Charles County Public Schools will host more than 135 colleges at its 13th annual Charles County College Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at North Point High School. Hours are 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.

High school juniors and seniors attend the event during the school day as part of the system's career readiness goal in the five-year plan. Students are transported from school by bus and are able to speak with representatives and gather information from participating colleges. Students wishing to attend the fair during the school day must submit a signed permission slip to their school's college and career advisor.

The public is invited to attend the evening session of the fair and parents are encouraged to bring their children. Two financial aid workshops will be held, one at 6:15 p.m. and one at 7:15 p.m., for parents and students to learn about the financial aid application process.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call your child's school or 301-934-7314.

A list of local scholarships, as well as a link to Maryland colleges and universities is also available on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/students/scholarships.cfm.

Charles County Public Schools is holding a groundbreaking ceremony for St. Charles High School at 10 a.m., Wednesday, Sept. 8, at the school site located off Piney Church Road, adjacent to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball stadium.

The ceremony is open to the public and attendees should wear comfortable foot wear to maneuver the dirt road to the site. Parking is available next to the site on St. Linus Drive. Emmanuel Bakare, senior at Thomas Stone High School and Student Member to the Charles County Board of Education, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies.

Call 301-934-7220 for more information.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Board of Education's next monthly meeting is Tuesday, Sept. 21, at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building on Radio Station Road in La Plata. The public portion of the August meeting begins at 11 a.m. The meeting is televised live on Comcast Channel 96 and Verizon FiOS Channel 12, and is rebroadcast throughout the week. Board meetings are also streamed live on the school system Web site at www.ccboe.com.

Executive session - 12 p.m.

Call to order - 1 p.m.

Pledge of Allegiance - North Point High School's JROTC unit

Superintendent's update to the board

Reports of officers/boards/committees

• Correspondence/board member updates
• Education Association of Charles County update
• Student board member's update
• Update on fall sports
• Use of tasers - Sheriff Rex Coffey
• Review of the cell phone policy
• Capital Improvement Program (CIP) update
• FY 2011 Comprehensive Maintenance Plan
• Bridge to Excellence update
• Diversity training in the work place
• Food services report
• Oral update on staffing
• Board chairman election bylaw

New business

Future agenda items

Public Forum - 6 p.m.

Action items

• Minutes
• Personnel
• State CIP 2012
• Recurring resolutions:Health Careers Month; American Education Week; American Freedom Week; African American History Month; Career and Technical Education Month; National School Counseling Week; Read Across America; Women's History Month; Fine and Performing Arts Month; Month of the Young Child; National Student Leadership Week; Teacher Appreciation Week; Administrative Professionals' Week; Child Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week; National Physical Education and Sport Week; Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leader; Charles County Teacher of the Year; Employees' Retirement; Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) kicked off the 2010-11 school year Monday with expectations of enrollment increases of more than 100 students and the groundbreaking for its next new high school.

Kindergarten students at Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School started classes in newly renovated and additional classrooms. The renovation and addition are part of a state project to add space at elementary schools to accommodate full-day kindergarten, and Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy is the fourth school completed. This year, construction has started for kindergarten expansions and renovations at Eva Turner and Indian Head elementary schools.

A groundbreaking for St. Charles High School, which will be located off Piney Church Road in Waldorf, is scheduled for Sept. 8, 10 a.m., at the school site. The groundbreaking is open to the public. Charles County Public Schools seventh high school is set to open in August 2013. Site preparation is underway and the school system plans to solicit construction bids in the fall. Building construction is expected to start in early 2011.

"We had a tremendous opening of the new school year and I am looking forward to the continued progress and growth of Charles County Public Schools," said Superintendent James E. Richmond.

Instruction remains at the center of new programs this year, which advance early childhood and Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering (STEM) offerings. A three's class is opening at Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementary School in Waldorf in September, bringing the total of schools with three-year-old programs to five. "Early childhood education plays an important role and helps with the proper development and education of a child. It is crucial and some children need these programs in order to be prepared for kindergarten. Any early childhood programs we can offer are good investments for the future," Richmond said.

CCPS continues to strengthen its STEM offerings. SpringBoard, STEM e-Portfolio and SeaPerch are new programs this school year. SpringBoard is a College Board pre-advanced placement program. CCPS has added SpringBoard at the middle school level in math. SpringBoard will increase the level of rigor in the curriculum as well as accelerate learning and help close the achievement gap, said Assistant Superintendent of Instruction Judy Estep.

The STEM e-Portfolio, or Maryland STEM Portfolio Project, is funded by a grant and gives teachers model lessons in problem-based learning using electronic portfolios. Charles County is one of five in the state to receive the grant, and teacher participants receive classroom Smart Boards, mounted projectors, GPS units for classroom use, a personal laptop, flip cameras and thumb drives for 30 students. The teachers learn to incorporate multiple types of software and technology and then develop model STEM problem-based learning lessons to be shared statewide.

CCPS is also participating in SeaPerch, a federally funded pilot program designed to expose middle school students to exploration of naval architecture, marine and ocean engineering concepts. Selected students at Theodore G. Davis and Piccowaxen middle schools will participate in the after-school program that focuses on the development of robots that perform underwater maneuvers.

Communication between the school and home is about to get easier. Starting Sept. 20, the school system is launching software that allows parents to check online for information about their child, including middle and high school grades. Parents must sign up in person at their child's school and present a photo identification to receive an access code and password.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

Police officers welcomed students and parents with safety messages as they drove into the Westlake High School Monday for the first day of school.

It was the third year that the sheriff, superintendent of schools and school resource officers have greeted students with flyers to remind them of the rules of the road and wishing them a safe start to the school year. A series of car crashes four years ago had left students and the community stunned and determined to work together in an attempt to prevent more accidents.

"We Care," a coordinated effort between the school system, sheriff's office and the Charles County Association of Student Councils (CCASC) has kept safe driving at the forefront of students' minds through checkpoints in school parking lots and activities including assemblies, driving simulations and student-created public service announcements.

LaQuan Holton, a senior at Westlake, said he believes safe driving is vital and too many teens are still texting, talking and eating while driving. He said, "When accidents happen, you get our attention and we begin to listen."

Kayla Marshall, a Westlake senior and member of the school's student government association, said teens need to be safe and take precautions when driving. She said it is hard to get the message out, but students continue their efforts through the student government's "We Care" activities.

Knowing the rules of the road is one of the messages police and school officials are focusing on at the start of the school year. The first reminder is that effective October 1, Maryland drivers are prohibited from using a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving.

Schools plan to also attach Rules of the Road flyers to school parking permits as a reminder that students must drive safely on and off school property to keep their permit. The sheriff's office notifies schools when a student gets stopped and ticketed driving to or from school or a school event, which can lead to the loss of parking privileges.

"The safety of our students, both in and out of school, is always our priority and concern. It is important that we continue to educate students about safe driving as well as let them know that it is important to us that they drive and arrive safely to and from school," Superintendent James E. Richmond said.

Sheriff Rex Coffey said the sheriff's office remains committed to the safe driving effort. Throughout the school year, "Officers will continue to spot check drivers as they leave school parking lots, checking for seatbelt use and the number of passengers in students' cars... While our work in this area will never rest, we ask that the entire Charles County community continue to support the program and see to it that our youngest drivers stay committed to this mission," Coffey said.

The Rules of the Roads, including explanations of the different types of teen driving licenses and the restrictions on each, can be found on the school system Web site at http://www2.ccboe.com/students.cfm under the Teen Driving Requirement link. Information about teen driving requirements and parking privileges are published in the high school student handbooks.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

Mark Howell, a history teacher at Westlake High School and Charles County Public School's 2010 Teacher of the Year, was named one of seven Maryland Teacher of the Year finalists by the Maryland State Department of Education. He advances to the state level along with teachers from Calvert, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George's counties.

State finalists were selected by a panel of judges from Maryland education organizations that represent principals, teachers, school boards, teacher unions, parents and higher education. Finalists were selected based on criteria that include teaching style and philosophy, community involvement and knowledge of general education issues.

Finalist interviews will be conducted Sept. 11, and the winner will be announced at a gala reception and dinner scheduled for Oct. 8 at Martin's West. The state winner receives a cash award, a new car, and will be considered for the National Teacher of the Year honor.

Howell was nominated for the county award by Westlake Principal Chrystal Benson and school staff. Throughout his 30-year career in education, Howell has taught at the elementary, middle and high school levels. He was instrumental in bringing the Civics Mosaic Russian partnership and Civic Voices instruction to students in Charles County. In 2003, CCPS launched a partnership with a school in Penza, Russia through the Civics Mosaic program, in which students learn about political systems and ideology through the use of comparative methods. Howell was chosen as one of two initial Mosaic Fellows and traveled to Russia to collaborate with teachers and teach with students.

Howell has maintained his connection with Penza, and uses videoconferencing capabilities in class so his students can participate in live conversations with Russian students to discuss the differences in history, political and educational systems and culture. In his efforts to provide his students with a diverse understanding of history, Howell became involved with the Civic Voices program. The program provides teachers with the tools to work with their students to gather oral histories from civic activists. Once the histories are compiled, the content is uploaded to the Civic Voices Web site as part of an International Democracy Memory Bank, which features the work of students across eight countries.

Beyond the classroom, Howell is heavily involved in the musical activities of his church, where he serves as the volunteer music director. He works with children and adult choirs, hand-bell choirs and leads the praise band. He also helps teach Sunday School and enjoys traveling cross country with his wife, Judith, who is also a longtime CCPS educator, and his two children.

Howell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education and history, with a concentration in music from Westminster College in Pennsylvania. He has also participated in AP course training at La Salle University and Manhattan College, and holds an Advanced Professional Certificate (APC).

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

Pictured above is Mark Howell, a history teacher at Westlake High School. Howell was recently named one of seven finalists for the Maryland State Teacher of the Year award.

Timothy Emhoff, a science teacher at Indian Head Elementary School, was recently named one of three 2010 Maryland Science Finalists for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). The award is the highest recognition that a kindergarten through grade 12 mathematics or science teacher can receive in the United States.

As a finalist, Emhoff is eligible for consideration as the state winner for elementary science, an award administered by the National Science Foundation on behalf of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Each year, more than 100 awards are bestowed to recipients across the United States.

Emhoff was nominated for the award by Sue Gray, former content specialist for science for Charles County Public Schools, and said the application process was rigorous. "I had to fill out eligibility forms to ensure that I met the requirements. I had no idea I was a finalist. It was a shock and surprise," he said.

Indian Head Principal Toni Melton-Trainor said Emhoff's nomination is well deserved. "He is definitely an example of an excellent science teacher. His instruction is engaging and students succeed in the classroom. Tim has made a tremendous impact on our school's success through supporting our students in robotics, Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA), and the Eggbert challenge. It is quite exciting!," Melton-Trainor said. Emhoff began his career with Charles County Public Schools in 2000 at Indian Head, where he has also served as the environmental science, robotics and MESA sponsor.

He received a master's degree in education in 2009 from Walden University, and holds a bachelor's degree from Evangel University in elementary education. Science and mathematics teachers can either apply for the award or be nominated. Applicant information is initially screened by the state Office of Mathematics and a state committee, comprised of educators from kindergarten through grade 12 and higher education. Each state committee selects up to three finalists for the national level. National award winners will be announced in June 2011.

Visit http://www.paemst.org/ for more information.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

Tim LaBelle took center stage in his new classroom Aug. 16, two weeks before his theater students will begin filling the North Point High School auditorium. He wasn't the teacher yet, but still playing the part of a student learning a final lesson from one of Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) top teachers.

One of 164 new CCPS teachers, LaBelle was helping Charles County's Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher, Jill Jowdy, demonstrate the power of words and the importance of how teachers use them. With outstretched arms, LaBelle stood fast as Jowdy tried to bend his arms. But when she asked him if he thought his dress was appropriate for the occasion, he immediately lost confidence and the ability to hold his arms up. How you say something to a student, Jowdy said, makes all the difference.

Charles County Public Schools kicked off the new school year with a back-to-school leadership conference for principals and vice principals the second week of August and new teachers arrived Aug. 16 for orientation. Returning teachers started Aug. 24 and the school year officially starts Aug. 30 when students again fill the classrooms.

Charles County Public Schools Teacher of the Year, Mark Howell, called elementary teachers, especially those teaching kindergarten and first graders to read, the backbone of any school system, and outlined his 31-year career that started in elementary school, continued in middle school and led to his last 17 years as a social studies teacher at Westlake High School. He left teachers with five points: be a professional; be a planner; be positive; be proactive and be patient. "You are going to learn a lot this year, and some of what you learn will be from your students."

At the new teacher orientation, there were 21 elementary, 38 middle school, 51 high school, 45 special education and five resource teachers as well as four school counselors. The school system also hired six speech pathologists and occupational therapists, for a total of 170 new hires. As of last week, there were still four middle school vacancies and six special education openings.

Following a morning of fine arts performances by students, new teachers attended benefits sessions and equity training. It wasn't just administrators that shared messages with new teachers. North Point student Gaston Lopez told teachers they have the potential to enrich the lives of their students. Teachers, he said, need to make a connection between their students' lives and what they are learning.

Superintendent James E. Richmond urged new teachers to ask for help. "Ask... ask those who have experience. Lean on us," he said. He also reminded teachers that reading and reading comprehension are essential for students to learn and technology is a strong tool, but it does not replace a good teacher. "I've never seen any resource that is better than a good teacher," he concluded.

Board of Education chairman Roberta S. Wise addressed the group and advised the teachers to enjoy their experiences and remember the impact they will have on their students. "Forty-five years ago, I was where you are today - scared to death. But I fell in love with the classroom... There is nothing more invigorating and I loved every moment," she said.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

St. Charles High School is the name of Charles County Public Schools seventh high school, which is scheduled to open in August 2013 off Piney Church Road. The Board of Education Aug. 10, by majority vote, selected the name from three recommendations submitted to them by a school naming committee.

Groundwork to prepare the school site is already underway, and the Board is hosting a groundbreaking ceremony for the school on Sept. 8, 10 a.m., at the site, which is adjacent to Regency Furniture Stadium. The groundbreaking is open to the public. The school system hopes to solicit bids for the school in the fall and begin construction in early 2011.

St. Charles High School will offer courses and programs through environmentally infused instruction. The high school will offer opportunities to students as well as the Charles County community. A digital classroom and Science on a Sphere are included in the design of the new high school and will be used by students across the county.

Board members selected the name because the school sits in the heart of the remaining 4,000 acres to be developed in St. Charles. The committee suggested three names, as directed by the Board, for consideration. Name suggestions were St. Charles, Zekiah and Lagrange Point.

A comprehensive high school redistricting will occur prior to the opening of St. Charles High School. A redistricting committee will be developed next summer and work through the 2011-12 school year to make rezoning recommendations to the Board. Superintendent James E. Richmond is recommending that the Board opens the new school with students in grades 9, 10 and 11, with some students being moved from other high schools.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

Dr. Patricia Vaira, the supervising school psychologist for Charles County Public Schools, is the new director of the student services department. Vaira replaces Keith Grier, who retired in June.

Vaira began her career with the school system as a school psychologist in 1980, and was selected for the supervising school psychologist position in 2000. During her career with the school system, Vaira has coordinated suicide intervention programs and crisis intervention procedures, represented the school system in IEP meetings, served as an expert witness in due process hearings and has supervised system student support teams. She also consulted with school administrators and helped develop therapeutic programs for emotionally disturbed students.

As director of student services, Vaira will oversee several areas of the department including school nurses, counselors, pupil personnel workers, resource officers and psychologists. The department also handles school registration and enrollment, and student hearings.

Vaira holds a doctorate in school psychology from the University of Maryland, College Park, where she also earned her master's degree. She was also awarded a bachelor's degree in psychology with a clinical concentration from Towson University, formerly Towson State College.

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,780 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 35 caring community schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.