Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Some 1,508 motorists were caught exceeding the speed limit near Greenbelt Elementary School—but their actions aren't unusual. Around the city, drivers are ignoring speed limits near schools.
As young students bound into schools for a fresh school year, the Greenbelt City Council stands poised to address a danger threatening them on the city's roadways. Motorists around Greenbelt are speeding near schools, with some streets seeing more than 1,000 violations in a day, according to Brekford, a city contractor that surveyed Greenbelt's streets. See its report below, which represents a 48-hour period in spring while schools were in session. Once the numbers came in, City Manager Mike McLaughlin and city staff earlier this month suggested five spots for the initial roll-out of speed cameras. "There are locations where there is a large number of motorists speeding," McLaughlin had noted in a July memo to the council, which met Aug…
New school opens; longer school days on tap for middle school students.
The Prince George's County Public School system opened its doors Monday to more than 123,000 students--plus a new school building and an array of new academic programs. PGPCS is the first major DC-area system to open for the new school year. "We are pleased that the school year got off to a smooth start and look forward to a great year,” said Verjeana M. Jacobs, chair of the Prince George’s County Board of Education. “Students came to school today ready to learn, thanks to our outstanding faculty, staff and parents. Teachers and principals spent countless hours up until the first bell rang to prepare their classrooms and students. In dealing with all of the moving parts that a new school year brings, parents have been patient and flexible…
Monday, August 20, 2012
Grade school students seize the day as a new year unfolds Monday.
See what's waiting inside Greenbelt Middle School for students, who walk, run and bound into the doors of their Greenbelt, MD-based Talented and Gifted school on the first day of classes.
Share your photos of your first day of school in Prince George's County.
Today is the first day of school and emotions are running high for both students and parents as they arrive at school. Tell us how your child's first day went and share your photos with us by adding them to this post. Was it nervewracking? How long did it take your child to find the right outfit? Did anything go wrong with school buses or scheduling? Tell us in the comments!
Friday, August 17, 2012
A senior-level administrator from the District of Columbia's Public Schools will act as Prince George's County Public Schools' interim superintendent.
A 32-year veteran educator from the District of Columbia's Public Schools (DCPS) will serve as the interim superintendent in Prince George's County. The Board of Education named Dr. Alvin Crawley as the temporary replacement for William R. Hite, who recently accepted a position with the School District of Philadelphia. The announcement was made Friday, just three days before the new school year is set to begin. "I am excited to lead Prince George’s County Public Schools at this critical time,” Crawley said. “The school system has made significant academic strides in recent years and I look forward to helping students and teachers continue on that path. I will work with the Board of Education over the next few weeks to address immediate …
All the back-to-school information you need for Prince George's County Public Schools' students.
The first day for the county's public school students is Monday, Aug. 20. Don't panic. Whether you're new to Prince George's County or sending your child to grade school for the first time, the Prince George's County Public Schools' website offers information you need to know for the first day. School Registration: Parents who still need to register their child for school can find out which school their child should attend by searching by their home address. Bus Stop Location and Schedules: Call the PGCPS Transportation phone bank daily 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 301-952-6570. If your child was not registered for school by Aug. 10, they will not receive their schedule for transportation until Aug. 27, according to the site. Class schedules: …
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Briefs from around Prince George's County.
Patch is on top of the news in the eight municipalities that we cover, but here's some other highlights from around the county: New Carrollton Middle School Awarded $40 K Charles Carroll Middle School received a $40,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation on Aug. 9. The money will be used toward the Innovative Learning Schools program, which will promote science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) among its students. Carroll Middle is one of the four schools in Prince George's County that is participating in the Transforming Education through Digital Learning project. Students receive an iPad and have access to MacBook laptops so teachers can distribute materials virtually and students can create and learn with the newest technology…
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Last school year, the Prince George's County Police Department issued 349,233 speed camera tickets in the county's school zones.
Motorists will need to keep their lead-foot in check starting Monday, when children across Prince George's County return to school. Many children walk to school with the help of parents or crossing guards, so drivers will have to be on the lookout for traffic slowing down in school zones across the county, not only to prevent injury to pedestrians but also to prevent from getting snapped in a speed camera's image. According to the AAA Mid-Atlantic, the Prince George's County Police Department issued 349,233 tickets last school year in the county's school zones. Each violation cost a motorist $40 and the county raised more than $5 million dollars in revenue from the tickets. The state raised around $13.9 million, the auto club reported…
"I can see the 'oohs', and 'ahs', and 'Wow, this is my school,'" says Warren Tweedy, as he envisions Greenbelt Middle School students stepping inside their new building Monday.
Teachers got a look at the new $32 million Greenbelt Middle School facility this week, according to Principal Warren Tweedy. As much as he enjoyed their reactions, he is expecting his biggest payoff to come Monday when students see it for the first time. "The big-wow factor is going to be the kids' faces," Tweedy said. "I can see the 'oohs', and 'ahs', and 'Wow, this is my school.'" Parents are moving into Greenbelt just to make sure their kids can go to school here— and the middle school is not the only facility parents want their children attending, according to Tweedy. "The word is out that it's a new Greenbelt," he said. It's not only the beginning of a building, it's a new academic culture, Assistant Principal J. Searcy said of the …
Ed James
2:51 pm on Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Under Maryland State law, 300 Crescent Road is indeed close enough to Greenbelt Elementary to qualify (with City Council blessing) as being worthy of having a school zone. It is still posted as such. Does it make sense? Depends on one's point of view. Does it make cents? It sure will when the speed cameras are installed - lots of them. more ›