Calvert County Public Schools is pleased to announce that Thomas Ridenour, sophomore at Northern High School, was elected as the 2017-2018 Student Member of the Board of Education (SMOB). The SMOB is elected by the Calvert Association of Student Councils (CASC), which includes members from the four high schools and six middle schools in the district.
Dr. Daniel D. Curry, Superintendent, said, "We welcome Thomas and look forward to sharing the process with another one of our finest students."
Thomas is an active member in student government at the state and county levels. He is a member of the Key Club, Future Business Leaders of America, Mock Trial, Class Council, and the Its Academic Team. He plays the violin in the school orchestra and is involved with the Northern theater department. He is dedicated to serving the students and representing them on the Board of Education.
The position of SMOB is established by the Annotated Code of Maryland. Officially, the student is a non-voting member of the Board; however, the student may cast a symbolic vote on all matters coming before the Board.
The student member must be a rising high school junior or senior in a Calvert County public high school. The student member's term runs from June 1 through May 31. Further details about the requirements for service and the selection process can be found in the Calvert County Public Schools Procedure 1200.1 Regarding the Student Member of the Board of Education.
One of the primary responsibilities of the student member is to facilitate the flow of information between the Board of Education and students. The student member is expected to share appropriate information from the Board with students using a variety of communication methods. The student should also elicit a variety of student viewpoints on issues before the Board.
Calvert County Public Schools Participates in Energy Conservation Program
For the sixth year in a row, Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) was recognized for energy conservation through participation in the Demand Response Program, jointly sponsored by Comverge/CPower, a curtailment service provider, and the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO). The school system will receive nearly $100,000 in rebates and bill credits for reducing energy consumption.
Comverge/CPower works with SMECO and other utility companies to administer their load control programs to ensure affordable power during peak demand times, which typically occur during the summer. To avoid paying for higher priced energy at times of high demand on the electric grid, large consumers, such as CCPS, are asked to curtail their energy use during these peak times to offset the increased demand. As compensation for participation and performance, CCPS annually receives a credit from SMECO based on the actual amount of decreased consumption, as well as a matching check from Comverge/CPower.
The money received will be reinvested in schools to further reduce energy consumption, including installing energy-efficient fixtures and upgrading HVAC controls.
CCPS has reduced its overall consumption of electricity by 17.14% since 2008 by installing energy-efficient equipment and encouraging people to change behaviors to conserve energy.
Board Approves Calendar for 2017-2018
The Board of Education approved the amended calendar for the 2017-2018 school year. The calendar is posted on the school system website at www.calvertcounty.education.
The calendar change was made to comply with Governor Hogan's Executive Order stipulating that all Maryland public schools must open after Labor Day. When making the decision, the Board thoughtfully considered the numerous comments submitted by community members.
In the approved calendar, professional development will be held on September 29, 2017, and schools will be closed for students. Spring recess is scheduled for March 29-April 2, 2018.
Dr. Daniel D. Curry, Superintendent, said, "The Board strove to balance the wishes of our community with the need to maximize instructional days prior to end-of-year testing. We were able to preserve some of our traditional school closures, such as the Friday of the county fair and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, but we may not be able to do so in the future when Labor Day falls later in September."
To watch the Board's discussion of the calendar, please visit the Board of Education tab on the school system website.
BOE Recognizes Employees of the Month
The Board of Education of Calvert County Public Schools recently recognized Employees of the Month for the month of January.
The Employees of the Month for January are:
Calvert Country School: Sharon Eskins, Katie Habert
Mill Creek Middle School: Mark Taeschner, Connie Toohey
Patuxent High School: Dean Jones, Kelly Hayden
Calvert Elementary Schools: Kimberly Cross, Susan Lusby
Patuxent Appeal Elementary Campus: Catherine Chambers, Sharon Campbell
School system employees are recognized monthly at Board of Education meetings in accordance with Policy #6620. During the school year, the Board recognizes one support staff member and one professional staff member from designated schools, with each school scheduled for recognition one time per year. Central office support staff and teacher specialists are recognized in June. School and central office administrators are recognized in August.
Calvert's Graduation Rate Continues to Climb
The percentage of Calvert County students receiving a high school diploma continues to increase, according to data released by the Maryland State Department of Education.
The four-year cohort graduation rate reached 94.48 percent in 2016, up from 94.19 in 2015.
Dr. Daniel D. Curry, Superintendent, said, "A high school diploma marks a gateway to the future. Our obligation as educators is to teach and support students as they work toward this goal."
The graduation rate for the state of Maryland increased to 87.61 percent, nearly six points better than the 81.97 percent rate reached in 2010, the first year Maryland reported the cohort graduation rate that follows a set group of students from freshman year through their senior year.
Board of Education Honors State Athletic Champions
At the January 26, 2017 meeting, the Calvert County Public Schools Board of Education honored the athletes who won state championships during the fall season.
Dr. Daniel D. Curry, Superintendent, said, "A quality education includes extra-curricular activities, and many of our kids excel both academically and intellectually."
The state champions for the fall season are:
— Hayley Jackson, Cross Country, Patuxent High, Coach David Walser; and
— Girls Cross Country Team, Northern High, Coach Josh Dawson.
The 2017 title marks Hayley's third consecutive state cross country championship. She is the Maryland Public Secondary School Athletic Association (MPSSAA) 2A Regional Champion for the third consecutive year and set a Maryland State 2A Championship and Southern Maryland Athletic Conference (SMAC) Championship Meet course record time. Hayley was named the SMAC Athlete of the Year and was selected as a 2nd team All American by finishing 8th at the Footlocker National Championships.
The Northern High cross country team, comprised of Molly Barrick, Abby Sweeney, Claudia Dolan, Katie Delamer, Sarah Deresky, Alicia Bennett, Catherine Bubser, Shannon Greene, Kat Strayer, Jenna Carpenter, Jessica Drake and Hope Bennett, earned the first cross country team championship in the history of the school. During their highly successful season, they were the 2016 3A South Regional Champions for the 2nd consecutive time and the 2015-2016 Southern Maryland Athletic Conference Champions for the 2nd consecutive time with a 35-straight league meet win streak.
BOE Recognizes PHS Marching Band
At the January 26, 2017 meeting, the Board of Education honored the Patuxent High School (PHS) marching band in recognition of the state championship the group earned this year.
Under the leadership of new director Stephen Lane, the PHS band enjoyed a myriad of successes this year. Their season culminated with a State Championship in Group IIA at the Maryland State Championship and a 3rd place finish at the US Bands National Championship in Allentown, PA, at which the band achieved a score of 94.15, its highest competitive score in school history. The band's student leadership team is comprised of Emily Wose, Lily Hensler, Sarah Fyock, Kelsey Duprey, Daniel Short, Brandon Alexander, Travis Scott, Matt Becker, Armani Claggett, Paul "Mako" Robeson and Melanie Baugher.
Marching bands from the other three Calvert County high schools also ended the season on a high note.
The Northern High Patriot Marching Band, under the direction of Russell Bly, concluded the season at the US Bands Maryland State Championship on October 29, 2016, held at Towson University in Towson, MD. The band's show "Turbocharged!" earned 4th place in a tight competition with the top three bands.
The Huntingtown High Hurricane Marching Band, under the direction of Dr. Donald Naumann, captured its ninth Tournament of Bands, Chapter IX Championship Title in Group II. In addition, the band finished in 7th place out of the top 20 Group II bands at the Atlantic Coast Championships held at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, PA on October 30, 2016. Since the opening of Huntingtown High School, the Marching Hurricanes have earned nine consecutive Chapter XI championships and one US Bands State title in 2012.
The Calvert High School Band, under the direction of new director Demetri Bedel, ended their season with their highest score of the year at the US Bands National Championships in Allentown, PA on November 6, 2016. The students demonstrated maturity and effort every time they took the field and were able to increase their score each week of the season.