Franklin, Owings Mills, and Pikesville high schools host College, Trades, and Military Fair -- This Week in BCPS

Monday, March 31, 2025

Franklin, Pikesville, and Owings Mills high schools host College, Trades, and Military Fair

Nearly 300 Grade 11 students from Franklin, Pikesville, and Owings Mills high schools gathered at the Owings Mills High gym for the inaugural College, Trades, and Military Fair on March 28. The fair, organized by career and technical education career navigators at the three schools, was designed primarily for students who are undecided about their next steps after graduation. At the fair, students explored higher education, trade, and military options. More than a dozen colleges and universities from the mid-Atlantic region participated as well as more than a dozen area employers and trade organizations and four branches of the military.

"For juniors who are unsure of career plans and want to stay local, the Community College of Baltimore County was in attendance with some of their programs, as well as military and trades options," said Jen Filosa, career navigator at Owings Mills High. "I also invited Owings Mills seniors who are still unsure of their postsecondary plans. If interested, they were able to apply to some of the trades pathways on the spot. It’s part of our mission as career navigators to do all we can to prepare students for their next steps once they leave us."

More photos from this event can be found on Flickr.

Career Navigator Jen Filosa, Owings Mills High; Joseph Vales, Franklin High; and William Knipscher, Pikesville High

Full circle: Malcolm Peacock, Dulaney High graduate, has solo exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art

His work was first exhibited at the museum as a Summit Park Elementary student

On March 19, “Art is for Everyone,” the Baltimore Museum of Art’s (BMA) annual exhibition of art by Baltimore County Public Schools students, opened. On that same day, the BMA announced the opening of “Malcolm Peacock: a signal, a sprout” as part of its “Turn Again to the Earth” initiative, exploring the relationships between art and the environment across time and geography.

The first time Peacock’s work was shown at the BMA was during the 2003 “Art is for Everyone” exhibition, which featured a watercolor painting Peacock created while he was a student at Summit Park Elementary School.

In a new blog post, Peacock reflects on this full circle moment, the impact his elementary school art teacher, Mildred Tenney, had on him, and his advice for BCPS students considering careers in the arts.

Peacock, center, with his siblings, at the 2003 BCPS student exhibition at the BMA, standing under his painting

Peacock with his sculpture currently on exhibition at the BMA (photo credit: Clifford Prince King)

Recent student, staff and school honors

BCPS celebrates its 2024-25 winter athletics state champions

In a news release, BCPS honored its high school teams and student athletes recognized as state champions for the 2024-25 winter athletics season. A few highlights are:

A fifth consecutive state championship for

Pikesville High School

State Champions Girls Basketball Class 1A

Coach Michael Dukes

A second consecutive state title for

Woodlawn High School

State Champions Girls Indoor Track & Field Class 4A

Coach Joey Young

Back-to-back undefeated seasons for

Victor Mark-Jenkins,

Perry Hall High School

State Champion Co-Ed Wrestling 175 lbs.

Coach Doug Yoakum

Patapsco High dance program showcased at Maryland Board of Education meeting

The dance program at Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts was highlighted at the March 25 meeting of the Maryland Board of Education as part of its recognition of Arts in Our Schools Month. The board members viewed a video (which can be seen on Instagram) that features Samontae Brown-Bess, a Grade 12 student choreographer, and Claire Sweet, the educator who leads Patapsco's dance program.

Samontae Brown-Bess, Grade 12

Claire Sweet,

head of dance program

Brown-Bess and Sweet collaborating

Dulaney and Hereford high schools recognized as "Top 25 Source Schools" for University of Maryland's Clark School of Engineering

Dulaney and Hereford high schools were recognized by the Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland as ranking among the 25 Maryland high schools that send the most students to its undergraduate engineering programs.

Three Dulaney High School students accepted into Center Stage's Young Playwrights Festival

"The Sleepover," a play by senior AV Smith, and "Monsters Anonymous," a play cowritten by senior Nalani Simpson and junior Maddy Hahn, have been accepted into Center Stage's 40th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. Smith, Simpson, and Hahn attend Dulaney High School and study creative writing with teacher Meekah Hopkins.

According to Hopkins, "The contest prompted young writers to pen one-act plays about some aspect of 'community.' These stories were inspired by both their own experiences and more whimsical, unconventional source material."

Only a handful of plays were accepted from more than 100 entries received from K-12 students from across Maryland. In addition to the Dulaney students, BCPS will be represented at the festival by Aamir Snead, a Grade 6 student at Watershed Public Charter School, As accepted playwrights, the three Dulaney High students and Snead will have three weeks to refine their scripts with the support of a Center Stage mentor. They then will work with professional designers and directors on play development. The winning plays will be performed at Center Stage on Saturday, May 10.

Maddy Hahn

Nalani Simpson

AV Smith

Carver Center senior Adebola Adenle receives honor from Princeton Prize in Race Relations

Adebola Adenle, a senior at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology, has received a Certificate of Accomplishment from the Maryland Committee of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. The certificate recognizes her work to advance racial equity and to foster positive race relations within her community. Her work will be recognized at the regional Princeton Prize Award Ceremony on Sunday, May 18.

In 2024, Adenle was named a Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland. In 2023, she was one of 25 students selected to participate in the six-week Telluride Association Summer Seminar in Critical Black Studies.

Hereford High educator Erika Edwards named a finalist for Maryland agricultural education award

Edwards, right, receiving plaque

Edwards, center, surrounded by students

Erika Edwards, agriscience teacher at Hereford High School, has been named one of four finalists for the Golden Owl Award. The honor, presented by Maryland FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America), Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, and Maryland Farm Bureau, recognizes outstanding agricultural educators across Maryland. The state winner will be announced at the FFA State Convention on Monday, June 23.

Edwards has been an agricultural education teacher in Maryland for 10 years, including the past three years at Hereford High. In addition to teaching, she advises the FFA and Grower's clubs and has established at the school the Hereford Hounds Grooming Spa and the Bulls Blooms Floral Service.

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra program features Cromwell Valley Elementary Magnet School students

For the first time ever, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra partnered with Carnegie Hall to present "Link Up: The Orchestra Sings," an interactive education concert. Over two days (March 26 and 27), more than 4,000 students attended one of the four concerts at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall where they participated by singing, dancing, and playing recorders. Featured onstage both days as a recorder demonstration group were Grades 4 and 5 students representing Cromwell Valley Elementary Magnet School.

The BSO generously donated free recorders for every student ticket purchased to attend the Link Up: The Orchestra Sings concert. "This concert is a product created by Carnegie Hall, and it comes with a full program, interactive teaching resources, and engaging videos and materials for students," said Terri Iacarino, Cromwell Valley's vocal music teacher. "Teachers who planned to bring students were invited to attend training sessions to gain professional development on teaching recorders, singing techniques, and elements of dance. It was so fun to see students proudly holding or wearing their recorders as they entered the symphony hall."

Middle and high school students invited to submit entries to 2025 BCPS Film Expo by April 11

Students still have time to submit films to the 2025 BCPS Film Expo. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 11. All middle school and high school students are welcome to enter. More information can be found on the BCPS Film Expo Schoology Group (Access Code: 7CC62-C8M8K) or the Film Expo website. Middle school film categories are animated GIFs, live action, and animation. High school film categories are animated GIFs, short-form video, live action narrative, experimental, documentary, animation, and promotional videos.

The contest will conclude with a public premiere on Thursday, May 15, at The Senator Theatre. Films selected as finalists will be shown, and, at the conclusion of the event, both the finalist filmmakers and the winning poster designers will be honored.

Finalist films from the 2024 Film Expo can be seen online.

Around the county

Eastern Tech students assist Maryland Department of Natural Resources with trout release

Eastern Tech Advanced Placement Environmental students assisted the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in releasing trout into the Little Gunpowder River at Jerusalem Mills and collecting benthic (bottom-dwelling) macroinvertebrates to assess the stream's health. The students also visited Double Rock Park, where they studied the vitality of Stemmers Run.

Northwest Academy of Health Sciences students visit JA Finance Park

Students from Northwest Academy of Health Sciences experienced a hands-on adventure at Junior Achievement (JA) Finance Park on March 26. During the visit, they mastered real-life skills with excitement and confidence.

County library shares books at General John Stricker Middle School

Staff from the North Point branch of Baltimore County Public Library visited General John Stricker Middle School in mid-March to encourage student reading.

Sandy Plains Elementary students show appreciation to police

The Do Good Club at Sandy Plains Elementary School held a Cookies for Cops Drive during the second week of its Month of Service. The students collected snacks and water to show appreciation for the work of community police officers.

for parents

from BCPS Parent University

Please join us for an upcoming Parent University workshop! Registration is available online.

for your viewing pleasure

"Still Life Basket" by Axel-Levi E., Grade 8, Catonsville Middle School was featured in the 2025 Art is for Exhibition at The Baltimore Museum of Art. Photos from the exhibition can be found on Flickr.

mission moment

from The Education Foundation of BCPS

The Education Foundation announces new Little Free Library grantees and thanks Newrez, the grant sponsor

This spring, Newrez, a champion of The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools Inc., purchased 10 Little Free Library (LFL) book-sharing box kits, built and painted them during a day of service, and donated them to the 10 recipients of the foundation’s spring 2025 LFL Read in Color grant.

On March 19, the recipients of the Spring 2025 LFL Read in Color Expansion Grant and staff from Newrez came together to celebrate their partnership.

Volunteers from Newrez

The grantees are:

Bedford Elementary School: Principal Kristen Loscomb, LFL Steward Terrell Lucas
Deep Creek Elementary School: Principal Heather Swinder, LFL Steward Tracey Collins
Elmwood Elementary School: Principal Jeff Hogan, LFL Steward Hilary Gravette
Essex Elementary School: Principal Brooke Wagner, LFL Steward Danielle Raut
Franklin Middle School: Principal Brian Schiffer, LFL Steward Amy Samay
Maiden Choice School: Principal Kathryn Wess, LFL Steward Abigail Karey
Rosedale Recreation Activity Center: Director Pete Lang
Saint John’s Lutheran Church of Parkville: Church Council President Lee Smith
Seneca Elementary School: Principal Jason Feiler, LFL Steward Sharon Engle
The Y of Catonsville: LFL Steward Jessica Chiaramonte

More about the Little Free Library Read in Color initiative and opportunities for involvement can be found in a Mission Moment blog post.

The full meeting and details about the administrative appointment made are available online.

A word from Dr. Rogers

March 31, 2025

Dear Reader:

Tomorrow marks the beginning of School Library Month, and I want to take this opportunity to share appreciation for the outstanding corps of library media specialists in our schools. Our librarians are so excellent, in fact, that one of them, Tatanisha Love of Southwest Academy, has been named national finalist for 2025 School Librarian of the Year.

A national report on "Roles of the School Librarian: Empowering Student Learning and Success" describes school librarians as teachers, leaders, instructional partners, information specialists, and program administrators. In our schools, they fulfill all these roles and more. They care deeply about nurturing a lifelong love of reading in our students, collaborating with teachers on lessons, and building library collections that reflect our students and their interests and communities.

Please join me in sharing appreciation for these dedicated and creative professionals for all they do to support students' academic progress and wellbeing.

Regards,

Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.

Superintendent