BCPS summer arts camps begin | | |
Three BCPS summer camps are currently underway at Nottingham Middle School: Summer Music Camp, Summer Dance Intensive, and the Visual Arts Summer Enrichment Program. The music and dance programs serve students in Grades 5-12 and will conclude on Thursday, July 3. Three hundred music campers study either band, ukulele, orchestra or songwriting. Eighty dance campers will take classes in contemporary, ballet, jazz, and choreography. The arts camp, which is open to all Grades 3-12 students and starts today with 125 students, concludes on Thursday, July 10, with an open house/reception for students, families, and teachers.
The music camp and dance intensive will have final performances:
Music Camp on July 3 in the Cafetorium at Nottingham Middle School
- Orchestra performance from 12:15-1:30 p.m. with doors opening at 12 p.m. for families/caregivers.
- Band performance from 2:15-3:30 p.m. with doors opening at 2 p.m. for families/caregivers.
Dance Intensive on July 2 in the Cafetorium at Nottingham Middle School
- Performance will be from 2-3 p.m. with doors opening at 1:45 p.m. for families/caregivers.
| | Summer Food Service Program continues | | |
To reach as many children (ages 2-18) as possible, the Summer Food Service program, managed by the BCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services, offers several ways to access free summer meals through Friday, August 15.
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Summer Meals TO-GO: Families can register to pick up summer meals at Carroll Manor or Kingsville elementary schools or Hereford High School. Each week, registered families can pick up boxes containing five breakfast meals and five lunches per child.
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Organized program sites: Summer programs (including camps, day cares, sports teams, and religious groups) can register to have free breakfast and/or lunch meals delivered to their sites in Baltimore County. Last year, more than 300 programs participated. Registration is required, and participating programs must serve at least 25 children per day.
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Baltimore County Public Library branches: Sixteen branches of Baltimore County Public Library will serve free lunches each weekday. These meals must be eaten on site. The list of participating branches and their mealtimes is listed online.
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BCPS Summer School: All students attending summer school will receive free breakfast and lunch each day. No registration is required for these meals. Summer school will take place from July 7-31, Monday through Thursday.
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Each week this summer, colleagues in the Baltimore County Public Library Collection Department will put together a list of some of their favorite book recommendations. The recommendations will be shared on the BCPS website, blog, and social media. The blog post is available in English and Spanish.
Please remember to stop by your local library branch to participate in the summer reading program, have them put together a Be Surprised Bundle for you, and take part in their many activities.
| | 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
| | County library branches offer fun events all summer | | |
To complement their annual summer reading program, the Baltimore County Public Library is offering a full slate of activities throughout the summer and across the county.
These include:
- Friends and Family Story Times
- "Under the Sea with Guava Jelly and Friends" (family music with puppets)
- "Color Me Wild with Eco Adventures" (exploring animal pigmentation)
- "Colorful Magic with Mike Rose"
- The Bubble, Comedy, and Music Show"
- "Kids, Books, and Conversation"
- "Shrinky Dinks"
- Make Your Own Flag"
To see the full list of activities near you, please visit the BCPL events search webpage.
| | Stay connected with BCPS this summer | | |
BCPS staff members are working hard to prepare for the 2025-26 school year! Stay tuned for upcoming announcements and updates via BCPS Summer Connect.
This summer, don't forget to visit the BCPS ParentU "When School is Out" webpage to explore community resources and learning activities. The page includes information about area parks and museums, as well as ideas for fun family day trips and hands-on learning activities that can be done at home or in the neighborhood.
| | for your viewing pleasure | | |
"OSA" by Lalnun Mawii, Woodlawn High School, is featured in the 37th Annual High School Art Exhibition, on display at The StarTUp at Towson University through today, Monday, June 30. This artwork was a finalist in the awards competition sponsored by Azreal, Franz, Schwab, Lipowitz & Solter, LLC, and received honorable mention honors in the BCPS Awards competition.
Artist statement:
My artwork, "OSA," was originally inspired by the still life art style, but its meaning goes much deeper. I was listening to my favorite artist, OsamaSon, when a breeze swept across the back of my head, triggering a memory from my childhood, those quiet moments spent in my garden, sketching what I saw with my own eyes. Wanting to capture and preserve that feeling, I named the piece "OSA." When I began my journey in art class, I was excited to share a talent I had recognized in myself from a young age. Although I sometimes struggled with creating imaginative concepts, I've always had a natural ability to recreate what I observe. As I started sketching, I found myself hesitating, unsure whether to give the work my full effort or treat it as just another assignment. After some thought, I decided to follow my guts and chose one of the three reference photos provided. I used oil pastels as my main medium; they don't blend like paint, but when applied thoughtfully, they allow shades and textures to come together in a unique way. With each stroke, I began to see my vision come to life. Looking back and forth between the reference and my own work, I realized I had poured my best into it, without even realizing. With just a pencil, paper, and oil pastels, I brought a still image to life.
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mission moment
from The Education Foundation of BCPS
| | Celebrating our Champions of Education | | |
On June 11, The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, Inc., held its end of the year awards and recognition celebration at First Financial Federal Credit Union’s Hansen Hall in Sparks, Maryland. The annual event is an opportunity for the foundation to thank educators, partners, and Board members for their dedication to our mission-driven work.
A new Mission Moment blog post lists the 2025 award winners and reviews the history and highlights of The Education Foundation. More photos from the event can be found on Flickr.
| | BCPS schools and offices will be closed on Friday, July 4. | | |
Upcoming Board and community advisory group meetings
All are welcome to attend
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Board of Education meeting
Tuesday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m.
BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204
Board of Education meeting
Tuesday, July 22, at 6:30 p.m.
BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204
This date is for a possible special virtual meeting to discuss personnel matters only.
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