Questions such as the following drove discussions around Anne Arundel County: 

• What are the challenges and obstacles that negatively affect our students’ engagement and achievement most significantly and why?
• Are we analyzing our data and listening closely to learn about all of our students when we seek to understand our learners’ social-emotional and academic struggles?
• How do cultural differences, language challenges, transportation difficulties, health problems, and frequent family relocation (mobility) serve as obstacles to school success for our students?
• What resources and supports are available within AACPS and across our county to support students and families in need?  How do we help our families receive the supports they need?

At Central Elementary, taking steps to ensure that all students report feeling like a valuable member of the school community is a top priority, and is crucial to the continued progress of all of our students. Data from our Maryland Safe and Supportive School (MDS3) Climate Survey indicates:

• 90% of staff and students feel like they belong at CES 
• 97% of students feel like teachers care about them
• 97% of students feel like teachers encourage them to work hard in their classes
• 97% of students help them with their problems and 
• 90% of students feel like there is someone at school who they can talk to about personal problems
• 96% of students feel their teachers listen when they have something to say

Extending learning experiences beyond our classrooms, Central Elementary is committed to offering a variety of clubs and co-curricular offerings. These extracurricular club offerings are designed to further learning experiences, to peak student interests, and to promote a lifelong love of learning.  In addition, CES enjoys productive partnerships throughout our community, including parent volunteers, an active and supportive PTO, and community businesses and organizations.  These partnerships are extremely beneficial to our school, and have resulted in 3500 parent volunteer hours, numerous PTO-sponsored events and clubs, as well as technology enhancements, and business collaborations. An example of a community partnership is the Backpack Buddies program with Mayo Methodist Church, which ensures students’ basic needs are met by providing weekend food bags to students in need of support.  In addition, the Edgewater Chick-Fil-A also provides incentives to our students.  The staff and students of CES also give back to our community through events such as Relay for Life, the Kids Helping Kids Food Drive, and providing school supplies for less fortunate students at other schools in Anne Arundel County.

The students at Central Elementary learn about and experience  empathy, inclusion, and community service on a daily basis. Our CES Buddy Program allows students within our general education programs to partner with students from our Alternate Curriculum and Autism classrooms during cultural arts classes, lunch, recess, classroom inclusion, as well as at arrival and dismissal. In addition, students in our Human Relations/Kindness Club engage in service-learning opportunities and lead our school efforts in projects such as Harvest for the Hungry, winter coat collections, collections of blankets for the SPCA, and holiday gift sharing. Lastly, our school safety patrol assumes responsibilities during student arrival and dismissal to foster a safe and orderly environment for everyone.