Kent County Public Schools is holding a series of community listening sessions next month about the future of the middle school.

A committee comprising KCPS administrators, educators, state officials, school construction experts and parents met over the past year to explore possible plans for renovating or replacing Kent County Middle School in Chestertown.

No decision has been made on the future of the middle school.

Three listening sessions are being held in mid-October, providing community members an opportunity to learn about the planning process and offer comments on three scenarios under review.

Three listening sessions are scheduled for next month to inform the community about possible future plans for Kent County Middle School and receive public feedback. The sessions will be held at Kent County High School, Galena Elementary School and the Kent County Public Schools Central Office.

The sessions are as follows:

• 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 in the Kent County High School auditorium, 25301 Lambs Meadow Road, Worton
• 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 in the Galena Elementary School cafeteria, 114 S. Main St., Galena
• 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 19 in the Board of Education meeting room at the Kent County Public Schools Central Office, 5608 Boundary Ave., Rock Hall

The Oct. 19 listening session will be livestreamed and a recording of the video will be publicly available through the Kent County Public Schools website.

“We are interested in obtaining input from the community as we consider the best long-term solution to address the problems and concerns with the current facility,” said Dr. Karen Couch, superintendent of Kent County Public Schools.

The first plan under review would replace the Kent County Middle School building with a new one on the Chestertown campus.

Another plan would see a new Kent County Middle School built on a portion of the KCPS campus in Worton.

The third scenario being considered is connecting new construction housing the middle school to Kent County High School in Worton. Under this scenario, the schools would maintain their individual identities and have separate entrances and their own administrations.

Adding fifth grade back to the middle school grade-band configuration is also being considered. Prior to consolidation to a single building more than a decade ago, the three KCPS middle schools served fifth through eighth graders.

Learn more about the Kent County Middle School project at www.kent.k12.md.us/KCMSProject.aspx.

Email questions and comments to KCMSproject@kent.k12.md.us.

Fifth graders at Galena Elementary School enjoyed a special concert Monday, Sept. 12 by a quartet of classically trained guitarists.

The Canadian Guitar Quartet stopped by the school that morning to perform and talk to students about music and the feelings it inspires.

The quartet comprising Renaud Côte-Giguère, Jérôme Ducharme, Christ Habib and Louis Trépanier were in town having performed the day before at St. Paul’s, Kent, kicking off the National Music Festival’s 2022-23 Resonance concert series.

Canadian Guitar Quartet at Galena Elementary School

Support for the quartet’s Kent County appearance also came from the Kent Cultural Alliance.

Caitlin Patton, executive director of the National Music Festival, said providing musical experiences for Kent County Public Schools students is a key part of the festival organization’s mission.

“This season, for the first time, all six of our Resonance concert series artists will visit local schools during their time in Kent County. We are proud of this educational effort, and grateful to the Kent Cultural Alliance, without whose support this would not be possible,” Patton said.

At Galena Elementary School, the quartet performed several Brazilian pieces as well as an original composition by Côte-Giguère in music teacher Ashton Mooday’s classroom.

Following each selection, Trépanier led a discussion with students about what the music inspired in their imaginations. Students’ answers ranged from envisioning horseback races in western movies to video game themes like “Super Mario Bros.”

Mooday said it was a great performance for the students to experience.

“They got the opportunity to see musicians working together, playing an instrument that is central to the music they listen to, and playing a style of music that the students were unfamiliar with,” she said.”This helps foster an appreciation for music in all of its forms. How neat of an opportunity for our students!”

Cutline: The Canadian Guitar Quartet performs for Galena Elementary School fifth graders Monday, Sept. 12. From left are Renaud Côte-Giguère, Jérôme Ducharme, Louis Trépanier and Christ Habib.

WKHS Station Manager Chris Singleton, right, and Kent County High School Lead Custodian Nathan Copper prepare a new FM transmitter for installation Friday, Aug. 12.

If you were tuned into 90.5 WKHS Friday, Aug. 12 just before lunchtime, you may have heard the radio station at Kent County High School pop off the air for a few seconds and return with improved sound quality.

WKHS’ brand-new transmitter is now online and providing the station’s listeners with a state-of-the-art sound experience.

The full-service FM radio station at the high school has been on the air for 48 years. Students can enroll in the broadcasting program as part of a Career and Technology Education pathway.

But WKHSwas in need of a new transmitter. The station was operating with a 1993 model purchased used in 2001.

After a series of successful fund drives, a new GatesAirFlexiva FM transmitter was ordered earlier this year and has now been installed.

“We would like to thank our local business partners and you listeners who donated over the past couple of years, enabling us to purchase the replacement FM transmitter,” said WKHS Station Manager Chris Singleton. “A huge shout out to Mike Phelps and the folks at SCMS Broadcast and Brian Szewczyk from GatesAirfor the fantastic technical support.”

The old transmitter will serve as a backup, though Singleton does not anticipate needing it “too often.”

“But it’s nice to have a backup system in place,” he said.

Singleton also thanked Kent County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Karen Couch, the Kent County Board of Education and school system staff members for their ongoing support of the radio station.

“It’s awesome when the community all comes together in support of 90.5 WKHS,” he said.

Stay tuned as WKHS students will be back on the air very soon with the start of school.

“We’re looking forward to a great year,” Singleton said.

Learn more about Kent County High School’s radio station — on the air since 1974 — at wkhsradio.org.

Do you want to be a part of shaping the future of your school system?

The Blueprint for Maryland’s Future is a major statewide effort to transform education and early childhood systems through new policies and increased funding.

As part of the extensive implementation process for the Blueprint, Kent County Public Schools is seeking diverse community representatives to help shape the future of teaching and learning.

Community members are being sought to serve on committees to steer the implementation of the following pillars of the Blueprint:

• Pillar 1: Early Childhood Education
• Pillar 2: High Quality and Diverse Teachers and Leaders
• Pillar 3: College and Career Readiness
• Pillar 4: More Resources to Ensure that All Students Are Successful

Committees will meet every two months beginning in September to discuss how Kent County Public Schools can support teaching and learning through the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future.

Anyone interested in participating should fill out the Blueprint Policy Area Committee Interest Survey at https://tinyurl.com/6k9ayauw. A link to the survey also can be found on the Kent County Public Schools website.

Any questions regarding the Blueprint Policy Area Committee Interest Survey may be directed to Tom Porter, assistant coordinator of accountability and implementation for Kent County Public Schools, at tporter@kent.k12.md.us or 410-787-7141.

Elementary school students have been invited to serve as the opening act for one of the biggest concerts of the year in Chestertown.

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is performing in Wilmer Park Saturday, Aug. 6 as part of its Music for Maryland Tour.

The concert begins at 6:45 p.m. with Kent County Public Schools students providing pre-show entertainment, playing several songs on bucket drums.

These Rock Hall Elementary School bucket drummers are ready to join their fellow Kent County Public Schools musicians in a performance Saturday, Aug. 6 opening for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at Wilmer Park in Chestertown.

“Getting to perform in front of the audience for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra is an exciting opportunity for our community to see how talented our students are,” said music teacher Jodi Bortz.

Students from Galena Elementary School, under the direction of Ashton Mooday, will present “High Hopes,” by pop rockers Panic! at the Disco.

Students from H.H. Garnet and Rock Hall elementary schools, led by Bortz, will perform Harry Belafonte’s calypso classic “Jump in the Line.”

The bucket drum ensembles have been working on these songs over the summer as part of Kent County Public Schools’ Acceleration Academy. The buckets were provided by Home Depot and JBK Ace Hardware.

“The Acceleration Academy has been a great opportunity for students to participate in a fun musical activity over the summer,” Mooday said.

Kent County Middle School’s seventh-graders took their science projects out of the classroom and into the real world to help to clean local waterways this year.

With the guidance of science teachers Karen Carty and Katherine Hughes, the middle schoolers participated in the Watershed Watch program.

Watershed Watch is a partnership with Sultana Education Foundation. The program teaches students about the health of Radcliffe Creek through physical, biological and chemical factors and the effects humans have on them.

Kent County Middle School seventh-graders display their capstone projects for the Watershed Watch program in collaboration with Sultana Education Foundation.

“Watershed Watch is a hands-on program in which students actively engage in their local waterway through field trips, data analysis and community engagement,” Hughes said.

The program culminates with students designing and implementing action projects aimed at improving Radcliffe Creek’s overall health.

“Every year the students impress me with their projects. This is a chance for them to take control of their own education, and it really shows their dedication to learning,” Carty said.

On June 1, the students presented their findings about Radcliffe Creek and their planned projects in the Kent County Middle School media center.

On hand for the presentation were Dr. Karen Couch, superintendent of Kent County Public Schools, and other administrators and staff and board members from Sultana Education Foundation.

On display in the media center was student art depicting Radcliffe Creek and a collection of decorated trash cans and recycling bins to help keep public spaces in the watershed clean.

Students discussed their findings and projects. They created posters and planned social media campaigns. They showed nets they designed that could be dragged behind kayaks or canoes to collect trash in the water.

A pair of paintings highlight the dangers Radcliffe Creek faces in the future from pollution.

The following day, students Diana Flores Contreras and Arianna Lewis took their presentation on the road for an interview at the Kent County High school radio station 90.5 WKHS.

Hughes said the radio station gave students an opportunity to reach a broad audience and to participate in real community outreach.

“Overall, I was very pleased and impressed with all the students’ ideas and projects to help improve the health at Radcliffe Creek. I am very grateful for our partnership with Sultana Education Foundation that makes this program a possibility,” Hughes said.

Rock Hall Elementary School staff members help families select fresh produce at a farmers market held at the school Friday, June 10.

As the academic year was winding down, Rock Hall Elementary School was already ramping up its new role in the community.

Rock Hall Elementary School has been designated a Community School under the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future, a massive state education reform program. H.H. Garnet Elementary School in Chestertown also is a designated Community School.

The goal of the Community School program is to use schools to help deliver additional resources to families and area residents.

As part of this effort, Rock Hall Elementary School hosted a farmers market from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, June 10.

Rock Hall Elementary School Principal Gillian Spero is joined by students Amiah and Amir Black.

“In my 18 years of experience with Kent County Public Schools this event ranks at the top of those I am most proud of,” said Principal Gillian Spero. “It was such a joyful event that truly captured what is wonderful about the Rock Hall community. The spirit of giving and sharing, of meaningful and friendly conversations and interactions showed that this community is so supportive and all of us at the school are proud to have contributed to what makes Rock Hall so special.”

Staff stayed after school to help pass out fresh produce and more for Rock Hall Elementary School families.

Organizations also joined the market to offer information for families. Kent County Parks and Recreation, Recovery in Motion, the Community Food Pantry, Choptank Health, the Kent County Family YMCA, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) and 4-H programs, the Kent County Local Management Board, Red Acres Hydroponics and Modern Stone Age Kitchenwere all on hand.

Rock Hall Elementary School students pick out fresh produce at the farmers market held Friday, June 10. Clockwise from left are Jaxson Renner, Connie Sweenie, Maeve Beck, Tashia Branch and Donovan Mitchell.

Prior to the farmers market, the school hosted a series of nutrition-related assemblies for students during the day with presentations by the SNAP-Ed and 4-H programs and the Modern Stone Age Kitchen.

“The excitement the students had when they were engaged in our school assembles as well as picking out their own fruits and vegetables to take home was very rewarding for everyone involved,” said Jory Mitzel, the Community School specialist for Rock Hall Elementary School.

Mitzel said her goal as the Community School specialist is to help families and community members with access to limited resources. She said addressing physical health and wellness stood out in a needs assessment completed earlier this year.

The assemblies coupled with the farmers market was one way of expanding educational opportunities about healthy foods for students and families.

“Organizing this project and seeing it through and witnessing firsthand the positive impact it had on our community and students was very moving,” Mitzel said.”We are already looking at ways we can improve and reach even more families and community members for our next farmers market.”

Teachers at Rock Hall Elementary School have put literacy at the forefront of students’ education, instilling a love of reading early.

“I literally had a student run into me in the hall because they were reading a book while walking,” said Principal Gillian Spero.

Through classroom instruction, programs and special events, students at Rock Hall Elementary School are engaged in reading.

Building that ability and fostering a love of reading is important for students early on.

“We know that by third grade, if they can’t read they’re going to struggle in school,” Spero said.

Tutor Kathy Hastings, center, and student Grady Milburn, right, are joined by Milburn’s family at a special literacy night held April 21 at Rock Hall Elementary School. The school has focused on building literacy and fostering a love of reading.

Using the program Scholastic Reading Counts, teachers can track not just the numbers of books each student reads, but also many words.

A student in early grades may read more books, but those likely feature pages with larger pictures and shorter text. Older elementary students may read fewer books, but those longer chapter books have a lot more words.

Spero said that chapter books and novels are not limited to the upper elementary grades, though.

“By first grade, some of these students are already reading novels,” she said.

Teacher Jacquelyn Walters spoke about efforts to bolster literacy in the classrooms. It is not just the instruction, but also the rooms themselves.

Rock Hall Elementary School’s hallway is lined with book benches like this one. The benches provide students with comfortable space for independent reading and a regularly refreshed supply of books.

“Literacy-rich classrooms,” she called them. Having vocabulary words and more posted around the room.

Another way the school is facilitating this literacy push is by expanded reading spaces for students.

Thanks to a grant awarded under then Principal Kris Hemstetter, now principal at Kent County High School, book benches line the hallways.

These pillow-topped benches provide comfortable spaces for students to enjoy reading time in school. They come complete with cubby space for holding more books.

This year, Walters set aside a dedicated 15 minutes daily for students to take a turn reading on the benches. She said she sent three or four students out at a time and the class roster would get rotated through every few days.

“They love to go out there,” Walters said, adding that students get to choose their own books and the collection is updated so they have new titles available.

The school also utilizes the Sound Partners program, providing one-on-one reading support for students who may need additional help.

Walters spoke about the sense of achievement students feel when they complete the more than 100 lessons and “graduate” from Sound Partners.

“I am a huge proponent of the Sound Partners program. I think it does great things,” Walters said.

Community members are involved in this literacy push as well, with volunteer readers coming into the school on Mondays.

“We’ve had guests come in to read,” Spero said. “It’s a big part of the culture of the school.”

The Rock Hall Lions Club lent a hand this year, donating money to the school and ordering books and teaching supplies.

In the spring, the school hosted a Literacy Night. About 180 people attended the April 21 event that featured Brian Curry, a magician who ties his illusions to classic children’s books.

The Literacy Night was open to students, families, staff members and school volunteers. Students received books and bookmarks.

The drive for literacy and building a love of reading in Rock Hall Elementary School is paying off.

There were 161 Rock Hall Elementary School students tracked in the Reading Counts program this year. The school tallied 5,567 points.

The total number of words read — more than 12.6 million.

“In the end, the success of all of our reading initiatives is that the teachers, tutors and mentors at Rock Hall Elementary School whole-heartedly believe in one another and help children develop and grow their own love of reading. They foster excitement and model the joy that it bring,” Spero said.”Without their energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to be lifelong learners themselves, positive change would not occur. Our students benefit from their hard work, commitment and passion.”