MENU

Sections

More

June 21, 2021

The Talbot Spy

The nonprofit e-newspaper for the Talbot County Community

Education Ed Notes

White Marsh Elementary Team Wins Virtual “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?”

by Leave a Comment

The Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation held its third annual “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” fundraising event after a one year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event was pre-recorded and aired on Foundation and TCPS websites and social media pages on Wednesday May 26, 2021.

Six teams of 5th graders from TCPS Elementary Schools tested their knowledge and skills, answering questions from a broad range of categories. Two preliminary rounds were held with three teams each. The winners of the preliminary rounds competed in the final round, with the White Marsh Elementary School team of Calista Freeman, Ryleigh Groce, Aarav Hinduja, Lane Kennedy, Lilly Swann, coached by Mr. Jonathan Elliott winning by 1 point!

Photo: Dr. Griffith and Education Foundation Board members presented medals to the “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” 2021 Champions from White Marsh Elementary School. (left to right) Aarav Hinduja; Ms. Kim Seidel, Principal; Ryleigh Groce; Dr. Kelly Griffith, Superintendent; Lane Kennedy; Mr. David Short, Education Foundation Board Chair for FY22; Lilly Swann; Mrs. Dale Raugh, Education Foundation Board; Calista Freeman.

The following students participated in the event:

Chapel District Elementary: Eliza Kimball, Jordan Langrell, Cole Philip, Ella Pittsinger, and Santiago Mendolia Ponce, coached by Mrs. Becky Crawford.

Easton Elementary Team 1 (winners of round two): Otto Perez Arreaga, Jose Garcia, Arrivillega, Reagen Cain, Violet Masone, and Sylis Showacre, coached by Ms. Kristy Ball.

Easton Elementary Team 2: Amna Asad, Maddie Biringer, Iliana Kahane
Aroldo Velasquez Perez, and Ah’Mir Rhodes, coached Ms. Kristy Ball.

St. Michaels Elementary: Taylor Bowen, Sydney Cummings, Kara James Lila McDermont, Will Moyer, and Kylie Womack, coached by Mr. Dan Bieber.

Tilghman Elementary: Marley Fletcher, Kaelyn Hicks, Sammy Jensen, Ella Marr and Alayna Porter, coached by Mrs. Jess Weems.

White Marsh Elementary (winners of round 1 and 2021 Champions): Calista Freeman, Ryleigh Groce, Aarav Hinduja, Lane Kennedy, and Lilly Swann, coached by Mr. Jonathan Elliott.

Proceeds from the event benefit the Education Foundation’s grants program, and all funds were raised through sponsorships and donations. To date, the Education Foundation has awarded more than $108,000 in grants to TCPS teachers for innovative programs at the elementary and secondary level in nearly every academic discipline.

Mr. Jeremy Hillyard, Easton High Spanish Teacher, It’s Academic Team Coach, and Education Foundation Board Member was Chair of the event. Easton High Juniors Bechora Aguoru, Harrision Fike, and David Gardner, It’s Academic Team members, served as judges, and Mr. James Redman was once again Master of Ceremonies.

“It was a challenge to come up with a virtual format for the event this year,” Hillyard explained, “but we are very pleased with the outcome and believe it gave us a much larger audience than we have had in the past. We are grateful to all of the sponsors for their support, some of whom made their gifts last year!”

A total of $10,170 was contributed through donations and sponsorships to “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” 2021 from the following generous members of our community:

Team Sponsors

Anonymous – In Honor of Dr. Sherry Sutton
Armored Self Storage
Easton Drywall
Educational Systems Federal Credit Union
Hertrich Chevy Buick GMC
Soistman Family Dentistry

Category Sponsors

Easton Utilities
Graham and Brenda Lee
Shore United Bank

Question Sponsors

Stan and Pam Bright, Pamela Clay, Annie Decker, Frances Firth, The Gardner Family, Dr. Kelly Griffith, Anjali Hinduja, Juanita Hopkins, Martha Horner, Lane Engineering, Pete and Mariana Lesher, Mid-ShoreCommunity Foundation, Jo Ann Asparagus Murray, Ellen Rajacich, Dale Rauch, Margaret Rennels, MD, Talbot County Retired School Personnel, David Wheeler

Donors

Childlene Brooks, Mike and Karen Fisher, Michael Garman, Betsy Griffin, Lindsey Higginbottom, Jeremy Hillyard, Andrea Shoener, David Short & Associates LLC, Mark Showacre, Norma Slyder, Sharee Smith, Vickie Wilson

To learn more about supporting the Talbot County Public Schools Education Foundation, please contact Debbie Gardner, Coordinator of Public Relations and Special Programs at dgardner@talbotschools.org or by calling 410-822-0330.

Building Competence When Kids are Mean by Radcliffe Creek School’s Meg Bamford

by Leave a Comment

As children develop, they look to the people in their lives to help them figure out who they are. With authentic feedback that focuses on their positive traits, children can develop strong self-esteem. Most likely this will align with their intuitive sense of who they are and who they would like to become. Growing up and filtering positive, constructive feedback from the hurtful words of others, particularly from peers is really hard.

It can be really challenging to parent when other people are mean to our children. How do you teach a child to navigate situations when their “friends” say things that are mean? As we all have experienced, those moments in our lives can be absolutely crushing. At Radcliffe Creek School and in our homes, we try to create a nurturing environment where this doesn’t happen. The reality is that kids can be unkind to each other anywhere and this is difficult to prevent despite our very best efforts. Therefore, it is important to help children build their coping skills. As we know, they can benefit from explicit instruction and help in processing a difficult situation.

Here are some of the tools we need to utilize as parents to help our children feel strong and competent.

-Be an active listener. Provide a safe space for your child to be able to talk about what is going on. This is easier said than done. The situation can feel really awful to your child, no matter how minor you may perceive the situation to be. Sometimes, their perspective may be skewed. Nevertheless, it is still hard to see your child in pain and not want to rush in and try to fix it. Take a deep breath and say, “I am glad you are telling me about what happened. I am here to listen and help if you need me to.”

-Frame the conversation with these questions:

Can you tell me what happened?

Has this happened before?

How did you react? How do you wish you reacted?

Were there other people around? How did they react?

How can your friends or adults be more helpful to you?

What can I do to help you?

-Try hard not to overreact because your child needs to feel like they are capable of working through the situation. When parents get really upset and take away a child’s ability to process, plan, and navigate the situation, your child will lose their sense of competency in dealing with these scenarios. Curse creatively in another room, call a good friend and vent to them about how angry you are at this kid who is making your child miserable. Do not involve your child in that conversation. They should not have to handle your emotions when they are trying to regulate their own. Your children need to know that you believe they will get through this.

-Brainstorm together why your child thinks they were being teased. If you can come up with ideas on why the other kid might be teasing your child, it could help you to create a plan together. Perhaps the other child is:

seeking attention

displaying what the teasing child may experience or what they see on social media

trying to gain a sense of superiority because they don’t feel good about themselves

looking for peer acceptance by putting someone else down

has a misunderstanding of differences

Supporting your children and helping them develop functional coping skills to navigate difficult interactions is difficult. Perhaps they may need other people besides their family to help them solidify these skills. Consider involving counselors, speech and language pathologists, teachers, mentors, administrators, and coaches.

 

 

The Gunston School’s 110th Commencement Honors 49 Students

by Leave a Comment

The Gunston School celebrated its 110th commencement this past Saturday, June 12, honoring the Class of 2021 with a waterfront ceremony overlooking the Corsica River, as family and friends looked on. The procession began with Bagpiper Robert Wallace, followed by school faculty and staff, and then the graduating seniors. Senior Class President and Valedictorian Lydia Periconi, who is headed to Penn State Schreyer Honors College to study veterinary and biomedical science, greeted the audience and her peers before each graduate shared their senior quote aloud.

Photo: Front row, from left, Lillian (Lilli) Ward, Sydney Nittle, Lydia Davis, Adison (Adie) Parish, Glynis Gardner, Lydia Periconi, Kayla Flood, Reagan Gessford, Marion Riddle, Lily Berntsen, Emily Ryon. Second row, from left, Helen Boone, Avy Aubin, Phebe Wood, Hannah Worth, Olivia Hershey, Hannah Beckman, Isabella (Bella) Adams, Erin McDonald, Emma McClary, Erika Lee. Third row, from left, Yongah (Jonathan) Choi, Brianna (Brie) Barrett-Kennedy, Henry Shifrin, Orion (Rion) McCluskey, Charles (Charlie) Shifrin, Colin Ward, Sean Riley, Carter Janney. Standing, fourth row, left to right, Assistant Head of School Christie Grabis, Head of School John Lewis, Ethan Nuessle, Samuel (Ranger) Hightower, Maxmillian (Max) Brady, Christian Walker, Campbell Parkhurst, Severin Schut, Zachary (Zack) Anderson, Graduation Speaker Ben Dize, Chair of the Board of Trustees Patrick Shoemaker ’03. Fifth row, left to right, Aidan Myers, Joseph (Brennan) O’Connor, Henry Sheets, James Fordi, Jack Pigman, Owen Santora, Connor Reichardt, Kylee Rushton and Joshua (Josh) Sanford. Not pictured are Suah Choi, Hyunseok (Luke) Lee, and Yi (Lily) Zhang.

Head of School John Lewis then introduced the commencement speaker, Mr. Ben Dize, a retiring faculty member who has spent just over 50 years teaching, with the last 22 spent at Gunston as the chair of the art department. “Born in Crisfield, Maryland as the oldest of three children, Mr. Ben Dize spent his formative years living a true Eastern Shore childhood from a bygone era,” began Mr. Lewis. “Immersed in the waterman culture, and without a television until the 9th grade, he was part of a small graduating class of 58 at Crisfield High School. From there, he migrated to College Park, Maryland, graduating in 1968, and then earning his Master’s degree at Towson in 1974. He started teaching in the Kent County Public School System in 1969 before coming to Gunston in 1999. For 22 years, he’s been a fixture as a teacher and advisor, seeing the school through growth and change.”

Mr. Dize posed the question “What is it about Gunston that makes it special? Every senior here probably has a slightly different answer. For some, it’s the lifetime friendships that were made here. For others, it’s a certain teacher who saw in them something they did not see themselves. It might have been the freedom to be an individual, or the chance to be a leader. Whatever your path has been, Gunston has played a role in your becoming. Gunston changes lives, alters attitudes, opens doors to self-discovery, challenges ways of thinking, and makes written communication an essential part of an individual’s educational journey. For all of us, the past 15 months has been a time of historic challenges and changes. We all have a shared story here—shared loss, shared pain, shared disappointments. But there are things I would like you to remember: BE KIND. As our parents used to say, ‘it doesn’t cost you anything.’ And, as a teacher colleague of mine used to say, ‘Do not mistake kindness for weakness.’ REMEMBER TO THANK PEOPLE. You didn’t get here by yourself.  Also, don’t wait until it’s too late. BE GENEROUS. You’ll probably run out of time before you run out of money. I love quotes, and perhaps my favorite is, ‘Life is not about getting and having, it is about being and becoming.’ This is your time to be and become.”

Mr. Lewis and Gunston’s Chair of the Board Patrick Shoemaker ’03 then presented each graduate with their diploma, individually handcrafted by faculty member Michael Kaylor on an antique letterpress. This year’s senior class had a successful college admission season and worked hard to earn $7.3 million dollars in merit scholarships. The graduates are listed here with the honors presented to them the day before on Friday, June 11 during the school’s Green & White Awards Ceremony. Student government and team captains are also noted.

Isabella Webster Adams (Captain of Green Team), Zachary Richard Anderson (Moore Award for Improvement), Avy Rose Aubin (Sandra Slacum Spears English Award, State of Maryland Merit Scholastic Award), Brianna Ranae Barrett-Kennedy, Hannah Eve Beckman, Lily Marie Berntsen, Kenneth Charles Bonuccelli, Helen Abigail Boone (Science Award), Maxmillian Xavier Brady (Captain of Green Team), Suah Choi, Yongah Choi, Lydia Marie Davis, Kayla Irene Nicole Flood, James Philip Fordi, Glynis Paige Gardner, Reagan Olivia Gessford (U.S. Naval Academy Prep School, Class Representative), Olivia Louisa Hershey (Environmental Stewardship, Student Government President), Samuel Ranger Hightower, Carter Watts Janney, Erika Uta Lee, Hyunseok Lee, Emma Katherine McClary, Orion Timothy McCluskey (Senior Paradigm, Diversity Leader Award, 2021 Van Hollen Public Service Award), Erin Ann McDonald, Aidan Thomas Myers, Sydney Gail Lorraine Nittle (Anita Gruss Athletic Award, U.S. Naval Academy Appointment, Class Representative, Captain of White Team), Ethan Nathaniel Nuessle (Computer Science Award, Mathematics Award), Joseph Brennan O’Connor, Adison Dryden Parish, Campbell Hawkins Parkhurst (Capt. John P. Vest History Award, Captain of White Team), Lydia Grace Periconi (Valedictorian, State of Maryland Merit Scholastic Award, Spanish Award, Science Award, Senior Class President), Jack Ryan Pigman (The Gunston Award), Connor Kevin Reichardt, Marion Somervell Riddle (Faculty Award), Sean Patrick Riley (Class Treasurer), Kylee Whitman Rushton (Anita Gruss Athletics Award), Emily Catherine Ryon, Joshua Seth Sanford (Engineering Award), Owen Edward Santora, Severin Suhaili Schut (Theatre Award), Henry Bennett Sheets IV, Charles Robert Shifrin (Faculty Award), Henry William Shifrin (Art Award, Leadership Award, Class Vice President), Christian James Walker, Colin James Ward, Lillian Taylor Ward (Hila C. Ferguson Literature Award, Marguerite Thomas Community Service Award, Class Secretary), Phebe Lace Wood (Music Award), Hannah Margaret Worth (Senior Paradigm, Art Award), and Yi Zhang.

Along with Mr. Dize, two other beloved faculty and staff retired this year including Mrs. Weixing Shepardson, who spent 19 years teaching mathematics at Gunston, and Mrs. Becky Schmier, who spent 16 years as the school’s business manager. Additionally, Gunston’s Board of Trustees honored three long-serving board members who are retiring and include Mrs. Betsy McCown, a former parent and Bay Studies Partner who served for a decade and provided invaluable leadership on the Chesapeake Watershed Semester advisory committee; Mr. Mark Freestate, a former Gunston parent and great champion of the school who completed his third tour on the Board and has also served as Chair; and Mr. Jim Wright, who leaves the board after serving five terms since 2008, having served as board chair, helped to bring both Horizons and the YMCA summer programs to Gunston and this past year, and served on Gunston’s COVID response team.

Founded in 1911, The Gunston School is an independent, nonprofit, nonsectarian, coeducational, college preparatory high school located in Centreville, Maryland. Visit gunston.org for more information.

Easton High Teacher is Maryland TESOL Teacher of the Year

by Leave a Comment

Mrs. Heather Andrews

The Maryland TESOL (Teachers of English Speakers of Other Languages) Association has recognized Mrs. Heather Andrews as the 2021 ESOL Teacher of the Year for K-12.

The ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) Teacher of the Year Award honors two ESOL educators, one K-12 and one Higher Education, who go above and beyond in their job duties inside and outside of the classroom, and have distinguished themselves within that year for specific reasons. Nominees must be ESOL educators in the State of Maryland and a member of Maryland TESOL. The Award is presented at the Annual Spring Dinner and Meeting which was held virtually on May 20, 2021.

Mrs. Andrews teaches 9th and 10th graders EFL II and Sheltered English 9 at Easton High. She was nominated by Mrs. Renee Warfield, a fellow ESOL Teacher, who said the following:  “Heather Andrews has been a fiercely advocating ESOL teacher and tutor for elementary school students and high school students for a decade. She always goes above and beyond to make families feel a great sense of belonging when they transition into a new life here in Maryland. From family picnics, evening phone calls, handwritten letters, coordinating pen pal pairs with Spanish students, coordinating support with counselors, to researching her craft to bolster her students’ literacy, Heather always puts 110% of her time, energy, mind and heart into her students who often continue to reach out to her to stay in touch post-graduation.  In a time of uncertainty, her care for her students and knowledge of what is going on in each and all of their lives, Heather’s approach to learning has always been all in for the human experiences she is privileged to have everyday with students from around the world. Maryland is better to have her!”

“Thank you for the opportunity to serve and represent the TESOL profession and the MD TESOL Association,” Mrs. Andrews said. “I am grateful to my esteemed colleagues, the staff and administrators at each school where I have worked, as well as my family who believed in me. I am honored to accept this award.”

Maryland TESOL is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the improvement and advancement of teaching English to speakers of other languages. Maryland TESOL is an affiliate of TESOL, the international organization of professionals interested in teaching English to speakers of other languages.

The Woman’s Club of St. Michaels Announces Scholarship Awards

by Leave a Comment

The Woman’s Club of St. Michaels recently presented scholarship awards to two graduates of St. Michaels High School, Logan Devaric and Madelyn LaBelle.  

Logan Devaric

Logan will be attending the University of Delaware and majoring in Education. She has always wanted to be a teacher and having completed the teaching academy at St. Michaels High School, which included a fifth-grade internship, proved to her that teaching was the right choice for her. In addition to her strong academic performance, she was looked up to as a prominent leader in the theatre and holds the honor of being the only student ever considered to direct a theatrical and musical performance. She earned the theatre department’s unofficial slogan, “In Logan We Trust”!

Madelyn will be attending the University of Maryland and majoring in Political Science. When only six years old and asked what she wanted to be when she grew up she went straight for the top and said, “President”!  She has taken many Advanced Placement classes as well as Dual Enrollment classes at Chesapeake College to get a jump start on her college courses. As one teacher said, “Madelyn is one of the most exceptional students I have had the honor to know in my 23 years of teaching! Being the ambitious and passionate young woman that she is, that six-year-old girl still inside of her may just be on to something!

Madelyn LaBelle

Through the Scholarship Committee’s Zoom interviews with the St Michaels students, we learned what a challenge the senior year was for them. Clearly, the ability to stay focused on their goals and strength to overcome the obstacles of covid shined through for our two recipients. The Woman’s Club is excited to follow their futures and are proud to help contribute to the cost covering today’s huge tuition expense.

Through its annual scholarship to a St. Michaels High School senior, the Woman’s Club of St. Michaels has been dedicated to helping young people who have demonstrated academic excellence and service to the community, achieve their promise and potential. This scholarship award of $6,000 is the major philanthropic outreach of the club and this year is divided among these two outstanding young women.

The first scholarship award was granted in 1977. The scholarship may be given to an applicant planning to attend a two-year or four- year college or a vocational or technology school. In forty years, the Woman’s Club of St. Michaels has awarded over $200,000.00 to deserving St Michaels High School students.

Due to the circumstances of the Coronavirus, this year’s recipients were visited at their homes by the Scholarship Committee rather than being presented at the Woman’s Club annual end of year luncheon. The Scholarship Committee chair, Carolyn Wasdyke said, “As always, it is difficult to determine who is most worthy of our $6,000 scholarship, for many of the applicants are impressive young men and women who meet our stringent criteria.  The Woman’s Club of St. Michaels wishes to congratulate the entire St. Michaels High School senior class of 2021 who have graduated under this year’s unprecedented circumstances.”

Congressman Harris Announces Military Service Academy June 15 Virtual Webinar

by

Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., announced his annual military service academy information event for high school students interested in pursuing a Congressional nomination to attend one of the nation’s military service academies. The virtual forum will be held on Tuesday, June 15th at 5:30PM, and will run approximately 90 minutes. Congressman Harris will kick off the meeting, followed by a very informative briefing by experts in the selection process and a first-hand look at academy life through the eyes of recent graduates. It will conclude with a question and answer session for students and parents.

Additionally, a member of the University of Maryland ROTC detachment will be on hand to answer questions specific to ROTC scholarships. Interested students must RSVP for the June 15 virtual event with their name, address, phone number, and reliable email address to MD01Academy@mail.house.gov. Individuals who have RSVP’d will receive a confirmation email with a link to join the virtual meeting on Friday June 11th in the afternoon. Additional questions can be addressed to Congressman Harris’s office at MD01Academy@mail.house.gov.

Congressman Harris issued the following statement:

“I look forward to again hosting this panel discussion to inform my young constituents about life at the academies and the process for interviewing and selecting candidates. Every year this forum is well attended, and I’m consistently encouraged by the level of interest by our young people who wish to serve in our nation’s armed services.”

 

 

TCPS Announces Administrative Changes

by

Top, L-R: Mrs. Kristen Dove, Ms. Jordin Fairbank. Bottom, L-R: Mrs. Cara Breeding, Mr. Todd Stoker

Mrs. Kristen Dove has been appointed as Assistant Principal at Easton High School.  Mrs. Dove earned a Bachelor of Science in Special Education from University of Maryland College Park and a Master of Science in Education with a dual major in Effective Teaching of Reading and School Administration and Supervision from Johns Hopkins University.  She holds Advanced Professional Certificates in Reading, Special Education K-8, Special Education 8-transition and Administration 1, and National Board Certification in Reading Language Arts K-8.  She joined Talbot County Public Schools in 2020 as Administrative Intern at White Marsh Elementary School, where she has served as State Testing Coordinator and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) Chair,  and has conducted staff observations and led staff Professional Development.

Ms. Jordin Fairbank will replace Mrs. Dove as Administrative Intern at White Marsh Elementary School.  Ms. Fairbank has an Associate of Arts in Teaching Elementary and Special Education from Chesapeake College, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Special Education from Towson University, a Master of Arts in Gifted and Talented Education from Notre Dame of Maryland University and a Post Master Certificate in Administration I from Towson University.  She has taught Special Education and First Grade at Easton Elementary School since 2013, has served on the Collaborative Action Research for Education Team, is a Mentor Teacher, and is currently the First Grade Team Leader.

Mrs. Cara Breeding will transfer to the position of Administrative Intern at St. Michaels Elementary School (SMES), where she currently serves as School Counselor.  Mrs. Breeding earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Maryland, a Masters of Education in School Counseling from Loyola University, Maryland and Administrator I Certification from Salisbury University.  She has been the School Counselor at SMES since 2017, is 504 Plan Chair, a member of the School Improvement and PBIS teams and a certified instructor for Youth Mental Health First Aid, Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention, and Crisis Prevention Institute.  She was a School Counselor at Dorchester County Public Schools prior to joining TCPS.

Mr. Todd Stoker has accepted the position of Administrative Intern at Easton Middle School.  Mr. Stoker earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Clemson University.  He is a candidate for a Master’s in Educational Leadership in August 2021 from University of Phoenix. He began his career with TCPS in 2008 at Easton Elementary School, where he was a fifth grade teacher.  His school leadership work includes planning and conducting professional development in virtual learning and instructional technology, mentoring student teachers, serving on the school improvement committee, and collaborating with other faculty to modify curriculum and evaluate student learning objectives.  Mr. Stoker’s professional experience also includes holding the position of Executive at Oasis Easton Church.

“I am very excited to see these outstanding members of our staff step into such important leadership positions,” said Dr. Kelly Griffith, Superintendent.  “Their backgrounds and skills will complement the administrative teams at their respective schools, as we look forward to new beginnings and initiating our Strive for 25 Strategic Plan next school year.”

Talbot County Board of Education Approves FY22 Budget

by

In a special meeting held on June 2, the Talbot County Board of Education approved the school district’s operating budget for the 2021-2022 school year in the amount of $60,374,913.

The Talbot County Council passed the FY2022 Annual Budget and Appropriation Ordinance on May 25, 2021.  This provided Maintenance of Effort (minimum funding) for the schools plus $281,198in additional funding to continue all-day Pre-Kindergarten and provide for an instructor for the new Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Career and Technical Education program.

The school district’s March 31, 2021 amended budget request in the amount of $61,565,510 had already reflected a reduction of $2,000,000 from their original request. At its June 2nd meeting, the board made the necessary $1,190,597 in additional cuts through cost reductions, purchases prepaid in FY21, and costs shifted to grants.  Now this approved budget will go to the Talbot County Council for final approval.

School District officials affirmed their commitment to the priorities outlined by parents through the annual budget survey, which included maintaining lower class size, competitive pay for staff, social emotional learning, updates to curriculum and technology, and increased security.

“We passed a needs-based budget tonight that had been cut by more than $3,000,000 from the original requests made by school principals, teachers and other staff,” said Board of Education President Susan Delean-Botkin.  “These requests were based on their most basic needs.  We have accepted this budget in hopes that in the future we can better provide for the growth and development of all of our students and staff.”

“We are planning and budgeting for a full return to school with the implementation of the new Strive for 2025 strategic plan,” said Dr. Kelly Griffith, Superintendent of Schools. The plan reflects feedback received from parents surveyed, which encompasses four major areas of opportunity after the completion of the 2020 Vision Strategic Plan:

  • Recruitment, promotion and retention of staff
  • Academic equity and achievement
  • Early childhood learning readiness for success
  • Social and Emotional Learning Support services

“We are grateful to our community for their support of our students and staff as we continue our commitment to provide the best education possible for all of our students and prepare them to graduate ready to advance to college or a career,” Dr. Griffith added.

Wye River Upper School Celebrates Class of 2021 Graduates

by

Wye River Upper School is proud to announce the class of 2021 graduated in an outdoor ceremony held last evening on the grounds adjoining the school. The commencement address was given by Chrissy Aull, the founder of Wye River Upper School.

Wye River School, the brainchild of Aull and co-founder Patricia McGlannan, opened its doors in September of 2002 when Aull struggled to find a high school for her son with learning differences. Almost 20 years and 800 graduates later, Wye River continues to provide the educational and social experiences for students to become successful and fulfilled in all walks of life. This year, those paths include a student who hopes to eventually attend medical school, one who is seeking a Broadway career and one who aspires to be an underwater welder.

Seven awards were presented at last evening’s ceremony including one for spirit and values, digital arts and technology, environmental studies and advocacy, portfolio (a requirement for graduation), a merit scholarship and one from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

About Wye River Upper School

Wye River Upper School is an independent high school serving the strengths and needs of bright students with learning differences. Located in Centreville, MD, Wye River is approximately 20 minutes east of the Bay Bridge. For more information about the school, contact traciespence@wyeriverupperschool.org or call 443-262-8294.

Easton High School Students are Inducted into National Technical Honor Society

by

A virtual ceremony was held earlier this month to induct new members into the Easton High School chapter of the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS).  NTHS recognizes achievement in the Career and Technical Education Pathways offered at Talbot County Public Schools.  Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a curriculum aimed to guide, educate and prepare students for today’s workforce or for collegiate study in a career field. TCPS CTE includes programs such as Culinary Arts, Interactive Medial Production, Biomedicial Science, Carpentry, and Computer Science.

During the ceremony Inductees recited a pledge to uphold the standards of conduct and achievement of NTHS and to continue to strive for excellence. The new 2020 and 2021 members were officially inducted together and are as follows:

Tracey Abance, Katelyn Allen, Sarah Anthony, Talbot Arnold, Katherine Boldt, Darlene Boyleyley, Nathan Book, Chloe Briner, Tyler Brinsfield, William Burgess, Tristan Cassell, Allison Cherwien, Allison Councell, Calvin Davis, Chloe Dixon, Isaac Dressler, Joel Duah, Courtney Fike, Harrison Fike, Daniela Garcia, David Gardner, Hannah Greene, Austin Griffin, Julia Hammons, James Harris, Martha Harrison, Kennedy Hayton, Katherine Knox, Alice Ledford, Lyndsey Lyons, Gary Magill, Jenna Maki, Maxwell McCall, Kayla McMichael, Jacob Meredith, Ashton Milhollan, Brian Milhollan, Eric Milhollan, Pippa Milhollan, Timothy Miller, Sarah Mooney, TristynMosslih, Andrew Ni, CoCo Ni, Lukas Nilsen, Liam Nuthall, Cole Paradine, Olivia Peterson, John Remaniak, Anna Roser, William Ross, Isabella Shortall, Madison Spies, Elaina Steinly, Emily Strother, Kaleigh Titz, Alexia Williams