Elementary School Overview:
All five of our elementary schools are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Three of our elementary schools are National and Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence: Ocean City Elementary, Showell Elementary, and Snow Hill Elementary Schools. Pocomoke Elementary was a recipient of the 2010 Panasonic National School Change Award for moving from an under-achieving school to a top-performing school -- only six schools nationwide earned this prestigious award. Four of our five elementary schools are Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies (PBIS) schools, with three of them (Buckingham, Pocomoke, and Snow Hill Elementary Schools) earning a Gold status -- the highest honor for participating schools. With federal stimulus funding for Title I schools, Buckingham, Pocomoke, and Snow Hill Elementary Schools now have SMART Boards installed in classrooms. Four of the five elementary schools are also Professional Development Schools (PDS), working with institutions of higher education to help prepare future teachers. Buckingham, Ocean City, Pocomoke, Showell, and Snow Hill Elementary Schools earned a Superior Rating for school maintenance and cleanliness in 2010.
There are 8 schools with elementary grades and programs:
All of these schools are accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.
Curriculum
The elementary programs have placed a high priority on the development of the basic skills while challenging each child to the maximum of his/her potential. Thus, many phases of the child's life must be considered in the development and implementation of instructional programs. Within the elementary programs, provisions are made to meet the child's physical, intellectual, and social development. Skills are developed through sequential and well-planned instructional programs in the following subjects:
Students are assigned to heterogeneously grouped classrooms. In the classrooms, students work in flexible grouping patterns.
Special programs and services are provided for students with disabilities. Speech therapy, psychological and health services are an integral part of the elementary program.
Title 1 services in 3 of the county's elementary schools provide extra support in the area of reading, mathematics and science. Reading Interventions provide support for students who need additional instruction in reading. Success Maker Labs provide remediation, extensions, and enrichment for all elementary students in mathematics.
To further enrich the elementary program, Enrichment/Acceleration Programs are provided for students who need additional academic challenges. In the regular classrooms, teachers flexibly group students and differentiate the curriculum to meet the needs of gifted and talented students.
Instruction in the elementary grades is enhanced by:
A wide variety of special enrichment experiences are available to elementary school students. Some of these programs, described under Special Programs, are:
Music
Students in grades K-5 receive a sequential program of instruction in music which includes basic concepts, listening and performance skills, and appreciation. Students who wish to learn to play an instrument may choose a beginning band program in grade 5.
Art
The art curriculum in grades PreK-5 includes the content and methods of inquiry derived from the four interrelated visual art disciplines — art production, art history, art criticism, and aesthetics. Creating and studying art within each of these disciplines are fundamental to promoting student learning. Students at each grade level become involved with each of these components at their own level of development, as each offers a different dimension for experiencing art. The program at each grade level is sequential, balanced, and comprehensive in the kinds of experiences and opportunities offered to students.
Testing
The Maryland School Assessment Program is a state testing program that measures how well schools are teaching students the knowledge and skills they need to solve real life problems. The tests are administered to grades 3 through 5 students each school year. Grade 5 students will also take a state Science test. The results will be reported in the 2010 Maryland School Performance Program Report for Worcester County Public Schools. Parents will receive a copy of their child's performance report.
The CTBS/Terra Nova is a standardized nationally normed test that is designed to measure the performance of students. The test is administered in May to students in grades 2 and 4. Parents receive a copy of their child's performance.
After School Academies
Expanded educational opportunities for elementary students to participate in academic intervention and enrichment activities are provided in each elementary school. The Academies provide expanded learning opportunities both during the school day and during the summer.
General Guidelines For Behavior
While at school it is the responsibility of students to conduct themselves in a manner conducive to a safe, educational learning environment for all. The following are offered as general guidelines to ensure this behavior:
Students are warned that violations which prohibit a safe, educational environment will warrant disciplinary action.
Students who constantly disrupt the orderly educational progress of others must be dealt with in a positive and firm manner at the school level. Some positive methods include student conference, school-parent correspondence, parent conferences, counseling and program modification. All punishment is consistent with the Public School Laws of Maryland and the policies and procedures established by the Worcester County Board of Education.
When the in-school procedures for maintaining behavior have been completely exhausted or a particular incident is of a major consequence, the principal may exercise his or her option of suspension.
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