2025 Sept. Family & Community News

Dear Families and Community Members,

As we wrap up the first month of the 2025–26 school year, I want to welcome you back and thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students. September brings a unique energy to our schools, and it has been truly inspiring to see our hallways come alive once again with the enthusiasm of both students and staff.

We are especially grateful to our dedicated staff who worked tirelessly over the summer to ensure a smooth and successful start to the year. From preparing classrooms and facilities to refining instructional plans that meet the needs of every learner, their hard work has laid a strong foundation for the year ahead.

This year marks the launch of our new five-year Strategic Plan, guiding us through 2030. While our core goals—Academic Excellence, Wellness, Equity, and Communication—remain consistent, our strategies have been thoughtfully reviewed and updated to better meet the evolving needs of our students and school community.

We know that schools cannot do this work alone. The engagement of families and the broader community makes a powerful difference, and we sincerely appreciate your continued support and collaboration. As we all settle into the routines of a new school year, we encourage families to help students establish healthy habits that promote learning, rest, and overall well-being.

Looking ahead, I have great confidence in all that we will accomplish together this year. Thank you for being an essential part of our school community and for your unwavering commitment to our students’ success.

Here’s to a great year ahead!

Derek L. Simmons, Ed.D.

Superintendent

On behalf of the Board of Education, welcome to a new school year! With a successful start now behind us and September coming to a close, we are energized by the momentum and excitement across our schools.

Throughout the year, we have many opportunities to connect with board members from other districts, and every time, we are reminded just how proud we are to be from Caroline County. We are honored to serve such an outstanding district, leading the very best teachers, support staff, and students. Our greatest strength lies in our staff and in the unwavering support they receive from our families and communities. Together, we make Caroline a place where every student can thrive.

As a reminder, we do our best to keep you informed regarding board meetings and agendas and board policy, all available on the website Leadership page. BoardNotes is published each month, providing details from the regular Board of Education meeting and, when applicable, the board work session. The latest edition from September is available below. We encourage you to read it and stay informed about the decisions and discussions shaping our schools.

Warmest Regards,

A. Michele Wayman

There’s truly no place like the Caroline community when it comes to supporting education. The dedication and generosity of our community, and the partnerships we all work hard to maintain, set us apart. We are deeply grateful for the many ways our community shows up for our students and schools.

Caroline is rich in school volunteers, generous donations, strong partnerships with local organizations, and unwavering support from county government and agencies. This wide-ranging support directly impacts the success of our students and the strength of our school system.

Whether you give your time, share your skills, provide resources, support local agencies, or consider the needs of children as you make decisions as an elected official, every effort helps build a stronger foundation for learning and growth. You can get involved by volunteering in schools, assisting with events, donating to programs that provide supplies, meals, and enrichment opportunities, or by supporting the community agencies that partner with us to offer vital services. Local businesses and organizations also play a key role in student success through our Work-Based Learning Continuum, offering meaningful opportunities and career connections.

However you're able to be involved, please know this: our community is second to none in its support for our students and staff, and the Caroline family couldn’t be more grateful.

Note: Below are just a small number of our community partners. We are thankful for them all!

We get that question from people a lot, wondering what we have to do without students and teachers in the classrooms. Actually, summer is one of the busiest times of year for staff, not only with summer programming for students, but in preparing for the upcoming new school year.

This summer, students benefitted from a variety of programs held by our staff or in collaboration with many community partners. For example:

• The Elementary Summer Program, conducted in collaboration with Caroline County Recreation and Parks, served 602 students. The program included Environmental Education with Shore Rivers that featured daily science lessons along with kayaking and fishing trips.
• The Middle School Summer Career Enrichment Program, in partnership with People for Change Coalition and the Mid-Shore Regional Council, served 75 Caroline students and featured a variety of activities including robotics, chess, and presentation and video design.
• The High School Credit Recovery Program served 139 high school students who completed 233 courses.
• The Middle School Mini SEL Camp, funded through the Project AWARE grant and conducted in collaboration with Caroline Behavioral Health and Choptank Community Health, served 17 middle schools students.
• NCHS hosted the first STEM Camp Week in Caroline County that welcomed Ridgely Elementary students for STEM-related activities.

Operations and others were kept busy supporting student activity and more throughout the summer:

• Food Services, as always, stepped up to the plate and provided just under a whopping 108,000 meals to kids. Much of this was meals served during activities but the number also included meals picked up by families not involved in a program.
• Transportation logged many miles in support of getting students where they need to go and home again throughout the summer.
• Health rooms were staffed with 6 nurses and 1 health assistant each day, and School Based Wellness Centers provided dental visits, acute care visits, staff health visits, community member visits, and sports physicals. They provided 620 bags of produce, and several Kids in the Kitchen events for students, and conducted SEL groups with Behavior Facilitators.
• Custodial teams worked to ensure schools were gleaming for opening day.
• Maintenance crews worked their way through a long list of summer projects.
• Technology processed 5700+ staff and student devices in order to meet the needs of the coming year.
• Human Resources hummed all spring and summer long with interviewing, hiring, and onboarding. This included staff for all areas of the school system but in particular, we welcomed 39 new teachers to the Caroline family in order to begin the school year fully staffed. New Teacher Orientation was a busy and thorough process, the highlight of which was a bus tour that introduced them to our rich history and diverse neighborhoods.
• Throughout the summer, administrators, supervisors, and office staff worked diligently to prepare for the upcoming school year, focusing on curriculum, scheduling, supplies, finances, enrollment, professional development, and much more.

In September 2021, Caroline County marked a major milestone in workforce development when the first Youth Apprenticeship Agreement was signed. Christopher Ireland, then an 11th-grade student at North Caroline High School, entered into an agreement with MidShore Technology Services, officially launching the district’s youth apprenticeship program.

Since that time, the program has continued to grow steadily, thanks to the efforts led by Director of College and Career Readiness Lindsey McCormick and Coordinator of College Career and CTE Eric Cook. Over the past four years, an additional 25 students have entered into apprenticeship agreements with more than a dozen businesses across Caroline County and the Mid-Shore region.

Superintendent Dr. Simmons has expressed appreciation for the local businesses that step up to support this initiative. By mentoring and employing student apprentices, these companies are not only helping shape the future of young professionals, they’re also investing in the long-term success of their own organizations. “There are tremendous benefits for businesses that participate,” Dr. Simmons said. “Businesses are not just doing a service to the community. They're gaining access to motivated, qualified talent.”

To date, the following employers have entered into agreements:

• Craft Bakery & Cafe
• Crystal Steel
• Every Voice Counts
• Gross Mechanical Laboratories, Inc. (Groco)
• Lywood Electric
• MidShore Technology
• Nuttle Builders
• Phillips Wharf
• Residence at Eden Green
• Rick Breeding Excavating
• Trident Aircraft
• Caroline County Public Schools Technology Department, Culinary Arts Program, and Shore Gourmet

Employers, students and families interested in the Apprenticeship Program may visit the website for more details and contact information.

Below are just a few photos from our many apprenticeship signings. Visit our Apprenticeship Signings page for all news releases.

As of the 2025-26 school year, the Community Schools Program exists in all nine schools. Community Schools serve as hubs that bring families, communities, and partners together to remove barriers to learning. Using an asset-based approach, community schools strive to strengthen connections to generate improved student outcomes.

Each school designated as a Community School has a coordinator who works to connect families with resources, establish and strengthen community partnerships, and plan programming to support students and their families. The program is coordinated by Supervisor of Community Schools and Equity Nicole Fisher.

Some of the program benefits to students and schools include:

• Provides Targeted Assistance: Designed to provide targeted assistance to schools located in areas with a high concentration of poverty
• Addresses Unique Challenges: Seeks to address specific challenges with a focus on improving educational opportunities and well-being
• Provides Funding Support for Initiatives: Can be used to support a range of initiatives and programs that help combat the effects of poverty
• Enhances Educational Outcomes: Ensures that students have a better chance at academic success despite challenges they may face due to economic circumstances

Community schools work in collaboration with community partners, local governments, and other stakeholders to identify and address barriers to student learning. Leveraging the power of the collective allows community schools to provide resources to students and families where they need them the most—neighborhoods that have been historically underfunded and underserved.

For Coordinator contact information, please visit: CarolineSchool.org

Top row: Nicole Fisher, Supervisor of Community Schools; Drew Davidson, Denton Elementary School; Rae Watkins, Lockerman Middle School; Sheri Christopher, Colonel Richardson High School

Middle row: Deja Thompson , Preston Elementary School; Maya Robinson, Federalsburg Elementary School; Kelsey Johnson, Ridgely Elementary School; Charlene Sanders, Colonel Richardson Middle School

Bottom row: Denaja Wilson, North Caroline High School; Ashley Zdradzinski, Greensboro Elementary School

Did you know that just a few missed days of school can add up and make it harder for students to stay on track? Whether it's learning new material, connecting with friends, or building healthy habits, every day in school matters.

When students attend school regularly, they are more likely to succeed—not just in the classroom, but in life. Families play a big role in helping make that happen, and small daily routines can make a big difference.

Why Attendance Is So Important

• Every Day Counts: Each day your child is in school is a chance to learn, grow, and build strong connections.
• Strong Start, Strong Year: Good attendance habits early on help set a positive tone for the rest of the school year.
• Life Skills: Showing up regularly builds responsibility, confidence, and important routines that help children succeed in school and beyond.
• Support Matters: If your child is missing school, it’s okay to ask for help. Our focus is on support, not blame.

What Families Can Do

Create Daily Routines

• Set regular bedtimes and wake-up times.
• Prepare clothes, lunches, and backpacks the night before.
• Keep mornings calm and predictable.

Plan Ahead - Try to schedule doctor’s appointments and family events outside of school hours or during school breaks.

Stay Connected

• Talk with your child’s teacher and school staff regularly.
• Let the school know if your child is struggling or if there are challenges getting to school.

Ask for Support - If things like transportation, health issues, or family emergencies are affecting attendance, reach out. We’re here to help connect you with resources.

It Takes a Village!

Strong attendance is a team effort. When schools, families, and communities work together, students thrive. Whether it’s creating routines at home or supporting one another through challenges, every step makes a difference.

Let’s Work Together

If you're ever unsure about when to keep your child home or need help getting them to school, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our goal is to partner with you to make sure your child is "Here Today, Ready for Tomorrow."

Together, we can help every student build a bright future, one school day at a time.

*Content created using Attendance Works

CAROLINE 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.

SPECIFICALLY FOR PARENT/GUARDIANS:

Notifications from the school or district

For parent/guardians, the app has a feature called Rooms. Once a parent/guardian uses their specific information to login to Rooms, direct messaging with your child's teachers is enabled.

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.

PowerSchool
CCPS provides access to student information for parents through PowerSchool Parent Single Sign On. Students' attendance, grades, and schedules can be viewed either online or through a Mobile App. For complete information, please visit our PowerSchool page.

Email: communications@ccpsstaff.org

Website: carolineschools.org
Location: Caroline County, Maryland
District Office: 410.479.1460

Mobile App: Caroline Schools, MD
Facebook: facebook.com/carolineschools.org

Instagram: carolineschoolsmd