Thursday, May 9, 2024

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

Heartfelt surprise as ESPBC names Paraeducator and Office Professional of the Year!

On Tuesday, May 7, Meghan Anderson, a paraeducator at Parkville Middle School, received a thrilling surprise as she was named BCPS Paraeducator of the Year! Anderson has served as a paraeducator in the Regional Social-Emotional Learning Program at Parkville Middle School since 2019, where she also works as a tennis and badminton coach and co-sponsors the S.A.D.D. club.

Anderson served as a member of the BCPS Safe and Supportive Environments Advisory Group. She is a member of ESPBC’s Communications and Professional Development committees and is the ESPBC building representative at Parkville Middle.

The excitement continued on Thursday, May 9, at Hebbville Elementary School, as Towanda Stokes was named BCPS Office Professional of the Year! Stokes is the administrative office secretary III at Hebbville Elementary where she has worked since 2002.

Her children all attended Hebbville Elementary so she has the perspective of both a front office staff member and a parent. Stokes also serves as a mentor and coach to other office professionals, co-leads Hebbville’s Social Committee, and assists with making props and decorations for schoolwide events. More information is available in a BCPS news release.

FEATURED VIDEO:

Eastern Tech school counselors earn national award for their support of students

BCPS-TV was on the scene on Wednesday, May 1, as Eastern Technical High School was awarded a Schools of Excellence Award from the American College Application Campaign. The award recognized the work of Eastern Tech school counselors to provide resources, activities, guidance, and support as students pursue their post-secondary goals.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE...

• May 17 Asynchronous Half-Day

Friday, May 17, is an asynchronous half-day for students and a systemwide professional learning half-day for teachers. A clarification document has been developed to provide additional information regarding expectations for instruction and detailing support from Curriculum and Instruction. More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post. Questions? Contact Megan Shay.

• Parent University In the Know Podcast - Seal of Biliteracy

Grab your headphones and gear up for a new episode about the Maryland Seal of Biliteracy. Hear the perspectives of students and educators as Ashley McCarthy, supervisor, Office of World Languages, leads a discussion about the importance of earning this award and how students can prepare for the required assessments.

• Please help The Education Foundation win a $5,000 Audience Choice Award to benefit BCPS

The Education Foundation of BCPS, Inc. is one of 12 finalists vying for a $25,000 grant in United Way of Central Maryland’s 2024 Changemaker Challenge. During a live pitch event on Thursday, May 9, from 6-8:30 p.m., The Education Foundation will seek funds to bring "Yoga for Social-Emotional Learning" to BCPS schools. From approximately 8-8:10 p.m., members of the public can vote to support the foundation winning a $5,000 Audience Choice Award. Registration is required to attend virtually and to vote.

• ICYMI - Summer 2024 Professional Development Staff Message

BCPS is committed to improving, expanding, and aligning professional learning opportunities for all Team BCPS staff. Comprehensive, engaging, and effective professional development is vital to moving our school system forward.

In case you missed it, please review our April 24 message regarding Staff Professional Development for summer 2024. We are excited to focus on professional learning and pleased to share our 2024 in- person, summer professional development schedule. Staff are strongly encouraged to attend all applicable professional learning sessions this summer.

• Last chance - Registration open through May 10 for BCPSfest vendors

Registration is now open for offices/departments and organizations to participate in BCPSfest 2024, the school system's annual back-to-school festival. The event will be held at George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology (938 York Road, Towson 21204) on Saturday, Aug. 17, from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. (Saturday, Aug. 24, is the tentative rain date.)

If your office, department, or organization is interested in participating, please complete the online registration form and submit it by Friday, May 10. If you have any questions about the event or this form, please contact Diana Spencer or Jill Stephenson.

• Let's Play Ball! event postponed until 2025

Due to circumstances beyond its control, The Education Foundation has made the difficult decision to postpone the June 1, 2024, Let’s Play Ball Event until 2025. This decision was made after a great deal of consideration for the participants, attendees, sponsors, and community and was not made lightly. More information is available in a BCPS New Hub post.

• ASPIRE BCPS application deadline extended to May 13

The Department of Employee Training and Development is seeking participants for the ASPIRE BCPS program for the 2024-2025 school year. ASPIRE BCPS provides a variety of professional development experiences that build the personal and professional skills, abilities, and leadership capacity of staff members seeking growth, change, or career advancement within BCPS. Participation in ASPIRE BCPS is open to non-represented staff and staff members represented by AFSCME, ESPBC, and OPE. More information is available in a BCPS News Hub post.

• Crossing guards needed

All City Management Services (ACMS) is a private company independent of the Baltimore County Police Department that is currently staffing 94 of the County’s school crossing guard details across all Baltimore County Police Precincts. ACMS is currently looking to hire additional guards with earnings of $22.50 per hour. More details are available on a digital flyer.

• Accessing Employee Self Service

Employee Self Service (ESS) allows staff to access various information regarding their employment, including W-2s, benefits, and salary, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. ESS can be accessed through the My Apps portal. Please review our directions document for more information on how to log into ESS.

Farewell to Golden Ring Middle School

Friday, May 17, from 12:30-4:30 p.m.

Golden Ring Middle School, 6700 Kenwood Ave., Rosedale 21237

In May 2023, the Board of Education of Baltimore County voted to close Golden Ring Middle School at the end of the 2023-2024 academic school year. During this farewell event, the Golden Ring Middle School community will celebrate the school’s history and impact. The event will include school tours, commemorative T-shirts, music, games, displays of student artwork and other projects, free summer reading books, a BCPS resource session, archived yearbooks and treasures, and community partners including the Volunteer Fire Department, Rosedale branch of Baltimore County Public Library, and the Baltimore County Department of Recreation and Parks. Registration is required.

May 13-17 is Pupil Personnel Worker Week!

Next week, please join in expressing appreciation to our Team BCPS pupil personnel workers for the pivotal role they play in supporting students and families and providing a bridge between home and school.

Teacher Appreciation Week!

This week, we would like to express our gratitude to the terrific teachers of Team BCPS for the amazing work they do to support our students, families, and communities year-round. Thank you for everything you do.

BCPS graduations to begin soon

More than 7,000 students will graduate from BCPS this spring. While in-person seating will be limited at upcoming high school graduations, friends, extended family, and community members are invited to witness these milestone events via livestream. All graduations will be held at Towson University’s TU Arena, unless otherwise noted.

BCPS invites students, parents, and staff to submit their favorite 2024 commencement snapshots on social media using #bcpsgrad or via email to communications@bcps.org. More information is available in a BCPS news release.

2024 BCPS Mental Health Mile set for May 25-27

The third annual BCPS Mental Health Mile is a culminating event promoting mental health awareness during National Mental Health Awareness Month. We encourage everyone to engage in physical activity, for example, walking, running, swimming, or rollerblading on Saturday, May 25, Sunday, May 26, and/or Monday, May 27. You can participate individually, or with family, friends, or colleagues. If you take photos of your participation, please tag @MentalHealth_CB on Twitter and use the hashtag #BCPSCares.

Thank you, Nurses!

Yesterday, in recognition of School Nurse Day, we took a moment to thank our wonderful school nurses and health assistants!

BCPS celebrates the Class of 2024 with graduating senior profiles

We are celebrating our 2024 graduating seniors by presenting a profile of one student from each high school, selected by the school principals.

In the past week, the series has recognized:

• Shahmeer Mirza, Carver Center

• Tori Kerr, Towson High School

• Nour Al Zamil, Dundalk High School

• Jaywuan Fonseca, Maiden Choice School

• Evalyne Okowa, Chesapeake High School

Follow along on Facebook, X/Twitter, and Instagram, and stay tuned for more!

Bring Girls on the Run to your school this fall

Girls on the Run of the Greater Chesapeake is excited to launch an enhanced version of its evidence-based program this fall and is now accepting site applications for schools to host the program. “Hello, Mountain Mover!" is part of a series of new curricula, materials, and journals created in response to the evolving needs of today's girls. The curriculum supports participants through meaningful and fun lessons teaching social and emotional well-being and activities that keep girls moving. Please contact Rachel Jarrell, community engagement director, with any questions about starting a team or getting involved.

Things to Know About the May 7 Board of Education Meeting

1) Dr. Rogers highlighted upcoming system celebrations and provided an update on recruitment efforts and staffing for the 2024-2025 school year.

2) The Board discussed Bill 31-24, which would amend Baltimore County’s ordinance to tighten rules designed to ease or prevent overcrowded school districts.

3) The Board received an update on BCPS magnet programs and voted to approve several changes to magnet programs, beginning with the 2025-2026 school year.

4) The Board received a report on Comprehensive School Improvement (CSI) and Additional Targeted Support and Improvement (ATSI) schools and the work to provide strategic supports and resources to these schools to move student achievement forward.

5) The Board received an update on the progress of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System. The Human Capital Management portion of the ERP will go live in March 2025.

6) The Board approved 13 appointments.

We're hiring! Please help us spread the word about upcoming BCPS recruitment events around the county

Online applications available now.

Share your partnership highlights with us!

End-of-year guidance documents have been created to assist supervisors and employees with the end-of-year evaluation process. Learn more in a BCPS News Hub post.

The Department of Employee Training and Development is partnering with the Department of Staff Relations to offer Employee Evaluation Training for Central Office supervisors. Participants will review the evaluation process and timelines specified in the respective master agreements, as well as review requirements and best practices for evaluating employees. Additionally, participants will engage in an interactive overview of the Evaluation System (Perform) to utilize the system meaningfully and effectively. More information is available in a BCPS News Hub Post.

BCPS invites all interested graduating seniors to share a few parting words with the BCPS community. Seniors are invited to share (in no more than two sentences) their favorite BCPS memories OR words of advice for younger students. Those interested in participating can send their messages and a photo of themselves to communications@bcps.org.

Messages and photos should be submitted by Monday, May 20. Selected messages will be shared on social media. Please note that messages must be accompanied by photos of the students. The student should be the only person in the photo. Messages will be edited for length and clarity if needed. Please include your first and last name and the name of the high school from which you are graduating.

FOR HIGH SCHOOL STAFF

Summer Youth Employment Program

DALY Computers is seeking amazing interns and awesome summer assistants to join its technical team in Rosedale.

Tasks may include, but are not limited to:

• Device triage, diagnostics, and repairs
• Audiovisual installations/deployments
• Office and logistics related duties

The start date and hours are flexible to fit students' schedules. Applicants are required to have an active driver's license and reliable transportation. More information is available on the DALY computers website.

Upcoming Board and advisory group meetings

All are welcome to attend

Joint meeting of Northwest and Southwest area education advisory councils

Monday, May 13, at 6 p.m.

Meeting details

Topic: “Summer Resources – What’s new for families this year?”

Southeast Area Education Advisory Council meeting

Monday, May 20, at 7 p.m.

Oliver Beach Elementary School library, 12912 Cunninghill Cove Rd., Baltimore 21220

Topic: “English for Speakers of Other Languages”

Board of Education meeting

Tuesday, May 21, 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.

TEAM BCPS SHOUTOUT

Selected teachers will participate in language study, lectures, interviews, home stays, excursions, workshops, and cultural activities as they explore issues central to Latin America, as well as create curriculum units to share in their communities. This summer, Jordan will spend six weeks in Piura and Cusco, Peru, participating in Spanish courses, creating bilingual resources for her classroom, and collaborating with a team of teachers to plan lessons incorporating Peruvian culture and history.

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.

UPCOMING RECOGNITIONS

Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month - May

National Speech-Language-Hearing Month - May

Teacher Appreciation Week - Through May 10

Children's Mental Health Awareness Week - Through May 11

National Nurses Week - Through May 12

Pupil Personnel Worker Week - May 13 - 17

Memorial Day - May 27

BCPS Salute to Custodians, Groundskeepers, Maintenance Personnel & Logistics Personnel - May 31

BALTIMORE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Engage. Empower. Excel.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dept. of Communications/Community Outreach

443.809.5908 | communications@bcps.org