🙌 To our dedicated volunteers—thank you for your invaluable contributions to our schools and students. We appreciate you! #WeAreWorcester #VolunteerWeek
Thank you to Kaleidoscope Musicians for coming to perform for BIS students. Through a partnership with the Worcester County Education Foundation, they are bringing orchestral music to our students! Thank you also to BOE member, Dr. Andes for supporting the arts!#ArtsAreAliveInWorcester
During a leadership visit to SDHS last week, PE and Health teacher, Mr. Coleman shared how lessons and performance tasks in Strength and conditioning classes and Speed and agility classes are 5D aligned. Students use weight and rep data, often with video demonstrations, to track personal progress, goals and outcomes. They often integrate the app TeamBuilder (which happens to be by a local app developer!) to help with this process. Instruction includes scaffolding weights, station rotations and isolation of multiple muscle groups and there is no max lifting! These classes are great, not just for athletes, but for all students looking to properly become physically fit and improve their health.
During a leadership visit to SDHS last week, PE and Health teacher, Mrs. Bunting shared how lessons and performance tasks in Personal Fitness classes are 5D aligned. Students use machines and perform exercises that promote and engage students in lifelong fitness. They track personal progress, goals and outcomes. They use equipment commonly found in home gyms and public facilities such as YMCAs including treadmills, ellipticals, basic weight machines and hand weights. This kind of personal wellness helps students develop a lifelong love of staying fit and healthy, in a less intimidating gym environment. Instruction includes station rotations, circuit training and instruction on the human body and overall wellness.
Wishing a very Happy Easter to all students, families, and staff at Worcester County Public Schools! May your day be filled with hope, renewal, and joy. 🌸🐣 #HappyEaster #WeAreWorcester
Wow! What an unforgettable evening honoring our 14 incredible School Teachers of the Year at the annual Teacher of the Year Gala! A huge congratulations again to Chef Phillip Cropper, who was named the 2025 Worcester County Teacher of the Year. 🎉
Check out more photos from this special night at tinyurl.com/WCPSPhotoShare
#WCPSTOY #WeAreWorcester
The Teacher of the Year Gala was truly an unforgettable evening! We proudly celebrated 14 exceptional educators — our School Teachers of the Year — whose dedication continues to shape the future of Worcester County.
This year also marked the debut of a very special recognition: the Superintendent’s Legacy Award. Sponsored by Park Place Jewelers, this honor celebrates a retiring employee who has made a profound and lasting impact on our schools and community.
We are thrilled to congratulate Laurie Chetelat of Stephen Decatur High School as the inaugural recipient of this meaningful award. Laurie, your legacy will continue to inspire generations to come. 💙 #WeAreWorcester
📅 Reminder: Schools will be CLOSED April 18-21 for Spring Break. #WeAreWorcester
A hearty congratulations to Chef Phillip Cropper of Worcester Technical High School, who was just named the 2025 Worcester County Teacher of the Year! #WeAreWorcester #WCPSTOY2025
We are halfway through the 2025 Worcester County Teacher of the Year Celebration, and the following finalists have been named for the title:
Phillip Cropper, Worcester Technical High School
Shelby Matassa, Snow Hill Elementary School
Alison Semanchik, Buckingham Elementary School
Gretchen Wallace, Pocomoke High School
Keep an eye on our social media as we proudly announce the next Worcester County Teacher of the Year later this evening! #WeAreWorcester #WCPSTOY2025
Meet Patricia Solomon, Cedar Chapel Special School's Teacher of the Year, who we'll be celebrating at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration tonight.
Patricia Solomon, a dedicated special education teacher at Cedar Chapel Special School, is committed to empowering students with diverse abilities to reach their full potential. With over a decade of experience, she excels in creating an inclusive, engaging learning environments tailored to each student’s individual needs. Tricia holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Restaurant Management from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a Master’s in Special Education, with a focus on Autism and Severe Disabilities, from Wilmington University. An advocate of collaboration, she works closely with families and colleagues to foster academic, social, and emotional growth for her students.
Meet Gretchen Wallace, Pocomoke High School's Teacher of the Year, who we'll be celebrating at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration tonight.
Gretchen Wallace, a Business Education Teacher with thirteen years of experience, earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Salisbury University and a Master's degree from the University of Alabama. A passionate champion for all students, she prioritizes positive student mental health and provides a safe learning environment that focuses on building strong, constructive student relationships. She serves as FBLA Advisor, State Champion Field Hockey Coach, Department Chair, New Teacher Mentor, and SIP Safety Team and Equity Team member. Focused on professional skills development, she has led students to national competitions and has implemented transformative programs like The Amazing Shake.
Tonight's the night! The WCPS Fine Arts Festival is in full swing at Snow Hill HS with beautiful artwork and amazing performances from our students of all ages! #ArtsAliveInWorcester #WeAreWorcester
Dr. John Wesley Wright is a nationally and internationally acclaimed tenor and professor of voice at Salisbury University. He will be our high school All-County Choir Guest Conductor at the Fine Arts Festival! Come see him and our amazing student performers at SHHS tonight!
Today is the day!!!!!
Please come out tonight to the Fine Arts Festival and All-County Concerts!
Our students and teachers are so creative and talented.
Snow Hill High School - 5:00-8:00pm (art show ends at 7:30)
Meet Alison Semanchik, Buckingham Elementary School's Teacher of the Year, who we'll be celebrating at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration on April 16.
Alison (Ali) Semanchik eared her degree in Early Childhood and Special Education from Lebanon Valley College and is pursuing a master’s in Reading at Salisbury University. Now in her eighth year of teaching and fourth as a PreK-4 teacher at Buckingham, Ali is dedicated to fostering relationships and ensuring all children have access to learning, especially through play-based learning methods She finds joy in creating engaging learning experiences. Ali mentors university interns, assists students as an ASA teacher, and serves on the WCPS Play-Based Learning Cohort, BES PBIS Team, EXCELL Vocabulary Cohort, Conscious Discipline team, and Apple Vanguard Cohort.
Meet Heather Shockley, Snow Hill Middle School's Teacher of the Year, who we'll be celebrating at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration on April 16.
Heather Shockley received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Salisbury University and her Masters of Arts in Teaching from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. She has been engaging the minds of students through the visual arts for seventeen years, eight of them at Snow Hill Middle School. Shockley has served as team leader, the yearbook advisor, and is a teacher for after school academies. As the SHMS chapter coordinator of the National Junior Art Honor Society, her goal is to continue to build opportunities that create bridges between the community and our school through visual art.
Meet Stacey Phillips, Ocean City Elementary School's Teacher of the Year, who we'll be celebrating at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration on April 16.
Stacey Phillips earned a bachelor's degree in Art from Salisbury University. She is in her thirtieth year of teaching, having taught in Dorchester, Wicomico and Worcester counties in both public and private school settings. For the last five years she has taught Art at Ocean City and Showell Elementary schools. Phillips believes that giving students a rich and varied experience in the Arts encourages creativity, confidence, and resilience. She strives to highlight connections between the Arts, other content areas and the community while challenging students to “Observe, Imagine and Create!” Phillips takes part in after school academies and Summer Arts Week along with creating sets and costumes for school performances and parades.
Meet Belinda Sawyer, Stephen Decatur High School's Teacher of the Year, who we'll be celebrating at the annual Teacher of the Year Celebration on April 16.
Belinda Sawyer has taught Spanish at SDHS for 22 years, with 28 years overall as an educator. She earned her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, Master’s Degrees from the University of Alabama and Salisbury University, and served as a Fulbright Scholar in Mexico in 2008. Currently, she is pursuing a Master’s certificate in Applied Spanish from the University of Indianapolis. Señora Sawyer loves teaching Spanish because bilingualism opens a new world for students and allows them to make important cultural connections. Señora Sawyer also serves as the advisor for the Academic Team and Spanish Honor Society.
Wishing all students, families, and staff at Worcester County Public Schools a peaceful and joyful Passover! May this time be filled with love, reflection, and community. 🕊️ #HappyPassover #WeAreWorcester
