Register
Parents
Parents of current McDonogh students may sign up for website accounts. Signing up for an account allows a parent to access the online directory, DASH, and your customized parent Personal Page.
Alumni
Alumni can create an account in order to take advantage of McDonogh Connect or Pledgemail.
Login
News & Photos
Spring Break in New Orleans
During spring break, nine students and two teachers flew down to Gretna, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans, to visit our sister school, McDonogh 26. This is the third trip students have made since Katrina hit New Orleans in August of 2005.
Arriving late Saturday night, the group kicked things off Sunday morning with a tour of the devastated areas of New Orleans with Susan Percle, the chief operating officer of the City of Gretna. While driving around Lakeview, St. Bernard's parish, and the Ninth Ward, Percle told the group about the hardships people on both sides of the river faced after the storm, and are still battling today. Only 1.2 million of the city's 1.8 million residents have returned, and many of those are no longer living in the houses they left. The students saw high-water marks on rooftops, and "escape hatches" that some residents had to cut through their roofs to flee rising water.
After the tour, the students visited New Orleans' famous French Quarter, the Vieux Carre. Largely spared by the storm, the French Quarter is already back to much of its former glory. The students walked around historic Jackson Square, the Riverwalk, and Bourbon Street, visiting local shops and art galleries. Sunday evening ended with a dinner, cooked by the faculty and staff of McD 26 that included local favorites such as crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya, and corn-crawfish soup. A discussion on the benefits of Old Bay versus Zatarains ensued.
Monday and Wednesday were spent at McDonogh 26, helping Ms. Sally Falcone with morning and after-care. McD 26 has absorbed more than twice as many students as it was originally designed for; some students come from areas far outside the bussing zones. Parents drop their children off as early as 7 a.m., two hours before classes begin, and don't pick them up until 6:30 p.m. The students are fed breakfast, in addition to lunch, and frequently do the majority of their homework in afternoon care.
The Baltimoreans also helped students prepare for the upcoming LEAP standardized test, which all fourth graders must pass. McDonogh Baltimore helped students learn about how to use various reference sources such as almanacs, maps, dictionaries, and the World Wide Web to retrieve information for the test.
The "big kids" worked with the Gretna students on a mural in one of the main hallways featuring the McDonogh Baltimore eagle, the McDonogh Gretna dragon, and a series of children holding hands in between. Each mascot was painted with the school's slogan ("Be the Best at Whatever You Are," and "Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful"), and a map of the state and city where the school was located.
On Tuesday, after helping with morning care, the students traveled to the Falcone house that had been badly damaged by the winds during Katrina. They spent the day stripping all the drywall throughout the house and cleaning out personal effects left behind.
The City of New Orleans is slated to begin fining anyone who hasn't begun rehabilitating their houses soon, so the Falcones were thrilled to have a team nearly demolish their house. The students ate Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) for lunch. Cooking their own non-perishable lunch in a bag, the students were told how many residents had to survive on MREs for months after the storm had passed.
Before leaving Gretna, the Baltimore students presented McDonogh 26 with a Baltimore yearbook, a letter of thanks for all the care and support during the week, and a McDonogh eagle. It is hoped that this is only the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship for both schools!
View Photos
During spring break, nine students and two teachers flew down to Gretna, Louisiana, across the Mississippi River from downtown New Orleans, to visit our sister school, McDonogh 26. This is the third trip students have made since Katrina hit New Orleans in August of 2005.
Arriving late Saturday night, the group kicked things off Sunday morning with a tour of the devastated areas of New Orleans with Susan Percle, the chief operating officer of the City of Gretna. While driving around Lakeview, St. Bernard's parish, and the Ninth Ward, Percle told the group about the hardships people on both sides of the river faced after the storm, and are still battling today. Only 1.2 million of the city's 1.8 million residents have returned, and many of those are no longer living in the houses they left. The students saw high-water marks on rooftops, and "escape hatches" that some residents had to cut through their roofs to flee rising water.
After the tour, the students visited New Orleans' famous French Quarter, the Vieux Carre. Largely spared by the storm, the French Quarter is already back to much of its former glory. The students walked around historic Jackson Square, the Riverwalk, and Bourbon Street, visiting local shops and art galleries. Sunday evening ended with a dinner, cooked by the faculty and staff of McD 26 that included local favorites such as crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya, and corn-crawfish soup. A discussion on the benefits of Old Bay versus Zatarains ensued.
Monday and Wednesday were spent at McDonogh 26, helping Ms. Sally Falcone with morning and after-care. McD 26 has absorbed more than twice as many students as it was originally designed for; some students come from areas far outside the bussing zones. Parents drop their children off as early as 7 a.m., two hours before classes begin, and don't pick them up until 6:30 p.m. The students are fed breakfast, in addition to lunch, and frequently do the majority of their homework in afternoon care.
The Baltimoreans also helped students prepare for the upcoming LEAP standardized test, which all fourth graders must pass. McDonogh Baltimore helped students learn about how to use various reference sources such as almanacs, maps, dictionaries, and the World Wide Web to retrieve information for the test.
The "big kids" worked with the Gretna students on a mural in one of the main hallways featuring the McDonogh Baltimore eagle, the McDonogh Gretna dragon, and a series of children holding hands in between. Each mascot was painted with the school's slogan ("Be the Best at Whatever You Are," and "Be Safe, Be Responsible, Be Respectful"), and a map of the state and city where the school was located.
On Tuesday, after helping with morning care, the students traveled to the Falcone house that had been badly damaged by the winds during Katrina. They spent the day stripping all the drywall throughout the house and cleaning out personal effects left behind.
The City of New Orleans is slated to begin fining anyone who hasn't begun rehabilitating their houses soon, so the Falcones were thrilled to have a team nearly demolish their house. The students ate Meals Ready-to-Eat (MREs) for lunch. Cooking their own non-perishable lunch in a bag, the students were told how many residents had to survive on MREs for months after the storm had passed.
Before leaving Gretna, the Baltimore students presented McDonogh 26 with a Baltimore yearbook, a letter of thanks for all the care and support during the week, and a McDonogh eagle. It is hoped that this is only the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship for both schools!