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Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises CEO, Baltimore City Schools
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Commissioner Darryl D. De Sousa
Baltimore Police Department
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Tom Hall, Host
Midday on WYPR
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Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Santelises, Baltimore Police Commissioner Darryl De Sousa,
and WYPR Midday Host Tom Hall will compete in the seventh annual Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader? Quiz Show on Thursday, April 19, 2018 from 6:15pm-8:15pm at City Springs Elementary/Middle School.
Find out if they have what it takes to outsmart our fifth graders from City Springs Elementary/Middle, Frederick Elementary, Govans Elementary, Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy.
Enjoy dinner and a fun-filled quiz show. Onsite parking is available. Seating is limited.
All proceeds will benefit over 2,700 PreK-8 students attending BCP's neighborhood charter schools.
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The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School hosted a breakfast for City Springs teachers in November. |
The Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and City Springs Elementary/Middle School launched an exciting new partnership in 2017.
"Our partnership was created through a professor at Carey Business School, Dr. Lindsay Thompson," said Mary Somers, Associate Director, Coaching & Education, at Carey. "Our staff council reached out to her to ask about a school with which we could partner. She suggested that we talk with Dr. Richetta, who welcomed us."
Since then, the Carey Business School has provided a variety of wonderful support initiatives for City Springs, including:
- A Teacher Breakfast in November.
- Fundraising: Carey has committed to raise $4,000 to buy books for the City Springs library. Through a series of events and a GoFundMe page, Carey has raised over $3,000 for this effort.
- Clothing collection: So far this school year, Carey employees have donated 37 pairs of khaki pants, 103 pairs of underwear, and 368 pairs of socks to City Springs.
- Summer Clean Up day: Ten Carey staff members spent a day cleaning the book room and other areas of the school in July 2017.
- Donation: $320 was contributed for the book fair so that children who could not afford books could purchase them.
- Collaboration with Gilchrist Hospice: Gilchrist arranged a visit by Vietnam veterans Jonathan Panitz, Ed Kaplan, Ed Nolley and Paul Jarboe, who spoke about their experiences. They were joined by Diane Sancilio, Gilchrist's Director of Counseling & Support; Mary Antonucci, Gilchrist's Volunteer Manager; Gilchrist's Volunteer Support team; and Mary Somers, a Gilchrist volunteer and daughter of a WWII veteran. The students will follow up by writing thank-you cards that will be distributed at a Welcome Home Ceremony for Vietnam Vets on March 30th.
- Women in Leadership Panel Discussion: The City Springs Athletic Director, Basketball Coach, and students on the girls basketball team attended a panel discussion entitled "Women in Leadership: Opportunities and Challenges from the Athletic Field to the Boardroom" at Carey on February 26th. The panel included Alanna Shanahan (Director of Athletics and Recreation, Johns Hopkins University), Beth Hehir (Vice President, Bank of America), Jennifer Baker (Senior Associate Athletics Director, Johns Hopkins University), and Kris Caverly (Vice President, T. Rowe Price). The panel discussion was moderated by Carey Assistant Professor Colleen Stuart.
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The Carey Business School and Gilchrist Hospice arranged a recent visit with four Vietnam Veterans. |
Recently, City Springs Elementary/Middle School Academic Coaches Stacey Hicks, Jenae Toulson, and Tiffany Key facilitated a training session for Carey volunteers at the Carey Business School.
During the training they gave an overview of why Direct Instruction is used in the BCP Schools and its benefits. They modeled reading intervention strategies such as duet reading and step-up reading and had the Hopkins volunteers practice these strategies.
The coaches also gave an overview of Singapore math. They talked about math manipulatives and math sprints, which help students gain speed and accuracy in mental computation skills. The volunteers completed their sprints in a minute or less. The coaches will be providing another training session for a new group of Hopkins volunteers in the near future.
BCP and City Springs would like to thank the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School for this outstanding partnership!
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Volunteers Make it Happen at Frederick Elementary
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Community School Coordinator Sabrina Wiggins invited Frederick volunteers to be her guests at the
Nathan Carter School of Music's Annual Benefit as a small token of appreciation for their hard work.
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In a few short months Sabrina Wiggins, Frederick Elementary's Community School Coordinator, has recruited a dedicated team of volunteers who support the school in numerous ways.
The core team of volunteers includes school family members, community residents, Walking School Bus leaders, Experience Corps staff and volunteers, and participants in KRA's Work Participation, Placement, and Support Services Program.
"My volunteers are awesome," said Ms. Wiggins. "They've taken ownership. I tell them all the time, the school is what you make it. I tell them what the school needs they make it happen."
Volunteers run the food pantry, give out late passes, help in the cafeteria, post flyers around the building, help out in the office, distribute fresh fruits and snacks, organize clothing in the lost and found, and fill backpacks for the school's "Backpacks for the Homeless" program. They also complete other activities as assigned.
Both Latonya Warren and Elen Sheares, the
AARP Experience Corps Maryland Team Leader for Frederick, can be found helping out every day.
"Ms. Latonya comes in all day," said Ms. Wiggins. "When she noticed that students who arrived late and missed breakfast were being sent back to the cafeteria, she began handing out snacks with late passes so that students wouldn't miss valuable instructional time."
Mariyah Wright, BCP's MSW Intern from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, has been deeply involved with helping Ms. Wiggins engage volunteers with the school.
Volunteer Manager is one of the many roles Ms. Wiggins plays as Frederick Elementary's Community School Coordinator. She is employed by Bon Secour Community Works, the Lead Community School Agency for Frederick.
BCP and Frederick Elementary would like to thank the following volunteers for all of their support: Sononia Drake, Sylvia Houser, Greg Lucas,
Tabitha Harris-McElveen, Pamela Petty, Barbara Pittman, Elen Sheares, Thelma Terrell, Latonya Warren, and Zedico Williams.
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Govans Elementary and BCP would like to thank the following people and organizations for their support:
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Howell Baum
Janet Beyea
The Bilger Family
Heather Bradbury
The Church of the Nativity and
Holy Comforter
The Connell Family
Kristen Ann Conniff
Rick, Alexa, Maeve & Charlotte
Corcoran
Barbara Dent
Laura Doherty
Susan Fothergill
Rachel Garner
Phyllis Goldberg
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Govanstowne Business
Association
Kurt and Kimberly Graham
The Hazard Family
Elizabeth Hunt
Lois Hybl
Aisha Isackson
Alex and Patricia Jefferson
Mrs. Jobe
The Legaluppi-Lapenta Family
Kathy LaPlant
Claudia Leight
Dave Mcfadden
Sandi McFadden
Elizabeth Olson
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Anne S. Perkins
Tim and Lee Pierce
Jo-Ann Pilardi
Claudia Salzberg
Larry Schugam
John Sinnigen
Jason and Anna Storlie
Gary and Robin Thrift
Valerie Tracy
Polly Webb
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Xanadu a Big Hit at Hampstead Hill Academy
The arts are alive and thriving at Hampstead Hill Academy. A couple weekends ago, we held the 15th annual production of the Hampstead Hill Players, our musical theater group at Hampstead Hill Academy. The Hampstead Hill Players are renowned for producing entertaining, high quality shows that are fun for the whole family.
This year's production of Xanadu Jr., a campy, fun-loving spoof of the 80's movie of the same name, was one of our best shows ever!
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HHA_s Spring Musical Staff Production Team. |
We want to thank everyone who worked incredibly hard throughout the fall and winter to prepare for the performances. We are grateful for the vision and leadership of long-time Producer Michelle Kaminaris.
Our fantastic production team includes Director Kelly Durkin, Musical Director Matthew Cobb, Choreographer Abby Hayden, Stage Manager Meghan Bierley, Set Designer Ian Haupt, Technical Assistant Rebekah Nicholson, and Sound and Lighting Designer Tony Berry.
These HHA staff members have a passion and commitment to making our annual musical terrific. Their work is deeply appreciated by the entire school community. The theater provides a unique opportunity for many of our students to be a part of something special. A thousand thanks to our dedicated faculty members who take on the musical each year.
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Wolfe Street Academy's Debate Club is an Inarguable Success
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Wolfe Street Academy's Debate Team and Coach Katie Miller.
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Wolfe Street Academy's (WSA) new Debate Club is having an outstanding school year, thanks to the leadership of volunteer Katie Miller and the hard work of eleven fourth and fifth graders.
Katie has been working with WSA's afterschool program since the fall of 2016 and this year she was asked to coach their very first debate team.
"Having never participated in a debate myself, I, of course, enthusiastically agreed," said Katie.
Katie first learned about WSA while working for Councilman Jim Kraft as a Peaceworker Fellow through the Shriver Center at UMBC.
"When I first visited Wolfe Street Academy shortly after moving to Baltimore, I immediately knew that it was just a little magical," said Katie. "Wolfe Street is a school with true community spirit, committed teachers, and motivated students. It's a space that cultivates resiliency among children & families, empowering them to overcome obstacles like English as a second language."
During the Peaceworker fellowship, Katie conducted thesis research on how the Latino immigrant community around WSA interacts with their food system.
After completing the fellowship, Katie received an OSI-Baltimore Fellowship to create the Latino Food Alliance, which worked with CASA de Maryland to increase engagement and participation in initiatives related to food access and food justice among Baltimore's Latino immigrant community.
During the spring of 2017, Katie ran an after school Health Club at WSA through the Youth Neighborhood Food Advocates Program. This program engages young people in conversations around health disparities, teaches practical nutrition information, and develops young people as community leaders.
The following fall, Katie was asked run the WSA Debate team. Shortly thereafter, WSA found out that they had not received the grant funding necessary to run the club. Katie quickly launched a gofundme campaign and raised $2,650 within two weeks.
The debate team has made impressive progress in a very short time. At the last Baltimore Urban Debate League (BUDL) tournament, WSA won ten of twelve debates. At tournaments in February, students Olivia and Stephanie finished first and Regina and Breslin finished third in the elementary novice division.
Each semester the students research and develop arguments and speeches for one topic. In the fall they explored whether or not the State of Maryland should drastically curtail the amount of standardized testing in grades K-12. This spring they are exploring whether or not Baltimore City Schools should have a no-homework policy for grades K-8.
"I've become impressed with how studious the kids are during debate club," said Katie. "I have a background in elementary education. I had forgotten how rewarding it can be to see how quickly children can grow and develop skills. It was amazing to see that."
Katie recently accepted a position in the Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs. Although she won't be able to coach the debate club next school year, she has offered to provide the next coach with resources and support.
BCP and Wolfe Street Academy would like to thank Katie for everything she has done to support our students and we wish her good luck in her future endeavors.
If you are interested in volunteering to serve as next year's Debate Coach, please e-mail OST Director Tiffany Judy at tjudy@baltimorecp.org.
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