Choptank Elementary

NOTICE OF MEETING Board of Education Budget Work Session with Public Comments on the Budget DATE: Thursday, January 23, 2025 TIME: 5:00 p.m. PLACE: The Board Room Central Office of the Board of Education 700 Glasgow Street Cambridge, MD 21613 The Board of Education of Dorchester County will conduct a Budget Work Session with Comments from the Public at the date, time and location indicated above to address business as indicated on the agenda. The agenda and related documents can be accessed online via BoardDocs on the Dorchester County Public Schools website at www.dcps.k12.md.us. Anyone who would like to submit public comments electronically, to be included in the minutes, can email comments@dcpsmd.org by 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, January 22 2025. All Board of Education Meetings will be livestreamed: https://townhallstreams.com/towns/dorchesterboe

Good Afternoon Families, This weekend is a 3-day weekend. Schools will be closed on Monday, January 20th, in observance of Martin Luther King Day. We are closely monitoring the weather forecast, which indicates a possibility of snow on Sunday and very cold temperatures on Monday and Tuesday. We are unsure if this will cause a school closure next week. To prepare, we are sending home devices and chargers with students today in case we have to provide virtual learning next week. Remember, we have used all our inclement weather days and are doing our best to not extend the school year further into June. If there is no significant snow event, students should bring their devices and chargers back to school on Tuesday. Please ensure the devices are safely stored over the weekend. If there are any connectivity issues, students will have the opportunity to make up the work, and it will not count against them. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

January 15, 2025 Dear Parent/Guardian/Community Member, Dorchester County Public Schools (DCPS) has initiated a process to modernize its elementary schools, and we need your input in the first step—the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. This document will identify what an ideal elementary school in Dorchester County should be: the types of instructional and support spaces it will contain, its educational philosophy, and its community features. It will be used to evaluate the older elementary schools in the system, leading to capital improvement projects that will support your children’s needs. You are invited to a listening session to learn about the process for developing the Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification. The first session will be held on February 11, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at Cambridge-South Dorchester High School in the auditorium, and the second session will be held on February 12, 2025, beginning at 6:00 PM, at North Dorchester High School in the auditorium. At these sessions, you will have the opportunity to provide input on the elementary schools. You do not need to attend both sessions as they will both cover the same information. Additional opportunities will be available later this spring to provide comments as the draft educational specification document is developed. The Districtwide Elementary School Prototype Educational Specification is the first step in providing modernized facilities for the elementary school students of Dorchester County. Your concerns and observations are crucial to the success of this process. We look forward to seeing you at one or both sessions. Sincerely, Dr. Jymil Thompson Superintendent of Schools

The Parent Encouragement Program (PEP), in partnership with DCPS, is excited to bring an additional resource to support our students' parents/caregivers/guardians. PEP is hosting two family-friendly informational sessions to share insight on parenting styles and support with our DCPS families—one in Cambridge at the Intergenerational Center and the other in Hurlock at North Dorchester Middle School. Dinner will be served, and there will be interactive activities for the children/youth! Please register to join us http://tinyurl.com/PEPinDCMD

December Attendance Awards! 1st Place: PK- 92.5% 2nd Place: K- 92.5 % 3rd Place: 2nd grade -90.5% 4th Place: 4th grade -89.7% 5th Place: 1st grade - 88.4 % 6th Place: 5th grade -87.7% 7th Place: 3rd grade-86.9% #fourhousesonechoptank #attendancematters

Good afternoon! Dorchester County Public schools will be opening on a two hour delay Monday, January 13th. Parents please make sure that your child returns their charged laptop tomorrow.

Update for Friday January 10th!!! Please use this post/email as directions for how CES will be handling the virtual day on Friday, January 10th. If you are unable to log on, please remain calm and complete the packet of work and turn it back in on the first day we are back in person. If your student was not present to receive their device or schoolwork, they will get an opportunity to make up the work. Just a reminder that PreK and Kinder students are packets only and do not have devices. Student Schedule : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRRQ7NSXGtEWVXVHGktS80NeiqgoRqTbanYMI2QF0VeBM6G9xBA78MOtvWgf1u5zJ_l1vkBwyhsfD6_/pub?output=pdf Teacher Google Meet Codes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT8ZXzjMctoxqTfNRvpH-bpNDJf8qCol3h6TT6Ye1SLSdkt8PPmxFx5oMrpicuYvJmU9yc4IW962skB/pub Google Meet Log in instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTzIIYTCpsddoXeFMhkgNWiidTE0vqkhbCMVhZ66dT98YgM5a6HjUaSyNwOW9WH-tKcOkdfRrK2prse/pub Clever Log in instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQx-IkW8ebuOMGwS_LIlTwn4wdZqG2epUNu_ZhVGsx9eawZx157alob-e2tbvHAlB9qcCGli70zrHYR/pub We will navigate any new challenges tomorrow presents and we appreciate your flexibility. #fourhousesonechoptank

Good afternoon. Friday, January 10th will be a virtual learning day for students. More information will be sent from your child’s school. All 12-month employees are expected to report on time. If staff need additional time to get to work, they may reach out to their supervisor to adjust their schedule. Please be safe.

Please use this post/email as directions for how CES will be handling the virtual day on Thursday, January 9th. If you are unable to log on, please remain calm and complete the packet of work and turn it back in on the first day we are back in person. If your student was not present to receive their device or schoolwork, they will get an opportunity to make up the work. Just a reminder that PreK and Kinder students are packets only and do not have devices. Student Schedule : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vRRQ7NSXGtEWVXVHGktS80NeiqgoRqTbanYMI2QF0VeBM6G9xBA78MOtvWgf1u5zJ_l1vkBwyhsfD6_/pub?output=pdf Teacher Google Meet Codes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vT8ZXzjMctoxqTfNRvpH-bpNDJf8qCol3h6TT6Ye1SLSdkt8PPmxFx5oMrpicuYvJmU9yc4IW962skB/pub Google Meet Log in instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vTzIIYTCpsddoXeFMhkgNWiidTE0vqkhbCMVhZ66dT98YgM5a6HjUaSyNwOW9WH-tKcOkdfRrK2prse/pub Clever Log in instructions: https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQx-IkW8ebuOMGwS_LIlTwn4wdZqG2epUNu_ZhVGsx9eawZx157alob-e2tbvHAlB9qcCGli70zrHYR/pub We will navigate any new challenges tomorrow presents and we appreciate your flexibility. #fourhousesonechoptank

Good afternoon. Thursday, January 9th will be a virtual learning day for students. More information will be sent from your child’s school. All 12-month employees are expected to report on time. If staff need additional time to get to work, they may reach out to their supervisor to adjust their schedule. Please be safe.

Good afternoon! Dorchester County Public Schools and Central Office will be closed Wednesday, January 8th. Essential staff may be called in by their supervisor if needed. Stay safe.

Good afternoon! Dorchester County Public Schools and Central Office will be closed Tuesday, January 7th. Essential staff may be called in by their supervisor if needed. Stay safe.

Good afternoon! Due to the forecast for Monday, January 6th, all schools and the central office will be closed. If needed, essential staff may be called in by their supervisor. Stay safe.

Friendly Reminder to CES Families: Please make sure to contact the school if your contact information (including email and phone numbers) have changed in any way. For all school notifications, phone numbers and email are taken from PowerSchool. School delays and closings are sent to families through the following: -a phone call, text, and email taken from PowerSchool. -the DCPS communication app. -social media. It is important that we have updated contact information in order for you to receive these notifications.

Kindergarten students worked diligently to exercise their math sense, while counting dots and matching the quantity to the numeral to smash the ball of Play-Doh! We see you CES mathematicians! #fourhousesoneChoptank #dcps23nomore #attendancematters #communityschool

It looks like 2025 is starting with some possible Inclement Weather days. At this time, the forecast is showing a winter storm on Monday, January 6, 2025. DCPS is scheduled to open on time; however, we will monitor the situation closely. Please visit our website for more information on potential inclement weather days and virtual instruction.

Students in Kindergarten enjoyed a Kahoot game to blend sounds to make words! Way to go scholars! #fourhousesoneChoptank #attendancematters #communityschool #dcps23nomore

Choptank's littlest Hummingbirds had a special visitor this last week! One of Santa's elves came to read and visit! #fourhousesoneChoptank #AttendanceMatters #communityschool @dcps23nomore

Check out these attendance super-stars from the month of November! Congratulations to Kindergarten and all of our Perfect Attendance students! Grades/Percent attendance! 1st Place: K- 91/7% 2nd Place: 4-90.5% 3rd Place: 4th Place: PK-89.5% 5th Place: 1-89.2% 6th Place: 5- 88.9% 7th Place: 2-88% 3-87.5%

Choptank's Hummingbird Chicks have been working and learning during afterschool club! They are learning skills and having a great time!