3.1 Community Partnerships
SPMS Community Partnerships include:
Tom Ackerman, Director of Teacher Training at CBF: This former SPMS parent has been a tremendous resource for the SPMS green program, providing guidance and opportunities for professional development and hands-on field trips.
Arlington Echo – AACPS Outdoor Education Center: develops environmental literacy curriculum; offers professional development, as well as on-going support and materials for teachers; offers field trips and service learning project; Chesapeake Connection programs, such as terrapin and fish ecosystems, for classrooms.
Magothy River Association - Local organization that provides learning resources to the science classes. President, Paul Spadaro, presented information to the SPMS Environmental Club about the health of the Magothy River.
Bear Landscaping – Local business with ties to SPMS, as a parent of former students, this company has provided discounted pricing and free delivery of mulch on multiple occasions. Mulch was distributed on the grounds by the students, both as part of the various rain gardens, as well as on-going maintenance of the grounds.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation – This is a tremendous partnership, given the multitude of teaching resources available as well as student learning opportunities. Science classes and the environmental science club have taken field trips, on the Bay and to the Philip Merrill Environmental Center. These trips afford students with unique and extensive hands-on, exploratory learning prospects.
Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) – The $4,063 grant received afforded 120 students to attend the Columbus Center in Baltimore for a field trip in which they became scientists studying water quality, pollution and the Bay; and also provided funds for plants and materials for two of the SPMS rain gardens.
Chick-Fil-A – Sponsors an SPMS Spirit Night each of the last two years, for which a portion of all sales are then donated to benefit the SPMS Green School program. The event will once again be a few days after the Severna Park Earth Day Festival, where the spirit night is promoted. The funds are earmarked primarily to benefit the Environmental Science Club, which gives out native tree saplings at the festival. The spirit night funds defray the cost of the saplings, enabling them to be given, rather than sold, to hundreds of community members.
Naturally Greener Landscaping – Through their annual participation in the Earth Day Festival, this business assisted the SPMS Environmental Club in launching its goal to add trees to the campus or replace those that have died. They donated five redbuds and with students, planted them near the main entrance of the school at the 2016 Earth Day Festival.
John Dawson, Watershed Steward – Partner extraordinaire, as his role was integral to all three of the rain gardens installed at SPMS. John speaks in multiple 6th grade classes every years, regarding different planting and maintenance projects. He teaches lessons at multiple phases of the project, working closely with classroom teachers to modify lessons based upon student ability level and tasks for which the respective classes would be responsible. This encompasses design/planning, soil testing, planting day, and maintenance, as well as overview of the purpose of rain gardens with respect to storm water management and run-off. Furthermore, he helps to procure materials, prepare areas (for tasks requiring machinery or those not suited for students), and serves as project leader on planting day. Most of all, he does so with such an engaging and positive manger that the students are inspired to contribute and learn in the process. It’s no wonder that he was awarded Watershed Steward of the Year, in part due to the significant role he has played in the SPMS Green School program.
Maryland Tool Bank - SPMS established membership with this organization, which allowed us to borrow various equipment, such as shovels, hand trowels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, to enable a multitude of students to participate in garden and service learning projects.
Northrup Grumman – Provided funds through STEM grant program, which contributed to the materials for the rain gardens at SPMS. This company that is committed to community partnerships and education.
PTO - A source of funding, volunteers and materials for multiple green school initiatives, including student-driven programs (oyster habitat restoration, indoor air quality, storm drain stenciling), professional development, and grant writing. The PTO seeks to network and leverage the multi-dimensional school community in support of fostering an engaging, positive, real-world education for all SPMS students.
Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary - Provided training for teachers which allowed future trips to be taken to test water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding watershed. Provided funding for student buses in 2018 and 2019.
Anne Arundel County Recycling - Presents to our students annually about the importance of limiting solid waste. Continues to support our school whenever asked, for example, Earth Day Festival and STEM night.
Tom Ackerman, Director of Teacher Training at CBF: This former SPMS parent has been a tremendous resource for the SPMS green program, providing guidance and opportunities for professional development and hands-on field trips.
Arlington Echo – AACPS Outdoor Education Center: develops environmental literacy curriculum; offers professional development, as well as on-going support and materials for teachers; offers field trips and service learning project; Chesapeake Connection programs, such as terrapin and fish ecosystems, for classrooms.
Magothy River Association - Local organization that provides learning resources to the science classes. President, Paul Spadaro, presented information to the SPMS Environmental Club about the health of the Magothy River.
Bear Landscaping – Local business with ties to SPMS, as a parent of former students, this company has provided discounted pricing and free delivery of mulch on multiple occasions. Mulch was distributed on the grounds by the students, both as part of the various rain gardens, as well as on-going maintenance of the grounds.
Chesapeake Bay Foundation – This is a tremendous partnership, given the multitude of teaching resources available as well as student learning opportunities. Science classes and the environmental science club have taken field trips, on the Bay and to the Philip Merrill Environmental Center. These trips afford students with unique and extensive hands-on, exploratory learning prospects.
Chesapeake Bay Trust (CBT) – The $4,063 grant received afforded 120 students to attend the Columbus Center in Baltimore for a field trip in which they became scientists studying water quality, pollution and the Bay; and also provided funds for plants and materials for two of the SPMS rain gardens.
Chick-Fil-A – Sponsors an SPMS Spirit Night each of the last two years, for which a portion of all sales are then donated to benefit the SPMS Green School program. The event will once again be a few days after the Severna Park Earth Day Festival, where the spirit night is promoted. The funds are earmarked primarily to benefit the Environmental Science Club, which gives out native tree saplings at the festival. The spirit night funds defray the cost of the saplings, enabling them to be given, rather than sold, to hundreds of community members.
Naturally Greener Landscaping – Through their annual participation in the Earth Day Festival, this business assisted the SPMS Environmental Club in launching its goal to add trees to the campus or replace those that have died. They donated five redbuds and with students, planted them near the main entrance of the school at the 2016 Earth Day Festival.
John Dawson, Watershed Steward – Partner extraordinaire, as his role was integral to all three of the rain gardens installed at SPMS. John speaks in multiple 6th grade classes every years, regarding different planting and maintenance projects. He teaches lessons at multiple phases of the project, working closely with classroom teachers to modify lessons based upon student ability level and tasks for which the respective classes would be responsible. This encompasses design/planning, soil testing, planting day, and maintenance, as well as overview of the purpose of rain gardens with respect to storm water management and run-off. Furthermore, he helps to procure materials, prepare areas (for tasks requiring machinery or those not suited for students), and serves as project leader on planting day. Most of all, he does so with such an engaging and positive manger that the students are inspired to contribute and learn in the process. It’s no wonder that he was awarded Watershed Steward of the Year, in part due to the significant role he has played in the SPMS Green School program.
Maryland Tool Bank - SPMS established membership with this organization, which allowed us to borrow various equipment, such as shovels, hand trowels, rakes, and wheelbarrows, to enable a multitude of students to participate in garden and service learning projects.
Northrup Grumman – Provided funds through STEM grant program, which contributed to the materials for the rain gardens at SPMS. This company that is committed to community partnerships and education.
PTO - A source of funding, volunteers and materials for multiple green school initiatives, including student-driven programs (oyster habitat restoration, indoor air quality, storm drain stenciling), professional development, and grant writing. The PTO seeks to network and leverage the multi-dimensional school community in support of fostering an engaging, positive, real-world education for all SPMS students.
Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary - Provided training for teachers which allowed future trips to be taken to test water quality of the Chesapeake Bay and surrounding watershed. Provided funding for student buses in 2018 and 2019.
Anne Arundel County Recycling - Presents to our students annually about the importance of limiting solid waste. Continues to support our school whenever asked, for example, Earth Day Festival and STEM night.
