Monday, May 20, 2013

PHH Arval Hosts Wolfe Street Students


By Terri Houck
4th Grade Teacher, Wolfe Street Academy


On Thursday, May 16th PHH Arval, a fleet leasing company in Sparks, MD, hosted Wolfe Street Academy 4th grade students.  As they entered the office building students were greeted by Pam Walinski, Vice President, Customer Services, Debra Smith, Supervisor, Contact Center, and Chuck Hogarth, Manager, Contact Center.

They then proceeded to a conference room where they enjoyed a light snack and an introduction to the fleet leasing business. The PHH staff talked about the importance of attending school every day and how they use math and proofreading in their daily work tasks.

After this introduction, the students then proceeded to various departments within the company.  They learned and practiced vehicle safety on the vehicle safety simulator.  The simulator is used by company car drivers to help them be more aware of the hazards of driving.  They participated in an interactive demonstration with the Customer Experience team and listened in on Vehicle Accident Services calls.  After dining in the cafĂ© the students enjoyed hands-on experiences with medium and heavy duty trucks and construction equipment.

City Springs Elementary/Middle Featured on Voice of America



Restorative Practices at City Springs Elementary/Middle School was featured on Voice of America.

Friday, May 17, 2013

A Love Affair.... With Wolfe Street Academy

By Stacey Bauer

Wolfe Street Academy is a community school that has enriched children's lives for as long as I can remember. ln fact, rny love story begins long before my children attended this school. During the 1990-91 school year, my parents made the decision to transfer my younger sister and I from Catholic school to public school. My mother believed we had received a great education at the previous school, but tuition costs had influenced the decision to move us to the public school. At this time, Wolfe Street Academy was known as General Wolfe Elementary School.

I started General Wolfe as a new fifth grade student. As a new student to enter the school, placement tests were needed to ensure that I was on the right track. My teacher, Ms. Wanda Pagan, made the discovery that I was a year behind the other fifth grade students. During the parent/teacher conference, Ms. Pagan requested time to get me back on track. I was placed in a reading class that had 9 other students. We all worked hard. However, Ms. Pagan showed me a passion for books. I was always a reader; however, I became enthralled with books. I learned to take my time with words and began to understand what I was reading. By the end of the school year, Ms. Pagan exceeded her goal. I was reading on a 7th grade level. General Wolfe paved the way for me to succeed in middle school; graduate with a 3.4GPA in high school and a 3.BGPA from college. I will always be grateful.

This was the end of my education, but not the end of my story. General Wolfe received a new student in the 2004-05 school year. Elena Telles, my oldest daughter, turned 4 years old and started Pre-Kindergarten. Her teachers and I noticed Elena was distant and quiet. She didn't respond well and often hid under tables to be alone. After testing and numerous appointments with doctors, Elena was diagnosed with Autism. General Wolfe transferred Elena to a new school that should have been more appropriate to fit her needs. I was unimpressed and insisted she be taught in a regular class.

In the fall of 2005, I transferred Elena back to General Wolfe (later renamed Wolfe Street Academy). I met the nicest people. I was ensured that Elena would be welcomed and a program was developed for her needs. Over the next few years, the principal, Mr. Mark Gaither, went above what was required by her program. He and his teachers refused to allow Elena to fall into the autism world. She began speaking and laughing. Most importantly, she too developed a passion for reading . ln 2011, Elena was in her last year at Wolfe Street. Her progress was noticed by all as she was on stage at the annual talent show, being the MC and leading the crowd in the Cha-Cha slide.

Elena continues to thrive in school, always on the honor roll. However, this year, in the 7th grade, Elena overcame her biggest hurdle. She no longer needs the special programs and is functioning well in a regular education program. Many will think that her new school should get the credit for her progress. However, my credit will always lie with Wolfe Street Academy, its teachers and most of all, its principal Mr. Mark Gaither.

I don't know if I will ever be able to express the gratitude I have for this school. My youngest daughter, Faith Bauer, is thriving in the school. This small community school knows how to enrich children's minds and encourage them to reach for excellence. Who knows? Maybe in 20 years I will be writing about how my grandchildren are thriving at Wolfe Street Academy.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Hampstead Hill Places 3rd in Pennies for Patients

Hampstead Hill Academy placed 3rd out of 360 Maryland schools that participated in The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s service-learning program, Pennies for Patients. Maryland schools raised more than $385,000 to support blood cancer research and local patient services.

Congratulations to the Top 5 Maryland Schools!Ballenger Creek Elementary, Frederick County        $7,244.10
Green Valley Elementary, Frederick County             $7,075.47
Hampstead Hill Academy, Baltimore City                 $6,773.86
New Town Elementary, Baltimore County                $5,214.86
C Milton Wright High, Harford County                     $4,725.80

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Guess who came to Wolfe Street Academy?



By Lucia Given and Edwin Rivera

You will never guess how many famous people David Dudley has met! In December, David Dudley, features editor of AARP magazine came to speak to 4th and 5th grade students. He visited the Wolfe Street Academy after school program. Mr. Dudley came to give a speech to the classes, but kids asked him a lot of questions. They asked so many questions that he spent most of his time answering them. The classes learned a lot about Mr. Dudley, and his job as an editor and writer.

David Dudley is 44 years old. He was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in New York. Now he lives in Baltimore with his wife and his daughter. He used to write for a newspaper but now he is an editor for AARP magazine. He has to spend a lot of time checking what other people write to make sure it is good. He wanted to be an author but he started writing for newspapers and magazines because he thought he wouldn’t make enough money writing books. Mr. Dudley loves to read. His favorite book is Moby Dick, a story about a whale. Mr. Dudley thinks he has met about 75 famous people. He writes stories about them sometimes for a magazine. He met Jane Goodall, the famous animal scientist. He said she is very nice. He has met Johnny Cash. He is a famous country singer. He has not met the Bee Gees.

Mr. Dudley told us that he has fun writing and feels proud. When we asked him if he loves his job, he said yes. It is a lot of hard work writing and sometimes fun to do. The students thought “it was cool” to get to meet him and ask questions. Maybe someday one of the students might want to be an author.

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Video of 2013 "Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader?" (Part 2)


Watch part two of the best Quiz Show in town as Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City Schools CEO Andres Alonso, Actress/Dancer/Storyteller Maria Broom and Economist Anirban Basu match wits with fifth graders from Baltimore Curriculum Project neighborhood charter schools. Actor and Baltimore City School Board Commissioner Robert Heck serves as Master of Ceremonies. Recorded at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on April 25, 2013.

Thank you to our sponsors: Venable LLP (Lead Sponsor), Miles & Stockbridge, Pompeian, Congressional Bank, ADP, and Network Business Solutions.

Video of 2013 "Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader" (Part 1)



Watch part one of the best Quiz Show in town as Baltimore City Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, City Schools CEO Andres Alonso, Actress/Dancer/Storyteller Maria Broom and Economist Anirban Basu match wits with fifth graders from Baltimore Curriculum Project neighborhood charter schools. Actor and Baltimore City School Board Commissioner Robert Heck serves as Master of Ceremonies. Recorded at the Reginald F. Lewis Museum on April 25, 2013.

Thank you to our sponsors: Venable LLP (Lead Sponsor), Miles & Stockbridge, Pompeian, Congressional Bank, ADP, and Network Business Solutions.