November 20, 2025

November

• National Native American Heritage Month

November 17 - 21 - American Education Week

November 20 - State of Our Schools: A Community Conversation - 5:30 - 7:00 ~ Easton Area, Talbot County Free Library

November 26 - 30 - Thanksgiving Holiday - Schools Closed

December

December 4 - Qtr. 2 Interim ends

December 11 - Qtr. 2 Interim reports issued

December 15 - Board of Education Work Session - 5:30pm

December 17 - Board of Education Meeting - 7:00pm

December 22 - January 2 - Winter Break

Hello TCPS Families!

It’s American Education Week! This is a time to celebrate public education and the incredible team of support professionals who help our students succeed. From instructional assistants and clerical staff to bus drivers, our tech and finance teams, and student services workers, they all play a vital role in supporting students and families. We thank them all for their dedication each and every day.

This week, we held the “State of Our Schools: A Community Conversation” events in St. Michaels and Easton. Members of the Board of Education joined me in sharing a school district update and introducing the 'Align by 2029' Strategic Plan. Many thanks to all who joined us and provided much-appreciated feedback.

The Board of Education also held a work session on Monday and its regular meeting on Wednesday this week. They were provided updates from Easton Middle School on the impact of the cell phone pouch program, an overview of the School Improvement Plan initiative, and a report on the baseline progress monitoring data for the Align by 2029 Strategic Plan.

As a reminder, schools and offices are closed next Wednesday, November 26 - Friday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving Holiday. Our next weekly update will be on Thursday, December 4.

Have a great weekend, enjoy the Thanksgiving break, and remember it’s always a great day for success at TCPS!

The Board of Education recognized and thanked Talbot County Emergency Services, Law Enforcement and Medical Teams for service to the staff and students of TCPS during a recent medical emergency during their November Meeting.

Nurses: Kara Brummell, Susan Strohm

Dept. of Emergency Services: Jen Andrews, Captain T.C. Coulbourne, EMT Claude Joyner, EMT Katelyn Killian, Paramedic Brian LeCates, Paramedic Jill Pusey, Paramedic

Paramedics: Jim Prince, Master Trooper Ryan Shea, Trooper 1st Class

St. Michaels Fire Dept.: Corey Bebee, 1st Lieutenant Brady Jones, Firefighter Phil Jones, Assistant Chief Cory Pierson, 2nd Lieutenant Kevin Smith, Engineer

Talbot County Sheriff’s Office: Tim Conners, Corporal Kevin Parks, Sergeant Justin Aita, First Sergeant Tilghman Fire Dept.: Brandon Haddaway, Chief

Trooper 6: Hae Kim, Pilot Steve Sheik, Pilot

When: Tomorrow, Friday, November 21, 2025, 4:00-5:00 PM

Where: Easton Elementary School (Cafeteria)

Meals are available to ANY TCPS family. You are welcome to use the food for your own family, or "pay it forward" to another family in need.

We will have meats, fresh fruits and vegetables as available, plus plenty of pantry staples. Frozen turkeys will be available!

Whether they were writing “Thank You” letters to someone at their school, dressing up as what they want to be when they grow up, dressing up as a staff member, or simply sporting their school gear and colors, our students showed up loud and proud this week! Their enthusiasm has made American Education Week truly special!

The Talbot County Health Department now offers the Turn ‘N Learn Challenge! A fun, hands-on way for teens to learn about the dangers of underage drinking, impaired driving, and distracted driving through games, team challenges, and Fatal Vision® Goggles. If you coach a team, run an after-school program, or work with youth, we’d love to bring this activity to you.

Call The Talbot County Health Department at 410-819-5689 for information!

Nicole's Promise is a program in collaboration with the Talbot County Sheriff's Office that helps bring Christmas joy to children and teens affected by substance use. Children and teens from Talbot County who have lost a parent to addiction will ride with a deputy to shop for themselves, or their families. Afterward, the children will wrap presents and have cookies.

Any Talbot County child age 17 and younger, who has lost a parent to substances, is eligible.

Program closes at noon, December 14.

Email: director@gracestreetrecovery.org

November is Gratitude and Mental Health Month, and the November issue of the Parentguidance.org Newsletter explores how practicing gratitude through daily actions, words, and habits can help you focus on the parts of life that matter most.

In case you missed it, TCPS has partnered with Cook Center for Human Connection to bring you parentguide.org: an online service by licensed therapists. It provides trusted and specialized courses, professional support, and a safe community for parents to learn how to support their children and get answers to mental health questions at no cost.

As Talbot County prepares for their own Talbot250 celebrations, we wanted to share an exciting national opportunity! The U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission has launched America’s Field Trip, a nationwide contest inviting students in grades 3–12 to reflect on what America means to them.

Winning students will earn once-in-a-lifetime field trips to some of the most iconic landmarks in the country — from the Statue of Liberty to Yosemite National Park.

This initiative is a wonderful way to inspire young people to explore our shared history and connect to the story of our nation’s 250th anniversary.

Deadline: Monday, March 30, 2026 at 5:00pm PST/8:00pm EST.

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Eligibility: Any student in grades 3–12 who is a legal resident of any of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, or the five U.S. territories is eligible to enter. First- and second-prize awardees from the previous two America’s Field Trip contests are not eligible to enter or win.

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Submission Requirements: Students at each grade level may create artwork, including physical artwork submitted through a high-res photo, a digital drawing, or a written response.

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Judging Criteria: A panel of current and former educators will evaluate submissions based on Student Voice (50%), Clarity of Idea (25%), and Presentation (25%).

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Prizes: NEW! 125 first-place awardees and their designated chaperone will receive travel and lodging for a three-day, two-night trip to a select historical or cultural site in July and August 2026. 125 second-place awardees will receive $500 cash awards and three educators will each earn $1,000. Award recipients will be notified in late April 2026.

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The Contest: Students at each grade level will respond to the prompt, “What does America mean to you?” with artwork or writing. Students must develop submissions individually and may not enter as a group.

TCPS launched a new user-friendly website and mobile app on July 1, in partnership with Apptegy, an education technology company based in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The new website and app include the same information as our current website, and will also enable real-time communication. The free app for Android and iPhone sends emergency notifications directly to those who download the app and provides consistency with the website.

The technology is designed with both families and school leaders in mind and will hopefully make communication easier and faster. Check out the short video below for a quick introduction to the app that comes with the new platform. You can also find and download the new app now by searching "Talbot County Public Schools" in the app store. If you have any questions, please contact Debbie Gardner, Director of Communications at dgardner@talbotschools.org. You can find more information about Apptegy here: https://www.apptegy.com/

Here Comes the Bus®

Available to parents of Talbot County Public Schools students.

• View the real-time location of your child’s bus
• Access the app from your smartphone, tablet or computer
• Receive push notifications or email alerts
• Send your child to the bus stop at just the right time, every time

How to get started:

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app* or visit herecomesthebus.com
2. Click the button "Sign Up" button
3. Enter school code 87314 and click “Next” followed by “Confirm”
4. Complete the “User Profile” box
5. Under “My Students,” click “Add.” Enter your child’s last name and student ID number (student ID number can be found in the Power School Parent Portal on the Bus Information page or contact your child’s school)
6. Once you confirm your information, you’re ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!

*Available at the App Store and Google Play

Here Comes the Bus® is a registered trademark of Synovia

Solutions™ LLC

Join the TCPS Team! We have many certificated and support positions available! Use the link below for more information and to apply!

This guide provides a comprehensive list of behavioral health resources across Queen Anne's, Kent, Caroline, Talbot, and Dorchester counties.

This year TCPS is going “cashless” for tickets for all of our athletic events using GoFan. You can purchase tickets ahead of time online or at the gate using a credit or debit card. GoFan accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate using Apple Pay and Google Pay. Admission to all events at the Easton High and St. Michaels High Stadiums and Gymnasiums is $6 (children 6 and under are free). Cash payment will not be accepted at the gate.

Tickets can be purchased using the following links:

Easton High

St. Michaels Middle High

Join the parents, teachers, and students who have already made the important decision to enroll in SafeTime. The app is designed to both empower us all with a super easy social media integrated tool to alert the proper authorities if we see something suspicious, AND to raise student self-esteem via the creation and exposure to fun, positive messaging.

Safe Schools Maryland - an ANONYMOUS and FREE reporting system available to students, teachers, school staff members, parents, and the general public to report any school or student safety ​concerns, including mental health concerns. Safe Schools Maryland operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and 365 days a year. Your anonymous report can be submitted by calling the tip line (1-833-MD-B-SAFE / 1-833-632-7233), completing an online form (below), or downloading the free Safe Schools Maryland app from the App Store or Google Play.​

Shore Legal Access connects Eastern Shore individuals and families in need of legal representation with volunteer attorneys to ensure that justice truly is for all.