Nonpartisan and Education-based News for Chestertown
The Baltimore Banner reported yesterday that Professor Dale Glenwood Green at Morgan State University was not a licensed architect and had forged his credentials. Green is well known for his work on the historic Hill neighborhood in Easton.
Read the full story here.
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If you are looking for some holiday gift ideas or winter break reading selections, here is my year in books.
There are so many reasons why being a reader is a lifelong gift you can give yourself. The more you read, the more your vocabulary grows, along with your ability to effectively communicate.
The reason I read is because of the healing power of books. Books feed our soul, transport us, make us laugh, help us feel empathy, and teach us about history, and each other.
In 2024, I read 39 books, both on my Kindle and in print. This does not include all of the wonderful children’s books I read aloud to Kent School students in Little School, Kindergarten and First Grade! And, fulfilling a lifelong dream in 2024, I published my own children’s book Jingles Goes to School, which every Kent School student received.
I enjoy reading historical fiction, and my Top Pick of the Year is The Women by Kristin Hannah. The Women is the story of a female nurse in Vietnam, but it highlights all women whose sacrifice and commitment to this country has too often been overlooked. A novel about friendship and patriotism, The Women is a story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage defines an era.
I also highly recommend James by Percival Everett. The National Book Award winner for fiction is a re-imagining of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, told from the perspective of Huck’s friend, Jim, an escaped slave. It is expertly written.
Finally, I also recommend Dear Madam President – An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World by Jennifer Palmieri. Written by Hillary Clinton’s communication director, Dear Madam President is framed as an empowering letter to the first woman president, and to all women working to succeed in any field. The letter is filled with forward-thinking, practical advice for all women who aspire to leadership. I read it, uninterrupted, while travelling on an airplane, and then proceeded to give it right to my daughters.
Now, what shall I read to start the New Year?!
Historical Fiction
The Women by Kristin Hannah
James by Percival Everett
The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
Becoming Madame Secretary by Stephanie Dray
Finding Margaret Fuller by Allison Pataki
The Briar House by Kate Quinn
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar
Fiction
Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman
Yellowface by RF Kuang
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
After Annie by Anna Quindlen
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
House Rules by Jodi Picoult
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
Poetry
Small Craft Warning by Meredith Davies Hadaway (WAC) and Marcy Dunn Ramsey
Braided Creek – A Conversation in Poetry by Jim Harrison and Ted Hooser
Grace Notes by Naomi Shihab Nye, two-time Kudner Leyon Visiting Writer
Among the Many Disappearing Things by Meredith Davies Hadaway (WAC)
Biography
My Name is Barbra by Barbra Streisand
Non Fiction
Dear Madam President – An Open Letter to the Women Who Will Run the World by Jennifer Palmieri
The River Runs North – the Story of Montana Moss Agate by Tom Harmon
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
Rivers of the Eastern Shore by Hulbert Footner
Women Talk Money: Breaking the Taboo by Rebecca Walker
Morning Fuel by Rebecca Faye Smith Galli
Professional
Leading with Emotional Courage by Peter Bregman
The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer
How to Know a Person – The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen by David Brooks
This is so Awkward by Cara Natterson, MD and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, 2024 Kudner Leyon Visiting Writers
Thanks for the Feedback – the Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well by Douglas Stone and Sheila Heen
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt
Reading For Our Lives by Maya Payne Smart
Trigger Points. Inside the Mission to Stop Mass Shootings in America by Mark Follman
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Washington College’s Academy of Lifelong Learning’s (WC-ALL) invites the public to preview its spring semester courses ahead of the opening of the registration portal. 2025 will kick off with a bevy of classes that cover nearly every interest, from women serial killers and gut health to the history of the Chesapeake at first contact and regional winter food foraging. Other highlights include overviews of New Orleans Jazz and Maryland Bluegrass, law enforcement training, closer looks into the history of Kent County architecture, deep dives into comparative religion as well as the art of Spain, and a look into America’s 1970s top-secret war in Afghanistan.
The public is invited to Hynson Lounge in Hodson Hall to attend the Spring Showcase happening on Monday, December 16 to meet instructors and hear more about the more than 40 courses being offered in the new year. Doors open at 3 p.m.
Promising to offer something for everyone, WC-ALL courses are designed for people of all ages and are open to the public. All that is needed is a desire to learn. Most WC-ALL courses are held in classrooms on Washington College’s main campus, though a few make use of other locations. Some courses each semester are also delivered virtually.
Courses are offered in two terms, with most classes running one day a week for five to six weeks. Term 1 classes run January 26 through March 8. Term 2 classes will be in session March 16 through April 26.
In addition to the courses, special programs are also offered every semester and are a great option for those interested in getting a deep dive into a topic in just one session. Special program offerings announced for 2025 thus far include writing for joy with author Laura Oliver, a “Learn@Lunch” on the evolving role of philanthropy with Washington College Vice President for Advancement Susie Chase, and a history of Middle Eastern conflict with expert Bruce Riedel. Registration for those events is now live on WC-ALL’s website.
Course registration for the spring semester goes live at 5 p.m. EST on December 16 and will remain live through January 5. Early registration is encouraged as some courses have class size limits.
To enroll in a course, participants need to purchase a WC-ALL Membership which totals $85 for the spring semester. Membership includes enrollment in as many courses as you would like to take for one flat fee. WC-ALL courses are free for Washington College students, faculty and staff.
“The WC-ALL Curriculum Committee has once again put together a record-setting number of courses for our Spring 2025 semester,” said Jeff Coomer, chair of the volunteer council that oversees the program. “We’ll have an especially great selection of courses focused on health, history and politics, and music. Our affiliation with Washington College has proved to be a rich source of topics and instructors. I know many look forward to the opportunity our program provides to make new friends and engage in thought-provoking discussions with other members of the local community.”
Founded in 1992 by community members committed to bringing the joy of lifelong learning to the mid-shore region, WC-ALL is led by volunteers who work closely with the staff of Washington College. Access to WC-ALL courses is free for Washington College faculty, staff and students.
Those interested in getting updates each semester on courses and to hear when special experiences and additional “Learn@Lunch” events are open for registration should sign up for the WC-ALL mailing list.
To view the full list of courses offered this coming spring and to register please visit https://www.washcoll.edu/people_departments/offices/wc-all/2025/index.php.
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Baltimore City pre-K instructor Berol Dewdney, the 2022-2023 Maryland teacher of the year, uses an interactive video with her students at the beginning of the school day. File photo by Shannon Clark/Capital News Service.
Maryland’s 1,303 public schools saw slight gains on the state Department of Education’s annual report card, which rates schools on measures including academic achievement, school quality and progress in English language proficiency.
The report card, released this week, grades schools on a scale of one to five stars, with five stars going to schools that earn a score of at least 75% on a formula that measures overall school performance. The report said 91 schools earned five-star status in the 2023-24 school year, up from 85 schools the year before.
About 41% of schools received a four- or five-star rating last year, compared with 38% in the 2022-23 school year.
Twenty Baltimore County schools earned five stars on this year’s report card, the most of any county. The county’s Eastern Technical High School received the most points in the state with 91, edging out the Academy of Health and Sciences at Prince George’s Community College and its 90.7 points.
Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Myriam Rogers said the county’s broad gains are “are evidence of the effectiveness of the targeted and comprehensive resources and supports we put in place to fast-forward student achievement.”
“We are encouraged by the growth our schools are making on key markers of progress and achievement,” Rogers wrote in a message to the school community. “We will continue to use multiple and frequent measures to evaluate student progress and assess where we need to intensify efforts to meet the needs of our students and bolster achievement.”
Montgomery County, the state’s largest school system, had the second-most five-star schools at 18, and about half of its schools scored either four or five stars. But the school system called the overall performance “disappointingly flat” in a statement, with schools receiving at least three stars increasing by less than 1%.
Approximately nine of Worcester County’s 11 schools received a four-star rating, in which schools scored at least 60 out of 100 points on the grading formula. Ocean City Elementary received five stars and Pocomoke Middle three stars.
“I continue to be in awe of our schools’ positive trajectory in Maryland’s accountability system,” Worcester County Superintendent Louis H. Taylor said in a statement. “Worcester continues to outperform our counterparts across the State, and today’s [Dec. 3] release is just another example of how we are delivering dividends on the investment our community has made in our educational system.”
The state began the star system in 2018 in response to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act. The state released a second report card in 2019, but the reports were suspended in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 school years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although 83% of schools recorded at least three stars in the latest report card, compared with 80% in the previous report card, there could be changes to assess overall performance.
Superintendent Carey Wright announced in April the creation of a task force to assess student achievement after disappointing scores on the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program, the state’s standardized tests known as MCAP. At the time of her announcement, only 47% of students in third through eighth grades scored “proficient” in English language arts and nearly 25% in math.
A graphic shows a slight increase in Maryland schools that received a five-star rating, the highest rating available, from 85 schools in the 2022-23 school year to 91 in 2023-24. Graphic courtesy of the Maryland State Department of Education.
With the current MCAP contract set to expire in December 2026, Wright said at Tuesday’s State Board of Education meeting that it’s time to either search for a new assessment vendor, or retain the same vendor “with new requirements.”
“There were a lot of questions that were being raised about the assessment itself,” Wright said. “I’m a firm believer in accountability, always have been. This task force moved with a great deal of speed to get this done.”
The task force presented a report Tuesday with options that include revising the current ratings system, creating a system that meets federal requirements and reflects state priorities, and refining the framework on career and college readiness, which is one of the priorities in the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future education reform plan.
“We reject the theory of action that simply reporting information and hoping that people make good decisions is complete,” said Chris Domaleski, the task force facilitator and associate director of the National Center for the Improvement of Educational Assessment based in New Hampshire. “We think a more appropriate theory of action is that these systems integrate with the kinds of treatments that change curriculum, instruction and support that really uplift students in the state.”
The board voted to accept the report and continue to review it and assess any possible future changes.
by William J. Ford, Maryland Matters
December 5, 2024
Maryland Matters is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Maryland Matters maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Steve Crane for questions: [email protected]. Follow Maryland Matters on Facebook and X.
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Washington College invites the community to a flurry of events open to the public this December as we kick off the holiday season with art, history and civic engagement. Directions to Washington College and a map of campus are available online. For more information on these events and others, please visit www.washcoll.edu.
Jam Out for a Trifecta of Concerts
The Music Department presents a series of upcoming ensemble performances along with a Senior Capstone Experience this month. The first of the performances is a concert of the Percussion Ensemble, directed by Eric Plewinski, a lecturer in the Music Department, and the Steel Pan Ensembles, directed by John Leupold, the chair of the Music Department, on Monday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m. in Decker Theatre. Jack Riveros ‘25 will perform on the steel pans for his SCE on Wednesday, December 4 at 6:30 p.m. in Hotchkiss Recital Hall. Finally, on Thursday, December 5 at 7:30 p.m., the Rock Ensemble will perform in Decker Theatre. All events are free and open to the public. See the website for listings for all Department of Music Events for 2024-2025.
Dive into the History of the Calvert Family and Maryland’s Founding
Explore history when learning how the Calvert name is familiar in both the state of Maryland and the county of Yorkshire, England with Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning‘s (WC-ALL) free workshop “From Yorkshire to Maryland: The Calverts and Kiplin Hall.” Alice Rose is the Programming Curator at Kiplin Hall and Gardens in the United Kingdom, where Washington College students have been able to study abroad. In this talk, Rose will explore why Kiplin Hall is often referred to as “the birthplace of Maryland” and how familial ties bind us across countries in unbelievable ways. The event will be held on Wednesday, December 4 at noon in the Hynson Lounge in the Hodson Hall Commons on Washington College’s campus. Tickets are $25 for general admission and must be purchased in advance. Lunch will be served.
Reimagining How and Why We Reckon
Earlier this spring, the Washington College Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience was awarded a grant to begin planning for a major artwork of national significance that engages African American history and culture in the Chesapeake Tidewater region. Now, the Starr Center is hosting several community events to foster conversation for the eventual piece. The second event in the series focuses on four panelists from the Public Art Across Maryland grant planning process. The talk, entitled “Reimagining How and Why We Reckon” is being held via Zoom on Wednesday, December 4 at 5:30 p.m. Each panelist will provide community members in Kent County and along the Eastern Shore with insights into their respective institutional commitments and journeys in honoring the African diaspora through public art on college campuses spanning the Chesapeake to further inform local ideation.
Travel Back to the 80s Through Film
The Department of Communication and Media Studies continues to ignite curiosity among film lovers with its Creative Life Film Series. This thought-provoking cinematic line-up delves into the diverse ways individuals and groups engage in creative practices. Featuring a variety of films from different time periods and genres, the series explores the motivations behind pursuing creative passions, the challenges and joys of producing authentic work, and the interconnectedness between the creative process and the surrounding world. All screenings are free and open to the public. This month’s film, the 1984 musical drama film Purple Rain, is a fictional story about the rise of musician Prince, known as “the Kid.” The free screening will take place on Thursday, December 5 at 7 p.m. in the Norman James Theater in William Smith Hall.
Devotions Continues to Channel Natural Inspiration at The Kohl Gallery
The second and current exhibit in the Washington College Kohl Gallery’s 2024 -2025 season, Devotions, opened earlier this month, and will continue to be until December 15. The exhibition is a tribute to the Pando Forest in Utah by artist Sobia Ahmad. For more information, visit the Kohl Gallery’s webpage.
Get a Sneak Peek at WC-ALL’s Fall Courses Available to the Public
Registration for the Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning’s (WC-ALL) fall semester will soon be open. Members of the public are invited to get a preview of the courses and meet instructors at the Spring Showcase on Monday, December 16 at 3 p.m. Those interested in joining should register in advance to attend. The showcase will be held in Hynson Lounge in Hodson Hall.
Indulge Your Birding Passions with our Final Bird Walk of the Year
The Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning (WC-ALL) invites amateur birders to join Dan Small, Associate Director of Natural Land Stewardship at the Center for Environment & Society, and the Washington College Birding Club on Friday, December 20 at 8 a.m. for a guided bird walk at Conquest Preserve in Queen Anne’s County. The walk is free and open to the public, but registration is required. Participants will explore the extensive native grasslands and numerous wetlands that dominate the Park, while looking for wildlife using mature woodlands, hedgerows and the open waters of the neighboring rivers. 202 species of birds have been found at the Park.
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Driving home recently from The 1911 Group annual Heads Conference in Princeton, New Jersey, I passed a billboard on the highway that read Middle School Moments Matter. It was an ad for a school I do not remember, but I have been reflecting on these words for the past week because of their simple truth.
While I believe that every moment matters in schools, it is particularly important to focus on the moments in Middle School. Middle School is the time when students grow and change rapidly, while navigating the awkwardness of puberty. And, while it might seem like a blur, the truth is, Middle School moments matter in ways that often aren’t fully understood until later in life. The friendships formed, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned during these years have a profound impact on who students become as individuals.
Middle School is the place where our students start to figure out who they are. It is the time they begin to test boundaries, explore interests, find passions, and begin to establish independence. These moments of self-discovery are crucial. Whether it is trying out for a sports team, joining a club, or simply figuring out how to communicate with others, each experience helps students learn more about themselves. Sometimes, students fail, but even those failures are valuable because they teach resilience and help refine a sense of identity. In this way, Middle School is truly foundational to adolescent development.
Middle School is often where lifelong friendships are begun. These relationships, though they may be tested by growing pains, peer pressure, and drama, can shape our social lives for years to come. It is in Middle School where one often first experiences the complex dynamics of friendship – how to trust, how to forgive, how to work through conflict. These early social lessons make our students more empathetic, understanding, and capable of forming deeper connections which carries over into adult relationships.
Middle School is a time when students first encounter difficult situations: academic pressure, social struggles, and even moments of doubt about who they are or where they belong. The courage to overcome these challenges teaches students perseverance. Middle School moments matter because they build emotional resilience, and teach students how to navigate the ups and downs of life.
Middle School teaches the power of kindness and understanding. Students are learning to interact with a wider variety of people, often from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. It’s a time when they start to truly understand the importance of inclusion, empathy, and respect for others. These values can serve as guiding principles throughout their lives.
Middle School may seem like a small chapter in the larger story of our students’ lives, but it is a chapter that sets the stage for everything that comes after. The moments of joy, frustration, growth, and connection that are experienced during these years matter because they shape the adults our students will become, and give them the tools they need to navigate the world with confidence, empathy, and resilience.
To anyone looking back on their own Middle School years, and to our brave teachers teaching Middle Schoolers now – remember that these moments, big and small, matter more than we can imagine.
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RCS students Addison and Emma using Sensory Resource items during instruction time with Mrs. Simon, English and Orton-Gillingham Teacher at Radcliffe Creek School.
Radcliffe Creek School (RCS) was recently awarded a grant from the Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Committee (QACMHC) to provide the School’s faculty and parent community with resources to support students with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and anxiety in the classroom and at home. This grant will fund a new Sensory Resource Room at RCS, expand the School’s Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Library, continue the SEL program for older students, as well as support a full day of training with parents and teachers on ways to support mental health in neurodivergent children.
The new Sensory Resource Room at RCS will be filled with tools and equipment for teachers to check out for their classrooms as needed, helping students calm and regulate their sensory systems. When a child is in a heightened state due to an issue like anxiety, it can interfere with a student’s ability to be present in the classroom setting. Depending upon whether a child’s body is overly sensitive to sensory stimuli or seeking more sensory input, this equipment will help students regulate their bodies to be more available for learning. Debbie Cohee-Wright, a special education learning specialist at RCS, explained, “At Radcliffe Creek School, we recognize the needs of our students and how sensory integration will enhance their learning experience based off their own individual needs and strengths. The new Sensory Resource Room will enable our teachers to have the appropriate tools at their fingertips for ease and accessibility throughout their day.”
Equipment in the Sensory Resource Room will include noise-canceling headphones, weighted lap and shoulder pads, indoor hanging sensory chairs, bean bags, chair bands, fidgets, white noise machines and sound-absorbing wall panels. The integration of these resources will support students by addressing their fine motor skills, gross motor skills, social skills, cognition and play skills.
Additionally, this grant will allow the expansion of the School’s SEL library and continued SEL curriculum for older students, as well as a speaking event to be hosted for RCS parents and teachers in early 2025 with Dr. Vincent Culotta, an expert in mental health and neurodivergent children. Head of School Peter Thayer explained, “We remain grateful to QACMHC for their continued support of our school and for making these important educational and therapeutic mental health resources available to our parents, faculty and students.”
This is the second year in a row that QACMHC has awarded a grant to Radcliffe Creek School. “The Queen Anne’s County Mental Health Committee is excited to see Radcliffe Creek School utilizing the grant funds from us to reach the goal of maintaining their social-emotional learning program “Brain Talk” as well as faculty training, supplying the sensory room, and adding to their social-emotional learning library,” stated QACMHC President, Kelly Phipps. “The scheduled visit of Dr. Vincent Culotta to train faculty in helping students with ADHD and anxiety in the classroom will further enrich Radcliffe Creek’s program. The committee is proud to be a part of the school’s dedication in educating their students on achieving and maintaining sound, positive mental health.”
To learn more about the immersive, individualized education program offered at Radcliffe Creek School, as well as the school’s robust transportation program, visit www.radcliffecreekschool.org online or call 410-778-8150.
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Washington College’s Center for Environment and Society (CES), in collaboration with the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy and ShoreRivers, has announced its proposal for the Whole Watershed Fund, a five-year pilot program aimed at advancing conservation and restoration efforts in Maryland. This competitive initiative, backed by state funds, will target five watersheds across the state, with two located in predominately agricultural regions.
The Langford Watershed Alliance will focus its efforts on the Langford Creek watershed in Kent County. The initiative seeks to implement best management practices (BMPs) that support water quality improvement and habitat restoration, working directly with agricultural landowners to create impactful, cost-effective solutions that can drive rapid and systemic environmental benefits.
Kent County and watershed-based landowners are encouraged to sign a Letter of Support, which expresses their willingness to collaborate with the Langford Watershed Alliance. Many have already pledged to partner on this Alliance, however, landowner support and involvement in this project is critical for success.
If you are interested in supporting, please contact Chelsea Peters at [email protected] by November 30, 2024.
“With landowner support, this project can achieve transformative outcomes for both water quality and ecosystem health in our region,” said Dr. Chelsea Peters, director of Watershed Innovation Lab at CES. “Landowners in the Langford Creek watershed have a unique opportunity to participate in and shape conservation efforts that directly affect their land and community.”
Dr. Peters’ recent appointment marks a significant step forward for CES. A hydrologist passionate about water resources and climate change, she plans to revitalize the Watershed Innovation Lab and involve students in hands-on research projects. This includes building weather stations, deploying monitoring buoys, and mapping shallow water habitats. Find out more about the Watershed Innovation Lab on the CES webpage.
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Kent School is hosting an Admission Open House for families interested in learning more about the Kindergarten through Grade 7 program for the 2025-2026 academic year. Join us on Tuesday, November 19 from 9:00 a.m until 11:00 a.m. for coffee and conversation with School leaders, tour our riverside campus, see students and teachers in action.
We are an inspired learning community for your child’s bright future
At Kent School, we balance rigorous academics, hands-on discovery, and inclusive values, preparing students from Preschool to Grade 8 to thrive and lead.
Kent School is committed to balancing academic growth with social and emotional well-being. We focus on applying research-based strategies to inform teaching and learning, embracing our environment, and building community. Educators use best practices in mind, brain and education (MBE) science. Their continuing education paired with invaluable classroom experience affords our educators the agility to guide students through an experiential academic journey. We encourage our students’ growth and achievement while meeting their unique needs, thus providing each individual with academic and social confidence that promotes success and fosters the development of honorable, responsible citizens.
Kent School’s riverside campus and outdoor learning environment are unparalleled. Our location on the Chester River makes possible our signature Chesapeake Bay Studies program, which fosters hands-on environmental science and stewardship of the natural world. We strive for trust-based relationships among teachers, students, and families that build character, contribute to a student-centered culture, create active, independent learners, and nurture a sense of belonging so that even the youngest students can feel at home and focused on learning.
This clear understanding of who we are – an inclusive school community designed for effective teaching and learning, driven by research and immersed in the natural environment – means we can remain committed to what is most important for students.
For more about Kent School, go here.
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Kent County High School broadcasting student Aidan Maxey operates an amateur radio setup during class Thursday, Oct. 21. Assisting him are Chris Cote, left, and Austin McClain, both of the Kent Amateur Radio Society.
Broadcasting students at Kent County High School extended the reach of their voices beyond their radio station’s distance, making contact with people throughout the country and around the globe.
Chris Singleton, broadcasting teacher and manager of the high school’s radio station 90.5 FM WKHS, introduced students to amateur (ham) radio on Monday, Oct. 21.
With an antenna mounted in one of the back parking lots at the high school and less 100 watts of power, the students made more than 33 contacts — all without the assistance of the internet.
“It was really cool seeing the students’ faces light up when they each made their first contact, which reminded me of my own experience with this almost 40 years ago,” Singleton said.
Amateur radio allows people to connect around the world via air waves. There are no internet, cell tower or other connections required.
While often thought of more as a hobby, ham radio is also an important means of maintaining communication should disaster strike.
During the amateur radio day at Kent County High School, students gathered in a room at the station, watching displays and making contacts.
“This looks like something out of ‘The Matrix,’” said one student.
The Kent County high schoolers made contact stateside with operators in Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and others.
They also reached international ham radio operators in the Cayman Islands, Croatia, the Czech Republic, England, Iceland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Spain and Wales.
“Almost every one of the students attempted to call out to other ham radio stations using the K3ARS (Kent Amateur Radio Society) call sign and to their amazement, many stations called back to them from all over the U.S. and beyond,” Singleton said.
Community members Chris Cote, president of the Kent Amateur Radio Society, and Austin McClain, the society’s vice president, helped Singleton and the students throughout the day.
Brad Russum of the Kent County Office of Emergency Services and David Irby from Chesapeake College stopped by the broadcasting classroom to see the amateur radio setup.
The event appears to have helped generate a new generation of ham radio enthusiasts.
“The students had so much fun that many have expressed a willingness to commit to taking afterschool classes and studying to get their own Amateur Radio License,” Singleton said.
Learn more about Kent County High School’s broadcasting program and WKHS at wkhsradio.org.
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