Staff, students and community members celebrated the opening of William A. Diggs Elementary School in a formal ceremony held Friday, May 4, at the school.

William A. Diggs Elementary School opened on August 28, 2006. It is 86,000 square feet, and designed as a one-story building. The $23 million cost of the school was forward funded by the Charles County Commissioners and was built entirely with local money. Kristin Shields is the first principal of the school and Sandra McDuffie is the first vice principal.

 
 

The school was named after William A. Diggs, who was a Charles County Public Schools student who later became a teacher. He attended Chicamuxen Elementary School and Pomonkey High School. He earned his teaching degree at Bowie State Teachers College and returned to teach at Bel Alton High School.

Mr. Diggs was one of the first life members of the Charles County Branch of the NAACP and a co-founder of the African American Heritage Society. He founded the African American Museum, and after his retirement from the school system he spent his time traveling across the county and state to talk about African American History in Charles County. Mr. Diggs was born on Dec. 31, 1918, and died on Feb. 12, 1995, at the age of 76.

The building was designed by the SHW Group, Inc. and the construction management firm was Bovis Lend-Lease, Inc.

 

Photo 1: Diggs kindergarten students Jeremy Harley, Kendel Hammock, Teagan Rohrbaugh, Nia Goss, Sean Joseph and Nicholas Sagun say the Pledge of Allegiance at the dedication along with Board Vice Chairman Roberta Wise, Superintendent James Richmond and Board Chairman Donald Wade. 

Photo 2: Students and employees passed the ceremonial key at the dedication. Pictured from left to right, back row are: Diggs employees Bruce Washington, Dana Freundel, JoAnne Shelak, Jennifer Gandee and Charna Brooks and left to right, front row are: Diggs students Mychael Warren, Julian Jackson, Samantha Williams and Elaina Soriano.    

A CCPS student and an administrator joined a local sorority as honorees April 20 at the Maryland Excellence for Minority Achievement Awards recognition ceremony.

Sponsored by the Maryland State Department of Education Achievement Initiative for Maryland’s Minority Students (AIMMS), the awards honor those who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in promoting student excellence through equity in education.

Aaron T. Jackson, a Westlake High School student, was presented with an AIMMS Student Excellence Award and scholarship, which recognizes high school students who have demonstrated academic success as well as made significant contributions to better understanding and appreci