Join us for BCPS Curriculum Nights and Community Conversations -- This Week in BCPS

Monday, February 26, 2024

Join us for BCPS Curriculum Nights

Discover more about what students are learning

Team BCPS students, parents, caregivers, and stakeholders are invited to participate in the 2024 BCPS Curriculum Nights. These events are opportunities for families to learn about BCPS curriculum and current system efforts to make improvements in English language arts, mathematics, early childhood education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), and special education. BCPS staff will also discuss what families can expect to see their children learning in the academic priority areas and will provide tips and resources on how to support students at home. Attendees will have an opportunity to view curricular and instructional materials and ask questions. The March 12 session will be livestreamed on the BCPS-TV YouTube channel.

Tuesday, March 12, from 6-7:30 p.m.

Woodlawn High School

1801 Woodlawn Dr., Woodlawn 21207

Tuesday, April 30, from 6-7:30 p.m.

Dulaney High School

255 E. Padonia Rd., Timonium 21093

Participate in upcoming Community Conversations with Superintendent Rogers

BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers invites the Team BCPS community to discuss a variety of important school system-related topics at upcoming Community Conversations. During the events, Dr. Rogers will share information about key priorities for BCPS, hear from Team BCPS community members, and answer questions. The April 3 session will be livestreamed on the BCPS-TV YouTube channel.

Thursday, March 14, from 6-7 p.m.

Owings Mills High School

124 S. Tollgate Rd., Owings Mills 21117

Wednesday, April 3, from 6-7 p.m.

Eastern Technical High School

1100 Mace Ave., Essex 21221

Wednesday, April 10, from 6-7 p.m.

Loch Raven Technical Academy

8101 Lasalle Rd., Towson 21286

Interpreting services available for Curriculum Nights and Community Conversations

Spanish interpretation will be provided at all sessions. Interpreting services for other languages are also available upon request at no cost to participants. Please contact 443-809-1250 as early as possible to request.

Finalists for Student Member of the Board share campaign speeches

The campaign for Student Member of the Board continues. Videos of speeches by the two finalists are now available online, on BCPS-TV, and in selected English language arts classes. Middle and high school students can submit questions to the candidates. Videos of the candidates answering questions will be available for online viewing on Thursday, April 4. On that same day, middle and high school students will cast online ballots from 7 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. to select their preferred candidate. Visit the Student Member of the Board selection webpage for more information about the balloting process.

Ugonma Chike-Kalu, Grade 11

Western School of Technology

Kimberely Hernandez, Grade 11

Dulaney High School

Community invited to online discussion about BCPS school counseling program

Parents/families and school staff are invited to participate in an online Microsoft Teams discussion to offer feedback about their experiences with the BCPS school counseling program. The meeting will be held on Tuesday, February 27, from 6-7 p.m. Microsoft Team meeting link: Meeting ID: 262 166 372 444; passcode: N7UPea. Call in (audio only): +1 301-960-8406 (Phone conference ID: 492 865 954#). Those not available to participate in the online discussions can submit comments via an online survey.

Worth a thousand words

Or 17 syllables?

See art. Write haiku.

BCPS students, from Kindergarten through Grade 12, are encouraged to enter the 2024 Team BCPS Haiku Contest. Students are asked to write works inspired by a piece of student artwork selected from among 10 pieces.

Three winners will be selected (one each at the elementary, middle, and high school levels) and awarded prizes. This year's contest will accept entries until 4:45 p.m. on Monday, March 4. Entries must be submitted using an online form. Winners will be announced on Wednesday, April 17, International Haiku Poetry Day.

Winners (from Grades 4 through 12) will receive a scholarship to participate in this summer’s asynchronous writing camp (June 24 – August 23), sponsored by the Maryland Writing Project at Towson University. Other prizes will include a gift from The Charmery and a framed print of the winning haiku and the artwork that inspired it.

Nominations open for Baltimore Ravens and M&T Bank "Touchdown for Teachers" program

Anyone can nominate an outstanding educator for recognition in the Baltimore Ravens and M&T Bank's Touchdown for Teachers program. Nominations will be accepted through Friday, April 5. Finalists will be notified of their selection by Tuesday, April 23.

Three finalists – including the eventual grand prize winner – will be selected by a panel of community members and school officials, with the assistance of Baltimore Ravens and M&T Bank staff.

The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 in grant funds, payable to their school or district and a classroom visit by a Ravens’ coach or player, accompanied by mascot Poe. The two remaining finalists will each receive $1,000 in grant funds, payable to their school or district. Every nominated educator will receive a certificate of recognition.

4 BCPS students named finalists

Four BCPS students were named among the 20 finalists in WJZ's Black History Competition. This year's competition invited Maryland students in Grades 9-12 to write original essays in response to quotes from Frederick Douglass, Thurgood Marshall, and Oprah Winfrey.

The BCPS students honored are:

Bre’Anna Marie Harper, Grade 11, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology
Horizon Niroula, Grade 11, Perry Hall High School
Chiemela Nwokoro, Grade 12, Eastern Technical High School
Alexis Robinson, Grade 11, Parkville High School

A video of all 20 finalists reading their essays can be found online.

All BCPS fine arts summer enrichment programs are open to students entering Grades 5-12 in the 2024-2025 school year, except for the visual arts summer program, which will accept students entering Grades 3-12. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 17. Bus transportation is available. Fee waivers are available for students who do not have permanent or adequate housing.

While registration is full for the BCPS summer art and musical theatre camps, space may still be available in the following:

Summer Dance Intensive

Monday, July 8, through Friday, July 12, from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Pikesville High School

Cost: $130 per student

Summer Dance Intensive registration form

Summer Music Camp Session I -- orchestra and songwriting

Monday, July 8, through Friday, July 12, from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Pikesville High School

Cost: $130 per student

Summer Music Camp registration form

Summer Music Camp Session II -- band and ukulele

Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19, from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Dumbarton Middle School

Cost: $130 per student

Summer Music Camp registration form

Nominate school counselors, school counseling advocates for honors

The Baltimore County Association for Counseling and Development invites BCPS employees, parents, and students to nominate school counselors and school counseling advocates for recognition. All nominations are due by Monday, March 11. Nominations can be made in the following categories:

Rookie School Counselor of the Year (a BCPS counselor with less than five years' experience) – Nomination form

School Counselor of the Year (a BCPS counselor with at least five years' experience) –Nomination form

School Counseling Advocate of the Year – Nomination form

Have you taken the 2024 BCPS Climate Survey?

The annual BCPS Climate Survey has been revised with fewer questions and a focus on school climate and engagement. Students in Grades 3–12, parents/caregivers, community members, and all staff are asked to complete the online survey, which is accessible from the BCPS home page. The survey takes three minutes or less to complete, is anonymous, and is available in multiple languages. The survey window will close on Friday, March 8.

Black History Month spotlight on BCPS graduates

Each school day throughout Black History Month, BCPS is honoring on social media a graduate from a BCPS high school. Community members and BCPS staff can continue to submit nominations to ensure that each BCPS high school is represented.

The graduates highlighted last week are:

Marius Ifedi Chukwurah, M.D.

Eastern Technical High School graduate

Cardiology Fellow, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Lisa Borden

Catonsville High School graduate

President & Chief Executive Officer, Borden Transportation

Josh Muhumuza

Dundalk High School graduate; 2020-2021 Student Member of the Board of Education of Baltimore County

Junior, Yale University; Speaker, Yale Political Union

Saidah Arrika Ekulona

Owings Mills High School graduate

Award-winning theatre, television, and film actor; currently featured on the CBS sitcom "Bob Hearts Abishola"

Cafeteria staff work to promote healthy eating

Across the county, the Office of Food and Nutrition Services works to promote healthy eating and offer fresh, quality food and new menu items like bento boxes. Images below include bento boxes by Jeanette Samuels, cafeteria worker, Johnnycake Elementary School; fresh veggie prep work by Jane Queen, cafeteria worker, Deep Creek Middle School; St. Patrick's Day decor by Helen Wong, senior cafeteria lead, Sandalwood Elementary School; and assorted fruit prep by Christine Johnson, cafeteria worker, Johnnycake Elementary School.

Cohosted by BCPS and the Community College of Baltimore County, this special event connects BCPS students with a wide range of colleges and universities from across the country. Questions? Email collegefair@ccbcmd.edu. Please register in advance for this free event.

Tuesday, March 12, from 6-8 p.m.

CCBC Catonsville

800 S. Rolling Rd.

Wellness Center – Parking lot 5

Catonsville 21228

Wednesday, March 13, from 6-8 p.m.

CCBC Essex

7201 Rossville Blvd.

Wellness Center – Parking lot 3

Essex 21237

for parents

from BCPS Parent University

Parent University is so much more than workshops

Each month, Parent University offers workshops to support parents/caregivers. But beyond the workshops, parents/caregivers can access helpful information from Parent University in various forms:

An online resource library divided into the following topic areas:

Academics
College and career information
Community resources
English language learners
Health and safety

Leadership and advocacy
Mental health
Personal growth
Special education
Things to do when school is out

The Parentmobile, a mobile resource center

The FACEtime e-newsletter

The "In the Know" podcast

"In the Know" videos

Looking for more ideas and information? Please sign up for the Parent University newsletter! It is designed specifically for parents and caregivers and offers ideas, information, resources, and opportunities.

for your viewing pleasure

"Winter Sweater" by Emma McDermott, Grade 10, Loch Raven High School. Work featured in The 2023 Winter Art Exhibition at THE AVENUE at White Marsh.

To see more artwork by BCPS students, teachers, and other members of the BCPS community, please visit the Office of Visual Arts gallery webpage.

mission moment

from The Education Foundation of BCPS

Subscribe to The Education Foundation's new monthly e-newsletter

How can you stay updated and informed about Education Foundation programs and initiatives? Subscribe to the foundation's new, monthly Mission Possible newsletter! It will be delivered via email to subscribers.

Need to know what nights The Exchangerees are open for no-cost shopping? Want to know when the next grant cycles will begin? Want to learn more about how the foundation positively impacts student achievement and teacher success? Want to be delighted about everything the foundation is doing to support BCPS students, staff, and community members? You’ll find it all in Mission Possible!

Learn more in the newest Mission Moment blog post.

A word from Dr. Rogers

February 26, 2024

Dear Reader:

Later this week, as March begins, BCPS will begin celebrating Women's History Month. I want to take this opportunity to highlight the incredible role women play in public education.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, nearly 80 percent of public school teachers are women. In BCPS, women lead at every level, including in the classroom. In other words, the challenging and essential work of educating Baltimore County's future citizens, parents, professionals, and innovators – the work of nurturing the future – often relies on the many strengths of women.

Please join me in honoring the women making a difference in BCPS – as teachers, administrators, coaches, attorneys, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, accountants, administrative assistants, maintenance workers, engineers, and so much more.

Regards,

Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.

Superintendent