Clusters for each story submitted online
AACPS School Social Workers: Guiding Latino Students through Character Development
“As the School Social Worker at Annapolis Middle School, one initiative that I am excited to be involved with is the new El Joven Nobel program that Maria Baez (school social worker from Mary Moss at J. Albert Adams Academy) and I launched. El Joven Noble (The Noble Young Man) is a youth leadership and character development program for male students in grades 6 and 7 at Annapolis Middle School that supports and guides Latino youth through a “rites of passage” process. Developed by Jerry Tello in 1988, the program utilizes a 12-session curriculum focusing on the prevention of substance abuse, teen pregnancy, relationship violence, gang involvement, and school failure.”—Lisa Keough
“When I stop to look back, I realize that one constant in my life has been Anne Arundel County Public Schools.”
"My connection to Anne Arundel County Public Schools (AACPS) and Glen Burnie High School (GBHS) extends back nine decades to the first graduating class of GBHS. " --Mary Huey
Teaching in the Glen Burnie Community for 32 Years
"I have been teaching at Glen Burnie High School for 32 years. People ask me, “Haven’t you retired yet?” My response is: “No, I am still having fun.” I am still being blessed by each child that I meet and I grow in my profession and as a person by seeing the excitement, new ideas and energy of the new teachers and student that come each August." -- Mary Huey
“Lanay Byers impact on the lives of these students was not measured in grades, but by the compassion and encouragement she offered to these children.”
"Lanay Byers, Retired Teacher Her impact on the lives of these students was not measured in grades, but by the compassion and encouragement she offered to these children...Although my son grew up and moved through middle school and high school within AACPS, he never forgot Mrs. Byers and would always stop at Richard Henry Lee during the Christmas holiday with a small gift to let her know she was often in his thoughts."--Candy Fontz
“This life changing experience has been one that has not only shaped our lives, but has given us the opportunity to make a difference in our community.”
"We began this project after seeing our friends, neighbors, and colleagues, who were excelling in rigorous course loads and overflowing extracurricular schedules, were not thinking at all about their finances. They spent recklessly, didn't save, lacked a basic understanding of how the economy around them worked, and were altogether unprepared for life after high school..." --Taylor Berger, Annie Myers, Charlotte Sundel
Equity Liaison–The Job I Was Born To Do
"I absolutely love my role as an Equity Liaison. It allows me to live my passion... My hope is to spread my love for education and for impacting the lives of children, to individuals who also have similar passions." --Mabel Stoll
“Of all my accomplishments, the most gratifying thing for me has been developing talent in students.”
"I student taught in 1972 at Glen Burnie High School and went under contract with the Anne Arundel County Board of Education as a theatre arts teacher. At the time, there were no dance classes offered in the school system, so I developed a dance curriculum for credit, taught it during the school day, and grew it into the largest dance program in a public high school in Maryland." --Dianne Rosso
A Child’s Education is a Contact Team Sport and Needs the Support of Parent Volunteers
"My story is simple. It is one of love and commitment. I am committed to making a difference in the lives of my children, their friends, their teachers, and our environment through volunteering. Even if all I have to give my student’s school is a little love and two hours of commitment per month, I know that I am doing something." --LaToya Staten
“You are an artist and you will never be happy until you pursue life as an artist.”
"In my first year as a student at Brooklyn Park Jr. Sr. High School I met Hal Gomer, a visual art teacher and the after school theatre director... Because of his influence, I began to recognize that I related to the world in ways that were different from other people and that, for the first time, my way of relating felt accepted." --Ken Skrzesz
Inspiring Students through the Media Center
"Our current media specialist, Cynthia Bischoff, joined our school only a year ago, but she has made a great impact on our students." --Cindy Holsworth on Cynthia Bischoff
“I believe [the STEM Program] has opened doors and granted me so much preparation for the years to come.”
"Looking into the next couple years, I hope to be studying nursing at a university. STEM has prepared me to do so, giving me connections and opportunities that I won’t ever forget." --Amanda
From Student to Employee—A Wonderful Experience in Crofton
"It has been a wonderful experience to be at Crofton Woods, the families have been wonderful to work with and it has been my pleasure to now have the children of past students enrolling at Crofton Woods." --Nila Brown
“Evelyn Foutty was a force of nature at Benfield Elementary”
"Evelyn Foutty was a force of nature at Benfield Elementary School in the 70s." --Mary Claire Chesshire
Grateful for my Amazing Teachers
"Through the past couple years, I have had great teachers at Central Elementary, Central Middle, and South River High Schools." --Ian, Grade 11
Connecting with students through friendship and sports
"For me it’s not all about winning...but it is about having fun. We do have fun because at the end--we are all winners. We are there to teach children sportsmanship and to be competitive and not take it too far. At the end we want them to be the best they can be. In athletics you meet the child that wants to be there and learn something new, usually they are good all-around students." --Nancy Czach