Ed Notes

Virtual Tool-Sharpening Demo Scheduled for July 11

July 3, 2020 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., is hosting a virtual tool-sharpening workshop on Saturday, July 11, from 10–11:30am.

If taken care of properly, your edge tools can last generations. By keeping them well-honed, you will find they can cut like new every time. The workshop will cover the proper preparation, sharpening, and honing of hand plane irons and chisels. Participants will also learn the basic techniques to put a mirror finish on an aging tool collection.

The cost for the workshop is $10, with registration needed at cbmm.org/toolsharpening. A 20% discount (of $2) is available for CBMM members, who play a critical role in supporting CBMM’s rich legacy of educational programs, fascinating and ever-changing exhibitions, and maintenance of the largest collection of Chesapeake watercraft in the world, including access to exclusive discounts, perks, and programming. To learn more about becoming a CBMM member, visit cbmm.org/membership.

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KCPS Summer Program

July 3, 2020 by Kent County Public Library Leave a Comment

KCPS Summer KEEP Camp (Kent Exploration and Enrichment Program) started off strong the week of June 29th with virtual activities for our students! KCPS students in grades 1-8 join ZOOM sessions with our teachers, instructional assistants, and community partners. On June 24th KCPS campers received a generous box of resources and art supplies to promote learning and creativity at home. The supplies were packed and delivered with care by the summer staff. From June 29 through July 30th students will learn essential math and ELA state standards/concepts to help accelerate academic learning. They will also have the opportunity to attend virtual field trips and clubs with community partners. Some of these include: the Sultana Education Center, Echo Hill Outdoor School, Sassafras Environmental Education Center (SEEC), Washington College, University of Maryland Extension, Kids Spot, Turtle Dance Music, Kent County Public Library, Fit with Aundra, Fit Flock, our local illustrator Robbi Behr and writer Matthew Swanson, and donations form the Kent Cultural Alliance. Together, we are looking forward to an awesome summer together of learning and exploring virtually!

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Sultana Offers Launches Virtual Summer Programming

June 27, 2020 by Sultana Education Foundation Leave a Comment

The Sultana Education Foundation is pleased to announce that it has developed alternate camp options to keep young children engaged and active all summer long, replacing live, in-person programming.
SEF is offering two programs for children ages 3-7, featuring several themes and led by our professional staff. Participation is limited to 15 children per session and programs will run weekly from July 13 through August 28. Registration is available online at https://sultanaeducation.org/summer-programs/.

The programs include a program for Toddlers as well as a program for slightly older children. Virtual Toddler Time lets children explore the natural world through stories, songs, games, crafts, and other hands-on activities. Each session is one week-long with online Zoom meetings held M, W, F from 10:30-11:00 AM. Before camp, participants will receive a package in the mail filled with crafts and activities to last the session. The program price is set at $15/child/session.

Online Discovery Camp is filled with exciting experiences introducing children to the Chesapeake Bay. Before camp, participants receive a Discovery Box in the mail filled with craft supplies and materials designed to encourage exploration. Sessions will be 45 minutes in the morning (9:00 AM – 9:45 AM) and afternoon (4:00 PM – 4:45 PM) via Zoom in which participants read stories, play games, make crafts, and meet critters from the Holt Center’s Wet Lab. This program will run $50/child/session.

“Virtual Toddler Time and Online Discovery Camp will provide children with exciting opportunities to learn about the natural world in a way that is fun and engaging,” stated SEF’s Director of Science, Beth Lenker. “While the face to face interactions will take place online, sending materials directly to students in the mail prior to the start of each session makes the instruction as interactive as possible. We look forward to pioneering this new form of summer programming with our campers!”

The Sultana Education Foundation’s mission is to provide transformative educational experiences in which students investigate the natural and human history of the Chesapeake Bay while exploring solutions to create a more sustainable ecosystem.

KCPS Pre-Kindergarten / Kindergarten Registration Process for 2020-2021

June 18, 2020 by Kent County Public Schools Leave a Comment

Kent County Public School system has announced the dates for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten registration for Kent County residents. Please contact your home school to schedule an appointment.

Spring Registration Dates:
Galena Elementary School July 9th & 13th 410-810-2510
H.H. Garnet Elementary School July 6th & 7th 410-778-6890
Rock Hall Elementary School July 13th & 16th 410-810-2622

PRE-KINDERGARTEN
Kent County Public Schools is pleased to offer FREE full day Pre-Kindergarten (locally and state funded) to all children who reside in Kent County and will be four years of age on or before September 1, 2020. The overall goal of the program is to provide learning experiences to develop and maintain school readiness skills necessary for successful school performance. The program achieves this goal by providing developmentally appropriate experiences that address the cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs of young children.

Income eligibility information is collected from all families as part of the registration process. Children who are economically disadvantaged, homeless, enrolled in preschool special education, limited English proficient, or exhibit lack of readiness will receive immediate notice of Pre-Kindergarten school assignment. Those who are eligible under other criteria will receive confirmation of school assignment on or before July 30th. In some cases, the parent/guardian may be responsible for transporting their child to and from school. We look forward to serving your family in the Kent County Public School District!

KINDERGARTEN
The State of Maryland requires children to attend kindergarten before entering first grade. Children who are five years of age by September 1, 2020 must register and attend kindergarten before entering first grade. There are some exceptions to the law:

Parents may:
-apply for a home school instruction program as an alternative to the school attendance requirement.
-request a one-year level of maturity waiver if they believe a delay in school attendance is in the best interest of their child.

Parents having questions about registration are invited to phone their area elementary school. County residents are also asked to contact the school’s principal if they know of a child who should be enrolled but whose family have not received registration information.

As a reminder, a regulation pertaining to lead poisoning went into effect in 2003 for students residing in areas designated as at risk for lead poisoning. Documentation from a physician will have to be provided that certifies that if the child resides in an at-risk area, or has ever resided in an at-risk area, has undergone blood testing for lead poisoning. Forms for this purpose will be available at the school.

Please contact your child’s home school to set up a registration day appointment.

On registration day, parents should bring the following documents:
-the child’s birth certificate
-the child’s completed immunization and Health inventory forms
-proof of residence (one of the following)
-electricity, gas, or water bill
-property tax/real estate tax bill
-lease or rental agreement
-contract of sale (including settlement or mortgage statement)
-homeowner’s/renter’s insurance statement/policy
-the child’s Social Security card
-the parent’s Drivers License Photo ID
-Guardianship: Proof of custody if not birth parent

For Pre-K only:
-proof of income
If claiming income eligible, a form will be completed during the application process and verified through the Supervisor of Student Services at the Central Office

Health Form: Part 1 of the health form must be filled out by a parent or guardian.
Part 2 of the health form must be completed by your family physician.

NOTE: IF THE CHILD HAS BEEN EXAMINED AFTER January 1, 2020 AND A COPY OF THE RESULTS IS PRESENTED AT REGISTRATION TIME, ANOTHER CHECKUP IS NOT REQUIRED.
Revised 06/16/2020

For further information, contact Gina Jachimowicz at 410-778-2355 or email gjachimowicz@kent.k12.md.us.

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WRUS Brings Remote Learning Home

May 24, 2020 by Wye River Upper School Leave a Comment

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Wye River Upper School has opted for the modern approach to continue their program through remote learning.

On Thursday, March 12, Gov. Larry Hogan, in consultation with Dr. Karen Salmon, State Superintendent of Maryland Schools, announced that schools were to temporarily shut down.

Although the school had a half-day scheduled for Friday, March 13, students were instructed to stay home and sign in to the Blackbaud Learning Management System at 9:30 a.m. that day.

From that point on, WRUS knew they had to move quickly to pivot from physical presence to remote learning. As the weeks passed, this new form of teaching augmented the students’ agenda. Although there were some initial glitches, WRUS continued providing the required lesson plans.

Adapting to such measures fit perfectly into the tools the curriculum had already been using for a number of years.

“As I look back I realize that the design of our program had positioned us for success in this unique challenge,” said Chrissy Aull, Wye River Upper School Head of School. “We have implemented (a system where) every student has a Mac and the school had invested in a powerful central digital platform the summer before. We are tech savvy and everyone had existing expertise using these collaborative digital tools.”

Wye River Upper School students gather in their online classrooms.

Programs like Google Meet and Google Documents were essential to moving forward. Google Meet is the main platform the school has been using for their synchronous classes as it has a user-friendly interface.

Blackbaud LMS has been the main hub for everyone to use as it offers the curricular content, assignments, assessments and grades. This tool is also the main hub used for teachers, students and parents to communicate.

“As a school we had already been using both of those resources, so it made the transition to remote teaching and learning so much smoother,” said Matthew Cowan, assistant Head of School. “We are fortunate because we have managed to sustain the continuity of learning in all our core and elective academic classes. Students engage in four, 60-minute, synchronous classes per day and we have not had to miss a single class.”

While some facets of the lesson plan have stayed consistent, others have stalled or fallen by the wayside during the extended quarantine period.

“There are still areas of the curriculum that we cannot cover as robustly due to this disruption,” said Cowan. “For instance, logistically and in consideration of safety, students are unable to conduct the labs in science classes, and our theater production also had to be canceled because there’s just no way to produce such a thing remotely.”

Other programs on hold, Cowan noted, included spring physical fitness.

While such changes could discourage students from the groove of an academic year, the reception from the WRUS community has been positive.

According to Aull, she could not be “prouder of what their students are made of.”

“We know our students (are) hard working and resilient and that is a trait that students with learning differences often develop through the years,” said Aull. “I hope they and their families have a new appreciation for all that is really important in their young lives such as relationships, family, and mentors who stick with them.”

Aull continued to say that decades from now, it will not be the grades they earned that will be remembered, but the extraordinary way in which their school community made this work.

Joshua Hansen, an 18 year-old senior from Centreville said the transition was initially slightly difficult and got easier with time. As he prepares for a virtual graduation Wednesday, May 20, he regards this experience as nothing short of memorable.

“I have always appreciated my time in school, maybe now more so than ever because I won’t be able to see my fellow seniors and teachers for quite a while,” said Hansen. “WRUS has helped me overcome obstacles and made me into the person I am today. I have many accomplishments that I probably wouldn’t have in a (traditional) public school.”

Wye River Upper School is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is focused on students who learn differently discovering through innovation, developing with rigor, and celebrating their strengths while preparing for success in college, career, and life. Students who attend Wye River come from eleven Maryland and Delaware counties including Queen Anne’s, Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George’s and Caroline, and accepts students on a rolling basis. For more information visit www.wyeriverupperschool.org or call 410.758.2922.

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Dr. Lisa Damour to Present at Kent School Virtual Town Hall

May 5, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

Kent School is proud to bring Dr. Lisa Damour back to the community for a virtual, town hall-style conference entitled, Managing Stress, Anxiety, and Parenting Under COVID-19. The virtual presentation will take place live on Thursday, May 14, at 5:00 p.m. via Zoom. In her presentation, Dr. Damour will explain the psychological science essential to understanding how stress and anxiety operate, both under everyday conditions and at times of heightened concern and disruption. Key topics will include:

•how to keep pressure and tension from reaching toxic levels
•how to parent effectively in the current circumstances
•the most reliable strategies for managing ongoing stress

Dr. Damour is recognized as a thought leader by the American Psychological Association for her work on stress and anxiety. Dr. Lisa Damour is the author of two New York Times best-selling parenting books, Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood and Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls. Dr. Damour also writes the monthly Adolescence column for the New York Times, serves as a regular contributor to CBS News, maintains a private practice, consults and speaks internationally, is a Senior Advisor to the Schubert Center for Child Studies at Case Western Reserve University, and serves as the Executive Director of Laurel School’s Center for Research on Girls.

This is the second time Kent School has partnered with Dr. Damour. In 2018, Dr. Damour was a guest at Kent School as part of the endowed Kudner Leyon Visiting Writers Program. She addressed faculty and students on the school campus and, later that evening, appeared at the Garfield Center for the Arts for a parent and community presentation. Kent School students and employees still refer to advice given by Dr. Damour during that talk. Nancy Mugele, Head of Kent School, said, “I am so glad to have developed a personal and professional relationship with Lisa Damour, and am so glad to bring her once again to our community. We are living in uncharted territory, and we, as parents and educators, can use Lisa Damour as a great resource to help us navigate our daily lives, and those of our students, in the era of COVID–19.”

Dr. Damour’s presentation is free and open to the public, however advance registration is required in order to receive a Zoom invitation to join. Interested individuals may email info@kentschool.org or follow this link to register online. Dr. Damour’s presentation is made possible by the Kudner Leyon Memorial Endowment at Kent School.

Kent School is an independent school serving boys and girls from Preschool through Grade Eight, located on the bank of the Chester River in historic Chestertown. For more information on the Town Hall, or Kent School visit www.kentschool.org or email info@kentschool.org.

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Wye River Upper School Names Interim Head of School

May 1, 2020 by Wye River Upper School Leave a Comment

Wye River Upper School interim head of school, Dave Mullen

The Board of Trustees of Wye River Upper School are pleased to announce that David Mullen has accepted the offer to become the Interim Head of School, effective July 1, 2020.

Mr. Mullen brings over forty years of experience educating, building and leading schools. He holds a M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from the University of Maryland and is retiring from The Nora School after nearly 30 years as their Head of School. Nora is a small college preparatory high school with a mission to nurture students who “think differently,” similar to Wye River.

Wye River Board of Trustees Chair Alexa Seip shares: “It is crystal clear that Dave Mullen is the right person at the right time for this job as Interim Head of School. His wealth of experience and leadership in the world of education will serve WRUS well.”

David Mullen led the Nora School through a permanent move which involved a large capital campaign, the purchase of land and construction, and bank financing, a process not foreign to Wye River. He then expanded student enrollment by 50%. Notably, he guided his faculty and staff through several successful accreditations from the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Maryland State Department of Education. He also utilized his extensive training to implement a successful mindfulness and meditation program which helped Nora’s students better manage stress, anxiety and depression.

Mullen shares “I’ve long admired Wye River Upper School from afar…I appreciate the work that Chrissy Aull has done to move Wye River to the forefront of Maryland schools, and want to help them maintain that momentum as they search for a permanent Head of School in the coming months.”

Mr. Mullen’s expertise and wisdom position him well to lead Wye River Upper School in the upcoming school year as they hold a national search for a permanent Head of School. Seip notes, “Dave’s positive demeanor will bring a purposeful mindfulness during this period of transition for Wye River that will be welcomed. We look forward to his presence on campus and in our community.”

Wye River Upper School is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit whose mission is focused on students who learn differently by discovering through innovation, developing with rigor, and celebrating their strengths while preparing for success in college, career, and life. Students who attend Wye River come from eleven Maryland and Delaware counties including Queen Anne’s, Anne Arundel, Howard, Prince George’s and Caroline, and accept students on a rolling basis. For more information visit www.wyeriverupperschool.org or call 410.758.2922.

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CBMM’s Rising Tide Program Goes Virtual

April 30, 2020 by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Leave a Comment

As part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., has begun offering virtual sessions of its free Rising Tide After-School Program.

At 3:30pm every Thursday, students in grades six to nine are invited to log on and work with CBMM educators to learn a variety of at-home lessons, covering everything from how to create origami to understanding buoyancy and displacement. Most sessions also include a virtual field trip, inviting students to experience other places and cultures without ever having to leave their living rooms.

Nature Journal

“Since 2015, Rising Tide has provided a welcoming, relaxed environment for students in grades six through nine to learn hands-on skills through after school and summer programming,” said Director of Education Jill Ferris. “With students at home and CBMM closed, it was important for our instructors to bring Rising Tide to a virtual platform to provide the mentoring, support, and engagement that are so foundational to the program.”

Upcoming lessons will include activities like building cardboard boats, participating in a green energy scavenger hunt, and learning about boatbuilding tools from a mystery guest. To register your student, or for additional information, email risingtide@cbmm.org. New students are welcome to join these virtual classes whether they’ve previously participated in Rising Tide or not.

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is currently closed to the public on a 24-hour basis. CBMM’s staff continues to work remotely and is monitoring COVID-19 and the Governor’s Office very closely to provide ongoing communication as the situation unfolds to determine when CBMM will reopen. For more information and the quickest access to updates, visit cbmm.org.

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Sultana Launches Virtual Classroom

April 30, 2020 by Spy Desk Leave a Comment

In response to the Covid 19 Crisis, the Sultana Education Foundation has launched a new distance learning portal known as Sultana’s Virtual Classroom, at www.sultanaclassroom.org. The site features a series of 60+ lesson plans for students drawn from Sultana’s Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) certified curricula on the environment and history of the Chesapeake Bay. In the coming weeks Sultana will launch Virtual Classroom LIVE!, an interactive program that will allow schools and youth groups to interact directly with “guest stars” from Sultana’s educational staff.

“Knowing how hard it is to keep kids engaged when they are stuck at home, we wanted to create material that was educational but could also be fun,” said Sultana Vice President Chris Cerino, who oversaw the development of the Virtual Classroom along with the Foundation’s program staff. “Our lessons feature entertaining videos, readings, supporting worksheets, and links to online resources. We expect Virtual Classroom LIVE! will be a big boost to teachers as they adapt to distance learning.”

Sultana’s Beth Lenker uses a model to show students how watersheds work as part of a Sultana Education Foundation Virtual Classroom Lesson.

Sultana’s Virtual Classroom was designed for students from Pre-K through Elementary School, but can be enjoyed by anyone with an interest in the Chesapeake Bay. Additional lessons will be launched in the months ahead, and the Foundation’s staff expects the Virtual Classroom will become an essential tool supporting its programs even when the Covid 19 crisis is past.

Teachers and youth group leaders interested in scheduling a Virtual Classroom LIVE! experience can contact Chris Cerino at ccerino@sultanaeducation.org.

About the Sultana Education Foundation

Founded in 1997, the Sultana Education Foundation is a private nonprofit dedicated to providing unique, hands-on educational opportunities that promote stewardship of the Chesapeake Bay’s historic, cultural, and environmental legacies. The Foundation is a two-time recipient of the National Maritime Historical Foundation’s Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education.

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