Thursday, February 16, 2023

Previous editions of the BCPS Staff Bulletin are archived and available for viewing on the BCPS website.

Black Excellence in BCPS

Join us for the Black Excellence Program closing event on Saturday, February 25 from 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Loch Raven High School.

The Black Excellence Program is an extracurricular BCPS activity that teaches students about the Black experience in America. This year's program has three key components: a book study, a school-based competition, and the development of presentations.

The program will conclude with a systemwide public event to showcase presentations students developed in response to the books they read or the independent research prompt: “Breaking Barriers and Innovation: How have others created the world I live in today?”

We are honoring a Team BCPS graduate on each school day during Black History Month, on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Thus far, we have spotlighted:

• Tiera Hawkes, assistant public defender (Towson High)

• Idris Somoye, senior embedded firmware engineer (Chesapeake/Sollers Points)

• Adrienne Jones, Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates (Lansdowne High)

• Ta-Nehisi Coates, author and journalist (Woodlawn High)

• Ego Nwodim, "Saturday Night Live" cast member (Eastern Tech)

• Hilton Carter, interior designer and plant stylist (Carver Center)

• Dr. Crystal Watkins Johansson, neuroscientist/psychiatrist and assistant professor (Dulaney High)

• Quincy Roche, NFL outside linebacker (New Town High)

• Victor Blackwell, CNN journalist/anchor (Milford Mill)

• Cheryl Brooks, Berkshire Elementary principal (Dundalk High)

• DeRay McKesson, civil rights activist (Catonsville High)

• Sydney Gaskins, UCLA School of Law J.D. candidate (Franklin High)

Stay tuned for more!

FEATURED VIDEO:

Why I Teach | Liz Miller

In a new "Why I Teach" segment, Liz Miller, visual arts educator at Bear Creek Elementary, shares how the art of education runs in her family.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...

• Planned BCPS Serve Maintenance

On Friday, February 17, and Saturday February 18, there may be limited access to BCPS Serve due to monthly maintenance.

During this time, you may experience intermittent inaccessibility of hosted services while internal systems are updated.

• Upcoming Parent University course

Beginning March 16, BCPS Parent University will present a free course in partnership with Mariposa Education:

"Building Confidence, Trust & Hope: 3 Things to Help an Anxious Child"

This program gives parents the brain science research, and concrete tools to help their children cope in times of stress. This is a self-paced course with optional one-on-one coaching and meetings. Best for parents of children ages 3 - 11.

• Safe Schools Conference - Save the Date!

The annual Safe Schools Conference will be held on Thursday, June 22, at the Hunt Valley Delta Hotel. Registration information will be forthcoming.

• Secondary level teams (comprised of administrators; a teacher, school counselor OR school social worker; and the athletic director or athletic advisor) will attend from 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Registration and refreshments are from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

• Elementary level teams (comprised of administrators and two of the following – teacher, school counselor, or school social worker) will attend from 11:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. with a refreshment break.

•School resource officers are invited to attend the appropriate session for the level they serve.

Please contact Monica Jones, administrative secretary, at mjones40@bcps.org with questions.

• Training and Development Site

The Department of Employee Training and Development has a new communication site. This site will house resources for the Employee Evaluation System (Perform), Registration System (Professional Learning), and Compliance Management System (SafeSchools). It also includes our Technology Training Course Catalog and provides basic information for various Workforce Development Career Pathway programs and National Board Certification Information.

Please bookmark the page for easy access in the future, as this site will help us engage and inform staff of all relevant professional development opportunities for Team BCPS.

• School-based summer employment application

The Summer Program Interest Form​​​​​​​ will be available beginning Monday, February 13. Similar to last year, the Frontline Education Applicant Tracking System (Applitrack) will not be used for the summer hiring process. To be considered for any summer positions, current 10-month school-based employees will need to complete and submit the Summer Program Interest Form.

Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Education Foundation Exchangeree February shopping dates

The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc., will host the following February shopping days at the Exchangerees' Rosedale/Golden Ring and Windsor Mill locations for all full-time BCPS educators and support staff (school counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and pupil personnel workers).

Tools for School Campaign shopping experience (academic school/classroom supplies and educational resources):

• Tuesday, February 21, from 3 - 6 p.m., Rosedale/Golden Ring

Books for Bins shopping experience (new and gently used books for PreK through 12):

• Wednesday, February 22, from 3 - 5 p.m., Windsor Mill

More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post.

• February Social Emotional Learning calendar



The Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Team in the Office of School Climate has developed several social and emotional learning resources for administrators and school staff. The Self-Care for Adults Calendar for February provides administrators with suggested strategies to help with adult self-care as well as ideas to keep school staff connected.

Additional resources for school staff include Elementary and Secondary SEL calendars for February to foster staff and student connections toward engagement. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Middle school students encouraged to enter National Civics Bee

The Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce invites BCPS middle school students to enter the National Civics Bee. Students with an idea about using civics to solve a problem in their community should complete the online submission form, including parent/guardian contact information, and upload (preferred method) or mail their 500-word essay, The deadline for entries is 11:59 p.m. on Friday, February 24.

• Racial Justice Poetry Contest



Entries for the 2023 Racial Justice Poetry Contest are being accepted through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. Students in Grades 6–12 in Baltimore County public, parochial, and independent schools and homeschooled children in Baltimore County can apply. Poems must be original and no more than three pages long.

Contest details, prize information, and a submission form can be found on Schoology in the resource folder for teachers of secondary English language arts. Teachers from other content areas may contact Justin DePrima at Dumbarton Middle School or the BCPS English language arts office for access.

Learn more in a BCPS blog post.

It's Time for Haiku!

Entries for the annual BCPS Haiku Poetry Contest will be accepted through 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, March 2. For the BCPS 2023 Haiku Contest, each student is invited to choose from among 10 pieces of student artwork and to write a haiku inspired by that artwork.

A haiku is a Japanese poem that consists of three lines. The first line has five syllables, the second line has seven syllables, and the third line has five syllables. BCPS uses How Many Syllables to check syllable counts. Each student may enter only one haiku, and it must be an original poem. Haiku found to be plagiarized will be disqualified. Students are encouraged to be creative in their use of imagery and vocabulary.

Thank you, BCPS SROs!

Yesterday, we celebrated and thanked our School Resource Officers! Our partnership with Baltimore County Police Department plays an integral role in our work to provide safe and supportive learning environments for all students.

Request for Nominations: School Counselor, School Advocate, and Rookie School Counselor of the Year

The Baltimore County Association for Counseling and Development (BCACD) is seeking nominations for:

• School Counselor of the Year

• School Advocate of the Year

• Rookie School Counselor of the Year

The deadline for nominations is Monday, March 13.

CCBC, in co-sponsorship with BCPS, is hosting College Fair 2023 on March 14 at CCBC Dundalk and March 15 at CCBC Catonsville! Meet representatives from more than 100 universities, HBCUs, colleges, and proprietary and military schools. Parking for this event is free, and we encourage both high school students and families to attend.

One Day for One Love Workshops for Staff and Students

As the Mind Over Matters Campaign’s “You Matter” theme comes to an end, BCPS is partnering with the One Love Foundation for two events, one workshop for students and one for staff. In these sessions, healthy relationships as well as resources will be discussed.

Staff Session - Wednesday, February 22, from 4 –5 p.m.

Student Session - Tuesday, February 28, from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

Stakeholder Survey

Share your thoughts! The 2023 #TeamBCPS Stakeholder Climate Survey is open through Friday, March 3.

This annual survey is an important way for us to listen to you, the BCPS community, learn your views, and be responsive to your feedback by taking action to improve our schools and school system. The survey is open to students in Grades 3 – 12 as well as all parents/caregivers, staff, and community members, and is available in multiple languages.

1) The Board held its final work session on the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 Operating Budget. The Board will vote to adopt a FY 2024 Operating Budget request on Feb. 28.

2) The Board received an update on plans for the Virtual Learning Program (VLP) for the 2023-2024 school year. The Board will continue its discussion and take action on the proposed plan for the VLP at its Feb. 28 business meeting.

3) Deputy Superintendent Yarbrough highlighted recent BCPS achievements and celebrations and provided operational updates.

4) The Board received a report on recommended boundary changes to help relieve overcrowding at Deer Park Middle Magnet School. The Board’s public hearing on the recommended boundary change is scheduled for March 1, and the Board will vote on the recommendation at its March 14 business meeting.

5) The Board approved two administrative appointments.

A recording of the full meeting is available for viewing online.

February BCPS recruitment events

Spread the word! We are seeking qualified professionals to join Team BCPS in a variety of positions. Learn more about upcoming recruitment events in a BCPS news release.

You may submit a shoutout for a variety of reasons. For example, you may want to offer a pat on the back to a colleague for helping out, recognize a staff member or student achievement, or welcome a new employee. When your shoutout appears in The Staff Bulletin, your name and school/location will be included.

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Raising the bar, Closing Gaps, Preparing for our future

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dept. of Communications/Community Outreach

443.809.5908 | communications@bcps.org