Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center

In this week’s edition of Thursday Thoughts, @AACPSSupt Dr. Mark Bedell gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the surprise notifications for Teacher of the Year finalists. #BelongGrowSucceed #AACPSFamily https://youtu.be/yr0CWxSIGKE

AACPS Birth to Five Family Outreach and the AACPS Family Academy are hosting a virtual lunch and learn session. Join us for a webinar to discuss how to support your young child with behavior challenges. We will share strategies and practical examples of when to use them. 📆Tuesday, March 25, 2025, 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm. Register at https://forms.gle/hnMsh8rJS7mhKHKDA. Registration is limited; please register early.

⚠️Attention AACPS employees! Looking for a fun way to receive a MSDE credit?! Do you need to renew your current I&C Facilitator Certification?! Come spend a weekend outdoors with us at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center and become an Initiative and Confidence Facilitator in March! As an Initiative and Confidence Facilitator, you can bring a group of students or staff to our low ropes course here at Arlington Eco and lead them in a variety of fun, hands on team building activities. You will also learn activities that can be done in the classroom and during staff meetings as well! Visit Unified Talent to register! https://aacps.truenorthlogic.com/ia/empari/tab/home Full Course: Section #108152 (March 22 & 23) Recertification: Section #108153 (March 22 only) #aacpsfamily #belonggrowsucceed #InitiativeandConfidence #teambuilding #professionaldevelopment #personalgrowth #getoutside

Last call! Applications for our 2025 summer camps close this Friday, March 7th! There is a cost for camps this year, but we do have limited scholarships available for families with financial need. To apply, please visit AACPS.org/page/summer-programs #aacpsfamily #belonggrowsucceed #summercamp #summer2025 #CampArlingtonEcho

Thank you Mary Westlund and Brenda Miller with Project Learning Tree (PLT) for coming out and holding a professional development for our staff and others so that we can become PLT Facilitators! Project Learning Tree is a great resource for teachers and provides many hands-on learning experience for students Pre K-8. These activities range from indoors to outdoors and provide engaging, cross-curricular opportunities. Thanks to this training, two of our very own will be hosting a PLT training on March 20th from 5:00 - 8:00pm for AACPS employees only here at Arlington Echo. We have five seats still available. If you are interested, please sign up on Unified Talent with the Section # 108554. #aacpsfamily #belonggrowsucceed #projectlearningtree #professionaldevelopment #ArlingtonEcho

In this week’s edition of Thursday Thoughts, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell discusses the downsizing of the federal government and the impact on students, families, staff and the community. #BelongGrowSucceed #AACPSFamily https://youtu.be/d8GZdsuB72Q

Six educators named finalists for 2025 AACPS Teacher of the Year award #BelongGrowSucceed #AACPSFamily https://www.aacps.org/article/2053403

It's Family Academy Friday! Check out the Family Academy Newsletter at https://aacps.edurooms.com/engage/family-academy/newsletters/family-academy-fridays-2-21-25. Visit the Family Academy anytime at www.aacps.org/familyacademy or in Spanish at www.aacps.org/academiafamiliar! #AACPSFamily #BelongGrowSucceed

3:30 p.m., 2/21/25: A vehicle fire on I-97 near Waterbury Road is causing significant backups this afternoon. These backups will likely impact bus transportation for some students in the central and southern part of the county. A vehicle fire on I-97 near Waterbury Road is causing significant backups this afternoon. These backups will likely impact bus transportation for some students in the central and southern part of the county.

On the fence about applying for our High Adventure Camps this summer? Don’t take our word for it, read over these testimonials from previous campers and parents! It’s an experience of a lifetime. Limited scholarships are available for families with financial need. Apply now through Friday, March 7th by visiting aacps.org/page/summer-programs #aacpsfamily #belonggrowsucceed #HighAdventureCamp #ArlingtonEcho #summercamp #summervibes

5th graders from Jessup ES had a great first day at the pool learning water safety skills. Tomorrow they’ll learn more cold water safety and rescue skills. Summer is quickly approaching and it is very important to us that our students know how to be safe in and around water. 🛟💦 #aacpsfamily #belonggrowsucceed #WaterReady #JessupES #watersafety #bewatersmart

#TBT Spotlight on CTE Ms. Kyllonen, a former student of the Dental Assisting Program at CAT-South, is now the Honors Dental Instructor there. “I returned to CAT-South because my mentor, Ms. Hubbard, reached out to me. After 20 years in dental assisting, I was looking for the next step in my career, and this opportunity came at the perfect time. I never imagined I’d have the same job as someone who influenced me so much in high school, and now I get to do that for others. The certifications and experience I gained at 14-17 years old laid the foundation for my rewarding career. I’m so grateful." “I love teaching dental assisting because I’m a total tooth nerd—I could talk about teeth all day! But the best part is the students. I have four daughters of my own, but every year, I get 30+ new ‘kids’ who feel like family. It’s incredible to see students from different backgrounds come together and grow. Watching them earn their dental assisting certifications is such a proud moment. I’m honored to be part of their journey and see them succeed." “My students constantly impress me. Many go beyond dental assisting, aspiring to become dentists or hygienists. Some have participated in dental mission work and research, which I never imagined at their age.” “I love working at CAT-South. Some of my best memories were made here as a student. We have a tradition where students paint a brick in our bathroom during graduation to leave their mark. I still see my own brick with ‘Lacy Shannon’ and think about how I once felt like I ran the place as a student—and now, I’m part of running it! The work I put in as a student shaped my career and life. I hope my students feel the same way one day. I truly believe we’re building something special at CAT-South, and the more people know about it, the better.” Photos: Ms. Kyllonen with her mentor Ms. Hubbard, and with her student at SkillsUSA Nationals in Atlanta, where they won second place in Dental in the entire nation! Ms. Kyllonen also held this honor as a student.

There is still a little over two weeks left to apply for our High Adventure Canoe and Backpacking Camps! Is your incoming 9th-12th grader interested in canoeing down the Patuxent River while camping along the way? Or are they interested in backpacking through Shenandoah National Park? Both camps are wonderful opportunities for your student to grow and connect with others from different schools within the county. Apply before March 7th by visiting aacps.org/page/summer-programs!

Celebrating Presidents Day

The Board of Education has proposed an additional amendment to Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell’s recommended Fiscal Year 2026 Operating Budget. Amendment 22 can be found along with the rest of the proposed amendments at www.aacps.org/budgetamendments. The Board is scheduled to vote on a formal budget request at its meeting on Wednesday.

#TBT Spotlight on CTE Mr. Hayes was a student at South River High while attending the Vo-Tech Center (CAT-South) for the Automotive program. He is now the Automotive Instructor at CAT-South. "As a young man, my mother realized I had a passion for anything mechanical. She was an AACPS teacher and she was told that the new South River Vo-Tech Center was opening in the 77-78 school year. This was a perfect fit for me. Some of my best high school memories were formed in my AutoTech class. After completing the Automotive program, the work-study coordinator found me an apprenticeship position at the Annapolis Chrysler Plymouth dealer. I worked at that dealer for 27 years and became a very successful master automotive service technician. In 2007 the dealership was closing down. I had a former coworker who was teaching at what is now known as CAT-South. He thought I would be a good teacher because I was good at explaining what was wrong with people's cars. As a teacher, I began taking the necessary courses to get my APC and have been teaching at CAT-South ever since. I really enjoy teaching at the same school that I attended. I always tell my students that I once sat in the student seats and I understand their passion for mechanical knowledge. The CAT-South Automotive Service Technology program was good when I attended and I'm working every day with our administration to make it Great!"

In this week’s edition of Thursday Thoughts, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell gets a haircut from an Arundel High School student is also a licensed barber and discusses the many such opportunities available for AACPS students. #BelongGrownSucceed #AACPSFamily https://youtu.be/QpdLx4hN_o8

Thank you to our wonderful maintenance crew for all their hard work today! We appreciate you! #aacpsfamily #belonggrowsucceed #snowday #thankyou

Save the date for the 2nd Annual Multicultural Festival on Thursday, April 3, 2025, 6pm - 8pm at Severn River Middle School! This event is open to all AACPS families! Enjoy games, prizes, food, crafts, music and dancing from around the world! Register to host a cultural table or to attend this event: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdU5vAIr0DCPJtjS1IfTn5wKaW5sBqi9FTYcG-0Fy3iaZUnCA/viewform

Due to the school system’s switch to virtual operations, the Dance Festival concert scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, 2025, will be rescheduled for Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Crofton High School. Tickets are non-refundable. However, if you find yourself no longer able to attend this concert, please reach out to your school’s dance company director for additional details. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday for an amazing 2 p.m. concert to celebrate the outstanding work of our teachers and students!