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Wednesday, October 26, 2016 www.somdnews.com St. Marys County, Maryland n 75

Vol. 118, No. 86

Inside
2 sections
Man dies
in tree
accident
Second such incident to occur
in Southern Maryland this month
Emotional week
for Raiders ends By ANDREW CEPHAS
acephas@somdnews.com
with historic win A St. Marys County
man died Saturday in St.
Sports, Page B1 Leonard after a tree he
was cutting fell on top of
him and trapped him un-
derneath.
Units from the Calvert
County Sheriffs Office
responded to St. Leonard
Shores for a report of an
industrial accident. A mail
courier called authorities
for assistance after find-
ing Ernesto Cendana,
63, trapped underneath a
School board tree that was blocking the
roadway, a press release
candidates from the sheriffs office
answer questions states.
Cendana was report-
Inside, Pages A6, A7
Connect
@DonnieEntNews
Woman is
edly attempting to cut a
tree down Saturday when
it fell on top of him. The
homeowner and mail cou-
rier tried to remove the
tree and conduct CPR,
but Cendana succumbed
to his injuries, the release
details. Along with sher-
iffs office personnel, the
Raymond Wood Funeral
Home also responded to
the scene.
A 48-year-old man from
Callaway working as part
of a crew died on Oct. 7
when a tree he was help-
ing cut down fell on him
in a backyard in Lexing-
ton Parks Town Creek
neighborhood.
Twitter: @CalRecANDREW
STAFF PHOTO BY JACQUI ATKIELSKI
St. Marys Ryken High School students can sit or stand in Gloria Dempseys world language class as
they participate in an online quiz before they start their flex day, where they can create YouTube
videos and finish Spanish language assignments.
A little elbow room
St. Marys Rykens flexible layout offers 21st-century
update to schools traditional seating arrangements
By JACQUI ATKIELSKI With this smaller classroom, I wanted
jatkielski@somdnews.com something that would be more flexible
People look to Pinterest for crafts to than having a hodgepodge of donated
do themselves, but one teacher is using desks and tables. So I started sketching
the website and other inspiration to cre- and looking for inspiration and asking
ate flexible seating for her students to students what they wanted to see in a
learn and grow as they learn Spanish. classroom.
St. Marys Ryken High School stu- DeLucco said since switching to the
dents taking classes with world lan- 1:1 electronic tablet program five years
guage teacher Gloria Dempsey can sit ago, teachers are much more com-
on floor cushions, stand at taller tables fortable with using technology in their
or sit at desks topped with whiteboards classrooms.
while they immerse themselves in
Spanish. Dempsey said she was in-
spired to create her own flexible class-
room seating after seeing exhibits at
Dempsey is a wonderful example of
someone who is beginning to grow be-
yond what a textbook would limit her
to, he said. Having textbooks, quizzes

hospitalized
@JesseEntNews
@DandanEntNews the International Technology Educa- and homework assignments on the iP-
@JacquiEntNews tors Conference in Colorado last year. ads allow students to be more interac-
Follow @JasonEntNews Some of those arrangements came tive with their assignments.
us on

after attack
@JohnEntNews
with a price tag of $12,000 per class- Dempsey said she estimated the en-
Twitter @PWSoMdSports
room, she said. So this was the kind tire project to cost her about $500.
of investment that we needed to know When I gave [Principal Rick Wood]
Like us on
was going to work before we could in- the project estimate, he asked if that
Facebook at
bit.ly/EnterpriseFacebook Husband pleaded to earlier assault vest. would be for one desk, she said. I fig-
After surveying her students several ured if this worked, the school would
By JOHN WHARTON Jackson C. Sage, 61, times last year, she began collecting po- know where to put their money. Weve
jwharton@somdnews.com was ordered this month tential ideas online and from the dean of been using iPads for five years, so why
Local News Now A judge has ordered to pay $1,300 in restitu- academic technology, Jason DeLucco. dont our classrooms reflect that 21st
that a Lexington Park tion for Carlene Elizabeth To ask the school to spend that century classroom setting.
man, who earlier resolved Gross for the 2015 of- much money on an unknown was go- Dempsey said it took a week to build
a charge of assaulting his fense, and was sentenced ing to be tricky, so we started getting the furniture with the help of her family.
wife last year, be held to serve 12 weekends in the idea to see what other options are My husband, older brother and I
in jail without bond on jail, beginning after work out there, she said. We looked at web- spent a week in July building these in
charging papers alleging sites like Pinterest and saw some differ-
he severely beat her last See ASSAULT ent things, like crowd sourcing and ask- See FLEX
Scan code for week at his apartment. Page A9 ing the community to donate furniture. Page A10
Enterprise Mobile

Index
Social Security benefits to go up just 0.3%
Classified B13
Community B5 Meanwhile, seniors benefits increase in 2017. nior information and assistance reached its historical low of zero
The Social Security Admin- manager of St. Marys County percent in 2009 after the financial
Editorial/Letters A8 say they face higher istration announced last week Department of Aging and Hu- crash. The rate stayed at zero
Obituaries A7 medical care costs that the cost-of-living adjustment man Services. in 2010 and picked up between
next year is 0.3 percent. For an But there wasnt an increase 2011 and 2014, with a high of 3.6
Police briefs A5 By DANDAN ZOU average Southern Marylander last year either, she said. So percent in 2011.
Sports B1
dzou@somdnews.com who receives $1,266 of Social Se- the news may not come as a sur- By law, the annual COLA is tied
Nearly 35,000 Southern Mary- curity benefits monthly, that 0.3 prise. to the increase of the Consumer
landers and nearly 60 million percent adds up to a raise of less This is the third year in a row Price Index as determined by
Americans across the country than $4 a month. that Social Security benefits ad-
THE ENTERPRISE have to settle for another year of Im sure its a disappoint- justment remained below 0.3 See SOCIAL
historically low Social Security ment, said Debbie Barker, se- percent. The adjustment first Page A9
Stay in touch with us
News and advertising
301-862-2111
Subscriber services
866-894-9338
St. Marys voters
Classified advertising
1-800-220-1230
can cast early ballots
Legals
1-877-659-2190 Hollywood poll open from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3
Obituaries
1-877-242-1110 By JASON BABCOCK St. Marys County Board of Ed-
jbabcock@somdnews.com ucation. Voters will also decide
Early voting in St. Marys Coun- if they want to change the local
Copyright 2016
APG Media of Chesapeake LLC ty and Maryland starts tomorrow, form of government from coun-
Thursday, Oct. 27, and continues ty commissioner to code home
for eight days until Thursday, rule. If voters decide to make that
Nov. 3, ahead of the general elec- change, it would become effec-
tion on Nov. 8. tive in December, but would not
STAFF PHOTO BY JOHN WHARTON In addition to voting for the next change the county commissioner
Harmony for hospice president of the United States, membership. Its five members
Larry Stephenson, left, Kenny Ingram and Kevin Richardson lean in for a chorus
a new U.S. senator and the 5th
during their bands performance at Saturdays Bluegrass for Hospice fundraising District congressional seat, there See EARLY
event held at Flat Iron Farm in Great Mills. are two contested races for the Page A10
Page A10 The Enterprise Wednesday, October 26, 2016

FLEX I asked if they were ok and of-

From
Page A1
my garage, she said. Before
the school year started, Rick
took a look at the classroom
and said that this was going to
work out, and told me to submit
the receipts. The project ended
up costing $538 and it was the
biggest reaffirmation that this is
where this school wants to go.
The use of technology in the
classroom makes Dempseys
class his favorite, student Alex
Kim said. This class is amazing
because of the social interac-
tion. Its really fun, he said.
Students claimed the standard
desks were too small, Dempsey
said.
We measured everything
from the walls to the desks to
the students heights to get an
idea of the ideal size of the seat-
ing options, she said. Their
old desks were 17 by 15 inches.
Students typically didnt have
enough space to use their iP-
ads and other materials com-
fortably. With the new seating,
everyone has 20 by 24 inches of
space to themselves. The tables
and desks are on sliders for eas-
ier movement.
Dempsey said her students
wanted the ability to move
around the room as they need-
ed to.
We included the white board
on the top of the desks because
students said they wanted to be
able to feel they could create
a rough draft anywhere, she
said. When theyre writing
their sentences, they can write
it on the desk before putting in
on the iPad. I would be able to
go around with a different color
marker and help them. It kinda
Alex Kim, 15, shows Gloria Dempsey a portion of his work on his iPad during her Spanish class. Students are able to stand,
sit and wander around the classroom as they help each other with assignments and projects.
looks like SportsCenter Sunday
Night Football with the circling
and arrows.
With the flexible seating,
Dempsey said students can
move anything anywhere and
just feel free to learn how they
need to.
They have that flexibility and
freedom to play while they are
taking a quiz because nobodys
brain works the same, she
said. Nobodys body works
the same when it comes to do-
ing certain tasks, so some stu-
dents stand while participating
in classroom-wide app activities
like Kahoot sit when theyre
working on a quiz and things
like that.
Dempsey said the flexible
seating has changed the way
she teaches her students.
It feels like an elementary
school classroom, she said.
Students dont have that fear
to be creative or to be wrong
because weve given them the
space to be wrong. Were not
confined to our seats in this
classroom.
Just because students can
get comfortable while in her
class while doing assignments
doesnt mean they fall asleep in
class, Dempsey said.
STAFF PHOTO BY JACQUI ATKIELSKI
Were active in this learning
environment together and shar-
ing the mentality, she said. I
feel passionate about what I am
doing and if the kids see me act-
ing with energy, they respond.
Nobody can sleep in here, even
with the cushions.
Sometimes the students
will sit under the taller tables
and create a personal cave,
Dempsey said.
I thought they would sit on
the floor with the cushions, or
stand at the tables or sit in the
seats, but they went crazy with
it, she said. The first time
someone sat under the table
fered them a cushion to sit in.
They said that it was nice to
be able to sit under the table.
Students also have the option
to sit on the lower table with
a cushion. So it has a locker
room bench feel and theyll sit
stretched out.
Dempsey said she hosts flex
days, depending on the inten-
sity of assigned tasks, such as
creating a YouTube video or
taking a quiz online.
Giving them options of things
to do ... on those days takes
away the formality of the typical
classroom setting, she said. I
try to get them moving as much
as possible in this classroom.
Wood asked why she needed
so many options for seating,
Dempsey said.
Because everyone has a
different place they like to be,
depending on what the sub-
ject, what kind of attention
they need, and what they need
to touch and experience, she
said. Ive been teaching for 12
years with kids of all different
types of learning differences,
because students cant perform
as well when they arent com-
fortable. It normalizes everyone
and students who need support
services can blend in with the
rest of the class.
Dempsey said this project was
rewarding on more than a per-
sonal level.
If youre willing to put in the
time and the effort, youre going
to get the rewards, she said.
Not just from your students and
peers, but from administration
that recognizes that what youre
doing is valuable for the students
and thats what were all about,
whats best for the students.
Twitter: @JacquiEntNews

EARLY er than having to go to

From
Page A1
were elected in 2014 to a
four-year term.
Code home rule would
give more authority over
legislation pertaining to
St. Marys County rath-
the Maryland General
Assembly to enact local
laws.
Early voting in St.
Marys County will be
held at the bingo hall at
the Hollywood Volunteer
Fire Department, which
is a separate building at
the carnival grounds.
Early voting hours are
from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. each
day from Oct. 27 to Nov.
3. Maryland is offering
same-day registration
during early voting. A
registrant has to bring
a document that proves
ones residence such as
a MVA-issued license or
other government doc-
ument with a name and
address on it.
In the last presidential
election in 2012, early vot-
ing turnout in St. Marys
County was 7,096 voters
11 percent but ear-
ly voting centers across
Maryland were closed for
two days because of Hur-
lywood and two accessi-
bility machines which can
fill out a ballot for people.
On Election Day on
Nov. 8, St. Marys Coun-
ty has 36 precincts and
those locations have not
changed since the prima-
ry election, Adkins said.
The largest three pre-
cincts at Mechanics-
ville Elementary School,
(25,953) of Democrats,
while 20 percent (13,907)
belonged to no party.
Last week, St. Marys
County Commissioner
Tom Jarboe (R) had ad-
vice for voters heading
into the presidential elec-
tion to be civil with one
another.
Jarboe noted the hos-
tile environment that this

NOW LIVE! ricane Sandy, said Wendy

Adkins, director of the St.
Marys County Board of
Elections.
The total voter turnout
in 2012 was 75 percent
in St. Marys County, she
said.
In the 2008 presidential
election, turnout reached
77 percent.
Based on the calls to
the board of elections and
requests for absentee bal-
lots, Adkins said she is ex-
pecting total voter turnout
this year to be around 75
percent again. I expect at
least the same, maybe a
little more, she said.
She reminded voters to
participate in the process.
Every vote counts, she
said. You cant complain
if you dont vote.
Maryland is back to
a paper ballot system,
which are filled out by vot-
ers and then fed into and
read by scanners. There
will be two scanners at the
early voting center in Hol-
Hollywood Elementary
School and Lexington
Park Elementary School
will have two scanners
each on Election Day.
Republican presidential
candidate Donald Trump
has repeatedly suggested
that the U.S. election sys-
tem is rigged.
It just makes no sense,
Adkins said, to suggest lo-
cal boards of elections are
part of a large conspiracy.
There are so many se-
curity checkpoints to go
through in Marylands
election system, she said.
St. Marys County elec-
tions equipment is stored
under lock and key at a
warehouse in Lexington
Park and only board of
elections staff is allowed
near the devices. Its on
lockdown, Adkins said.
As of last month, there
were 70,384 total active
voters in St. Marys Coun-
ty. Republicans made
up 42 percent of voters
(29,482) to 37 percent
election in particular has
brought out, and its just
embarrassing. I think
were really teaching
people the wrong thing.
You can be as passionate
as you want for one can-
didate or the another, or
for one party or the other,
but you have to respect
the people that you live
and work with every day.
The election season
comes and goes, but you
have to live with the peo-
ple around you. You have
to get along. If someone
disagrees with you polit-
ically, you shouldnt hate
them because of that, he
said.
Jarboe said he sees the
battles of presidential
candidate signs along
Route 235 with signs go-
ing up and down each day.
Stop being petty, stop
stealing peoples signs,
stop flipping people the
bird and act civil, Jarboe
said.
Twitter: @JasonEntNews

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