Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) is looking for volunteers to participate in its job shadow program that pairs students and business leaders. The job shadowing experience is a chance for students to explore careers and employment prospects.

Kick-off for the job shadowing program is on Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, and continues through March 13. Students job shadow between 8:30 a.m. and noon; however, other arrangements can be made for unique experiences.

Last year, 9,702 students participated in job shadowing activities and the school system's goal is to maintain this high level of student participation in 2009. Career readiness is one of the three focus areas of the Charles County Public Schools five-year-plan for students. Job shadowing experiences help heighten student awareness of the link between school work and the world of work, said Connie Jones-Mouton, coordinator of minority achievement for CCPS.

The Boston Private Industry Council first started Job Shadow Day in 1996 as part of its School-to-Work Effort. In 1998, a coalition including Gen. Colin Powell's America's Promise was formed to encourage national participation. Charles County Public Schools joined the effort in 1999 and has participated annually since then.

Call 301-934-7245 or e-mail cmouton@ccboe.com for more information or to volunteer. The job shadowing experience can be tailored to meet the needs of the student and business. The deadline to volunteer is Jan. 16.

A CCPS job shadow volunteer form is available by choosing the download tab located below.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

Do you know what questions to ask in order to help your young child solve problems? How do you teach your child to take responsibility for assignments?

A publication, "Parents make the difference!" helps with these types of questions at all stages of your child's education. The monthly publications, published on the Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Web site, offer practical tips and solutions for how parents can get involved in their child's education. The articles are compiled from the Parent Institute's "Parents make the difference!" newsletter series.

Four categories of articles are linked to the Parents & Community section of the CCPS Web site. The categories include early childhood, elementary, middle and high. Each category includes four articles that focus on parent involvement. The link is www2.ccboe.com/parentscomm/pmtd/index.cfm. Each section is updated monthly.

For more information about the Parent Institute, visit www.parent-institute.com.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

Five Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) teachers joined the ranks of accomplished teachers nationwide who achieved National Board Certification.

The teachers, Wanda Bulkowski-Larson, Wendie Newcamp, Beth Winkler, Kristen Lednum and Tracie Gregan, completed a yearlong performance-based assessment series to become Nationally Board Certified Teachers, according to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS).

• Bulkowski-Larsen is an art teacher at La Plata High School and earned a national certificate in art/early adolescence through young adulthood.
• Newcamp is a gifted education resource teacher at General Smallwood Middle School and earned an English language arts/early adolescence certificate.
• Winkler is a kindergarten teacher at Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School and earned a generalist/early childhood certificate.
• Lednum is a fifth-grade elementary teacher at William B. Wade Elementary School and earned a generalist/middle childhood certificate.
• Gregan is a kindergarten teacher at Mary B. Neal Elementary School and earned a generalist/early childhood certificate.

Nationally Board Certified Teachers must complete an extensive review of their skills and work, which includes teacher portfolios, student work samples, videotapes, and thorough analysis of the candidates' classroom teaching and student learning. Teachers also complete a series of written exercises that probe the depth of their subject-matter knowledge and their understanding of how to teach that material to students.

The five CCPS teachers join 9,600 teachers nationwide, and 302 in Maryland who achieved National Board Certification in 2008. Certification is valid for 10 years, after which a teacher may seek renewal. Charles County Public Schools has 19 nationally certified teachers.

By achieving National Board Certification, the Charles County teachers are eligible for a $2,500 stipend added to their annual salary as well as an annual $2,000 incentive from the Maryland State Department of Education as long as they remain in the classroom and maintain their National Board Certification. More than two-thirds of states provide salary incentives and cover the cost for teachers who pursue and achieve this advanced credential.

"I commend each of these teachers for successfully completing the rigorous process to earn national certification. It speaks to their commitment to their students, the classroom and their professionalism. These teachers demonstrate a high level of knowledge, skills, dispositions and commitments. Charles County Public Schools supports NBPTS and its goals," said Superintendent James E. Richmond.

Only teachers with a standard or advanced professional certificate who have a minimum of three years successful teaching experience are eligible to apply for National Board Certification.

More information about NBPTS can be found at the NBPTS Web site at www.nbpts.org.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

Charles County Public Schools has added a school locator feature to its Web site.

School Locator is designed to allow the public to enter an address and see which three schools - elementary, middle and high - an address is zoned for. It also indicates if the address is eligible for bus transportation to a particular school.

There are two sides to the school locator, one for the public and one for school system staff. The public can access school locator at www2.ccboe.com/schoollocator/ and click on Launch Application (Public). No password is needed.

School locator works by matching the user query against a database of roads in Charles County and which schools that road is zoned for. The Charles County Public Schools transportation department sets the zones by using "polygons" in the software.

In the future, this service will allow school principals to see a list of buses traveling to their school, which students are on that bus and the approximate time of each stop that bus makes before reaching the school.

The service also expedites some of the manual tasks for school system staff. It will help in the process of creating bus route packets at the beginning of the school year.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

Comcast and the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) are sponsoring the second annual Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Award program. The annual award recognizes parents and guardians whose contributions have led to improvements in Maryland public schools.

The program was created to highlight the positive impact parents have on public schools and to encourage parent involvement. Parents and guardians can be nominated for demonstrating significant, positive impact on public education in their communities.

Nominees must be a parent/legal guardian of a child in a Maryland public school, and a consistent advocate of public education. Nominees must have also demonstrated involvement in one of the five following areas within the last 24 months: communication; volunteering; learning; decision making; and/or community collaboration.

Nominations must include three letters of recommendation, a two-page narrative essay describing the nominee's contribution to public education, and completed nomination forms.

Nomination forms are on the MSDE Web site at www.MarylandPublicSchools.org/pima. Nomination packets must be postmarked by Jan. 16, 2009, and should be sent to: Maryland State Department of Education, Office of Academic Policy, 7th Floor, Attention:PIMA, 200 West Baltimore Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201. Submissions will not be accepted online or by e-mail.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

The La Plata High School It's Academic team will participate in the regional televised competition as the first-place winner in the annual Charles County Public Schools competition, held Dec. 11 at the College of Southern Maryland.

The three-member team of Captain Gavin Reen, Robert Garcia and Tyler Fini scored 540 points to earn the top spot. The school was presented with a $500 scholarship from the Greater Waldorf Jaycees and the team will compete against Northwest and Park View high schools on Jan. 31, 2009, which will be aired on WRC TV (NBC 4) on April 4. Each year, secondary schools from the Washington D.C. metropolitan area participate in the televised It's Academic program.

Jonathan Matteson is the La Plata team's alternate and Kendra Mabie, Emma Starkey, Matthew Paesch, Colin Qualters and John Sackman are also members of the La Plata team. Principal is Evelyn Arnold and the team coach is Corinne Fox, a science teacher at La Plata.

Placing second in the competition was the North Point High School team, followed by the Westlake High School team. Teams from Henry E. Lackey High School, Maurice J. McDonough High School and Thomas Stone High School also competed. Each of these schools was presented with a $250 scholarship from the Jaycees.

The five other high school three-member teams were: Lackey - Captain Bruno Orazio, Catherine "Nikki" Henry and Joshua Miller; McDonough - Captain Melanie Mitchell, Shaun "Ross" Gardiner and Deanna Huntt; North Point - Captain Josh Darichuk, Thomas Hill and Andelle Kudzal; Thomas Stone - Captain Matthew Turner, Simon Jerome and Sean Ward; and Westlake - Captain Tiphanie Gammon, Kimberly Wiman and John Buntz.

Cameron Cox is the Lackey team's alternate and Hazelgrace Afroilan, Sarah Gotzmer, Daniel Russ, Amanda Wilmot, Alanna Asimenios, Marquis Lewis, Caitlin Curtis, Elizabeth Pimm, Jennifer Weightman, Jacob Vahle, Carlyn Gabor and Jennilyn Gabor are also members of Lackey's team. Principal is James Short and the team coach is Don Browder, a social studies teacher at Lackey.

Matt Slobodnik is the McDonough team's alternate. Principal is Jervie Petty and the team coach is Daniel Brady, a science teacher at McDonough.

Kenjeray Bennett, Derek Carey, Luoth Chou, Robert DiMauro, Cayley Dymond, Elizabeth Fletcher, Patrick Gaume, ToLam Nguyen, ToVi Nguyen, William Pickett and Roxanne Sanderson are also members of the North Point team. Principal is Kim Hill and Carrie Akins, an English teacher at North Point, and Deen Stewart, a foreign language teacher at North Point, are the team's coaches.

Emily Le is the Stone team's alternate and Alaric Powell, Jennifer DeMarco, Lemuel Carpenter, Jasper Raguindin, Joseph Trefry, Chase Arnold and John Tavares are also members of the Stone team. Principal is L.C. Martin and Nancy Jeffrey and Claire Gritzinger, foreign language teachers at Stone, are the team's coaches.

Ross McCool is the Westlake team's alternate and Amy Rappole, Victoria Bennett and Kelcey Landgraf are also members of the Westlake team. Principal is Chrystal Benson and the team coach is James Ressler, an English teacher at Westlake.

The Dec. 11 competition will be broadcast on Comcast Channel 96, the school system's educational television station, this month. Check the programming schedule at www2.ccboe.com/publicinfo/channel96.cfm for dates and times.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

The La Plata High School Student Government Association is hosting its annual Children's Holiday Party and "Drop and Shop" day care on Saturday, Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

The party will be held in the commons area at La Plata High School and is open to children ages 3-10. The party will include games, arts and crafts, music, refreshments and a visit from Santa Claus. The first 50 children to arrive will receive a free gift.

Additionally, high school students will be available to provide free "Drop and Shop" day care from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., so parents can leave their kids with students and do some holiday shopping.

For more information, please contact Pete Mahon, Student Government Association Advisor, 301-934-1100, or email pmahon@ccboe.com.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

• The North Point High School Future Educators Association (FEA) recently organized a schoolwide food drive to benefit the Peace Lutheran Food Bank. More than 2,600 canned and non-perishable food items were collected by students and staff. Collection boxes were placed in each English classroom.
• The Charles County Public Schools warehouse is hosting a public sale from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 13, at the Bumpy Oak storage facility. Items for sales include desks, chairs, tables, file cabinets and other office and classroom items. Items must be removed from the building at the time of purchase. Cash and checks are the only accepted forms of payment and a price list will be posted on the main door. The facility is located at 5125 Gwynn Road, La Plata, MD, 20646. For safety reasons, children will not be permitted in the building.
• Preston Luckett, a senior at North Point High School, was selected as a semi-finalist in the Washington Post Annual Music and Dance Educational Awards. The scholarship award celebrates academic achievement and excellence in the arts. Luckett performed as a finalist at the Warner Theatre on Nov. 22 and was one out of 43 students asked to participate.
• The Humane Society of Charles County recently visited third-grade students at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School. Students were introduced to "Ron," a tom-turkey, and learned about turkeys, the symbolism of Thanksgiving and the history of the animal. The Humane Society's education program aims to educate the importance of respecting living creatures and the environment.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

The North Point High School golf team was recently named the 2008 Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association champion for the 1A/2A division.

The North Point team earned the title with a score of 659 against Glenelg High School of Howard County, which earned a score of 695, in the tournament held Thursday, Oct. 23 at Potomac Ridge Golf Course.

The 16 members of the team were recognized for their accomplishments by the Charles County Board of Education at its Dec. 9 meeting.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.

The Board of Education honored four exemplary Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) employees at its monthly meeting on Dec. 9. Honored were Joni Rooney, Jack Belle, Kathy-Lynn Kiessling and Daniel Kaple.

Rooney is a Title I technology teacher at C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School. She was honored for organizing the accelerated reading program, organizing a schoolwide mock election, and for helping train staff and teachers in the use of technology. "She organized the manner in which the teachers utilize the accelerated reading program with their students," Barnhart Principal Kimberly Hairston wrote in a nomination letter. Rooney works with Barnhart staff in developing PowerPoint presentations, setting up virtual field trips and creating lessons that use the "clicker," or controlled response pad system. Rooney also serves as a co-sponsor of the school's Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) program and coordinates staff development activities. Rooney most recently presented staff development sessions that focused on using the Smart Board technology and the IG Pro grade book system.

Belle is a science teacher at Dr. Gustavus Brown Elementary School. He was honored for his role in the creation and planting of an 8.5-acre wetlands habitat constructed at the school this past spring. Belle coordinated field trips to the habitat with students from Brown, as well as Arthur Middleton Elementary and Piccowaxen Middle schools, and arranged for students to plant 16,000 grass plants. He is also leading the school's "Green School" status application and has coordinated recycling efforts by providing recycling bins for all staff. Belle serves as the school's key communicator by providing press release information and photographs to the Charles County Public Schools communications department for publication. He also serves as Brown's Web master, special area team leader, technology facilitator, bus coordinator, coach for both the fourth- and fifth-grade math teams, and coordinates the school's student safety patrols. Brown Principal Marvin Jones said Belle displays an exemplary work ethic. "In addition to Mr. Belle being quite the innovative science teacher, he regularly utilizes instructional technology and often makes helpful suggestions for improving schoolwide processes," Jones wrote in a nomination letter.

Kiessling is a vice principal at John Hanson Middle School. She was nominated for being a highly supportive administrator and for never losing sight of students and their needs. She goes above and beyond to help those in need. Hanson Principal Deborah Hile said Kiessling is a true leader. "In my judgment, Kathy is a model professional administrator. She is outstanding and will be a very effective principal when the opportunity arises," Hile wrote in a nomination letter. Hile said Kiessling is great with students and focuses on behavior modification and growth rather than punishment. Kiessling also communicates well with faculty groups, students and parents. "She has earned the respect of our staff, community and students. She is quick to say, 'May I help?' when there is a task to be done," Hile wrote in a nomination letter.

Kaple is a social studies teacher at Henry E. Lackey High School. He was nominated for recognition for serving as an Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History and film studies teacher. Kaple is teaching a highly successful elective film studies class and coordinated a ninth-grade local, state and national (LSN) government team to increase AP enrollment. Kaple has been teaching at Lackey for three years and prepares high quality lessons designed to meet a variety of learning needs and styles. He holds high expectations for his students and pushes them to think, read and write critically. Kaple also serves as the offensive coordinator for the varsity football team and recently joined a new committee at Lackey that focuses on literacy issues and developing intervention strategies. Lackey Principal James Short said Kaple is exceptional. "He is a dedicated professional who strives every day to give his students his very best," Short wrote in a nomination letter.

The Board recognizes several exemplary employees each month.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Dr. Patricia Vaira, Title IX Coordinator and Section 504 Coordinator (students), or Keith Hettel, Section 504 Coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, Maryland 20646; (301) 932-6610/870-3814. For special accommodations call (301) 934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.