The Truancy Court Program at Collington Square

By Samantha Haas, Guidance Counselor, Collington Square School of the Arts

Collington Square School of the Arts is very lucky to have the Truancy Court Program (TCP) at our school for the second year in a row! TCP is a program implemented by the Center for Families, Children and the Courts (CFCC) at the University of Baltimore School of Law. The program helps improve student attendance.

Each semester, approximately 20 students with chronic absenteeism and/or tardiness have weekly meetings to identify and overcome barriers to attendance. A TCP Judge and Coordinator are present at each meeting along with Collington staff, the student, and parent.

Classroom teachers complete “teacher reports” for review at each meeting so the team can address academic issues in addition to attendance. Each student works towards goals and earn incentives along the way.  

If students improve their attendance by 80%, they graduate from the program. A graduation ceremony is held and students receive a prize of their choosing. In the past, individuals have earned CD’s, basketballs, make-up kits and many other awesome items.

In the spring, all the graduates are invited to a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion in Annapolis!

For more information about the Truancy Court Program visit:
http://law.ubalt.edu/centers/cfcc/truancy

Venable Sponsors BCP Fundraising Gala

Venable LLP Foundation has signed on as the Lead/5th Grade Sponsor for the 2013 Are You Smarter than a BCP 5th Grader? fundraising gala with a gift of $5,000. Venable has been a faithful supporter of BCP for many years, sponsoring the annual Leading Minds forum and last year's fundraising gala.

Established in 1983, The Venable Foundation works to promote the health and well-being of the communities where Venable's clients and attorneys work and live.

In 2012, the Foundation gave more than $2 million in contributions to a wide variety of organizations, continuing a long tradition of unparalleled giving which complements the pro bono legal work and community service of Venable attorneys and staff.

We would like to thank Venable for their ongoing commitment to expanding opportunities for our students.

Baltimore Curriculum Project Winter 2013 PD Conference

On January 22, 2013, the Baltimore Curriculum Project provided over 200 teachers from four BCP schools with a full day of customized training. Workshops were created in response to training needs identified by principals, teachers and Baltimore Curriculum Project staff.

Ravens Terrence Cody Provides Food for Wolfe Street Students

Wolfe Street Academy Principal Mark Gaither
and Ravens NT Terrence Cody

Thanks to Terrence Cody's Sacks 4 Kids Program and the Dreambuilders Foundation, today Wolfe Street Academy received its first delivery of 100 bags of food for students to take home for the weekend.

Terrence Cody's Hope for the Holidays Party at The Greene Turtle in Owings Mills, MD on December 10th raised $8,000 to support the food backpack program at Wolfe Street Academy.

These funds will provide 100 bags of food a week for 13 weeks. The Maryland Food Bank, which delivers the food, has offered to provide an additional 6 weeks of food in order to continue the program to the end of the school year.

Terrence Cody’s Sacks 4 Kids program provides sacks full of healthy food and snacks for kids in inner city Baltimore schools to take home on the weekends.

We would like to thank Mr. Cody for ensuring that our students and their families have healthy food to eat during the weekends.

Good luck in the Superbowl!

 

City Springs Students at Walters Museum

Kindergarten students from City Springs Elementary/Middle School visited the Walters Art Museum on January 18, 2013. This is the tour "Animals in Art." The docent is reading a story about an elephant that cannot dance, which is related to the sculpture of Ganesha (half man, half elephant) who dances with his mouse friend.

Kiwanis Club Celebrates Terrific Kids at Hampstead Hill Academy

 
Hampstead Hill Academy students were honored for their outstanding achievements at the Kiwanis Terrific Kids celebration on January 25th. Terrific Kids is a student-recognition program that promotes character development, self-esteem and perseverance.

“Terrific” is an acronym for Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive and Capable.

Students work with their classroom teacher to establish goals to improve behavior, peer relationships, attendance or school work. All students who achieve their goals after a specified time are recognized as Terrific Kids. Recognition includes being pinned as a Terrific Kid; a pizza, ice cream or other food-themed party; and presentation of certificates and other giveaways.
 
The Terrific Kids Program at Hampstead Hill Academy is sponsored by The Kiwanis Club of East Baltimore, which has served the Southeast Baltimore community for almost 60 years.

Congratulations to our terrific kids and thank you to the Kiwanis Club for making this possible.

First Ever City Springs/BCP Elementary Basketball Team

The City Springs Elementary Travel Basketball Team will be competing against Five-Star Basketball this evening at 7pm at The Salvation Army Boy's & Girl's Club in Middle River (1400 Fuselage Ave, Middle River, MD 21220).

This winter City Springs will be participating in the 10u Division of Baltimore's Best Basketball League against AAU and travel team programs from Baltimore and surrounding counties.

The City Springs team represents not only City Springs School's first ever elementary basketball team but also The Baltimore Curriculum Project's first ever elementary basketball team.

Come out and support our team tonight and at upcoming Friday and Saturday games.

 

For more information about the league and a game schedule visit: http://www.leaguelineup.com/welcome.asp?cmenuid=1&url=baltimores-best&sid=314430364

"Great things are happening at City Springs!"