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August 2026
Newsletter
| | | Critchlow Adkins Children’s Centers is dedicated to nurturing children and their families by providing quality, educationally-based, and financially accessible childcare in a safe, diverse, and enriching environment. | | |
  A Sweet Summer Send-Off at Critchlow Adkins! | |
We spent this awesome August sending summer off in style! Campers went on field trips, enjoyed a variety of exciting visitors, showcased their talents, and explored the great outdoors. Thanks to your incredible support, our kids are heading into the new school year with memories they will cherish for a lifetime!
Watch the video below to see some of the smiles YOU made possible this month, then scroll down for more August highlights!
| | Look At What We've Been Up To! | | |
Pedals and Paints!
Our littlest campers were on the move this month as they completed the Trike-A-Thon for St. Judes, raising $925 to help children receive life-saving medical care! August was a month of art throughout the site, and our mini-Michelangelos explored their creativity through finger painting, blot painting, tie dye, watercolors, ice painting, and even self-portraits. Amy Cool’s Ice Cream Express stopped by for the perfect end-of-summer treat!
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From Spaceships to Scientists!
Cordova blasted off during Space Adventure Week! From an outer space obstacle course to creating the phases of the moon out of Oreos to jumping for the stars at the trampoline park, it was out of this world! The fun continued with slimy science and roller coaster design with Challenge Island!
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CACC's Got Talent!
The campers at our Easton School Age Site showed off their skills during CACC’s Got Talent week! They had a blast sharing their unique talents as singers, dancers, bakers, architects, athletes, and entertainers. Adventures to the pool and Cabin Fever and a visit from Mrs. Wendy, the Singing Scientist, made the week even more special!
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Fun in Full Bloom!
At our White Marsh Site in Trappe, the last week of camp celebrated The Great Outdoors! Ms. Katelynn visited to lead activities related to soil, flowers, and nature. Of course, what goes better with the outdoors than delicious s’mores? Our friends had a ton of fun enjoying this quintessential campfire treat! Water activities rounded out an amazing week, creating more spectacular summer memories!
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Clowning Around!
Our St. Michaels Site closed out the summer with an epic Carnival Day! Campers played games, with prizes provided by Kristen Green, Mary Lou Butler, and Patrick Lanahan. Our wonderful friend Trish Payne, otherwise known as Twinkles the Clown, brought laughter, smiles, and magic to the summer fun finale. Balloon animals, face painting, and carnival decorations rounded out this unforgettable day!
| | Follow us on Facebook to get your Friday fix of cuteness with our Weekly Round Up! | | | More August Achievements! | | |
A Major Milestone!
Three of our staff members are celebrating an incredible milestone this month:
40 years serving families at Critchlow Adkins Children's Centers!
Please help us congratulate and thank:
Marlene Thomas, St. Michaels Site Director
Donna Austin, Easton Preschool Site Director
Phyllis Greene, Easton Preschool Site Teacher
These extraordinary educators have dedicated their lives to Building Brighter Futures for local children, and their impact has been felt by multiple generations of our Mid-Shore community. We are so proud and grateful!
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Cordova Ribbon Cutting!
We had the honor of celebrating the Chapel District Elementary School Ribbon Cutting on August 20th. As part of the festivities, we also cut the ribbon on our beautiful new Cordova Site, which was completed last summer. Our students are loving the new space, which includes three bright, engaging classrooms that have allowed us to serve even more local families. We are proud to be part of the Chapel Cheetah and Talbot County Public Schools family! Our fervent thanks goes out to the generous funders and supporters who made this vital project possible!
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Continuing Staff Education!
Our staff attended the HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) training session at the St. Michaels Community Center on August 21st. The program, led by Jill Ferris from the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, focused on creating Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) to drive healthy child development and lessen the lifelong effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). PCEs help children build resilience and grow into thriving, healthy adults. Many thanks to St. Michaels Community Center for hosting this important workshop. It was an inspiring learning opportunity for our entire staff, and bolstered our commitment to providing the highest quality experience possible for our children and their families.
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Donated Backpacks!
Thank you to Kim Kastel-Smith from Shore United Bank! Kim is a Critchlow Adkins Board Member and has volunteered at the St. Michaels site for over 36 years. This month, she stopped by to distribute donated backpacks to the site's pre-k and kindergarten children, helping make sure they’re prepared and excited for the year ahead!
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Partner Spotlight!
Our St. Michaels campers danced through the summer with the help of Ayonna from Greenlight & Co. After several weeks of practicing their skills with Ayonna, the children showed off their fancy footwork with an end-of-summer dance recital! In next month's newsletter, we'll get to know Ayonna and the inspiration behind her work at Greenlight.
| | Fall Fun With Critchlow Adkins! | |
Get ready for a September to remember with 2 amazing events hosted by Critchlow Adkins supporters - the 2nd Annual Mahjong Tournament and 9th Annual Conor's Project. But wait, there's more! In October, join us for our annual Critchlow Adkins Trivia Night. Scroll down for details!
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AMERICAN MAHJONG TOURNAMENT!
Calling all mahjong players! Bring your game, your friends, and your love for mahjong to play for fun, make memories, and strengthen our community!
Our American Mahjong Tournament, hosted by Zandi Nammack, returns on September 8, 2026 at the Talbot County Free Library in Easton (100 W Dover Street). All skill levels are welcome!
The afternoon concludes with light refreshments and prizes for the winners and best “mahj” outfits.
Pre-registration is required.
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CONOR'S PROJECT 2026!
This wonderful event, hosted by Rennie Gay and his family, is a beautiful way for our community to celebrate Conor's memory. The money raised supports Critchlow Adkins' summer camps, swimming lessons, tuition assistance, and enrichment programs.
Join us on Sunday, September 13th at the Point at Pintail for the sporting clay shoot, the crab feast, or both! And don't forget to get your raffle tickets for your chance to win a Retay Ace Shotgun! Your support of this amazing event helps children learn, grow, and thrive!
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CRITCHLOW ADKINS TRIVIA NIGHT!
Our beloved annual Trivia Night celebration returns on Thursday, October 22nd at the Tred Avon Yacht Club!
Gather your friends and get ready for Trivia fun! Enjoy cocktails, a unique silent auction, a delicious dinner, and our annual fund-a-need paddle raise! And of course, you and your team will test your knowledge during a rousing game of Trivia, with prizes and bragging rights for the winning team.
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With the 9th Annual Conor's Project event coming up, we are excited to introduce you to the event's organizer, Rennie Gay.
Rennie is the owner of Gay's Seafood, a family-run business that has been a fixture on the Mid-Shore for five generations. In addition to providing a livelihood for many of our local watermen, Gay's has expanded to include a deli, which serves delicious breakfasts, lunches, and delectable desserts. Rennie has also worked as a hunting and fishing guide since he was 16 years old.
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In addition to his businesses, Rennie has a heart for serving his community. He was previously on the board of the Bryan Brothers Foundation, helping build the funding that supports many local nonprofit organizations each year.
When Rennie's grandson Conor, a student at our Preschool Site, passed away in a tragic pool accident, he chose to honor his memory by creating an event that raised money to help local children learn to swim.
The very first Conor's Project event was organized over the course of a single evening, and raised around $5,000. Since then, it has grown exponentially. Last year, the 8th Annual event raised more than $95,000! The generosity of Rennie and his fellow Conor's Project supporters now goes far beyond swimming lessons, providing additional tuition assistance and educational enrichment programming that helps our students Build Brighter Futures.
True to his character, when asked about Conor's Project's impact, Rennie gave credit to the wonderful Mid-Shore community. He shared, "I think it shows what people think of Critchlow Adkins, and of what we're doing. They think it's a good cause, too... And I'm lucky enough to know the people to donate."
We are humbled and honored each year to be the recipients of this very special event, and are proud to carry on Conor's legacy in such a meaningful way. If you see Rennie out and about, please thank him for everything he does for Critchlow Adkins and the families we serve.
Thank you, Rennie, for being part of the Critchlow Adkins family!
| | An August STEAM Project YOU Can Do At Home! | | Summer is the season of fun in the sun and enjoying the great outdoors! But with sun comes heat, and this month's STEAM inspiration book delves into one dog's adventure as he tries to cool off on a hot summer day. Before we dive into our final Summer STEAM of the year, sit down with your favorite little one to read Hot Dog, by Doug Salati, together. | | | | |
When a dog plops down from the heat in the middle of a city crosswalk, his owner decides to get him the breath of fresh air he needs.
Together, they take a taxi, train, and ferry to the beach, where they run on the sand, play in the water, and enjoy small pleasures.
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Now that you're in the summer spirit, let's carry out a simple experiment that illustrates the effects of the sun's heat. All you need are two empty plastic bottles, two balloons, a paint brush and black and white acrylic paint.
Paint one of the bottles black, and paint the other white. Place a balloon over the mouth of each bottle, making sure to create a tight seal that does not let air in or out. Place the bottles outside in direct sunlight for 10 minutes.
While you're waiting, make your prediction. Which bottle will heat up faster? The air inside the bottle will also heat up, causing it to move upward and inflating the balloon. Which balloon will be inflated when your ten minutes are up?
| | | | As always, be as creative as you want, and have lots of fun learning together! Visit our website for hundreds of additional STEAM activities you can do at home! | | Sending you a double scoop of love! |
Artwork by
Critchlow Adkins students
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Your support is the cherry on top of our children's Critchlow Adkins experience. Thanks to you, learning is a bowl full of fun, sprinkled with enriching activities that prepare students for sweet success!
Consider a recurring monthly gift of any size to change lives with Critchlow Adkins all year round!
| | Support Critchlow Adkins While Shopping! | | Connect your Harris Teeter VIC card to Critchlow Adkins via the Together in Education Program, and when you purchase the brands listed below, you help earn money to support our programs! | | If you are a Weis Market customer, scan the bar code below at checkout to help Critchlow Adkins earn funds for supplies, programs, and more! | | Thank You To Our Critchlow Adkins Community and Business Partners! | | |
Grant Partners
American Legion Blake Blackston Post #77
Bryan Brothers Foundation
Christmas in St. Michaels
Christ Church St. Michaels Parish
Christopher Foundation for Life
Church of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Women
Dock Street Foundation
Fullwood Foundation
Grayce B. Kerr Foundation
Maryland State Department of Education
Mid-Shore Community Foundation
MSCF Donor Advised Funds:
Cassady Family Fund FBO Critchlow Adkins, Critchlow Adkins Children's Centers Endowment, Ferree Fund, Katra Fund, Reynolds/Cristiano Fund
Philip A Zaffere Foundation
Ridgeway Family Charitable Trust
Rotary Club of Easton
Rural Maryland Council
St. John Foundation
St. Michaels After School Help
Talbot County Health Department
Van Strum Foundation
Women & Girls Fund of the Mid-Shore
Women & Girls Fund Daisy Funds
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Academy Art Museum
Adkins Arboretum
Appleseed Books
Boy Scouts of America
Candlelight Cove
Carepacks of Talbot County
Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Chesapeake College
Choptank Community Health
Cordova Fire Station
Eastern Shore Speech Therapy
Easton Cinemas
Easton Volunteer Fire Department
Emily's Produce
Environmental Concern
Family Affair Farm
For All Seasons
Girl Scouts of America
Healthy Talbot
Imagination Library of Talbot County
Judy Amdur Music
Judy Center Early Learning Hubs
Jump Start With The Arts
Lion's Club
Kiln Born Creations
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Maryland Zoo
Pickering Creek Audubon Center
Police, Fire, and EMS Departments
Positive Strides Therapeutic Riding
Project Right Steps
Ready at Five
Shore Lit
SOS Sink or Swim
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
St. Michaels Community Center
Talbot County:
Health Department
Infants and Toddlers
Oral Health Department
Parks and Recreation
Public Schools
Talbot County Free Library
Talbot Family Network
Talbot Humane
Talbot Interfaith Shelter
Talbot Thrive
University of Maryland Extension
US Armed Forces
4-H Club
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Critchlow Adkins is so fortunate to have generous support from our local business community. Meet our CACC Stars!
*For more information on how YOU can become a CACC Star, click HERE or contact our Development Director, Liz Connelly, at lconnelly@cacckids.org.
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Ball Greenhouses
Benson and Mangold Real Estate
Brambles Electric
Carpenter Street Saloon
Chesapeake Blooms
Chic-fil-A
Coventry Motor Works
Crackerjacks
Dairy Queen of Denton
Dragonfly Boutique
Easton Music Academy
L. Lucke Designs
Moore Funeral Home
PeachBlossoms Events
RLE LLC
Salt & Light Entertainment
Storm & Daughters Ice Cream
Vintage Family Farms
What's Good, LLC
Windswept Clothiers
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Licensed Maryland Childcare Providers
Cordova - 45445
Easton Preschool - 31291
Easton School Age - 31294
St. Michaels - 31292
White Marsh - 53488
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