Education

Lunch on Us – Charles County Schools Free Meal Program for Children Ages 2-18 – Starts June 20th, 2023

Lunch on Us – Charles County Schools Free Meal Program for Children Ages 2-18 – Starts June 20th, 2023

Lunch on Us, the free lunch program Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) holds over the summer, starts next month at select school locations for children ages 2 to 18. The program will be held daily Monday through Thursday from June 20 to Aug. 10 at most locations. Sites will be closed on July 4...
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Police Identify Two 12-Year-Old Students Who Made False 911 Call of a Shooting at Davis Middle School

Police Identify Two 12-Year-Old Students Who Made False 911 Call of a Shooting at Davis Middle School

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at 3:26 p.m., a call was placed to 9-1-1 about a shooting at Davis Middle School. A school resource officer (SRO) was already inside the school and additional officers responded. The call was determined to be a false call. Through further investigation, the SRO has identified two 12-year-old students...
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SRO Investigating Altercation at Westlake High School with One Student Injured

SRO Investigating Altercation at Westlake High School with One Student Injured

On Monday, May 8 at 11:15 a.m., two Westlake High School students were involved in a physical altercation during lunchtime. The School Resource Officer and school administrators responded to the cafeteria and separated the students. At that time several other students began acting disorderly, causing further disturbance, however officers and school administrators were able...
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CSM Inducts Seven Nursing students into Alpha Omega Chapter of the Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society

CSM Inducts Seven Nursing students into Alpha Omega Chapter of the Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society

The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) recently inducted seven nursing students into Alpha Omega, CSM’s chapter of the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) Alpha Delta Nu Honor Society. The nursing students selected for this honor earned Bs or better in all of their nursing courses without repeating the courses and together completed a...
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Charles County Public Library’s and Department of Recreation Parks and Tourism to Host Summer Kick-Off Event

Charles County Public Library’s and Department of Recreation Parks and Tourism to Host Summer Kick-Off Event

Kick off the summer with Charles County Public Library (CCPL) and Charles County Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism with a special celebration on Saturday, June 10, 2023. This free event will bring together Charles County families to celebrate the start of the library’s summer learning program, as well as #NRPAFamilyHealthDay. The event will...
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Charles County Public School Employees Recognized for Their Years of Service

Charles County Public School Employees Recognized for Their Years of Service

The Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Maria Navarro, Ed.D., honored several Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) employees on March 23, 2023, for their years of service to the school system and commitment to education during a ceremony held at North Point High School. Honored were employees with careers that span a period...
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Patuxent High School Football Coach Inducted into MFCA Hall of Fame

Patuxent High School Football Coach Inducted into MFCA Hall of Fame

Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) Patuxent High School’s Head Football Coach Steve Crounse was inducted into the Maryland Football Coaches Association (MFCA) Hall of Fame Class of 2023 on Saturday, April 29, 2023. The ceremony was held at the University of Maryland in the Gossett Field House and coincided with the University of Maryland...
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Nearly 400 Year-old Remains of Teen Found at St. Mary’s Fort Site

Nearly 400 Year-old Remains of Teen Found at St. Mary’s Fort Site

The Historic St. Mary’s City (HSMC) Department of Research and Collections has uncovered the human remains of a young European man, believed to have been buried in the late 1630s. The remains were found approximately 30 feet outside of what once was St. Mary’s Fort. This discovery may be one of the oldest colonial...
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Toy Gun Resembling Real Gun Recovered from a Charles County Middle School Student

Toy Gun Resembling Real Gun Recovered from a Charles County Middle School Student

On May 4 at 9:30 a.m., a student informed a school staff member that another student brought a possible gun to school and was showing it to other students. The gun was discovered to be a Splatrball gel gun, which has an orange tip, but could be mistaken for a real gun. The student...
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Officers of the Year Recognized at Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

Officers of the Year Recognized at Law Enforcement Appreciation Day

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County, St. Mary’s Department of Aging and Human Services and Triad/SALT Council held their annual Law Enforcement Appreciation Day on Tuesday, May 2, 2023, at The White Rose facility in Callaway. The Officers of the Year for several agencies were recognized including Cpl. Daniel Holdsworth — the St. Mary’s...
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Criminal Justice Students Complete Internship at Sheriff’s Office

Criminal Justice Students Complete Internship at Sheriff’s Office

This week, 17 students in the Dr. James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center Criminal Justice Program completed their nine-week session interning with the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office. The 11th- and 12th-grade students spent time at Sheriff’s Office headquarters, with the Criminal Investigations Division and Crime Lab, the St. Mary’s County Detention and...
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St. Charles High School Student Charged with First Degree Assault After Choking and Spitting on Female Victim

St. Charles High School Student Charged with First Degree Assault After Choking and Spitting on Female Victim

On Wednesday, May 3, 2023, at 12:00 p.m., a male student at St. Charles High School was in possession of a female student’s cell phone and refused to give it back. Later, the female tried to recover her phone while outside of the school building, at which time the male grasped her throat, choked...
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Hollywood-Leonardtown Optimist Club Hopes to Emphasize the Need for Respecting the Law

Hollywood-Leonardtown Optimist Club Hopes to Emphasize the Need for Respecting the Law

The Hollywood-Leonardtown Optimist Club hopes to instill a strong respect for law in local children during the Respect for Law Banquet on May 2nd, 2023. Through the club’s Respect for Law program, they recognized eight law enforcement officers from St. Mary’s County. Those recognized included: Corporal Holdsworth of the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s Office;...
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School Resource Officer Investigating Assault at McDonough High School That Sends Student to Hospital

School Resource Officer Investigating Assault at McDonough High School That Sends Student to Hospital

On Monday, May 1, 2023, at 1:30 p.m., six students at McDonough High School assaulted another student at the school; the student was transported to a hospital with an injury that required treatment. The school resource officer has initiated an investigation and has contacted the Charles County State’s Attorney’s Office regarding charges. The students...
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Anne Arundel County High School Teacher Charged for Sexually Assaulting Student, Released Same Day As Arrest

Anne Arundel County High School Teacher Charged for Sexually Assaulting Student, Released Same Day As Arrest

On January 26, 2023, the Anne Arundel County Police Department became aware of an alleged sex offense that occurred between a female student at Meade High School and a male teacher. According to the victim, the suspect touched her “private and intimate areas” over and under her clothing while in the school building. The...
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John Hanson Middle School Student Tased After Assaulting Officer

John Hanson Middle School Student Tased After Assaulting Officer

On Monday, May 1, 2023, at 9:30 a.m., school administrators at John Hanson Middle School were alerted a student was in possession of suspected cannabis. The student became aggressive with school employees and the school resource officer (SRO) and refused to follow commands. As additional officers arrived, the student became violent and struck an...
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St. Mary’s County Commissioners to Host Public Forum on Tuesday, May 9, 2023

St. Mary’s County Commissioners to Host Public Forum on Tuesday, May 9, 2023

The Commissioners of St. Mary’s County (CSMC) will host a Public Forum on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. in the CSMC meeting room in the Chesapeake Building, located at 41770 Baldridge Street in Leonardtown. Public Forums allow residents to speak directly to the Commissioners on topics of their choosing. Residents may offer...
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Easy Digital Enrollment for School-Based Health Centers Now Available in St. Mary’s County

Easy Digital Enrollment for School-Based Health Centers Now Available in St. Mary’s County

WellCheck and the St. Mary’s County Health Department (SMCHD) have partnered to implement a new digital enrollment tool for School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) in St. Mary’s County. This simplified, electronic process is now available at smchd.org/sbhc and works on most electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets. The WellCheck technology allows students, staff and community...
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Three Charles County Public School Students Named 2023 Carson Scholars

Three Charles County Public School Students Named 2023 Carson Scholars

Three Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) elementary students were recently named 2023 Carson Scholars. The Carson Scholars program recognizes students for high academic achievement, humanitarian qualities and community service. Honored this year as new Carson Scholars are: Garcelle Hinson, fifth grade, Malcolm Elementary School Sydney Pennycooke, fifth grade, Mary H. Matula Elementary School Troy...
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St. Mary’s College of Maryland Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Cassie Gurbisz Leads SMCM’s Participation in $3.5 Million NSF Grant Collaborative

St. Mary’s College of Maryland Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Cassie Gurbisz Leads SMCM’s Participation in $3.5 Million NSF Grant Collaborative

St. Mary’s College of Maryland is part of a collaboration of six institutions that was recently awarded a $3.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The project, led by Penn State, focuses on how aquatic plants and animals, such as clams, salt marshes and seagrasses, affect carbon cycling in the Chesapeake Bay. Estuaries...
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Charles County Receives Close to $3 Million in Grants to Expand Rural Broadband Access

Charles County Receives Close to $3 Million in Grants to Expand Rural Broadband Access

The Charles County Board of Commissioners is pleased to announce that Governor Wes Moore is awarding $2,960,126 to expand high-speed internet access to an estimated 427 households and businesses across Charles County through Connect Maryland. Connect Maryland is an initiative to close the digital divide through the Office of Statewide Broadband. The Connect Maryland Network...
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Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update and Proposed Fiscal 2024 Budget – April 25 and 26, 2023

Charles County Commissioners Meeting Update and Proposed Fiscal 2024 Budget – April 25 and 26, 2023

On Tuesday, April 25, 2023, Commissioners received a briefing on the state of emergency services in Charles County, from 2017-2022. Director Michelle Lilly and Deputy Director Tony Rose provided an overview of total calls, volunteer versus career response to calls and provision of transports, peak hours analysis, and disparate impacts in different parts of the...
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Police Investigating Two Related Altercations at La Plata High School

Police Investigating Two Related Altercations at La Plata High School

On Friday, April 28, 2023, at 12:10 p.m., two students assaulted another student in a classroom while classes were transitioning. The assailants fled from the school but were identified. Shortly after, another fight occurred in the main lobby of the school. The students were separated by school administrators and the school resource officer (SRO)....
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Gale Bailey Elementary School Resource Officer Investigating Threat to Commit Violence

Gale Bailey Elementary School Resource Officer Investigating Threat to Commit Violence

On Thursday, April 27, 2023, at 11:18 a.m., the School Resource Officer and administrators at Gale Bailey Elementary School began investigating a potential threat after they were notified that, while on a video chat that took place the evening before, a student displayed firearms to other students and made a statement that they were...
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Calvert County Board of Education Appoints Cecelia Lewis As Director of Student Services for 2023-2024 School Year

Calvert County Board of Education Appoints Cecelia Lewis As Director of Student Services for 2023-2024 School Year

At the April Board meeting, the Board of Education of Calvert County Public Schools (CCPS) approved the appointment of Ms. Cecelia Lewis as the Director of Student Services for the 2023-2024 school year. Ms. Lewis will begin her new role on July 1, 2023. “I am grateful for every person and experience over the...
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