Exciting news from the BCP Schools: City Springs Elementary/Middle School,
Govans Elementary School, Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy.

BCP September 2016 Newsletter
In this issue:
SAVE THE DATE for Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader?
smarter
Contestants from the 2016 "Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader?" Quiz Show.


Will the 5th Graders from City Springs Elementary/Middle, Govans Elementary, Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy triumph over the "Baltimore Big Shots" this year?

Find out at the the sixth annual "Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader?" Quiz Show on Thursday, April 20, 2017 from 6:15pm-8:15pm at City Springs Elementary/Middle School (100 S. Caroline Street, 21231)

Enjoy dinner and a fun-filled quiz show with CareFirst's Maria Tildon, MC Bob Heck and other local celebrities. All proceeds will benefit over 2,200 PreK-8 students attending BCP's neighborhood charter schools.

Purchase tickets at:

Sponsorship opportunities are available. Please contact Tobi Morris at 410-675-7000 or [email protected] for more information.

How Does BCP Love Business Volunteers Maryland?
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Let us count the ways...
Video about Business Volunteers Maryland
M&T Bank's Mo Jishi and Hampstead Hill Academy Principal Matt Hornbeck talk about their experience with Business Volunteers Maryland's Skill Based Volunteering Program.

  1. Business Volunteers Maryland brokered a partnership with CareFirst in 2012,which has brought hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of programming, resources and volunteer support to City Springs Elementary-Middle, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girls on the Run, an American Heart Association Teaching Garden, and a new Fitness Center.
     
  2. Through their Board Leadership Program, Business Volunteers Maryland has placed two outstanding board members on the BCP Board: Bob Benjamin of T. Rowe Price and Jennifer Blois Vitelkites of Ernst & Young.
     
  3. Business Volunteers Maryland's Skill-Based Volunteering program matched Mo Jishi, Group Vice President of Finance for the Wealth and Institutional Services Division of M&T Bank and Wilmington Trust, with Hampstead Hill Academy in 2013. Mr. Jishi helped Principal Matt Hornbeck develop a financial management "dashboard." Mr. Jishi is currently a BCP Board Member.
     
  4. Megan Gillick, Senior Consultant for Plus Delta Partners, helped Govans Elementary develop a strategic marketing plan in 2014, through Business Volunteers Maryland's PENCIL Partnership Program.
     
  5. The PENCIL Partnership Program also matched Wolfe Street Academy with JMI Equity and City Springs Elementary/Middle with AB Realty.
     
  6. The Business Volunteers Maryland GIVE Team supported career and college readiness at Wolfe Street Academy in 2013. GIVE is a 10-month program designed to raise awareness among the next generation of civic leaders about the growing need for volunteerism in Greater Maryland.
     
  7. BCP and Business Volunteers Maryland presented the first "BCP Oustanding Business Volunteer Awards" at BCP's annual gala in 2014.
     
  8. Business Volunteers Maryland's INSPIRE Program launched a school attendance initiative at City Springs to incentivize and educate students on the importance of attendance in 2013.
     
  9. Business Volunteers Maryland helped increase Legg Mason's investment in the BCP schools beginning in 2013.
     
  10. Since 2006, Business Volunteers has facilitated a number of Volunteer Days and Fundraisers for the BCP Schools including: the Proctor and Gamble Holiday Drive, Home Depot/Volunteer Central "Hands on Schools" Project, Hogan & Hartson Library Dedication and Day of Service, Ernst & Young Volunteer Day, and a Legg Mason Jeans Day Fundraiser.
BCP would like to thank Business Volunteer Maryland for being such an outstanding partner over the past 10 years. We look forward to working with Business Volunteers Maryland over the next 10 years to support Baltimore City students.
City Springs Elementary/Middle Celebrates 50th Anniversary
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Front row: Leila Newkirk, Principal Rhonda Richetta, and Delegate Adrienne Jones. Back Row: Julie Wagner, Bob Heck, Laura Doherty, Councilman Carl Stokes, Senator Bill Ferguson, and Jamal Ruffin. (Photo by Sonya Hughes)
Over 100 alumni, teachers, families, partners and community members turned out for the City Springs Elementary-Middle School 50th Anniversary Celebration on August 19, 2016.

City Springs Resident Artist Bob Heck kicked off the event with an alumni countdown.

Guest speakers included  Senator  Bill Ferguson , a Representative from Delegate  Brooke Lierman 's Office, City Councilman  Carl Stokes ,  CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield  VP of Community Affairs  Julie Wagner , City Springs employee Leila Newkirk and City Springs alumnus and employee  Jamal Ruffin .

Following the speeches, attendees enjoyed refreshments while DJ B-Easy spun all the hits from the last five decades. A number of longtime friends of City Springs attended the celebration including former Principal Bernice Whelchel and BCP Founder Muriel Berkeley.

City Springs Alumnus and employee Jamal Ruffin  spoke at the event. (Photo by Sonya Hughes)
How City Springs Got its Name
Reprinted from the Baltimore Afro American,
May 5, 1979,
By Elizabeth M. Oliver,
Arnetta Lottier, Editors

City Springs Elementary  No. 8 was named for City Springs Square, the oldest park in Baltimore (with the exception of Mt. Vernon Place) and was acquired by the city in 1818.  At that time, the upper end of the square's 1.4 acres was a public playground with sandboxes, swings, seesaws and a small pavilion.

The lower end was the neighborho od's only public refuge for trees, grass and flowers. Two drinking fountains replaced the spring from which the  square took its name. The Eastern Fountain still exists, forming a large square at the corner of Eden and Pratt Streets which are adjacent to the playground of our school.

A Brief History of City Springs

1968 
 City Springs participates in Model School program.
1969 
 New ceramic mural by Olin Russum depicts spring that school replaced.
1979 
Black, Indian, Spanish, German, Italian, and Caucasian children attend CS.

1988 
City Springs implements the "Success for All" program.
1996 
Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) implements Direct Instruction at City Springs under the leadership of Principal Bernice Whelchel and BCP Founder Muriel Berkeley.

MSDE report describes City Springs as a "phoenix rising from the ashes."
1997 
City Springs becomes a New School Initiative school operated by BCP.

City Springs celebrates an increase in MSPAP scores.

Governor Glendening reads to City Springs students at Perkins Homes Rec Center.
1999
Second Annual City Springs Elementary School Readabration.
2002
City Springs removed from state failing-schools list because of steadily improving test scores and attendance.
2005
City Springs converts to a BCP Charter School.
2007
Dr. Rhonda L. Richetta becomes Principal of City Springs.

City Springs implements Restorative Practices with BCP support.
2008 
City Springs charter extended for two years.
2012
Child First becomes Lead Community School Agency & After School Provider.
2013
City Springs/BCP receive three-year charter renewal.

CareFirst adopts CS, bringing program/resources like Big Brothers Big Sisters. Partnership brokered by Business Volunteers Maryland.
2014
City Springs opens Community Athletic Complex.
2015 
City Springs Early Childhood Center opens in former Lombard Middle building.
2016
City Springs/BCP receive Five-Year Charter Renewal.

Govans Elementary "Back to School Blast Off" a Success
blast
Govans Elementary School rocketed into the new school year with an exciting "Back to School Blast Off" event on Saturday, August 27, 2016. Families enjoyed food, a moon bounce, free haircuts from A Cut Above All, a football clinic by Kofi Kwaw, free chair massages from  Spa Central, music by Mr. Jones, and a number of giveaways including school supplies and book bags.

BCP and Govans Elementary would like to thank all of the people and organizations who participated:
Join us for the next event at Govans Elementary:


New Offerings at HHA for School Year 16/17
By Geri Swann, Director of Community Outreach, Hampstead Hill Academy
offerings
Gifted and Advanced Learning Program

HHA students attended the EGATE Awards Ceremony at North County High School on  February 24, 2016.
Last year, HHA received the prestigious EGATE award (Excellence in Gifted and Talented Education) from the Maryland State Department of Education and was designated a GAL Site (Gifted and Advanced Learning Site) by Baltimore City Public Schools.

The year HHA will fully implement the gifted and advanced learning program. This program includes rigorous criteria for identifying students who require specific gifted or advanced programming.  The goal is to create pull-out groups that meet the unique curricular needs of the gifted learner.

To qualify for gifted programming, students must demonstrate specific aptitude in two or more nationally normed measures.  Among the data considered are: the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP- given in fall and spring to all students 1-8)), the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT2), The Gifted Evaluation Scale (GES-III), and the iReady Adaptive K-12 Assessments. 

Parents may also choose to submit the results of outside testing administered by a qualified professional and/or test scores from another nationally-normed test taken at another school.

Last year HHA students participated in Girls on the Run (GOTR) at the  Patterson Park Youth Sports and Education Center site.
This year HHA will be a GOTR site.
Girls on the Run

HHA is excited to announce that Girls on the Run of the Greater Chesapeake is being offered at HHA for the fall 2016 session,

Girls on the Run (GOTR) is an international youth development program inspiring girls to be joyful, healthy and confident using a fun, experienced-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.  Girls will learn to celebrate their bodies, honor their voices, recognize their gifts and activate their limitless power.

This is the first year that all four BCP Schools (City Springs Elementary/Middle School, Govans Elementary, Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy) will be sites for the Girls on the Run program.

Thank you HHA PTO

HHA would like to thank the PTO for all they do. In June, the PTO celebrated all of the wonderful 2015-2016 volunteers at the 2nd Annual VIP Volunteer Appreciation Party at Homeslyce. Over 75 volunteers helped throughout the year raising nearly $30,000 to support field trips, clubs, activities and purchase various  equipment and supplies for the school.

On August 20th, the PTO hosted a "Kindergarten Kick-Off" to welcome our newest students and families to HHA. The PTO hopes to make this an annual event full of bounce house and bubble fun! Everyone had a great time meeting new friends!

School Year Off to a Great Start at Wolfe Street Academysummer1
Hensel Phelps donated book bags and school supplies to all Kindergardeners..
great
The new school year at Wolfe Street Academy (WSA) got off to a great start with teachers and partners hitting the ground running.

During the first week of school, employees from  Hensel Phelps Construction donated backpacks and school supplies for all of WSA's kindergarten students and came to read books with the kids.

Upper Fells Point Improvement Association (UFPIA) has already distributed "Wish List" forms to teachers in preparation for their Annual UFPIA Teacher Wish List Party. Over the next few months, neighbors and friends of UFPIA will adopt teachers and purchase items to fulfill their classroom supply wishes.

WSA Principal Mark Gaither with students ready for the new year.
Preparations for the new School Year began well before the doors opened.

Lead Academic Coach  Maura Farrall spent countless hours over the summer sorting through decades of old textbooks in the book room; travelling to Oregon for training; attending district training sessions; and researching and planning for the new year.

Hensel Phelps employees read with students in August.
In July, students participated in an outstanding Summer Program at WSA, thanks to a generous grant from the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.

On August 4th, the UFPIA Education Committee held a Volunteer Night to get the WSA library ready. UFPIA also donated $500 to support the library

On August 23rd, WSA staff engaged in an intensive training on Restorative Practices, a positive approach to conflict resolution and community-building that is used in all BCP schools.

In late August teachers decorated their rooms and custodians Sarah and Martina made the building shine from top to bottom.

WSA students have fun getting fit  during the
first week of school.
This year's strong start is no surprise given last year's strong finish. In addition to a continued strong school climate among all stakeholders and 100% of WSA faculty and staff committing to return this year, the Baltimore City School Board published a review of PARCC testing data that celebrated WSA's success.

The review demonstrated that, among the poorest schools in the district with over 95% of students living in poverty, WSA performed at the top of the category.

We are looking forward to an excellent school year and would like to thank all of the teachers, families, volunteers and organizations such as Hensel Phelps and UFPIA for helping to pave the road to success.
Baltimore Curriculum Project | 410-675-7000 | [email protected] | www.baltimorecp.org
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