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| Drs. Grasmick and Hairston join educators from Pinewood Elementary School in Timonium in the spotlight. |
For a frigid early Tuesday morning after a long holiday weekend, it was just the academic cup of coffee to begin another week of teaching and learning in Baltimore County’s public schools.
In the glittery ballroom of the Towson Sheraton hotel, more than 200 Baltimore County principals, teachers, parents, and dignitaries gathered to warmly celebrate the achievements of 72 of the county’s best and brightest elementary and middle schools.
Each of the schools had been recognized by the Maryland State Department of Education for its performance on the 2005 Maryland School Assessment tests – both for overall performance and for improving the performance of special populations of students for two years from 2003-2005. Only schools that achieved Adequate Yearly Progress for 2004-2005 were eligible for the awards.
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| “The future’s so bright, we gotta wear shades” – that was the message from educators at Sandy Plains Elementary School in Dundalk about their school’s achievement. |
The February 21 gala at the Towson Sheraton represented the county school system’s way of saying “thank you” to those schools and applauding their continuing success. Each of the school principals were joined by selected teachers, staff, and parent representatives in receiving a BCPS certificate and the congratulations of State Superintendent Dr. Nancy S. Grasmick, Superintendent Dr. Joe A. Hairston, and the respective Area Assistant Superintendent or representative. County Executive Jim Smith also added his congratulations to each school for its accomplishments and provided them with executive citations.
Each school had previously received a certificate from the Maryland State Department of Education that acknowledged the school’s performance. Title I schools on the list received state awards of $3,107.90 to put towards enhancing student achievement at their schools.
| 72 honored Baltimore County schools |
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Arbutus Elementary School |
And in the spirit of both accomplishment and the school system’s commitment to improvement through the sharing of “best practices,” each of the honorees shared with their colleagues some of the keys to their students’ success on the MSA tests.
In the case of Shady Spring Elementary School,
for instance, Principal Marilyn Audlin attributed
the school’s student success to a commitment
from teachers to use data to provide differentiation
in instruction in both large and small group
settings.
And at Lansdowne Elementary School, Principal Anne Gold said reading scores improved there thanks to ongoing staff development in reading comprehension provided by a Denver-based education coalition with which the school has worked.
Harry Walker and his delegation from Sandy Plains Elementary School brought a sense of whimsy and pride to his description of the school’s success, donning dark sunglasses to show how “the future’s so bright at Sandy Plains, we’ve got to wear shades!”
Among many of the schools, however, an overarching theme of student and school achievement centered around the concept of collaboration among educators, parents, and the community – all in support of increasing student success.
The morning ceremony proved a special event for many of the educators who attended. “We’re proud to have a school where parents, teachers, and the community work together to help children reach their maximum potential,” said New Town Elementary Principal Beth Strauss. “It was exciting to have the honor of attending this event and being recognized for academic success.”
Added Ken Dunaway, principal of Reisterstown
Elementary School, “Our teachers work
so hard each and every day to ensure that our
students get the most of each learning day,
so it was so reaffirming to have our school
recognized for these efforts and to share the
celebration with our colleagues. I consider
it a privilege to represent the hearts and souls
of Reisterstown Elementary.”
With the 2006 MSA tests beginning in mid-March,
the schools honored at the Feb. 21 breakfast
meeting – and all elementary and middle
schools throughout Baltimore County –
are preparing students for the important tests
and honing instruction to bring out the best
performance from children.
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Story by Charles Herndon, BCPS communications |
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