Greetings Benfield Families! (I apologize ahead for the long read )

I cannot help but to remember that three years ago today, we were ordered to shut down school for two weeks to "flatten the curve." I remember popping into classrooms that afternoon and checking on teachers. When visiting Mrs. Bartlett, who is ever the optimist, she was writing her outcomes to be prepared for returning in two weeks (picture below). However, it was not two weeks; it was so much longer! Little did anyone know that it would be months before staff would be allowed to even enter the building, and almost a year before students would return.

Our Benfield community survived the impossible when school life and work life as we knew it changed, and we were suddenly thrust into a world of "virtual" school. Parents were juggling working from home and assisting their children navigate the world of virtual learning. Teachers were learning a new way of teaching with an ever-changing curriculum. It was such a challenging time for all - children, parents, caregivers, and school staff. I sometimes look back on that time period, and I am just amazed at how well we made it through a very difficult time.

When reviewing the data from the recent release of the state MCAP / MISA / MD Survey scores, it is obvious that not only does the Benfield staff care greatly for students, they work tirelessly to ensure they are learning. The last few years have been the most difficult in any current teachers' career, yet they achieved so much ! The learning curve was steep, but the staff at Benfield never faltered, not once.

Schools are assessed by the state in several areas, giving them an ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) ranking. In this analysis, the following areas were assessed for our school: MCAP scores, MCAP growth from the previous year, well-rounded curriculum, absenteeism, and climate. This year, Benfield had an overall rating of 93.3% (8.3% higher than last year) in all the combined areas and our ranking in Maryland was 99%.

I couldn't be prouder of "Team Benfield."

Sue Myers

Principal

Email: smmyers@aacps.org

School Phone: (410) 222 – 6555

Google Voice: (302) 404 – 6898

Instagram: benfieldesaacps