Superintendent Kimberly Hill has named Christienne C. Warren as acting principal at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School in Waldorf. Warren replaces Principal Darryl Evans who announced his resignation last week.
Warren has served as principal at Coldstream Park Elementary Middle School in Baltimore, which serves prekindergarten through grade 8, since 2012. Warren started her education career in 2004 as a fifth-grade teacher and also served as a curriculum writer, professional development facilitator, summer instructor and instructional support teacher before being promoted in 2009 as assistant principal and academic dean at Friendship Academy of Engineering and Technology in Baltimore.
Warren earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences and a master’s degree in elementary education, both from Hampton University in Virginia. She also received a Master of Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy in Michigan.
Warren will serve as acting principal until the Board of Education approves her appointment. She is expected to start working at Dr. Brown in mid July.
St. Charles student named 2014 county fair cover contest winner
Erika Bowman, a freshman at St. Charles High School, is the overall winner of the 2014 Charles County Fair art contest. Her artwork will be displayed as the cover of the upcoming Charles County Fair Guide. She was chosen last month as this year’s winner by the Charles County Fair Board and Charles County Public Schools.
The following students were named overall winners at their grade level for their artwork produced during the 2013-14 school year:
-- Tabitha Greer, T.C. Martin Elementary School;
-- Khyu Riley, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School;
-- Peyton Lauterborn, Martin;
-- Jenna Goldey, Martin;
-- Hailey Carroll, Martin;
-- Aria Scott, J.C. Parks Elementary School;
-- Lindsay Cunningham, Milton M. Somers Middle School;
-- Carolyn Lanthier, Somers;
-- Asia Dofat, North Point High School; and
-- Carissa Edwards, North Point.
The 2014 Charles County Fair is Sept. 11-14 at the fairgrounds located in La Plata. For more information on the fair, visit www.charlescountyfair.com.
MESA teams from Hanson and Lackey compete at nationals
Two Charles County Public Schools Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) teams earned top honors at the MESA USA National Engineering Design Competition held June 20-22 in Portland, Oregon. A team from Henry E. Lackey High School received third place overall among competing teams at the high school level, and a John Hanson Middle School team received fourth place overall at the middle school level.
The national competition was split into two performance levels – middle school and high school. The event featured the Prosthetic Arm design challenge in which teams were required to build a low-cost prosthetic arm and use it to complete several performance tasks. Teams were judged in several areas during the competition including the technical paper category, oral presentation, technical display, distance accuracy relay, object relocation, dexterity and design efficiency. Additionally, overall winners are selected for scoring the most points in all judged areas.
Students on the Lackey team are seniors Shade Jenifer and Christian Warren, and recent 2014 graduates George Jenkins and Cody Rogers. Team advisors are Lackey mathematics teachers John Crawford and Jonathan Liston.
The Hanson team also earned first place among competing middle school teams in the oral presentation portion of the competition and third place in the technical display category. Students on the Hanson team are eighth graders Stephen Duranske, Shane Gregan and Megan Thomas, and Brett Blandford, who will be a freshman at St. Mary’s Ryken High School in the fall. The team coach is Michael Duranske and the advisor is Diane Fisher, a science teacher at Hanson. This is the second year that Hanson has competed at the national level.
Both teams qualified for the national competition for earning first place in the Prosthetic Arm design challenge at the state MESA event. MESA is designed to prepare students for academic and professional careers in mathematics, engineering, science, and technology. The program's goals are to increase the number of engineers, scientists, mathematicians, and related professionals at technical and management levels; and to serve as a driving force in encouraging and assisting minorities and females in achieving success in these fields.
For more information on MESA, visit www.jhuapl.edu/mesa/home/
Matula fifth grader receives outstanding safety patrol award
Daniel Seyler, a fifth-grade student at Mary H. Matula Elementary School. (Submitted photo)
Daniel Seyler, a fifth-grade student at Mary H. Matula Elementary School, was recently named an Outstanding School Safety Patrol Award recipient by the Mid-Atlantic Foundation for Safety and Education and the American Automobile Association (AAA). Award recipients are nominated by their schools and recognized for excelling in the areas of leadership, dependability and academics. Seyler is one of 13 students from the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area selected for the award this year.
Seyler was nominated for the award by Matula Vice Principal Jean Ritter for serving as a role model for his peers and for demonstrating outstanding behavior, academic achievement and personal responsibility. Safety patrols are selected annually among fifth graders who school administrators believe would best represent their schools, and handle all tasks associated with the position. For his leadership skills and commitment to personal responsibility, Seyler stands out among his classmates.
“Daniel has always completed his patrol duties in an exemplary manner. He supports the school community by making sure students are departing the school in a safe and orderly fashion,” Ritter said in a nomination letter. Additionally, Seyler is attentive and shows genuine concern for his peers.
As a patrol, Seyler is tasked with ensuring that all classes have left the school building in the afternoon before buses can leave for their routes. He always reports to his patrol post on time and often rewards his peers with Dolphin Dollars for demonstrating good behavior in the hallways at dismissal time. He is respectful to students and staff at all times and is always ready to take on additional responsibilities when necessary.
Seyler maintains honor roll grades and according to Charles Larkin, a science teacher at Matula, Seyler is a role model student. “Daniel shows respectful behavior and responsibility in his duty as patrol as well as his personal and academic conduct as a student. He is always willing to help when called upon in the classroom,” Larkin wrote in a nomination letter.
In addition to serving as a school safety patrol, Seyler is a member of Destination Imagination, and enjoys writing and playing the guitar. He also helped launch the Dolphin Dollars program at Matula, which rewards students for displaying the three R’s – respect, responsibility and the right to learn.
Seyler was honored at an awards banquet held June 5 in Washington, D.C. For his accomplishments, he received a plaque with a gold safety patrol badge and a Visa gift card. F or more information about the program, visit midatlantic.aaa.com/.../SchoolSafetyPatrolAwards.
Student Board member selected for 2014-15 school year
Georgia Benson, a rising senior at Westlake High School, is the student member of the Board of Education of Charles County for the 2014-15 school year. She was sworn in to the position by Board of Education Chairman Roberta S. Wise at today’s Board of Education meeting. As the Student Board Member, Benson will work with a student liaison committee throughout the school year. The following students were selected as members of the student liaison committee:
-- Amanda Hobgood, rising junior, Henry E. Lackey High School liaison;
-- T.C. Martin, rising junior, La Plata High School liaison;
-- Aaron King, rising senior, Maurice J. McDonough High School liaison;
-- Maya Kidane, rising senior, North Point High School liaison and alternate student board member;
-- Chelsea Cox-Brown, rising senior, Thomas Stone High School liaison; and
-- Andrew Williams, rising senior, Westlake liaison.
A student liaison for St. Charles High School will be announced later this year. Each high school is required to have a student liaison, which is selected by methods approved by the school’s student government association (SGA) and principal.
Liaisons can apply as a candidate for the position of Student Board Member. Candidates submit an essay regarding a student concern and possible solution. A committee composed of school system staff selects the student to work with the Board.
Student leaders selected for coming school year
Student members of the Charles County Association of Student Councils (CCASC) selected new officers for the 2014-15 school year at their May 1 meeting.
Representing the CCASC next school year are:
-- Gabriel Huffman, junior, president, North Point High School;
-- Ashley Marshall, junior, vice president, Westlake High School;
-- Joseph Perriello, freshman, second vice president, North Point;
-- Kiara Williams, sophomore, secretary, Westlake;
-- Stephanie Patterson, junior, charity coordinator, Westlake; and
-- Diamond Zetty, sixth grader, middle school representative, John Hanson Middle School.
Each year, the CCASC officers are elected by student delegates in the spring. Schools develop their own methods for selecting CCASC student delegates. Each high school sends 15 delegates to monthly meetings; middle schools send up to 10 delegates.
The 2014-15 student member to the Board of Education will be selected and announced next week. The Student Board Member works with a committee of student liaisons, one student from each high school, throughout the school year. The student liaisons for the 2014-15 school year will be selected and announced later this month.
Each high school is required to have a student liaison, which is selected by methods approved by the school’s student government association (SGA) and principal. Liaisons can apply as a candidate for the upcoming position of Student Board Member. Candidates are required to submit an essay regarding a student concern and possible solution. A committee composed of school system staff selects the student to work with the Board.
The CCASC is an organization consisting of student leaders from the county’s six high schools and eight middle schools. These students meet throughout the year to discuss issues and concerns, as well as provide input to school system leaders on programs and policies.