Talbot County Public Schools

February 4: Teacher and Support Staff Nominations Close

February 7-11: School Counselor Appreciation Week

February 8: Superintendent Stakeholder Input Survey Closes at 5 PM

February 9: Board of Education Meeting

February 17: Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Awareness Day

February 21: President's Day - Make-Up Snow Day- Schools are OPEN

February 22: Vaccine Incentive Cards Expire

During the month of February, we celebrate the achievements of black Americans. We will highlight some of the fantastic projects taking place across our county.

Students in Bridget Whited's Middle School Art at SMMHS created expressive portraits, using oil pastels on acrylic, based on Activist and Artist Jean Michel Basquiat. An artist of many talents and a strong vision Basquiat changed the art world with his powerful images which spoke louder than words. The themes of Basquiat's work focused on awareness of power structures and systems of racism and class struggle. He blended graffiti-style typography with African-Caribbean imagery with thick dabs of color and symbolic iconography. The crown portrayed frequently in his work is often referred to as his tag. Some suggest it symbolizes Basquiat's interest in challenging history, but also as a reference to heroic greatness, privilege, and intellect.

Click to View the Full Student Gallery

Career and technical education, or CTE, is education that directly prepares students for high-wage, high-demand careers. CTE encompasses many different types of education, from classroom learning to certification programs to work-based learning opportunities outside the classroom.

TCPS CTE Programs include: Agriculture, Automotive Tech, Biomedical Science, Carpentry, Certified Nursing Assistant, Computer Science, Culinary Arts & Cosmetology, Firefighter and Emergency Medical Responder, Interactive Media Production, Marketing, Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC), Teacher Academy of Maryland.

We stopped by SMMHS and the CTE Biomedical Science classroom where teacher Lauren Greer was working with students on how to use a micropipette.

Each year the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) Area Manager ranks the NJROTC and the Navy National Defense Cadet Corps (NNDCC) units in the area (58) based on their actions over a 12 month period. The Easton NJROTC unit earned the “Unit Achievement” award based on “demonstrated exceptional performance” during the 2020-2021 school year (April 1, 2020, to March 30, 2021).

During a time when it was very difficult to have cadets participate in their normal extracurricular activities such as athletics, drill, and orienteering competitions due to pandemic restrictions, the unit still successfully produced a “Virtual Veterans Program” and online BINGO competitions. They also sponsored the Vietnam Push-Up Challenge open to all NJROTC units, in addition to hosting ongoing bi-monthly Kahoot Brain Brawl competitions. The academic team placed well in virtual competitions, and Color Guards were provided for local events whenever possible.

NJROTC is a Talbot County Public Schools Career and Technical Education Pathway. It is designed to teach high school students the value of citizenship, leadership, service to the community, personal responsibility, and a sense of accomplishment while instilling in them self-esteem, teamwork, and self-discipline. The curriculum focus is reflected in the mission to motivate young people to be better citizens. Satisfactory completion of the program at the secondary level gives students the life and career skills to significantly contribute to success in careers in government, private industry entrepreneurship, and non-profit organizations. It can also lead to advanced placement credit in the Senior ROTC program at an accredited college or university or advanced rank in the armed forces.

In recognition of their achievement, all cadets in good standing received the Unit Achievement ribbon, and the entire unit received a pennant to display on their marching “Guidon” pole. “I congratulate these students on this outstanding accomplishment, which represents their commitment to their unit and to the NJROTC program as a whole,” said Robin Werner, Career and Technical Education Supervisor.

Talbot County Public Schools is excited to announce that the process to select the 2022 Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year has begun! Is there a teacher or member of the TCPS support staff who is truly outstanding, has made a significant impact on your family, and/or goes above and beyond in their commitment as a professional? The Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year programs are a fantastic way to recognize educators who exemplify excellence.

Any individual within the school system or any member of the community may nominate a candidate to apply to be Talbot’s Teacher of the Year or Support Staff of the Year. The nomination forms are linked below. Nominations for both Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year are due by Friday, February 4, 2022.

Please note: nominations from family members will not be considered.

Teacher of the Year Nomination Form

Formulario de nominación de maestro del año

Support Staff of the Year Nomination Form

Formulario de nominación del personal de apoyo del año

Talbot Parks and Rec English Survey

Talbot Parks and Rec Spanish Survey

The CDC has released updated recommendations for Isolation and Quarantine for COVID-19. Beginning Thursday, January 6, 2022, TCPS will follow a modified process for students and staff (This document was updated 1/7/2022)

VIEW UPDATED GUIDELINES

Below is a list of COVID information that has been recently released

TESTING INFORMATION

• New COVID testing site at UM Shore Medical Pavilion, 500 Cadmus Lane Easton MD 21601. Drive Through. Open Monday-Sunday 9 AM to 3 PM. PCR tests with results in 24-48 hours.
• Free at-home covid tests via USPS. Every home is eligible for four tests and orders will ship in 7-12 days. Order them here
• The local health department gets rapid at-home covid tests delivered every other week in extremely low quantities. The public can get them from the library if/when they are available.
• Local pharmacies are getting at-home covid tests in stock. I recommend calling ahead of time to see if they are in stock before going to purchase them.
• The Health Department is still testing at their test site at 28712 Glebe Road Easton MD 21601 Monday through Friday 9 AM to 2:30 PM. Appointments are required and do fill up very fast. You can call 410-819-5632 to make an appointment.

· **When taking at-home covid tests, you can report your results here**

MASKS

· The health department has distributed KN95 masks throughout the community to be available to the public. You can pick yours up at the Health Department (100 Hanson St.), the Vaccine Center (102 Marlboro Ave.), or at the county libraries.

VACCINE

• Where: Talbot County Vaccine Center, 102 Marlboro Ave Easton MD
• When: Monday through Friday 10 AM to 6 PM

5-11-year-olds on Fridays, no appointment required

· Who: Anyone 5 years old and older

5-11-year-olds are eligible for their Pfizer vaccine which is available on Fridays, no appointment required

• Pfizer: Anyone 12 years and older
• Moderna: Anyone 18 years and older
• J&J: Anyone 18 years and older

BOOSTER

Anyone 12 years and older who is at least 5 months after their second shot

OTHER RESOURCES

· When to go to the ER – Shore Regional Health

· Choptank Community Health COVID Info

· Choptank Community Health COVID Answers – Q&A Videos

· Emergency Rental Assistance Program

TCPS is participating in the Great Kindness Challenge! Take a look at the video below and visit https://thegreatkindnesschallenge.com/ for more details! #kindnessmatters

• Instructional Assistant
• Substitute Teacher
• School Security Officer
• Behavior Counselor
• Special Project Assistant
• Maintenance Specialist
• Billing Clerk, Medical Assistant (Part-Time)
• Judy Center Home Visitor

• Computer Science Teacher
• Elementary Teacher
• Social Studies Teacher
• Secondary Math Teacher
• Special Education Teacher
• Music Teacher
• Speech Therapist

Bullying and cyberbullying, harassment and intimidation, hazing, and/or bias behaviors are unsafe behaviors that do not reflect respect for others as defined by Policy 10.16 on STUDENT CONDUCT – BULLYING, HARASSMENT OR INTIMIDATION . If a student is a target of one of these behaviors, you can report it using the Bullying, Harassment, or Intimidation Reporting Form (linked below).

The form is also available at all schools, in the main office and the school’s counseling office. Students can also report issues directly to a staff member. When a situation that involves any of these behaviors is reported, staff members will respond quickly and will provide a practical, private, and safe place to report.