Parents invited into classrooms to see teaching and learning firsthand

Baltimore County's schools always welcome parents to be part of the education process, but no more so than during the annual American Education Week celebrations that will take place this year throughout the county from Monday, November 13, through Friday, November 17.

Through scores of classroom visits, grandparent days, art displays, Scholastic Book Fairs, and other staples of American Education Week, all 168 of the county's schools, centers, and programs will be putting out a special welcome sign for parents, guardians, business partners, and friends in the community interested in supporting their local schools.

Since 1921, the week has put a spotlight on public education throughout the nation. The national theme of this year's American Education Week is "Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility."

In Baltimore County's school system, American Education Week is a great time to showcase the instruction that goes on each day in every classroom. To that end, the most popular and well-attended aspect of the week are the parent visits to classrooms that show first-hand how instruction is being delivered to students.

There are also dozens of events and activities designed to highlight daily instruction and programs among the schools. In addition, the PTA Council of Baltimore County has issued a special invitation during American Education Week for parents to become more involved in their children's education and schools.

That special invitation recently took the form of a project titled "We Saved a Seat for You," in which 10 schools across the county transformed wooden school chairs into eye-catching works of art centered around themes of instruction and education.

From Eastern Technical High School, for instance, art teacher Lynn Short worked with seniors to create a "Reading Chair" adorned with students' favorite quotations and a variety of tools for reading and writing, including reading lights disguised as birds. And from Cromwell Valley Elementary Regional Magnet School, art teacher Debra Rogers guided 18 creative students as they transformed their wooden chair into a patriotic salute to parents, teachers, and students working together in unity.

More information about the PTA Council project may be found by clicking here.

For information about individual school activities regarding American Education Week, parents, business partners, elected officials, and other interested community members are encouraged to contact their local schools for the times and dates of specific activities or events planned for the week. Many of the special events for the week also will be highlighted on television shows produced by The Education Channel (Comcast channel 73).

The lengthy list of special activities and events scheduled for American Education Week in Baltimore County includes:

 

• Monday, November 13:
• High School Honors Concert, 7:30 p.m., at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. The evening performance will kick off American Education Week in Baltimore County by highlighting the talents of more than 250 high school musicians and vocalists.
• A week of activities at Hereford Middle School. Many schools such as Hereford host activities and events throughout the week; for instance, Hereford Middle will sponsor a "Character Counts" presentation in the cafeteria on Monday at 10:15 a.m., a chorale performance on Tuesday at 10:15 a.m., and an exhibit of "Day of the Dead" cultural drawings on Wednesday.

 

• Tuesday, November 14:
• Open house at Cromwell Valley Elementary School. This event will feature fourth-grade tour guides reading essays on "My Experience at Cromwell Valley Elementary" and conducting tours from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The open house is typical of many offered to parents and students at schools throughout the county system.

 

• Wednesday, November 15:
• Emmy Award winning actress, director, and author Mary Lou Belli visits theater arts magnet students at Patapsco High School. Ms. Belli, who has directed more than 75 plays and episodes of "Girlfriends," "The Hughleys," and "Eve," will discuss with students the language of the theater, character development, and tips for pursuing a career.
• Muffins for Moms at Deer Park Elementary School. In what is a popular American Education Week activity, mothers of students will have the opportunity to have breakfast with their children prior to the opening of school.
• Grandparents Day at Carney Elementary School. Another popular event at schools across Baltimore County is to sponsor a Grandparents Day. At Carney, more than 250 grandparents are expected to visit the school for a special music program and observations of classroom learning, beginning at 9:30 a.m.
• Strategic Reading Workshop at Pine Grove Elementary School. Many schools such as Pine Grove will offer instruction-based events and activities. At this event, third grade teachers will discuss reading strategies and tips for parents and their children during a 4:00 p.m. workshop.

 

• Thursday, November 16:
• Open House at Perry Hall High School. In another event typical of open houses throughout the county, future members of the class of 2011, their families, and members of the community are invited to the school during this 6:30 p.m. activity to explore the curriculum, learn about school clubs and extracurricular activities, and investigate the scholastic choices available to every Perry Hall student.
• Board of Education Fall Recognition Ceremony. A tradition in Baltimore County every November, the Board's Fall Recognition Ceremony is the first of three such events throughout the school year to honor and celebrate those students, staff, and community members who are local, state, or national award winners in a variety of academic and athletic competitions and pursuits. The special ceremony this year will begin at 7:00 p.m. at New Town High School.

 

• Friday, November 17:
• MicroSociety "Take Your Parent to Work Day" at Lansdowne Middle School. Beginning at 12:00 p.m., seventh-grade students in the MicroSociety program at Lansdowne Middle will invite parents to learn about the program, tour its ventures and agencies, and finally work alongside their students to earn school "micromoney" to purchase student-designed and created products.
• Seahorses Alive and Swimming at Lutherville Laboratory Elementary School. As part of a project to raise seahorses, students will construct oyster filter models, which help to keep seahorses in the Chesapeake Bay healthy. The 2:00 p.m. activity is part of a seahorse project, now in its second phase, that is being undertaken with help from the Maryland Sea Grant Program and that focuses on Chesapeake Bay stewardship.

Story by Charles Herndon, communications specialist, Baltimore County Public Schools. Photos courtesy of PTA Council of Baltimore County, Inc.