School Counselors and School Counselor Advocate of the Year announced -- This Week in BCPS

Monday, June 1, 2026

School Counselors and School Counselor Advocate of the Year announced

The Baltimore County Association for Counseling and Development has recognized a new class of outstanding school counselors for the 2025-26 school year as well as a School Counselor Advocate of the Year.

The following professionals are being honored:

Elementary School Counselor of the Year

Samantha Lutters,

Deep Creek Elementary School

Middle School Counselor of the Year

Shawrn Watson,

Dundalk Middle School

High School Counselor of the Year

·Anne Casale,

Woodlawn High School

Rookie Elementary School Counselor of the Year

Rebecca Meiller,

Harford Hills Elementary School

Rookie High School Counselor of the Year

Nicolette Weir,

Towson High School

School Counselor Advocate of the Year

John Noonan, Principal, Shady Spring Elementary School

Learn more about their contributions to their school communities and the school counseling profession in a BCPS news release.

BCPS honors its 2026 spring athletic state champions

A new press release recognizes the BCPS state champions for the 2026 spring season. Honors were earned by students and teams from:

Franklin High School

Hereford High School

Kenwood High School

Milford Mill Academy

Parkville High School

Pikesville High School

Sparrows Point High School

Towson High School

Western School of Technology

Woodlawn High School

Hereford girls 4/800 relay team

Hereford baseball team

Woodlawn girls track team

Join us for the opening reception and awards ceremony for the High School Juried Art Exhibition

This annual juried exhibition, which will be open throughout the summer, features more than 120 artworks by BCPS high school students. Multiple awards will be presented by BCPS and its community partners including the Baltimore Watercolor Society; Azrael, Franz, Schwab, Lipowitz & Solter law firm; and The Sheffield Institute for the Recording Arts. Hannah’s Café will donate refreshments, and Blick Art Materials is providing award bundles. The exhibition is sponsored by the BCPS Office of Integrated Arts and Towson University.

In recognition of Pride Month, the Mind Over Matters campaign provides a variety of resources and activities for students, families, and staff.

Everyone belongs in Team BCPS!

You are invited to the 20th Annual All-County Honors Dance Ensemble Gala Concert

The 20th Annual BCPS Middle & High School All-County Honors Dance Ensemble Gala Concert showcases students who auditioned and were selected to be ensemble members in November 2025.

Throughout 2026, the ensembles met weekly to rehearse repertoire. Throughout the season, ensemble members have performed at the Gordon Center’s February Dance Celebration concert, BCPS Dance Festivals, as well as during lecture/demonstrations at Milbrook and Victory Villa elementary schools.

The middle schools represented in the ensemble are Deer Park Magnet, Dundalk, Franklin, Loch Raven Technical Academy, Middle River, Pikesville, Sudbrook Magnet, and Windsor Mill. The high schools represented in the ensemble are Franklin, George Washington Carver Center, Milford Mill Academy, New Town, Owings Mills, and Perry Hall.

The gala concert serves as the culminating performance of this year’s ensemble and highlights students' artistry, discipline, collaboration, and commitment to excellence in dance education.

BCPS Summer Food Service Program to begin on June 24

Qualified community program sites can receive free breakfast and lunch meal delivery

The BCPS Summer Food Service Program will begin on Wednesday, June 24, and continue weekdays through Friday, August 21 (with the exception of July 3, Independence Day observance). 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 for families to access free summer meals.

Organized program sites: Summer programs (including camps, day care centers, sports teams, and religious groups) can register to have free breakfast and/or lunch meals delivered to their sites in Baltimore County. Registration is required, and participating programs must serve at least 25 children per day. This service will be available June 24 to August 21.

Summer Meals TO-GO: Families can register to pick up summer meals at Jacksonville or Kingsville elementary schools or Hereford High School. Each week, registered families can pick up boxes containing seven breakfast meals and seven lunches per child. This service will be available June 25 to August 20.

Baltimore County Public Library branches: Fifteen branches of Baltimore County Public Library will serve free lunches each weekday, starting on June 24. These meals must be eaten on site. The list of participating branches and their mealtimes are listed online.

BCPS Summer School: All students attending summer school (July 6-30) will receive free breakfast and lunch each day. No registration is required for these meals.

Graduations to conclude on Saturday, June 6

Photos from the 2026 Pikesville High School graduation

By this Saturday, June 6, more than 7,000 students will have graduated from BCPS as members of the Class of 2026. All graduations are being held at Towson University’s SECU Arena, unless otherwise noted. The graduation schedule is available online.

While in-person seating is limited, all BCPS graduations at SECU Arena can be viewed live on the BCPS-TV YouTube Live channel, on BCPS-TV (Comcast Channel 1073 and Verizon Channel 34), and on the BCPS website.

BCPS photos of graduations will be posted as soon as possible on Flickr.

Photos from the 2026 Western School of Technology graduation

Share your graduation pics with us!

BCPS invites students, families, and staff to submit their favorite 2026 high school commencement snapshots. By submitting a photo, the sender agrees to its use by BCPS. Many of the pictures received will be shared by BCPS on its social media accounts and/or posted online in a BCPS Flickr album. To contribute a photo via email, individuals are asked to send the photo as a jpeg file (no larger than 4 MB) and email it to communications@bcps.org – including the school name.

recent honors

Carver Center junior Maisie Rehkemper accepted into Grammy Camp

Maisie Rehkemper, a junior at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, is one of just 208 talented high school students from across the nation selected by The Grammy Museum® to participate in its newly expanded Grammy Camp®. The camp sessions will be held in Nashville, Miami, New York, and Los Angeles. Maisie will participate in the New York camp to be held August 2-8.

Camp faculty are Grammy-winning and -nominated professionals, Recording Academy members, industry experts, and notable guest artists, offering participants an exclusive glimpse into real-world music career pathways.

At Carver Center, Maisie majors in Digital Instrumental Music with a focus on bass guitar. She has been performing since the age of seven and plays in the Baltimore-based band Saltbox, whose original 8-track album "Miasma" is now streaming on all major platforms. She has interned at WTMD 89.7 FM and participated in a recording program at Blackbird Academy in Nashville and in an electronic music production course at Stevens Institute of Technology.

BCPS schools participate in Maryland Green Schools Youth Summit

In April, three BCPS schools were named Maryland Green Schools for first-time and 16 other schools renewed their Green Schools status, bringing the total number of Green Schools in BCPS to 65.

On May 28, representatives of Fort Garrison, Timonium, and Woodmoor elementary schools, Maiden Choice School, and Western School of Technology and Environmental Science attended the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education's Green Schools Youth Summit at Sandy Point State Park to collect their awards. Because BCPS schools were closed for students on May 28, these schools did not have students at the summit.

However, Watershed Public Charter School, which has been a Green School since 2021, did bring a cadre of students to participate in the summit's youth leadership activities, green career fair, and environmental literacy fair.

More photos from the event can be found on Flickr.

Maiden Choice School representatives

Watershed Public Charter School students and educators

for parents/caregivers

from BCPS Parent University

A message from the State Superintendent of Schools:

Make every day count until the last day of school

State Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carey M. Wright released a video reminding Maryland students and families that regular school attendance counts — even with summer break quickly approaching.

In these final weeks, the Maryland State Department of Education encourages students and families to:

Keep up consistent daily routines, such as regular bedtimes, morning schedules, and planning ahead, to help students arrive at school ready to learn.
Stay in close communication with your child’s school if challenges arise, and work together to address issues before they lead to more missed days.
Make use of the mental health and well‑being support available in your school community, and reach out to trusted staff if a student needs help staying engaged.
Stay connected by encouraging participation in school activities, supporting friendships, and reinforcing the importance of finishing the year strong.
Keep an eye on attendance patterns and partner with your child’s school to make sure they have every opportunity to be present and successful.

Visit the BCPS Parent University "When School is Out" webpage

As summer approaches, families are invited to explore the BCPS Parent University When School Is Out webpage, which features a variety of community resources and learning activities. This includes details on summer camps, academic support through National PTA Parent Guides and math and reading digital resources, family day trip ideas, reading programs from the Baltimore County Public Library, and links to community support such as the BCPS Summer Meals programs. Visit the "When School Is Out" page today to ensure your family enjoys a fun, active, and enriching summer.

for your viewing pleasure

"Sanctuary " by Moss K., Grade 12, Sparrows Point High School. This watercolor is featured in the 2025-2026 Superintendent's Gallery Art Exhibition.

mission moment

from The Education Foundation of BCPS

Application window for 2026-2027 Education Foundation grants opens today, June 1

The application window for 2026-2027 grants from The Education Foundation and its partners will open on Monday, June 1. The following grant programs will be accepting applications:

More information can be found in the latest Mission Moment blog post.

a word from Dr. Rogers

June 1, 2026

Dear Reader:

At my most recent media availability, held on May 27, I provided updates on the 2026 commencement season, the cursive writing pilot program in 24 elementary schools, and the Summer Food Service program. (You can read my full message online in English or Spanish or see the full press conference on video.)

I also shared my appreciation to the Baltimore County Council for voting to fully fund the Fiscal Year 2027 BCPS operating budget. Over the last several weeks, BCPS leadership has met with the Council to review and discuss FY 27 budget requests.

We greatly appreciate the Council for its partnership and support of our work to fast forward student achievement. With this approved budget, every dollar of funding will help the system deliver the best possible education for 108,000 students.

As we near June 16, the last day of classes, students and staff are working hard to finish the school year on a positive note. Many thanks to Team BCPS students and staff for the work they have done this school year to build on the system’s momentum.

I encourage students to finish out these last few weeks fully engaged in the instructional program and safely participating in all the exciting end-of-year activities schools have planned.

Regards,

Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.

Superintendent