Dorchester County Public Schools -

‘Real Men Read’ made its debut in Dorchester County at Sandy Hill Elementary School shortly before spring break, as around two dozen young men, all students at UMES, Salisbury University, or C-SD, visited PreK-4, Kindergarten, and 1st and 4th grades to share books and conversation. This is part of an initiative of the organization We Will All Rise to encourage men of color into schools, as educators and role models for youngsters. Thank you, gentlemen, for sharing your time and excitement about learning with the Sandy Hill Bees! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it . . . With Secretary, Maryland the fashion capital of Dorchester County, everyone has been awaiting the Big Reveal of what spring hat is the hot style this year. Check out these Husky fashions, introduced on the catwalk of Main St., at the annual Warwick Elementary School Hat Parade this past week. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Here’s one more look at our terrific school-level Teachers of the Year 2024-2025, holding citations celebrating their honor! Also, we can’t say enough ‘congratulations!’ to Katelyn Robinson (Maple Elementary), the teacher selected to go on to the state level contest, shown here with First Class Teachers of the Year Haley Wright (Maple Elementary) and Jordan Lewis (Choptank Elementary). #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

A BIG ‘thank you!’ to the almost 50 community-minded businesses and other organizations who generously supported our Teacher of the Year 2024-2025 programs with contributions and donations, allowing us to celebrate our Teacher of the Year, First Class Teachers of the Year, and all the finalists. You’re the best! Aero Energy Amick Farms, LLC Ava’s Hospitality Group Bay Country Bakery Bay Country Communications Cambridge Chick-fil-a Cambridge Lions Club Cambridge Marketplace, LLC Carmela’s Cucina Carpenter Street Saloon Canters for Specialized Dentistry – Dr. John Lewis Chesapeake Family YMCA Chesapeake Seed & Feed Chipotle Choptank Electric Cooperative Craig’s Drug Store Data Network Delmarva Document Solutions Dorchester Center for the Arts Dorchester Educators Dr. Lois Narr Emily’s Produce ES Hubbert & Son Haddaway’s Service, Inc. Hair Couture – Courtney Slacum Heirloom Athletics Hertrich Automotive Group Hooper’s Island Volunteer Fire Company Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Junior Achievement of the Eastern Shore Karen Davis – State Farm Insurance Kool Ice and Seafood McDonalds of Cambridge Megan Holotik – State Farm Insurance Mid-Shore Meals til Monday Nathan of Dorchester National Outdoor Foundation Ocean Odyssey Restaurant Simmons Center Market Starbucks The Rose Group – Applebee’s Restaurant Thomas Fine Jewelry Thomas Funeral Home, P.A. Tri-Gas and Oil Company, Inc. Twins & Company VCA Choptank Animal Hospital Victoria Nails & Spa Whitten Financial Group, LLC #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The Board of Education of Dorchester County has launched its search for a new Superintendent of Schools, guided by executive search firm Hazard Young Attea Associates (HYA), and your input is needed. Starting today (Wednesday, March 27), all parents, teachers, administrators, staff, students, and community residents are invited to complete a survey regarding your thoughts about where Dorchester County Public Schools is now, and what leadership qualities you consider most important in a Superintendent. The survey will be open until April 9 and can be accessed here: https://hyasurvey.com/dorchester. More information about this search process can be found on our website at https://www.dcps.k12.md.us/article/1525091. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Announcing Dorchester County Public Schools Teacher of the Year 2024-2025: Maple Elementary School PreK-4 teacher Katelyn Robinson! First Class Teacher of the Year 2024-2025 honors are shared by Jordan Lewis, PreK-4 teacher at Choptank Elementary School and Haley Wright, 4th grade teacher at Maple Elementary – the result of the first time there has been a tie in the judging of First Class Teacher of the Year! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Announcing Dorchester County Public Schools Teacher of the Year 2024-2025: Maple Elementary School PreK-4 teacher Katelyn Robinson! First Class Teacher of the Year 2024-2025 honors are shared by Jordan Lewis, PreK-4 teacher at Choptank Elementary School and Haley Wright, 4th grade teacher at Maple Elementary – the result of the first time there has been a tie in the judging of First Class Teacher of the Year! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Tonight’s the night! The Dorchester County Teacher of the Year for 2024-2025 will be announced from this list of more-than-worthy finalists. Congratulations to all for representing your schools and thank you for sharing your talent, knowledge, and expertise with the children of Dorchester County! Emma Brant, 3rd grade, Choptank Elementary School Christie Carels, 4th grade, South Dorchester School Colleen Carney, Social Studies, C-SD Crystal Carpenter, Math and Spanish, North Dorchester Middle School Kierra Farrare, 7th grade, Math, Mace’s Lane Middle School Jennifer Filipovic, Kindergarten, Hurlock Elementary School Heather Rhinehart, 2nd grade, Warwick Elementary School Katelyn Robinson, PreK-4, Maple Elementary School Christy Starling, PreK-3, Sandy Hill Elementary School Tony Thomas, Homeland Security, Emergency Preparedness/Criminal Justice, DCTC Kay Trice, Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy and Physiology, North Dorchester High School #AllHandsOnDeck

This is a big “thank you!” to the folks who graciously performed the very tough job of selecting the Dorchester County Public Schools Teacher of the Year and First Class Teacher of the Year: Ms. Briana Beulah, Dorchester County Public Schools Teacher of the Year 2023-2024; Ms. Wendi Bleyer, Dorchester County Public Schools First Class Teacher of the Year 2023-2024; Mr. Bill Christopher, President, Dorchester Chamber of Commerce; Ms. Debbie Johnson, retired Administrator, Dorchester County Public Schools; Ms. Alice Mitchell, retired Administrator, Dorchester County Public Schools. Those chosen for the 2024-2025 titles will be announced tomorrow evening, Tuesday, March 26. Stay tuned! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

These are our Dorchester County Public Schools 1st Class Teacher of the Year finalists for 2024-2025! They are all first year certificated teachers who are rising to the challenge of what is probably one of the most demanding years of their lives – their rookie year of teaching – and who are showing exceptional promise and grace in the process. Jordan Lewis, Pre-K4, Choptank Elementary School; Brianna Sann, 1st grade, Sandy Hill Elementary School; Devyn Thompson, 6th grade RELA, Mace’s Lane Middle School; Haley Wright, 4th grade, Maple Elementary School Stand by for the announcement of who is the 1st Class Teacher of the Year, which will be made tomorrow, Tuesday, March 26, during the evening Teacher of the Year reception! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Spring Break alert! Spring Break starts later this week and, thanks to Mother Nature, is a little different than the DCPS Calendar/Handbook. Thursday, March 28: Schools are closed, but offices are open and 12-month employees are working. Friday, March 29: Schools and offices are closed. Sunday, March 31: Happy Easter! Monday, April 1: Schools and offices are closed. No foolin’! Tuesday, April 2: Schools and offices are open as normal. This was originally to be a holiday and is listed in the 2023-24 DCPS Calendar Handbook as such, but has now been made a regular school day due to the number of inclement weather days taken so far this year. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

This Spring students in grades 5-11 will have an opportunity to provide feedback about their school environment, safety, relationships and community through the Maryland School Survey. Learn more at https://www.marylandpublicschools.org/about/Pages/DCAA/DataCollections/MarylandSchoolSurvey.aspx

Meet Haley Wright, a first-year teacher at Maple Elementary School and a finalist for Dorchester County Public Schools First Class Teacher of the Year! The 4th grade teacher is from Cambridge, and graduated from Cambridge-South Dorchester High School before heading to Salisbury University where she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education. Ms. Wright has wanted to be a teacher since she was a little girl, saying that she was inspired by the “wonderful teachers” that she was fortunate enough to have. What has been her biggest takeaway from her rookie year of teaching? “The best way to learn something is from others. Often, we view asking for help as a sign of weakness, but working together and collaborating with my teammates and other colleagues has helped make my first year smoother.” Welcome (back) to Dorchester County Public Schools, Ms. Wright! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Former Baltimore Oriole B.J. Surhoff and his wife are the parents of four children, one of whom has autism. Twenty-four years ago, the couple joined with a few other families to start Pathfinders for Autism. This organization helps other families who have a child with autism find the support they need, from basic information to special training. DCPS Family Support Services will host B.J. Surhoff at a virtual event on Tuesday, March 26, at 6 pm at which he will talk about his experiences in raising a child with autism as well as services and opportunities offered by Pathfinders for Autism. The interactive session will be held at https://shorturl.at/aevDH. Questions? Contact Kelly Flack at flackk@dcpsmd.org. #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Due to lack of a quorum, the Thursday, March 21 meeting of the Board of Education of Dorchester County has been postponed until Monday, March 25, 2024. The open meeting will be held on that date at 3:00 pm at the Central Office of the Board of Education, 700 Glasgow St., Cambridge MD.

Last week Hurlock Elementary School and Dorchester Educators welcomed a special guest in celebration of Read Across America Month! Cheryl Bost, Maryland State Education Association president, visited the school, bringing with her a collection of new books with a grant from the National Education Association as a gift for the schools Media Center. On hand to say hello were representatives of Dorchester Educators, Hurlock Principal Dawn Corkran and reading coach Dr. Rebekah Donovan, DCPS Media Supervisor Theresa Connors and – most importantly – the 3rd grade class who got first look at the new books and were treated to a read-aloud by Ms. Bost. Hurlock’s Keeper of the Books, Meredith Thompson, a nominee for Maryland School Librarian of the Year, is shown with a couple of the new titles, as she prepares the books for children’s use. Thank you, MSEA, for more books for kiddos! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

“I chose to become a teacher because I have a deep-seated desire to affect positive change in my community,” says Teacher of the Year finalist Crystal Carpenter. The 21-year teaching veteran has been with Dorchester County Public Schools for 17 years, and all of that at North Dorchester Middle School where this year she teaches 8th grade mathematics, algebra I, and Spanish I. Having grown up in Rhodesdale, Ms. Carpenter graduated from North Dorchester High School and then earned a Bachelor’s degree in PK-12 Health and Physical Education from Frostburg State University and a Master’s degree from Walden University in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. Ms. Carpenter says her teaching experience has taught her that “educators play a crucial role in fostering resilience and a positive attitude towards setbacks in students . . . Encouraging a mindset that views failure as a steppingstone to growth and innovation can lead to a culture of perseverance and ultimate success.” Thank you for using your experience to encourage DCPS students, Ms. Carpenter! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

It is said “like mother, like daughter”, and that is true for Dorchester County Public Schools Teacher of the Year finalist Katelyn Robinson. She says, “My mother is one of the greatest teachers I know, so I grew up watching someone with so much passion for her career. Watching her create relationships and become a local celebrity to these little kids was so heartwarming that I knew that is something I wanted too.” An outstanding model to emulate, Ms. Robinson’s mom is Ms. Cherie Robinson, a former DCPS Teacher of the Year and currently the instructor of the Teacher Academy of Maryland program at DCTC. Ms. Robinson Jr. is a Pre-K4 teacher at Maple Elementary, where she has been teaching for eight years. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Creative Arts, and is at present working on her masters degree in Differentiated Instruction with LaSalle University. Her goal as a teacher? “To create students who love to learn!”, which is just the strong basis on which other great DCPS teachers can build. Thank you, Ms. Robinson! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

Once an Eagle, always an Eagle! North Dorchester Teacher of the Year finalist Kay Trice was an Eagle at her alma mater, Colonial Forge High School in Stafford, Virginia, before she became a North Dorchester Eagle, and wouldn’t have it any other way. Having taught at NDHS her entire 15-year career, this year she teaches biology, chemistry, and anatomy and physiology to students in 9th to 12th grades. Why did Ms. Trice choose teaching as a career? “I love helping others, and teaching is the best way I know to meet that niche every day,” she says. With degrees from Washington College in biology and LaSalle University in education, Ms. Trice’s philosophy of teaching is simple: “I try to help students to see better versions of themselves through tough love, accountability, and science.” We’re glad you found a home in The Nest, Ms. Trice! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS

The Preston Automotive Group might be best known for four wheeled vehicles, but yesterday the focus was on two wheels as Lisa Schmitt, Preston’s Business Development Manager, stopped by Warwick Elementary to award bicycles, donated by Preston, to their new owners! Students who were on reading step 400 or above were randomly selected to win one of the bikes. Congratulations go to these lucky readers: Gabe Shenton, Kindergarten; Barrett Smith, Kindergarten; Lily Abey, 2nd grade; Kinsley Brake, 1st grade; Maren McGinnes, 2nd grade, Rowan Cox, 4th grade; and Amir Haskins, 4th grade. Students read at least four steps per day, with 15 minutes equaling one step. Two steps (30 minutes) are done at school and two steps (30 minutes) are done at home. Thank you, Preston, for encouraging Huskies to read, read, read! #AllHandsOnDeckDCPS