Thursday, February 9, 2023

Previous editions of the BCPS Staff Bulletin are archived and available for viewing on the BCPS website.

Celebrating National School Counseling Week

Although National School Counseling Week is coming to an end, our gratitude for Team BCPS school counselors continues year-round! Thank you for everything you do to support our students and school communities.

To celebrate National School Counseling Week, we asked a handful of school counselors to share why they chose the profession and the work they do to help students dream big. A new blog article features responses from Shelly Borucki (Fort Garrison Elementary School), Stephanie Campbell (Perry Hall High School), Desvan Moody (Pikesville High School), Lisa Scherr (Church Lane Elementary School), and Lou Wikes (Rosedale Center).

FEATURED VIDEO:

Premiere Episode: Career and Technical Education Show

Did you know February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month? BCPS leads the state of Maryland in enrollment (18,002 students) and percentage of students (53%) in CTE!

BCPS has more than 40 CTE pathways for students to choose from. This new BCPS-TV show explores the world of CTE in BCPS.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...

• Safe Schools Conference - Save the Date!

The annual Safe Schools Conference will be held on Thursday, June 22, 2023, at the Hunt Valley Delta Hotel. Registration information will be forthcoming.

• Secondary level teams comprised of administrators; a teacher, school counselor OR school social worker; and the athletic director or athletic advisor, will attend from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Registration and refreshments are from 7:30 – 8:30 a.m.

• Elementary level teams comprised of administrators and two of the following – teacher, school counselor, or school social worker, will attend from 11:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. with a refreshment break.

•School resource officers are invited to attend the appropriate session for the level they serve.

Please contact Monica Jones, administrative secretary, at mjones40@bcps.org with questions.

• Employee training and development site

The Department of Employee Training and Development has a new communication site. This site will house resources for the Employee Evaluation System (Perform), Registration System (Professional Learning), and Compliance Management System (SafeSchools). It also includes our Technology Training Course Catalog and provides basic information for various Workforce Development Career Pathway programs and National Board Certification Information.

Please bookmark the page for easy access in the future, as this site will help us to engage and inform staff of all of the relevant and engaging professional development opportunities for Team BCPS.

• School-based summer employment application

The Summer Program Interest Form​​​​​​​ will be available beginning Monday, February 13, 2023. Similar to last year, the Frontline Education Applicant Tracking System (Applitrack) will not be used for the summer hiring process. To be considered for any summer program, all current 10-month school-based employees will need to complete and submit the Summer Program Interest Form.

Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Education Foundation Exchangeree February shopping dates

The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc., will host shopping days during February at the Exchangerees' Rosedale/Golden Ring and Windsor Mill locations for all full-time BCPS educators and support staff (school counselors, social workers, school psychologists, and pupil personnel workers).

The designated shopping dates for the Tools for School Campaign (academic school/classroom supplies and educational resources) are:

• Thursday, February 16, from 3 - 6 p.m., Windsor Mill

• Tuesday, February 21, from 3 - 6 p.m., Rosedale/Golden Ring

Books for Bins shopping experience (new and gently used books for PreK through 12):

• Wednesday, February 22, from 3 - 5 p.m., Windsor Mill

More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post.

• February Social Emotional Learning calendar



The Multi-Tiered Systems of Support Team in the Office of School Climate has developed several social and emotional learning resources for administrators and school staff. The Self-Care for Adults Calendar for February provides administrators with suggested strategies to help with adult self-care as well as ideas to keep school staff connected.

Additional resources for school staff include Elementary and Secondary SEL calendars for February to foster staff and student connections toward engagement. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

• February Parent University workshops

In February, BCPS Parent University will offer the following workshops:

Wednesday, February 15, at 6:30 p.m.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (Virtual) Dinner & Discussion

Thursday, February 16, at 12:30 p.m.

Grandparents Raising Grandchildren (Virtual) Lunch & Learn

• Racial Justice Poetry Contest



Entries for the 2023 Racial Justice Poetry Contest are being accepted through 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1. Students in Grades 6–12 in Baltimore County public, parochial, and independent schools and homeschooled children in Baltimore County can apply. Poems must be original and no more than three pages long.

Contest details, prize information, and a submission form can be found on Schoology in the resource folder for teachers of secondary English language arts. Teachers from other content areas may contact Justin DePrima at Dumbarton Middle School or the BCPS English language arts office for access.

Learn more in a BCPS blog post.

• Middle school students encouraged to enter National Civics Bee

The Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce invites BCPS middle school students to enter the National Civics Bee. Students with an idea about using civics to solve a problem in their community should complete the online submission form, including parent/guardian contact information, and upload (preferred method) or mail their 500-word essay.

W-2 Statements

W-2 statements were sent to employees’ home addresses on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Employees may also view their W-2 statements from the Employee Self Service (ESS) application by logging into Microsoft Office 365.

Stakeholder Survey

Share your thoughts! The 2023 #TeamBCPS Stakeholder Climate Survey is open now through Friday, March 3.

This annual survey is an important way for us to listen to you, the BCPS community, learn your views, and be responsive to your feedback by taking action to improve our schools and school system. The survey is open to students in Grades 3 – 12 as well as all parents/caregivers, staff, and community members, and is available in multiple languages.

Tina Wachter of Hereford High School named BCPS School Psychologist of the Year

“Ms. Wachter’s many contributions include sponsorship of the Active Minds chapter, Student Council, Wellness Fair, and supporting the professional development of school psychologists both within BCPS and across the state.” Learn more in a BCPS news release.

BCPS students took 10,306 AP exams last school year, an increase of more than 2,300 tests from the 2020-2021 school year. Students earned a college-ready score on 64.5 percent of those exams, an increase of 3.1 percentage points. Learn more in a BCPS news release.

Professional Learning Webinar Opportunities

Making Up for Lost Time: Helping Children and Teens to Make and Keep Friends

Tuesday, February 21, from 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 22, from 7 - 8:30 p.m.

Being the Best Advocate for Your Child at School and in the Community

Wednesday, March 1, from 12 - 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, March 29, from 4 - 6:00 p.m.

Questions? Contact Ellen Galvez, Parent Liaison, at egalvez@bcps.org.

February BCPS recruitment events

Spread the word! We are seeking qualified professionals to join Team BCPS in a variety of positions. Learn more about upcoming recruitment events in a BCPS news release.

Safe Schools Anonymous Reporting System learning experience

A virtual learning experience about the Safe Schools Maryland Anonymous Reporting System is being offered on Thursday, February 23. The workshop can serve as a refresher for people who have previously participated, as well as an opportunity for new individuals to become familiar with the system. More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post.

Black History Month is here!

Throughout February, Team BCPS will celebrate and recognize Black History Month in its schools and offices and on social media! More information is available in a BCPS news release.

Entries for the Black History Month writing contest are due Friday, February 10.

Employee and Retiree Customer Service Center Grand Opening

Last week, our new Employee and Retiree Customer Service Center began providing services!

The center can be reached at 443-809-1000 or cschelp@bcps.org. Its service hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:45 p.m., and Tuesday and Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.

You may submit a shoutout for a variety of reasons. For example, you may want to offer a pat on the back to a colleague for helping out, recognize a staff member or student achievement, or welcome a new employee. When your shoutout appears in The Staff Bulletin, your name and school/location will be included.

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Raising the bar, Closing Gaps, Preparing for our future

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dept. of Communications/Community Outreach

443.809.5908 | communications@bcps.org