St. Mary's Co. Public Schools News Briefs


Forrest Center Criminal Justice Program Raises Money for the St. Mary's County Public Schools' Shoe Fund

The Criminal Justice program at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center in Leonardtown recently hosted a yard sale to help raise money for the St. Mary's County Public Schools' Shoe Fund. Due to the hard work of the Criminal Justice students and their teacher, SGT (retired) Mickey Bailey, they were able to raise $873.01 for the fund. Items donated by Forrest Center students, staff, and the community were sold during the event.

St. Mary's County Public Schools' Shoe Fund provides shoes to school-age children in the school system who are in need but have limited financial resources. Last year 255 pairs of shoes were purchased for students in need.

Maryland Green School Certification

St. Mary's County Public Schools is committed to a Green School Program that ensures that we work with our students, staff, and community to change energy use and environmental awareness habits through education so that we become lifelong learners and ambassadors of the environment. With an average monthly electric bill of $320,000 for 26 schools and three offices, totaling $3.8 million annually, conserving energy is a practice that must be on the minds of all St. Mary's County Public Schools staff, students, and parents. As part of the Green School Program, Dr. Michael J. Martirano, Superintendent of Schools, challenged all of the site administrators to have their schools certified as a Maryland Green School.

The Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) administers the Maryland Green School Awards Program, which is a holistic, integrated approach to authentic learning that incorporates local environmental issue investigation, professional development with environmental best management practices, and community stewardship. Maryland Green Schools and Centers must be recertified every four years. After three successful recertification's, a school can be granted the title of Sustained Green School.

Prior to the 2013 application process, St. Mary's County Public School System had 19 schools and one green center certified through the MAEOE Maryland Green School Awards Program. These schools/centers are (the date is the year the school was certified or recertified):

-- Hollywood Elementary School: 1999, 2002, 2006, 2010 (Sustained Green School)

-- Oakville Elementary School: 2006, 2010

-- Benjamin Banneker Elementary School: 2009

-- Chesapeake Public Charter School: 2009

-- Piney Point Elementary School: 2009

-- White Marsh Elementary School: 2009

-- Greenview Knolls Elementary: 2010

-- Lettie Marshall Dent Elementary School: 2010

-- Elms Environmental Education Center: 2010

-- Evergreen Elementary School: 2011

-- Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center: 2011

-- George Washington Carver Elementary School: 2011

-- Mechanicsville Elementary School: 2011

-- Spring Ridge Middle School: 2011

-- Town Creek Elementary School: 2011

-- Dynard Elementary School: 2012

-- Green Holly Elementary School: 2012

-- Leonardtown Elementary School: 2012

-- Ridge Elementary School: 2012

-- Leonardtown Middle School: 2012

We are excited to announce that during the 2013 application process one additional school and one center was certified, bringing our total amount of certified schools to 20 out of 27 and two certified centers, for a total of 22 certified facilities. The total number of schools certified is 74%. Four schools recertified during this application process.

The newly certified Maryland Green School is:

-- Park Hall Elementary School

The newly certified Maryland Green Center is:

-- Department of Capital Planning and Green Schools

The four schools that successfully achieved recertification are:

-- Benjamin Banneker Elementary School

-- Chesapeake Public Charter School

-- Piney Point Elementary School

-- White Marsh Elementary School

Questions regarding the program may be directed to Mr. J. Bradley Clements, Deputy Superintendent of Schools and Operations, or Mrs. Kimberly Howe, Coordinating Supervisor of Capital Planning and Green Schools, at 301-475-4256, x 6.

Tech Kids Summer Program Returns to the Forrest Center

St. Mary's County Public Schools is once again offering a Tech Kids Summer Youth Enrichment Program for students ages 7 - 14. The program takes place July 1-18, 2013 at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center in Leonardtown. The goal of this program is to provide fun, enriching, hands on opportunities for students. The program will be a Monday through Thursday, four-day program.

Program sessions run from 9:00 a.m. to 12 noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Supervision will be provided from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. for those students enrolled in two sessions per day or the one all-day session. Students staying all day should bring a bag lunch.

Course descriptions and applications can be found online or downloaded by visiting the St. Mary's County Public Schools website, www.smcps.org. Click on "Students/Parents," then click on "Summer Activities," and finally select the Tech Kids program of your choice.

Students may choose from these programs: "CSI St. Mary's," "Crafts, Canvas and DIY Fun!," "Lights, Camera, Action," "Human Body Fun Facts," "Future Generation Firefighters of America," "Kids Carpentry Camp," "Tech Kids Tool Time," Comp-U-T8," "National Flight Academy," and "Fun with Culinary Arts." Please note: "Lights, Camera, Action" is an all day program.

Tuition for all programs is $75.00 per week for each three hour session. In addition to the tuition, some of the programs may also charge a materials fee.

Students will need their own transportation to and from the Forrest Center which is located across Point Lookout Road from the St. Mary's County Fairgrounds, between Leonardtown Middle School and Leonardtown High School.

Space is limited so please be sure to register early. If you have any questions, call Ms. Mary Selph at 301-475-0242, ext. 127 or e-mail her at mjselph@smcps.org.

Forrest Center Aviation Technology Program Receives Donation

From left to right: Maggie Giles, Keegan Nash, Cortez Bush, Talon Sanchez, Max Smith, Mr. Greg Schultz, Robert Wright, Jason McCauley, Mr. Scott McCauley (Jason's Dad), Sam Morgan, and Mr. Theo Cramer.
From left to right: Maggie Giles, Keegan Nash, Cortez Bush, Talon Sanchez, Max Smith, Mr. Greg Schultz, Robert Wright, Jason McCauley, Mr. Scott McCauley (Jason's Dad), Sam Morgan, and Mr. Theo Cramer.

The Aviation Technology program at the Dr. James A. Forrest Career & Technology Center in Leonardtown, MD recently accepted a $5,000 donation from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

The donation is the result of a letter that Aviation Technology instructor, Mr. Greg Schultz, wrote to I.A.M.A.W. to request help in covering costs associated with the repair of a 1976 Cessna 150 and a 1980's Ultra-Lite. Both aircraft were in poor condition and needed numerous repairs. Aviation Technology students are performing the repair work under the direction of Mr. Schultz.

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