Watershed Public Charter named a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon School | |
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Watershed Public Charter School is among the 2023 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools award honorees. Photos from the school's Earth Day and Green Ribbon celebration can be found on Flickr.
Watershed has created a curriculum that puts environmental sustainability and the natural world front and center. Environmental concepts and the Maryland E-Literacy standards are infused throughout lessons and embedded in the curriculum.
Students and staff have engaged in many campus projects designed to conserve water, improve stormwater runoff, and protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Watershed students have audited and monitored building water and electricity usage and reported on their findings. With this information, they have confronted ecological issues with their own brand of activism. Light switch covers, water conservation signage, regular “Trash Free Lunches,” and consistent composting have all enabled the school to decrease its environmental impact.
With students leading the way, Watershed has decreased its solid waste production by 50 percent, water usage by 60 percent, and electrical usage by 42 percent since 2019.
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Honoring our 2022/23 Maryland Green Schools | |
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BCPS is pleased to announce its 2022/23 Maryland Green Schools. This year, Dundalk Elementary, earned its first certification, and 13 other BCPS schools successfully recertified. In total, 58 BCPS schools participate in the program. The state will recognize Green School awardees at the Maryland Green Schools Youth Summit at Sandy Point State Park on Thursday, May 18.
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Join us in celebrating the college and career plans made by our graduating seniors
On Monday, May 1, BCPS will celebrate BCPS College & Career Decision Day. Graduating seniors are invited to share their plans on social media using hashtag #BCPSdecisionday. In addition, BCPS staff, students, and community members are invited to wear college gear.
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BCPS music education program receives national recognition – for the 18th consecutive year
Baltimore County Public Schools has been honored for its outstanding commitment to music education with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from The NAMM Foundation.
Baltimore County students can choose among extensive offerings including courses in music and audio technology, world music, and Advanced Placement Music Theory. Students perform throughout the community in choral groups, jazz ensembles, steel pan ensembles, orchestras, marching bands, ukulele, and student composition. In addition, partnerships with the area’s leading arts organizations provide opportunities to see and interact with professional musicians.
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Season finale of "Math Homework Helpers LIVE" to air this Wednesday, May 3 | |
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The final edition of "Math Homework Helpers LIVE" for the 2022-23 school year is set to air on Wednesday, May 3. Students in Kindergarten through Grade 5 are invited to call in with questions from 4:30-5:30 p.m. The event will be livestreamed on YouTube and air on Fios 34 / Comcast 73.
Additionally, new "Math Homework Helpers Shorts" are available on Vimeo. These vignettes are short math lessons aligned with the elementary math curriculum.
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The graduating senior profile series continues
In honor of the Class of 2023, BCPS is profiling one senior from each high school. A new profile will be posted each school day until Friday, May 19, the last day for seniors. These profiles highlight the intellectual and personal strengths of our seniors and their diversity.
Here are the most recent seniors profiled:
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for parents
from BCPS Parent University
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Helping your children stand up against hate | |
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A Washington Post article, "Parents can help children learn to stand up to hate. Here's how," offers advice on how caregivers can empower children with "empathy, courage, and the practical skills they need" to face bullying and bias.
- Start discussing the topic when your children are young.
- Validate fears and help explore possible ways to react.
- Challenge their assumptions about what might happen next.
- Rehearse what to say and do.
- Teach them that offensive comments are not funny.
- Encourage assertiveness.
- Encourage reflection after witnessing bias or hate.
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Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee meeting
Monday, May 1, at 7 p.m.
BCPS headquarters/Greenwood Campus, 6901 N. Charles St., Towson 21204
The Special Education Resource Center is pleased to announce the first in-person Special Education Citizens Advisory Committee meeting in recent years. The topic of the meeting is stakeholder feedback. To participate in the meeting by phone, please email egalvez@bcps.org.
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Volunteer citizens sought to fill vacancy on Board of Education’s Ethics Review Panel
The Board of Education of Baltimore County is seeking an interested volunteer citizen to fill a vacancy on its Ethics Review Panel.
The panel serves as an advisory body to the Board to interpret its Ethics Code policies. The panel consists of five members appointed by the Board of Education.
To be eligible for consideration for this vacancy, an applicant must be a United States citizen who is a resident of Baltimore County; at least 18 years of age; not hold or be a candidate for any elected or appointed office; not be an incumbent member of the Board, an employee, or the spouse of such person; and not be a registered lobbyist for any organization that may create a conflict of interest.
Applicants interested in being considered for appointment to the Ethics Review Panel should send a completed application no later than May 11, 2023, to: Board of Education of Baltimore County, 6901 Charles Street, Towson, MD 21204 ATTN: Ethics Review Panel Vacancy. Applications may also be sent by electronic mail to: ethics@bcps.org. Finalists are required to undergo a routine background check.
For additional information regarding this vacancy, please contact Margaret-Ann Howie, General Counsel, at 443-809-4060
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for your viewing pleasure | |
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mission moment
from The Education Foundation of BCPS
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Let's Play Ball! 2023: Who will take home the championship trophy this year? | |
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The Education Foundation's Let's Play Ball! 2023 event will be held on Saturday, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, 938 York Rd., in Towson 21204. The event is free and open to the public. Throughout the day, those in attendance will have the opportunity to enjoy exhibits in the Vendor Village, food trucks, and a variety of activities.
The day will begin with a skills clinic facilitated by League of Dreams for BCPS middle school Allied Sports athletes. The clinic will be followed by a Home Run Derby. Next, Team BCPS administrators will square off against Team BCPS educators in a star-studded softball game coached by All-Star Major League Baseball legends Mike Bordick and Rick Dempsey. A new Mission Moment blog post reveals the team rosters. The pitcher will be Matt Morris, owner and operator of the Baseball Warehouse, former four-year letterman at Franklin High School, and former professional baseball player.
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Update on the search for the next BCPS superintendent
The Board of Education of Baltimore County released an update on the search for a new superintendent of BCPS. McPherson and Jacobson, LLC, the executive search firm coordinating efforts to find a new superintendent, received applications from 24 candidates from 15 states.
After careful review and deliberation, the Board has selected four finalists for a final round of interviews. The four finalists will be interviewed during the second week of May by the Board and members of key stakeholder groups that represent students, parents, multicultural and civic organizations, employee associations, and area advisory councils.
Based on input from the stakeholder groups and information gathered by the Board, the preferred candidate will be identified. Once the preferred candidate is identified, the Board will work to complete a final reference check and negotiate a contract in advance of the July 1 start date for the new superintendent.
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A Word from Dr. Williams, Superintendent | |
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May 1, 2023
Dear Team BCPS,
If you haven't already been reading them, I encourage you to catch up with our graduating seniors profile series on our blog.
These profiles showcase the amazing individuals who comprise the Class of 2023. Taken together these stories highlight the essential relationships forged between educators and students and highlight the critical role sports, clubs, and work-based learning opportunities play in helping our students develop as individuals and citizens.
By sharing the stories of these seniors, we celebrate the diverse backgrounds, interests, and future plans of the entire Class of 2023.
Sincerely,
Darryl L. Williams, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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