Monday, March 9, 2026

Elementary schools make significant literacy and reading gains

Announcement made during Read Across America Week

On March 4, BCPS Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers joined students and educators at Edmondson Heights and Hampton elementary schools to recognize Read Across America Week.

As BCPS continues efforts to "fast forward" student progress across the county, the school system is pleased to share data points of schools making impressive literacy and reading gains.

Each year, students in Kindergarten through Grade 3 take Star assessments in early literacy and reading. Students take the test in the fall to establish national peer group standards. When they are tested again in the winter, the assessment seeks to determine how much they have grown academically versus their peers. Every child receives a score between 1-99. For example, if a student gets a 40 student growth percentile (SGP), that signifies that the student grew in early literacy or reading more than 40% of their peers with the same fall score as them. A score of 99 means they grew more than all their peers across the nation.

The schools below have more students above the 50^th percentile (meaning they grew more in the winter than half their peers across the nation relative to their fall starting point) and/or above the 64^th percentile.

Photos from Dr. Rogers' visits to Edmondson Heights and Hampton elementary schools can be found on Flickr.

BCPS/CCBC College Fair this Tuesday and Wednesday on CCBC Catonsville and Essex campuses

Plan to join us!

Co-hosted by BCPS and the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), the exclusive BCPS/CCBC College Fair on Tuesday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 11, connects BCPS students with representatives from more than 100 universities, colleges, and proprietary and military schools from across the nation.

Catonsville

Tuesday, March 10, from 6-8 p.m.

CCBC Catonsville, 800 South Rolling Rd., Center for Arts, Parking Lot 5, Catonsville 21228

Registration encouraged. 

Essex

Wednesday, March 11, from 6-8 p.m.

CCBC Essex, 7201 Rossville Blvd., Wellness and Athletics Center, Parking Lot 2, Essex 21237

Registration encouraged. 

Natural History Society of Maryland donates 10,500 fossils for Grade 3 students to study

The Natural History Society of Maryland (NHSM) has partnered with the BCPS Office of Science to enhance the school system's Grade 3 science curriculum by providing real Maryland fossils for students to investigate firsthand.

Thanks to donations from the Adrien Malick fossil collection, the NHSM Fossil Club members, and collectors and partners across the Chesapeake region, NHSM collected more than 10,500 Miocene fossils, including scallop shells, coral, and ray dental plates. These fossils will be used to create kits for all 371 BCPS Grade 3 classrooms in Baltimore County, reaching nearly 8,000 students each year.

NHSM has delivered eight large boxes of fossils to the Office of Science. Students in the Reaching Higher Ground and Post-Secondary Functional Academic Support Programs will now assemble the classroom kits.

Sandalwood Elementary School hosts ribbon-cutting for a book vending machine

Machine funded with a grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation

Sandalwood Elementary School hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 6 to celebrate a new book vending machine, made possible by a generous grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation.

The Essex Community Development Corporation served as the grant fiduciary for the project. The school's library media specialist, Michael Kuczmynda (known as Mr. K), was able to leverage Scholastic Book Fair funds to fill the machine.

Students can earn book machine tokens for excellence in attendance, behavior, and/or academics.

More photos from the ribbon-cutting can be found on Flickr.

Let's celebrate Women's History Month!

March is Women's History Month, a time to underscore the impact of leaders and changemakers throughout history, and to inspire one another in pursuit of continued progress for all.

BCPS to celebrate Youth Art Month with music and dance performances, art exhibitions, and more

Details are available in a BCPS news release.

Latest edition of "CTE Show" highlights fabrication lab and store at Owings Mills High, robotics program at Hereford Middle, and BCPS Student Career Expo

A student's perspective on the BCPS Student Career Expo

In a new blog post, Kamaya Henry, BCPS Communications Apprentice and a senior at Eastern Technical High School, shares her experiences at last month's BCPS Student Career Expo, including what she personally gained from the event. She also describes benefits available to all students who participate, such as gaining networking and communications skills and possibly discovering new career interests.

School Board Nominating Commission seeks applicants for at-large and District 1 vacancies

The Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission will begin accepting applications for the Board of Education’s one at-large seat for the remainder of the vacated term through December 4, 2028, and for the Board’s District 1 seat for the remainder of the vacated term through December 7, 2026.

Applications are posted on the commission website and will be accepted through Tuesday, March 31, until 3 p.m. “Interested Baltimore County residents are urged to submit applications,” said Commission Chair Scott Jenkins. A candidate interview schedule will be determined.



Applications, resumes, and two letters of recommendation can be mailed or hand-delivered to the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission, c/o Tracy Gover, 6901 North Charles Street, Building A, Towson, MD 21204.

Information sessions to be held by Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission

The Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission will hold an in-person public information session for the vacant at-large Board of Education seat on Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Room 114, Towson 21204. The Commission is charged with recommending to the governor nominees for this vacancy.

The meeting will be streamed live on BCPS YouTube and BCPS-TV (Comcast Xfinity channel 1073, Verizon FiOS channel 34). For additional information, please visit the Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission website.

A public information session for the vacant District 1 Board of Education seat has not yet been scheduled.

Registration still open for BCPS dance and music enrichment programs

Families encouraged to register promptly

Registration for BCPS summer fine arts camps opened last week, and the BCPS Broadway Theatre Connection camp and Summer Art Enrichment Camp are already full. (Waitlist applications for theatre camp and art camp might still be open.) Families interested in music or dance camps are encouraged to register promptly.

Each camp will introduce students to related career fields. Enrollment priority will be given to current BCPS students and children of BCPS staff. All camps will cost $185 per student, which includes a camp T-shirt or tote bag and bus transportation (if needed). Fee waivers are available for students who do not have permanent or adequate housing. Financial assistance and payment plans can be requested. Translated camp information is available on the summer camp websites.

Summer Dance Intensive

• Wednesday, June 24, through Friday, June 26, and Monday, June 29, through Wednesday, July 1, from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Milford Mill Academy, 3800 Washington Ave., Windsor Mill 21244.
• Open to students in Grades 5-12.
• Summer Dance Intensive registration form

Summer Music Camp

• Wednesday, June 24, through Friday, June 26, and Monday, June 29, through Wednesday, July 1, from 10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Perry Hall High School, 4601 Ebenezer Rd., Perry Hall 21236
• Open to students in Grades 5-12 who are enrolled in their school’s music program.
• Summer Music Camp registration form

for parents/caregivers

from BCPS Parent University

Join us for an in-person workshop:

“Red Flags of Advertising and Scams – Protecting Seniors and Caregivers in Today’s Marketplace”

Tuesday, March 24, at 5:30 p.m.

Cockeysville Branch of Baltimore County Public Library, 9833 Greenside Dr., Cockeysville 21030

This workshop will be presented by the Better Business Bureau in partnership with the Baltimore County Department of Aging, BCPS Parent University, and Baltimore County Public Library. The workshop will explore how to recognize misleading ads, avoid falling victim to scams, and safeguard money. Registration requested but not required.

for your viewing pleasure

"Curiosity," by Lillian M., Grade 12, Patapsco High School and Center for the Arts. This artwork is part of the 2025-2026 Superintendent's Gallery Online Exhibition. The entire exhibition of more than 280 submitted works can be viewed online.

Artist Statement:

This work is intended to communicate an awareness of light and dark, or warm and cool, as the candle illuminates the figure. It is meant to represent curiosity, clear by the title of the piece. I wanted the subject to be looking at the flame in a sort of fascinated daze, representing the feeling of discovery and revelation. I used colored pencils to slowly build up a range of color and value.

mission moment

from The Education Foundation of BCPS

Ridge Ruxton School and West Towson Elementary School collaborate on student service-learning project

On February 24, Ridge Ruxton School and West Town Elementary School collaborated on a service-learning project to benefit the Maryland Food Bank. Students from both schools, led by Sherri Fisher, Ridge Ruxton’s community school facilitator, and Kristen Zdon, a Grade 1 teacher and Student Government Association advisor at West Towson, lined up more than 650 boxes of cereal like dominos connecting their schools’ front doors and then set off a chain reaction knocking each box down.

The Education Foundation, in partnership with a grant from Safeway, donated approximately a third of the boxes of the total 687 boxes collected for the event. All of the boxes of cereal have now been donated to the Maryland Food Bank.

More about the event can be found in a new Mission Moment blog post.

a word from Dr. Rogers

March 9, 2026

Dear Reader:

This Women's History Month, I am reflecting on the tremendous impact female educators have made across the centuries, across the nation, and across Baltimore County. Nationally, 77% of public school teachers, nearly 60% of principals, and about a third of superintendents are women.

Having such an outsized impact on education means that women have an outsized role in shaping the future. This month and every month I thank and appreciate my fellow female educators for their leadership, dedication, and skill. Every day in our schools we teach history, but we also prepare the next generation to make history.

I encourage all of us to learn more about the women who have shaped this world, this nation, and this community, and to work with us to continue to fast forward student achievement.

Regards,

Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.

Superintendent

Upcoming Board and advisory committee meetings

All are welcome to attend

Southwest Area Education Advisory Council Meeting

Monday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m.

Meeting details

Topic: Family partnerships and workforce opportunities

Board of Education meeting

Tuesday, March 10, at 6:30 p.m.

BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, 6901 N. Charles St., Building E, Towson 21204

Central Area Education Advisory Council Meeting

Wednesday, March 11, at 7 p.m.

Meeting details

Topic: Special education

Southeast Area Education Advisory Council meeting

Monday, March 16, at 7 p.m.

Dundalk Elementary School, library, 2717 Playfield St., Dundalk 21222

Topic: Special education