Team BCPS Day 2025 "blue" us away! | |
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Every year on Team BCPS Day (the second Thursday in January), the entire community is invited to wear blue and post photos on social media using #BCPSBlue. Photos from the celebration are available in a BCPS Flickr album. (Photos are still being accepted. Submit yours by posting photos on social media using #BCPSblue or emailing them to communications@bcps.org.)
Stay tuned in coming weeks as this year's recognitions for distinguished participation are announced.
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BCPS Superintendent Rogers to unveil FY 2026 budget request during Jan. 13 presentation
Event will be livestreamed on YouTube
The community is invited to view a presentation of the proposed Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget for Baltimore County Public Schools. The presentation will be livestreamed Monday, January 13, at 9 a.m., on the BCPS YouTube channel. As BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers presents the proposed budget, she will outline the school system’s initiatives designed to fast-forward the academic progress of its 110,000 students.
Dr. Rogers will formally submit her proposed budget to the Board of Education at its Tuesday, January 14, business meeting, which will be livestreamed beginning at 6:30 p.m.
More information about the operating budget development process and timeline can be found on the BCPS Budget 101 webpage.
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Middle school students invited to learn more about technology and cybersecurity at next month's BCPS Cyber Games | |
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Four high school students are coordinating an event for BCPS middle school students interested in technology and cybersecurity.
The inaugural BCPS Cyber Games will be open to all BCPS middle schoolers, regardless of experience. The games will take place on Saturday, February 22, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., at Dumbarton Middle School, 300 Dumbarton Rd., Baltimore 21212.
This event has been designed so that middle school students can learn cybersecurity and technology skills; meet and speak with area technology professionals, and compete in a fun, beginner-friendly competition. The challenges have been created to teach students core concepts; no prior knowledge is needed. Teams of one to four students will have the opportunity to have fun, be recognized for their skills and interests, and win $150+ in prizes (including prizes from Chick-fil-A Towson, Raising Cane’s Towson, Pure Raw Juice Towson, David Ross Orthodontics, and more).
To register or learn more, please visit the Cyber Games website.
The organizing team for the Cyber Games includes the event's program director, Saan Rhyne of Eastern Technical High School, as well as Joe Ntampaka, Towson High School; Arlo Tearnan, Towson High School; and Graham TerBeek, George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology. All are Grade 9 students. Their adviser is Michael Wood, a Project Lead the Way teacher at Dumbarton Middle School.
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Student-run coffee shop at Employee Development Center to open on Tuesday, January 21 | |
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On Tuesday, January 21, from 8:30-9:30 a.m., Reaching Higher Grounds, a new coffee shop operated by students in the Post-Secondary Functional Academic Learning Support program, will celebrate its grand opening!
The coffee shop is located in the Employee Development Center, 2034 Greenspring Dr., Timonium 21093, and its regular hours will be Monday - Thursday, from 8-10 a.m.
The shop's motto is "Offering beverages for a boost and smiles for your soul."
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BCPS has now used two out of its three traditional inclement weather days for the 2024-25 school year. After day three, BCPS will transition to virtual learning, operating on a two-hour delay schedule. More information is available on the BCPS website.
Additionally, more information about how BCPS makes decisions for school closings and delays is available online. As a reminder, most decisions regarding school operations are made by 5:30 a.m.
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The painting "Clouded Comfort" by Loch Raven High School student Chloe Wroten will be featured in the Maryland High School Juried Art Exhibition coordinated by the University of Maryland Global Campus.
The exhibition will be on display from January 19 - April 6 at the UMGC Arts Program Gallery, College Park Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 3501 University Boulevard East, Adelphi 20783.
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County library's Winter Reading Challenge offers free basketball game tickets | |
Students in Kindergarten through Grade 12 can win prizes for participating in Baltimore County Public Library's Winter Reading Challenge.
The challenge runs through Friday, January 31, and details are available online and at all county public library branches. Students who read for at least 400 minutes will receive special pompom beanies while supplies last. All students who complete the 400 minutes will receive a complimentary ticket to a Towson University basketball game as well as discounted tickets for friends and family.
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for parents
from BCPS Parent University
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Helping your child live a balanced life in a digital world | |
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Raising children isn’t easy! Adults can help children thrive in the digital world by ensuring that they provide balanced use of technology, in the right environment, in a safe way, and at the right times.
One way to help your children be safe, healthy, and ready to learn is to manage their access to the internet and use of devices. If your child takes a cell phone or smart watch to school, be sure to set up parental controls to reinforce that the device is off and away during learning time. You can also use parental controls to limit the length of time, time of day, and sites they visit on the internet.
For more information on using parental controls, Android phone users can visit Family Link; iPhone users can visit Family Controls; and Apple-Watch users can visit Setting up Schooltime on Apple Watch and Setting Up Apple Watch for Your Kids.
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for your viewing pleasure | |
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mission moment
from The Education Foundation of BCPS
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Happy retirement, Debbie Phelps! | |
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On January 1, Deborah Phelps officially retired from BCPS. An educator for 50 years, she served the county schools for almost 30 years.
A new Mission Moment blog post recounts her achievements over the past dozen years as the executive director of The Education Foundation of BCPS.
These achievements include:
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Establishing two educator resource centers – the Exchangerees: Gizmos and Gadgets Galore – that have distributed (since 2018) more than $2.7 million in donated school supplies to BCPS educators.
- Increasing the number of scholarships offered annually from 10 to 50 and the amount of grant funds distributed annually from $10,000 to more than $100,000.
- Launching successful annual fundraising events including the Tee Off for Team BCPS Golf Classic, Let's Play Ball, the Designer Bag Bingo, and the Inspiring Hope Gala.
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January 13, 2025
Dear Reader:
This morning, I will present to Team BCPS my Fiscal Year 2026 operating budget proposal as well as my vision for Baltimore County Public Schools. I hope that you will watch the presentation (Monday, January 13) at 9 a.m. on the BCPS YouTube channel or view it later.
My deepest appreciation to the many BCPS staff and community members whose input helped me create the draft proposal.
I will formally submit my proposed budget to the Board of Education of Baltimore County at its Tuesday, January 14, business meeting, which will be livestreamed beginning at 6:30 p.m. A public hearing on the proposed operating budget will be held on Tuesday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m. in Building E on the BCPS Greenwood campus, 6901 N. Charles St., Towson 21204.
You can learn more about the operating budget online. We want the community to understand where our funding comes from, how it is spent, and how we ensure we are meeting the needs of every BCPS student.
Regards,
Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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Monday, January 20
Schools and offices closed for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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Friday, January 24
Schools close three hours early for students as second marking period ends
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Upcoming Board and community advisory group meetings
All are welcome to attend
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Joint meeting of Central and Southwest Area education advisory councils
Monday, January 13, at 7 p.m.
Meeting details
Topic: Updates on special education services and gifted and talented education classes
Board of Education meeting
Tuesday, January 14, at 6:30 p.m.
BCPS headquarters/Greenwood campus, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204
FY 2026 Operating Budget Public Hearing
Tuesday, January 21, at 6:30 p.m.
BCPS headquarters/Greenwood campus, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204
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