Educators

There were thoroughbreds and foals, muscular lines and wavy manes, but all without horse trailers and with a much easier cleanup Sunday. Saddles-n-Spurs, the 4-H horse club, held its fourth annual model horse show Sunday at the Washington County Agricultural Education Center. Instead of riders lining up at the gate to a show ring, young girls carried their entries of model horses to the center tables and dusted them off before the judges gave the models a scrutinizing eye. Like their real-life counterparts, the model horses were judged on the body and build of their breed, said Rebecca Lawson, a judge from Boonsboro.

A free fibromyalgia education seminar is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at Parkway Professional Conference Facility, lower level, 13 Western Maryland Parkway, Hagerstown. Dr. Daniel Sullivan and Dr. Michael Demarco of Parkway Neuroscience and Spine Institute will  give an educational and informative seminar about fibromyalgia. Admission is free. For more information, contact the marketing department at 301-797-4232 or marketing@pnsi.org.

Relocating the Washington County Board of Education central offices to downtown Hagerstown is “both physically and economically feasible,” according to a study released Tuesday by a Greater Hagerstown Committee task force. The study examined 12 potential sites before selecting its four preferred locations and presenting them to Mayor David S. Gysberts and the Hagerstown City Council on Tuesday at City Hall. The four highest-scoring sites, considered to have the best potential for both redeveloping the downtown as well as accommodating the BOE's needs, were three locations along West and East Washington streets (Sites titled F/G, A and J)

Caitlyn Kinzer, who graduated from Williamsport High School in January and already is taking classes at Hagerstown Community College, showed up with her mother Saturday afternoon at Valley Mall for assistance on filling out her Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). “We're looking for grants and anything that could help us,” said Kinzer, 17, who is going into nursing at HCC. “This helped us figure when and where we can get grants.” The Greater Hagerstown Community Education Forum provided assistance for filling out FAFSA forms and financial aid workshops Saturday for students and parents and will have it again Sunday in the former Kay Jewelers store at Valley Mall near J.C. Penney.

In oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography and other media in a variety of genres, Washington County art teachers showcased their work Friday night in the Washington County Arts Council's new space. Nearly 30 teachers submitted more than 40 pieces for “The Arts Educators of Washington County,” which runs through Feb. 27, at the council's gallery at 34-36 S. Potomac St. “We get to teach our students every day, but we also get to live the lifestyle of an artist,” said Kristen Ryan, a teacher at Boonsboro High School.

Berkeley County Schools for the second year in a row had the most educators achieve National Board Certification among the state's 55 county school districts, officials were told Tuesday night. Nine educators, including the county's first national board certified counselor, were recognized by the Berkeley County Board of Education. With 44 National Board Certified Teachers now on staff, Berkeley County is tied for third with Monongalia County for having the most statewide, according to school officials.

Members of Washington County Retired Educational Personnel Association collected approximately $900 for Holly Place at its December luncheon. Holly Place is a nonprofit organization in Hagerstown that strives to provide care for seniors in a safe, home-like setting. Association Co-Presidents Ann Marie Downey and Tena Lane recently presented the donation to Melanie Davis, executive director of Holly Place.

As you know, United Way of Washington County and the Community Foundation of Washington County have been submitting monthly editorials to keep the Strategic Community Impact Plan (SCIP) process in the forefront of the minds of those in our community.  As the newest member of the SCIP steering committee and executive director of United Way of Washington County, I was asked to give my perspective on the role the assessment plays in our community. In my past experience with nonprofit organizations and community development, SCIP is one of the most progressive tools and is totally comprehensive in its approach.

Adjusting classroom locks and school security cameras, providing bulletproof windows or windows with grids, and installing security fencing were among the school security ideas discussed Tuesday morning during a school board work session. Schools Superintendent Clayton Wilcox cautioned board members about balancing school security with providing a welcoming environment for students. Among the more pressing things the school system needs to do is change locks on some classroom doors so teachers can lock their classrooms from the inside, Wilcox said in a phone interview Tuesday afternoon.

The Washington County Board of Education on Tuesday decided not to renovate Washington County Public Schools' Central Office complex and will meet with various groups to hear ideas about housing the school system's administrative offices. The school board will meet soon with groups such as the Greater Hagerstown Committee, Hagerstown's mayor and City Council, Sora Development, economic development officials, and other private developers and groups, Schools Superintendent Clayton Wilcox said.