The Seahawks Call
February 21 - March 6, 2022 revised
A message from Principal Taylor.............
CCPS COVID-19 Update
Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) continues to make moves toward resuming standard school system operations. We continue to monitor COVID-19 data for Charles County. Staff meet regularly with the Charles County Department of Health and Charles County Health Officer Dr. Dianna Abney, as well as consult with the Maryland State Department of Health to make decisions regarding the operations of the school system. CCPS also adheres to state regulations and federal laws regarding mask use in our schools, facilities and on school buses.
The attached communication details plans the school system is working toward regarding COVID-19 management in schools. CCPS encourages families to talk with their doctors about COVID-19 vaccine options, as well as make their own decisions regarding mask use outside of school time. The COVID-19 vaccination is widely available for anyone ages 5 and older. Additionally, CCPS continues to offer COVID-19 weekly screenings at schools and centers for both staff and students.
There are no firm dates set for when masks will no longer be required in our schools, as the State Board of Education can change its regulations at any time. Gov. Hogan can also implement an Executive Order regarding face masks in schools. The attachment includes a visual of steps CCPS will take when the Board of Education of Charles County or I reach a decision regarding the requirement of masks in schools.
Staff is working through our COVID-19 standard operating procedures to determine what they may look like once masks are optional in schools and contact tracing by CCPS ends. This includes building a frequently asked questions page on the school system website at www.ccboe.com. After you review the attached information, please send any questions you may have to ccpstownhall@ccboe.com. Staff will collect the questions, build a FAQ page online and share the resource with staff, parents and the community.
The safety of our students and staff is a priority and CCPS will continue to work with our health partners as operational decisions for the school system are made.
Sincerely,
Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
System eliminates mandatory COVID-19 screenings – effective Feb. 21
Effective Monday, Feb. 21, CCPS will no longer require student athletes or participants in extracurricular activities to test weekly for COVID-19 at school. Testing will now be optional for all students.
Parents who want to opt their child out of testing must log in to their Gene 20/20 Systems portal to opt their child out. This will prevent a student’s name from appearing on a screening list at their school. The portal is located here. Upon log in, parents can select Opt Out of Testing from the left menu. It may take up to two weeks for a student’s name to be removed from the weekly school roster.
Important Dates to Remember!
(Monday) - February 21st
- President's Day/Schools and Offices Closed
(Tuesday) - February 22nd
- Weekly screenings for registered staff and students (Not mandatory - Refer to principals' message for more details)
- Drama club for all cast and crew from 2:00 - 3:30 pm in room 305
- Sea Perch until 3:30 pm in room 203
- VEX Robotics
(Wednesday) February 23rd
- Grade Recovery from 2:15 - 5:00 pm for registered students
- Math Counts from 2:15 - 3:15 pm in Trailer 11
- VEX Robotics
- Somers' Boys' Basketball Team Tryouts in Gym from 2 - 3:30 pm
- Dept. of Parks & Rec Boys/Girls open gym from 4-5 pm
(Thursday) February 24th
- McDonough HS presentation to zoned 8th graders @ 9 am @ Somers cafe'
- Newspaper club until 3:30 pm in room 206
- Destination Imagination until 3:30 pm in room 107
- Sea Perch until 3:30 pm in room 203
- VEX Robotics
- Charles County Health Dept. COVID Vaccination for Community from 3:15 - 7:30 pm
- St. Charles High School Parent Night for zoned 8th graders @ 6:30 pm at St. Charles HS gymnasium
(Friday) February 25th
- Destination Imagination in room 107
- VEX Robotics
- Dept. of Parks & Rec Boys/Girls Basketball Tryouts from 4-5 pm
(Saturday) February 26th
- VEX Robotics State Competition
(Sunday) February 27th
- SSprinters Track from 1-3 pm
- Dept. of Parks & Rec from 9 am - 6 pm
(Monday) February 28th
- Interims Issued
- Somers' Boys Basketball Team Tryouts in gym from 2 - 3:30 pm
- Dance Club until 3:30 pm in the cafe'
(Tuesday) March 1st
- Weekly screenings for registered staff and students
- Somers' Girls' Basketball Tryouts in gym until 3:30 pm
- Sea Perch until 3:30 pm in room 203
(Wednesday) March 2nd
- 2 hr. ED (Students are dismissed at 12 noon. If you need to pick your child up early, you must arrive before 11:30 a.m.)
- Parks & Rec Boys/Girls Basketball Tryouts from 4 - 5 pm
(Thursday) March 3rd
- Choir Combination Rehearsal for 7th and 8th grades
- Grade Recovery from 2:15 - 5:00 pm for registered students
- Just Say No until 3:30 pm
- Sea Perch in room 203
- Somers' Girls Basketball Team Tryouts until 3:30 pm
- Spelling Bee @ Henson Middle School @ 6 pm
(Friday) March 4th
- Lackey HS presentation for zoned 8th grade students @ 8 am in Somers' cafe'
- Orchestra Clinician Visit for 8th grade students ONLY from 11 am - 12:30 pm
- Somers' Girls Basketball Team Practice until 3:30 pm
- Parks & Rec Boys/Girls Basketball Tryouts from 4-5 pm
(Saturday) March 5th
- Math Counts Competition @ Calvert Middle School
(Sunday) March 6th
- SSprinters Track from 1-3 pm
- Parks & Rec from 8 am - 7 pm
8th Grade Proofs must be received by April 11th!
CCPS requires all students entering 9th grade to provide two (2) current proofs of domicile to update their child's record. Your child's schedule will not be finalized for the 2022-2023 school year until your proofs are received. Please see the attached letter regarding this process. Proofs may be uploaded through ParentVue, brought into the counseling office during school hours, or emailed to our guidance secretary, Mrs. Matos, at rmatos@ccboe.com. Proofs must be received no later than April 11, 2022.
Immunizations
Attention parents of current 6th graders:
There are two immunizations that your child will be required to receive before they enter the 7th grade (meningococcal MCV4 and Tdap). If your child has already received these immunizations at a recent well-visit, please send us a copy now so that it can be processed. If your child is due to receive them later this school year or over the summer, please request a copy during your visit to send to our nurse. Immunization records can be emailed to antaylor@ccboe.com, faxed to (301) 934-2982, or dropped off to the main office.
Yearbook Information
It's Yearbook Time!
We are looking for photos of the following: SNOW Days!, vacations and pets. All photos should be during the 2021-2022 school year and submitted through the following website: www.hjeShare.com. When prompted, our school code is 14954 and our password is somers. You can submit as many photos as you would like. If you have another photo that you think would be great in the yearbook, send it to us!
Also, if you would like to purchase a yearbook, you can do so by going to https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/14954. From there, you can order your 2021-2022 Yearbook. Yearbooks this year are $30.00. Adding your name imprint is an additional $5.00. The price of books will go up after April 1, 2022.
If you have any questions about submitting photos or purchasing a yearbook, please email either Ms. Villela or Ms. Strobel.
.................From the Library
February 18 - March 1
Somers Reads!
Somers students have read over 7000 books this year! Over 1000 of those have been from our eBook collection on Destiny. And 100 students have listened to one of our audio books. Did you know that children read on one level and listen on a higher level? Audiobooks are great for building vocabulary and accessing stories that a student might not yet be comfortable with reading on their own. And remind your student to log those reading minutes in their Beanstack accounts so they can see their own reading progress.
Something to look forward to!
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming! We will be doing an in-person book fair the week of March 21-25. Come join us as we use books to travel through time! Save those dates and let's make this book fair fabulous!
Laptop Reminder
Laptop bags are designed to hold a laptop and maybe 1 notebook. However, students are routinely filling them with extra items so they are bursting at the seams. Please remind your students that laptop bags are for laptops only.
SCHOOL SUPPORTS
Matthew Newcamp - 6th Grade VP - mnewcamp@ccboe.com
Marlon Walker - 7th Grade VP - mwalker@ccboe.com
Cynthia Panizzi - 8th Grade VP - cpanizzi@ccboe.com
Zachary Ortolano - zortolano@ccboe.com
COUNSELING SUPPORTS
Mike Simms - 6th Grade Counselor - msimms@ccboe.com
John Craddock- 7th Grade Counselor - jcraddock@ccboe.com
Nancy Franklin - 8th Grade Counselor - nfranklin@ccboe.com
INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM
Andrea Johnson - Reading Resource Teacher (Reading) - afjohnson@ccboe.com
Jennifer Branham - Instructional Resource Teacher (Math) - jbranham@ccboe.com
Suzanne Johnson - Learning Resource Teacher (Gifted Education and Testing Coordinator) - srjohnson@ccboe.com
Email: somersms@ccboe.com
Website: https://www.ccboe.com/schools/somers/
Location: 300 Willow Lane, La Plata, MD 20646
Phone: 301-934-4663
Twitter: @miltonsomersms