2025 Dec. Family & Community News

Mission: In partnership with families and community, we prepare all students to achieve college, career, and life readiness through a challenging and progressive educational experience.

Vision: We envision that every student will be prepared, empowered and inspired to thrive in an ever-changing and diverse world.

Happy Holidays, Caroline! As we welcome the holidays and move into a new calendar year, it naturally becomes a time to appreciate what we have and the role we play in each other's lives. In our school system, I am continually reminded that the heart of our success lies in the caring spirit shared by our students, staff, families, and community partners.

This holiday season, our students and staff demonstrated extraordinary generosity and community-mindedness. As you will see from the article below, from schoolwide charity drives to participation in events, they consistently stepped up to support neighbors in need and be a part of community festivities. Their actions reflect a deep commitment to service, one that makes our system not only a place of learning, but a source of genuine community strength.

Our staff also remain active participants in local events and traditions. Three of our principals and I were honored to serve as Grand Marshals in the Federalsburg Parade this year, symbolizing the close partnership between our schools and the broader community. Moments like this, and many more that occur on a regular basis, remind us how fortunate we are to live and work in a place where collaboration and mutual support are woven into everyday life.

As we begin this new year, I want to extend heartfelt gratitude to all who contribute to the warmth, resilience, and generosity that define our school community. May the months ahead bring continued growth and many opportunities to care for one another.

Wishing everyone a healthy, hopeful, and inspiring New Year.

Derek L. Simmons, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

Photo: Each year, we are truly grateful for the generous donation of hats, gloves, and scarves from the Educational Systems Federal Credit Union. Their kindness and thoughtfulness make a meaningful difference, especially for the families in our community who need it most!

On behalf of the Caroline County Board of Education, I want to extend warm holiday wishes to our community. This season offers a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the many good things happening across our school system, and I am proud of the progress we continue to make together.

Our students and staff have worked incredibly hard throughout the beginning of the school year, achieving academic success, supporting one another, and contributing to a positive and caring school environment. We are also deeply grateful for the strong support we receive from families, local organizations, and community partners. Your encouragement and involvement play a vital role in helping our schools thrive and ensuring that our students have every opportunity to succeed.

From Ms. Bartz, Ms. Johnson, Mr. Jones, Mr. Plutschak and myself - we wish you a joyful and safe holiday season, and look forward to all that the new year will bring.

A. Michele Wayman, President

Throughout the holiday season, staff and students, with great support from their families, demonstrated the true spirit of giving, service, and community connection. Schools across the county took part in a wide range of charitable activities, each helping to make the season brighter for families, neighbors, and local organizations. The generosity shown this year highlighted the caring culture at the heart of our school system.

Schools hosted numerous Angel Trees, collected donations for Toys for Tots, and organized multiple sock drives to support children and adults in need. Students and staff also carried out food drives, many in partnership with community organizations, ensuring that families had meals and essentials during the holidays. Additional efforts included schoolwide toy drives, a Thanksgiving dinner giveaway, gift bags for local senior citizen centers, and two Humane Society supply drives. Also, a blood drive was conducted, allowing students and staff to directly contribute to saving lives.

CCPS students and staff also played an active role in community celebrations throughout the season through performances by school bands and choruses. Their music added warmth and spirit to a variety of local events, including the Federalsburg Tree Lighting and Parade, the Lighting of the Green at the Caroline County Courthouse, and the Denton Holiday Parade. Students also performed at the Festival of Trees Hospice Fundraiser, donated trees to Christmas in Ridgely, and took part in Wreaths Across America, where they honored veterans and their families.

Sometimes elves (or angels—take your pick!) step in to lend a hand. At the District Office, we still had a few tags waiting on our Angel Tree when a group of FFA students, on site to present at a board meeting, walked by and decided to take on the shopping themselves. Shortly after, our friends at the Eastern Shore Federal Credit Union stopped in with their annual delivery of hats and gloves, which were also added to the Angel Tree donations (see photo above).

Many of our efforts focused on supporting the families of our own students who are experiencing significant need this December. In addition to participating in several Angel Tree programs, one school hosted a Winter Shop stocked with donated items, allowing students to select one free gift for a family member. Several schools also recommended students to participate in law enforcement’s Shop with a Cop event.

Together, these efforts highlight the compassion and community spirit that define CCPS. Through donations, performances, and acts of service, the Caroline family, which includes community partners, helped make the holidays brighter for many families. We are grateful to everyone who contributed their time and generosity, strengthening the sense of connection that makes CCPS a supportive community year-round.

If you believe Facebook, you might think decisions about school delays and closures are made with a Magic 8 Ball—or determined by the testing schedule. Not so! Here’s what a typical morning looks like when bad weather is possible.

3:30 a.m. Based on the weather forecast, the director of operations and transportation team begin monitoring conditions as early as 3:30 a.m. This includes checking temperatures across the county, reviewing National Weather Service forecasts, and getting out on the roads to gather real-time conditions through on-road observations. Staff coordinate closely with state and county road departments, nearby school districts, and local emergency agencies, including the Caroline Department of Emergency Services, Maryland State Police, and the Caroline Sheriff’s Office. Maintenance staff also provide updates on school driveways and parking lots, and share their plans for treating those areas.

4:30 a.m. After a comprehensive review of conditions, staff discuss recommendations based on current and expected weather, with particular attention given to the most challenging road conditions (tight turnarounds, dirt roads, new drivers) and what crews expect to have treated by early morning.

4:45 a.m. The superintendent receives staff recommendations and determines whether schools will open on time, open two hours late, or close for the day. At this time, the superintendent also decides whether conditions warrant a second assessment later in the morning.

5:00 a.m. The superintendent notifies the communications officer, who begins the notification process. This includes phone calls, texts, emails, and notifications to staff and families, and posts to the district and school websites, apps, and social media pages, as well as phone calls to local media outlets. If possible, all channels are coordinated to go out at approximately 5:30 a.m. Families and staff notifications are sent using the contact information they have provided in PowerSchool or the Employee Access Center.

When weather concerns arise the day before a school day, or later during a school day already in progress, the same careful and thorough process is used to make decisions about delays, closures, or early dismissals.

While weather decisions can be disruptive for everyone, safety always comes first. Each decision is based on real-time data and firsthand observations - no Magic 8 Ball! - and we appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to keep students and staff safe.

It may feel early to think about the next school year but we’re already planning ahead! The calendar committee met in November and developed three draft calendars with input from the district’s Citizens Advisory Committee and the School System Improvement Council. As we do each year, a survey will be shared in January with staff and families via email to gauge preferences and help inform the final decision, which ultimately rests with the Board of Education.

Have questions about how calendars are developed? Visit the FAQ section on the calendar page of our website for more details.

As for this school year, please be sure to check the district and school app and websites, read principals’ newsletters, watch your email and notifications, and follow district and school social media pages for important calendar and event reminders. We appreciate your partnership as we do our best to keep you informed!

The second half of the school year is a fresh opportunity to build strong habits and finish the year successfully. One of the simplest ways families can support learning is by making school attendance a priority each day. Need a few tips?

• Aim for every day. Even missing a day or two each month adds up and can impact learning.

• Keep routines consistent. Set regular bedtimes and morning routines to make school days smoother.

• Schedule appointments wisely. When possible, plan medical or personal appointments outside school hours.

• Send students on time. Arriving late can be just as disruptive as being absent.

• Communicate with the school. If your child must be absent, notify the school and ask about making up missed work.

• Talk about school. Check in with your child about classes, friendships, and concerns that may affect attendance.

• Plan ahead for spring events. Vacations and activities can wait for breaks—every day of instruction matters.

• Ask for help early. If attendance becomes a challenge, reach out to teachers or school staff for support.

Strong attendance helps students stay connected, confident, and on track for success—let’s finish the year strong! 💪🎓

*Content created using Attendance Works

We communicate through a number of platforms and channels in order to keep families and the community informed and up-to-date.

DISTRICT AND SCHOOLS MOBILE APP

Caroline has a free mobile app to help families and community members keep up with school delay and closing alerts, the school calendar, menus, news and more. Search Caroline Schools, MD in the App Store or on Google Play. For help with the Caroline app, please email communciations@ccpsstaff.org.

SOCIAL MEDIA

The District has a Facebook and an Instagram page, and all schools either have both or at least Facebook. You can also follow both the GES and FES Judy Centers, CCPS Food & Nutrition Services, and several of the schools' PTAs and PTOs. No reason to miss any news!

WEBSITES

The District and all schools have websites filled with information. Search what you need and reach out to us (communications@ccpsstaff.org) if you cannot find anything in particular.

SPECIFICALLY FOR PARENT/GUARDIANS:

Notifications from the school or district

For parent/guardians and staff, we use a mass communication platform that enables phone call, text, notification, and email from the district and/or from individual schools. Communication from the district or the school is based on contact information provided by the family in PowerSchool. Please make sure your information is verified and updated each year in order to receive alerts, emails, and phone calls regarding inclement weather, events, calendar reminders and more.

The Caroline, MD app also has a feature called Rooms that enables classroom to home communication. Once a parent/guardian uses their specific information to login to Rooms, direct messaging with your child's teachers is enabled.

PowerSchool
CCPS provides access to student information for parents through PowerSchool. Students' attendance, grades, and schedules can be viewed either online or through a Mobile App. Students and staff log in with single sign-on. Parents are assigned a username and password that they use to log into their parent portal account. For complete information, please visit our PowerSchool page.

In case you missed it - On Dec. 2, our own Food & Nutrition Services was featured on NBC's Today Show! Greensboro Elementary School (GES) was honored to be shown as part of The Today Show's Giving Tuesday coverage, highlighting the district partnership with No Kid Hungry, a national organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger.

No Kid Hungry supports schools and communities across the country, including all schools in Caroline County, by helping ensure that every child has access to healthy, free meals. Working closely with the Food Services team, the organization helps strengthen and expand meal programs that directly benefit all Caroline County Public School students. Read more ...

CCPS has two primary committees that each serve a vital purpose with the Board of Education.

Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) - The CAC provides advice to the Board and Superintendent on specific issues impacting educational policy, activities, programs and school calendar. The committee may choose to study and report on educational issues of countywide concern. The CAC is comprised of 15 citizens from all schools who meet five times a year.

School System Improvement Council (SSIC) - The SSIC is comprised of representatives from each school's School Improvement Council. The SSIC meets monthly throughout the year to discuss matters such as the school calendar and various policies.

This year, the two committees joined together to develop specific commitment statements that promote a unified and supportive approach to your students' educational experiences. By acknowledging and committing to a child’s learning, both the principal and the family join together in a shared goal: fostering student success in education.

These statements may be found on the committee page of the district website, along with summaries of the work accomplished at previous meetings.

In August 2022, CCPS entered into a partnership with Cenergistics, a national leader in energy conservation, to improve building efficiency, reduce utility costs, and support healthier learning environments. This work strengthened the district’s commitment to using cost avoidance to turn energy dollars into education dollars.

Photo: An example of instructions sent to all staff prior to yearly break times.

The program focuses on improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, creating healthier and more comfortable buildings, and extending the life of existing equipment through optimized operation. The initiative emphasizes that every staff member and student is both an energy saver and an energy consumer. By carefully monitoring usage and following consistent conservation practices, the district aimed to reduce energy consumption by 20 to 30 percent, protect natural resources, preserve staff positions and essential programs, and shift utility savings directly into avoiding cuts in the classroom.

Energy Management Specialist Josh Rein leads these efforts. His work includes conducting site audits and inspections, analyzing energy data, reporting progress, building program awareness, and supporting schools as they adopt sustainable practices.

By March of 2024, ten CCPS buildings had earned ENERGY STAR Certification, placing them among the top-performing school buildings nationwide. Each certification is verified by a licensed engineer or architect to ensure accurate reporting and proper indoor environmental quality. As of December 2025, all twelve CCPS buildings are in the ENERGY STAR application process for 2025.

At the December board meeting, it was reported that despite the cost of utilities rising in the double digits, CCPS avoided making equivalent expenditures. As of June 30, the energy program performance showed:

* 1.18M cumulative cost avoidance savings to date

* 23% program to date savings

* 26% reduction in energy consumption per square foot

* 5,208 metric tons of emissions avoided

“Our partnership with Cenergistics has been instrumental in guiding our district toward sustainability and significant savings,” said Bill Mengel, CCPS Director of Operations. “The diligence of our program specialist, along with the awareness and efforts of our staff, have allowed us to surpass our initial expectations. I am really proud of everyone’s contributions and the positive impact we are making on both our schools and the environment.”