Friday, May 27, 2011

Hampstead Hill BUDL Champions on WYPR

On May 18th Baltimore Urban Debate League Champions Katie Spriggs and Deboreah Ross of Hampstead Hill Academy were featured on Maryland Morning with Sheilah Kast.

Listen to the interview at:

http://mdmorn.wordpress.com/2011/05/18/518113-dont-argue-with-a-baltimorean/

Garrison Forest Revitalizes City Springs Community Pool

On May 21st Garrison Forest School student volunteers brightened the City Springs Community Pool. Upper School students painted, weeded, and cleaned up the neglected community pool, working alongside students from McDonogh School.

Through the Middle Grades Partnership, Garrison Forest School partners with City Springs School, which is located about a block from the pool. Many of the City Springs girls who enjoy the GFS MGP mentoring program are avid users of the pool.

Thank you to the Middle Grades Partnership and the students from Garrison Forest School and McDonogh School for supporting the City Springs community and City Springs School.

Read more at http://www.gfs.org/news/detail.aspx?linkid=1601&moduleid=98

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Arcos & Quiznos Save the Music

Arcos Restaurant held a benefit fundraiser for Wolfe Street Academy 's string instrument program on May 24th. Attendees enjoyed a performance by fourth grader Faustino Cano and instructor/cellist Jill Collier while feasting on fantastic Mexican cuisine and margaritas.

Combined with money raised from a recent Quiznos fundraiser, the two fundraisers earned over $800. Proceeds will benefit Wolfe Street's after-school "Bridges" program, a partnership with the Greater Baltimore Youth Orchestra which provides 35 Wolfe Street kids with violin, viola and cello instruction as well as Sunday orchestra classes.

The Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance and Goldseker Foundation have pledged a matching grant of $5,500 to support the program. So far we have raised about $4,000 towards our goal of $5,500.

Many thanks to Arcos and Quiznos for their support. To donate to Wolfe Street's Save the Music! campaign online, go to http://tinyurl.com/wsastrings

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Wolfe Awarded MAEF Urban Youth Garden Grant

The Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF) has awarded Wolfe Street Academy a $350 Urban Youth Garden grant to create a community garden. The grant is part of MAEF's AG Returns to the City program and their Edible Classroom Youth Gardening Project.

The goal of the Edible Classroom Youth Gardening Project is to increase the awareness of and appreciation for agriculture in the lives of urban students through hands-on gardening and classroom activities that meet MSDE’s State Curriculum. By implementing MAEF’s mission, this project offers students direct experience with growing, harvesting and preparing fresh foods while learning plant requirements, growing conditions, nutrition and wellness.

Thank you to MAEF for supporting Wolfe Street Academy and congratulations to Kathy Stroup for writing the grant proposal!

To learn more about MAEF visit: http://www.maefonline.com/

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Hampstead Hill Academy Celebrates Organic Garden and Eco-Living

Hampstead Hill Academy (HHA) will celebrate recent enhancements to the school's organic garden and efforts to reduce the school's impact on the environment on Thursday, May 26, 2011 from 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm. The celebration will be part of a Hampstead Hill Nights Family Fun Event.

HHA has positioned itself as a leader in sustainability and community engagement. A student-led Green Expo will provide education about energy and water conservation and waste reduction through games, print materials, and prizes.

During the entertainment break around 7:00 pm HHA will officially dedicate a new garden mural, which was created by HHA students in partnership with the Creative Alliance.

Following the dedication, attendees will enjoy a garden art reception and have the opportunity to appreciate recent sustainable garden additions, including rain barrels and drip irrigation.

Thanks to a partnership with Waste Neutral Group, all food and paper waste from the event will be composted!

The event will take place from 5:30 until 8:00 pm, with live music starting at 6:00 pm. The mural dedication will occur around 7:00 pm. For more information, contact Chrissa Carlson at chrissacarlson@gmail.com.

Hampstead Hill Participates in Sustainability Challenge

Hampstead Hill Academy (HHA) joined over 30 other Baltimore City Schools as leaders in sustainability through a Baltimore City Schools Sustainability Challenge grant.

Students at HHA, led by Food for Life teacher Chrissa Carlson, completed a "Trash to Treasures" project. The grant funds were used to implement and document activities at the school that conserve and reuse resources, and demonstrate to the community how they can take action at home.

Drip irrigation lines, fed by rain barrels, helped water beds in the school's organic garden using stored rainwater from rain barrels, and waste from the annual Hampstead Hill Nights events was composted to organic soil amendments for the garden.

The Conservation Team documented their work and shared information on conserving water and energy, and reducing waste at a Green Expo during the final Hampstead Hill Nights event on May 26th.

Students also shared their work, along with other grant recipients, at a celebration with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on May 21st.

Thank you to Baltimore City Public Schools, the Baltimore Community Foundation, the Baltimore Office of Sustainability; and the Baltimore Neighborhood Energy Challenge for supporting Hampstead Hill Academy.

Hampstead Hill Awarded MAEF Grant

Hampstead Hill Academy (HHA) has received a grant from the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation (MAEF) to fund the installation of a wash station in the school's organic vegetable garden.

In response to student requests for food preparation activities in the garden, and to increase opportunities for safe tasting of garden fruits, vegetables, and herbs, funds were sought to install a sink that can be used to wash hands and freshly harvested produce and herbs.

The wash stand was constructed by parent volunteers during a garden workday, using a reclaimed kitchen sink from the Loading Dock.

Thank you to MAEF for supporting Hampstead Hill Academy and congratulations to Chrissa Carlson for writing the grant proposal!

To learn more about MAEF visit: http://www.maefonline.com/

Saturday, May 7, 2011

MGP Helps Collington Student Step Outside of Comfort Zone

Middle Grades Partnership student Sabriaya used to get picked on for being a good student at Collington Square School of the Arts. “I have always been a geek,” she jokes, but not fitting in was hurting her self-esteem. So, when she was invited to participate in the Middle Grades Partnership program, she welcomed the opportunity to learn in a new environment.

Read more at the Middle Grades Partnership website:
http://www.middlegradespartnership.org/tabid/169/itemid/29/default.aspx