• The F.B. Gwynn Educational Center held a parent volunteer day earlier this year. Parents and family members visited the school and participated in hands-on activities, such as using construction paper to create animals and shapes. Students also participated in reading sessions with their peers.
• Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School celebrated World Read Aloud Day earlier this year. Guest readers were coordinated for all classes, including several who read to students through Skype technology. Guest readers featured included children’s poet Tiffany Stone, children’s author Adam Leihardt and Charles County Commissioner Ken Robinson. Students gathered in the school’s media center to participate in the event.
• Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School hosted an annual STEM night earlier this school year that featured activities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The event included topics for students in grades prekindergarten through fifth. Parents and students chose from several hands-on activities such as space docking, hoop gliders, computer coding, creating your own bird feeder and coding bee-bots. Michael Callahan from the Nanjemoy Creek Environmental Education Center brought two birds from the raptor program and talked to students about animals. Students also participated in an egg-drop challenge in which they worked to create items from supplied materials to catch eggs dropped by staff from a 20-foot ladder.
• Humane educators from the Humane Society of Charles County recently visited prekindergarten students at Indian Head Elementary School to teach the children about animals. Students learned about animals, how to care for them and also got to hold a rabbit. The humane society received a grant from the United Way of Charles County to teach pet safety and care to students in CCPS prekindergarten classes. Each class also receives a follow-up visit from humane educators.
• Students in the three-year-old program at Indian Head Elementary School experienced hands-on learning in the classroom with a recent visit from Mad Science staff. The Mad Science program is based out of Washington, D.C., and features workshops and programs for all levels of learners. The preschool program features activities for younger students and includes lessons on topics such as animals, weather, and nature. Students were able to perform simple experiments.
• Representatives from the Maryland Science Center visited Indian Head Elementary School in March and presented at a schoolwide assembly. The assembly featured several hands-on activities focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics topics. Indian Head science teacher Christina Reighard coordinated the assembly.
