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Forever Maryland Awards 2023 Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants Totaling $92,000

The BayNet

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Forever Maryland announces that 31 grants totaling $92,000 have been awarded to support environmental education, community cleanup, and beautification projects through the Keep Maryland Beautiful program. The annual grants are funded by the Maryland Environmental Trust, Forever Maryland, and Maryland Department of Transportation.


The grants are administered by Forever Maryland; it is the oldest program of the Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Department of Natural Resources.

“Since its inception, the Keep Maryland Beautiful grants program has awarded grants to engaged citizens and land trusts that are developing innovative solutions to local environmental problems,” said Forever Maryland President Wendy Stringfellow. “I’ve been involved with this rewarding program for the past decade, and have seen its enormous impact. Thank you to the sponsors and the awardees for your contributions to Maryland!”

This program is administered by Forever Maryland and is the oldest program of the Maryland Environmental Trust, a unit of the Department of Natural Resources.

“The Keep Maryland Beautiful Program builds a strong partnership between our communities and state, in our shared goals of cleaner water and access to green space for all Marylanders,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “Funding these efforts also increases stewardship in every corner of Maryland.”

“Keep Maryland Beautiful grants demonstrate the power of partnership to create cleaner, greener communities for all Marylanders,” said Maryland Department of Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “The Maryland Department of Transportation is proud to join with other state agencies, schools, nonprofits and individual citizens to protect and enhance our state’s natural beauty and inspire a passion for environmental stewardship in future generations.”

Keep Maryland Beautiful recipients included schools, nonprofit groups, municipalities and land trusts in 12 counties and Baltimore City. Many of these grants focus on developing and supporting communities, families, youth and students who take personal responsibility for the health of their communities, protecting nature in their backyards and seeking ways to help reduce or resolve environmental challenges.

Awards this year included:

One Aileen Hughes award totaling $5,000, awarded to an individual representing a Maryland land trust for outstanding leadership, partnership and innovation in a conservation project. The grant is awarded to the Maryland land trust in recognition of the individual’s efforts and good work. The grant is given annually to honor the late Aileen Hughes, a leader in the conservation movement.
21 Citizen Stewardship awards totaling $37,000, given in honor of Bill James, who drafted the legislation that founded Maryland Environmental Trust, and Margaret Rosch Jones, former executive director of the Keep Maryland Beautiful program. The Citizen Stewardship grants are awarded to schools, nonprofits and other community organizations whose missions are centered upon directly engaging community members in environmental education and stewardship. These grants also support organizations that demonstrate active engagement as defenders of the environment by developing innovative solutions to local environmental problems.
9 Janice Hollmann Grant awards totaling $50,000, given to Maryland land trusts to increase capacity, support community programming and innovation and foster stronger, better connected land trusts. All grants require a 100 percent match from the land trust of in-kind services and privately raised funds. The grant is given in memory of Janice Hollmann, who exemplified citizen leadership of local land trusts in Maryland.

2023 recipients of Keep Maryland Beautiful Grants include:

Anne Arundel County

Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park

Scenic Rivers Land Trust Inc.

Baltimore City

Baltimore Green Space – A Land Trust for Community Managed Open Space Inc.

Civic Works, Inc

Environmental Justice Journalism Initiative

Grow & Eat Inc. aka Harlem Park Community Farm

Lafayette Square Community Development Corporation

Living Classrooms Foundation

Plantation Park Heights Urban Farm

The Sixth Branch

The Urban Oasis

Baltimore County
Gwynn Oak Community Association

NeighborSpace of Baltimore County Inc.

Calvert County

American Chestnut Land Trust Inc.

Charles County

Conservancy for Charles County Inc.

Gale-Bailey Elementary Green Club

Frederick County
Catoctin Land Trust

Garrett County

Crellin Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization Inc.

Harford County
Harford Land Trust Inc.

Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway

Howard County

Glenelg Country School

Patapsco Heritage Greenway Inc.

The Howard County Conservancy

Montgomery County
Amula Foundation (Also known as Rise N Shine Foundation Inc.)

Bethesda Green

Charles Koiner Center for Urban Farming Inc.

Montgomery Parks Foundation

St. Mary’s County
Greenwell Foundation Josh

Talbot County

Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Washington County
Antietam-Concocheague Watershed Alliance

More information on the grants is available online.

Maryland Fifth Grader Wins Arbor Day Poster Contest, School to Receive 15 Trees for Planting

The Southern Maryland Chronicle

The judging has concluded for the 2023 Arbor Day poster contest, sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Maryland First Lady Dawn Flythe Moore joined Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz and a panel of forestry experts to review submissions and award three Maryland schools with tree plantings this spring.

Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz and Maryland First Lady Dawn Flythe Moore stand with the top three entries in the 2023 Maryland Arbor Day Poster Contest. Photo by Patrick Siebert, Office of the Governor
“This annual contest is a wonderful way to engage students and to celebrate protecting the environment through artistic expression,” said Maryland First Lady Dawn Flythe Moore. “I am always amazed to see what passionate young minds can do when given the tools and inspiration to express their creativity.”

Each fall, the Maryland Forest Service, in partnership with the Maryland Forest Conservancy District Boards, invites Maryland’s fifth graders to submit a poster following a yearly theme. Posters are first judged on a county level, and the winner from each county is forwarded to the Maryland Urban and Community Forestry Committee to be included in the annual contest.

Judges reviewed posters from several Maryland counties, displayed anonymously during the contest. Photo by Patrick Siebert, Office of the Governor
Students created this year’s posters using various artistic techniques, illustrating this year’s contest theme, “Trees Are Terrific…?and Cool Our Communities?!” Addilyn Centineo, of Eldersburg, Carroll County won first place, and her school will receive 15 trees for planting. Second place, with a prize of 10 trees, was awarded to Daisy Vargas-Martinez of Pittsville, Wicomico County. Emma Secrist of Accident, Garrett County won third place and a prize of five trees.

“The Arbor Day Poster Contest is a great display for our young people to get involved in and spread the word about environmental stewardship,” said Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “This year’s message is especially important, highlighting the connection of trees, quality of life, and combating the effects of climate change.”

Winning entries and more event photos are available on the Department of Natural Resources website.

To find the article click here.

Oakland boy prepares to ‘Be the Change’ for Hospice and Cindy’s Fund

From The Garrett County Republican

OAKLAND — In his young lifetime, Carter Goff has seen more loss than many adults. But he doesn’t let that get him down.

In fact, he is working to make a difference for others through his Be the Change project at Broad Ford Elementary School.

Today, Carter lives in Oakland with his mom, Cassie Marsh, and his younger sister, Brecklin Marsh. When he was 10 months old, his dad, David Goff, passed away from colon cancer after a 16-month battle.

“Carter can’t remember David, but he hears stories about him often,” Marsh said.

Carter’s stepdad, Josh Marsh, came into his life when he was about two years old, but he was killed in an automobile accident in January.

“Cindy’s Fund and Hospice are both near and dear to our family’s hearts as both organizations helped tremendously when David was sick,” Marsh said. “Cindy’s Fund provided gas cards for us to get back and forth for treatments in Philadelphia and Morgantown. Hospice helped keep David comfortable in his last few weeks of life, as he wanted nothing more than to be home and surrounded by family in his last days/weeks.”

For his Be the Change project in Erin Yoder’s fourth-grade class, Carter has chosen to help both Cindy’s Fund and Hospice of Garrett County.

He hopes that he’ll be able to help as many people as possible who are going through very difficult times in their lives and are in need of the support of either organization.

“By choosing to raise money and supplies for these two organizations, it will make me feel good to know that I’ll be helping many other local people,” he said.

Marsh noted that her family has benefited from the community’s giving over the last 10 years.

To read the full article click here.

Garrett County schools perform well on new state report card

From The Garrett County Republican

OAKLAND — The Maryland State Department of Education released a new accountability report card for every school in the state of Maryland last week, designed to measure the success of schools and identify areas for improvement.

The report card was developed in response to the requirements of the Every Student Succeeds Act, a federal law that seeks to ensure public schools provide a quality education for all children.

The Maryland Report Card is designed to measure school success in several ways, including state tests in English language arts and math; postsecondary readiness; progress of English learners in achieving English language proficiency; graduation rate; and students with access to and earning credit for a well-rounded curriculum.

For the full article click here.

 

 

 

Lorie Burdock Named 2016-17 Garrett County Teacher of the Year

Lorie Burdock, teacher at Northern Middle School, has been named the 2016-17 Garrett County Teacher of the Year.  Lorie teaches sixth grade science at Northern Middle School.  She has been employed by Garrett County Public Schools since 1994, teaching 4th grade at Broad Ford Elementary School for six years before coming to Northern Middle in 2000.  For twelve years she taught 7th grade language and mathematics at Northern Middle School before her current position of the past 4 years.

Lorie graduated from Frostburg State University in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood / Elementary Education.  Lorie indicated, “I love teaching! Science and engineering are extremely important to our country’s future. The greatest contribution I can make is the empowerment of my students. My goal is to foster a love of our earth, of experimentation, and of lifelong learning. Sixth grade science is the perfect place to make that happen.”

Read More Here: https://garrettcountyschools.org/news/2016/03/lorie-burdock-named-2016-17-garrett-county-teacher-of-the-year

Md. schools superintendent visiting Garrett robotics lab

ACCIDENT, Md. (AP) – Maryland State Schools Superintendent Lillian Lowery is visiting a robotics laboratory in far western Maryland that produced a regional championship team two years in a row.

She’s visiting the Garrett Engineering And Robotics Society building in Accident Wednesday. Her visit is part of a tour highlighting science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs in Garrett and Allegany county schools.

 

Read More Here:  http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/28548514/md-schools-superintendent-visiting-garrett-robotics-lab

State school board releases progress results for 2010-11 term

“Garrett is the only school system in the state to have no schools identified as schools in need of improvement.”

Garrett ends year within goals set by officials

For the Cumberland Times-News Cumberland Times-News

OAKLAND — The Maryland State Department of Education on Friday released system level results regarding high school as-sessments and adequate yearly progress for the school year 2010-11.

In July, the state released results for Maryland school assessments and adequate yearly progress concerning elementary and middle schools.

Combining MSA and HSA, Garrett County is not a school system in system improvement status, the calculation used by the state to identify for improvement any school system that does not meet annual targets for two consecutive years in the same reported area at the elementary, middle and high school levels.

In order to meet the federal guidelines of No Child Left Behind, students in specified subgroups, including ra-cial/ethnic classifications, students eligible for free or reduced price meals, and students with special needs, must also meet the AYP goals.

Of the 15 schools in Garrett County, 12 schools made AYP for the 2010-11 school year. Dennett Road Elementary School and Northern and Southern middle schools did not meet AYP requirements in one or two subgroups and will be placed on local attention status for the 2011-12 school year.

With the release of the high school data, both Garrett County high schools made AYP status. The high schools made AYP, indicating that a significant number of students scored at the proficient and/or advanced levels in all nine subgroups in the reading and mathematics areas, including graduation rate, the high school assessments and alternate Maryland school assessment.

In 2009-10, Southern High School did not make AYP and was placed on local attention status. However, the school rebounded in 2010-11, showing proficiency in every category.

For the graduating class of 2011, 100 percent of the students met the HSA high school graduation requirement throughout the county by either passing all four subject tests, reaching a combined score of 1,602 on all four tests, or by completing bridge plan projects in the various subjects. Other data concerning high school assessments are as follows:

• 96.8 percent of the students met the HSA algebra requirement by passing the assessment or completing bridge plan projects.

• 96.6 percent of the students met the HSA biology requirement.

• 91.7 percent of the students met the HSA English requirement.

• 92.3 percent of the students met the HSA government requirement.

For high school AYP, 88.9 percent of the students scored at least proficient on the high school assessment in English. This was 9.4 percentage points above the state’s annual measurable objective of 79.5 percent.

In algebra, 87.6 percent of the students met the proficient mark on the high school assessment, which was 13.9 percentage points above the state’s goal of 73.7 percent. The high school cohort graduation rate was 92.8 percent in 2011, up from 88.8 percent in 2010.

In July, MSA reading and math scores at the elementary grade levels improved in 2011 compared to 2010 results. In reading, 90.2 percent of the elementary students scored at least proficient, up by 1.2 percent points from 2010.

In math, elementary students had 88.3 percent of the students at the proficiency level, a gain of 2.5 percentage points from the previous year.

MSA reading and math scores at the middle school level remained the same or dropped in 2011 compared to 2010. In reading, 89.1 percent of the middle school students scored at least proficient, the same as in 2010. In math, middle school students had 84.5 percent of the students at the proficiency level, a drop of less than a percentage point from the previous year.

Garrett is the only school system in the state to have no schools identified as schools in need of improvement.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

877-563-5350 – toll free

Back To School Nights Planned Across County


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Aug. 18, 2011

Southern Garrett High School will be holding a back-to-school night for parents, students and staff on Monday, Aug. 29, from 5 to 7 p.m. The school encourages parents and students to visit their child’s advisor and assigned teachers during their visit. There will be an abbreviated bell schedule.

The cafeteria staff will be available for lunch money deposits.

Northern High School will be holding its back-to-school night Tuesday, Aug. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m.

All four northern-end elementary schools (Grantsville, Accident, Route 40, and Friendsville) will hold their back-to-school nights on Monday, Aug. 22, from 5 to 7 p.m. Northern Middle School has scheduled its event for Wednesday, Aug. 24, from 5 to 7 p.m.

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

877-563-5350 – toll free

Interim Superintendent Presents School Facts, Figures To Garrett County Officials


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Aug. 4, 2011

Interim school superintendent Sue Waggoner presented an update report on Garrett County schools to the county commissioners on Tuesday. She presented a wide variety of facts and figures pertaining to past and upcoming school years in such areas as pupil services, finance, transportation, food service, and special education.

“Engaging Students to Reach Their Potential” is this year’s theme, Waggoner noted. With that in mind, local teachers, principals, and other personnel have been preparing for the upcoming session, which begins on Aug. 24.

She noted that nearly 6,000 educators from across the state recently participated in a staff development academy at Mountain Ridge High School in Frostburg. More than 60 local Board of Education employees took part in that event, including principals, office personnel, and reading and math teachers.

The BOE will hold an “academy” for new principals on Aug. 9 and 10 and an orientation for new teachers on Aug. 17. Waggoner noted that there are 10 new hires for fiscal year 2012. But a total of 29 positions have been eliminated: 19 at the elementary level, four middle school, five high school, and one central office staff member.

In addition to human resources, Waggoner presented facts in the following areas:

Pupil Services

• Character Education programing has had a positive effect on local schools, according to Waggoner. A local school is recognized annually by the state; the 2011 school was Yough Glades Elementary.

• Total enrollment this year (FY ’12) is expected to be 3,945, which is a loss of 139 students compared to the last school year.

Finance

• With regard to Garrett County per pupil wealth, it is estimated that the county’s assessable real property base will decline by .4 percent for the fiscal year 2013 state aid calculation cycle; however, the state average may contract by 6.20 percent. As a result, Garrett’s wealth could decrease by approximately .33 percent in FY ’13, compared to the state average’s contraction of 4.39 percent.

• The enrollment loss of 139 students, or 3.4 percent, will likely be the highest of any district in the state.

• The above factors could result in a per pupil wealth increase of 3.19 percent for Garrett County and a 4.47 decrease for the state’s average, which could lead to a reduction in state aid of $2,445,608.

• Based upon the estimated data, Garrett County may pass Queen Anne’s and Anne Arundel counties in FY ’13 to become the fifth most wealthy county in the state on a pupil basis. (The county is currently ranked at seventh.)

More here.

Buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland? Call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues!

877-563-5350 – toll free

>Mikulski Continues Education Tour of State, Hosts Roundtable with School Leaders in Garrett County

>Jun 02, 2011 (Congressional Documents and Publications/ContentWorks via COMTEX) — WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today continued her education tour of the state by hosting a roundtable with teachers, principals, students and administrators in Garrett Count. The group talked about the needs of rural educators and students, and the achievements Garrett County Schools have made in the area of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education.

This was the fifth in a series of roundtables Senator Mikulski is convening around the state as Congress prepares to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

“I always say, ‘The best ideas come from the people,'” Senator Mikulski said. “Washington doesn’t have all the answers when it comes to improving our schools. That’s why I came to hear what the teachers, principals, students, administrators and nonprofit partners at the Garrett Engineering and Robotics Society think about the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. I want to listen to their suggestions and concerns and get their advice as Congress works to reauthorize this federal law. A good education can look different depending on where you are. I want to help rural schools continue educating students and preparing them for successful careers.” Senator Mikulski recently was appointed Chairwoman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions’ (HELP) Subcommittee on Children and Families. The HELP Committee will play a major role in reauthorizing ESEA.

Read the full article here.

If you or someone you know is considering buying or selling real estate in Garrett County or Deep Creek Lake, Maryland, call Jay Ferguson of Railey Realty for all of your real estate needs! I take great pride in referrals, and I assure you, I will take great care of your friends, family & colleagues! As member of the Garrett County Board of Realtors, I can assist you with ANY listed property, regardless of the listing broker.

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