Cape Kids Get Visit from Agriculture Secretary

The secretary read students books about farming and spoke about the the importance of agriculture to Maryland.

A group of first-graders at Cape St. Claire Elementary got a special visitor on Monday when the secretary of the Maryland Department of Agriculture dropped by to read to them. Secretary of Agriculture Buddy Hance read books about farming and spoke to students on the the importance of agriculture to Maryland this week as part of Read Across Maryland month and Ag Literacy Week. This year also marks the third annual Ag Literacy Campaign, launched by the Maryland Agriculture Education Foundation, which visits elementary school classrooms across the state, reads a selected book and talks to students about the importance of agriculture in their lives.

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Broadneck Schools in Lead for Target Fundraiser

For every 25 votes, Target donates $25 to that school.

A fundraiser hosted by Target that's giving money to schools asks parents to chip in with a vote. In the Give With Target promotional fundraiser, for every 25 votes from fans of the school, Target will donate a $25 gift card to that school for supplies. At the time of this article's posting, Cape St. Claire Elementary School was leading Anne Arundel County Public Schools with 181 votes, with Windsor Farm Elementary School close behind with 125 votes. But if you look at the whole state, the Monarch Academy in Glen Burnie is leading with 974 votes. That places CSCE just shy of $200, with Monarch Academy on the cusp of raising $1,000. That should make getting back to school next week a little easier for these teachers.  The fundraiser will …

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Cape St. Claire Kindergarten Teacher Retiring

Cynthia Koontz is set to be honored by her friends and coworkers at a celebration Wednesday.

A retirement party for Cynthia Koontz, a kindergarten teacher at Cape St. Claire Elementary School, will be held Wednesday. Parents whose lives were touched by Koontz' career as a teacher are organizing a celebration for her on Wednesday in Cape St. Claire. Raquel Shutt, a parent, is asking other parents to submit photos and letters from their children as a going-away present. "Our dear Mrs. Koontz is taking flight into retirement," Shutt wrote in an email to area parents. "She turned many caterpillars into butterflies during her years at the Cape. Please help us celebrate her contribution to our community and our children…the most precious piece of our lives." The celebration is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at The Cape Clubhouse, …

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Cape Elementary, Severn River Middle Earn Green School Designation

The schools were among 11 county schools to get the designation. Four others earned recertification.

Cape St. Claire Elementary and Severn River Middle schools earned an official Maryland Green School certification this year for their conservation efforts. The schools were among 11 to earn the designation this year from the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE). There are now 52 education facilities in the county with the designation. Four other schools, including Broadneck High School, also earned recertification, according to a press release from Anne Arundel County Public Schools.  To earn Green School status, a school must go through a two-year process of establishing a program for environmental awareness. Efforts often include recycling, conservation programs and other activities designed to encourage "…

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PHOTOS: Cape St. Claire Elementary Participates in Baysox Reading Night

Twenty-five schools from around the county were at Saturday night’s Bowie Baysox game.

Anne Arundel County schools participated in the Read and Hit a Homerun Reading Night at the Bowie Baysox game on Saturday at Prince George's Stadium. Students from 25 area elementary and middle schools attended the game for free as a reward for participation in a reading program. Among the crowd were students from Cape St. Claire Elementary School. Students must read four books in exchange for one free ticket to a Bowie Baysox game on a specified date. Students may participate in a parade on the field before the start of the game. The 25 Anne Arundel County schools at the game were also joined by students from Queen Anne’s and Howard counties. The following Anne Arundel schools participated in Saturday’s reading night. Elementary schools …

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Cape Teacher Hopes to Publish Fantasy Book Series

T.F. Pumphrey, a teacher at Cape St. Claire Elementary, is the author of "Drake's Story Stone."

Inspiration for a series of children's fantasy books struck T.F. Pumphrey, a Cape St. Claire Elementary teacher and Cape resident, when she was pregnant with her first daughter, Madison. Painting a whimsical, multi-colored rocking chair, she envisioned it would “become a thinking chair where all manner of child-like fantasies could unravel.”  The magical rocking chair transformed the life of a wife, mother and teacher into a writer. Her story, Drake’s Story Stone, is an inspirational adventure that takes readers to a mesmerizing world. A child named Drake must leave the safety and comfort of his home in Cape Coast (Cape St. Claire) in Maryland, and use his newly found abilities to save the world of Kropite from evil, as well as find his …

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The Cape Connection

It’s Back to School Time in Cape St. Claire

New traffic patterns in place at the elementary school.

It may still feel like we are in the middle of summer, but the 2011-2012 school year starts next week on Tues., Aug. 23rd. Elementary School Cape St. Claire Elementary School will host a “Meet and Greet” this Friday, Aug. 19, from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. for grades 1-5. This is an opportunity for parents and students to meet the new teacher and classmates and help alleviate some jitters. After working out some issues with the traffic challenges at the the elementary school, there are some new traffic policies in place this school year: ● The county Police Department will station two crossing guards in front of the school to help assist students who are walking to and from school. Crossing guards remain under the jurisdiction of the Anne Arundel …

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Cape Crossing Guard Reinstated at Elementary School

After investigation into the April incident, the police find no violation of traffic laws by Regional Assistant Superintendent Donna Cianfrani.

After being reassigned from her crossing guard position at Cape St. Claire Elementary School in April, Annette Hogan has been reassigned back to the school starting in August. The announcement was made in a press release from the police department Tuesday morning. Hogan was removed from her assignment after an incident on April 28, when performing her duties, she had an interaction with Regional Superintendent Donna Cianfrani regarding the procedures for parking and traffic at the school. Hogan was later reassigned to crossing guard duty at Broadneck High School. The reassignment prompted an outcry from the Cape St. Claire parents and community who were already deeply concerned with the dangerous traffic flow patterns at the school. …

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Cape Holds Meeting on Elementary School Parking

Officials from various county agencies met with parents and community members about parking and traffic at Cape St. Claire Elementary.

What was once thought of as just a school parking problem has escalated into an entire community quandary, according to the attendees at a town hall meeting last night sponsored by the Cape St. Claire Improvement Association (CSCIA). Sam Gallagher, president of the association, welcomed guests that included County Councilman Dick Ladd (District 5); officials from the county schools, recreation and parks, and traffic departments; CSC Elementary School PTO members; and concerned parents and neighbors. “This issue is not just a school issue,” explained Gallagher to the county representatives in the room. “It is now a huge community issue that affects all of us.” Gallagher and the CSCIA scheduled the meeting after pleas from the PTO about …

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Elementary School Science Fair Winners Announced

Students from Belvedere, Arnold, and Cape St. Claire elementary schools bring home honors from countywide competition.

The Anne Arundel Public School’s  Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)Elementary School Science Fair was held at Severna Park Middle School on May 18 and 19. Students from Arnold, Belvedere, and Cape St. Claire elementary schools entered the competition and several walked away among the top entries. Projects were submitted by dozens of third, fourth and fifth graders from throughout the county. The local winners were: Arnold Elementary Student Grade Project Place Category Alianna Jacobs   5th Oil Filtering   First Environmental Sophie Jacobs   3rd Cricket Bait   Second Environmental   Kaylie Jerdal   4th We Play vs. Wii Play Basketball Honorable Mention Medicine and Health Belvedere Elementary Student Grade Project Place …

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