Volunteers of the Month
September 2026
This month’s shoutout goes to the families and students who rolled up their sleeves and helped give our school grounds some much-needed TLC!
From pulling weeds and spreading mulch to painting paw prints, and more, our volunteers put in some serious work!
We loved seeing our students jump in, work as a team, and take pride in their school. 🐾
Thank you for giving your time, energy, and helping hands to make our school shine!
We would also like to give a shout out to Rodas Landscaping for sprucing up the tree lines along the school!
PTO memberships for the 2026-2027 school year are now open and we are excited to have you join us for another great year!
Memberships are not auto-renewed so you MUST renew annually to keep your benefits. (Click Shop/Donate at the top, add to cart & make sure contact info is up to date) You do not need to volunteer, to be a member.
⏳ If you sign up by 9/10 you will be entered into a drawing to receive 4 FREE Fall Fest Tickets!! 🍁
WHAT DO YOU RECEIVE WITH YOUR YEARLY MEMBERSHIP?
In addition to voting rights at General Membership meetings, other benefits include:
- First access to volunteer opportunities (including in-school)
- Early access to ticket purchases for PTO sponsored events (some sell out!)
- Connecting with other Central Elementary families
This year, your membership dues will go towards providing school supplies for each student, funds for field trips, supporting school beautification projects, assemblies, after school clubs, administrative initiatives and stipends for each teacher (both classroom and specials)! PTO members have fueled CES book fairs, the Tiger Trot, dances, the Fall Festival, teacher luncheons and support staff as room parents.
Save the Date:
🍂 🎃 Fall Fest 🍂 🎃
Central Elementary School’s PTO is thrilled to announce that our fall festival is set to be hosted again at Knightongale Farm in Harwood.
Friday, October 2nd (rain date October 3rd) , from 5:00 to 7:30 PM
This event is exclusively for our CES families and friends! Feel free to bring neighbors, grandparents, etc.
Join us for an evening full of fun and family-friendly activities:
Corn maze 🌽
Hayrides
Jumping pillow
Mega slides 🛝
Food trucks
Pipe Slide and Tire Tower
Don’t miss out on the fall fun—mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details! 🍁
Quick Links
Staff Spotlight
Mrs. Denise Augustine
For our first staff spotlight of the school year, we are thrilled to spotlight Denise M. Augustine, our dedicated school media specialist and a beloved member of the Central Elementary community! Ms. Augustine is beginning her 22nd year with Anne Arundel County Public Schools and her 16th year at Central. She earned her Master of Library Science from the University of Maryland, a path that led her to the profession she loves as a media specialist. She began her career at Annapolis Elementary School and has spent more than two decades inspiring students to become lifelong readers.
One of Ms. Augustine's favorite parts of her role is leading the Black-Eyed Susan Book Club. She loves introducing students to a wide variety of genres and helping them discover books they might not have chosen on their own. Nothing brings her more joy than seeing students excited about reading and eager to share the books they love.
Outside of school, Ms. Augustine has been a proud member of the Edgewater community for 29 years and raised her family in the South River cluster. She and her husband recently celebrated 31 years of marriage, and she treasures spending time with her family, especially Sunday dinners with her daughters, who live nearby. When she's not in the media center, you can often find her relaxing at the beach or curled up with a good book.
Thank you, Ms. Augustine, for your passion, dedication, and the countless ways you inspire a love of reading in our students every day. Central Elementary is fortunate to have you as part of our school family!
Upcoming Events
- Monday, September 7
- Thursday, September 10
- Friday, September 18
- Monday, September 21
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