The automotive program at North Point High School was recently accredited by the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). The accreditation is valid for five years. The program was evaluated by the NATEF for standards of excellence in areas such as instruction, facilities and equipment. Robert Poore, the automotive instructor at North Point, worked closely with the NATEF to ensure the program met industry standards. “Students will be assured of a quality education, and shop owners will be assured of getting quality job applicants,” Poore said. The NATEF is a non-profit organization that evaluates and accredits entry-level technician training programs Read more…

If you want a straight answer, the best bet is to go to the source. Rarely is there a more honest group than that made up of middle schoolers giving voice to their concerns and those of their peers. Select students from the county’s eight public middle schools stayed after school on an early dismissal day, one of the first in the year with warming spring temperatures. They met with Superintendent of Schools Kimberly Hill to discuss what is working in their schools and what they think can be improved. “What can I do as Superintendent of Schools to make your Read more…

A team from Milton M. Somers Middle School is eligible to compete at the national SeaPerch competition in May after being named the overall winner at a regional event held earlier this month. The Somers Titans team of sixth graders Megan Anderson, Samuel Chernoff, Luca Silverans and seventh grader Byron Franchi was named the top team among 16 competing teams at the Southern Maryland Regional SeaPerch Competition held March 16 at Henry E. Lackey High School. SeaPerch is an underwater robotics program in which students build and operate an underwater remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Students build their ROVs from kits Read more…

Charles County Public Schools hosted the 2016 History, Industry, Technology & Science Expo on March 19 at St. Charles High School, during which students presented History Day entries. First- and second-place category winners advance to the state competition on May 7 at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The following students placed at the Charles County History Day competition. Winners in the Historical Paper, junior division, are Sara Jarboe, first place, seventh grade, Piccowaxen Middle School, “Exploritis”: Roy Chapman Andrews — Leader of the Central Asiatic Expeditions; Kylee Flint, second place, seventh grade, Piccowaxen, Amelia Earhart: An Explorer of Gender Read more…

More than 300 students from Charles County Public elementary, middle and high schools, as well as local private schools, entered their science or history day projects for awards as part of the first Charles County Public Schools History, Industry, Science and Technology Expo held March 19 at St. Charles High School. The Expo replaces the annual Science and History Fairs and also showcased several school system programs available for students. These programs include robotics, the Code.org computer science partnership and offerings, Project Lead the Way, the Teacher Academy of Maryland (TAM), interactive media production and more. La Plata High School Read more…

Two Charles County Public Schools middle school students – Milton M. Somers Middle School sixth grader Haakon Berglund and Piccowaxen Middle School seventh grader Hargunn Sandhu – will compete April 1 in the Maryland National Geographic Bee. Students who earn the top spot in Geography Bee events coordinated by their schools advance to the state level of competition. Additionally, both Berglund and Sandhu completed an online qualifying test. Each year, students in grades four through eight participate in the National Geographic Bee coordinated at their schools. The contest is designed to encourage teachers to include geography in their classrooms, spark Read more…

High school seniors have put in the time and work; senior portfolios highlight their efforts while preparing them for what comes next. For Kevin McGill, a Westlake High School senior, he has met his goal of getting a football scholarship to a Division 1 school, Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Mich. He’ll report to training camp this summer and start classes, likely majoring in sports management. Eventually, he’d like to play in the National Football League. If a career as a player doesn’t pan out, McGill will have his degree. “I could be an agent,” he said. “I could do Read more…

Mary H. Matula Elementary School’s chess club, the Matula Knights, has seen its membership grow from a dozen to more than 50 since club sponsors Christina Caron and Judy Gordon, along with volunteer coach Bernhard Prebble, opened it up to any student who expressed an interest in learning. “We don’t say ‘no’ to anyone,” Caron said. “We’ve had some who started and couldn’t play a lick,” Gordon said. “Now they all do.” The club meets at 8:15 a.m. Tuesdays before school starts at 9:20 a.m. “There’s nothing better for kids than chess,” said Prebble, who has been playing for 50 Read more…

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) on March 18 published the school system’s electronic newsletter, “Community Connection,” for students, staff, parents and the community. The quarterly newsletter features updates about the school system and news in an easily accessible and viewable format. Included in the March 18 edition are student accomplishments, information about changes to the 2016-17 school year calendar and spring break, and the History, Industry, Technology and Science (HITS) Expo planned for noon, March 19 at St. Charles High School in Waldorf. The edition is posted on the school system website at http://www.ccboe.com/enews/. In addition to being posted on Read more…