Maria Broom to Compete in "Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader?"

Actress, Dancer and Story Teller Maria Broom will join City Schools CEO Andres Alonso as a celebrity contestant at Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader? on April 25, 2013.

Get your tickets today at: http://bcp.givezooks.com/events/are-you-smarter-than-a-bcp-5th-grader-2013


Although nationally known as an actress for her recurring roles in HBO’s “The Wire” and “The Corner”, Maria is also a storyteller and dancer with more than forty years of performing and teaching in the US and across the globe. She is a Fulbright scholar and former news reporter for the ABC affiliates in Miami and Baltimore. Currently, she is on the theater faculty at the Baltimore School for the Arts.

A native of Baltimore, Maria has received many awards and honors including the Eubie Blake Award, the Sarah’s Circle Award and the 2004 Governor’s Arts Award for Individual Artist. In 2007, she was named, Artist of the Year by Young Audiences of Maryland, Inc.

In addition to her work as performer and educator, Maria is much requested as a speaker and presenter. With a background in yoga, meditation, Homa therapy and dance therapy, she conducts staff retreats, workshops and weekly classes that help people to release stress and feel at peace.

Formerly, the diversity coordinator for the Park School in Baltimore, she has been a consultant since 2006 for Maryland Public Television’s Campaign for Love and Forgiveness, sponsored by Fetzer Institute.

As a recipient of an Open Society Institute community fellowship grant, Maria established a unique mentoring program in the inner city schools, and beyond, called the Dance Girls of Baltimore. It is through this vehicle that she passes on the values of self-discipline and thoughtful behavior.

In 2007, Maria worked in Poland and Czechoslovakia co-directing the independent film “Soul Immortal” to be released in 2010.

Collington Film to be Featured at Baltimore Museum of Art

The anti-bullying film "We Got This!: Be Inspired & B-more" has been selected to be featured at The Griot's Eye Youth Film & Culture Festival at The Baltimore Museum of Art this Saturday, February 16th 12 noon-5 PM showcasing the incredible young people of Collington Square.


Immediately following the screening students Darius Williams, Donald Wright, Jr w/ Kevin Burton on percussion will present a live dramatic spoken word/hip-hop performance of their original anti-bullying rap songs they wrote for the stage play "It's Not Nice 2 Be A Bully: A Hip-Hop Learning Tale".

The film is scheduled to be screened at approximately 12:30 PM with live performance to follow.

BCP Charters Renewed

The Baltimore Curriculum Project is proud to announce that Hampstead Hill Academy has received a five-year charter renewal and City Springs Elementary/Middle School has received a three-year charter renewal. Hampstead Hill is the only charter school to receive a highly-effective rating in all renewal categories. Collington Square School did not receive a renewal due to some recent setbacks after seven years of outstanding academic growth. BCP and our schools remain fiscally sound and we look forward to many years of continued service to Baltimore City’s children.

Why BCP Loves the Ravens

Hampstead Hill Academy School #47
Says Go Ravens in Superbowl #47

Why does the Baltimore Curriculum Project love the Baltimore Ravens? Let us count the ways:

1. The Ravens built a KaBOOM! Playground for Collington Square School of the Arts in June 2007.
2. The Ravens All Community Team Foundation (RACTF...) awarded City Springs Elementary/Middle School a Plan in Motion grant to support their Karate Program in July 2008.
3. RACTF has awarded Collington Square School of the Arts Plan in Motion grants to support their volleyball, basketball and soccer programs.
4. The Ravens hosted a fitness event at Wolfe Street Academy to celebrate Nickelodeon’s Worldwide Day of Play and Hispanic Heritage Month on September 23, 2008.
5. Close to 100 students from City Springs Elementary participated in the Ravens’ West Shore Park Football Clinic on October 14, 2008.
6. Wolfe Street Students had breakfast with Ravens linebacker Nick Greison in December 2008.
7. RACTF awarded Wolfe Street Academy a Plan in Motion grant to support their Mexican Folkloric Dance program in June 2009.
8. Hampstead Hill Academy participated in the Ravens’ Amazing Race at Maryland Zoo in October 2009.
9. Hampstead Hill Academy students spoke on the Ravens fan cam during Manic Monday in January 2010.
10. RACTF awarded Wolfe Street Academy a Plan in Motion grant to support the Patterson Park Elementary Soccer League in July 2010.
11. City Springs Elementary/Middle School was a Ravens Honor Row awardee in September 2010.
12. City Springs Elementary/Middle School participated in the Ravens’ Amazing Race at the Maryland Zoo in October 2010.
13. Hampstead Hill Academy students were allowed to wear their Ravens shirts to school on Oct. 4, 2010.
14. The Hampstead Hill Academy Builders Club was a Ravens Honor Row awardee in 2011.
15. Four City Springs School students attended the Ravens’ Play 60 game on November 28, 2010
16. RACTF awarded Hampstead Hill Academy a Ravens Youth Football Grant in 2011.
17. The City Springs Drug‐Free Soul Steppers and Hampstead Hill Academy Drum Line performed at ribbon‐cutting ceremony for City Springs Field on November 29, 2011.
18. RACTF awarded City Springs Elementary/Middle School a Plan in Motion grant in July 2011 to support the City Springs Flag‐Football League.
19. Ravens Center/Guard Andre Gurode distributed 500 turkeys to the families of Israel Baptist Church and Collington Square School on November 18, 2011.   
20. RACTF awarded the Baltimore Curriculum Project a Plan in Motion grant of $4,950 to support the Patterson Park Elementary Soccer League and the BCP/Patterson Park Tennis League in 2012/2013.
21. Ravens NT Terrence Cody's Hope for the Holidays Party on December 10, 2012 raised $8,000 to support the food backpack program at Wolfe Street Academy.
22. City Springs Elementary/Middle School students participate in “Purple Friday” on January 04, 2013.
23. Hampstead Hill Academy School #47 held a rally in January 2012 to support the Ravens in Super Bowl #47.
24. THE RAVENS TRULY CARE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY!

  

Thank you Ravens for everything you do to support our students.

 

Go Ravens!

Pompeian Olive Oil Company Sponsors BCP Gala

Thank you to Pompeian Olive Oil Company for supporting the 2013 Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader? fundraising gala with a $1,000 sponsorship.

Pompeian Olive Oil Company, which  established a headquarters in Baltimore in 1906, is America's first national brand of imported extra virgin olive oil.

Unlike many olive oils sold in the U.S., Pompeian is a blend of olive oils produced in various regions, rather than from a single locale or company-owned grove. Since each year's olive crop varies, Pompeian can select the season's best olive oils and then blend them to the same quality standards and consistent taste, year after year.

Learn more about Pompeian Olive Oil Company at: http://www.pompeian.com/

Educators from Latin America Visit Collington Square School of the Arts

Latin American Educators Visit Collington Square School

Today a delegation of seven educators from Latin America visited Collington Square School of the Arts to learn about how the Baltimore Curriculum Project helped transform Collington Square from a struggling traditional public school into a productive neighborhood charter school. The group included administrators and teachers from Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

BCP Director of Academic Affairs Jon McGill, BCP Director of Training Tara Anderson, Collington Principal Melvin Holmes and BCP Executive Vice President Larry Schugam talked with the group about BCP's approach to instruction, training, coaching, and behavior management. Several delegation members asked about how BCP engages Latino students.

"We view cultural differences in our schools as assets and capitalize on them, said Mr. Schugam.

 

"Last year we received a grant from the Baltimore Community Foundation to engage Wolfe Street Academy's Mixteco population - an indigenous group from Mexico - and to celebrate all of the cultures represented at the school. El sabor at Wolfe Street comes through at parent nights and during the annual Wolfest Street Festival. 

 

One visitor was especially interested in the leadership style of Principal Holmes, whom she described as "joven y guapo".

 

"I trust my teachers and assistant principals. I give them space to succeed and I follow up," said Mr. Holmes. 

 

The school tour included visits to Andrew Gorby's fourth grade reading class and Jane Gervasio's first grade reading class. The visitors were impressed by the consistent focus of the students.

 

This is the fifth time that BCP has hosted a delegation of educators from another country. The visits, which were arranged by the World Trade Center Institute, have included delegations from Vietnam, Iraq and Egypt. 

 

In September BCP Director of Training Tara Anderson was invited to Egypt to teach about behavior management. Today she was invited to travel to Latin American to provide training around the BCP model.

 

"We appreciate the opportunity to share the good work we are doing at Collington and other BCP schools with the world," said Mr. Schugam.

 

About the World Trade Center Institute
The World Trade Center Institute (WTCI) is the largest international business network of its kind in the Mid-Atlantic - a who's who of the top global business executives in the region. At WTCI we strive to drive the growth of Maryland's flourishing global business community. Today more than 2,500 Maryland firms benefit from WTCI's global connections, events, and extensive international business services. WTCI was established in 1989. Financed jointly by area businesses and the State of Maryland, WTCI operates as a private, non-profit membership organization. For more information visit: https://www.wtci.org/