Education Notes: State Superintendent Grasmick Visits Carroll Schools, Town Meeting Scheduled, Workshops Offered

Early Dismissal
This Friday, April 8, schools will dismiss two hours and 45 minutes early. Schools are closed for pre-kindergarten students. 

Schools are closed on Friday, April 22 (Good Friday) and Monday, April 25 (Easter Monday). Schools will be in session Tuesday, April 26. This day was reinstated to make up for an inclement weather day.

State Superintendent of Schools Visits Carroll County Today
Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, State Superintendent of Schools, will visit Oklahoma Road Middle and Eldersburg Elementary Schools today, Tuesday, April 5.

Grasmick will visit Oklahoma Road Middle School as part of her “Tour of Excellence” celebrating Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools. Oklahoma Road is one of six Maryland public schools to be named a 2011 Maryland Blue Ribbon School. A school assembly with students, teachers and administrators will be held from 9 to 9:50 a.m. Grasmick will then travel to Eldersburg Elementary School, where she will visit the school’s gifted and talented program at 11 a.m.

Altered School Start/End Times
The Board of Education received a Transportation Efficiency Proposal recommending altering school start and end times beginning with the 2012 - 2013 school year. The plan will save the school system $1.2 million  in FY13 and eliminate the need for reductions in other areas, including staff.

The Transportation Efficiency Study and the Proposed Bell Schedule for schools are available for review on the homepage of the CCPS website at www.carrollk12.org.  Comments and suggestions may be submitted by e-mail to feedback@carrollk12.org.  If approved by the board, the altered school start and end times will not begin with the next school year, but rather the 2012 – 2013 school year.

Town Meeting Scheduled
Board President Jennifer Seidel and Superintendent Stephen Guthrie will be hosting a town meeting on Thursday, April 7, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Parr’s Ridge Elementary School, 202 Watersville Road in Mt. Airy.

The purpose of the meeting is to create an open dialogue with parents and the community.  Members of the community are invited to attend and address their concerns or ask questions regarding education topics and issues. 

Volunteer Recognized in Statewide Initiative
Vicki Mahr, a parent and volunteer at West Middle School, has been named a semifinalist for the 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Awards. This awards program, a collaboration between Comcast and the Maryland State Department of Education, recognizes parents and legal guardians for their exceptional support of public education. It is the nation’s first statewide initiative of its kind.

The Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Awards Program recognizes parents from local school systems across the state of Maryland. Parents are nominated for demonstrating significant, positive impact in their education communities in one or more of the five areas of parental involvement: communication, volunteering, learning, decision-making and community collaboration.

The 2011 Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Awards will be presented during an evening celebration on Friday, May 20. Five finalists and a statewide winner, selected from the 24 semifinalists, will be announced at the awards ceremony.

Partners for Success Center to Offer Workshops for Parents and Professionals
The Carroll County Public Schools Partners for Success Center is offering two workshops for parents and professionals.

A Letter of Intent Workshop will be held on Wednesday, April 27, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Computer Lab at Winters Mill High School. A letter of intent is a personal letter and written plan for people who may become responsible for a child or an adult with a disability in the future. The care plan shares personal and helpful information, wishes and expectations. It helps people better know and understand your child and work to support him or her in ways you and your child desire. The presenters will be Laura Klaunberg-Mensh, Juanita Venters and Cherie Smith from Kennedy Krieger Institute.

An Assistive Technology Workshop will be held on Tuesday, May 3, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Computer Lab at Winters Mill High School. Come and learn more about the various computer programs available and how they can be used in the classroom and at home. Boardmaker and Writing with Symbols, Kurzweil and Co-writer will be introduced and discussed. These programs are used regularly by teachers and speech therapists to enhance and facilitate communication and learning. Parents can use them at home or in the community in the same way.

For more information or to register for a workshop, please call Cindy Senseney at the Partners for Success Center at 410-751-3955. Space is limited. Early registration is recommended.

**These notes were taken from a series of news release distributed by the board of education. For more information, visit the Carroll County Public Schools website.