Contact MargaretArchive for the 'Schools' Category
Recycling Video Contest for Teens
January 29th, 2009 Categories: Schools
Crofton parents, do you know about the opportunity your high school students have to display their video talents on local television? Let me tell you, just in case they failed to mention it.
Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold announced last week the Rev Up Recycling Video Contest for Anne Arundel County high school students.
“High school students are invited to promote recycling, learn about video production and have fun along the way,” he said. “Many of these students know what they want to show and say but don’t have the equipment to develop their message visually.”
That’s why participants will receive a new video camera and video editing software, compliments of WM Recycle America, Inc., the county’s recycling processing contractor. Their challenge will be to show why recycling is important for Anne Arundel County, and entries will be judged for originality, creativity, relevance to the theme, accuracy and potential for broad appeal. Winning videos will be broadcast on local television and posted on www.recyclemoreoften.com.
For more details, click on Rules and Application Form for Anne Arundel County Recyling Video Contest. Act quickly, though, because tomorrow, Friday January 30, is the deadline and there’s no time to waste!
If your teen submits a copy of their entry to me, as well, I’ll post it here on “Focus on Crofton” and on ActiveRain, a blogging and social network with over 130,000 members. Send it to this email address: MargaretWoda@gmail.com.
Read Other Posts about Crofton Schools.
Image Copyright 2009. Margaret Woda. All rights reserved.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Crofton Middle School Students Win Essay Contest
January 26th, 2009 Categories: Schools
Crofton’s excellent schools are often the #1 reason home buyers give for choosing to live in our community when they relocate to the D.C. – Baltimore area.
That’s one of the reasons I try to keep up with the successes of our local schools, even though my children are grown. I love to brag about our community, and Crofton’s public schools give me plenty to brag about.
Take, for example, the county-wide Essay Contest announced in September by County Executive John R. Leopold and School Superintendent Dr. Kevin Maxwell.
Three of the six winners are students at Crofton Middle School: 7th Grader Shaun Moore and 8th Graders Jordan Purdham and Sara Marie Batchelder.
The topic: Identify problems facing middle school students and suggest possible solutions.
Congratulations to Crofton Middle School for having three of the six winners from over 100 entries county-wide.
And congratulations, kids, for a job well done!
You can click here to read all of the winning essays.
Other Posts about Crofton area schools:
| Discussion: No Comments »
Name Your Favorite Teacher in Crofton Area Schools
January 16th, 2009 Categories: Schools
Everyone has a favorite teacher.
My daughter Susan would no doubt say that Crofton resident Duane Arbogast, her third grade teacher at Crofton Elementary School. was her favorite teacher. ‘Last I heard, he was a principal here in Anne Arundel County and, in a fascinating twist of fate, Mr. Arbogast’s son was one of Susan’s students at the University of Maryland.
Both of my sons would probably say that Ray Smith, their math teacher and golf coach at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville was pivotal in their lives. And I still remember Sister Gonzaga, my eighth grade teacher at Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
How about your children… do they have a favorite teacher in a public or private Anne Arundel County school? Do you consider one of their teachers to stand out above all the others they’ve had, even if your child wasn’t crazy about him/her?
If you do, why not nominate that teacher for the 2009 Washington Post Agnes Meyer Outstanding Teacher Award? The deadline for nominations is February 27, 2009, but you’ll want to get started long before then because some supporting paperwork is required.
For more information, visit the Anne Arundel County Public Schools website. Last year’s winner for Anne Arundel County was William T. Meyers of South River High School.
Crofton Homes for Sale Gambrills Homes for Sale Odenton Homes for Sale
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
| Discussion: No Comments »
Walk to Crofton Woods Elementary
November 21st, 2008 Categories: Schools
Crofton Woods, one of four elementary schools located in the community, was opened in 1970 to serve residents of new homes in the immediate surrounding area.
Although some students arrive and depart by bus or car, many are walkers. Homes pictured in this post are representative of those within walking distance of the school.
Crofton Woods students have learned in an “open space” environment for thirty eight years, including my two sons. From the beginning, there have always been some parents and educators who questioned the value of that environment, where students are assigned by grade level to a “pod” containing four homeroom classes. Math and Language Arts are taught by the homeroom teacher, while Science and Social Studies may be taught by a different teacher. Redesigning the school with traditional classrooms has been discussed on and off for years, but there are no immediate plans for making that change.
To any relocating parents who may be concerned about their children learning in “open space.” I can only say that my two sons are extremely successful adults, whose foundation for life was the learning they received in this environment at Crofton Woods Elementary. Yet they could not have been more different children – one was a good student who always got good grades and the other was always a trouble-maker… it would be no exaggeration to say he was usually “permanently” kicked off the County school bus by October each year.
Besides core classes mentioned earlier, the curriculum also includes computer technology, music, art, physical education, library/media studies, drug awareness and personal safety. When it comes to the arts, Crofton Woods is the recipient of grants from the Cultural Arts Foundation of Anne Arundel County and the Baltimore Community Foundation for an artist in residence and partnerships with local museums and galleries. Crofton Woods students also “connect” with other children attending school in France, Kenya, and Japan in order to develop some understanding of their different cultures.
According to the school’s website, “Reading and writing experiences are both narrative and expository based, and integrated within the content areas of science, social studies, and mathematics. A computer laboratory provides the technology for extending and enhancing learning associated with all aspects of the curriculum. Supervised Internet access provides the opportunity for global communication and exploration to appropriate sites. “
Crofton Woods Elementary students performed extremely well in the 2008 Maryland School Assessment (MSA) for math and reading. (Science results have not yet been reported.) To see the specifics, you can click on the 2008 Maryland Report Card for Crofton Woods, and view greater details by clicking again on links you’ll find on that page.
As a longtime resident and Realtor in Crofton, it’s my observation that all of Crofton’s elementary schools are excellent. The overwhelming majority of parents seem to be very satisfied with the academics, environment, teachers, and facilities at their children’s school.
If good schools are an important criteria for you in choosing a place to live, I recommend you “Focus on Crofton” for your home search.
Previous posts about Crofton schools:
- Crofton Elementary Raises $17 K for Cystic Fibrosis
- Crofton Schools Improve on MSA Tests
- Maryland Schools Rank 3rd in Nation
- Report Card for Crofton Middle & High Schools
- Crofton Schools Report Card
- Ten Crofton Teachers Earn Certification
| Discussion: No Comments »
Crofton Daycare Options for Relocating Families
November 6th, 2008 Categories: Schools
Families relocating to the D.C.-Baltimore area often look to the availability of child daycare as a deciding factor in choosing Crofton or another community to live.
Creative Gardens Nursery School on Crofton Parkway is the grandmother of formal daycare providers in Crofton. I can say that with some authority, because my own two toddlers went to Creative Gardens when we first moved to Crofton in the 70’s, and now both of them have children of their own. (My logic – if I’m a grandmother now, they must be too!)
Creative Gardens is located at 1560 Crofton Parkway, and their phone number is 410–721–7711.
Over the years, many other nursery schools and licensed daycare providers have become available in the greater Crofton area, and I’m going to provide contact information for some of them here. These listings do not imply endorsement or recommendation, but hopefully you will find this a good place to begin your search for daycare. (If you would like to see another daycare provider added, please provide the contact information in a comment to this post or email me directly.)
This post was actually inspired by an online daycare-finding service, sittercity.com. When you enter 21114 zipcode in the search box, you’ll find at least thirty potential daycare providers in Crofton and many more in nearby Gambrills, Odenton and Bowie. I checked out the page used by those daycare providers to register, and “Are you licensed in Maryland?” is not one of the questions, so be sure to ask that of any in-home or other independent daycare provider before you hire them.
In fact, whether you plan to employ an independent daycare provider or enroll your child in a daycare center, be sure to click on this brochure – A Parent’s Guide to Regulated Child Care – and print it for your reference.
Beaver Creek Daycare Center at 2165 Davidsonville Road doesn’t have a website that I can find, but it certainly is conveniently located near both Crofton Meadows and Old Crofton. I guess a personal visit will be necessary for you to obtain more information about Beaver Creek, or call them at 410–721–4145.
La Petite Academy is located at 2295 Johns Hopkins Road, which is “officially” in Gambrills (but most people think of as Crofton). They have a very good website, and you can call them at 410–721–3354.
Crofton Children’s Centre, located 1627 Defense Hwy, operates year-round from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. They, too have an excellent website to make it easy for you to learn about their curriculum, schedule, and tuition. Their phone number is 410–721–4225.
Open Door provides care for school-age children before and after school hours, on-site at Crofton schools. To identify which schools offer this program, click on Open Door Locations – enter the county and school name.
Even though it’s located in Bowie, I have to mention Tom Thumb Day Nursery. My daughter was one of many Crofton children attending Tom Thumb (a zillion years ago) and my two grandchildren went there until their mom left her job to stay with them. Tom Thumb is a year-round facility in a beautiful country setting with acres of play areas and a computer in each classroom.
KinderCare on Route 3 between Route 424 and Waugh Chapel Road is highly recommended by Focus On Crofton reader Erika Barger, who transferred her son there when it opened recently. Their website has a lot of information about KinderCare, but I didn’t see anything about the new Gambrills location except their phone number (410–721-0690) and address (1069 State Route 3 North).
Impressionable Years Child and Daycare Center has been recommended by another Focus On Crofton reader, Lisa Brooks. She appreciates their friendly staff, infant programs, reasonable rates, and even summer camp. They’re located at 1041 Route 3 North, and you can call them at 410–721–0544.
Obviously this is not a complete list of daycare options, and your neighbor’s personal recommendation may be your best source.
If your child is in middle school, and you’re contemplating whether to allow him or her to stay home alone, check out these Steps To Determine If Your Child is Old Enough To Stay Home Alone which appear on the Anne Arundel County website.
If your pre-schooler is disabled (autistic, sight or hearing impaired, brain-injured, mentally retarded, etc.), be sure to check out the Maryland State Department of Education Preschool Special Education Services.
For more information about Finding the Right Child Care, be sure to explore the many resources available through the Office of Child Care of the Maryland State Department of Education.
May I suggest you bookmark these links, because I spent over an hour finding them to include in this post.
For more information about relocating to the D.C.-Baltimore area, be sure to visit Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County and nearby Prince George’s and Howard Counties.
| Discussion: No Comments »
