About Us
Nigel La Roche
Welcome to the 2023-24 school year! I am so excited to be your new Deep Run Principal. I have over 28 years in education and have been so proud to serve communities as a teacher and school administrator. My career began in Baltimore County as a special education teacher, where my focus was on meeting the needs of every student. Since that time, I have taught at non-public schools and at Fulton Elementary School. I served the entire county as a Behavior Specialist with the Department of Special Education for nine years before becoming a Leadership Intern and Assistant principal right around the corner at Waterloo Elementary School. Six years ago, I was promoted to my first principalship at Dayton Oaks Elementary School. Looking back, I am so proud of the culture of inclusion and belonging that I helped foster for every child and family, and I intend to continue to make family engagement and student belonging a priority at Deep Run. With your partnership we can accomplish so much, and it is going to be a great school year! Lastly, coming to Deep Run is like coming home as my own children, Oliver and Chloe attended Deep Run many years ago. They have grown and succeeded due to the strong educational foundation they received at Deep Run. I look forward to seeing you all this year!
Ashleigh Townsend
Welcome! Bienvenidos! It is a true pleasure to join the Deep Run team this year as an Assistant Principal. I firmly believe that all students deserve to go to a school that inspires and empowers them to excel each and every day. The Deep Run Elementary staff is committed to building genuine relationships with students, families, and community that nurture and support our young learners’ growth and achievement. Together, we will create partnerships that reach beyond the classroom walls to ensure student success and well-being. Over the past 15 years, I have been an educator at both the elementary and middle school level in Montgomery and Howard County Public Schools. During my instructional career I have served as an instrumental music teacher in grades 3-8 and team leader. This will be my 5th year as an administrator at Deep Run. When I am not at school, I you will find me spending time with my husband Ben and our two daughters Paige (9) and Margot (4). I enjoy traveling, music, photography, and playing with my sweet dog Sammy. Please feel free to reach out at any time. Let's have an amazing year!
Jerome Pickens
Hello Deep Run Families! I am honored to serve the Deep Run community. I have been an educator for over 10 years. I started my career in Baltimore County Public School teaching 2nd grade and joined Howard County Public Schools in 2016. I taught 4th and 5th grade at Bryant Woods Elementary as an Instructional Team Leader. More recently, I was the Leadership Intern at Hollifield Station Elementary. I look forward to partnering with you on your child’s education journey. I am committed to ensuring high-quality education and providing opportunities for all students to succeed and close the achievement gap. When I am not at school, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. I enjoy cooking, listening to music, going to concerts, and traveling. I have an open-door policy, please feel free to reach out when needed. I am looking forward to connecting with each and every family!
School Overview
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year. At Deep Run Elementary School, we take pride in ensuring that our vision for students provides them with opportunities to be successful and productive citizens. With over 720 students in preschool through fifth grades, and 150 staff members, Deep Run is a busy, vibrant and engaged learning environment in which students flourish, grow and succeed. Our staff values the connections we make with our community, our families and our students. Our instructional practices align with our school system's Strategic Call to Action: Learning and Leading with Equity. They reflect the belief that every student should possess the skills, knowledge, and confidence to positively influence the larger community.
By working in partnership with our families and community, we help to ensure that Deep Run Elementary School is a place that values family and community engagement. We hope you will take a moment to look at our web site, read about the exciting things taking place daily at our school, and use our web site as a tool for connecting with us.
Deep Run students are reminded daily of the expectations and responsibilities that come with being a member of the Deep Run school community. Our Deep Run Rangers are engaged, kind, and responsible. It's our expectation that our students demonstrate positive behavior in every school setting and within our community. We hope you will join us in nurturing the development of our students so they become productive members of our community.
Thanks for visiting our website. Feel free to send me a comment or an email at this address: nigel_laroche@hcpss.org
Environmental Reports
All environmental reports have been moved to the Indoor Environmental Quality page.
School Profile:
Deep Run Elementary School
Fast facts about Deep Run ES listing special programs, total enrollment, accomplishments and more.
MSDE School Report Card
The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) School Report Card reflects overall
school performance using a combination of academic and school quality indicators.
Community Superintendent
With a focus on instruction as a birth-through-graduation continuum, Community Superintendents better position the school system to support students throughout their entire journey with HCPSS. View community superintendents by regional area.
Community Superintendent Area 2: Jennifer A Robinson
Board of Education Representative
Howard County public schools are divided into school clusters, which are assigned to individual Board members to facilitate school visitations, attend special events, and provide a point of contact for each school community. View all BOE school cluster assignments.
DRES BOE Representative: Jolene Mosley