In a world of hybrid teaching, Alexis Eaton is rocking it with her fourth graders. Like most Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) teachers, Eaton has some students in-person at school and some in the online virtual classroom. Eaton is almost always on her feet, navigating her desk and camera set up, moving around her classroom and making sure her students are having fun while learning. She challenges them to take ownership of their success while encouraging them to put forth their best effort each day. The passion Eaton has for teaching is displayed in her smile and demeanor when she Read more…

Ninety percent of respondents to a recent survey about the School Resource Officer (SRO) program in Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) indicate having SROs assigned to schools is extremely important or important to them. CCPS conducted a 2021 School Resource Officer (SRO) survey March 17 through 23. The online survey asked Charles County students, parents, school system staff and community members to weigh in on the program, which started in 1999. There were 5,627 respondents. The survey asked about familiarity with the SRO program and opinions on the importance of having SROs in schools, and if SROs help maintain a Read more…

Lolita Cariaso Kiorpes, a science teacher at North Point High School, was recently named a 2020 Outstanding Educator by the Maryland Association of Science Teachers. The award program honors educators for excellence in science teaching, administration and outreach. Kiorpes helped lead North Point to being the first Maryland school named a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Guardian School. Students in North Point’s Ocean Guardian Club work together to support the local environment through hands-on and engaging experiences and activities. The activities range from protecting and conserving local watersheds and marine sanctuaries, to conversation projects. The group has installed Read more…

Five Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) art teachers were recently recognized by the Maryland Art Education Association (MAEA) as outstanding educators. The association named three teachers as CCPS Career Art Educators of the Year. They are Kristina Blakeslee of Maurice J. McDonough High School; Christine Chinault of Malcolm Elementary School; and Gayle Kraus of Piccowaxen Middle School. Christin Downie of the Robert D. Stethem Educational Center and Caroline Metcalfe of Indian Head Elementary School were named CCPS Novice Art Educators of the Year by the MAEA. Blakeslee has been at McDonough for 10 years where she teaches freshmen through seniors Read more…

John Childers, a history teacher at La Plata High School, has been named the 2019-20 Mideast Section Boys Baseball Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). The Mideast section includes Delaware, Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Childers has been the head varsity baseball coach at La Plata for more than a decade, and has been playing the sport most of his life. The recent honor came as a surprise considering the 2020 high school baseball season was nonexistent due to precautions in place to slow the spread of Read more…

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) will not hold traditional high school proms or senior formals this school year. High school prom dates are identified annually in the Parent Handbook/Calendar, but are subject to change. A committee of CCPS staff and administrators considered ways to alter the traditional prom to meet COVID guidelines, but after consulting with district and health department leaders, it was determined that CCPS is not able to safely host an in-person senior formal or prom. Superintendent of Schools Kimberly Hill said while she understands the disappointment many seniors feel about this decision, she Read more…

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) has partnered with Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) Chesapeake to provide rising seniors with an opportunity to complete an electrical apprenticeship program. The program begins for accepted students this summer with on-the-job training, and a split training and class schedule for the 2021-22 school year. The program includes 450 paid on-the-job training hours, 165 hours of classroom instruction, plus two national program certifications. The program is for four years and seniors complete the first year with a split training and class schedule. During the 2021-22 school year, students work Monday through Thursday mornings with a local Read more…

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) will celebrate the Class of 2021 during in-person graduation ceremonies at Regency Furniture Stadium this spring. Set for May 28 through June 3, CCPS has partnered with Regency Furniture Stadium and the Charles County Government to provide the nearly 2,100 graduating seniors with the ability to celebrate in person. Last week, Gov. Larry Hogan announced the expansion of capacity for outdoor venues such as Regency Furniture Stadium to 50 percent. COVID-19 safety guidelines, mask wearing and social distancing measures will be in place for the ceremonies. Additionally, tickets for families are limited to three per Read more…

The Board of Education of Charles County and Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) are hosting a School Resource Officer (SRO) Town Hall on Monday, March 29. The Town Hall starts at 5 p.m. in the boardroom at the Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building at 5980 Radio Station Road in La Plata. The event will stream live starting at 5 p.m. at ccboe.com, and on Comcast Channel 96/Verizon Fios Channel 12. At the start of the Town Hall, CCPS staff will provide an overview of the SRO program and how it benefits the school system and CCPS students. The Board would Read more…

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) held the science and history fair portion of its HITS Expo virtually this year for students. The HITS, or History, Industry, Technology and Science, Expo is an annual CCPS event that combines the display of science and history fair projects with hands-on demonstration and live activities. Due to COVID-19, the in-person portion of the HITS Expo was canceled, but students were still encouraged to enter a science or history fair project for judging. More than 150 students submitted a science or history fair project for judging this school year. An awards presentation highlighting students chosen Read more…