5 Ways to Show Anne Arundel Teachers Appreciation

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Anne Arundel County recently honored top educators but now it's your turn to honor your pick for top teacher. Monday marks the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, and most schools in the area will be having special events (or just taking time to feed them goodies.) In this area, several teachers have received special recognition during the school year. Ruth Goldstraw of Old Mill High School was a finalist for Teacher of the Year in the county, while Allison Kuta of Meade Middle School was a semifinalist.  Renee Tobin of Archbishop Spalding High School was a finalist for the Private School Teacher of the Year award.  Kim Malley of Odenton Elementary was also nominated for Teacher of the Year, ultimately won last month by Jodie Stugard-Hogan…

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PHOTOS: Earth Day Projects at Odenton Elementary

Third-graders at the school helped out with landscaping, built bird feeders and got some science lessons.

Third grade students at Odenton Elementary School celebrated Earth Day Friday, getting their hands dirty with projects ranging from laying mulch to learning about tadpoles. About 65 students were outside at five stations as they helped clean the school gardens, upgraded flower beds and installed new plants. They also made wild bird feeders and learned about how animals can metamorphosize. The Earth Day sessions were the latest in the school's efforts to obtain Green School certification. Check out the photos in the gallery, and feel free add your own Earth Day pictures. 

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Presenters Needed for Odenton Elementary Career Day

Parents, community leaders and businesses are invited to talk to students about their careers.

20 Years in Odenton, Still Connecting With Kids

Kim Malley was recently nominated to be Teacher of the Year in Anne Arundel County. The third-grade teacher has been at Odenton Elementary School for two decades.

Kim Malley is asked about her approach to teaching third graders. “I don’t know what it is!” she laughs. Whether she can easily define her teaching style or not, she must be doing something right, as the Odenton Elementary School teacher was recently among 52 nominees to be Teacher of the Year in Anne Arundel County.  “I was surprised, and I was humbled,” she said in a recent interview at the school. “I don’t do it for the acknowledgement.” Malley is modest, refusing to discuss her teaching success without also giving a nod to her fellow third grade teachers, Caitlin Carr and Brian LeCompte, and the Odenton Elementary community. “I love my third grade team,” she said. “I like the families. I’ve built a reputation with the families and the …

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Odenton Elementary Holds First Career Day

The session featured 37 workers from around the area, including military police officers, a clown, and a builder of bicycles.

  Odenton Elementary School held its first "Future Leaders" career day on Friday, featuring more than three dozen local workers. The all-day session involved the entire school, with lessons on jobs ranging from limousine driver to military police officer. Odenton Elementary guidance counselor Jennifer Beusse said the goal was to broaden students’ understanding about what career options were out there, while teaching them that good behavior and hard work can pay off.   “It’s important in terms of preparing them for college and career readiness,” Beusse said. “It’s getting them to understand how academics relates to future careers.” Breakout sessions included an outside demonstration featuring a bomb sniffing dog from Fort Meade and a …

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Possible Arsonists Threaten School Recycling Program

Twice in the last year, the school believes vandals set fire to the large recycling bins at Odenton Elementary, disrupting the school's "green" initiative and fundraising.

The possible vandalism of a large recycling bin at Odenton Elementary School has disrupted the school’s push toward “green” certification, as well as efforts to raise some extra money. Teachers and students last month were dismayed to learn that a small fire was set in the large Paper Retriever bin, the second such incident in the last year. Heather Gooding, the chair of the green school committee and head of the learning lab at Odenton Elementary, said she is now fearful that the school will not get another bin to allow for the collection of recycled paper in exchange for cash. “They just torched it,” Gooding said of the possible vandals, who have not been identified. “My concern is that people are just running loose in the community.” …

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Elementary Students, Administrators Attend White House Education Talk

The principal and assistant principal from Odenton Elementary School and two students attended the forum last week with the U.S. Education Secretary.

Students and administrators from Odenton Elementary School traveled to the White House last week for a special forum with the U.S. Education Secretary. Odenton Elementary Principal Tracey Ahern and assistant principal John Trumbule attended the forum Wednesday along with county schools Superintendent Kevin Maxwell. Odenton fifth-grader Maylia Noda Carter and third-grader Deandre Stokes also attended. The forum focused on how to ensure high-quality instruction and recognizing the important role of teachers, and featured smaller breakout sessions at the U.S. Department of Education Headquarters. It included U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Melody Barnes, director of the White House Domestic Policy Council. There were also about 150 …

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