Special to Dorchester Banner/Board of Education
Pictured are Dwayne Abt, assistant superintendent for administration for Dorchester County Public Schools; Kim Conner, semi-finalist, Maryland State Department of Education’s 2016 Parent Involvement Matters Award; and Philip Bramble, president of the Dorchester County Board of Education.
[/caption] BALTIMORE — Kim Conner of Hurlock was honored by the Maryland State Department of Education on June 3 at the 9th annual Parent Involvement Matters Award Dinner in Baltimore for her outstanding support of her children’s school. Mrs. Conner was nominated by North Dorchester High School for her service to the music and athletic programs at the school and was chosen by MSDE as a semi-finalist for the statewide award. She was one of seven Dorchester County nominees. Lynn Sorrells, principal of North Dorchester High School, said: “Mrs. Conner is an invaluable role model parent who tirelessly sets an example of promoting and fostering an interest and appreciation for fine arts and athletics. While the relatively small size of our school is great in many aspects, unfortunately funding for extracurricular and unified arts program is not as abundant as it is for larger schools. We must rely on innovative solutions from members of our learning community, and parent assistance is of utmost importance. Mrs. Conner excels in the areas of communicating and collaborating with all involved stakeholders, volunteering many hours of her personal time for six years.” In describing Mrs. Conner’s contributions, MSDE said, “’Appreciating Arts and Athletics is a project that has developed and evolved over the last six years thanks to Kim Conner. Her efforts to organize, facilitate and communicate fundraising incentives to students, parents, and the community has afforded students band trips to Florida and transportation to local parades, nursing homes, and community centers, not to mention lending her professional talents as a Nurse Practitioner to assist coaches on the playing field.” PIMA is the nation’s first and only statewide award program of its kind, honoring parents and guardians for their critical work in the support of schools.