Shipley S Choice

At Shipley's Choice Elementary— one of the highest-achieving schools in the Baltimore region — the important state test is almost not relevant to what is going on in the classroom anymore. "I believe the [Maryland School Assessment] is not a great challenge for the boys and girls at Shipley. Their ability levels are higher than MSA," said Principal Rocco Ferretti. "We are not drilling the skills. ... Our boys and girls are doing things that don't look anything like the test.

Elementary school results The following elementary schools in the Baltimore area had the highest percentage of students who passed. To see more rankings, go to baltimoresun.com. Shipley's Choice (Anne Arundel): 100% Rodgers Forge (Baltimore County): 100% Severna Park (Anne Arundel): 99.5% Chadwick (Baltimore County): 99.4% Mayo (Anne Arundel): 99.3% Text NEWS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun local news text alerts

About 200 east Severna Park residents descended on a public hearing at the Arundel Center to protest redistricting that would pull them from Severna Park and lumps them with Pasadena."

At Shipley's Choice Elementary— one of the highest-achieving schools in the Baltimore region — the important state test is almost not relevant to what is going on in the classroom anymore. "I believe the [Maryland School Assessment] is not a great challenge for the boys and girls at Shipley. Their ability levels are higher than MSA," said Principal Rocco Ferretti. "We are not drilling the skills. ... Our boys and girls are doing things that don't look anything like the test.

Their families go to the same swimming pool, their children go to the same school and often they live on the same block.But residents of Shipley's Choice, an affluent neighborhood in Millersville, are sharply split. Tension has divided the 1,000-home community into two groups that oppose each other on nearly every community issue and that rarely speak to each other."There is virtually no communication between the two community associations," said John Lipman, president of the 260-member Shipley's Choice Community Association Inc. (SCCA)

4 options proposed for east-west roadThe Greater Severna Park Council is scheduled to discuss various plans for an east-west boulevard, stretching from Veterans Highway to Route 2, during its monthly meeting tomorrow.The group's Public Works Committee and the Severn Run Federation will address how each of four proposed options would affect Severna Park.The proposals range from plowing a new path from Veterans Highway to Mission Street to painting new stripes on Benfield Boulevard.The controversial road has been under discussion since the 1960s, when an east-west highway project began.

Sign language is a daily part of life at Shipley's Choice Elementary School.Each day, hearing students are taught how to translate a piece of a sentence. By the end of the week, they can sign the entire sentence.The morning sign language exercises, broadcast over closed-circuit television to all classrooms, is one reason why the Millersville school is one of eight Maryland Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence.The recognition program, run by the Maryland State Department of Education, honors schools that excel in such areas as leadership, teaching and student environment, curriculum, parent involvement and student performance on assessment exams.

SOME STUDENTS and parents have already proclaimed the new voluntary uniform policy at Shipley's Choice Elementary School a success. On the first day, nearly 100 students came in uniforms -- khaki or navy slacks with white or blue polo shirts for boys and a white blouse and plaid jumper or skirt for girls. But the majority of the Millersville school's 440 students gave the uniforms a thumbs down. It just might be too early to claim victory.While uniforms can reduce some students' misguided efforts to outdo each other with expensive designer-label clothes, they don't eliminate the problem.

Shipley's Choice came within a whisker of bringing down the Central Maryland Swim League giant.In its final dual meet over the weekend, Shipley's Choice (4-1) lost by six points to Padonia (5-0) to finish second in Division I for the second straight year. In winning its fifth straight division title and 11th in 14 years, Padonia had its closest call since losing to Crofton in 1989.Trailing Padonia and Shipley's Choice were Hammond Park (2-2-1), Five Oaks (2-3), West Howard (1-4) and Crofton (0-4-1)

For the past 10 weeks, music students at six county elementary schools have been practicing the works of Beethoven, Chopin and Corelli two hours a week. Tomorrow, they get to show how much they've learned.The students will present the 25th Annual Area II Elementary String Festival at 7:30 p.m. at Shipley's Choice Elementary School.Guest conductor William Schachter from Old Mill Middle School South will meet 100 violin, viola, cello and string bass students for the first time today for a full rehearsal.

No charges will be filed relating to an investigation of a Shipley's Choice Elementary School field trip in which students were allegedly stripped and searched for ticks, Anne Arundel County police said. "Our investigation is closed," Cpl. Mark Shawkey, a county police spokesman, said yesterday. "There was no criminal intent found, and no criminal charges have been placed." About 80 third-graders and 30 adult chaperones and teachers had gone to Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center in Millersville for an overnight trip April 26-27.

Anne Arundel County police are investigating allegations of child abuse during an overnight camping trip, possibly following a parent's search for ticks on at least one third-grader's body. The principal of Shipley's Choice Elementary School in Millersville, Linda M. Ferrara, has been transferred to the Board of Education's central office during the probe, Bob Mosier, a school system spokesman, said yesterday. He said she was not on the April 26-27 trip to Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center in Millersville; he confirmed only that her May 14 removal was part of the "overall investigation."

Shipley's Choice Elementary School recognized by Intel Shipley's Choice Elementary School has been named one of 60 Intel Schools of Distinction around the country. The Millersville school, chosen from among 3,300 public and private schools, will vie for $230,000 in grants from the Intel Foundation and other companies. Shipley's Choice, one of three Maryland schools recognized by the foundation, was selected for academic achievement - showing increases in test scores and meeting academic standards.

It's just before 9 a.m. at Shipley's Choice Elementary School in Millersville: time for the morning announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance. But these announcements don't go out over the public address system. Instead, they are broadcast via closed-circuit television so they can be seen by those who cannot hear. On this day, fifth-grader Kara Kinsey leads the pledge in sign language, a daily ritual that began in 1989 when the school opened. Then Kara teaches her schoolmates the "sign of the day."

Jane Stricker, an art teacher at Shipley's Choice Elementary School, will be recognized by the Maryland Art Education Association today at Towson State University's Fine Arts Building Concert Hall for outstanding service to the field of art education.Stricker is being recognized for her work as an art teacher at Shipley's Choice for 12 years and an art resource teacher in charge of the county's graphics and technology program."I was honored," she said about being notified of the award last week.

Their families go to the same swimming pool, their children go to the same school and often they live on the same block.But residents of Shipley's Choice, an affluent neighborhood in Millersville, are sharply split. Tension has divided the 1,000-home community into two groups that oppose each other on nearly every community issue and that rarely speak to each other."There is virtually no communication between the two community associations," said John Lipman, president of the 260-member Shipley's Choice Community Association Inc. (SCCA)

More than 100 Shipley's Choice residents are expected to turn out ata County Council meeting tonight to protest a redistricting plan that would divide their community."

After three months of accusations and denials, a neighborhood group and representatives of the University of Maryland Medical System finally sat down to discuss their differences over a medical complex the university is planning.For 90 minutes Monday night, the owner of the land at the southeast corner of Benfield Boulevard and Veterans Highway and representatives of the medical system answered -- and sometimes refused to answer -- questions from members of the Shipley's Choice Community Association Inc.The association is concerned that the proposed 120,000-square-foot office center will increase traffic and disrupt the residential atmosphere.

As construction equipment roars nearby, residents of Shipley's Choice have begun to accept the idea of a 120,000-square-foot medical complex as a neighbor.What many of them haven't gotten used to is sharing the community name with the newcomer.Construction of a 30,000-square-foot, two-story office building on the southeast corner of Benfield Boulevard and Veterans Highway began earlier this month and is the first of four planned by the University of Maryland Medical System.The building, which will lease space to local physicians, and a 135-space parking lot are expected to be completed in December.

SOME STUDENTS and parents have already proclaimed the new voluntary uniform policy at Shipley's Choice Elementary School a success. On the first day, nearly 100 students came in uniforms -- khaki or navy slacks with white or blue polo shirts for boys and a white blouse and plaid jumper or skirt for girls. But the majority of the Millersville school's 440 students gave the uniforms a thumbs down. It just might be too early to claim victory.While uniforms can reduce some students' misguided efforts to outdo each other with expensive designer-label clothes, they don't eliminate the problem.