Meet the finalists for Teacher, Principal, and Assistant Principal of the Year -- This Week in BCPS

Monday, March 24, 2025

Meet the finalists for 2025-26 BCPS Teacher, Principal, and Assistant Principal of the Year

Winners to be announced in April at Champions for Children Celebration Gala

The outstanding school educators and administrators selected as this year’s finalists for the BCPS Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, and Assistant Principal of the Year will be recognized, and winners will be announced, at a special Champions for Children Celebration Gala at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 23, at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, 938 York Rd., in Towson.

In addition to these schoolhouse champions, the 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.

"Art is for Everyone" exhibition once again draws crowds to the Baltimore Museum of Art

More than 250 artworks by BCPS students on display

Family and community members streamed into the Baltimore Museum of Art to see the 2025 "Art is for Everyone" exhibition, which featured more than 250 artworks by BCPS students from PreKindergarten through Grade 12. The exhibition concluded on March 23 with a "Meet and Greet" with the student artists. Images from the exhibition can be found on Flickr.

BCPS student musicians perform with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra at annual Side-by-Side Concert

Forty-nine exceptional BCPS student musicians took center stage with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on March 21 for the 39th BCPS Side-by-Side Concert. A highlight of the concert was a violin solo performed by Bakari Lyons, a Grade 10 student at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. Student performers represented Carver Center, Catonsville, Dulaney, Eastern, Patapsco, Perry Hall, Randallstown, and Towson high schools. In the audience at Meyerhoff Symphony Hall were students from several schools as well as school board members, educators, family members, and friends. More photos from the concert can be found on Flickr.

Bakari Lyons, Young Soloist

Recent staff and student honors

Three BCPS visual arts educators earn 4 national, 1 state honor at National Art Education Association convention

Three BCPS visual arts educators earned four national honors and one state honor at the National Art Education Association convention, held in Louisville, KY, March 20-22. This is the first time that BCPS has ever had four national NAEA winners in one year.

Pam Ehrenreich, Chesapeake High School

National High School Choice Educator of the Year
National Secondary Art Educator

Erica Hamilton, Western School of Technology

Maryland Art Educator
Outstanding National Art Honor Society Sponsor

Raine Dawn Valentine, Ridgely Middle School

National Middle Level Art Educator

Pam Ehrenreich

Erica Hamilton

Raine Dawn Valentine

Southwest Academy's Tatanisha Love named national finalist for 2025 School Librarian of the Year

Tatanisha Love, the library media specialist at Southwest Academy Magnet School for Science and Engineering, has been named a national finalist for 2025 School Librarian of the Year.

The School Librarian of the Year Award, presented annually by School Library Journal and sponsored by Scholastic, recognizes the outstanding work of K–12 library professionals who have consistently demonstrated exceptional use of technology and print materials to not only successfully engage students in learning but also spark new ideas within their school and community. This year, one winner and two finalists were honored.

Work by Watershed Public Charter School student Aamir Snead accepted into Young Playwrights Festival

The play "BeMore," written by Aamir Snead, a Grade 6 student at Watershed Public Charter School, has been accepted into Center Stage's 40th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. Snead's play is about a young artist struggling with self-doubt and anxious about opening a decision letter from a high school for the arts.

Only a handful of plays were accepted from more than 100 entries received from K-12 students from across Maryland. As an accepted playwright, Snead will have three weeks to refine his script with the support of a Center Stage mentor. Then he will work with professional designers and directors on play development. The winning plays will be performed at Center Stage on Saturday, May 10.

Eastern Tech student David Yu qualifies for the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad

David Yu, a Grade 9 student at Eastern Technical High School, was one of approximately 250 students nationally who qualified to compete in the USA Junior Mathematical Olympiad (USAJMO). The event, which Yu participated in on March 19-20, was a nine-hour examination. The top USAJMO scorers will be invited to participate in the Math Olympiad Summer Program, another step toward qualifying for the International Mathematics Olympiad's U.S. team.

Yu's impressive scores on the American Mathematics Contest 10 and American Invitational Mathematics Examination earned him the opportunity to compete in the USAJMO.

Pikesville High senior Tabatha Davage wins high school Battle of the Books

Pikesville High School senior Tabatha Davage won this year's high school Battle of the Books competition, sponsored by Baltimore County Public Library. Her entry was a poem and drawing inspired by "Goth Girl, Queen of the Universe," a graphic novel by Lindsay S. Zrull. Her prize was a $100 Visa gift card. More about Davage and her winning entry can be found on the library's blog and in the video below.

A view inside the PLTW Biomedical Sciences program at Loch Raven High School

The Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Biomedical Sciences program at Loch Raven High began five years ago and is led by science teacher Jessica Galeano and science department chair Jennifer Shaw. The program offers an intense focus on the concepts of human medicine and biomedical innovations through an introduction to physiology, genetics, microbiology, and public health. The courses in sequence are Principles of Biological Science, Human Body Systems, Medical Interventions, and Biomedical Innovations.

The students who enroll in the program are primarily interested in becoming doctors, nurses, or physical therapists, according to Shaw. In their senior year, PLTW students are encouraged to do internships, and many complete them at the nearby University of Maryland Saint Joseph Medical Center.

A new blog post explores the highly interactive program that is nurturing the next generation of sciences and medical professionals. More photos from the program can be found on Flickr.

Shaw sharing information about gene therapy in a Medical Interventions class for Year 3 students

Galeano teaching Year 1 students in her Principles of Biomedical Science class how to tie a tourniquet

Braeden Van Scyoc, senior in the PLTW Biomedical Sciences program at Loch Raven High School

College Decision Day is a month and a half away, but Loch Raven High senior Braeden Van Scyoc has already made his decision. This fall, he will begin the highly selective Physician Assistant program at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

“It’s really rare to find a physician assistant program you can begin at the undergraduate level,” Braeden says. “The RIT program only accepts like 30 to 36 first year students each year – out of about 5,000 applicants.”

Learn more about Braeden in a BCPS Close-Up blog post.

Teacher Profile: Rod Taylor, social emotional learning teacher, Franklin High School

Video captures Community Conversation on Special Education event held on March 13 at Nottingham Middle School

for parents

from BCPS Parent University

Mark your calendars for Parent University Lunch & Learn events in April

Lunch & Learn: "Build a Life Skill, Create a Future: 9 Math Strategies for Successful Learning"

Friday, April 4, at 12:30 p.m.

This virtual session, presented by the Center for Family Success, will investigate strategies that will help parents and children find solutions for issues connecting math and life. Please register online.

Lunch & Learn: "Be SMART (Gun Safety)"

Thursday, April 24, at 12:30 p.m.

This virtual session will be presented by Beth Jarrett, Be SMART lead, Baltimore County. The presentation is non-political and encourages parents and all adults to take action to prevent child access to guns, promote secure storage and reduce the risk of suicide. Please register online.

SMART stands for:

Secure all guns in your home and vehicles.
Model responsible behavior around guns.
Ask about the presence of unsecured firearms in other homes your child visits.
Recognize the role of guns in suicide.
Tell your peers to Be SMART.

BCPS hosts successful job fairs in March

for your viewing pleasure

"Chance of Rain" by Kathleen Sundell, Grade 11, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology was featured in the 2024-25 Winter Art Exhibition at THE AVENUE at White Marsh.

Enjoy the BCPS All-County Jazz Concert

mission moment

from The Education Foundation of BCPS

The Education Foundation announces the inaugural Let's Play Pickleball fundraiser

The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools announces the inaugural Let’s Play Pickleball fundraiser.

The foundation is pleased to offer community members an opportunity to get together for a competitive pickleball tournament, friendly pickleball clinic, Pickle Pong, networking, and more! Please join us on Thursday, May 29, from 2-5 p.m. at Copper Union, 5700 Cottonworth Ave., Baltimore 21209. All proceeds will go toward supporting the mission-driven work of the foundation.

Sponsorships and tickets are now available. A Mission Moment blog post offers details about ways to participate in and support this event.

A word from Dr. Rogers

March 24, 2025

Dear Reader:

The 2025-26 school year will begin in late August, but spring is the best time to enroll children in upcoming PreKindergarten and Kindergarten classes. Early learning offers students opportunities to build foundational academic and social skills.

Next school year, BCPS will offer full-day PreKindergarten for eligible 3-year-olds at Bedford, Joppa View, Middlesex, Shady Spring, Victory Villa, and Wellwood International elementary schools. Full-day PreKindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds will be available at 56 elementary schools. And all BCPS elementary schools will provide full-day Kindergarten classes, as Kindergarten is required for Maryland students.

More details about eligibility, registration, and early admission can be found on the Early Childhood Programs section of the BCPS website.

In addition, the "Registration and Enrollment" webpage provides helpful instructions, and all BCPS elementary schools will host enrollment events to provide in-person support for parents. For more information, please contact the elementary school your child is zoned to attend.

We look forward to welcoming new young learners to our schools when the 2025-26 school year begins.

Regards,

Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.

Superintendent