Category: Education

Baltimore County Public Schools seeking senior volunteers

RSVPBaltimore County Public Schools, in partnership with the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), is seeking volunteers over the age of 55 to assist in classrooms throughout Baltimore County. Volunteers support teachers with day to day tasks and encourage students to achieve.

If you are a caring and patient individual who is willing to give a few hours per week, consider joining a vibrant group of volunteers who mentor Baltimore County youth. All volunteers must pass a background screening and complete an online orientation.

Volunteer Information Sessions

Tuesday, September 26, 2017 10:30 -11:30 am

White Oak School, Training Lab 8401 Leefield Rd, Baltimore, 21234

Wednesday, September 27, 2017 2:30 – 3:30 pm

Essex Senior Center 600 Dorsey Ave., Essex 21221

Thursday, September 28, 2017 2:30 -3:30 pm

Liberty Senior Center 3525 Resource Dr., Randallstown 21133

To register for this special opportunity to serve, call the Retired Senior Volunteer Program at 410-887-3101 or email volunteers@baltimorecountymd.gov.

RSVP is a federal grant program that is sponsored by the Baltimore County Department of Aging. RSVP engages volunteers over the age of 55 with volunteer opportunities that allow them to share a lifetime of skills and experiences. Currently, more than 50 registered volunteers serve in schools across Baltimore County.

Councilman Marks: Planning money secured for new high schools

baltimore-county-public-schools-bcpsBaltimore County Councilman David Marks confirmed on Tuesday that planning money will be in the upcoming capital budget to advance a new Towson High School and a high school in central or northeastern Baltimore County.

By 2026, Baltimore County Public Schools anticipates that Towson High will be 456 students over its state-rated capacity. Two schools in the central and northeastern Baltimore County will also be overcrowded, with Dulaney High School at 188 students over its state-recommended capacity by 2026, and Perry Hall High at 234 students overcapacity.

“I am delighted by this news from the County Executive’s office,” Councilman Marks said. “As overcrowding has worsened, Towson High School has been a priority for parents in my district who recognize we need a new campus at that location. The construction of a new northeastern high school, meanwhile, has been the ‘Holy Grail’ in our area for so many years. I have personally worked on this issue for nearly two decades. Many thanks to the parents and community leaders, and to School Board members such as Julie Henn, for their advocacy and leadership.”

The planning money begins the process of building the new schools, and there are many questions that will be reviewed by engineers and experts from the school system. The next administration and County Council will need to allocate funding for construction.

Hawthorne Elementary briefly placed on lockdown

School LockdownA Middle River elementary school was briefly placed on lockdown on Thursday.

At just after 12 p.m., witnesses at Hawthorne Elementary School reported seeing an unknown person in the building.

The school was placed on lockdown as a precaution and police were notified.

Baltimore County Breaking News reports that the incident has since been resolved, and no one was injured.

It is unknown why the person was in the building or what their intentions were. School officials said students will be taking a letter home today explaining the incident.

16 BCPS students named National Merit semifinalists

National Merit ScholarshipSixteen Baltimore County Public Schools students from eight high schools have been named semifinalists in the 63rd annual National Merit Scholarship Program coordinated by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

The honored students are:

Dulaney High School
Samantha T. Engler
Sherry Guo
Abhinav S. Khushalani
Adabelle Xie
Megan Zhang

Franklin High School
Mckenzie K. Patrick

George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology
Michael A. Krasnitski
Diana Liepinya

Hereford High School
Justin D. Ciemian
Tyler T. Honeywell

Loch Raven High School
Caleb A. Lacey

Perry Hall High School
Malachi M. Fowler

Towson High School
Ciara E. Donegan
Kristin M. Donegan
Olivia T. Goodrich

Western School of Technology and Environmental Science
Albert J. Ko

“We are so proud of these BCPS students for their demonstrated commitment to academic achievement and for taking full advantage of the instruction and support provided by teachers, families, and administrators,” said BCPS Interim Superintendent Verletta White. “We wish our semifinalists well as they compete for finalist ranking, and we look forward to following their post-graduate careers.”

About 1.6 million juniors from more than 22,000 high schools applied for the 2018 National Merit Scholarship Program by participating in the 2016 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NSMQT®). The highest scoring entrants in each state create the national pool of 16,000 semifinalists, which represents less than 1 percent of high school seniors in the nation. Most semifinalists advance to the finalist level (based on their academic records, recommendations and SAT scores) and compete for 7,500 National Merit Scholarships.

Through its longstanding partnership with the College Board, which administers the PSAT/NSMQT, Baltimore County Public Schools provides funding so that all students in Grades 9, 10, and 11 students can take the PSAT/NSMQT at no charge to them or their families and that all Grade 11 students can take the SAT at no charge. The PSAT test provides practice for the SAT and provides BCPS educators with important assessments of student strengths and challenges.