In today’s modern world of public schools, it’s pretty hard to find examples left of the old community school system, where small towns have every school grade, from kindergarten to high school, all under one roof. But it seems to be alive and living in St. Michaels, as it has been for over a hundred years. And that’s reason enough to celebrate.
While cost effectiveness has always been the primary goal for these schools, including such things as transportation, food service, and general administration, the St Michaels elementary, middle, and high school campus have formed a unique place in the life of St. Michaels, with long traditions of volunteerism and loyal alumni supporting the school, matched with innovative teaching, including having three of its teachers awarded the prestigious “Talbot County Teacher of the Year” three years in a row.
But more importantly, it’s a unique setting for its students and teachers to grow together over years, sometimes for more than a decade. Pupils being watched by the same faculty from first grade to their graduation from high school are afforded extraordinarily close monitoring to keep them motivated and challenged. And those bonds tend to grow into a lifetime of loyalty to the school.
The Spy spent some time a few weeks ago getting three different representatives of the community’s school of St. Michaels. Starting with high school principal, Helga Einhorn, followed by Talbot County Teacher of the Year (2014-15) Bridget Whited, and finally, J.R. Burkhardt, the school’s guidance counselor, school alum, and president of the St. Michaels High School Alumni Association, a clear picture emerges of how unique and powerful this form of public education came be for St. Michaels.
This video is approximately eight minutes in length
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