20220612-CAPITALSTYLEMAGAZINE-T-0 - Flipbook - Page 36
Best of Anne Arundel
PERSONALITIES
Karen Soneira is the
principal at Germantown Elementary
School. PHOTO BY KIM
Principal
Karen Soneira, Germantown Elementary School
HAIRSTON
200 Windell Ave., Annapolis. 410-222-1615. aacps.org
Under Karen Soneira’s leadership, Germantown Elementary School doesn’t embrace only the 550 pupils
enrolled in pre-kindergarten through the fifth grade. It embraces entire families.
More than three-quarters of Germantown Elementary’s students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch,
and for two-thirds, English is their second language.
During the past eight years, Soneira (who is retiring in June) has established after-school programs for
kids, weekend field trips for families and an in-school dental program. Shoes that Fit provides free sneakers
through a California organization while Backpack Buddies sends home bags of food including snacks, easy
dinner meals and fresh fruit.
All school clubs, from cooking to soccer to dance, are free for pupils, as is transportation. In addition
to the standard curriculum of science and math, Germantown students are taught such social skills as
expressing empathy.
“Germantown is working to close the gap,” Soneira said, “so all of our kids can grow towards success.”
36 | SUMMER 2022 | capitalstylemag.com