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

BCP Monthly News & Updates
In this issue:
Govans Elementary Joins BCP

a1BCP would like to welcome Govans Elementary School to the BCP family. Govans officially became a BCP neighborhood charter school on July 1, 2015.  

Govans Elementary is located in the heart of the Govans Community and down the street from the historic Senator Theater. The school is led by Principal Linda Taylor and has been educating students in the neighborhood for over 50 years.

Govans' mission is to increase the academic achievement of all students in partnership with the entire community by ensuring all students receive a quality education and the tools to become productive, responsible citizens.

Live Baltimore describes Govans this way:

Insiders in the education field are buzzing about Govans Elementary! And with good reason! Principal Linda Taylor (formerly assistant principal at Roland Park Elementary) begins her 9th year at the helm as Govans converts to a Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) Charter School in School Year 2015/2016. Already high performing, Govans will be bolstered by new resources as a charter - joining forces with standouts Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy (also BCP schools). Students at Govans love to participate in the award-winning chess team and to enhance their literacy skills in the Ben Carson Reading Room. Nearby Atwater's provides healthy food education and partners at Loyola University Maryland, Towson University, and Morgan State University further supplement instruction.

To learn more about Govans Elementary visit: http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/Page/6879
City Springs Principal Rhonda Richetta
bBCP's Transformational Principals

BCP would like to congratulate City Springs Elementary/Middle School Principal Rhonda L. Richetta for being included in Baltimore City Public Schools' 2015 cohort of Transformational Principals.

Dr. Richetta is the third BCP principal to be recognized by the district for going above and beyond the call of duty to profoundly and successfully transform the lives of their students, teachers, partners and the community that surrounds them.

Hampstead Hill Academy Principal Matt Hornbeck and Wolfe Street Academy Principal Mark Gaither were part of the 2014 cohort. These leaders are taking the next step in their ongoing work of inspiring and mentoring both peers and students while ensuring excellent teaching and learning in every classroom.
cHippodrome Foundation & Legg Mason Bring "Enchanted Tales" to City Springs E/M School

This Spring, City Springs students in Lauren Stotzfus' 8th grade class participated in the Hippodrome Foundation Inc.'s (HFI) "Bringing Enchanted Tales to Life" program, courtesy of Legg Mason.

This innovative literacy and arts program ties directly into Maryland's core curriculum and provided classes in five Baltimore schools with the tools to study, write, illustrate and explore the concept of adventure tales in connection with the Broadway musical "Wicked."

HFI staff provided a five-part program that engaged student creativity and taught key elements of an adventure tale. Students worked together to write and illustrate their own hardbound book. Then they experienced the power of live theater with a trip to the historic Hippodrome Theatre to see "Wicked" on April 2, 2015.

Special thanks to HFI and Legg Mason for selecting City Springs to be part of the program. Thank you to all of the sponsors who support this program: Jackson Lewis, J.P. Morgan, Legg Mason, M&T Bank, National Insurance Trust Insurance Services, Southwest, TBC and Wells Fargo!

To learn more about HFI visit: http://www.hippodromefoundation.org/
(back row  l to r) Mollie Fein of UFPIA,
Connie Phelps of WSA & students
dUFPIA Supports Wolfe Street Academy

BCP would like to thank the Upper Fells Point Improvement Association (UFPIA) for their generous recent donation to Wolfe Street Academy (WSA). The gift will be used to purchase computers and reference books.

The UFPIA Education and Youth Committee organizes and sponsors events for children in the Upper Fells Point community, often in partnership with Wolfe Street Academy.

Annual events include the Wolfe Street Academy Teachers' Wish List Project and the Summer Work Day at the school. Other UPFIA activities with WSA have included mask-making at the school's Day of the Dead celebration, participation in the Wolfest street festival, and the creation of a "Some Day I Will..." mosaic.

For more information about UFPIA visit:   http://www.upperfellspoint.org/
eCity Springs Students Raise "Lenny" the Terrapin
By City Springs Teacher Zachary Carey

This year 7th and 8th grade students at City Springs Elementary/Middle School had the opportunity to raise a Maryland diamondback terrapin in their classroom, and at the end of the year release it back to the island in the Chesapeake Bay where it was born.

Terrapins are a type of turtle that are native to the Chesapeake Bay and at one point populated the Bay at levels much higher than today. The opportunity to raise the terrapin was provided through the National Aquarium's Terrapins in the Classroom Program.

Students observed an organism from a local ecosystem, while also assisting in the effort to support the terrapin population in the Chesapeake.  The program uses ongoing research conducted by Dr. Willem Roosenburg, associate professor of biology at Ohio University. Dr. Roosenburg is widely known as a national authority on terrapins, and is a leading voice in the conservation of the species.

We received our terrapin "Lenny" in September when the turtle was only several weeks old and weighed 7.8 grams. Over the course of the year students in our "Turtle Team" maintained the turtle environment, monitored the tank temperature, and fed the turtle. Turtle responsibilities became more exciting in January when the turtle began eating live food, including minnows and crickets.

The Turtle Team also developed an "Outreach Team" which created a presentation about the terrapin, it's environment, and students' responsibilities in the Turtle Team. The Outreach Team used this presentation and the turtle itself to introduce early learning students at City Springs to science.

As our program closed in June, Lenny weighed over 150 grams and was ready to be reunited with his natural environment. We released Lenny back to Poplar Island, an island in the Chesapeake Bay that is in the process of being rebuilt after many years of human influenced deterioration.

On the trip, students not only had the chance to take a boat ride out to the island but also participated in planting bay grasses on the island. The bay grass planting assisted with the rebuilding process on Poplar. The students were sad to see Lenny go, but really enjoyed the opportunity to help strengthen the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem (and we'll have another turtle next year!).

For more information about the terrapin program and Poplar Island, visit the National Aquarium and Maryland Environmental Service websites:
fHampstead Hill Academy Students Learn Physics through Drumming
By Geri Swann, Director of Community Outreach
Hampstead Hill Academy

Eighth grade students at Hampstead Hill Academy took part in a special program teaching physics through steel drums this Spring.

Students participated in an incredible hands-on and fun week of learning about sound with Kevin Martin from Rockcreek Steel Drums. HHA Teacher Matthew Cobb taught about the physics of sound waves and Mr. Martin joined him to teach about the history and practice of steel drum music.  Each class learned a few songs that were performed for families and school  community members on Friday, May 22nd.

This program was made possible by a generous grant from Young Audiences of Maryland. For more information visit: http://www.yamd.org/artist/rockcreek-steel-drums/
Baltimore Curriculum Project | 410.675.7000 | [email protected] | www.baltimorecp.org
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