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Thank You Mama's on the Half Shell and Nacho Mama's for Sponsoring BCP Fundraiser

April 23, 2015, 8:06 am
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We would like to thank Mama's On The Half Shell and Nacho Mama’s for donating the delicious dinner for the Baltimore Curriculum Project's fourth annual Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader? fundraiser. Over 280 attendees enjoyed Chips and Salsa, Salad, Pizza, Chicken N'Orleans, Ultimate Fajitas, and Cookies.
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American Heart Association and CareFirst Promote Healthy Living at City Springs

May 28, 2015, 5:06 pm
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By Robert Heck, Resident Artist at City Springs Elementary/Middle School



On Thursday, May 7th City Springs Elementary/Middle School held a special resource day, "Teaching Gardens", sponsored by CareFirst and the American Heart Association. We had a terrific day working with our students, talking about plants, how they grow and the food and nutrition aspects. Students planted approximately 150 vegetable plants including eggplant, peppers, and celery.

The students also participated in story times, made their own paper pots with seeds to take home, and ran on the athletic field as part of a fitness focus organized by Care First.

I had a chance to speak with our partners and highlight the important work we do here every day with our community. Dr. Richetta plans to have our students stay involved, caring for the plants and monitoring growth. Ms. Abby Baldwin, our Child First Community School Coordinator, along with our resource teachers, did a terrific job keeping the students engaged.


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BCP Schools Take Top Honors in Hopkins Science Fair

May 29, 2015, 6:56 am
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Congratulations to City Springs Elementary/Middle School, Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy for winning first, second and third place respectively in the 2015 Johns Hopkins Community Science Fair on Thursday, May 28th.

Each year, area elementary schools are invited to Johns Hopkins to participate in the Community Science Fair. Each school is allowed to submit three projects for judging by Johns Hopkins faculty and staff, BCPS's administrative staff, and a special guest judge. First, second and third place prizes are awarded based on projects that exemplify ingenuity, clarity and presentation using the scientific method criteria.

Guest speakers at the event included Dr. Deidra Crews (Chair, Department of Medicine Diversity Council, Johns Hopkins Bayview), James Page (Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer, Johns Hopkins Medicine), Ashley Llorens (Senior Staff Electrical Engineer and Project Manager, Force Projection Sector, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory) and Edward McKay (Senior Operating Room Technician, Johns Hopkins Hospital).

BCP would like to thank Johns Hopkins Medicine East Baltimore Community Affairs for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students. For more information about the Community Science Education Program visit: http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/ebcommunityaffairs/csep.html
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First Harvest from City Springs' American Heart Association Teaching Garden

June 16, 2015, 8:04 am
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By Abby Baldwin, Child First Authority Community School Coordinator at City Springs Elementary/Middle School

City Springs Elementary/Middle School had its first harvest of veggies this morning from the school's American Heart Association Teaching Garden. They found banana peppers and one cherry tomato ripe for the picking.

City Springs and BCP would like to thank the American Heart Association and CareFirst for the wonderful Teaching Gardens program. The students are excited to see their veggies growing!

For more information about the American Heart Association's Teaching Gardens program visit: http://bitly.com/ahagarden

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City Springs Students Learn about the Watershed in Their Backyard

June 18, 2015, 8:08 pm
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By Zachary Carey, Teacher, City Springs Elementary/Middle School


This year City Springs Upper School science students had the opportunity to take part in two new programs, Trout in the Classroom (TIC) and Your Watershed Your Backyard (YWYB). Trout in the Classroom allowed students to raise around 100 rainbow trout in our classroom. Your Watershed Your Backyard taught students about our watershed and the effects that humans have on it.

These programs were brought to City Springs through support from BioEYES of the Carnegie Institution for Science. BioEYES provided logistical and material support for TIC, while developing and presenting the YWYB program for our 7th grade students.

Students releasing one of the trout.

The Trout in the Classroom program began when we received 100 or so alevins, trout larvae, in January. Students from the City Springs Science Club maintained the trout's 55 gallon tank by checking the pH and ammonia levels, monitoring the tank temperature, and feeding the fish.  Each day after school different student groups had tank maintenance, which strengthened the students' teamwork and analytical skills.

Over the course of the program, all upper schools students had the incredible opportunity to observe the development of trout larvae into 3-4 inch long juvenile trout! The program concluded with a trip to Stony Run, a tributary of the Jones Falls near Hampden, to release the trout into their natural habitat.

The trout release trip coincided with the 7th graders' Your Watershed Your Backyard program. The success of the trip was thanks to an all-hands-on-deck effort by BioEYES, Blue Water Baltimore, Trout in the Classroom, and the Baltimore Curriculum Project. This work was made possible through the generous support of the Chesapeake Bay Trust.


These organizations allowed students to participate in enriching activities, including water testing, micro-invertebrate collection and observation, identifying and removing invasive species, hiking through the woods on a scavenger hunt, and of course, releasing our trout. The variety of activities provided an opportunity for students to stay engaged and find something uniquely interesting to them.

The release of the trout represented the exceptional work of our students, school, and the organizations that have supported them. Although seeing our finned friends swimming away was bittersweet, the students loved seeing the fish in their natural environment and luckily, next year we'll have the opportunity to take part in the program again!

For more information about BioEYES visit: http://www.bioeyes.org/
For more information about Trout in the Classroom visit: http://www.troutintheclassroom.org/
For more information about Blue Water Baltimore visit: http://www.bluewaterbaltimore.org/

Students cutting down wineberry, an invasive plant.


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BCP Holds 19th Annual Summer Training Institute

September 4, 2015, 7:56 am
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If you are a teacher, you probably remember what it was like on your very first day of school when you were thrown into the deep end and left to sink or swim.

Fortunately for new BCP teachers, BCP provides life vests (and sometimes life rafts) in the form of BCP's Summer Training Institute and ongoing in-class coaching support.

BCP held its 19th Annual Summer Training Institute for new and returning teachers during the week of  August 10, 2015. Academic Coaches Brenda Kahn and Marvelyn Johnson and Director of Student Support Services Jeff Krick conducted the week long training in classroom management for 36 teachers from City Springs Elementary/Middle School, Govans Elementary School, Hampstead Hill Academy and Wolfe Street Academy.

"[This was the] best PD I have been to since I can remember in my seven years of teaching in BCPS," wrote one teacher on the evaluation form.

"I wish I had this as a first year teacher. I learned so much."

Most educators agree that classroom management is one of the biggest challenges facing new teachers. BCP Schools use CHAMPS, a program of Safe & Civil Schools, that helps teachers to design (or fine tune) a proactive and positive classroom management plan that will overtly teach students how to behave responsibly.

"I want to thank all of the teachers who are new to our schools for working so hard at the summer CHAMPs training," said Mr. Krick.

"We believe that the hard work of organizing their behavioral expectations and preparing lessons to teach the children how to master the classroom routines and procedures will help everyone surpass their academic growth targets this year."

Teacher feedback on the training was overwhelmingly positive:

  • "Thank you! One of the best PDs I've attended!"
  • "I thought this PD was great!"
  • "Everything was great! Very clear and interesting."
  • "Very useful information that I will be able to implement."
  • "Great sessions, thanks!"
  • "Thank you! This was so organized and full of useful info. I enjoyed this PD!
  • "CHAMPS expectations rules!"
  • "Amazing! Great presenters, super informative!"
  • "I thoroughly enjoyed Ms. Marvelyn's enthusiasm!"
  • "This workshop gave me a much better handle on feeling like I might stay vertical the first week of school."

At the end of the week, teachers shared the "Best Ideas" they learned from the training. The list can be viewed at: http://baltimorecp.org/pd/2015BestIdeas.pdf

BCP's Summer Training Institute is part of BCP's comprehensive Professional Development (PD) program, which includes PD Conferences, in-class coaching, and the Novice Teacher Think Tank.

For more information about PD at BCP, please contact Larry Schugam at 410-675-7000 x17 or bcpinfo@baltimorecp.org.
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City Springs Teachers Win 2015 Engelmann Excellence in Education Awards

September 15, 2015, 7:13 pm
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City Springs Elementary/Middle School Pre-K teachers Nicole Lefrancois, Mallory Davis and Mindy Cipriano received Engelmann Excellence in Education awards at the 2015 National Direct Instruction Conference.

These three teachers have served their careers at City Springs. Fifty-nine percent (59%) of their most recent group of students were in the high risk category at the beginning of the year. By the end of the year, only 23% remained in that category. In math, 83% of the students were at risk for failure at the beginning of last year. By the end of the year the number had decreased to 32%.

Laura Doherty, President and CEO of the Baltimore Curriculum Project writes, "These three teachers exemplify the skill and intensity in instruction which is critical to helping students at risk of academic failure compete with their middle class peers. They also exemplify the warm, nurturing, positive environment all students deserve."

BCP would like to congratulate Ms. Lefrancois, Ms. Davis and Ms. Cipriano on this recognition of their outstanding accomplishments.

For more information about the National Direct Instruction Conference and the National Institute for Direct Instruction visit: http://nifdi.org/

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U.S. Department of Education Awards BCP $217,000 Charter School Program Grant

October 4, 2015, 7:17 pm
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The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the Baltimore Curriculum Project a grant of $217,000 through its Charter Schools Program (CSP), which funds the creation and expansion of public charter schools across the nation. (Total recommended funding is $282,720.)

This year's CSP replication and expansion program will invest more than $32 million in 12 high-quality charter management organizations (CMOs) that serve students from low-income families.

BCP will use this funding to support the implementation of its education model at Govans Elementary School. which became a BCP conversion charter school on July 1, 2015.

BCP is one of 12 grantees across the nation. Other grantees include: Achievement First, Across the Bridge Foundation, Einstein Group, Inc., Lawndale Educational and Regional Network, Mastery Charter High School, Noble Network of Charter Schools, RePublic Schools, Success Academy Charter Schools, UP Education Network, Uplift Education and West Denver Prep DBA STRIVE Preparatory Schools.

These organizations have a history of effectively serving high-need students, and will use these funds to replicate their successful programming for more than 40,000 additional students.

Most of this year's grantees are newer CMOs who are receiving their first charter grant. They are particularly focused on educating students who would otherwise be enrolled in low-performing schools and on encouraging diversity within their student populations.

Read more at: http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-contributes-improving-charter-schools-sector
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Educators from Bosnia and Herzegovina Visit City Springs

October 6, 2015, 7:36 am
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A delegation of educators and government officials from Bosnia and Herzegovina visited City Springs Middle/Elementary School to learn about the BCP education model on October 1, 2015.

The World Trade Center Institute coordinated the visit and the delegation was invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program.

The Department of State wanted to introduce the delegation to the Baltimore Curriculum Project’s objectives and mission as well as its efforts to incorporate student-focused learning. The delegates learned about the various programs that BCP engages in during the school year in order to maintain student progress, address teacher challenges, and encourage an overall school improvement. They also learned about BCP’s education a model of providing an exceptional learning experience for all children.

BCP would like to thank World Trade Center Institute and the State Department for always bringing such wonderful educators from around the world to visit our schools.
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House Ways & Means Committee Visits Wolfe Street Academy

October 6, 2015, 7:45 am
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Thank you to Chair Sheila E. Hixson and the rest of the House Ways & Means Committee members who visited Wolfe Street Academy (WSA) on September 29, 2015 to learn about the Community Schools Strategy and Out-of-School-Time program at WSA.

Thank you also to the University of Maryland Social Work Community Outreach Service (SWCOS), Family League of Baltimore, The After-School Corporation (TASC) and The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation for supporting WSA.
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USDA Under Secretary Kevin Concannon Visits Hampstead Hill Academy

October 6, 2015, 8:18 am
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Under Secretary Concannon chats with an HHA student giving
visitors a tour of the school's organic garden

Hampstead Hill Academy hosted a visit with Kevin Concannon, Under Secretary for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services, on September 25, 2015.

Undersecretary Concannon, Delegate Keith E. Haynes, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Gregory Thornton and other attendees toured the school's organic garden and sampled food prepared by students in HHA's Food for Life Program.

Food for Life is run by HHA Food Educator Ariel Demas and is regarded as a national model for food education in public schools. Food for Life uses the Food is Elementary curriculum, which was developed by the Food Studies Institute (http://www.foodstudies.org/)
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Open Society Foundations Global Board Visits City Springs Elementary/Middle School

November 24, 2015, 7:04 am
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A group from the Open Society Foundations Global Board visited City Springs Elementary/Middle School on October 8, 2015.

The school was included on the tour because, in addition to being a BCP conversion charter school, City Springs is a Community School and the Open Society Foundations support Community Schools.

Child First Authority serves as City Springs' lead Community School Agency and Child First Community School Coordinator Abby Baldwin oversees the implementation of the Community School strategy at the City Springs. The strategy is supported by a generous grant from the Family League of Baltimore.

Joining Karen Webber from the Open Society Institute-Baltimore office for the tour was Director Diana Morris, who organized the site visit for Open Society Foundation’s regional Global Directors, who were in Baltimore for a senior management subcommittee meeting.

The group included Kenneth Zimmerman, Director of U.S. Programs, under which OSI-Baltimore falls. The other directors in attendance were from initiatives in Eurasia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa. Each director manages a vast breadth of social justice related initiatives specific to the region, education included.

BCP and City Springs would like to thank the Open Society Foundation for visiting our school. For more information about the Open Society Foundations visit: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/
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Nancy Grasmick Visits Govans Elementary for Ben Carson Reading Day

November 30, 2015, 7:37 am
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BCP and Govans Elementary​ would like to thank former Maryland State Superintendent Dr. Nancy Grasmick​ for serving as the guest reader at Govans Elementary School for the Ben Carson Reading Day on November 16, 2015.

Ben Carson Reading Day is an annual literacy event designed to raise awareness of the importance of everyday leisure reading.

Special thanks to the Carson Scholars Fund​ and Bank of America​ for creating the Carson Reading Room at Govans Elementary, which opened in 2011.

View the video at: http://www.abc2news.com/news/education/baltimore-schools-celebrate-reading-with-ben-carson-reading-day

For more information about the Carson Scholars Fund visit: http://carsonscholars.org/
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Career Day 2015 at Govans Elementary

December 9, 2015, 8:01 pm
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Govans Elementary hosted a Career Day on November 18, 2015 as part of the National Education Association's American Education Week.

We would like to thank the following guest speakers for participating:
  • Nick Alexopulos, Associate Director of Media Relations and Social Media at Loyola University Maryland
  • Muriel Berkeley, Member of the Baltimore City School Board of Commissioners and Founder/Former President of the Baltimore Curriculum Project
  • Michael Bell, Military Pilot/Engineer
  • Brandon Crowder, Area Leader at Procter & Gamble
  • Matt Facchine, System Architect at Northrop Grumman Corporation and Baltimore Curriculum Project Board Member
  • Councilman Bill Henry, Baltimore City Council
  • Clarence Jeffers, Pharmacist
  • Maggie Richard, Director of Professional Practice, Research, and Education for LifeBridge Health’s Sinai Hospital
  • Lamonte Tyler, Senior IT Support Analyst at Fox News Channel
  • Thiru Vignarajah, Deputy Attorney General, Maryland Office of the Attorney General and Baltimore Curriculum Project Board Member
  • David Walsh-Little, Chief Attorney, Felony Trial Division, Baltimore City Office of the Public Defender 
  • Marcus Washington, Anchor and Reporter, WJZ Eyewitness News
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Restorative Circles Offer A Daily "Recharge" for Govans After School Students

March 3, 2016, 8:22 pm
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By Sarah Ceponis, Director, BCP 21st Century Community Learning Center at Govans Elementary

Every day at 4:15pm, students at Govans Elementary hear an announcement over the loud speaker, "Time to clean up whatever you're working on. The restorative circle topic to start thinking about today is....", followed by a hint about the day's discussion question. 

Students and staff of the Baltimore Curriculum Project's 21st Century Community Learning Center at Govans Elementary -- a program made possible by the Maryland State Department of Education -- have come to expect and enjoy their ten minutes to recharge and check in with one another between after-school academics and enrichment time.

In November, all after-school staff members received training in the fundamentals of Restorative Practices, a positive approach to conflict resolution that proactively builds relationships and a sense of community to prevent conflict and wrongdoing. Training was provided by Chella Drew, a Restorative Practices consultant and former Director of Restorative Practices at Hampstead Hill Academy.

Restorative Circles can be used proactively to develop relationships and build community or reactively to respond to wrongdoing, conflicts and problems. With everyone now used to the daily restorative circle, it is a habit that students look forward to. Circles provide a a time to think about and share whatever comes to mind around the daily question or "circle starter". They are a time to learn from and listen to one another. 

Questions of the day can range from why animals hibernate to standing up to a bully; from what type of person would make a good mayor to what you might do if you won the lottery, from how to be a good teammate to traveling the world.

Based on the day of the week, topics rotate among being community-themed, learning-themed, conflict resolution-themed, or simply "Fun Thursday"-themed.

All 90 students, from K through 5, tune in and talk about the same topic in their classrooms, and sometimes, conversations carry over to enrichment, the hallways, or dinner.

Using restorative circles daily, in a fun and structured way, allows after school students to get used to the goal of circles: everyone having their voice heard.

Regularly practicing their circle etiquette and skills with the whole class means that when circles are needed for other reasons-- mediation, misbehavior, or bullying-- students are prepared and ready to, again, make their voice heard, and listen to the voices of their classmates.

BCP and IIRP

BCP brought Restorative Practices to its schools in 2006 through the generous support of OSI-Baltimore and the Goldsmith Family Foundation. All administrators and staff members were trained by the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP), which continues to be a strong BCP partner.

For more information about IIRP visit: http://www.iirp.edu/
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BCP September 2016 Newsletter

September 21, 2016, 10:56 am
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Read the BCP September 2016 Newsletter at:
http://baltimorecp.org/newsletter/sept2016.html

This edition features:

  • "Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader?" on April 20, 2017
  • How Does BCP Love Business Volunteers Maryland?
  • City Springs Elementary/Middle Celebrates 50th Anniversary
  • Govans Elementary "Back to School Blast Off" a Success
  • New Offerings at HHA for School Year 16/17
  • School Year Off to a Great Start at Wolfe Street Academy
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BCP Leading Minds Forum: K-12 Math Education

September 29, 2016, 11:50 am
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Video: The Adolescent Literacy Crisis in America

March 4, 2017, 5:58 am
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View the video of the Baltimore Curriculum Project's most recent Leading Minds forum: "The Adolescent Literacy Crisis in America: at: http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/100230980

For decades educators have attempted to avert the “fourth-grade slump” – the precipitous drop in performance experienced primarily by low-income children when reading texts become more complex and the subject matter broadens and deepens.

Despite the increased focus on early literacy instruction sparked by No Child Left Behind, millions of adolescents still struggle with low literacy skills. In 2015, 66% of all eighth-grade students, 85% of Black students and 79% of Hispanic students failed to perform proficiently in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).

Unless these students receive the intensive reading instruction they need in high school, their chances of graduating and securing gainful employment are slim to none.

On Friday, February 17, 2017 from 12:00 noon – 3:00pm the Baltimore Curriculum Project and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy hosted the ninth Leading Minds forum: "The Adolescent Literacy Crisis in America."

Paneslists:

  • Dr. Elizabeth Birr Moje, Interim Dean, University of Michigan School of Education

  • Dr. Rhonda L. Richetta, Principal, City Springs Elementary/Middle School

  • Dr. Sonja B Santelises, Chief Executive Officer, Baltimore City Public Schools

  • Dr. David M. Steiner, Director, Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy (moderator)
Video other Leading minds forum videos at:




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BCP February 2017 Newsletter

March 4, 2017, 6:11 am
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HHA Principal Interviewed on The Real Baltimore

April 13, 2017, 6:18 am
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Hampstead Hill Academy Principal Matt Hornbeck was recently interviewed on the latest episode of The Real Baltimore on The Real News Network.
"I think that small charters and small traditional schools both suffer from scale issues that are very difficult to overcome, and you can't have what looks like a school, if you don�t have a certain number of kids. My own experience in a school that's at scale, and large, and we have been able to resource everything we wanted to do over the years. And the Baltimore Curriculum Project is a great non-profit operator that's been around for two decades in Baltimore City, and they are good partners in the work. There are a number of charters suing the district for even more funding. Our school is not part of that lawsuit and we don't think that that is necessary," said Mr. Hornbeck.

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