Superintendent's Update
January 12, 2024
Welcome to the New Year: Updates and Important Dates
Dear CCPS Families,
I hope this message finds you well-rested and filled with joy after the holiday break. As we embark on the new year, I would like to extend a warm welcome back to each and every one of you.
FY25 Budget Session and Hearing
As is typical for this time of year, we are very focused on preparing the FY25 budget. The public is invited to attend the budget work session on January 24 and the public budget hearing on February 28. Both meetings will be held in the Board Room at 201 Booth Street, Elkton, at 5:00 p.m. Your insights and feedback are invaluable as we plan for the upcoming school year.
Conversations with CCPS Families at Feeder High Schools
I invite you to schedule individual conversations with me at your respective feeder high schools. These discussions are an opportunity to address any questions or concerns you may have.
As we embark on a new year, I am grateful for your unwavering support. We face budgetary challenges ahead, but with your collaboration and understanding, I am confident we will navigate them successfully.
Your commitment to our educational community is invaluable. Here's to a successful start to 2024, filled with growth, learning, and achievements for all our students.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey A. Lawson, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Board of Education Recognitions & Presentations
All In: United Against Bullying Poster Contest Winners
Prekindergarten - Grade 2 Winner
Grade 1 - McKinley Flanagan (Conowingo Elementary School)
Grade 3-5 Winner
Grade 3 - Belle Rodgers (Conowingo Elementary School)
Middle School Winner
Grade 7 - Ava Bender (Rising Sun Middle School)
High School Winner
Grade 12 - Ella Baldwin (Bohemia Manor High School)
Poster Design Winner
Grade 11 - Kylie Stafford (Rising Sun High School)
Community Member of the Month
This month's recipient of the Community Partner of the Month award is the Fair Hill Nature Center. Representing the Fair Hill Nature Center at the meeting were Laura Hannan, Executive Director, and Anne Gellrich, Board President.
National School Counseling Week
Recognizing National School Counseling Week as February 5-9, 2024. The following school counselors accepted the resolution: Kimberly Morris, Sara Decoursey, and Wendy Wilcox.
Did You Know?
College & Career Readiness - Blueprint for Maryland's Future
For more information, click the picture or this link - https://www.ccps.org/blueprint
Attendance Matters
Speaking Up About Mental Health - Teen Essay Contest
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) are co-sponsoring the “Speaking Up About Mental Health” national essay challenge. The contest aims to start conversations about mental health and encourage young people to seek help for mental health issues.
U.S. high school students ages 16-18 are invited to submit a short essay. Topics may include stigma and barriers, resilience and coping strategies, school policies or practices, the impact of social media and technology, and more. Submissions will be accepted through January 16, 2024, and winners will be announced on May 31, 2024. Multiple winners will be chosen to receive cash prizes! Find more contest details at https://nimhd.nih.gov/EssayContest. You can read the winning essays from 2022 at https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/programs/edu-training/mental-health-essay-contest/awardees-2022/.
Important Information
Inclement Weather Makeup Date
Due to schools being closed on Wednesday, January 10, 2024, the inclement weather makeup date is Wednesday, April 3. Please mark your calendars. Thank you.
Substitutes Needed in CCPS
Student Success Stories
Did your time at CCPS contribute to your success? Do you know someone whose life was positively impacted by CCPS?
We want to hear those stories!
Past and present student success stories will be shared anonymously through a media campaign and fundraiser to support the Business Education Partnership Advisory Council (BEPAC), which provides scholarships within CCPS.
Please complete this form to share your success as a current or former student.
You can submit your stories via this link: https://forms.gle/ziLQwFnR9q44hyos5
Teacher of the Year Nominations
Nominations are now being accepted for Cecil County’s Teacher of the Year award. This program recognizes those teachers who deliver high quality daily instruction to their students and set high
expectations for themselves, their students, and their schools. Students, colleagues, parents,
administrators, community leaders, and others are encouraged to submit the name of a quality educator who represents the best of the teaching profession.
Link to nomination forms ~
Upcoming Events
CCST Greenhouse
North East High School Marching Band Fundraiser
Rising Sun High School Drama Presents - Fairy Tale Misfits
BEPAC Fundraiser - Have a Heart for Cecil Students
Second Annual Multilingual Family and Community Fair
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
CCPS Public Information Office
Email: pio@ccps.org
Website: www.ccps.org
Facebook: facebook.com/ccpsmd
Twitter: @ccpsmd
Instagram: ccpsmd