Category: School Notebook

Eastern Tech Students Receive AP Capstone Diplomas


Thirty-eight Baltimore County Public Schools students earned the AP Capstone Diploma™ and 11 earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™ during the 2020-21 school year. There were 15 Eastern Tech students that earned the AP Capstone Diploma and six Tech students that earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

The AP Capstone Diploma program is designed to help students develop critical thinking, research, collaboration, and presentation skills that are critical to academic success.

“We proudly recognize the achievements of students who participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “Our AP Capstone students and teachers showed extraordinary commitment while facing historic challenges. This is a meaningful college readiness program that will serve our students well after high school.”

To receive the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar, AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams. To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research. Students are increasingly participating in the AP Capstone program. More than 2,000 schools participated in the AP Capstone program worldwide during the 2020-21 school year, when approximately 11,900 students earned the AP Capstone Diploma and 7,700 earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate.

Unlike traditional AP subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Seminar and AP Research assessments are project-based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations, and individual essays completed throughout the year. Instead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: students are empowered to create research projects based on topics of personal interest and they are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills needed to complete their projects.

“Congratulations to the AP Capstone award winners, who conduct, present, and defend academic research on topics they are passionate about,” said Trevor Packer, College Board senior vice president of AP and Instruction. “Their ability to manage long-term projects, collaborate with teams, and deliver effective presentations will accelerate both their academic and professional careers.”

The following Eastern Tech students were awarded the AP Capstone Diploma:

Shazeeb Cheema

Nkechi Duruji

Allen Jin

Julia Johnson

Christian Lawson

Alan Lin

Nicholas Marks

Reagan McCafferty

Annie Ni

Sheldon Padgett

Nikita Paudel

Ariel Smith

Zuzanna Szylow

Amman Vahora

Rhys Wexler

 

The following Eastern Tech students were awarded the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. 

Keera Booker

Ayooluwakita E. Dada

Meghan Faberlle

Asia Lee

Ashley Payton

Josh Bradley M. Ventura

The College Board Advanced Placement® Program gives students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school. A 3 or higher on an AP Exam has multiple benefits for students, including earning college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams, saving them time and money. Research shows AP students are better prepared for and more likely to enroll and remain in college, do well in classes, and earn their degrees on time. Each exam is developed by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Exams align with their high standards.

BCPS students to Serve on Student Focus Group

Two local Baltimore County Public Schools students represent the county on the 25-member 2021-2022 Student Focus Group for the Maryland Center for School Safety.

The students are:
• Panagiolis Fafalios, a Grade 12 student at Dundalk High School and Sollers Point Technical High School
• Roah Hassan, a Grade 11 student at Perry Hall High School

According to the Maryland Center for School Safety, the Student Focus Group was created in partnership with the Maryland Association of Student Councils, to support the center’s Advisory Board. The center wrote, “Students will serve as an informed voice representing the perspectives of their county/city as it pertains to school safety, devising marketing tactics to reach students, surveying their county on important issues, and acting as a pilot group for new initiatives.”

Nearly 100 students applied to serve on the focus group. The selection process included reviewing student applications, essays, and character references, and a final interview with members of the Student Focus Group selection committee.
On a blog post, the Maryland Center for School Safety wrote, “These young adults are about to embark on a journey that will include learning more about the diversity of current school and student safety-related topics important to communities across the state and around the country, developing government relations and leadership skills, and gaining exposure to the inner workings of important state agencies and boards.”

BCPS to Require Employee COVID Vaccine


Baltimore County Public Schools announced that all school system employees will be required to provide proof of completing their primary series of COVID-19 vaccines. Those who have not been vaccinated or who opt out of sharing their vaccine records with BCPS will be required to complete weekly COVID-19 testing.

“We are creating this requirement to protect the health, safety, and well-being of our students and staff during this continuing pandemic,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “The move is aligned with our commitment to provide in-person instruction throughout the 2021-2022 school year. Vaccination remains the most effective means of preventing COVID-19 transmission. I encourage everyone eligible to get vaccinated.”

Additional details will be shared with employees in a letter from the Office of Health Services.

The decision to require proof of vaccination or weekly testing was made with guidance from Johns Hopkins University and University of Maryland medical experts as well as Baltimore County Health Officer Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch.

Leaders of BCPS bargaining units have been a part of ongoing conversations regarding mitigation strategies and signaled their support for this decision.

“TABCO’s position continues to be a safe reopening based on the science,” said Cindy Sexton, TABCO (Teachers Association of Baltimore County) president. “We support a vaccine mandate, and we can’t wait to see our students in our classrooms.”

“Our collective stance,” said Nick Argyros of BCPSOPE, “is that we feel vaccinations provide a safe and healthy work environment. Mandatory vaccinations would help our staff stay healthy so we can succeed in our business of educating children.”

Jeannette Young, president of Education Support Professionals of Baltimore County (ESPBC), said, “For the past 18 months, ESPBC has based its recommendations and positions on the science and advice of the experts. It is believed that the best way to minimize the spread of COVID-19 is through vaccinations, testing, and masking. This three-pronged approach will allow staff to safely and effectively do their jobs of supporting the students, staff and the community of Baltimore County Public Schools.”

“AFSCME members have been on the front line since day one,” said Bryan Epps, president of AFSCME Local 434. “We are in support of mandating the vaccine and/or the weekly testing. We believe and support following the CDC recommendations and guidance and hope it will curtail the spread of the COVID-19 virus.”

“The Council of Administrative and Supervisory Employees (CASE) supports mandatory vaccinations for staff and weekly testing for staff who are unable to vaccinate,” said William Burke, CASE executive director. “Data confirms that the vaccine is safe and effective and is an important mitigation strategy that will ensure schools will remain open.”

The effort to provide vaccinations to BCPS staff began in March with clinics at the state fairgrounds that were offered throughout the spring. The effort continues with weekly school-located clinics in August. Employees can find the schedule of upcoming clinics at the Baltimore County Department of Health’s Vaccine Hub. In addition, locations throughout the community are providing COVID-19 vaccines.

In addition to required vaccines or testing for staff and universal masking in all BCPS schools, offices, and buildings, BCPS leaders say that the following additional COVID-19 mitigation strategies will be employed for the 2021-2022 school year:

Maintaining physical distancing to the greatest extent possible.
Conducting screening testing to promptly identify cases, clusters, and outbreaks.
Maintaining ventilation settings for maximal outdoor air intake and maximal filtration.
Reinforcing handwashing and respiratory etiquette.
Reinforcing that children and staff should stay home when sick and seek COVID-19 testing if necessary.
Conducting contact tracing for all cases among students and staff, including enforcing
quarantine and isolation to limit spread.
Cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces daily.

New Middle School Projects Next on Agenda


Baltimore County broke ground on a new northeast elementary school in Rossville last week. Now it is time to focus on the new middle school projects in the area.

Baltimore County announced that it was going to build a new northeast middle school at Nottingham Park and expand student seating at Pine Grove Middle School to decrease enrollment at Perry Hall Middle for the 2021-22 school year.

Those middle school improvements were announced back in 2017 but have seen delays over the last few years.

Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski, Jr. announced a budget shortfall in early 2019 which delayed the projects.

Next, a construction bill that funded the school projects was introduced in the 2019 General Assembly. That bill passed in the House of Delegates but never received a vote in a Senate committee.

The budget bill finally passed through the House and Senate in 2020, but Gov. Larry Hogan vetoed all budget bills as a result of COVID-19. The bill was passed into law in 2021 when the General Assembly overrode the Governor.

The good news is that the new northeast middle school on King Avenue and Pine Grove Middle renovation projects are fully funded.

The bad news is there is no timetable for construction to begin for the projects. There was hope to have the projects begin soon enough for completion by the start of the 2022-23 school year, but the earliest the school could open is now 2023-24.

Councilman David Marks explained that construction contracts are being prepared for those middle school projects and there are a lot of variables, such as materials and other factors. Marks added he is hopeful the projects will be finalized by the end of this year.

“Had the State Senate passed the Built to Learn Act in 2019, we might have had the project under construction last year. That delayed the project. The county’s part has been fully funded since 2019,” Marks said.

Projects Approved for Gunpowder ES & Perry Hall HS


Baltimore County Board of Education Vice Chair and 5th District member Julie Henn announced that two schools will be receiving capital projects on their sites.

“[Tuesday] night, the Board approved privately funded capital projects for Gunpowder Elementary and Perry Hall High,” Henn said.

Gunpowder Elementary Outdoor Stage
The Gunpowder Elementary PTA is donating the cost of installation, materials, labor, fees, and the overhead associated with building the stage area of the newly revitalized playground at Gunpowder Elementary.

The new stage area will be dedicated as part of the Officer Caprio Playground project. Parents of the PTA at Gunpowder Elementary School began The Officer Caprio Playground Project in November 2019.

Perry Hall High Field Netting
The Perry Hall H.S. Athletic Boosters is donating the cost to cover the installation of ball-stop netting on the stadium field. Perry Hall High School Official opened in 1967. The sport stadium is located directly behind the school. The ball-stop netting will allow several teams to practice in the stadium facility at the same time. In addition, this safety netting will also protect against potential injuries.

“Thank you very much to the Gunpowder Elementary PTA and the Perry Hall High Athletic Boosters for their extremely generous support of these projects,” Henn said.

Groundbreaking Held for New Rossville School

Gum Spring Road Elementary School to Open in 2022-23


Baltimore County officials had a groundbreaking for the new northeast elementary school located at 7649 Gum Spring Road in Rossville on Wednesday morning.

Kevin Jennings is the first principal at the new school after arriving from Joppaview Elementary School. He was joined at the ceremony along with BCPS Superintendent Darryl L. Williams; County Executive John Olszewski, Jr.; Councilmembers Cathy Bevins and David Marks; BCPS Board of Education Vice Chair Julie Henn and Eight District state delegates Harry Bhandari, Joe Boteler and Carl Jackson.

Olszewski said important it is to provide students and educators with safe and supportive learning environments.

“It was a pleasure to join today’s groundbreaking for the new Northeast Area Elementary School. Truly, the construction of this school has been a long time coming, and I am so proud to see construction begin,” said the County Executive.

This new $53.1 million school will have a planned capacity of 735 seats over more than 108,000 square feet in order to address the educational needs of one of Baltimore County’s fastest growing communities. The schools design is similar to Honeygo Elementary School, which was built in 2018. The new school is designed to meet LEED silver standards. The Gum Spring Road school is scheduled to open for the 2022-2023 school year.

Bhandari posted that he is happy that the new school will help with overcrowding in the region.

My huge thanks to Dr. Williams and his team at BCPS for bringing this together, and of course, spotlight on Mr. Kevin Jennings, who served as a wonderful principal at Joppa View Elementary School and will help build our newest school community from the ground up,” Bhandari wrote. “To Councilwoman Cathy Bevins and Councilman David Marks, we are lucky to have you here as strong advocates for our kids and communities!”

Marks agreed with Bhandari that the new school will help free up some seats at other schools.
“It will alleviate overcrowding in southern Perry Hall, White Marsh, Fullerton and other neighborhoods,” Marks said about the new school.

Delegates Harry Bhandari, Carl Jackson and Joe Boteler took part in the shovel ceremony.
-photo courtesy of Delegate Harry Bhandari-

Boteler added that this was a team effort to get the school built.

“This is a good example of how partnership between State and County government can work to help alleviate some of the overcrowding in our schools,” Boteler said.

Bevins agreed that it takes strong partnership on all levels from the county, state and school system to build a new school.

“It was such a pleasure to take part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Northeast Area Elementary School on Gum Spring Road earlier today. I look forward to seeing this project progress, and I know that when it opens for the 2022-23 school year it will be in very good hands with Principal Kevin Jennings at the helm,” Bevins added.

“I’d like to thank County Executive Johnny Olszewski, Councilman David Marks, Superintendent Darryl Williams, the Board of Education, and our colleagues at the state level for their hard work on this desperately needed school.

Parkville Teacher Named Best History Teacher


Adam Laye, social studies department chair at Parkville High School, has been named the 2021 Maryland History Teacher of the Year, an award presented annually by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, the nation’s leading organization dedicated to K-12 American history education.

In 2021, parents, students, teachers, and administrators nationwide nominated a record 8,510 teachers for the History Teacher of the Year Award. Amidst a very competitive field, Laye’s name rose to the top in Maryland. In addition to a $1,000 honorarium, Laye’s school, Parkville High, will receive a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials, and Laye will be recognized at a ceremony in Maryland.

Laye has been teaching American history and American government for the past 15 years. He taught at Randallstown High before Parkville High. It was in college, at Frostburg State College, that Laye decided to apply his interest in social sciences to a career in education. Laye, who holds both a bachelor’s degree in social sciences and a master’s degree in teaching from Frostburg, is recognized for his inquiry-based approach to teaching history.

“We have been using inquiry as the center point of our instruction,” Laye said, “exploring multiple viewpoints, teaching kids to think historically. With our approach, instead of history being taught as a set of answers, we give kids questions to probe. That makes the learning of history rich and full of life. A lot of historical issues are deeply unsettled. Looking at them through a diversity of viewpoints helps our student see the world more clearly and even helps them be better consumers of modern-day news.”

Laye particularly enjoyed teaching about Reconstruction: “It feels like all roads go back to Reconstruction. Unresolved issues from that period weave through the decades. We continue to have so many of the same debates.”

“I enjoy the challenge of making history relevant to my students’ lives,” Laye said, “by giving them the tools to derive meaning from it.”

Inaugurated in 2004, the History Teacher of the Year Award highlights the crucial importance of history education by honoring exceptional American history teachers from elementary school through high school. The award honors one K-12 teacher from each state, the District of Columbia, Department of Defense schools and U.S. Territories. In fall 2021, the National History Teacher of the Year will be selected from the pool of state winners.

The 10 finalists for the National History Teacher of the Year Award will be announced on Thursday, Sept. 9, with the national winner announced later that month. An in-person ceremony for the winner will be held in late fall 2021, health and safety protocols permitting. Support for the National History Teacher of the Year Award ceremony is provided by HISTORY®

Nominations for the 2022 History Teacher of the Year awards are now open. Students, parents, colleagues, and supervisors may nominate K-12 teachers for the award. The deadline for 2022 nominations is March 31, 2022.

About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources.

At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. Drawing on the 70,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students, and the public with direct access to unique primary source materials.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.

BCPS Starts Mandated Mask Requirement Today


All students, staff, and visitors will be required to wear masks in all Baltimore County Public Schools’ offices, schools, and buildings, effective today, Tuesday, August 10, 2021.

“As we prepare to welcome students and staff back to school for in-person learning, universal masking is an important step to help maintain our community’s health and safety,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “All of us are reminded that although the use of masks is just one layer of protection, it is a crucial one.”

According to BCPS leaders, the universal mask requirement is aligned with guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), advice from medical experts at the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, and scientific learning about the Delta variant.

If a classmate develops COVID in school, students who are wearing masks and maintaining at least three feet of physical distancing will not be required to quarantine. Adults are encouraged to continue to maintain six-foot physical distancing whenever possible. Unvaccinated adults will be required to quarantine if they come within six feet of an infected person for 15 or more minutes.

During the past three weeks, the cumulative COVID-19 case rate in Baltimore County has risen from 17.04 cases per 100,000 residents to 61.04 cases per 100,000 residents. Baltimore County is now within the CDC’s substantial transmission zone (50-99 cases per 100,000 residents).

“While universal masking supports our overarching goal of keeping students and staff safe, vaccination is still the most effective action we can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” said Supt. Williams. “We continue to urge everyone eligible to get vaccinated.”

The online Baltimore County Vaccine Hub offers information about vaccine clinics and testing sites throughout the county. Vaccines are offered free-of-charge for those as young as 12 years old at locations including area community centers, high schools, and malls.

Some Students Still Need to Register for BCPS


The first day of school is less than a month away, and as part of their Back2BCPS: Are You Ready? Campaign, Baltimore County Public Schools leaders are urging parents/caregivers to register their children now.

“We want to see every BCPS student in class and ready to learn on Monday, Aug. 30,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams. “Parents and caregivers of children who will be new to our schools – including parents of Preschool, PreKindergarten, and Kindergarten students – are encouraged to register their children now. Registering before the school year starts ensures that schools can be better prepared to welcome and educate all students.”

To register, parents/caregivers can submit an online application through the Focus Parent Portal. Parents/caregivers can learn more about using the Focus Parent Portal by viewing an informational video. The password for the video is “Baltimore.”

After entering information online, parents/caregivers will be contacted by their child’s school to finalize enrollment. Additional assistance is available by emailing RegistrationHelp@bcps.org or contacting a school.

To enroll in Kindergarten, children must be 5 years old by September 1.

To be considered for PreKindergarten, students must be 4 years old on or before September 1. Unlike enrollment for K-12, seats are limited in the PreKindergarten program. The Maryland State Department of Education requires that the PreKindergarten program be made available to students who meet automatic eligibility criteria based on educational or financial need. If space is available once the automatically eligible students have registered, other students may be placed from the applicant pool on a priority basis.

For Preschool, students must be 3 years old on or before September 1 to be considered for enrollment. As with PreKindergarten, Preschool seats are limited. Students are registered on a priority basis, with priority registration given to those students who demonstrate educational and/or financial need.

BCPS Gives Update on Universal Masking


Baltimore County Public Schools staff provided a presentation on universal masking in schools and on Virtual Learning Program registration at a special meeting of the Board of Education of Baltimore County on Tuesday, Aug. 3.

Dr. Monique Wheatley-Phillip, BCPS chief accountability and performance management officer, offered a presentation regarding the school system’s rationale for requiring universal indoor masking for the fall of the 2021-2022 school year for all teachers, staff, students, and visitors in all BCPS schools.

“We are looking forward to having our students back in our classrooms this fall,” said BCPS Superintendent Dr. Darryl L. Williams, “but we must acknowledge that the pandemic is not over. We must take the steps that we can to protect the health of our students, staff, and community.”

BCPS staff explained that the universal masking decision is aligned with July 27 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that everyone in K-12 schools wear a mask while indoors regardless of vaccination status. The CDC noted that while “increasing COVID-19 vaccination coverage remains the most effective means to achieve control of the pandemic, additional layered prevention strategies will be needed in the short-term to minimize preventable morbidity and mortality.”

According to BCPS staff, the following factors were considered in instituting universal indoor masking in BCPS schools:
• Emerging evidence suggests that fully vaccinated persons who become infected with the Delta variant are at risk for transmitting it to others.
• From July 1 to July 30, the Baltimore County case rate increased from 4.7 (in the CDC’s low transmission range) to 39.2 (in the CDC’s moderate transmission range). Medical experts have advised BCPS that Baltimore County will likely experience a continued rise in the rate of transmission in August and will likely reach the CDC’s substantial transmission range before mid-month.
• Children under the age of 12 are still not eligible for vaccination.

BCPS staff noted that universal mask wearing is just one of the layered prevention strategies the school system is employing, such as encouraging vaccinations, physical distancing, and handwashing. Staff also shared that universal mask wearing in schools has the support of local leaders including Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and Baltimore County Health Officer Dr. Gregory Wm. Branch.

The universal masking requirement will end as soon as transmission rates and guidance from health experts support that decision.

The meeting concluded with a response to several public inquiries related to registration for the BCPS Virtual Learning Program. BCPS staff said that BCPS families had the opportunity to register for the program during the last two weeks of May. Then, in response to student needs, the registration window was re-opened from June 4 through July 2. This second deadline, staff explained, was necessary to implement and enforce for planning and staffing purposes. BCPS is no longer accepting enrollments at this time.