at the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center and very much under enrolled, said Kimberly Hill, superintendent of schools. She was a vice principal at Stethem at the time and a member of the team charged with improving the rigor of the CTE program.
“The value of CTE cannot be overstated,” she said during a tour of program offerings at Stethem, and La Plata and North Point high...
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So. Md Education News
News from the local county public and private schools and colleges.
The Supreme Court of the United States declined to review an appeal by a former La Plata High School student, Caleigh Wood, asserting the school violated her First Amendment Rights.
The decision reaffirms a favorable U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruling earlier this year that the school did not “impermissibly endorse any religion and did not compel Wood to profess any belief.” The Fourth Circuit’s decision rejected Wood’s claim that she was forced to embrace Islam during a...
The Board of Education of Charles County is holding a Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28 in the boardroom at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building. The topic will center on the future of public schools. The Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education — also known as the Kirwan Commission — put forth recommendations to improve the quality of the state’s public education system. Board members want to hear what CCPS parents and students, and county residents would like to...
Due to a power outage, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School is closed today, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2019. SMECO is working to address the issue.
Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School students, staff and community members celebrated the recent building renovation and expansion of the school in a special ceremony held Oct. 10. Featured in the ceremony was a project overview, student performances, presentations from elected officials and a key passing ceremony.
Dr. Mudd first opened its doors to students in 1967 in a building that was just under 45,000 square feet in size. Following a two-year renovation and expansion, Dr. Mudd now...
Around Charles County Public Schools (CCPS), high school drama departments are preparing shows. From October to December, the slate includes family-friendly offerings, farces and comedies, a murder mystery and the story of a refugee’s journey to find his family and himself.
La Plata High School ushers in the fall play season with a comedy. “Leading Ladies” by Ken Ludwig finds two Shakespearean actors who land in York, Pa., — Amish country — staging Shakespeare plays. The two decide to pose...
Charles Co. North Point to hold Career and Technology Education (CTE) open houses for eighth graders
Eighth graders interested in any of North Point High School’s 17 Career and Technology Education (CTE) programs can attend one of two upcoming open houses set at the school.
The events are 6 p.m. Oct. 22 and Nov. 20 with potential students and their families able to tour the programs and learn more. The window to apply for North Point’s CTE programs is 8 a.m. Nov. 25 to 3 p.m. Dec. 20.
Programs at the school include biotechnology, Cisco Networking Academy, cybersecurity, engineering...
For the third consecutive year, an independent auditor has found Charles County Public Schools’ (CCPS) financial reports in order.
Financial auditors presented CCPS with an opinion that they found of no material weaknesses—meaning they found no deficiency in the school system’s internal controls—during its annual audit of the school system’s basic financial statements.
Bill Early, an auditor with CliftonLarsonAllen LLP, presented the Board of Education an overview of its report on internal...
School system, county and state officials will join Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School tomorrow night to officially rededicate the school, which recently underwent a complete renovation and expansion. The 6 p.m. rededication on Thursday, Oct. 10 is open to the public.
Dr. Mudd first opened in 1967 with about 45,000 square feet of space, a combined cafeteria and activity area, indoor courtyards and a central library location. In 2017, a major renovation began at the school that included...
The Board of Education at its Oct. 8 meeting honored four Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) staff members for their contributions to students and the school system. Honored were Anisah Ansari, Cassandra Baugher, Joseph Burton and Jennifer Elder.
Ansari is a language arts teacher at Mattawoman Middle School. She demonstrates the content knowledge and dedication that propels students to success. Mattawoman Principal Sonia Blue refers to Ansari as a master language arts teacher. She strives...
The Board of Education at its Oct. 8 meeting honored four Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students for accomplishments in the areas of academic achievement, career readiness and personal responsibility. Honored were Matthew Bowling, Jasmine Glover, Adrian Evans-Jones and Gabriella Varela.
Bowling is a fifth-grade student at Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School. He was recognized by the Board in the area of academic achievement. Bowling has attended Mitchell since kindergarten and earns...
The Board of Education presented two resolutions to Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students and local union representatives at its Oct. 8 meeting. The following resolutions are presented annually:
American Education Week; and
American Freedom Week.
The school system celebrates American Education Week Nov. 18-22. American Education Week provides opportunities to celebrate public education and honor those who make a difference to ensure that every child receives a quality education...
No two days are the same for building service workers in Charles County Public Schools (CCPS).
“You never know what you’re going to walk into,” said Charlie Proctor, the building service manager at Westlake High School. “We get called for the things no one wants to do. I look at it like this — Whatever needs to be done in the eight hours, it’s my job.”
Not that a day promises to be only eight hours. Building service managers get the call if their building’s fire alarm goes off in the...
The Board of Education’s next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 8 at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the meeting begins at 1 p.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and rebroadcast throughout the week.
Board meetings are streamed live on the school system website at ccboe.com. Select the live streaming image posted on the front page to access the meeting. The following is a...
Registration for the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) annual fall chess tournament, set for 9 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 26 at Thomas Stone High School, is now open for students. The tournament is for students in kindergarten through Grade 12.
Interested participants must register online at https://ccpsregistration.wufoo.com/forms/ccps-2019-fall-chess-tournament/ by Wednesday, Oct. 23. The registration window closes after Oct. 23 and walk-in registrations are not accepted.
The tournament...
Indian Head Elementary School students and staff got a wild hair last week when the school — along with Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School and the F.B. Gwynn Educational Center — participated in Attendance Awareness Month with a Spirit Week that called on students and staff to sport crazy hair one day, sunglasses the next, then pajamas or sports jerseys.
Sheryl Morrison, pupil personnel worker for Indian Head, Mt. Hope and Gwynn, organized the week to bring attention to the importance of...
The St. Charles High School “It’s Academic” team were among the first to film in the show’s new studio at National Harbor.
In a competition that was taped Sept. 21 and will air Oct. 5, the team is made up of juniors Christian Gomez, Jamie Fleury and Rylee Josephs. The three stepped in for 2019 graduates Stephen Duranske, Renee Deminne and Pierre Dela Cruz, who came in second place in the county competition in December 2018.
During the county’s “It’s Academic” competition held in December...
Two newcomers join four veterans to helm the NewsBreak anchor desk for the 2019-20 school year. NewsBreak is a CCPS TV program featuring information relevant to Charles County Public Schools (CCPS). The show, led by a solo anchor, includes features on students and staff, and important dates parents and students need to know.
New to the team this year are Brynna Bode, a junior at Henry E. Lackey High School, and Dominic Reid, a North Point High School senior.
Bode is a member of Lackey’s...
High school juniors and seniors clocked face-to-face time with representatives of more than 100 colleges and universities Wednesday during the Charles County College Fair held at North Point High School.
The fair offers students an opportunity to learn more about schools they have already researched while introducing them to those that are new to them. It also gives colleges and universities the chance to shine.
“I like that I can learn about different colleges and what they have to...
We care about you and your safety. Today, Superintendent of Schools Kimberly Hill, Charles County Sheriff Troy Berry and other Charles County Sheriff’s officers shared this message with student drivers as they arrived at Thomas Stone High School.
Today marks year 12 for the We Care campaign, a partnership between Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) and the Sheriff’s Office that focuses on teen driver safety.
As student drivers arrived at Stone, they received a warm welcome and safe...