All middle school students are welcome to participate in **Flag Football** 🏈 and **Cross Country** 🏃♂️ this fall—**regardless of last year’s GPA**!
👉 Permission slips will be available during lunch shifts and should be returned to the **Intramural Basket in the cafeteria**.
✅ Once Term 1 Report Cards are published, students must meet all WCPS participation criteria:
* Minimum GPA of 2.0 in the previous quarter **OR** 2.0+ on the progress report.
* Follow all WCPS extracurricular policies.
* No more than 5 unexcused absences during the marking term.
* Be present in school the day of practice or competition.
* Must be picked up within **15 minutes** after practice. (⚠️ More than one late pick-up may lead to removal.)
⚡ Don’t miss out on a fun season—get your permission slip and get in the game!
Mr. Smith's 8th graders tackled the ultimate engineering puzzle during the first week - building bridges that span a 12-inch gap using only 10-inch spaghetti sticks! Talk about a brain teaser! 🧠
Armed with just 10-inch spaghetti, 5 paper clips, 1 meter of string, and 1 meter of tape, our future engineers had to get creative, collaborate, and problem-solve their way to success. The room was buzzing with excitement as teams strategized, tested, and redesigned their structures.
Watching them work through the Engineering Design Process in real-time was incredible - from initial "how is this even possible?!" moments to those triumphant "it's holding!" celebrations. 🎉
Not only did they learn about structural engineering and design constraints, but they also built crucial communication and teamwork skills. Nothing brings a team together like figuring out how to make spaghetti defy the laws of physics! 😄
So proud of their creativity, persistence, and collaborative spirit. These kids are going to change the world! 💪
#STEMEducation #EngineeringDesign #8thGrade #HandsOnLearning #FutureEngineers #TeamWork #MarvelousMardela
We are excited to announce our upcoming Golf Tournament to benefit Mardela’s PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports) Team on Saturday, November 2nd at Green Hill Golf Course!
All funds raised will go directly toward supporting our students through:
☀️ Our end-of-year Fun in the Sun event featuring inflatables, snow cones, and obstacle courses led by our military partners
🎁 Student prizes and incentives for positive behavior, good attendance, and no referrals/suspensions
📅 Event Details:
Date: Saturday, November 2nd
Location: Green Hill Golf Course
Registration: 10:00 – 11:30 AM
Shotgun Start: 11:45 AM
Format: 4-Man Best Ball Scramble
💵 Cost: $70 per player (includes 2 mulligans)
➡️ Additional optional advantages can be purchased the day of for $10 each (cash or check only).
🏆 Prizes Awarded For:
Top teams
Longest drive
Closest to the pin
📌 Register by October 24th!
To register your team, please email Michael Matonak at mmatonak@mywcps.org
.
🌟 Hole Sponsorship Opportunity!
We are also looking for hole sponsors for both our fall and spring golf tournaments. A sponsorship is just $100 total for both events—a great way to show your support while promoting your business or organization. To sponsor a hole, please reach out to Kelly Wells at kewells@mywcps.org
.
This event is a major part of what allows us to celebrate and reward our amazing students, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of our community. Gather your team, enjoy a day on the course, and help us continue to make Mardela a great place for our students! 💛💚
Mrs. Cohn Matthews will have her state panel interview soon. The Maryland Teacher of the Year Gala will be held Sept. 26, ending with the announcement of one of the finalists as the next Maryland Teacher of the Year. Good luck, Mrs. Cohn Matthews! You're an excellent representative of your school and school system, and of all Wicomico teachers.
Contact Mrs. Driscoll for more info.
For questions contact Mrs. Driscoll, College Counselor, at cdriscoll@mywcps.org
Local Musician Nick Davala Joins Elite Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps for Historic Season and Macy’s Parade Performance
Wicomico County, MD – August 28, 2025 – Nick Davala, a senior at Mardela Middle and High School in Wicomico County, Maryland, has achieved a remarkable milestone by joining the prestigious Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps of Nashua, New Hampshire. Known as one of the oldest and most decorated corps in Drum Corps International (DCI), the Spartans are part of what many call “Marching Music’s Major Leagues.”
In 2024, Nick, a trombone player by training, took a bold step outside his hometown band experience to audition for the Spartans. With the guidance of current Mardela band director Joey Coco and former director Cory Boltz, Nick learned to play the baritone in just three months and mastered field marching techniques, preparing him for the rigorous demands of drum corps performance. Following the audition process, he earned a place in the corps’ hornline.
A Summer of a Lifetime
Beginning in December 2024, Nick attended monthly training sessions in Nashua, leading up to a summer tour from June 11 to August 9, 2025. The tour spanned over 8,000 miles across 15 cities, with the corps performing for thousands and competing at the highest level in the United States and Canada. The season culminated in Indianapolis, where the Spartans captured their third consecutive DCI Open Class World Championship, capping off what Nick describes as a “summer of a lifetime.”
Celebrating a Milestone Year
The 2025 season marked the Spartans’ 70th anniversary, with their production Mística completing a three-year thematic trilogy. The corps not only secured their third consecutive Open Class World Championship but also competed in select events alongside World Class corps as part of a transition plan to move fully into World Class competition in 2026.
Additionally, the Spartans were selected to march in the iconic 99th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in November 2025, giving Nick and his fellow members a national stage to showcase their artistry and celebrate the corps’ milestone anniversary.
Musical Achievements and Recognition
During the 2024–2025 school year, Nick also received accolades for his trombone performance, earning invitations to perform in the Maryland All-State Band, the All Eastern Shore Band, and the Wicomico County Band. As he enters his final year of high school, Nick will serve as Drum Major of the Mardela Warriors Marching Band, bringing the skills, discipline, and experience gained from his time with the Spartans back to his school community.
About the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps
Founded in 1955 by Albert LaFlamme in Nashua, New Hampshire, the Spartans Drum & Bugle Corps was originally created to provide at-risk youth with a positive outlet. Today, the corps is nationally recognized, with multiple DCI Open Class World Championship titles, including victories in 1997, 1998, 2004, 2023, 2024, and 2025. The organization is committed to providing young performers with high-quality performing arts experiences, fostering personal growth through discipline, teamwork, and dedication.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmEP38x-1Z8
We’re excited to kick off another great year of gaming and competition! This season, our team will be focusing on Fortnite, Overwatch II, Valorant, and League of Legends as part of the PlayVS online high school league. Competitions will take place after school! This will be an after-school activity, that usually takes 2-3 days a week, for about an hour.
Being a member of the Mardela eSports Team is both an opportunity and a privilege. To remain on the team, students are expected to:
✅ Maintain at least a 2.0 GPA
✅ Have no suspensions
✅ Keep at least a 90% attendance rate
eSports at Mardela is about more than just gaming—it’s about teamwork, responsibility, and representing our school with pride. We can’t wait to see our Warriors compete, grow, and achieve great things this year!"
Register HERE: https://shorturl.at/aadD1
We’re excited to kick off another great year of gaming and competition! This season, our team will be focusing on Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros, and Rocket League as part of the PlayVS online high school league. Competitions will take place after school, and some students may also have the opportunity to play during Wednesday Flex.
Being a member of the Mardela eSports Team is both an opportunity and a privilege. To remain on the team, students are expected to:
✅ Maintain at least a 2.0 GPA
✅ Have no suspensions
✅ Keep at least a 90% attendance rate
eSports at Mardela is about more than just gaming—it’s about teamwork, responsibility, and representing our school with pride. We can’t wait to see our Warriors compete, grow, and achieve great things this year!"
Register HERE : https://shorturl.at/ucoT3
Meet Mrs. Driscoll Mardela's NEW College Counselor. She is excited to support our students with all their college readiness needs. You can contact her at cdriscoll@mywcps.org. Keep an eye out for upcoming workshops and outreach opportunities.
At a distribution event held at East Salisbury Elementary this week for, 54 students from throughout Wicomico Schools received a new pair of sneakers for the school year, with able assistance from the team of Community School Coordinators.
The initial outreach was to families of students identified by pupil personnel workers as a family in transition. If there are still shoes and socks available when these students have been served, Wicomico’s Student & Family Services may provide shoes to other students and scholars who are in need.
Wicomico County Public Schools
The following criteria apply to all middle school students attending school dances:
1. GPA
o Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0, as required by county policy.
2. Conduct
o Students must not have served any Out-of-School Suspensions (OSS) during the current semester.
o Any student excluded based on cumulative OSS days per county policy will not be eligible to attend.
3. Attendance
o Students must have no more than 2 unexcused absences in the 45 days leading up to the dance.
o For the first dance of the school year, attendance is evaluated from the first day of school.
4. Guests
o Guests from outside the school are not permitted.
An exciting opportunity is here!
🌟 PAID Research Internship Program with UMES 🌟
UMES 4-H is proud to launch a new STEM Research Internship for high school students on the Lower Shore.
✔️ Open to students ages 14–18 with a minimum 3.0 GPA
✔️ Work with UMES faculty in the School of Agricultural & Natural Sciences (SANS)
✔️ Explore real research projects
✔️ Develop your own project with a service learning component
✔️ Gain valuable experience AND get paid!
🗓 Apply by September 15th
🔗 Details + Application: https://forms.gle/pdyXoyBgki72mUza8
Don’t miss this chance to learn, grow, and lead through research! 🚀
#MardelaWarriors #STEM #UMES #ResearchInternship #StudentOpportunities
