PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY SECOND OF A TWO-PART SERIES
Prince George’s Teachers Share Tools, Strategies for Successful School Year William J. Ford WI Staff Writer Prince George’s County public schools count as one of several school districts in Maryland that began the new school year on Wednesday, Sept. 8. But for thousands of educators to achieve success, they must prepare their schedules, classrooms and minds for students who must wear masks. And with the county leading the state in confirmed COVID-19 cases, substitute teachers must now be vaccinated. Three teachers at Capitol Heights
PGCPS BRIEFS Compiled by Dorothy Rowley WI Staff Writer
‘READY TO RECONNECT’ TIDBITS
PGCPS officials were excited to welcome students back to school on Wednesday, Sept. 8! “Before and After School Ex-
12 SEPTEMBER 9 - 15, 2021
Elementary, a Talented and Gifted [TAG] school located inside the Beltway near the D.C. border, shared their backgrounds, goals and strategies which they hope will lead to a smoother transition for in-class instruction. Besides pencils and books being on their checklists, Kori Edwards, Natasha Rubin and Tyrone Frierson must now include masks, Lysol spray, wipes and other personal protective equipment for themselves and their students. While the three educators have different backgrounds, their similarities extend beyond the classroom as Black residents of Prince George’s County,
each of them vaccinated, who appreciate the “resiliency” of elementary, school-age children.
VETERAN BRINGS FOUR DECADES TO THE CLASSROOM
When Frierson attended Benedict College in Columbia, S.C., he wanted to study law “to sue people.” But after someone in the education department suggested he mentor students in an after-school program in mathematics and social studies, the teaching bug soon kicked in. He moved to Virginia and almost quit his first-year teaching gig in Woodbridge but stuck it out. “Something told me not to give up,” he said. “Some students would show up in my class only talking about football and other things in life. I realized that I needed to find a way to connect with them.” After three years in northern Virginia, he moved to Capitol Heights Elementary in 2004 where he bears the distinction as the school’s longest-serving teacher. As a math and science teacher, the 47-year-old educator of Upper Marlboro integrates hip hop with old-school artists into some of his lessons. He said each song, such as “Children’s Story” by Slick Rick, can be used to help multiply the number of verses and chorus lines, or hooks, that repeat throughout the song. “Math is all about patterns,” he said. “They listen to the flow of the song, what it’s about and how certain things repeat. It’s about solving
5 Natasha Rubin, a fourth-grade reading, language arts and social studies teacher at Capitol Heights Elementary, explains some of the professional development she and her colleagues will receive this year. (Robert R. Roberts/The Washington Informer)
a problem to get the answer.” The pandemic has increased the student’s ability to utilize various technologies. Fortunately for Frierson, he’s competent in Zoom and other remote forms of communication. “I always wondered what it would feel like to be an online teacher at a college,” he said. “I realized I don’t want to do that. I’d rather be in a classroom with some paperwork, still using some technology and being with the kids. Plus, sitting at home all day is kind of boring.”
ARETHA
tended Learning” programs are now Vendor Managed Childcare Programs (VMCCP). The school system is also pleased to announce that two additional vendors – “Champions” and “Sanbridge Early Learning Center”-- have been selected to provide school-age child care for selected sites. In addition, “AlphaBEST Education” program services will be expanded to more schools. Parents should contact the vendor representatives to demonstrate interest in using the vendor’s services. More specific instructions regarding enrollment will be distributed once the site capacities are determined by Maryland State Department of Education - Office of Child Care. However, keep in mind that an expression of interest to enroll does not guarantee enrollment.
5 Bowie High School Cadet Ashton Burton was one of 21 nationwide participants to complete the Flight Academy program and receive his private pilot's license. (Photo courtesy PGCPS)
FLIGHT ACADEMY GRADUATE
Bowie High School Cadet Ashton Burton has completed an intensive eight-week “Flight Academy” program at Delaware State University to become a FAA Certified Private Pilot. Burton was one of 21 participants from across the country to complete
the program and receive his private pilot's license. With plans to become a naval aviator, Burton entered the program with no flying experience and earned 35 hours of classroom aviation academics, more than 45 hours of flight training and 17 hours of solo flights to receive his license. WI
‘FITS RIGHT IN’
Teaching youth inside a classroom didn’t touch Rubin until she and her family moved from New Jersey to Bowie, Md., more than six years ago. Her husband works with the county’s Social Innovation Fund. Before Rubin entered her fifth-year of teaching, all of them at Capitol Heights, she served as a parent liaison who later became a substitute teacher and then a long-term substitute. Some of the long-term requirements at www.marylandpublicschools.com include a bachelor’s degree and work experience. Rubin, 46, received her bachelor’s degree in business economics at Fordham University in New York before beginning a career at a health care company and as a youth program coordinator in New York and New Jersey. She’s also an author of two books entitled “When Waiting Hurts: A Personal Journey From Pain to Promise” and “21 Words to a Better You.” She received copies of her second book last month. She keeps connected to others through her website, www.natasharubin.com, but her first love remains teaching fourth-grade reading, language arts and social studies. “I don’t have a traditional teaching background but I bring a different skill set and I’m a parent with a child in the school system,” she said. “I am
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