Dear Students, Parents, and Community,

Welcome back to another school year at South Dorchester School.  We are very excited about this school year and have a lot of exciting things planned for students and parents.  Once again South Dorchester students did extremely well on the Maryland State Assessments better known as MSA’s.  As a school we scored 99% proficient or advanced in Reading and 96% proficient or advanced in Math.  We are very proud of that accomplishment and want to thank parents for their hard work and support of the school.

Our school motto continues to be, “Excellence is not the standard……It’s the expectation!”  With South Dorchester recognized as the premier school in Dorchester County and the number eight school academically in the state, we want our students to take pride and know that it is our expectation for all students to strive for excellence in everything they do.

In elementary school, we are going to focus on phonics and reading comprehension as well as improving our math facts.  We also have made sure reading class sizes are small to get more individualized attention to the students.

In middle school we will continue to use cross-grade groupings.  This structure has proven to be very effective here at SDS since its inception seven years ago. The classes are smaller and teachers are able to more readily meet the needs of each student.  We are also offering Spanish I to eighth grade students who qualify.  Student’s who are successful in this class will have the opportunity to earn high school credit.

The South Dorchester Parent/Teacher Council, as always, can use your help to raise money for the school and help plan and carry out fundraising activities.  This group is a vital part of our school community and without them many student activities would not be possible.  Please get involved in the PTC and make a difference in our school community. If you are interested in helping or have any great ideas, contact Mrs. Troi Lynn Jones.

I am looking forward to another great year at South Dorchester School.  Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

C. Dwayne Abt
Principal

South Dorchester School is a pre-kindergarten through grade 8 school located in the rural Church Creek, Maryland area known as Golden Hill.  Our student body consists of approximately 200 students.  Our school is unique in that there is only one class per grade level.  The staff members are dedicated, flexible, and experienced with most having ten or more years experience.  Through creative scheduling and use of staff members, we have been able to provide more individualized small-group instruction.

Our Mission
The mission of South Dorchester School is to promote quality education through a shared process involving students, teachers, parents, and community.  We will provide a safe, caring environment in which students can achieve academic success while developing self-esteem, independence, and respect in order to be productive, responsible citizens.