Finalists chosen for BCPS Teacher, Principal, Assistant Principal of the Year -- This Week in BCPS

Monday, March 18, 2024

Finalists chosen for 2024-2025 BCPS Teacher, Principal, and Assistant Principal of the Year

Nine outstanding school educators have been selected as this year’s finalists for the BCPS Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, and Assistant Principal of the Year.

The Teacher of the Year finalists are:

Kim Brackeen, a social-emotional learning teacher at Padonia International Elementary School and the BCPS Elementary School Teacher of the Year.
Stephanie Gerhold, an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) teacher at Woodlawn Middle School and the BCPS Middle School Teacher of the Year.
Kate Clemmens, an English language arts teacher at Woodlawn High School and the BCPS High School Teacher of the Year.

This year’s finalists for Principal of the Year are:

Melissa Lingenfelder of Sandalwood Elementary School, the BCPS Elementary School Principal of the Year.
Adam Carney of Cockeysville Middle School, the BCPS Middle School Principal of the Year.
Dr. Scott Rodriguez-Hobbs of Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts, the BCPS High School Principal of the Year.

This year’s finalists for Assistant Principal of the Year are:

Erica Lundy of Lyons Mill Elementary School, the BCPS Elementary School Assistant Principal of the Year.
Dorian Barnes of Deer Park Middle Magnet School, the BCPS Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year.
Kevin Whatley of George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, the BCPS High School Assistant Principal of the Year.

The honorees will be recognized at a special Champions for Children Celebration Gala at 4 p.m. on Thursday, April 18, at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, 938 York Rd., in Towson. At that event, Baltimore County’s Teacher, Principal, and Assistant Principal of the Year will be chosen from among the respective groups.

In addition to these schoolhouse champions for BCPS students, the April 18 gala will also celebrate a variety of other all-star school supporters, including a “Rising Star” Teacher of the Year, Supervisory Leader of the Year, Supporting Services Employee of the Year, Community School Facilitator of the Year, Transportation Champion, AFSCME Employee of the Year, Volunteer Champion, and Business Partner Champion.

A new blog post features the names and photos of the 171 Teacher of the Year nominees.

The best time to register for PreKindergarten and Kindergarten? Right now!

The 2024-2025 school year will begin in late August, but spring is the best time to enroll children in PreKindergarten and Kindergarten. The "Registration and Enrollment" page of the BCPS website provides helpful instructions. In addition, all BCPS elementary schools will be hosting "round-up" events to provide additional support for parents. For more information, please contact the elementary school your child is zoned to attend.

In honor of Women's History Month, BCPS will present a series of profiles of BCPS alumna succeeding in their professions and making a difference in their communities.

Meet Gabrielle Wyatt, Carver Center graduate, former Student Member of the Board, and founder of The Highland Project

Former Student Member of the Board Gabrielle Wyatt is a graduate of George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. As a Sondheim Public Affairs Scholar, she earned a bachelor's degree in political science (Magna Cum Laude) from UMBC. She was a Public Policy and International Affairs Fellow at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, and she earned a master's degree in social and urban policy from Harvard Kennedy School. Her past positions have included serving as associate director of Brooklyn portfolio planning for the New York City Department of Education; executive director of strategy for Newark Public Schools; chief strategy officer for Civic Builders; and partner for The City Fund. In 2020, she founded The Highland Project, a coalition of Black women leaders who are designing and leading solutions that create multi-generational wealth and change for Black communities.

Read more about her journey from student leader to organization leader in a new blog post.

Discover more about what students are learning

Join us for the next BCPS Curriculum Night

Students, parents, caregivers, and stakeholders are invited to participate in the next BCPS Curriculum Night. At the event, families can 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. Families can talk one-on-one with BCPS staff about how to support students at home. Attendees will also have an opportunity to view curricular and instructional materials.

Photos from the March 12 Curriculum Night at Woodlawn High, taken by Habiba Lam, Chesapeake High School senior and BCPS Communications apprentice. The opening session of the March 12 Curriculum Night at Woodlawn High School was livestreamed and can be seen on the BCPS-TV YouTube channel.

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.

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.

The Baltimore Ravens invite female student athletes to apply to participate in a one-day leadership conference

Female student athletes in Grades 9, 10, and 11 are invited to apply to participate in The Baltimore Ravens' Ninth Annual Leading and Inspiring Females to Thrive (L.I.F.T.) event. The event will take place from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Thursday, April 4, at the Under Armour Performance Center in Owings Mills. At the conference, students will explore how they can harness and develop their leadership skills to succeed on and off the field.

Those interested in participating should submit an online application by Friday, March 22.

Golden Ring Middle students receive CPR training

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 is still 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

Parkville High Dance Company performs on BCPS-TV's "Entertainment Blvd"

for parents

from BCPS Parent University

Enjoy free and low-cost gardening events at Holt Park, including some conducted in English and Spanish

Every other Thursday from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., Holt Park and Center for the Arts, located in Overlea/Fullerton, hosts an event called "El Jardin Tropical de Lillian" (Lillian's Tropical Garden). Latino families – and all others – are invited to attend. While adults engage in hands-on learning about gardening, their young children can spend time in the Little Seeds program, participating in fun educational activities led by a park ranger.

Upcoming Lillian's Tropical Garden events include:

March 21: Pollinator gardens
April 4: Houseplant care
April 18: Sow and transplant (Help prepare for the park's upcoming Plant-a-thon on April 21 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.)

In addition, every Saturday, from 10 a.m.- 12 p.m., the park hosts Garden Club Workshops, also in English and Spanish. Some workshops are free; others have fees depending on the cost of materials involved.

For more information and to register, visit the Baltimore County Recreation and Parks website. The park is located at 34 Elmont Ave., Baltimore 21206.

Looking for more ideas and information? Please s ign 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

"Sunflowers" by Deztiny Boyo, Grade 1, Dundalk Elementary 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

Seeking Let's Play Ball! 2024 sponsors

What’s better than spending a beautiful Saturday outdoors with family and friends celebrating BCPS students, athletes, teachers, and administrators at the third annual Let’s Play Ball! community event?

Sponsoring the event – that's the only thing better! The Education Foundation is now seeking Champions of Education to become event sponsors!

The sponsorship portal for Let’s Play Ball! 2024 is now open and details many ways businesses and organizations can support the foundation’s mission and vision. Learn more in the latest Mission Moment blog post.

A word from Dr. Rogers

March 18, 2024

Dear Reader:

Next week, schools will be closed for spring break. This well-timed break is an opportunity for us to reinvigorate and ready ourselves for the very busy end of the school year.

Many thanks to everyone on Team BCPS for their contributions to what has been an exciting and successful school year thus far.

Please enjoy the time off with family and friends, and please keep learning – even though schools will be closed from the end of the school day on Friday, March 22, through Monday, April 1. We look forward to reopening our school doors to students on Tuesday, April 2.

Learning opportunities abound in our community: nature walks in parks; visits to museums and historical sites; books, movies, and more from local public libraries; conversations with elders; activities at home, such as making art, playing music, cooking, and gardening; and so much more. Explore and enjoy!

Regards,

Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.

Superintendent