Thursday, June 1, 2023

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

Celebrating 2022-23 School Counseling Award Winners!

Please join us in congratulating this year’s School Counseling Award recipients, who were recognized by the Baltimore County Association for Counseling and Development!

Elementary School Counselor of the Year:

Erin Ruocco, West Towson Elementary School

Middle School Counselor of the Year:

Amy Selby, Deep Creek Magnet Middle School

High School Counselor of the Year:

Emily Dewlin, Dundalk High School

Elementary School Rookie Counselor of the Year:

Samantha Lutters, Deep Creek Elementary School

Middle School Rookie Counselor of the Year:

Stacey Jones, Middle River Middle School

High School Rookie Counselor of the Year:

Milan Amos, Catonsville High School

School Counselor Advocate of the Year:

Adam Carney, Principal, Cockeysville Middle School

FEATURED VIDEO:

Inaugural Career Day at Northwest Academy of Health Sciences

Recently, professionals from across the state gathered at Northwest Academy of Health Sciences for the school's inaugural career day!

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...

• Reminder - New Process for Paper Paychecks Delivery to Offices and Schools



The Division of Fiscal Services has been notified by the United States Postal Service (USPS) that there have been issues with delivery and fraudulent activity with checks being mailed. To ensure that employees receive their paper paychecks, they will no longer be mailed via USPS to the employee’s residence. A new process has been established to create efficiency and cost savings from postage fees. Staff from the Office of Logistics will begin distributing paper paychecks to schools and offices starting with the June 16, 2023, payroll.

The employee’s pay location, (i.e., 130801, Riverview Elementary), has been added to the front of the paper paycheck. Employees who receive a paper paycheck via USPS should review the location and confirm that it is accurate to ensure their paycheck is delivered to the correct BCPS location. Should the location be incorrect, employees should work with their supervisor to make the change with the Division of Human Resources.

As an alternative to receiving a paper paycheck, employees are encouraged to establish direct deposit through Employee Self Service (ESS). In ESS, under the “Home” tab, select “View/set up Direct Deposit,” to complete and submit the request as this is the most effective and safe method to receive pay. Any questions? Please contact the Division of Fiscal Services at 443-809-4197.

• Call for Mentors - Mentoring and Comprehensive New Employee Onboarding Training Pilot Program

ESPBC and BCPS are partnering to create and implement a mentoring and comprehensive new employee onboarding training. The 2023-2024 school year will serve as a pilot program for office professionals who have financial and/or registration responsibilities. Mentoring of the new employees is a key component to the program. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Back to School Immunization Events Flyer

Schools are encouraged to share this digital flyer from the Baltimore County Department of Health with parents who enroll over the summer.

• BCPS Serve Knowledge Base

The Division of Information Technology (DoIT) wants to remind staff of a valuable resource called the BCPS Serve Knowledge Base. The knowledge base is designed to help you resolve common technical issues you may experience.

You can use the knowledge base to search for common support questions such as: “How do I reset my password?”, “How to share my Outlook calendar?”, “How do I set up a printer?”

1) To access the BCPS Serve Knowledge Base go to: https://www.office.com/apps

2) Select the BCPS Serve icon.

3) Once logged into BCPS Serve, use the “Find an Answer” search box to type in a keyword or phrase, for example: “password reset”

4) Choose the knowledge base article from the list that best matches the issue.

• Algebra I Symposium



As part of our system goal of supporting student achievement in mathematics, the Division of Curriculum and Instruction, in collaboration with the Department of Schools, and the Department of Organizational Learning is pleased to announce the Algebra I Summer Symposium for all BCPS Algebra I teachers, teacher leaders, and administrators. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

The symposium will be held over five days of in-person professional learning on the dates and locations listed below. Participants should attend all five days.

New Town High School

• Tuesday, June 27, 2023

• Wednesday, June 28, 2023

• Thursday, June 29, 2023

Carver Center

• Wednesday, August 9, 2023

• Thursday, August 10, 2023

• 2023 MCEE Financial and Economic Education Summit for Teachers

The Maryland Council on Economic Education is offering a conference on Wednesday, June 28, for elementary, middle, and high school teachers and administrators. The audience will include teachers of social studies, math, gifted and talented, personal finance, business, JROTC, family and consumer sciences, and financial literacy courses. Teachers will learn valuable information to use in their classrooms and in their personal lives. More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Learn About FACE Resources for Staff to Support Family Engagement and Student Success

The Office of Family & Community Engagement (FACE) is scheduling professional learning sessions about resources available on the FACE SharePoint site. The SharePoint and Parent University sites contain hundreds of valuable resources for engaging families and supporting student success. Schedule now for a visit to your school in the fall.

Complete the request form for the Parent University course titled “BCPS Staff SharePoint & Resources." We look forward to hearing from you and scheduling a training! More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Education Foundation Exchangeree shopping dates for July

The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc., will host shopping days during July at the Exchangeree: Gizmos and Gadgets Galore centers at Rosedale/Golden Ring and Windsor Mill for all full-time BCPS educators and support staff.

During July, no registration or appointments are needed, but shoppers must bring their BCPS photo ID and shopping bags/boxes.

On the following shopping dates, educators can pick up both academic school/classroom supplies and educational resources and new and gently used books:

• Thursday, July 6, from 3-6 p.m., Windsor Mill

• Tuesday, July 11, from 3-6 p.m., Rosedale/Golden Ring

•Thursday, July 20, from 3-6 p.m., Windsor Mill

•Tuesday, July 25, from 3- 6 p.m., Rosedale/Golden Ring

More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post.

Inclement Weather Survey - Share Your Thoughts!

BCPS values your input. The Maryland State Department of Education has provided local school systems with an opportunity to use virtual inclement weather days throughout the year. The 2023-2024 school calendar includes three inclement weather days. As we plan for winter weather next year, BCPS would like to know your preferences. Please complete this survey by Sunday, June 4, 2023. Input gathered will be used to inform the implementation plan.

The survey is also available in Spanish.

We're Hiring! - Upcoming Recruitment Events

Spread the word! BCPS is hiring for a variety of positions. Applications are available now online.

Coming in June:

Student Support Services

June 5 - Virtual

Grounds Worker II

June 6 and June 20

Building Service Worker

June 6 and June 20

Specialty Areas

June 6 - Virtual

Cafeteria Worker

June 8 and June 29

Bus Driver & Attendant

June 9 and June 16

Summer Job Fairs

June 28 at Catonsville High School

June 29 at Dundalk High School

Learn more about upcoming events in a BCPS news release.

Graduations are Underway for the Class of 2023!

Please join us in celebrating and congratulating the Team BCPS Class of 2023! Photo albums from BCPS commencement exercises will be added to the BCPS Flickr page as they become available.

Please visit our BCPS graduation webpage to view the 2023 BCPS graduation schedule and access live stream links.

BCPS invites students, parents, and staff to submit their favorite 2023 high school commencement snapshots on social media using #bcpsgrad. To contribute a photo via email, individuals are asked to send the photo as a jpeg file (no larger than 4 MB), and email it to communications@bcps.org, including the school name.

Safe Schools Paid Summer Training Pilot

We are excited to announce a pilot program for TABCO-represented employees, which will allow an opportunity for payment of Safe Schools trainings completed outside of the duty day.

In an effort to communicate best practices for optimum school safety and provide more time to focus directly on teaching and learning during the upcoming school year, TABCO represented employees may engage in up to eight (8) hours of Safe Schools training beginning Monday, July 3, 2023 – Friday, August 18, 2023.

The stipend for participation is $37.86 per hour and will be paid to all staff in September. TABCO-represented employees are highly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to continuously refine professional practices and support school safety. This opportunity for TABCO represented employees is optional. Additional information regarding the process for payment is forthcoming.

2023 High School Art Exhibition at the StarTUp at Towson University

The 35th Annual High School Art Exhibition Awards Reception will take place in The StarTUp at Towson University on Thursday, June 1! Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with reception and awards beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Student artwork will be on display in The StarTUp from Tuesday, May 30, to Thursday, June 15. Artwork may be viewed between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

"Find Your Happy Place" Happiness Challenge

The Wellness Team extends an invitation for employees to join the Happiness Challenge, May 25 through June 8! Registration is now open for the "Find Your Happy Place" Happiness Challenge.

During this two-week challenge, participants will keep track of and earn points for their healthy habits. Each weekday there will be a new wellness challenge to complete. Log in each morning to see that day's challenge.

Participants who complete the two-week challenge will have their names entered in a drawing to win four tickets to Hershey Park!

TEAM BCPS SHOUTOUT

Tiffany Smith, Administrative Assistant, Department of Social Emotional Support



Congratulations! Tiffany Smith, administrative assistant in the Department of Social Emotional Support, has earned the prestigious Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) status from the International Association of Administrative Professionals.

Smith is the eighth BCPS professional in the recent years to qualify for the certification. The others are:

• Gepsie Cox, Executive Administrative Assistant

• Pierre Francois, Manager, Technology Training and Compliance Management

• Karen Horlacher, Administrative Assistant

• Winopa Mbakop, Administrative Assistant

• Tara D. Thompson, Administrative Assistant

• Princess Williams, Administrative Secretary

• Julie Leonard, Administrative Assistant

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