Graduations planned for May 29-30 in Convocation Center at North Point
Graduation ceremonies for high school seniors in the Charles County Public Schools Class of 2015 are planned for May 29-30 at the Convocation Center at North Point High School in Waldorf. Ceremonies for La Plata, Thomas Stone and Westlake high schools will be held on Friday, May 29. Seniors from North Point, Maurice J. McDonough and Henry E. Lackey high schools will graduate in ceremonies scheduled for Saturday, May 30.
The schedule for May 29 is
-- La Plata, 8:30 a.m.;
-- Stone, 2 p.m.; and
-- Westlake, 7:30 p.m.
The schedule for May 30 is
-- North Point, 8:30 a.m.;
-- McDonough, 2 p.m.; and
-- Lackey, 7:30 p.m.
All Charles County public high schools, including St. Charles High School, will be closed on Friday, May 29. The childcare center at North Point and the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center will also be closed for students on May 29.
Additionally, students who attend William A. Diggs Elementary School and Theodore G. Davis Middle School will not have school on Friday, May 29. This is to accommodate expected traffic on the Davis, Diggs and North Point campuses.
All graduation ceremonies will be streamed live on the Charles County Public Schools website, www.ccboe.com. North Point is located at 2500 Davis Road, Waldorf, Md., 20603. Parents with questions about a specific school’s planned graduation activities should contact the office at their child’s school.
School system launches community electronic newsletter
Charles County Public Schools recently launched a community electronic newsletter, “Community Connection,” for students, staff, parents and the community. The goal of the newsletter, which will be published on a quarterly basis, is to provide updates about school system information and news in an easily accessible and viewable format.
The first edition was published on March 10 and sent by email to all school system staff members and parents who have email addresses on file with their child’s school. Parents who want to update their email address should contact their child’s school of attendance. The e-newsletter is also posted on the Charles County Public Schools website at http://www.ccboe.com/enews/, and newsletters will be archived on this page as they are published.
The Community Connection newsletter is published by the school system’s communications department. Call 301-392-7504 with questions.
Board appoints ethics panel member
The Board of Education of Charles County has appointed Joseph Cormier of Waldorf to serve on the Board of Education Ethics Panel. He replaces a member who resigned due to an employment conflict. The panel is serving a four-year term that ends in June 2018.
Cormier joins panel members William Olmstead, a La Plata attorney, James Cornette of La Plata, Theresa Everette of Waldorf and Jessie Morris of Waldorf. Cormier is a veteran and serves as the president of both the Arthur Middleton Elementary School Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and the Charles County Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee (SECAC).
The Board appoints the all-volunteer, five-member panel every four years prior to a Board of Education election. The ethics panel 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.
System provides more options to complete financial literacy course
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has expanded its instructional programs to offer high school students additional opportunities to complete the financial literacy graduation requirement. All high school students must complete a one-credit course in financial literacy to graduate. Students can complete the course as a sophomore, junior or senior, but the course takes the place of an elective or other class on their schedule. The expansion of opportunities to complete the financial literacy course requirement provides students with additional schedule flexibility.
CCPS offers three alternative options for students to complete the financial literacy course for free through the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center. Two of the options are self-paced, independent study courses available through the New Option-Vision for Effective Learning program, known as NOVEL, and one offering requires students to attend a class during the summer school program at Westlake High School.
Students must be enrolled in a Charles County public high school to participate, and out-of-county students cannot enroll. Interested students must obtain a registration form from their school counselor prior to registering. Available options are outlined below.
-- April 7 through July 30, 2015 – self-paced course and independent completion of assignments through the NOVEL program at Stethem. Interested students can register for this option at Stethem until Friday, March 27. Registration is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 23 and March 27, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on March 24-26.
-- June 30 through July 30, 2015 – course available as part of summer school program at Stethem. This option requires daily course attendance throughout the program, which will be held at Westlake High School. Interested students can register for this option on June 24-25 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Stethem.
-- Sept. 1, 2015 through Jan. 30, 2016 – self-paced course with independent assignment completion through the NOVEL program at Stethem. Registration will be held Aug. 4-27 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The course covers a range of financial literacy topics that include savings, investing, credit card usage, credit scores and financing higher education. Students will learn to manage credit and debit, make informed financially responsible decisions, develop goals and spending plans, and learn ways to save and invest to achieve long-term financial goals.
CCPS first offered additional options for students to complete the financial literacy course last school year and expanded offerings this year to accommodate more students.
High schools plan for spring theatre productions
Student actors in Charles County’s seven public high schools are preparing for spring plays, which begin this month. The following is a list of school plays, ticket and contact information for each high school.
Maurice J. McDonough and Thomas Stone high schools are presenting their spring productions on March 19-21. Student actors at McDonough are presenting “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” on March 19-21 at 6:30 p.m., and on March 21 at 2 p.m. The show is about a young woman from a small town in Kansas named Millie who travels to New York City with hopes of becoming successful. Millie dreams of marrying a rich man and the musical follows her through her experiences in the city. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for students and senior citizens, and $7 for thespians and children under the age of six. Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) staff members are able to attend the show free by showing their school system identification badge. Tickets can be ordered at www.mcdonoughdrama.com. Call 301-753-1755 for more information.
Actors at Stone are presenting Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten,” on March 19-21 with a show time of 7 p.m. on all three dates. The play features short stories about things people learn when they are young that stay with them as they settle into adulthood. Included are stories that depict love, hope and determination and the innocence of childhood. Tickets are $7 for adults, and $5 for students and senior citizens. Tickets will be available for purchase at the school each night starting at 6:30 p.m. CCPS staff receive two complimentary tickets by showing their identification badge. Call 301-645-2601 for more information.
Student actors at four high schools are hosting their spring plays during the third weekend in April. Henry E. Lackey High School is presenting William Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors,” on April 17-18 at 6:30 p.m., and April 19 at 2 p.m. The play highlights the story of two sets of identical twins who were accidentally separated at birth. Comedy of Errors is one of Shakespeare’s earlier plays and includes rules for drama introduced by Aristotle. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $7 for students, senior citizens and military members. CCPS staff receive a free ticket, along with one guest, by showing their identification badge. Call 301-743-5431 for more information.
The North Point High School theatre department is presenting “Into the Woods” on April 16, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m., and at 1 p.m. on April 18. The musical is inspired by the Grimm Brother’s fairy tales “Cinderella,” “Rapunzel,” “Little Red Riding Hood,” and “Jack and the Beanstalk,” and follows the story of a husband and wife as they try to start a family. The couple encounter a witch who puts a curse on them. Tickets are $8 for general admission, and $5 for students and senior citizens. Elementary and middle school students can attend the matinee showing on April 18 for half-price admission. CCPS staff also receive one free ticket with their identification badge. Call 301-753-1759 for more information.
The St. Charles High School drama club is presenting “Once Upon a Mattress” on April 17 at 7 p.m., April 18 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and April 19 at 2 p.m. The show is a musical comedy that was written as an adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale “The Princess and the Pea.” The story follows Princess Winnifred and her desire to marry Prince Dauntless the Drab. His mother, Queen Agravain, creates a test for all princesses interested in marrying her son and the princess has to comply. Ticket prices are $8 for general admission, and $6 for students, senior citizens, military members and thespians. CCPS staff also receive a free ticket with their identification badge. Call 301-753-2090 for more information.
The Westlake High School theatre company is presenting “Leader of the Pack: The Ellie Greenwich Musical,” on April 16-18 with a 7 p.m. show time on all three dates. The musical celebrates the life and music of Ellie Greenwich, a popular artist well known for teenage pop songs during the 1960s. Popular songs featured in the musical include “Chapel of Love,” “Be My Baby” and “Do Wah Diddy.” Tickets are $8 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and $6 for students. School system staff can receive two free tickets with their identification badge. Call 301-645-8857 for more information.
La Plata High School student actors are presenting the classic “The Wizard of Oz,” on April 30-May 2 with a show time of 6:30 p.m. on all three dates. There is also a matinee performance at 2:30 p.m. on May 3. The play follows Dorothy, a young girl from Kansas, who finds herself in a strange place, the Land of Oz, after a tornado comes through her town. During the performances, the La Plata student actors will be joined by students from Mary H. Matula, T.C. Martin and Walter J. Mitchell elementary schools. Ticket prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students. CCPS staff also receive a free ticket with their identification badge. Call 301-934-1100 for more information.