DCPS House system

Students returned to school earlier this month to discover that the House system has been adopted in every Dorchester County public school. Over the last few weeks, both staff and students have been “sorted” into Houses - smaller, family-like groupings within their school that allow students to become familiar and work side-by-side with children of different ages, offer further opportunities to learn leadership skills, and develop supportive relationships with a wide range of adults.

“Houses encourage healthy competition, and everyone can win points for their House through sports competitions, academic success, artistic endeavors, attendance or team spirit,” a statement from DCPS said. “All can contribute, and everyone belongs!”

Math skills

How is math like playing sports or music? Skills improve through practice!

Children can sharpen their math skills through practicing on one of two online platforms available through DCPS: i-Ready for grades kindergarten through 8 and IXL for grades 9 through 12.

To access these platforms, go to clever.com, sign in using your DCPS email and password, and click the icon for the platform you want to use.

$9.9M to Md. Pathways to Partnerships

On Friday, the Maryland State Department of Education announced that it had received a $9.9 million federal Pathways to Partnerships grant to launch the Maryland Pathways to Partnership Initiative. Maryland’s new grant is one of 20 recently announced by the U.S. Department of Education’s Rehabilitation Services Administration. The nearly $199 million in funding for Pathways to Partnerships, part of the Disability Innovation Fund program, is the largest discretionary grant that the RSA has ever administered.

MPPI aims to enhance transition services for children and youth with disabilities, with a focus on career development and competitive integrated employment to support a seamless transition to life after high school. Funding will help improve service coordination, resource sharing and data exchange between partnering local education agencies and amongst youth and workforce training, college and career pathways, and special education services. MPPI will provide information on pre-employment transition services and vocational rehabilitation services offered by MSDE’s Division of Rehabilitation Services.