Board of Education to receive facility survey results
The Board of Education has scheduled a joint work session with the Charles County Commissioners at 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 25, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building at 5980 Radio Station Road, La Plata. There is a public forum scheduled at 6 p.m., followed by the work session.
The work session is scheduled to receive the report contracted by the Board and the Commissioners to survey the physical condition of each school building, geographical location, and projected demographics. The report provides information about optimum number, size and locations of schools countywide and will be used as a guide for the Charles County Board of Education to develop a 10-year capital improvement plan.
All Board of Education meetings are televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system website
www.ccboe.com. Select CCPS TV and then choose the Live Broadcast tab. The following is the meeting agenda:
-- Call to order – 6 p.m.
-- Pledge of Allegiance
-- Public Forum
-- Work session
--- GWWO school facilities study
-- Adjournment
System expands online grade reporting to elementary schools
Charles County Public Schools is expanding the grade reporting feature of Blackboard/Edline to all 21 elementary schools this school year. Edline is a web-based portal that parents can use to view their child’s school records such as classroom assignments, attendance and grades. Elementary school parents will now be able to view their child’s grades and academic progress online through Blackboard/Edline.
To access grades and other student-specific information, parents must log in to the system using a registered account. Elementary school parents who have not registered for a Blackboard/Edline account will need to obtain an activation code at their child’s school. Photo identification is required for any parent or guardian to receive an account activation code. Account activation codes will only be given by school staff in person and cannot be distributed electronically by e-mail.
To activate an account, visit
www.edline.net/AccessCodeEntry.page and enter the code received at your child’s school. Follow the steps to activate your account and set up access to your child’s personalized information, including grades.
Charles County Public Schools launched Blackboard/Edline in 2010 and first offered the feature of electronic grade reporting for middle and high school students and parents. At that time, elementary school report cards were printed on carbon copy paper and were not completed electronically. Last school year, the school system updated elementary school report cards to include more detailed information on student progress. As part of the update, teachers also began to complete report cards electronically.
Each school also maintains a Blackboard/Edline page for their individual school that features school news and parent information. Pages are available seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Contact your child’s school for additional information on obtaining a Blackboard/Edline account activation code. All school web pages can be accessed from the school system website at
www.ccboe.com.
St. Charles/Science Center offering tours on Sept. 6
St. Charles High School is offering free tours of the school and the James E. Richmond Science Center on Sept. 6 to provide the public a chance to see Charles County Public Schools newest high school.
Principal Richard Conley says one-hour tours will be held beginning at 12:30 p.m. Due to capacity restrictions in the digital classroom, each tour will be limited to the first 180 people arriving for each time slot. Tours will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
St. Charles High School staff members will host the tours and are excited to share the design and the educational and instructional components at the 1,600-capacity high school that opens Aug. 25 with grades 9 through 11.
Following the school tour, visitors will enter the James E. Richmond Science Center where staff will provide presentations of the digital classroom and Science on a Sphere. Staff will also share previews of upcoming shows.
Later in the evening, the public is invited to observe the Moon up close at the center’s Science on a Sphere and tour the moon in the digital classroom. Events are part of the International Observe the Moon Night, which begins at 7 p.m. Tickets are $8 and group discounts are available. Activities include a Flight to the Moon movie in the digital dome; lunar missions and landing sites on Science On a Sphere; a rocket discovery lab; telescopes outside to view the moon and more. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit
www.ccboe.com/sciencecenter/.