The following message was shared this evening with Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) parents, staff and students in Grades 6-12.
April 24, 2025
Dear Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) Students, Staff, Parents and Community:
I rarely write a message to all of you at once, but given recent events in our schools and region, I feel compelled to address everyone, including our middle and high school students.
In recent weeks, CCPS has experienced two serious incidents involving guns in our schools. While such incidents are rare in CCPS, a student bringing any weapon to school (including knives, tasers, etc.) poses an immediate safety risk to both the student involved and the entire school community. Although I am deeply grateful that no one was hurt in either instance, I want to remind our entire CCPS community of our collective responsibility to ensure our schools are safe.
The Board of Education of Charles County has a work session scheduled for Monday, April 28, at St. Charles High School in Waldorf. The session will stream live on our website at www.ccboe.com and starts at 4:30 p.m. During the meeting, staff will provide an update on our school climate data and the efforts we have made to improve outcomes in this area. Additionally, on Tuesday, May 6 at 7 p.m., the Board is hosting a virtual Town Hall on Zoom to discuss school safety. The link is below and will be shared again before the Town Hall. Please mark your calendars to attend.
https://ccboe.zoom.us/j/84468746129?pwd=KbJD8W2GpcYVbQ2XMnMmvoLP7bpmro.1
I also want to address our CCPS community, starting with our students.
Students: If you see something, please say something and do something. It is for your safety and the safety of everyone in your school. While I wish I could shield you from the realities of school safety, I cannot. I ask you to not handle guns or bring any objects to school (guns, knives, tasers, razors, etc.) that can harm yourself or others. With about 35 days of school left, we will continue to concentrate on our safety protocols to ensure we end the 2024-2025 school year safely. Make smart choices, and if you see something, please speak up and say something.
Staff: Thank you for your vigilance and support for school safety. Please continue to emphasize the importance of our "See Something, Say Something" campaign. We cannot talk about it enough, and students listen even when we think they are not. I seldom share my experiences as a CCPS parent, but I want to highlight this instance. My kids’ bus driver reminded her afternoon bus run about the importance of informing adults if they see or hear about any dangerous situation. The driver did so after hearing about the incident at Billingsley Elementary School that morning. As a mother and Superintendent, I am deeply grateful to her and all our CCPS staff who engage in what can sometimes feel like difficult or unnecessary conversations with our students, even as we process our own feelings and fears.
Parents and Community Members: Help us by talking to your children, not just once, but often. Here is our website with information about our safety campaign. Check their belongings (including bookbags and devices, including their social media access and use). If you own firearms, please be a responsible firearms owner. Please ensure dangerous objects are secured and inaccessible to others. Please monitor your child’s purchases and keep us informed. If you see something in the community, hear it from your child, or see it on social media, please inform a school administrator.
Our CCPS community is incredibly committed to engaging and supporting our students – our future. In the coming days, we will discuss and explore additional measures to support school safety. However, nothing is more impactful than the relationships adults have with students. We must continue this work collectively.
Thank you for your engagement and support of Charles County Public Schools.
Sincerely,
Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools