Thursday, August 31, 2023

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

Welcome back, Team BCPS!

The 2023-24 school year is here

This week, we welcomed more than 111,000 students back to our 176 schools, centers, and programs as Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers (Yarbrough) began her first school year at the helm of BCPS. We would like to thank all BCPS staff members for their enthusiasm, energy, and expertise as we have enjoyed a great start to the year.

As the school year begins, highlights include the implementation of a new English Language Arts curriculum in all elementary schools, the launch of a new Career and Technical Education program, the addition of Omnilert weapon detection system to our safety and security program, new capital projects, and much more!

BCPS new hires for the school year include 822 teachers, 30 office professionals, nine bus drivers, five bus attendants, 45 paraeducators, 35 assistant principals, and 15 principals. More information is available in a BCPS news release.

Photos from schools around the county on the first day of school are available in a BCPS Flickr album.

FEATURED VIDEO:

First Day Sights & Sounds

Relive the magic of the first day of school with a "Sights & Sounds" video created by BCPS-TV!

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...

• Stay Connected with Team BCPS!



BCPS offers multiple ways to stay connected and to be informed about news and important information from your school system. From the website and various social media platforms to our community newsletter and much more.

Visit the STAY CONNECTED webpage for a one-stop shop for tools that help you stay in touch with Baltimore County Public Schools.

You asked for it - you've got it! Principals requested an easy, at-a-glance document to share with families!

Here they are:

• Stay Connected - English

• Stay Connected – Spanish

STAY CONNECTED and don't forget to stay in touch!

• Exchangeree shopping dates - September and October



The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc. will host shopping days during September and October at the Exchangeree: Gizmos and Gadgets Galore, centers at Rosedale/Golden Ring and Windsor Mill. Shopping, from 3-6 p.m. on the days listed below will be open to all full-time BCPS educators and support staff (school counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and pupil personnel workers).

Rosedale/Golden Ring

• Tuesday, September 12

• Tuesday, September 26

• Tuesday, October 17

Windsor Mill

• Thursday, September 7

• Thursday, September 21

• Thursday, October 5

• Thursday, October 26

Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Volunteer coordinators

​​​​​​​The Office of Family and Community Engagement invites all volunteer coordinators to join its BCPS Volunteer Coordinator Schoology group where they will receive information on annual training, resources, and updates. Principals are asked to provide the name of their volunteer coordinator via the Staff Access Management app.

Volunteer coordinators are required to attend one of two annual training sessions, which will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams.

#1166 Volunteer Coordinator Training

• September 20, from 2-3 p.m.

• September 22, from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

Please visit the Registration System to sign up. For more information, contact Stacey Wade.

• Putting Students First grant applications



In partnership with First Financial Federal Credit Union, The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc., is pleased to provide the Putting Students First Grant. The review and award of project funds will be based on the project’s anticipated need of supplies, resources, and opportunities/experiences to fulfill classroom needs and to impact student’s educational readiness.

The application closes on September 29, at 5 p.m. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Save the Date - BCPS Magnet Expo

This year’s Team BCPS Magnet Expo is set for Saturday, September 30, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Delta Hotel Hunt Valley. The expo will feature 32 schools with magnet programs; English for speakers of other languages and special education representatives; and career and technical education exhibits and demonstrations!

Applications for the 2024-2025 school year will be available from September 12 through November 3.

• Office Professionals Induction Program

BCPS prepares office professionals with the knowledge of how to establish and maintain success throughout the school year. To that end, and in collaboration with various departments, Employee Training and Development has launched the Office Professionals Induction Program (OPIP), a set of professional development courses and opportunities for collaboration with mentors for first through third year office professionals throughout the school year. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Get moving with BCPS! - Join the $10,000 School Team Challenge

BCPS has partnered with HealthyWage! If you are looking for a fun way to get healthier, join the $10,000 School Team Challenge that kicks off September 18.

Gather your coworkers, friends, and family together to create a team of five. Don't have a team? No problem - HealthyWage will match you up with one. Registration is $28/month for three months ($84).

Challenge start date: Monday, September 18

Last day to register: Monday, October 2

Challenge end date: Monday, December 11

Questions? Contact info@healthywage.com or call 888-636-3832.

• Upcoming Parent University events

This year, BCPS Parent University will present a variety of virtual programs. More information is available on the Parent University schedule.

Upcoming programming includes:

Lunch & Learn: Using Schoology to Support Student Organization - Online

Presented by Team BCPS

Wednesday, September 20 at 12:30 p.m.

Lunch & Learn: Back to School Jitters: How to Help your Child Transition from Anxious to Excited

Presented by the Center for Family Success

Friday, September 22 at 12:30 p.m.

Lunch & Learn: The Power of Play: Fun Activities for Parents and Children

Presented by the Center for Family Success

Friday, October 20 at 12:30 p.m.

• Hersheypark back-to-school offer

BCPS staff are invited to celebrate the last days of summer by saving on 1-day tickets to Hersheypark! There is no limit on the number of tickets you can purchase. Processing fee and amusement tax apply.

Discounted price: $44.99 (Regularly $84.95)

Use promo code 24489862 now through September 10.

Message from Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers (Yarbrough) and the Board of Education

Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! Team BCPS staff have been preparing for this all summer, and we are excited to welcome our students back for what we expect will be an incredible school year.

While the school year is new, our mission and commitment remain unchanged—to ensure every student receives a world-class public education that prepares them to graduate ready for college, military training, careers, and life. Our work is to provide the necessary support from preschool through high school that will deliver on this promise.

Please take a moment to watch this year’s Welcome Back video. In the video, we celebrate new beginnings and reflect on the work of the school system to ensure all students thrive. Welcome back, Team BCPS! Let’s make it a great year!

Dr. Myriam Rogers

Superintendent

Jane Lichter

Chair, Board of Education of Baltimore County

Robin Harvey

Vice Chair, Board of Education of Baltimore County

Transition Team Report

Please review today's Team BCPS Update regarding the Superintendent's Transition Team Report. The assessment resulted in a list of 24 short- and long-term recommendations to drive improvement in our five focus areas.

You can read the full report here.

Here For It

attendance campaign

resources & toolkit

The "Here for It" attendance awareness campaign is an ongoing initiative that includes a curated collection of tools, resources, and suggested activities for BCPS stakeholders to use to raise awareness of the importance of regular school attendance and offer support for decreasing barriers to regular school attendance.

Principals and schools are encouraged to utilize the Here for It tools and resources throughout the year to promote a culture of attendance and to support efforts to decrease the percentage of chronically absent students.

Omnilert Weapons Detection System

This school year, we are adding new safety tools to our comprehensive approach to enhancing school safety. Omnilert is a weapons detection system that uses existing internal and external cameras to spot firearms.

If a firearm is detected by the system, an alert will be sent to designated BCPS and Baltimore County Police Department personnel. Omnilert will be deployed in all schools during the 2023-24 school year, beginning with high school in September.

Athletics Event Reminders

We are looking forward to another exciting year of Team BCPS athletics! As fall competitions begin today, here are a few reminders and expectations to keep everyone safe.

We are asking all members of the BCPS community to do their part to ensure our sporting events remain safe, family-oriented events. Attendance at athletic events is a privilege.

HMH Into Reading Curriculum

BCPS is implementing the HMH Into Reading English language arts curriculum in all elementary schools for the 2023-2024 school year. More than 2,500 teachers have received professional learning on the new curriculum and additional professional learning will be offered throughout the school year.

A look back at BCPSfest

BCPSfest 2023 was bigger and better than ever - with more attendees, more vendors, more entertainment, more face painters, and more activities than ever.

Did you miss this year's event? Check out photos in a BCPS Flickr album or watch BCPS-TV's recap video.

1) Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers (Yarbrough) provided an update on the work of the transition team. The final transition team report will be shared with Team BCPS by August 31.

2) The Board discussed proposed changes to Board policy 8260, Authority of Individual Board Members.

3) The Board held a work session on the Fiscal Year 2025 State Capital Budget request.

4) The Board approved nine administrative appointments.

We're hiring! Please spread the word about our upcoming recruitment events.

Online applications are available now.

TEAM BCPS SHOUTOUT



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