Category: School Notebook

Baltimore County Public Schools announced it was restarting its online virtual program on Wednesday, Dec. 2 after closing last Wednesday, Nov. 25 and Monday and Tuesday this week after a ransomware attack.

BCPS released the statement about reopening online.

“We are planning to resume virtual instruction for all students on Wednesday, December 2, 2020. Schools will follow what would have been their schedule for today, Monday, November 30, 2020.

In order to prepare for Wednesday, the following will occur tomorrow, Tuesday, December 1, 2020:

For middle and high school instructional staff (including teachers, special education teachers, related service providers, and special area teachers): follow the “Steps to Perform a Confidence Check” on the device. If needed, assistance will be available from 8:30 – 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday at their assigned cluster high school. See the list by zone under Round 1.

For all instructional staff (elementary, middle, and high): go to the School-Based Staff webpage at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday for information and directions about using Schoology, the resources available, and Google Meet. This is the opportunity for instructional staff to reorient themselves to these platforms and resources.

For students who have an HP or Windows-based device: follow the “Steps to Perform a Confidence Check” on Tuesday. This is not necessary for Chromebooks. Students needing a new device or assistance should go to the high school closest to their home between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. BCPS IT staff will be available to assist students with getting a different device, or if needed, performing a confidence check.

For all other staff: follow the “Steps to Perform a Confidence Check” and let their supervisor know if their device is infected.”

Baltimore County Public Schools announced on Saturday that online learning will stay closed on Monday, Nov. 30 and Tuesday, Dec. 1 as a result of last week’s ransomware attack. Here is the official statement that was sent out to parents.

“Good evening Baltimore County Public Schools families and staff,

Due to the recent ransomware attack, Baltimore County Public Schools will be closed for students on Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1. BCPS offices will be open and staff will receive additional information about Monday and Tuesday.

This provides much-needed time for our staff to continue working to set up the instructional platform and to communicate next steps regarding devices.

On Monday, November 30, and Wednesday, December 2, student meals will be available for pickup at no cost, at more than 300 locations as usual, including all middle and high schools.

We understand how challenging this situation is for families and staff, and we thank you for your patience as we work through this crisis. Please note that future daily updates will be available at 5 p.m.”

Baltimore County Public Schools will start their Thanksgiving holiday a day early. The school system had to close its virtual learning setting unexpectedly on Wednesday, Nov. 25 after a network outage. The BCPS site is down this morning and everyone have been advised not to access the school laptops or go to the BCPS website as Baltimore County Government has confirmed BCPS has been a victim of a ransomware attack.

Mychael Dickerson, Chief of Staff for Baltimore County Public Schools, released a statement on Twitter.

“Due to issues with our network, all Baltimore County Public Schools will be closed today, Wednesday, November 25, 2020. Additional information will be shared as it becomes available.”

Six Baltimore County Public Schools teachers and one principal have been recognized with district awards from the BCPS Office of Visual Arts through the Maryland Art Education Association (MAEA). In addition, two BCPS visual arts teachers have been nominated for state recognition.

Since they cannot be honored in person at this time, the Office of Visual Arts surprised the honorees with the news during virtual faculty meetings, classroom pop-ins, and post-observation meetings. The award recipients will be formally honored by MAEA at event to be held in 2021.

“We are honored to recognize these amazing educators for their service and dedication to their students, schools, and field of art education,” said Sherri Fisher, BCPS coordinator of visual arts. “Each of them truly understands the power of art to shape human potential.”

A list of BCPS teachers to be honored with district recognition follows – along with comments about them from Fisher and BCPS visual arts supervisor Ryan Twentey:

BCPS Career Art Teachers of the Year

Marta Biddinger, Deer Park Elementary School
“Always a step ahead, Marta Biddinger has recreated her entire teaching process in this virtual environment but did so without changing any of her style! … Marta’s leadership in her school and throughout the visual arts education community has been crucial this year, testing software and developing video tutorials and universal classroom management tips and techniques for new and veteran teachers alike.” – Twentey

Molly Schappel, Perry Hall Middle School
“Molly makes things happen! For the past seven years, she has championed and developed one of the most beloved service-learning programs in BCPS art classes, Kindness for Paws. Through Molly’s partnership with the MDSPCA and leadership, students throughout BCPS and beyond submit artwork of adopted animals. Last year over 4,000 student artworks were donated. … She is a true champion of the power art has to inform and improve the lives of others.” – Fisher

Ginger Cain, Kenwood High School
“As department chair of a large department…, Ginger manages a multitude of tasks with grace and respect, directing objectives while encouraging and motivating others to go beyond what they thought they could do. … Ginger has brought the same thoughtfulness and dedication to curriculum writing, having built a significant part of this year’s remote learning units to compassionately connect with students … regardless of the situation they may be in.”– Twentey

BCPS Novice Art Teachers of the Year
Natovian McLeod, Colgate Elementary School
“In her first five years with BCPS, she has quickly become a model teacher, working as a curriculum writer and leader in incorporating contemporary art in the elementary art room. This year she launched B.A.T.A., an affinity group for art teachers of color in BCPS. Natovian has presented on anti-racist and culturally responsive practices in art at the district and state levels to resounding praise.” – Fisher

Christina Snyder, General John Stricker Middle School
“Her classroom manner with students is honest and engaging. She helps students find their voice in the art room, honors their differences, and makes learning fun. She brings this knowledge and connectedness to her work in curriculum development and mentorship. In her first five years with BCPS, her joyful work ethic has made her a tremendous asset to our community.” – Fisher

Ariana Mygatt, Parkville High School
“Bringing new views to students and opening the way they perceive the world around them has been at the forefront of Ariana’s teaching ever since she came to BCPS. Her commitment to her students’ ability to be independent artists flows through every interaction, giving them the knowledge and skills they need to see hidden messages and contexts that truly direct and guide their lives.” – Fisher

BCPS Administrator of the Year

Dwight (Jerry) Easterly, Battle Monument School
“The challenges of leading a public special needs school this year are more intense than ever, asking administrators to make informed decisions on topics never before considered. Dwight “Jerry” Easterly takes on these challenges with years of experience, but also an instinctive ability to connect with the students and families of Battle Monument School to what they need most. This understanding recognizes that all K-12 students at Battle Monument need art and the tremendous impact it brings to their happiness and skills development.”– Twentey

Two other BCPS teachers— Taylor Boren of Logan Elementary School and Lindsay Miller of Towson High School – have been nominated by the Visual Arts Office for state awards. Recipients of those awards will be notified in December.

Golden Ring Middle School is one of only 20 national recipients of a FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) inaugural Collaborator Community Impact Award. Golden Ring Middle is the only grant recipient in Maryland.

“As a health science magnet, our school is committed to informing and improving the health of our students, staff, and community,” said Principal Charlyne Maul. “We start by educating our students via a theme across disciplines and then ask them to use their knowledge to enlighten our community through public service, relationships, and partnerships. So far this school year, our students, staff, and community have participated in a virtual community health fair and breast cancer awareness thematic units. The FARE grant will help us in taking on the new and ubiquitous health issue of food allergies. We are very excited!”

For this grant program, FARE partnered with the National Parent-Teacher Association and National Association of School Nurses to invite their members to apply for funding of up to $750 for food allergy education programming and support in Title I/Title I-eligible schools. Title I schools are defined as schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families. These schools receive federal funding to help ensure that all children meet state academic standards.

Golden Ring Middle School will use the funds to create a food allergy ambassador program and purchase resources for the cafeteria, health suite, health classroom, magnet classes, and general education classrooms.

“Food allergies are prevalent in many students at Golden Ring Middle School,” said school nurse Angela D’Alto, BSN, RN. “When I saw a grant available for an education program, I knew this would be beneficial for our students. With the funds we received, in collaboration with the health science magnet teacher, Melissa Swecker, we are going to integrate food allergy awareness into the curriculum in December.”

Through the school’s newly created food allergy ambassador program, students will learn food label reading, severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) signs and symptoms, how to administer an EpiPen®, and they will create public service announcements. Students who successfully complete a mini-assessment will become food allergy ambassadors for the school.

“This certification will carry with them through their magnet courses and on to a future career in healthcare,” said D’Alto. “Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening emergency and to have the power to save a life is extraordinary. The opportunity will be available schoolwide through virtual learning opportunities so that any student or teacher can also become a food allergy ambassador.”

“More than 5.6 million children live with potentially life-threatening food allergies – that’s about one in 13 children, or two in every classroom,” said Lisa Gable, chief executive officer of FARE. “A critical part of FARE’s mission is making sure underserved communities have the resources they need. In these under-resourced schools, everyone from teachers to the school nurse to the cafeteria staff plays a role in creating a safe environment for students with food allergies. FARE is committed to doing our part to help everyone better understand this disease, which can be fatal and for which there is no cure.”

At its Nov. 10 meeting, the Board of Education of Baltimore County approved the 2021-2022 school calendar for Baltimore County Public Schools.

This calendar has BCPS students beginning the school year, before Labor Day, on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021, and ending between Thursday, June 9, and Thursday, June 16, 2022, depending on the number of inclement weather/emergency closure days used.

Schools will be closed for all students on the following days:
• Monday, Sept. 6 – Labor Day
• Tuesday, Sept. 7 – Professional Development Day/Rosh Hashanah
• Thursday, Sept. 16 – Professional Development Day/Yom Kippur
• Friday, Oct. 15 – Professional Development Day/Maryland State Education Association Convention
• Thursday, Nov. 25 & Friday, Nov. 26 – Thanksgiving Holiday
• Friday, Dec. 24 – Friday, Dec. 31 – Christmas Holiday/Winter Break
• Monday, Jan. 17 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• Friday, Jan. 21 – All schools closing three hours early for end of second marking period
• Monday, Feb. 21 – Presidents’ Day/Washington’s Birthday
• Monday, Apr. 11 – Friday, Apr. 15 — Spring Break
• Monday, Apr. 18 — State Mandated Holiday
• Tuesday, May 3 – Systemwide Professional Development Day and Pre-K and Kindergarten Conference Day/Eid-Al-Fitr
• Monday, May 30 – Memorial Day Observed
There are other days on which schools will be closed for specific grade levels.
This calendar was designed to ensure that BCPS provides its students with a minimum of 180 days of instruction including a minimum of 1,080 hours for elementary and middle school students, and 1,170 hours for high school students.

A detailed PowerPoint presentation about the calendar and the calendar itself can be found on BoardDocs.

If no emergency closure days occur, the school year will end for students on Thursday June 9, 2022, and the Assessment Days, the last day of classes for Preschool-3 and Pre-K, and the last day for teachers will be re-designated accordingly. Should emergency closures occur, up to five make-up days will be added to the end of the school year, making the latest possible date for the last day of school Thursday, June 16, 2022.

If more than five emergency closures occur and/or there are a significant number of delayed openings and/or early dismissals used, the school calendar also may be adjusted appropriately to meet the minimum required student days and the required number of student hours.

Bryce Muneses, a Grade 10 student at Perry Hall High School, was named Student of the Year by the Baltimore County Commission on Disabilities. Muneses suffered a stroke as an infant that limited his ability to control his arms and legs. He was nominated for the honor by Lori Ludwig.

Ludwig wrote: “I met Bryce when he started kindergarten at Chapel Hill Elementary School and had the honor of being his assistant throughout his time in elementary school. He liked to refer to me as his sidekick.”

She describes Muneses as “the picture of positivity, perseverance, and strength” and an excellent student. “Bryce is an inspiration to all,” she wrote. “He exudes positivity. Never does he let his inability to do something stop him from achieving his goal; he simply finds another way to get it done. . . . Other students learned a lot about patience and compassion from Bryce. . . . Often (at Chapel Hill Elementary) I hear how he has inspired someone having a rough day to keep trying even now that he has moved on. He has made quite an impression on all who know him.”