Thirteen Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) students were recognized Wednesday by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland State Advisory Council on Gifted and Talented Education for their accomplishments in gifted education. Each received a Student Accomplishment in Gifted and Talented Education Award.

They are:

  • Claire Bright, fifth grade, Dr. Thomas L. Higdon Elementary School;
  • Garrett Carson, fifth grade, Mary H. Matula Elementary School;
  • Erin Cooley, fifth grade, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy Elementary School;
  • Temiloluwa Dapo-Adeyemo, eighth grade, General Smallwood Middle School;
  • Toluwanimi Dapo-Adeyemo, eighth grade, Smallwood;
  • Ada Donohue, fifth grade, Dr. James Craik Elementary School;
  • Hannah Krauel, eighth grade, Smallwood;
  • Julie Perriello, fifth grade, William B. Wade Elementary School;
  • Addison Sheridan, fifth grade, Higdon;
  • Emma Shumpert, eighth grade, Smallwood;
  • Michaela Stewart, fourth grade, C. Paul Barnhart Elementary School;
  • Nya Whitney, fourth grade, Craik; and
  • Aminah Wright, fifth grade, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer Elementary School.

Students were nominated by the learning resource teachers at their schools, who work with students enrolled in enrichment courses. Student criteria for recognition includes academic performance at a high level, current recipient of a school system, state or national award, and participation in a gifted education program.

All award recipients were honored in a ceremony held Feb. 21 to honor the Governor’s proclamation of February as Gifted and Talented and Education Month. The ceremony was sponsored by MSDE and the Maryland State Advisory Council on Gifted and Talented Education.

Bright is a Principal’s Honor Roll student and demonstrates advanced comprehension in both reading and mathematics. Her score on the English/Language Arts portion of county assessments was the highest among Higdon fifth graders. She currently has a 4.0 grade-point average and helped her Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) team earn third place at the 2017 county competition. She earned first place in the goat showmanship class at the Charles County 4-H competition and is a member of Destination Imagination (DI), MESA, the school math and news teams, Just Say No Club and plays the violin.

Carson is a straight-A student and receives gifted services in reading and math. He scored at a level 5 on county assessments in reading and math and currently reads at a seventh-grade level. As a member of the fourth-grade math team, Carson helped the team earn first place in the 2017 county competition. He has a strong math aptitude and excellent leadership skills. He is a Boy Scout, member of the chess club, safety patrol, MESA and math team.

Cooley is an honor roll student and exemplary role model for her peers. She excels in gifted reading and math curriculum, and received a near perfect score on the fourth grade English/Language Arts county assessment. She is a confident student leader, chess player and artist. She helped her DI team earn third place at the 2017 state tournament and participated in the global event. Cooley was the top scoring student on Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy’s fourth-grade math team last year. She also plays cello in the school orchestra.

Temiloluwa Dapo-Adeyemo is a Principal’s Honor Roll student and has a current GPA of 3.65. He has maintained high honors throughout middle school and has received gifted services since second grade. Known as Temi, Dapa-Adeyemo is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and recipient of the Distinguished Scholars Award. He also is a member of Math Counts, DI and MESA. Earlier this school year, Temi won the Bulldogs Against Bullying poetry contest and earned second place in the schoolwide spelling bee.

Toluwanimi Dapo-Adeyemo, known as Tolu, is an honor roll student at Smallwood and currently has a 3.875 GPA. He is a member of the National Junior Honor Society, MESA, Math Counts team and DI. Tolu has earned the title of top speller for the past two years in the schoolwide spelling bee and won the anti-bullying poetry contest last year. He was identified for gifted services in second grade and is enrolled in high school level algebra and Spanish classes. He, along with his twin brother Temi, is enrolled in the Gateway to Technology program.

Donohue is a high-achieving student who excels in the classroom and extracurricular activities. Last year, she earned a level 5 score on both the math and reading county assessments. Donohue is known among her teachers as a student who works hard to achieve excellence. She is a member of DI and helped her team compete at the state level last year. Donohue is also a member of MESA and the Principal’s Honor Roll. She is reading at a seventh-grade level and is a member of the school math team.

Krauel demonstrates an outstanding work ethic and is consistently recognized by her classroom teachers. She is enrolled in enrichment level language arts, science, social studies and math classes. She is currently taking high school algebra and Spanish. Krauel is an honor roll student and member of the National Junior Honor Society, Math Counts, All County Band and plays trumpet in the jazz band. She will also receive the Distinguished Scholars Award at the end of this school year.

Perriello is a straight-A student and scored at a level 5 on both the reading and math county assessments last year. She received first place among fourth graders competing in the elementary math challenge last year and helped her DI team qualify for the state event. She was identified for gifted services as a second grader and is in the accelerated math class and reading cluster. Perriello also is a member of the chess club, school chorus and safety patrol. She is well known among her teachers and classmates as a role model and exemplary student leader.

Sheridan demonstrates advanced comprehension in both reading and math and quickly learns new skills. Her math score on county assessments last year was the highest among her grade-level peers. She participated in the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program and is consistently named to the Principal’s Honor Roll. She earned first place in the school science fair and was the top scorer from Higdon during the elementary math challenge. Sheridan is a member of DI, MESA, the school math and news teams, and Just Say No Club. She also plays trumpet in the school band and has her black belt in karate.

Stewart strives to do her best and demonstrates a positive work ethic. When she was in the first grade, her teacher recognized her skills were advanced. Stewart was able to skip second grade and excelled in third grade. She scores among the highest percentage of students on all assessments and maintains a positive attitude. Stewart is on the MESA team and is part of the Girls on the Run group at Barnhart. Last year, she received an award for courage during a schoolwide assembly to honor her commitment to learning.

Shumpert consistently demonstrates excellence in the classroom and is a straight A student. Last year, she ranked among the top five percent of students on county assessments. She is a Principal’s Honor Roll student and is consistently recognized for her achievements. Shumpert is a member of the National Junior Honor Society and the Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) program. She has received the top award at the schoolwide History Day event and competed at the county level. Shumpert is a member of the robotics team and is enrolled in enrichment classes. She is taking high school algebra, Spanish and is in the Gateway to Technology program.

Whitney is a straight-A student and excels in the classroom. Last year, she received a perfect score on both the math and reading assessment. She is consistently named to the Principal’s Honor Roll and reads at a sixth-grade level. Whitney strives for excellence and is committed to learning. She is part of MESA and DI and participates annually in the Daughters of the American Revolution Junior Achievement Contest. To enter the contest, Whitney has submitted items ranging from essays and poems to photo essays. She is enrolled in enrichment courses in both reading and math.

Wright performs at high levels and scored among the top 5 percent of her peers on county assessments last year. She maintains a 3.89 GPA and is a recent recipient of an award in the Charles County Proud essay contest. Wright was invited to represent Charles County in the Maryland Flag Day ceremony last year and is in enrolled in accelerated classes. She participates in both the gifted reading and accelerated math programs and was identified for gifted services in second grade. She is consistently recognized by her teachers for pushing herself to do her best. 

About CCPS

Charles County Public Schools provides 26,900 students in grades prekindergarten through 12 with an academically challenging education. Located in Southern Maryland, Charles County Public Schools has 36 schools that offer a technologically advanced, progressive and high quality education that builds character, equips for leadership and prepares students for life, careers and higher education.

The Charles County public school system does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age or disability in its programs, activities or employment practices. For inquiries, please contact Patricia Vaira, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 Coordinator (students) or Nikial M. Majors, Title IX/ADA/Section 504 coordinator (employees/adults), at Charles County Public Schools, Jesse L. Starkey Administration Building, P.O. Box 2770, La Plata, MD 20646; 301-932-6610/301-870-3814. For special accommodations call 301-934-7230 or TDD 1-800-735-2258 two weeks prior to the event.