Highlighted Events This Week In Wicomico Schools

Monday, Nov. 8
Start of 2nd Marking Period
Report cards for 1st Marking Period distributed Nov. 15

Monday, Nov. 8
Veterans Day Program
Mardela Middle and High School

Mardela Middle and High School and the Mardela Middle and High PTA will hold a Veterans Day program at 7 p.m. Nov. 8 to honor all veterans. The evening will feature guest speakers, presentations and light refreshments. 410-677-5142.

Nov. 8-12
Maryland School Psychology Week

Wicomico Schools will join in the statewide observance of the week of Nov. 8-12 as Maryland School Psychology Week. Every day, in all of Maryland’s public schools, school psychologists help to address individual student learning needs and differences, children’s social-emotional development, family-school collaboration issues, and a myriad of academic skills across all grade levels, learning styles and content areas. School psychologists are among the most unique professionals in school systems, as their skills work to bridge learning, social and emotional performance. They use different strategies to support student needs and to improve school-wide and system-wide supports. To this end, they serve on Student Support Teams, Positive Behavioral Support Teams and IEP teams, to name a few of their collaborative rolls.

Nov. 8-12, Dec. 6-10
One Man Band Curtis Blues and The History of Acoustic Delta Blues: The Roots of Rock and Hip Hop
Wicomico elementary and middle schools

Blues preservationist and one man band Curtis Blues is a talented musician and educator whose performances keep the tradition of acoustic Delta blues alive, and demonstrate for students the roots of modern rock and hip hop music. Curtis has been playing Delta blues since he was 14 years old, when he was exposed to some of the last living Delta blues masters at folk festivals. Curtis has recorded two critically acclaimed CDs and performs at blues festivals and schools in an effort to pass this precious music down to the next generation. This show demonstrates the origins of modern popular rock, country, and hip hop music from the Mississippi Delta in the 1920's to 1940's. Tracing rhythms from work songs, Curtis invites students to help demonstrate infectious blues rhythms. Curtis Blues plays a one-string Diddley Bow, a handmade box guitar, and an African gourd banjo, as well as 1928 style metal resonator guitars and wood guitars along with his harmonica, foot drum, and cymbals. By taking his instruments into the audience for a closer look, this presentation makes African American and musical history come alive for students.

Monday, Nov. 8: Prince Street (AM), Willards (1:15 p.m.)
Tuesday, Nov. 9: Beaver Run Elementary (9:15 and 10:15 a.m.), Westside Intermediate (1 and 2 p.m.)
Wednesday, Nov. 10: Westside Primary (9:30 a.m.), Charles H. Chipman Elementary (1 and 2 p.m.)
Thursday, Nov. 11: East Salisbury Elementary (9:15 a.m.) and East Salisbury/Judy Center (10:15 a.m.), Pemberton Elementary (1 and 2 p.m.)
Friday, Nov. 12: Delmar Elementary (8:30 and 9:30 a.m.), Pinehurst Elementary 1:30 p.m.

Additional Curtis Blues school shows are scheduled for the week of Dec. 6-10.

Tuesday, Nov. 9
9th annual Tri-County College Fair
University of Maryland Eastern Shore

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore's 9th annual Tri-County College Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9 in the William P. Hytche Athletic Center. Recruiters from more than 100 colleges, universities and the Armed Services are slated to attend. High schools in the tri-county area as well as Philadelphia, New Jersey and the District of Columbia will be sending 1,500 students to the event. Junior and senior high school students, their parents and counselors can pick up literature and discuss educational opportunities with participating institutions. More than 90 colleges representing a variety of niches in higher education will participate. Specialty institutions such as Johnson & Wales University (hotel and restaurant management), the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics and the West Virginia Institute of Technology have responded along with military institutions such as the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the Valley Forge Military College. Religious-based colleges attending are Messiah College, Methodist University and Moravian College. Some of the private colleges represented will be High Point University, Hood College, McDaniel College, Southern Vermont, Saint Augustine’s College and Washington College. Among the public institutions participating include Frostburg State University, Salisbury University, Shepherd University, Towson State University, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, West Chester University, West Virginia University and UMES. Check with your high school guidance office for information on the event. More information on the fair is also available by calling 410-651-6411, or by e-mail at tyoung@umes.edu.

Tuesday, Nov. 9
Car Seat Safety Check
Big Lots, Fruitland

Big Lots in Fruitland will host a free Car Seat Safety Check by Safe Kids Lower Shore Maryland from 3-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9. No appointment needed. A certified technician will check to make sure your car seat or car seats are correctly installed. Why come out? Eight out of 10 car seats are installed incorrectly, and would not protect the child as well as designed in case of an accident.

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 5-7 p.m.
American Culinary Federation Contemporary Entree' Competition
Parkside High School Culinary Arts

On Tuesday, Nov. 9, Christopher Allen Tanner, CEC, WCC, CHE will present a seminar for students on "American Culinary Federation (ACF) Contemporary Entree' Competition" at Parkside High School from 5-7 p.m. Mr. Tanner is an ACF approved judge and is currently a Chef-Instructor at Schenectady County Community College in New York. Current students in the Parkside Culinary Arts program are invited to attend. Students will be able to see how a professional chef prepares for competition, proper sanitation, how to use time wisely, and proper plating technique. Other competition topics will also be discussed. For the high school students this type of exposure will enable them to better prepare for their SkillsUSA competitions later in the school year, said Tony Hilligoss, Culinary Arts instructor. This is the first time this event has been held at Parkside High School. Local chefs from the area will also be in attendance and will give the opportunity for future culinarians to make contacts in the industry. This event will also help students prepare for the ACF Competition which will take place at the Worcester Technical High School Nov. 20. 410-677-5144.

Tuesday, Nov. 9, at 7 p.m.
Board of Education Monthly Meeting
Board of Education Office

The Wicomico County Board of Education will hold its monthly meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 9, in the auditorium of the Board of Education Office in Salisbury. The agenda for the meeting is posted at http://www.wcboe.org/boe/meetings.php. 410-677-4561.

Wednesday, Nov. 10, at 9 a.m.
Veterans Day Assembly
Northwestern Elementary School

In honor of Veterans Day, Northwestern Elementary School students will attend an assembly honoring past and present members of our Armed Forces. The assembly is scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 9 a.m. The assembly will begin with a formal outside presentation of the colors. Students will then come indoors to be led in a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance and a group of students will sing the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic songs. The students will honor those who have fought and are fighting for our freedom and the freedom of others. Veterans from our local American Legion posts will be in attendance to share education information about their service and will be honored and acknowledged for their sacrifice for our country. We will also have equipment on display from our local National Guard. Northwestern families are encouraged to attend. Any veterans in attendance will also be invited to visit the classroom of their child or grandchild afterwards for further small group discussions. 410-677-5808.

Thursday, Nov. 11, at 9:15 a.m.
Veterans Day Ceremony
North Salisbury Elementary School

North Salisbury Elementary School will host a Veterans Day Celebration on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 9:15 a.m. This program will honor men and women who have served our country, including those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom. Students are preparing for the ceremony by researching America's wars and writing handwritten invitations to a veteran in the community. Several students will take part in the program with special readings, songs, poetry, and a PowerPoint to honor all branches of the military. The school has hosted this annual celebration of Veterans Day since 2001. 410-677-5807.

Thursday, Nov. 11, at 10 a.m.
Flag Donation/Flag Ceremony
Choices Program

Representatives of the VFW will be at the Choices Program on Adventist Drive in Salisbury at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 11 for a flag ceremony. The VFW donated $500 to Choices for the purchase of flags and Veterans Day materials. On Nov. 11, the VFW will be at the school to perform a flag ceremony for students and staff and to raise the flag on the Choices flagpole. 410-677-5220.

Saturday, Nov. 13
STEM Saturday
Salisbury Middle School

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Saturday classes will be offered throughout the 2010-11 school year for students in grades 4/5 and 6/7/8. The next STEM Saturday will be held at Salisbury Middle School from 10 a.m.-noon on Saturday, Nov. 13, with students in grades 4-5 exploring “The Science Behind Winning” and middle schoolers working on “Robotics.” The elementary offerings are new to the STEM Saturdays schedule this year. Anyone interested in attending a STEM Saturday event must pre-register, and early registration is recommended as the courses fill up early. STEM Saturdays will also be held Jan. 15, Green Keepers: Going Green to Preserve Our World (elementary) and The Bug Detective (middle), both at Salisbury Middle; Feb. 12, The Magic of Chemistry (elementary) and Out of Sight: Bringing Astronomy Down to Earth (middle), both at Salisbury Middle; March 12, Flying Wild: Bird Science and Conservation (elementary) at Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art; Fossils of the Chesapeake: A Hands-On Exploration (middle) at Parkside High; and April 9, The Bug Detective (elementary) and The Science Behind Winning (middle), both at Salisbury Middle. For a detailed schedule and registration form, visit http://www.wcboe.org/news/510. For information contact Gretchen Boggs at 410-677-5149 or gboggs@wcboe.org.