Two Maps Released for New Northeast Elementary School


The Northeast Area Elementary Boundary Study Committee held a virtual meeting on Wednesday night to release their two proposed boundary maps for the new Northeast Elementary School in Rossville.

The creation of the new school in Rossville will also shift some students in Elmwood, Fullerton, Joppaview, McCormick, Perry Hall Red House Run and Shady Spring elementary school to the new school or one of the existing schools.

This was a similar move in 2018 when Honeygo Elementary School opened and many of the students in the Perry Hall/Carney area were shifted. Honeygo students, along with Seven Oaks, Gundpowder, Chapel Hill or Carney will not be affected by the opening of the new Rossville school.

Perry Hall and Joppaview were will be apart of rezoning again, but it appears different neighborhoods from those schools will be shifted that did not take part in the 2018 rezoning.

BCPS Board of Education Vice Chair Julie Henn released the maps from the meeting on social media.

“The Northeast Area Elementary Boundary Study Committee has been meeting since September 22, 2021, to review and create options for revised attendance boundaries at elementary schools in the Northeast area,” Henn explained.

“The goal is to relieve overcrowding through additional seats at a new Northeast elementary school located near the intersection of Rossville Boulevard and Gum Spring Road and a replacement building of Red House Run Elementary School.”

Option 1

Option 2

The two options are also available on the Interactive Mapping Tool (View School Zones – Select Elementary Option 1 or Elementary Option 2)

BCPS is looking for feedback from the community for both options.
https://survey.k12insight.com/r/wvJlq3

New Northeast Elementary Boundaries to be Discussed


-file photo-

The Northeast Area Elementary Boundary Study Committee will host a public information session on Wednesday, November 3, from 7 – 8 p.m. to provide information and gather feedback about boundary options and the study process.

The virtual meeting will include an explanation of the process, a presentation of data, and a question-and-answer period.

The committee has been charged with creating new attendance boundaries for the new northeast elementary school and a new, larger Red House Run Elementary School. Eight schools that may be affected by the new schools are included in the study: Elmwood, Fullerton, Joppa View, McCormick, Perry Hall, Red House Run, Shady Spring, and Vincent Farm elementary schools.

The public information session will be held virtually; those wishing to attend the online meeting may use this link. More information about the study and committee meetings may be found at the boundary study website.

Following meetings through December by the committee and the public information session, a recommendation will be presented in March 2022 to the Board of Education of Baltimore County for a decision.

Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission named for 2021-2025 Term


he Baltimore County School Board Nominating Commission has been named for the 2021-2025 term.

The 19 commission members serve four-year terms and are chosen to “reflect the rich cultural, geographic, ethnic, and racial diversity of Baltimore County.” In accordance with the Maryland Educational Code, eight members — one from each legislative district — are appointed by the governor, in consultation with the county executive of Baltimore County. The Commission’s remaining members are appointed.

One is appointed by the county executive from the “county at large,” and the following organizations appoint one member each: Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce; PTA Council of Baltimore County, Inc.; Baltimore County Public Schools’ Special Education Citizens’ Advisory Committee; Baltimore County Student Councils; Council of Administrative and Supervisory Employees; Education Support Professionals of Baltimore County; League of Women Voters of Baltimore County; Advancement of Colored People, Baltimore County; Teachers Association of Baltimore County (TABCO); and Towson University.

The newly named Commission members are:
• Aisha Austin, Baltimore County Member-At-Large
• William Burke, Council of Administrative and Supervisory Employees
• Jeannette Young, Education Support Professionals of Baltimore County
• Michael Darenberg, Governor’s Appointment – District 6
• Deborah Hopp, Governor’s Appointment – District 7
• Judy Wagner, Governor’s Appointment – District 8
• Kelly Krupinski, Governor’s Appointment – District 11
• Katherine Bloom, Governor’s Appointment – District 12
• Stephen McIntire, Governor’s Appointment – District 42B
• Dr. Eugene Clark, Governor’s Appointment – District 44
• Julie Sugar, League of Women Voters
• Marietta English, NAACP
• Leslie Weber, PTA Council
• Samantha Warfel, Baltimore County Student Council
• Cindy Sexton, TABCO
• Dr. Antonio Campbell, Towson University

The three vacancies on the commission will be filled by appointees from the Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce, the BCPS Special Education Advisory Council, and the governor (representing district 10). Cindy Sexton, TABCO president, has been appointed commission chair.

The Commission’s first meeting will be scheduled in the coming weeks.

Bevins Announces Raised Crosswalks at Fullerton ES


County Councilwoman Cathy Bevins announced that a raised crosswalk would be installed at Fullerton Elementary on Fullerton Avenue.

“Having been denied that request previously, I’m incredibly pleased to see that it has been approved. On top of that, two more raised crosswalks are being installed — one at Taylor Avenue and Park Drive and the other at Old Harford Road and Glendale Road,” Bevins said.

“These raised crosswalks will help with pedestrian safety and traffic calming, and I’m very thankful that we have such a wonderful transportation team here in Baltimore County.”

Officials Cut Ribbon to New Berkshire School


-photo courtesy of BCPS-

Berkshire Elementary School in Dundalk had some visitors this morning as BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, members of the Board of Education of Baltimore County and elected officials from the state and county joined for the traditional ribbon cutting.

Berkshire was set to open last September but did not open its doors for students until March as a result of COVID-19.

The new 618-seat, $51 million school was built next to the old Berkshire school on Poplar Avenue in Dundalk.

Construction started in 2019 and the new school has a two-story classroom wing, a single-story cafeteria/gymnasium wing linked by a central core of interwoven collaboration spaces, a “green” rooftop classroom garden and a technology-rich media center.

The old school building was demolished and was replaced by fields for the new school.

Berkshire Elementary Ribbon Cutting to be Held Wednesday


Although Berkshire Elementary School in Dundalk was ready to open last September and students starting arriving in March, an official ribbon cutting was not held last year as a result of COVID

Now the ceremony will be held this Wednesday as BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski will join members of the Board of Education of Baltimore County and Baltimore County elected officials in officially cutting the ribbon on the new school.

This fall marks the first time the 618-seat, $51 million replacement school has opened to all students.

The ceremony will feature student performances and tours of the new school, which incorporates a two-story classroom wing, a single-story cafeteria/gymnasium wing linked by a central core of interwoven collaboration spaces, a “green” rooftop classroom garden, and a technology-rich media center.

Parkville Middle Student & Father Win Writing Contest


A Parkville Middle student and her father were both winners in Baltimore County Public Library’s Tales of the Dead Short Horror Story Contest.

Polly Sloan, a Grade 7 student at Parkville Middle School, won first place for “The Letters from No One,” in the under 21 category about a man receiving mysterious and terrifying letters predicting his imminent death.

The contest began in August when Baltimore County Public Library challenged writers of all ages to
write original horror stories with a “Ghosts in the Graveyard” theme.

The contest was split into two categories: “over 21” and “under 21.” First-, second-, and third-place
winners in both categories were selected by a panel of judges including Baltimore County Public Library’s Director Sonia Alcántara-Antoine, librarians and published authors.

Criteria for judging included originality, fear factor, and quality of writing.

As the panel of judges calculated scores and began to notify winners, they quickly realized something unprecedented in the history of the contest: the first-place winners in each category are father and daughter.

Polly Sloan’s father, David Sloan, took first place in the “over 21” category for “A Hole at the Edge of the Woods,” a story about a young fox whose curiosity gets the better of him on Halloween night.

“My daughter and I really enjoyed this challenge and had fun trying our best to out-write and out-scare each other,” said winner David Sloan.

“Storytelling is an important part of our family identity, so we look
forward to more challenges like this to inspire our creativity.”

The Tales of the Dead Short Horror Story Contest started in 2016, inspired by a 1816 ghost story challenge that led to the creation of Frankenstein’s monster and the first modern vampire story.

The contest is held in conjunction with A Toast Among Ghosts.

The young winners will receive a prize package including a 2021 “A Toast Among Ghosts” T-shirt and gift card.

“Over 21” winners received VIP tickets to A Toast Among Ghosts, the Foundation for Baltimore County Public Library’s annual Poe-themed outdoor festival.

They are invited to read their winning stories next to the fire pit at the October 16 festival, which will take place at the Reisterstown Branch.

All winning stories will be published on the Foundation for Baltimore County
Public Library’s website.

Third Meeting Set for New Northeast Elementary School


Members of the BCPS community are invited to attend the third meeting of the Northeast Area Elementary Boundary Study Committee on Wednesday, October 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. The meeting will be held online.

This committee is in charge of creating attendance boundaries for the new northeast elementary school and a new, larger Red House Run Elementary School.

This committee was formed last spring to make plans for the new 700-seat school currently under construction along Rossville Boulevard near Gum Spring and Ridge roads. The school is scheduled to open in August 2022.

In addition, Red House Run Elementary School is also being expanded, which will impact attendance lines in many of the same northeastern communities affected by the new elementary school.

With the new Red House Run Elementary scheduled to open in August 2023, both schools will relieve overcrowding at other schools in the northeast. Eight elementary schools have been identified as being part of the committee’s study: Elmwood, Fullerton, Joppa View, McCormick, Perry Hall, Red House Run, Shady Spring and Vincent Farm elementary schools.

In addition to six committee meetings, where members will consider boundary options to accommodate the new school construction as well as all other participating schools, the public also is invited to a virtual public information session scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 7-8 p.m.

Members of the public may learn about the boundary process and participate through an online survey (to be available Nov. 3 – 17) conducted to gather feedback from the community on draft boundary line options.

Following the meetings and public information session, a recommendation will be presented to the Board of Education for a decision in March 2022. More information, including the dates and times of all committee meetings and information about how to join the meetings virtually, may be found at the boundary study website.

COVID Vaccine Needed for BCPS Athletes


Beginning Wednesday, November 24, 2021, BCPS will require proof of full COVID-19 vaccination for any high school student participating in BCPS winter and spring sports for the 2021-22 school year. 

Students who are unwilling to be vaccinated, or present documentation verifying a medical or religious exemption as to why they cannot be vaccinated, may participate in mandatory weekly COVID-19 testing. 

Testing will be offered at no cost to the student athlete at their school on a regularly scheduled basis that is either during the school day or practice time. Tests involve a brief self-swab inside the tip of the nose and use PCR technology to detect the COVID virus.

If a student fails to get vaccinated or participate in the mandatory weekly COVID testing process, they will lose their eligibility and be unable to participate or until the requirements are met

Five Dundalk Schools Receive GREEN Grants


Five Dundalk schools were given grants as part of Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge.

There were 17 schools awarded grants across the county, but Charlesmont Elementary School in Dundalk led the way with a $3,000 grant.

Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts finished first in the BCPS high school division; General John Stricker Middle School placed first in the middle school division; Grange Elementary took the top spot in the elementary and Battle Monument School won the special school category.

All schools won $2,000 each in grants.

BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams and Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski, visited Charlesmont Elementary School, Battle Monument School, and nearby General John Stricker Middle School.

After pausing a year for COVID, the Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge blossomed anew Tuesday, led by a bouquet of Baltimore County civic and educational leaders who brought thanks – and rewards – to students, schools, and community volunteers whose anti-litter efforts helped to beautify Baltimore County.

The annual competition, which this year awarded $22,000 in environmental literacy grants and technology prizes, challenges schools, students, and community partners to engage in quick, 15-minute local litter clean-up events.

“Clean Green 15 is a wonderful opportunity for Baltimore County students and their schools not only to help beautify their grounds and neighborhoods but also to learn the lessons of keeping the environment healthy,” said Dr. Williams. “Congratulations to our 17 winning schools for doing such a great job in keeping BCPS clean and green and also to all of those who participated in this important project both this year and last.”

Added County Executive Olszewski, “Over the past two years, Clean Green 15 volunteers removed tons of litter from our communities, and 17 of our Baltimore County schools earned thousands of dollars to pay for school-based environmental projects that will have a lasting impact on students for years to come.”

At each school stop on Tuesday, Debbie Phelps, executive director of The Education Foundation of Baltimore County Public Schools, led the applause for school staff, students, and supporters who completed the clean-ups.

Through this program – now in its ninth year – BCPS schools and their community supporters compete for doing the most clean-ups. The program is open to any groups, including school-based groups, places of worship, youth groups, civic or community groups, scout troops, sport teams, businesses or other organizations, that wish to help clean up their community. Groups are asked to report their clean-ups online and designate a school to receive credit toward the grant competition.

Team BCPS Clean Green 15 is a collaboration of the Baltimore County Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability, BCPS, and The Education Foundation of BCPS.

The Education Foundation awards grants to 11 top winning schools to fund school-based instructional projects that emphasize the theme of environmental literacy. Another six schools earned Honorable Mention awards and received funds to purchase STEM supplies and equipment. The list of winning schools is attached.

The celebration also marked the kickoff for the 2021-2022 Team BCPS Clean Green 15 Litter Challenge for this school year, with schools and groups eligible to log clean-up events taking place from May 1, 2021, through April 30, 2022, for consideration in next year’s awards.

Here is a full list of the BCPS schools that received grants from the program and the school named honorable mention:

Award Prize School
Grand Prize $3,000 grant Charlesmont Elementary School
High Schools
1st Prize
$2,000 grant Patapsco High School & Center for the Arts
High Schools
2nd Prize
$1,500 grant Dulaney High School
High Schools
3rd Prize
$1,000 grant Franklin High School
Middle Schools
1st Prize
$2,000 grant General John Stricker Middle School
Middle Schools
2nd Prize
$1,500 grant Ridgely Middle School
Middle Schools
3rd Prize
$1,000 grant Sparrows Point Middle School
Elementary Schools
1st Prize
$2,000 grant Grange Elementary School
Elementary Schools
2nd Prize
$1,500 grant Glyndon Elementary School
Elementary Schools
3rd Prize
$1,000 grant Chesapeake Terrace Elementary School
Special School Prize $2,000 grant Battle Monument School
Honorable Mention $500 STEM prize Sparks Elementary School
Honorable Mention $500 STEM  prize George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology
Honorable Mention $500 STEM  prize Lansdowne Middle School
Honorable Mention $500 STEM  prize Rosedale Center Middle/High School
Honorable Mention $500 STEM  prize Deer Park Middle School
Honorable Mention $500 STEM  prize Sparrows Point Technical High School