Last student day is June 9, teachers last day is June 12
The last day of the 2016-17 school year for Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students is Friday, June 9. Two-hour early dismissal days are June 6, June 7, June 8 and June 9. The last day of school for students in the Three's program is Monday, June 5. The last day for teachers is Monday, June 12.
The schedule is set, barring any unforeseen inclement weather circumstances. CCPS used only one of the six inclement weather days built into the school calendar this year. The school system closed on March 14 for inclement weather.
Report cards for students in the Three's program will be issued on June 5. Morning prekindergarten students will receive their report cards on Thursday, June 8, and afternoon prekindergarten students receive their report cards on Friday, June 9.
All other elementary school students receive report cards on June 9. Report cards for middle and high school students will be mailed on Friday, June 16.
Registration for the 2017 Summer School program begins at the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center on Tuesday, June 20, and Wednesday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Classes begin for Summer School on Tuesday, June 27, at Westlake High School. Students can check with their school counselors for details on Summer School offerings.
Visit the CCPS website at www.ccboe.com/community/summer_school.php for additional information about Summer School.
Board approves Billingsley Elementary School for new school name
Billingsley Elementary School is the name of the next Charles County Public elementary school, planned to open at the start of the 2018-19 school year. The new school brings the total number of elementary schools in Charles County to 22 and will be built off Billingsley Road in White Plains. With a vote of four to three, the Board of Education at its March 21 meeting selected the name from a list of six recommendations submitted by a school naming committee.
Groundwork to prepare the school site is underway. The Board is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday, April 20 at 9 a.m. The site is located off Billingsley Road in White Plains, across from the entrance to Worthington neighborhood.
Last month, the Board approved the contract award for construction of Billingsley Elementary School to Scheibel Construction, Inc. Construction costs for the school are estimated at nearly $35 million. The 88,847-square foot school will house 760 students. Design aspects include environmentally friendly landscaping, four outdoor activity areas including softball fields, a nature and exercise trail and a soccer field in front of the school.
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is in the process of an elementary school redistricting that will create an attendance zone for Billingsley Elementary School. The redistricting will also expand the attendance zone for Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School and balance student enrollment across the county as needed at other elementary schools. Dr. Mudd is set to undergo a renovation and expansion next school year.
The CCPS redistricting committee plans to present two comprehensive elementary school rezoning options to the Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Kimberly Hill at the Board's April 4 meeting.
The Board has scheduled two public hearings to allow residents to comment on the proposals. Public hearings on the committee's proposals are set for 6:30 p.m., Monday, April 24 at Westlake High School and 6:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 25 at St. Charles High School.
CCPS will provide elementary school students' parents with a fact sheet containing a synopsis of the proposals prior to the April 4 Board meeting. Additional redistricting information is available at www.ccboe.com .
North Point, Somers teams named overall MESA winners
Teams from 11 Charles County Public middle and high schools placed in the secondary Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) competition held March 30 at North Point High School. Student teams compete in competitions that test their abilities in mathematics, engineering and science.
Milton M. Somers Middle School was named the overall middle school winner and North Point was named the overall high school winner.
First-, second- and third-place teams in each challenge receive awards and one overall middle and high school winner is chosen. The middle and high school teams that earn the most points throughout the competition are chosen as the overall winners.
As the overall winning schools, teams from Somers and North Point advance to the state competition scheduled for May 18 at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel.
Additionally, teams from General Smallwood Middle and Henry E. Lackey High schools advance to the state event as first-place winners at their respective levels in the Prosthetic Arm challenge. Winners in the Prosthetic Arm challenge at the state level advance to the national competition later this summer.
Middle school teams compete in four challenges: Interactive Game Design with ALICE, Hovercraft, Bass Wood Bridge and Prosthetic Arm. The high school teams also compete in four competitions: PYTHON Cyber Robot Challenge, Battleball Robot, Wood Bridge and Prosthetic Arm.
The following teams placed at the middle school level:
Interactive Game Design with ALICE:
• Somers, first place;
• Matthew Henson School, second place; and
• Piccowaxen Middle School, third place.
Hovercraft:
• Henson, first place;
• Somers, second place; and
• Piccowaxen, third place.
Wood Bridge:
• Somers, first place;
• Theodore G. Davis Middle School, second place; and
• Mattawoman Middle School, third place.
Prosthetic Arm:
• Smallwood, first place;
• Henson, second place; and
• Somers, third place.
The following teams placed at the high school level:
PYTHON Cyber Robot Challenge:
• Lackey, first place;
• La Plata High School, second place; and
• St. Charles High School, third place.
Battleball Robot:
• Lackey, first place;
• North Point, second place; and
• La Plata, third place.
Wood Bridge:
• North Point, first place;
• St. Charles, second place; and
• La Plata, third place.
Prosthetic Arm:
• Lackey, first place.
Charles County Public Schools students compete as a separate Maryland MESA region due to a high level of participation. Maryland 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.
CCPS also held a MESA event for county elementary schools on March 31. The overall winner was Dr. James Craik Elementary School. This is the fourth consecutive year that Craik has been named the overall winner at the elementary level. The elementary results are available on the school system website at www.ccboe.com. More information about MESA is available at www.jhuapl.edu/mesa/home/default.asp.
Craik named top MESA elementary school for fourth year in a row
Eight Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) teams placed in the elementary Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) competition held Friday, March 31 at North Point High School. Student teams compete in competitions that test their abilities in mathematics, engineering and science.
Dr. James Craik Elementary School was chosen as the overall elementary school winner. This is the fourth consecutive year that Craik has earned the overall school award. Awards are given for first-, second- and third-place teams in each challenge and one overall elementary school winner is chosen. The school that earns the most points throughout the competition is chosen as the overall winner and advances to the state level.
As the overall elementary school winner, the Craik team advances to the state competition scheduled for May 18 at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel.
Teams from the county's 21 elementary schools participated in the following four challenges: Wood Bridge, Effective Communication, SCRATCH Cyber Security Awareness Game and Storybook Theme Park Ride.
The following teams placed at the competition.
Wood Bridge:
• Craik, first place;
• Eva Turner Elementary School, second place; and
• Gale-Bailey Elementary School, third place.
Effective Communication:
• William A. Diggs Elementary School, first place;
• Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, second place; and
• Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School, third place.
SCRATCH Cyber Security Awareness:
• Craik, first place;
• Higdon, second place; and
• Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy, third place.
Storybook Theme Park Ride:
• Mary H. Matula Elementary School, first place;
• Diggs, second place; and
• J.P. Ryon Elementary School, third place.
Charles County students compete as a separate Maryland MESA region due to high levels of participation. Maryland MESA prepares 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.
CCPS also held a MESA event for county middle and high school teams on March 30. The overall middle school winner is Milton M. Somers Middle School and North Point High School is the overall high school winner. The secondary results are available on the school system website at www.ccboe.com . More information about MESA is available at www.jhuapl.edu/mesa/home/default.asp .
Student scientists awarded for excellence with HITS Expo awards
More than 300 students from Charles County Public elementary, middle and high schools, as well as county private schools, entered their science or history fair projects for awards as part of the second annual Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) History, Industry, Science and Technology Expo held March 18 at St. Charles High School in Waldorf.
The Expo now combines the annual Science and History Fairs and showcases CCPS programs available for students. These programs include robotics, the system's Code.org computer science partnership, Project Lead the Way, Career and Technology Education (CTE) offerings and more.
Milton M. Somers Middle School sixth grader Matthew Fialkowski was named the overall winner of the science fair portion of the Expo. His project, "The Effect of Weight Position on the Distance Traveled by a Pinewood Derby Car," earned a first-place award in the physics and astronomy category in the junior division. The overall winner is selected from among the first-place award winners in the junior and senior divisions.
Awards were given in three competing divisions: senior division for high school students, junior division for middle school students and an elementary school division. The following students received awards for their science fair projects.
Senior Division
First place awards
• Jasmine Thomas, Thomas Stone High School, freshman, medicine and health sciences category; and
• Lauren Chandler, North Point High School, freshman, plant sciences category.
Second place awards
• Morgan Krauel, Maurice J. McDonough High School, freshman, chemistry category;
• Alana Zimmerman, McDonough, freshman, engineering: materials and bioengineering category;
• Kaci Hernandez, North Point, freshman, environmental sciences category;
• Harmon Bennett, McDonough, freshman, medicine and health sciences category;
• Taylor Colbert, Stone, freshman, plant sciences category; and
• Joe Trespeces, St. Charles High School, freshman, physics and astronomy category.
Third place awards
• Elizabeth Wash, North Point, freshman, engineering: electrical and mechanical category;
• Karen Damian, St. Charles, freshman, environmental sciences category;
• Nathaniel Mudd, Stone, freshman, medicine and health sciences category;
• Dominic Hawkins, Henry E. Lackey High School, freshman, plant sciences category; and
• Ashley Pumphrey, Stone, freshman, physics and astronomy category.
Junior Division
First place awards
• Eileen Browning, Somers, seventh grade, biology category;
• Melanie Hall, Somers, seventh grade, chemistry category;
• Iyan Tookes, Mattawoman Middle School, seventh grade, engineering: materials and bioengineering category;
• Joshua Nguyen, St. Mary's Bryantown, eighth grade, environmental management category;
• Amy Miller, Somers, sixth grade, Earth and planetary sciences category;
• Yasmeen Adeleke, Theodore G. Davis Middle School, eighth grade, environmental sciences category;
• Peter Beil, Southern Maryland Christian Academy, sixth grade, microbiology category;
• Vincent Wort, St. Mary's Bryantown, sixth grade, mathematical sciences category;
• Matthew Fialkowski, Somers, sixth grade, physics and astronomy category; and
• Ryann Brown, John Hanson Middle School, eighth grade, plant sciences category.
Second place awards
• Rosemari Kieser, Somers, eighth grade, chemistry category;
• Andrew Deeds, Somers, eighth grade, engineering: electrical and mechanical category;
• Erin McRoy, St. Mary's Bryantown, seventh grade, engineering: materials and bioengineering category;
• Alessia Caudill, Mattawoman, seventh grade, environmental sciences category; and
• Faith Crawford, Southern Maryland Christian Academy, seventh grade, plant sciences category.
Third place awards
• Karley Lusby, St. Mary's Bryantown, seventh grade, chemistry category;
• Ashlynn Hancock, St. Mary's Bryantown, sixth grade, engineering: electrical and mechanical category;
• Kate Akins, Somers, seventh grade, engineering: materials and bioengineering category; and
• Morgan Vicha, Benjamin Stoddert Middle School, eighth grade, physics and astronomy category.
Elementary School Winners
First place awards
• Jillian Daniel, T.C. Martin Elementary School, fourth grade, chemistry category;
• James Embrey, Malcolm Elementary School, fifth grade, engineering category;
• Kyle Brough, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School, fourth grade, Earth science category;
• Joseph-Benjamin Afful, William A. Diggs Elementary School, fourth grade, environmental science category;
• Hailey Van Brunt, Berry Elementary School, fourth grade, life science category; and
• Zoe Mudd, Malcolm, fifth grade, physics category.
Second place awards
• Chenoa Jones, J.P. Ryon Elementary School, fifth grade, chemistry category;
• Shanita Savoy, Walter J. Mitchell Elementary School, fourth grade, engineering category;
• Olivia Gorzka, Diggs, third grade, Earth science category;
• Eleanora Jones, Dr. James Craik Elementary School, third grade, environmental science category;
• Erin Cooley, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy, fourth grade, life science category; and
• Christion Medley, Mary B. Neal Elementary School, second grade, physics category.
Third place awards
• Delaney Garner, St. Mary's Bryantown, fourth grade, chemistry category;
• Isabella Caudill, Berry, fourth grade, engineering category;
• Cadence Tolbert, Craik, fourth grade, engineering category;
• Melissa McPherson, Martin, fourth grade, Earth science category;
• Rachel Chernoff, Craik, fifth grade, life science category; and
• Marcus Tucker, J.C. Parks Elementary School, fourth grade, physics category.
Students were also eligible to receive special awards for their projects. Special award winners are listed below.
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Capital Region:
• Carissa Barclay, freshman, McDonough;
• Ashley Pumphrey, freshman, Stone; and
• Kierra Brevard, freshman, Lackey.
Charles County Archaeological Society of Maryland
• James Embrey, fifth grade, Malcolm.
College of Southern Maryland:
• Rachel Chernoff, fifth grade, Craik;
• Eileen Browning, seventh grade, Somers; and
• Jasmine Thomas, freshman, Stone.
La Plata Garden Club:
• Karen Damian, St. Charles, freshman.
La Plata Lions Club:
• Rosemari Kieser, Somers, eighth grade;
• Amanda Cartwright, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School, fifth grade;
• Naomi Kilpatrick, Barnhart, fifth grade; and
• Jasmine Thomas, Stone, freshman.
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division:
• Kierra Brevard, Lackey, freshman;
• Andrew Deeds, Somers, eighth grade;
• Ashlyn Milstead, St. Charles, freshman;
• Gabriela Alcantara, Mattawoman, sixth grade;
• Joe Trespeces, St. Charles, freshman, and;
• Emilee Willey, Westlake, freshman.
Patuxent Partnership:
• Vincent Wort, St. Mary's Bryantown, sixth grade;
• Camden Burroughs, St. Charles, freshman;
• Ashley Pumphrey, Stone, freshman;
• Iyan Tookes, Mattawoman, seventh grade;
• Peter Beil, Southern Maryland Christian Academy, sixth grade; and
• Matthew Fiakowski, Somers, sixth grade.
Southern Maryland Association of Realtors, Inc.
• Matthew Fialkowski, sixth grade, Somers.
Southern Maryland Resource Conservation and Development Board Inc.:
• Taylor Colbert, Stone, freshman;
• Ashley Pumphrey, Stone, freshman;
• Joshua Nguyen, St. Mary's Bryantown, eighth grade; and
• Faith Crawford, Southern Maryland Christian Academy, seventh grade.
Water and Waste Operators Association of Maryland, Delaware and Washington, D.C.:
• Kyle Brough, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy, fourth grade;
• Lauren Pearl, Mitchell, fifth grade; and
• Elenora Jones, Craik, third grade.
A complete list of students who received awards in the history day portion of the HITS Expo is posted on the Charles County Public Schools website at www.ccboe.com/pr/ .