BCP Spring 2021 Newsletter |
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In this issue:
- Black History Month at Hampstead Hill
- Frederick Elementary Teacher Award
- Dragons After Dismissal @ Govans
- Wolfe Street Academy Re Opening
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BCP Schools Re-Open for Spring 2021
By Mya Hodge , BCP
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BCP now has three schools that have opened for hybrid learning including Wolfe Street Academy, Govans Elementary, and Hampstead Hill Academy!!
Wolfe Street Academy
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FES Teacher Wins Baltimore Teacher Network Beacon of Light Teacher Award
By Jon McGill , Director of Academics, BCP
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Ms.Horne of FES is the recipient of Baltimore Teacher Network Beacon of Light Teacher Award 2021
Can you tell us a little about your background?
I was born in High Point, North Carolina, and raised in Georgia by a wonderful single mother. I have one sister, and technically could be my mother since there is a 21 year age difference (please do not do the math). We moved to Baltimore during my 5th-grade year, and it was the most life-changing experience. We would be here all day listening to those stories. Let's say that I did not always express the appreciation for education that I do now.
Fast forward to an undisclosed amount of time. I attended St. Mary's College of Maryland, where I got my Bachelor's in Psychology. I also have a Master's from Notre Dame in Leadership and Teaching.
What made you want to teach? Where did you begin your career?
This is a great question/story. I never wanted to be a teacher. Teaching was never an aspiration of mine, but it chose me. My family has its roots in education, and as a result, I wanted no part in it. I saw firsthand the daily sacrifices of educators and administrators serving in Baltimore City. When I went to college, I thought I would become a lawyer or psychologist. However, God had other plans.
Service has always been at the forefront of everything I do in life. "Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth." - Shirley Chisolm.
While applying for grad school and other jobs, I was volunteering at the "old" Frederick. Laura Doherty was in a data meeting with then Principal Brown. They wanted more Direct Instruction before the merge and opening of the "new" Frederick. I will never forget, Laura asked, "Well, what is she doing." I began teaching in the first grade, and it was the best decision I ever made. I love working with students, especially students who are oftentimes counted out.
You have been with FES since the first year, and at the "old" Frederick before that..how has the school developed over that time?
The biggest difference - more students and staff! More seriously, I think the growth shown not only by students but also by educators is commendable. Differences in resources and time ensure that our students will be the catalyst for change in their communities. Furthermore, the relationships built within the community are something that I believe will have a long-lasting impact. The battles fought are a testament to Frederick's ability to persevere and its potential to succeed. I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to witness and take part in Frederick Elementary's evolution.
What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
Five years ago (before I started teaching), I asked myself that question. I never have a clearly defined answer. I have so many interests and passions when it comes to education that it is more of a bucket list. I see advancement in my education and professional practice. I see myself continuing to support my colleagues. I see myself building meaningful relationships with students. I find it serendipitous because if you told me five years ago, I would be where I am, I would have said absolutely not.
What has teaching during the past year been like for you and your kids?
Teaching this past year has been an eye-opening experience. Even though we as educators were building the plane as we flew it. I always try and look for the solution or the silver lining. Overall, I believe that learning virtually has been fun. I have been more creative in my lesson planning and discovering a wide range of platforms. My students are excited about learning, which is the best thing I could ask for. Stronger relationships have been built. I have a better understanding of their lives while they get a glimpse of mine.
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Hampstead Hill Celebrates Black History Month
By Mya Hodge, BCP
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Initially, HHA hoped to do a virtual "door walk" via google slides. As a result of the number of slides received they decided on doing a virtual "door walk" using Padlet timelines.
Click the links below to check it out!
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The Benefits of Books
By Jon McGill, Director of Academics, BCP
The Black Butterfly, by Lawrence T. Brown, formerly professor at Morgan State University and currently a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, is sub-titled “The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America”. Published just this month by Johns Hopkins University Press, the book studies the spaces of Baltimore to examine just how the city came to be segregated in the way it has been and still is.
“The Black Butterfly” is Brown’s term to describe the patterns of social, political, and economic segregation in Baltimore. Reading it might make you, as it did me, reflect on the current and historical situation of both Baltimore and Maryland. I recalled a time several years ago when I took a friend from London on a tour of the city. They were unable to understand how certain sector of the city came to such blight and deprivation. There are two ways of explaining how the city at its worst came to be: one is to rely on stereotypes, blame the victims mentality and resort to thinly disguised racist propositions. The other is to study the intentional patterns that centuries old racism imposed on this city and countless others in the country., to seek explanations rooted in social science, economics, and history.
Professor Brown’s book does not simply explain how we got here: he divides the material into five “steps, including, in steps one and two, useful information that he wants “activists” to utilize, information about history and the destruction of cities. Steps 3,4 and 5 are designed to offer some ways to improve, to modernize, to invest in the city and he makes no apologies at all for encourage us to use the word “reparations” as we envisage a better Baltimore.
Reading books such as The Black Butterfly is not just a sedentary activity: using his book, and others, such as Heather McGee’s recent The Sum of Us or Isobel Wilkerson’s brilliant Caste, published in the fall of 2020, are vital components in action strategies to repair and re-create Baltimore.
This action must include education, a priority always but even more so because of what our students and teachers have endured since March 2020. The Kirwan Commission and the efforts of our more progressive politicians have brought us the possibility of new ways of funding and supporting schools. Kirwan on its own is not enough. We need to find ways to end the segregated patterns of our schools, across the state. We need better curriculum for all our students and better training and support for all our teachers. We also need to find a new generation of teachers, especially from black and brown communities and from HBCU’s, sop that our staffs reflect our communities and their experiences, hopes and dreams.
Part of our way forward is paved with books that educate us about the past, the present and the future. with books. The good news is that the path is strewn with recent publications, like The Black Butterfly, that shed light and heat as we find ways to improve Baltimore.
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Govans Dragons After Dismissal Fun!
Retrieved from Flash Friday News
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Zaire Forrest and Govans Alum, Aman Forrest, along with Dylan Suggs enjoy an evening with their Polos to Ties Boys Mentoring Group. Special thanks to their lead mentor Mr. Ernest Wilson, who has kept the students meeting twice a month since March of last year! |
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Yoga at Frederick!
By Jannika Simms, FES After-School Program Director
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The FES after school yoga program took a field trip to a yoga studio located in downtown Baltimore. The yoga teacher for the afterschool program, Ms. Zarra, took the class to the studio where she is a yoga instructor. The afterschool students learned how yoga students enter the studio, check in, rent mats, and prepare for class. The afterschool students toured the lobby, studio, and locker room. Inside the studio, the afterschool students learned how to use the heat and music to prepare for a class. The afterschool students then had their virtual yoga class in the studio. The class flowed to the music and imagined they were inside a real studio! Yoga enrichment class has helped students with flexibility, strength, coordination, and body awareness, and have a few parents that have taken classes with their child.
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City Springs Partners with Open Works
Kellie Rice, City Springs Community School Coordinator
City Springs had 20 desks delivered from Open Works to help their virtual learners. The flat-pack desk is lightweight, easy to transport, and can be assembled without tools. With easy-to-follow instructions and online tutorial videos, it comes together in a zip! They are looking forward to doing distribution within the next two weeks to provide a personal workspace for their young scholars.
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