Tuesday, September 3, 2024 | |
|
New school year gets off to great start
More than 111,000 students returned to BCPS for the 2024-2025 school year on August 26. They were enthusiastically greeted by crossing guards, school bus drivers, teachers, administrators, mascots, cheerleaders, string quintets, and more. A new Flickr photo gallery captures the energy of the first day.
| |
Another Flickr photo gallery showcases photos posted by schools and families using the hashtag #BCPSfirstday. | |
Safety initiative uses bus cameras to identify drivers who pass stopped school buses | |
|
The Baltimore County Police Department has partnered with BCPS and AngelTrax to install automated school bus enforcement cameras on nearly 1,000 buses that transport students to and from school and various programs within Baltimore County. The cameras will help police identify those cars that illegally pass stopped school buses.
According to Maryland law, drivers traveling in both directions must stop at least 20 feet from a stopped school bus with activated flashing red lights. If a physical barrier is present, such as a median, only traffic traveling in the same direction as the bus must stop until lights are deactivated.
Motorists who illegally pass a stopped school bus with activated flashing red lights will be subject to a $250 fine.
More information about the School Bus Camera Safety program can be found in a recent news release.
| |
One of the new cameras on a BCPS school bus | |
BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers and Baltimore County Police Chief Robert O. McCullough | |
|
48 BCPS elementary schools participating in this year's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
This school year, 48 BCPS elementary schools will participate in the United States Department of Agriculture's Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. Through the program, students are introduced to new fruits and vegetables through tastings and hands-on learning experiences throughout the school year. The USDA has found that students who participate in the program eat more fruits and vegetables than those who do not.
The BCPS elementary schools participating this year are:
| |
|
Baltimore Highlands
Battle Grove
Bear Creek
Bedford
Berkshire
Carney
Chadwick
Charlesmont
Chase
Colgate
Deep Creek
Deer Park
Dogwood
Dundalk
Edmondson Heights Elmwood
| |
|
Essex
Featherbed Lane
Glyndon
Grange
Halethorpe
Halstead Academy
Hawthorne
Hebbville
Johnnycake
Lansdowne
Logan
Mars Estates
Martin Blvd
McCormick
Middlesex
Norwood
| |
|
Oakleigh
Orems
Pleasant Plains
Riverview
Sandalwood
Sandy Plains
Scotts Branch
Seneca
Shady Spring
Sussex
Timber Grove
Victory Villa
White Oak
Winfield
Woodbridge
Woodmoor
| |
BCPS celebrates its 2024 National ACT-SO competition winners | |
The following BCPS students and graduates earned honors at the annual Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) competition, held during the NAACP's 115th National Convention in Las Vegas in July.
-
Ahrianna Guilty, 2024 George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology graduate – $10,000 Write Your Future Scholarship
-
Denim Fisher, 2024 Pikesville High School graduate– $10,000 Write Your Future Scholarship
-
Jada McAliley, 2024 Carver Center graduate – gold medal for painting and a $10,000 scholarship
-
Couryn Branch, Grade 12, Carver Center – bronze medal for playwriting
| |
Two BCPS-TV videos capture the first day of school | |
|
Last call for summer stories
Every summer since 2018, BCPS has invited its students, teachers, and staff to share stories about their summer activities and adventures on the BCPS blog. The invitation to contribute to the Summer Stories series is extended again this year. To submit a blog post or suggest a story idea, please write to communications@bcps.org. We want to know about your summer jobs/internships/externships, vacations, creative projects, competitions, camps, and more!
| |
for parents
from BCPS Parent University
| |
Upcoming Parent University Lunch & Learn Workshops | |
“Positive Parenting’
Friday, September 6, at 12:30 p.m.
In this virtual presentation, a representative from the Center for Family Success will delve into the definition of positive parenting, examples and benefits of positive parental practices, and the importance of appropriate expectations for children. Registration required.
“Be SMART (Gun Safety)”
Thursday, September 26, at 12:30 p.m.
Beth Jarrett, the leader of Be SMART Baltimore County, will offer a nonpolitical, virtual presentation to encourage parents, caregivers, and all adults to take action to prevent child access to guns, promote secure storage, and reduce the risk of suicide. Registration required.
“Introduction to Bullying Prevention”
Monday, September 30, at 12:30 p.m.
In this virtual session for educators and parents/caregivers, Brad Engel, school climate initiatives specialist with the Maryland State Department of Education, will provide an hour of crucial information on how to effectively respond to bullying situations and get a better understanding of the barriers that prevent children from reporting to adults. Registration required.
| |
Students invited to enter art contest celebrating diversity | |
BCPS students are invited to enter art contests promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Elementary school students can enter an artwork contest, and high school students can enter a coloring book drawing contest. Prizes for each contest will be: first place – $75 gift card for the student and $500 for the school; second place – $50 gift card for the student and $200 for the school; and third place – $25 gift card for the student and $100 for the school. The entry deadline for both contests is January 15, 2025. The contests are sponsored by The Arc Maryland, Maryland Department of Disabilities, Maryland Development Disabilities Council, and Maryland State Department of Education. | |
for your viewing pleasure | |
|
mission moment
from The Education Foundation of BCPS
| |
The Education Foundation participates in three back to school activities | |
|
Administrative and Supervisory Meeting
BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers shared her vision for the school year at the annual Administrative and Supervisory meeting for principals, assistant principals, and central office staff.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the foundation presented 22 randomly selected colleagues with whimsical gift baskets.
Joining the foundation in presenting the hospitality and gift baskets were champions of education from First Financial Federal Credit Union and the Caravan of Gratitude Basket Brigade.
| |
|
BCPSfest
As part of BCPSfest, the foundation used a $10,000 grant from United Way of Central Maryland to provide 1,752 backpacks filled with school supplies to eight elementary schools and three middle schools.
Community partners who provided sponsorships in support of BCPSfest included The Education Foundation in partnership with the United Way of Central Maryland (Platinum Champion), First Financial Federal Credit Union (Gold Champion), Pikesville Family Dentistry (Silver Champion), and Alex Cooper (In-kind Champion).
| |
|
Dr. Tim Tooten's
Stuff the Bus event
The 2nd Annual Dr. Tim Tooten’s Stuff the Bus event took place on August 23 at the Walmart Supercenter in Cockeysville. The event’s new name honors WBAL-TV’s longtime education reporter, Dr. Tim Tooten, who retired in December 2023.
Over the course of five hours, more than $55,000 worth of school supplies were donated, and two BCPS school buses were stuffed with notebooks, pencils, pens, and more.
More about all three events can be found in a new Mission Moment blog post.
| |
|
September 3, 2024
Dear Reader:
Last week, in addition to experiencing a positive start to the school year, we also received some promising news. MSDE released final data from the 2024 administration of the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program. The data show that BCPS students continue to make gains in performance on the English language arts and mathematics state assessments. (Details can be found in a recent Staff and Community Update available in English and Spanish.)
These improvements are a testament to the unwavering dedication of our educators and administrators and the resilience and hard work of our students. And while we celebrate these gains, our results are also a stark reminder that far too many of our students are still not meeting proficiency levels, and we continue to have significant performance gaps compared to the state.
We are holding ourselves accountable for getting results, doing the necessary work to address gaps in performance, and making certain that we meet the needs of all students and eliminate disparities in achievement. We are doing this work in a number of ways, including the continued implementation of our evidence-based English language arts and Illustrative Math curricula, a new curriculum for multilingual learners, and robust professional development.
With continued emphasis and investments in our academic priority areas and ongoing assessments of learning, we are confident that we will see more significant rebounds in student performance in the coming years.
In partnership,
Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.
Superintendent
| | | | |
