Students select Western Tech junior Ugonma Chike-Kalu as new Student Member of the Board | |
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Middle and high school students from across Baltimore County have selected Western School of Technology junior Ugonma Chike-Kalu to serve as the student member of the Board of Education of Baltimore County (SMOB) for the 2024-2025 school year. Chike-Kalu’s one-year term begins July 1, 2024.
This is the fifth year that all BCPS middle and high school students could cast ballots for the student member of the Board, and 9,722 students cast votes on April 4.
Chike-Kalu is a magnet student in Western’s Graphic Print and Design program, a member of the national honor societies for math and English, and a member of her school’s African Student Association, Dance Team, and Black Student Association. She also serves as an ambassador for the American Cancer Society – Cancer Action Network and on the Teen Advisory Board of the Baltimore County Public Library.
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Be safe as you enjoy today's solar eclipse | | |
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A partial solar eclipse will take place on Monday, April 8, from approximately 2:05-4:35 p.m. All BCPS schools will dismiss as scheduled.
A recent BCPS Community Message, available in English and Spanish, contains useful safety tips.
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Families can apply now to participate in BCPS Online Learning Program during 2024-2025 school year | |
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The BCPS Online Learning Program provides a full-time educational environment for students in Grades 4-12. The program offers a full day of synchronous instruction taught by certified BCPS teachers and fulfills school system requirements for promotion and graduation.
The application for the 2024-2025 BCPS Online Learning Program is now available on the Department of Academic Programs and Options (DAPO) website. Applications must be submitted by 1 p.m. on May 3, 2024. Students must be entering Grades 4-12 in the 2024-2025 school year. Current Virtual Learning Program students do NOT need to re-apply.
Enrollment in the BCPS Online Learning Program is limited to students eligible for enrollment in BCPS as defined in Board of Education Policy and Superintendent’s Rule 5150. All applicants are selected for placement through a centralized random lottery process. More information, including a brochure, can be found on the DAPO website.
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Recent honors for Team BCPS staff and students | |
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has named Dr. Edralin Pagarigan, coordinator of Golden Ring Middle School’s health sciences magnet program, a 2024 CDC Science Ambassador Fellow. | |
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Eleven BCPS student teams from Sparks Elementary School, Hereford and Ridgely middle schools, and Dulaney and Hereford high schools earned honors recently during the Maryland State VEX Robotics Championships. Nine teams from the winning middle and high schools also qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship to be held in Dallas, Tex., from Thursday, April 25, through Friday, May 3. Photos of the honored teams can be found on Flickr.
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Beyond BCPS: Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock, Franklin High graduate and immigration attorney | |
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Jennifer Ibañez Whitlock remembers being a 5-year-old at the airport in Guatemala City and waving goodbye to her grandparents. She remembers being sad about leaving and about having to give away her pet rabbit because the family was moving to America. What she didn’t know on that day is that more than a decade would pass before she could return to visit Guatemala and that supporting the process of immigration would become her life’s work.
After a decade of working as an attorney in private practice, she decided she wanted to focus more on immigration policies and the law. She now serves as supervisory policy and practice counsel for the American Immigration Lawyers Association.
“The American Immigration Lawyers Association is a bar association with about 16,000 members, mostly attorneys, but including other immigration law professionals,” Whitlock says. “We work to advance in Congress policies that promote fairness, efficiency, and justice on behalf of immigrants.”
More of Whitlock's story can be found in a new Beyond BCPS blog post, available in English and Spanish.
Beyond BCPS is an occasional series about BCPS graduates, what they are doing now, and how the school system prepared them for success. Please send story ideas to communications@bcps.org.
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This summer, the BCPS Office of Food and Nutrition Services will once again offer free breakfasts and lunches to Baltimore County children through the Summer Food Service Program.
BCPS is seeking athletic programs, academic groups, music groups, church programs, summer camps, and more interested in registering as Summer Food Service Program sites. There is no cost for participation.
The program serves free meals from June 20 - August 16 to children from 2-18 years of age. Please register online. Visit the BCPS Summer Food Service Program website or contact BCPS at SFSP@bcps.org or 443-809-7855.
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Share your thoughts about inclement weather days and virtual learning days | |
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Maryland public school systems can use virtual learning days after they have used all the inclement weather days built into the school year calendar. The 2024-2025 BCPS school calendar includes three inclement weather days. As we plan for winter weather for next year, we would like to know your preferences. Please complete an online survey by Sunday, April 14. Input gathered will be used to inform our virtual instruction day plan.
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Registration for Baltimore County's Summer Youth Employment Program closes on April 12 | |
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Baltimore County is offering a six-week summer youth employment program from Monday, July 1, through Friday, August 9. Youth, ages 14-21, will work virtually or in person, earning $15 an hour for up to 25 hours per week. Online applications must be submitted by 11:59 a.m. on April 12.
Prior to beginning the program, youth will participate in structured, job-readiness activities to prepare them for success, and they will receive financial literacy training and support receive financial literacy training and support from program monitors, caseworkers and counselors.
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The best time to register for PreKindergarten and Kindergarten? Right now!
The 2024-2025 school year will begin in late August, but spring is the best time to enroll children in PreKindergarten and Kindergarten. The "Registration and Enrollment" page of the BCPS website provides helpful instructions. In addition, all BCPS elementary schools will be hosting "round-up" events to provide additional support for parents. For more information, please contact the elementary school your child is zoned to attend.
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BCPS-TV video explores the benefits of full-day PreKindergarten | |
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Discover more about what students are learning
Join us for the next BCPS Curriculum Night
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Participate in upcoming Community Conversations with Superintendent Rogers | |
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Interpreting services available for Curriculum Nights and Community Conversations
Spanish interpretation will be provided at all sessions. Interpreting services for other languages are also available upon request at no cost to participants. Please contact 443-809-1250 as early as possible to request.
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Community invited to register for 5K race to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Baltimore County Police Department | The race will be held in downtown Towson on Saturday, May 11, beginning at 9 a.m. To find more information, register online. | |
Register now for BCPS fine arts summer camps | |
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All BCPS fine arts summer enrichment programs are open to students entering Grades 5-12 in the 2024-2025 school year, except for the visual arts summer program, which will accept students entering Grades 3-12. The deadline for applications is Friday, May 17. Bus transportation is available. Fee waivers are available for students who do not have permanent or adequate housing.
While registration is full for the BCPS summer art and musical theatre camps, space is still available in the following:
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Summer Dance Intensive
Monday, July 8, through Friday, July 12, from 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Pikesville High School
Cost: $130 per student
Summer Dance Intensive registration form
Summer Music Camp Session I -- orchestra and songwriting
Monday, July 8, through Friday, July 12, from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Pikesville High School
Cost: $130 per student
Summer Music Camp registration form
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Summer Music Camp Session II -- band and ukulele
Monday, July 15, through Friday, July 19, from 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Dumbarton Middle School
Cost: $130 per student
Summer Music Camp registration form
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Parents, guardians of students receiving special education services encouraged to complete annual state survey
The Maryland State Department of Education conducts an annual survey aimed at gathering feedback from parents about their children's school and the level of involvement they have in their education. The survey is open to all parents and is intended to help improve the quality of special education services. Surveys were mailed to families on February 12 and can be submitted either online or via mail. The deadline for submitting the survey is May 24.
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for parents
from BCPS Parent University
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Opportunity to learn about U.S. Service Academies | |
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U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen is hosting two Virtual U.S. Service Academy Information Nights during which high school students and their parents/caregivers can learn about the United States Service Academies and their admissions and nominations processes.
Representatives from U.S. Army ROTC and the following Service Academies will participate:
- U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, Colo.
- U.S. Coast Guard Academy, New London, Conn.
- U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, N.Y.
- U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.
- U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md.
The virtual events will be held:
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High school students, adults invited to participate in United Sports Club | |
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The White Marsh Recreation Council invites high school-aged children and adults to participate in the all-inclusive United Sports Club. Those with special needs and those without special needs can participate together in wiffle-ball, kickball, and miscellaneous games and activities.
WHEN: Mondays, April 8 - June 10, from 6-8 p.m. (weather and daylight dependent)
WHERE: Perry Hall Middle School Field #3 (field is between the top fields behind Perry Hall Elementary and the bottom fields next to Perry Hall Middle). Perry Hall Middle School is located at 4300 Ebenezer Rd., Baltimore 21236.
PARKING: Park on Joppa Rd. or in the parking lot near the tennis courts behind the elementary school.
REGISTRATION: Registration takes place onsite and is required to participate.
COST: No registration or participation fees.
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for your viewing pleasure | |
The Education Foundation partners with Soles4Souls to get athletic shoes, socks to students in need | | |
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On Friday, April 12, BCPS pupil personnel workers and other school-based staff will participate in an exclusive warehouse shopping event at the BCPS Logistics Warehouse.
Attendees will have the opportunity to select new shoes and socks for students in need. Soles4Souls partners with schools across the U.S. to get new athletic shoes to children who are experiencing homelessness. With proper footwear, kids are more confident, feel a greater sense of belonging, and increase physical activity levels.
Additionally, volunteers are needed on April 11 and 12 to support this event. Online volunteer sign-up is open now.
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mission moment
from The Education Foundation of BCPS
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The Education Foundation to facilitate the planting of 35 new Little Free Libraries this spring | |
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First, the Little Free Library organization offered The Education Foundation the opportunity to apply for a second round of 10 Little Free Libraries (LFLs). Then the demand was so high that Little Free Library granted the foundation an additional 15 LFLs.
Next the Little Free Library organization partnered with Scholastic and "Dog Man" author Dav Pilkey to place custom libraries in all 50 states. The Education Foundation has been selected to receive the Dog Man LFL for Maryland, and it will be placed at Chadwick Elementary School. That brings the number of new LFLs to 26.
Then career and technical education students at Catonsville, Owings Mills, and Sollers Point Technical high schools volunteered to build an additional seven LFLs to be placed around the county. Now the count is up to 33.
Finally, two dollhouses were donated to the foundation and converted into indoor LFLs.
A new blog post names the Little Free Library grant recipients and details the growth of the Little Free Library initiative in Baltimore County and the Education Foundation's commitment to share books that celebrate diversity.
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April 8, 2024
Dear Reader:
The four-year cohort graduation rate for BCPS students in the Class of 2023 rose to 84.9 percent, according to data recently released by the Maryland State Department of Education. The graduation rate for the Class of 2023 increased by nearly half a percentage point from the previous year’s rate of 84.5 percent.
We believe that this encouraging progress reflects the positive impact of the targeted strategies and supports we have implemented over the last few years in partnership with high school leaders.
Especially promising is the news that the four-year graduation rate improved for students who are economically disadvantaged and/or receiving special education services.
While 14 high schools saw an increase in their graduation rates, the biggest gain was at Randallstown High School for the second year in a row. The graduation rate increased by 6.1 percentage points from last year to 94.2 percent. Owings Mills High School’s graduation rate rose to 72.8 percent, a 4.6 percentage point increase over the last year.
The highest graduation rates for the Class of 2023 were at Eastern Technical High School (100 percent); George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology (99.1 percent); Hereford High School (98.8 percent); Western School of Technology (97.7 percent); and Towson High School (96.1 percent).
For more detailed information, please see the news release we issued last week. We are proud of the accomplishments of the Class of 2023 and are intensifying our efforts to ensure that we meet the needs of all students and prepare them to graduate and successfully pursue careers and higher education.
Regards,
Myriam Rogers, Ed.D.
Superintendent
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Upcoming Board and advisory group meetings
All are welcome to attend
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Joint meeting of Central, Northwest, and Southwest area education advisory councils
Monday, April 8, at 6 p.m.
Meeting details
Topic: “What Are the Students Saying?”
Southeast Area Education Advisory Council meeting
Monday, April 15, at 7 p.m.
Deep Creek Middle School library, 1000 S. Marlyn Ave., Baltimore 21221
Topic: “Gangs and Gang-Related Activities”
Board of Education meeting
Tuesday, April 16, at 6:30 p.m.
BCPS headquarters/Greenwood, Building E, 6901 N. Charles St., Towson 21204
Information about attending and making public comments at meetings can be found on the Board’s website.
PTA General Meeting, Council Elections
Thursday, April 25
Meeting details
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