BCP December 2019 Newsletter
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In this issue:
- MSDE Recognizes Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy as Top-Performing Schools
- BCP Builds Teacher Pipeline with Morgan State University
- Patterson Park Soccer League Celebrates 10 Years of Fun and Fitness
- Author Nic Stone Inspires City Springs Elementary/Middle Students
- Baltimore Ravens Talk Turkey at Frederick Elementary
- Govans Elementary Students Travel from Farm to Table with Days of Taste
- Hampstead Hill Academy Builds Community with Kiwanis Builders Club
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MSDE Recognizes Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy as Top-Performing Schools
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The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) released the 2019 school and district report cards earlier this month and both Hampstead Hill Academy (WSA) and Wolfe Street Academy received four out of five stars.
HHA is the top performing elementary/middle school in Baltimore City Public Schools for the second year in a row! HHA's elementary school performed in the 73rd percentile statewide and HHA's middle school performed in the 93rd percentile statewide.
WSA is the second highest performing elementary school in Baltimore City Public Schools. WSA performed in the 71st percentile statewide. These statistics reflect the enormous achievement and amazing teaching and learning at HHA and WSA.
BCP would like to thank HHA's and WSA's talented staff and terrific parents and families for all of their support.
About MSDE's School Star Designations
Overall school star designations are determined by a combination of academic and school quality indicators that are used to differentiate and identify schools to ensure that all schools are meeting the needs of all students. Academic indicators are used to determine 65 percent of the possible points, while the school quality and student success indicator determines 35 percent of the possible points. Possible points vary by school and year, however school ratings are based on the total earned points percent. Percentile ranks of each school are reported and are based on the grades in the school (Elementary, Middle and/or High school).
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BCP Builds Teacher Pipeline with Morgan State University
BCP Jon McGill, BCP Director of Academic Affairs
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On December 4th, Jon McGill traveled to Morgan State University to speak to their graduating School of Education Class of ’20. The purpose was to provide them with information about BCP, about charter schools in Maryland and Baltimore, and about possible career paths with a BCP school.
Our five schools already have a number of Morgan State Education program graduates but most of those came through an informal pipeline. One of the things we have been trying to do is to establish a much stronger partnership with MSU, one of the reasons why we are holding our BCP Professional Development Assembly and our Leading Minds panel at Morgan State on January 24th, 2020.
Morgan occupies an historically important position in Maryland and in Baltimore. Currently, its building program and its academic programs are going from strength to strength and connecting their students to the education needs of Baltimore City is a vital part of our city planning.
Morgan education graduates are coming from as far away as California, Atlanta, Georgia and New Jersey. Many are home-grown, from right here in Baltimore and have been raised in those parts of the city that our schools serve. Their experiences and their mission fit well with our desire to make sure we staff our schools with excellent teachers who can build relationships and provide first-rate teaching for our students.
Dr. Glenda Prime, the Dean of the School of Education, Dr, Thurman Bridges, and Dr. Simone Gibson have all been strong proponents of connecting BCP with Morgan State and we are looking forward to a healthy relationship with the University, its students and staff.
About the School of Education and Urban Studies at Morgan State University
The mission of the School of Education and Urban Studies (SEUS) is to prepare a culturally and ethnically diverse student body to serve, with distinction, in the field of education and urban studies. Learn more at:
https://www.morgan.edu/seus
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Patterson Park Soccer League Celebrates 10 Years of Fun and Fitness
By Leah Beachley, SWCOS Community School Coordinator at Wolfe Street Academy
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Over the past ten years, Wolfe Street Academy and the Baltimore Curriculum Project have led a multi-school afternoon soccer league in Patterson Park, serving second through fifth graders.
The Patterson Park Area Elementary School Soccer League is made possible through the generosity of The Philip and Beryl Sachs Family Foundation, and through the support of the Volo City Kids Foundation and Friends of Patterson Park.
The soccer league serves 180 students from six schools in Southeast Baltimore: three BCP schools (City Springs Elementary/Middle, Hampstead Hill Academy, and Wolfe Street Academy), Commodore John Rodgers Elementary/Middle School, Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School #237, and Patterson Park Public Charter School. All of the schools have two teams - a team of second and third grade students and a team of fourth and fifth grade students.
Practices and games take place twice a week, directly after school, for eight weeks every fall. After two weeks of skills practice and learning the game, students play other teams in the league competitively. At the end of each season, the schools invite parents, teachers, and school staff to play a final game against the student soccer teams. The last day of soccer is always a fun event with the kids vs. adults games, a medal ceremony, and a pizza party.
About Friends of Patterson Park
Friends of Patterson Park promotes, protects and advocates for our treasured common ground so that it can be enjoyed for generations to come. They believe a well-used and well-tended park contributes to the health and vitality of the diverse communities who call Patterson Park the ‘Best Backyard in Baltimore'.
About Volo City Kids Foundation
Volo City Kids provides free organized sports for kids across the country. Their programs bring communities together by removing barriers to athletic participation.
http://www.volocityfoundation.org/
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Author Nic Stone Inspires City Springs Elementary/Middle Students
By Mya Hodge, BCP Development and HR Associate
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Scholars at City Springs Elementary/Middle School spent the first quarter of the school year exploring the New York Times Bestselling book
Dear Martin, by Nic Stone. The book features the main character, Justyce McAllister, grappling with what it means to be black in America in the 21st century.
The scholars explored complex 21st Century issues, while grappling with topics such as racism, the legacy of segregation, equity vs. equality, police brutality, and more. To celebrate the amazing work the scholars did while reading and analyzing the book, Nic Stone came to visit them and celebrate all of their great work.
The scholars got to ask Nic Stone questions regarding her book, future projects, the writing process, and much more. The event ended with Nic Stone raffling off ten copies of her books including
Dear Martin, Odd One Out, and Jackpot.
Ms. Stone also visited City Springs in November 2018. Students across Baltimore read
Dear Martin as part of the One Book Baltimore program throughout the 2018-19 school year.
Last May, the Penguin Random House Common Reads website featured a reflection on
Dear Martin by City Springs student Kayla.
Read the refection here.
BCP and City Springs would like to thank Nic Stone and Penguin Random House for their support.
About Nic Stone
Nic Stone is an Atlanta native and a Spelman College graduate. After working extensively in teen mentoring and living in Israel for several years, she returned to the United States to write full-time. Nic’s debut novel for young adults,
Dear Martin, was a New York Times bestseller and William C. Morris Award finalist. She is also the author of the teen titles
Odd One Out, a novel about discovering oneself and who it is okay to love, which was an NPR Best Book of the Year and a Rainbow Book List Top Ten selection, and
Jackpot, a love-ish story that takes a searing look at economic inequality.
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Baltimore Ravens Talk Turkey at Frederick Elementary
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BCP and Frederick Elementary would like to thank Patrick "Peanut" Onwuasor, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens, and Ronnie Stanley, offensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens, for donating 200 turkeys with all the trimmings to the families of Frederick Elementary and the surrounding community on December 21, 2019.
Thank you also to Anthony Levine Sr., linebacker and safety for the Baltimore Ravens, and Matt Skura, center for the Baltimore Ravens, for joining Peanut and Ronnie at the school.
The Baltimore Ravens have been a steadfast Baltimore Curriculum Project partner since 2007, when they built a KaBOOM! playground for Collington Square School.
Since then, they have supported the BCP Schools in numerous ways including:
- a $200,000 NFL Grassroots Program grant to support the construction of the City Springs Athletic Field;
- grant funding for multiple athletic programs;
- Purple Friday pep rallies;
- free tickets through their Honor Rows Program;
- a turkey giveaway by Matthew Judon and Patrick Onwuasor at Wolfe Street Academy in November 2018;
- a Baltimore Ravens Gatorade Junior Training Camp at City Springs Elementary/Middle School in July 2018; and
- a back to school event at City Springs Elementary/Middle School in August 2019, which was sponsored by Robert Griffin III and the RG3 Foundation. Students received free haircuts and backpacks filled with school supplies at the event.
BCP and the BCP schools would like to the The Baltimore Ravens for their ongoing support!
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Govans Elementary Students Travel from Farm to Table with Days of Taste
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Days of Taste, a program of Tastewise Kids, returned to Govans Elementary in November.
The three-part interactive learning experience introduces students to the elements of flavor - sweet, sour, salty, and bitter, encourages them to try mixing flavors to change the way food tastes, and allows them to participate in food’s journey from farm to table.
Days of Taste has been working with Govans for over 18 years.
For the second year in a row, Chef David Thomas, Executive Chef and co-owner of Ida B’s Table, taught students about the culinary arts. Ida B’s Table features “modern soul food,” showcasing the history and diversity of African-American cuisine.
Chef Dave is an award-winning chef and was a winner on the TV show “Chopped." Tonya Thomas, Dave’s wife and co-owner of Ida B’s Table, also participated in the class.
Dr. Riva Kahn, Days of Taste Director, joined Dave and Tonya on days one and three of the program as the lead Days of Taste volunteer. Two culinary arts students from Mergenthaler Vocational Technical High School (MERVO) also worked with the class on day one. Coincidentally, both MERVO students had participated in Days of Taste when they were fourth graders.
Days of Taste is developing a program where high school culinary arts students will volunteer with the program and learn from the professional chefs and farmers working with a variety of schools.
On day two, Govans students visited One Straw Farm in White Hall, Maryland. One Straw Farm is the hub of a sustainable food community, growing and delivering fresh, healthy produce to their members, restaurants, and farmer’s markets throughout the Baltimore area - including the 32nd Street Farmers Market just two-and-a-half miles from the school.
Guided by Joan Norman, farmer/co-owner of One Straw Farm, students saw first-hand how vegetables are grown, how animals are raised, and how food is prepared for delivery to area farmers markets.
On day three, Chef Dave returned to Govans. Students worked as teams to prepare a delicious salad and dressing, featuring locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients such as pears, watermelon, radishes and kale. Many students were amazed they could make their own salad dressing, and could enjoy a dressing that wasn’t Ranch!
After the three-day Days of Taste program, students, teachers, Principal Bernarda Kwaw, and Strong City Baltimore Community School Coordinator Sandi McFadden received take-home salad kits with ingredients to make salad and vinaigrette dressing for four to six people. The salad kits were prepared and delivered by The Classic Catering People.
"We are hoping the kits gave the students the opportunity to show their parents what they learned with Chef Dave in the classroom, and that parents and kids enjoyed preparing and eating the salad together," said Ms. Kahn.
"Research suggests that parents often won’t buy produce because they don’t think their kids will eat it, and they don’t want to waste money on perishable food that will go to waste. We’re hoping the salad kits may encourage parents to buy and prepare more produce as part of family dinners."
BCP and Govans Elementary would like to thank Days of Taste, Dr. Riva Kahn, Chef David Thomas, Tonya Thomas, One Straw Farm, Joan Norman, and the students from MERVO for providing this wonderful experience for our students.
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Hampstead Hill Academy Builds Community with Builders Club
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Hampstead Hill Academy's Builders Club has been busy in December. The members hosted a ceramic painting event on Thursday, December 5th to raise money for the University of Maryland Children's Hospital Child Life Program.
The members will go shopping at Target to purchase items for the hospital's wish list event. Last May the Builders Club hosted a band aid drive and collected over 200 boxes of band aids for the Child Life Program.
They will also sponsor an Ugly Sweater Day on December 17th to raise money for the Pennies for Patients campaign that will be held later in the year. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) Pennies for Patients program is working with thousands of schools across the country to raise funds for blood cancer research and patient support services.
Their last activity will be to visit Future Care nursing home and make crafts with the residents.
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