Highlighted Events This Week And Next Week In Wicomico Schools

May 3-7
Teachers Appreciation Week

The annual observance of Teachers Appreciation Week will be held May 3-7. Teacher appreciation activities will occur in schools throughout Wicomico County.

May 3-14
AP Testing
Wicomico County High Schools

Advanced Placement (AP) tests will be administered in Wicomico County high schools to students who took AP classes this year and signed up to take the end-of course test that could earn them college credit.

Thursday, May 6
African-American Summit IV “Pass the Torch” Student Awards Ceremony
Wicomico High School auditorium

The culminating event for the African-American Summit IV from the 2009-10 school year will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 6, in the Wicomico High School auditorium. The African-American Summit is sponsored through the WCBOE Office of School Climate.

Thursday, May 6
3rd annual Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Awards
Baltimore

For the second year in a row, a Glen Avenue Elementary School parent is representing Wicomico County Public Schools in the Comcast Parent Involvement Matters Awards. The awards banquet at which the state winner for 2010 will be named takes place starting at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 6, in Baltimore. Lori Gillis has been volunteering at Glen Avenue since September 2000. She began as a classroom helper and eventually became president of the school PTA. She developed several engaging fundraisers that not only raised money for the school but helped parents connect with their children’s teachers. Her overarching mantra is: ANYTHING can be done, and she is willing to help with whatever needs to be done.

Friday, May 7, at 1:30 p.m.
STEM speaker from NASA
Salisbury Middle School STEM Academy

Brian Campbell, who works for Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (Greenbelt, Maryland) and the NASA Wallops Flight Facility (Wallops Island, Virginia) and serves as the Hydrospheric and Cryospheric Science and Education Specialist for the Hydrospheric and Biospheric Sciences Laboratory, will talk with students in the Salisbury Middle School STEM Academy at 1:30 p.m. Friday, May 7. He will be talking with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) students about his NASA research and career opportunities. In his duties, Campbell is the ICESat Mission Education Lead, the CoastalObs Project Education Manager, SMAP Mission E/PO Co-lead, and a co-investigator for the Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica (LIMA) Education Project.

Saturday, May 8
McCool’s Alumni Jamboree
Mardela Middle and High Gymnasium

The first McCool’s Alumni Jamboree will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, May 8, in the Mardela Middle and High School Gymnasium where Coach McCool gave so many years of services to Mardela athletes and students before her passing this school year. The event is a fund-raiser for the Barbara McCool Scholarship Fund, which provides college funding to eligible graduates of Mardela. Players pay $20, which includes a complimentary T-shirt and food voucher. The Jamboree will feature a boys game, girls game, half-time contest, Chinese table auction, 50/50 drawings and catered food. Mardela alumni Tia Jackson (University of Washington basketball coach) and Russell Springman (University of Texas coach) are among the many alumni who will participate. Interested alumni should check in with Ron Wainwright at 410-677-5142 or wwainwri@wcboe.org. Tickets will be available closer to the event.

Through May 11
MSA Science Testing for Grades 5 and 8

The testing window for Maryland School Assessment (MSA) Science will run until May 11. The MSA Science test is taken by students in grades 5 and 8.

Tuesday, May 11, 1:30 p.m. (NEW TIME)
Board of Education Monthly Meeting
Board of Education Auditorium

The Wicomico County Board of Education will hold its monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 11, in the Board of Education Auditorium. (This meeting was rescheduled as an afternoon meeting so the Board and others interested in the Wicomico County budget would be able to attend a budget hearing at 6 p.m. May 11 at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center.) An agenda will be posted at www.wcboe.org the Friday before the meeting. 410-677-4561.

Tuesday, May 11, 4:30-6:30 p.m.
HSA Rally
Wicomico High School

Wicomico High will hold an HSA (High School Assessment) Rally in the media center, with prizes and refreshments. Students and parents are invited to attend. More information to come. 410-677-5146.

Wednesday, May 12
Free Playgroup for Age 3
Ben’s Red Swings

A free Parent Connection playgroup for children age 3 will be offered at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 12, at Ben’s Red Swings in Salisbury. In partnership with the Wicomico Early Learning Center (WELC), Infants and Toddlers welcomes the 3-year-old class. This playgroup, part of the Parent Connection offered by the Wicomico Infants and Toddlers Program, provides the opportunity for parents to meet other families while the children and their parents enjoy some fun in an outdoor play area. Each child who attends will receive lunch. Space is limited, so please RSVP by May 7 to Maleasa at 410-677-5250.

May 12-13
Olympic Athletes Visit Wicomico Schools
Mardela Middle and High, Westside Intermediate

Olympic gold medal-winning diver Laura Wilkinson will visit Mardela Middle and High May 12 along with other top athletes, and Westside Intermediate May 13. Wilkinson, who won diving gold at the 2000 Olympics despite having broken her foot earlier that year, will speak on motivation, focus and giving 100 percent to reach your goals. She will speak with Mardela Middle students at 8:15 a.m. and Mardela High students at 9:15 a.m. Wilkinson and two other top athletes will return to Mardela Middle and High for a luncheon with students from 1-1:45 p.m. 410-677-5142. Wilkinson will also visit Northwestern Elementary for an assembly on May 12.

On May 13, Wilkinson will visit Westside Intermediate School to speak to all girls about motivation, focus and reaching your goals. She will speak with grades 2/3 from 9-9:45 a.m., and grades 4/5 from 10-10:45 a.m. 410-677-5118.

Thursday, May 13
Arts Integration Parade
Willards Elementary School

Students at Willards Elementary School have been engaged this year in arts integration studies on the art, culture and history of India. Starting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, May 13, students will parade from the school through the town of Willards and back to school to display what they’ve learned. When Willards School did its first arts integration parade last year, it was heartwarming to see all the bank employees, fire department volunteers and family members who lined the streets to cheer the children as they marched along. 410-677-5819.

Thursday, May 13
Environmental Education Event
Pemberton Historical Park

More than 300 Wicomico students from North Salisbury Elementary and Pemberton Elementary will participate in an Environmental Education Event from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 13, at Pemberton Historical Park in Salisbury. Wicomico science and service-learning supervisor Brian Raygor, Park Naturalist Kerri Liming, and many community partners have worked for months to design a day of fun and informative environmental activities. Community partners who will participate in the event include Pemberton Park, Salisbury Zoo, Ward Museum, Department of Natural Resources, James M. Bennett High Environmental Science students, Historical Society, Coastal Bays, 4-H, and the University of Maryland Horn Point Laboratory.

REMINDER ON SCHOOL CALENDAR CHANGES

An updated 2009-10 school calendar is posted at www.wcboe.org under Quick Links. Students and parents/guardians should note the following changes in the original 2009-10 school calendar:

May 14: Mid-term reports distributed (originally scheduled for May 7)
June 9-11: Regular school days (originally scheduled as early dismissal days)
June 14 and 15: Regular school days (added as makeup days due to inclement weather closings)
June 16, 17 and 18: Half-days. A dismissal schedule will be available soon. (Added as makeup days due to inclement weather closings).
June 18: Last day of school for students