Board seeks ethics panel members
The Board of Education of Charles County is looking for applications from county residents interested in serving on the Charles County Board of Education Ethics Panel.
The Board will be appointing new members in July to the all-volunteer, five-member panel, which interprets ethics regulations and provides advisory opinions to Board Members and employees subject to the regulations. The panel also reviews complaints concerning any alleged ethics violation and receives and maintains all forms required to be filed under the ethics regulation. Ethics panel members meet at least once annually to review disclosure forms and as necessary to respond to inquiries.
Members of the Charles County Board of Education Ethics Panel must be eligible to vote in Charles County; and one member of the panel must be an attorney licensed to practice in the state of Maryland but who is not considered to be the Ethics Panel’s attorney.
Panel members may not be current members of the Board of Education; candidates for the Board; officials, employees, contractors or students of Charles County Public Schools; owners of or persons employed by a business entity doing business with the Board; any person registered with the Board as a lobbyist; or spouses of such persons.
Panel members serve four-year terms and may be reappointed. Anyone interested in serving on the panel should send a letter of interest and resume to Board Chairman Roberta Wise, Charles County Board of Education, Ethics Panel, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646, by May 2.
System seeking feedback about schools, launches parent survey
Charles County Public Schools is seeking feedback about the school system and its 35 schools from the parent community. A confidential survey was launched last week to gather parent about their child’s school. The survey is available at the following web address: http://vovici.com/wsb.dll/s/b14ag55a9d. A direct link to the survey is also posted on the home page of the Charles County Public Schools website, www.ccboe.com, under the What’s New section at the bottom of the page.
Parents with more than one child enrolled in a Charles County public school can complete the survey for each school their child attends. Reponses are confidential and will help the school system learn what parents think about the success of their child’s school and what can be improved. The survey is available for parent input until Friday, April 4.
Items included on the survey include student learning, school climate, safe and orderly environment, parent involvement and extra-curricular activities. Questions about the survey can be directed to the Charles County Public Schools department of research and assessment at surveyquestions@ccboe.com.
Lackey singers compete in Singstrong competition
The Fully Charged a cappella group from Henry E. Lackey High School recently competed in Singstrong D.C., a weekend long a cappella music festival. The festival featured a cappella groups performing various styles of singing. All profits from the competition support the Alzheimer’s Association and local music programs.
The Lackey group earned first place overall in the competition, held Feb. 22 in Reston, Va. Members of the group also earned special awards. Senior Destiny Jones earned the best female soloist award. Brian Kuhn, a choral teacher at Lackey and director of Fully Charged, earned the best original arrangement award. Additionally, sophomore Sarah Jones received an honorable mention award for choreography. The first-place Fully Charged team was given the opportunity to be the opening act for the Singstrong D.C. concert. After the concert, the team met with the members of the a cappella group Ten, and with Blake Lewis, an American Idol contestant.
Members of the group include seniors Malik Higgins, Destiny Jones, Shelby McKeown, Michael Mott, Joshua Pierre and Kaela Proctor, juniors Samantha Boyd, Tyler Brown, Lee Roy Granston, Alexis Graves, Jennifer Hardee, Matthew Jones, Jessica Nichols and Abigail Richardson and sophomores Samantha Brown, Sarah Jones, Regan McClure, Sarah Peterson and Katelynn Watson. Brian Kuhn is the sponsor of the group.
According to Kuhn, “The biggest win of them all was how professional and respectful the students were to all other groups. That kind of stuff is why I teach.”
A cappella groups such as Fully Charged perform songs and music without any instruments. Groups in the event are judged on both their vocal and visual performance in areas such as tone quality, balance and blend, visual cohesiveness, energy/stage presence, professionalism and creativity.
For more information on the Singstrong D.C. event, visit their website at http://dc.singstrong.org.
Students advance to state History Day competition
More than 250 students competed in the 2014 Charles County History Day competition held March 22 at Westlake High School. First- and second-place category winners advance to the state competition on May 3 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
The following students placed at the Charles County History Day competition.
Winners in the Historical Paper, junior division, are
-- Craig Storm, first place, sixth grade, Mattawoman Middle School, True Democracy in Action: The Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens in Classical Athens;
-- Madison Furman, second place, sixth grade, General Smallwood Middle School, Rights of the Unborn Child; and
-- Matthew Jozwik, third place, seventh grade, Piccowaxen Middle School, September 11th.
Winners in the Historical Paper, senior division, are
-- Shelby Lawanson, first place, sophomore, Westlake High School, The John Peter Zenger Trial: Rights and Responsibilities of the Press;
-- Georgia Benson, second place, junior, Westlake, The Indian Removal Act of 1830; and
-- Kailene Ligons, third place, sophomore, Westlake, The Case of Miranda v. Arizona.
Winners in the Individual Performance, senior division, are
-- Cheyenne Scott, first place, sophomore, North Point High School, The Inner Circle of the Revolutionary War; and
-- Alexis Soule, second place, junior, Westlake, Amelia Earhart.
Winners in the Group Performance, junior division, are
-- Theodore Hoxie, William Meadows and Jonathan Norris, first place, eighth grade, Milton M. Somers Middle School, Pontiac's Rebellion;
-- Sascha Barnes, Elizabeth Hernandez and Julia Jones, second place, seventh grade, Piccowaxen, Changing the Ideas of Citizenship in Ancient Rome; and
-- Lilly Collins, Katelynn Riley and Makayla Etheredge, third place, eighth grade, Somers, The Salem Witch Trials.
Winners in the Group Performance, senior division, are
-- Veronica Jefferson and Je'Lisa Guion, first place, sophomores, Westlake, Married Women's Property Rights.
Winners in the Individual Documentary, junior division, are
-- Aidan Fleming, first place, sixth grade, John Hanson Middle School, Northern Ireland: "The Troubles";
-- Jordan Homan, second place, sixth grade, Piccowaxen, America's Right and Responsibilities to the National Parks; and
-- Sophia Minor, third place, eighth grade, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, Government Shutdown 2013.
Winners in the Individual Documentary, senior division, are
-- Ryan Burton, first place, junior, La Plata High School, Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission: Covert Operations Against Civil Rights;
-- Jordan Queen, second place, sophomore, Westlake, Racial Restrictive Covenants; and
-- Carlin Hertz, third place, sophomore, Westlake, Miranda v. Arizona.
Winners in the Group Documentary, junior division, are
-- Joshua Carson and Dean Fronck, first place, eighth grade, Matthew Henson Middle School, The Voice of the People;
-- Julia Bowie and Alicia Dunn, second place, eighth grade, Piccowaxen, The Salem Witch Trials; and
-- Alexa Howard and Katherine McQueen, third place, eighth grade, Piccowaxen, Ellis Island.
Winners in the Group Documentary, senior division, are
-- Jereamy Hall and Josh Hall, first place, juniors, Westlake, Nazi Germany and the 'Superior Race.'
Winners in the Individual Web Page, junior division, are
-- Gabrielle Dickerson, first place, eighth grade, Henson, Human Experimentation;
-- Jarrett Mulloy, second place, seventh grade, Piccowaxen, AIM - The American Indian Movement; and
-- Jacob Bramell, third place, eighth grade, Hanson, Confederate Sympathizers in Maryland.
Winners in the Individual Web Page, senior division, are
-- Cheyenne Barber, first place, sophomore, Westlake, Rights and Responsibility: NAACP and NAWSA; and
-- Irene Senaya, second place, junior, Westlake, The Voting Rights Act of 1965.
Winners in the Group Web Page, junior division, are
-- Michael Fialkowski, Harold Jameson and Trevor Jansen, first place, eighth grade, Somers, The U.S.S. Pueblo Incident.
Winners in the Group Web Page, senior division, are
-- Thomas Nguyen and Angelica Romero, first place, juniors, Westlake, Rights of North Koreans;
-- Jonathan Land and Byron Cantillano, second place, sophomores, Westlake, British Tyranny: No Taxation without Representation!; and
-- Natalie Brammer and Maaria Chughtai, third place, juniors, Westlake, The Berlin Wall: No Right to Leave.
Winners in the Individual Exhibit, junior division, are
-- Olivia Reese, first place, sixth grade, Piccowaxen, Title IX: Fight Like a Girl;
-- Owen Butler, second place, sixth grade, Piccowaxen, Separate is Not Equal; and
-- William Davis, third place, eighth grade, Smallwood, The Destruction of a Culture: Aboriginal Australians.
Winners in the Individual Exhibit, senior division, are
-- Chyanne Rowe, first place, senior, Westlake, The English Bill of Rights;
-- Arnett Heathington, second place, sophomore, Westlake, Let Me Vote; and
-- Elliot Etter, third place, junior, Maurice J. McDonough High School, Nazi Germany and the Rights of the "Superior Race."
Winners in the Group Exhibit, junior division, are
-- Andrea Marrero and Caroline Keller, first place, eighth grade, St. Mary's Bryantown, To Report or Not to Report;
-- Christina Alvarez and Samantha Garcia, second place, seventh grade, Hanson, The Salem Witch Trials; and
-- Jazzmyn Pilkerton and Florida Pacano, third place, eighth grade, St. Mary's Bryantown, The Budget Control Act of 2011.
Winners in the Group Exhibit, senior division, are
-- Eva Fialkowski and Selena Fowler, first place, junior, McDonough, The Fight for Women's Suffrage in the United States;
-- Bryson Barksdale and Bailey Delacruz, second place, senior, Westlake, The Irish Fight for Their Rights; and
-- Cierra Burns and Jasmine Andrade, third place, sophomores, Westlake, Trail of Tears.
The following students received special awards:
-- Christina Alvarez and Samantha Garcia, Hanson, seventh grade, Salem Witch Trials, award from the African-American Heritage Society of Charles County;
-- Ryan Burton, La Plata, junior, The Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission: Covert Operations Against Civil Rights, award from the African-American Heritage Society of Charles County;
-- Michael Gill, Somers, seventh grade, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd: Hypocrite or Hippocratic, award from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Nu Zeta Omega Chapter;
-- Jordan Queen, Westlake, sophomore, Racial Restrictive Covenants, award from the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Nu Zeta Omega Chapter;
-- Madison Furman, Smallwood, sixth grade, Rights of the Unborn Child, award from the Charles County Archeological Society;
-- Haedn Rho, Hanson, seventh grade, North Korean Government, award from the Charles County Commissioners;
-- Michael McPherson, Hanson, eighth grade, Taxation Without Representation!, award from the Charles County Historic Trust;
-- Georgia Benson, Westlake, junior, Indian Removal Act of 1830, Ella Virginia Houck Holloway Chapter award, United States Daughters of 1812;
-- Alexis Soule, Westlake, junior, Amelia Earhart, Lady Jane Sewell Chapter, National Society of Colonial Dames XVII Century award;
-- Cheyenne Scott, North Point, sophomore, The Inner Circle of the Revolutionary War, award from the Port Tobacco Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution;
-- Gabrielle Dickerson, Henson, eighth grade, Human Experimentation, award from the Society for the Restoration of Port Tobacco;
-- Jacob Bramell, Hanson, eighth grade, Confederate Sympathizers in Maryland, award from the Charles County Genealogical Society;
-- Shelby Lawanson, Westlake, sophomore, The John Peter Zenger Trial: Rights and Responsibilities of the Press, award from the Charles County Heritage Commission;
-- Jordan Homan, Piccowaxen, sixth grade, America's Rights and Responsibilities to the National Parks, award from the Charles County Heritage Commission;
-- Joshua Carson and Dean Fronck, Henson, eighth grade, The Voice of the People, award from The Friendship House Foundation;
-- Sascha Barnes, Elizabeth Hernandez and Julia Jones, Piccowaxen, seventh grade, Changing the Ideas of Citizenship in Ancient Rome, award from The Historical Society of Charles County;
-- Megan Czapp, Piccowaxen, eighth grade, Saving an American Icon: Drive in Theatres, award from The Historical Society of Charles County;
-- Sufyan Ansari, Mattawoman, eighth grade, Waging Workers Rights: The Wagner Act, award from The Historical Society of Charles County;
-- Sophia Minor, Davis, eighth grade, Government Shutdown 2013, award from The Historical Society of Charles County;
-- Veronica Jefferson and Je'Lisa Guion, Westlake, sophomores, Married Women's Property Rights, award from The Port Tobacco Players; and
-- Craig Storm, Mattawoman, sixth grade, True Democracy in Action: Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens in Classical Athens, award from the Thomas Stone Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution.