After a comprehensive search, the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) is excited to announce that Bernarda Kwaw has been selected to serve as Principal of Govans Elementary. Ms. Kwaw takes over leadership of the school from our beloved retiring principal, Linda Taylor.
We have tremendous confidence in and respect for Ms. Kwaw. She has been an outstanding teacher, instructional coach, and assistant principal at a BCP school. Her children attended a BCP school, and she served briefly on the BCP board of directors until assuming the AP position at Govans in 2015.
BCP selected Ms. Kwaw after conducting a thorough principal selection process. Throughout May and June, a search committee comprised of two parents (one of whom is a BCP board member and a leader of the York Road Partnership), two staff members, the Community School Director, a long-serving BCP principal, and the president and CEO of BCP interviewed qualified candidates. BCP also surveyed the faculty to ascertain what qualities the staff hoped to see in their next leader. After extensive interviews and discussions, the search committee enthusiastically selected Ms. Kwaw.
Ms. Kwaw is well-respected by the current staff at Govans, and had the endorsement of the retiring principal, Linda Taylor. She demonstrated great success in her prior roles, and more importantly, shares a vision for Govans that will serve it well as the school transitions over the next few years into its new 21st Century school building.
BCP will be scheduling a number of community events this summer so that families, neighbors, and other friends of Govans can meet Ms. Kwaw. ... See MoreSee Less
Leah Beachley/Leah At Wolfe Street, (University of Maryland School of Social Work SWCOS Community School Coordinator at Wolfe Street Academy) and Ahmad Collick (Child First Authority Community School Coordinator at City Springs Elementary / Middle) are interviewed by Josh Turansky about Food Access on the "I Love Humans" podcast (episode 3): www.baltimorechurch.com/i-love-humans/
"I Love Humans" is a hyper local podcast focused on people-care in Southeast Baltimore. Josh Turansky is the pastor of Haven City Church in Fells Point, a resident of Butcher's Hill, and manages The Compassion Center at 1706 Eastern Ave).
For more information about food access visit: Baltimore Food Policy Initiative, Black Yield Institute, Baltimore Free Farm, Maryland Food Bank, Baltimore Orchard Project, Hungry Harvest, Produce in a SNAP, and Gather Baltimore. ... See MoreSee Less
Wolfe Street Academy teachers go above and beyond to provide every student with an outstanding education. Please help us raise $4,000 to provide these dedicated teachers with a summer team-building retreat, personalized school uniforms, Teacher Appreciation Week care packages, and other incentives throughout the school year. Wolfe Street Academy's amazing staff includes: Principal Mark Gaither, Silvia Yanina Chicas, Channell Payne, Jennifer Ingersoll-Pintuck, Swati Mehta, Stephanie Scarpinato, Olgarina Munoz, Ashley Green, Jenna Gross, Liz Bucke, Kim McGrath, Debbie Apple, Terri Houck, Katrina Kickbush, Elizabeth Graber, Cynthia Hadley, Julia Ellis, Kylee Wineberg, Laura Bevacqua, Michael Mavias, Maura Colleen Maher-Farrall, Christine Dauenhauer Fischel, Holly Fredrickson, Tanya D. Haskins, Jaclyn Hutchinson, Tiffany Judy, Adena Goldschmidt, Martina Glorioso, Leah At Wolfe Street, Paulette Prawl, Marc Roth, Virginia Ryan, Denise Scott-Land, Julie Kurland Simhi, Mahmood Syed, and Julia Yates. www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/wsateachers ... See MoreSee Less
Stay up to date on the latest news from City Springs Elementary / Middle School. Sign up for the "Friends of City Springs" e-mail list today at: eepurl.com/dyXMHP ... See MoreSee Less
Train like a pro at the FREE Baltimore Ravens Gatorade Junior Training Camp on Thursday, July 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at City Springs Elementary / Middle School in Baltimore City (100 S. Caroline Ave). Participants ages 12-14 will be coached to raise their game both on and off the field. Middle schoolers will be put through football drills and combine exercises on the purple turf that will prepare them for gridiron success this coming season. Registration is required: BaltimoreRavens.com/GJTC ... See MoreSee Less
According to a recent article by Reuter’s Health, studies show that kids who get lots of physical activity may pay more attention in school and do better in subjects like reading and math. For this reason, we provide many opportunities for students to exercise their bodies. We offer a variety of resource classes, including physical education and fitness class, that allow students to get moving!
This year, City Springs Elementary / Middle School added yet another resource class that provides an outlet for physical exercise: NEWfit Kids. NFK partners with City springs to offer a school-based program where students participate in structured recess game stations, free play activities, and organized game play outside (or in a spare classroom if it’s raining). We are grateful that NEWfit Coaches Erin Duffie and Chris Williams have joined our team and are providing even more opportunities for our students to strengthen their bodies (and their minds).
Pictured: Ms. Wells and Ms. Stewart’s students play a fun and challenging game of indoor dodge ball on a rainy morning. ... See MoreSee Less
Teachers have many options for organizing their classroom and instructing their students. Most classrooms use whole group instruction in which the teacher leads the entire class through their learning activities. However, some teachers prefer setting up learning stations, in which students rotate through different areas in one class period. Rather than sitting through one long whole group lesson day after day, stations provide students with multiple ways to understand and work on core concepts.
Middle school math teacher Ms. Hunter and math tutor Mr. Johnson recently reorganized the classroom into three different stations: the Teacher Directed Instruction Station (TDI), the Reinforcement Station, and the Technology Station. At the TDI, students receive instruction directly from Ms. Hunter, exploring new math concepts and formulas in a small-group setting (top picture). At the Reinforcement Station, Mr. Johnson checks their homework, reteaches skills, and manages independent work activities (bottom picture). Students at the technology station work on Istation and Prodigy, two online math programs that assess students’ strengths and weaknesses and assign them activities and math games tailored to their needs.
Our classes have quickly grown accustomed to our new stations and have fallen into a productive daily routine. Students are strategically organized into groups, which has fostered a natural atmosphere of collaboration as they work together on tricky math problems. Best of all, the learning stations keep students moving and engaged throughout the entire class period! ... See MoreSee Less
Each year, the students of City Springs take the PARCC assessment, a state standardized test that all 3rd through 8th graders must complete at the end of each school year. The PARCC assesses our student’s proficiency in mathematics and English language arts/literacy, identifying strengths and areas in need of improvement in these core subjects. While end-of-the-year assessments are nothing new to City Springs, what is new is that all of our testers will be taking the assessment on an iPad or laptop. The days of paper and pencil for state assessments are gone!
In preparation for this challenging test, Ms. Jefferson’s middle school math students spent an entire week completing practice tests and working on concepts and skills that would appear on the 7th and 8th grade tests. First, they completed an online tutorial that reviewed the types of questions on the test. The test includes a dizzying variety of questions, including multiple choice, drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, and something called the “equation editor” that allows students to input complex algebraic equations. The PARCC also calls on students to use a variety of virtual tools, including a pop-up calculator, a ruler, and a protractor that students move around the touchscreen using their finger. Next, students tried several practice tests which they completed individually and reviewed as a group. Finally, Ms. Jefferson’s classes spent some time firming up the skills that appeared on the practice tests, including probability, algebra, ratios, coordinate planes, and geometry.
The students of Room 113 took all parts of the PARCC test during the third week of May. To learn more about the PARCC test and even try some sample tests, click on the image to the right. parcc.pearson.com/practice-tests/ ... See MoreSee Less
Field trips at City Springs are more than just a fun break from the classroom. We believe that field trips broaden our students’ horizons and help them see all that their city, state, and world has to offer them. Additionally, students can only attend field trips after meeting expectations and having good attendance, and they create incentives for students to work hard in the classroom and earn the privilege of attending these exciting excursions.
In early March, Mr. Goldstein and Ms. Colvin’s announced that City Springs students in grades 2nd through 8th were invited to see the new superhero movie Black Panther at the Landmark Theatre in Harbor East! After the excitement in the classroom died down, Mr. Goldstein reminded students that they had to earn the trip by meeting behavioral and academic expectations for the week leading up to the trip. Specifically, students had to be at school and earn CHAMP status on their point sheet for four out of five days. Our class worked hard to the earn this trip. In fact, every student in the class met the expectations for the week and saw Black Panther! Of course, everyone loved the movie, and we all left the theatre shouting “Wakanda forever!”
This wonderful experience could not have been possible without the support of one of our community partners, Pastor Josh Turansky at Haven City Church. Pastor Turansky generously raised and donated the funds to purchase movie tickets for over 340 City Springers! Our students are so grateful for this opportunity to experience this movie as a school community. ... See MoreSee Less
The students of Room 25 have been learning to find their voices. Ms. Gagnier and Ms. Livers recently introduced a segment called “I Have a Voice” that invites students to thoughtfully form views and express their ideas about problems that affect them and their communities. They are learning that speaking up about important issues can help build confidence in their ability to make the world a better place!
For the most recent installment of “I Have a Voice,” Ms. Gagnier and Livers presented students with a photograph of an abandoned, trash-strewn lot that is a common sight in Baltimore. Then, they discussed the picture using statements that began with “I wonder,” “I hope,” or “I think.” For example, one student remarked, “I hope my neighborhood never looks like that!” After discussing the picture, each student completed a brainstorming sheet to document their ideas and opinions about the picture. Finally, each student composed an essay using their brainstorming sheet.
After each student finished their opinion pieces, Ms. Gagnier compiled their best and brightest thoughts into one final essay. Although we each had different ideas about the picture, all agreed on one thing: we do not want our neighborhoods or our city to be places where people leave their trash! Most importantly, we all agreed that we want to using our voices to speak out about things that matter to us. ... See MoreSee Less
Several times a year, schools close to students so that teachers can participate in professional development, or PD. PD means a day off for City Springs students, but for teachers and staff, these days provide crucial time to work on a range of professional skills, including teaching techniques, classroom management, and diversity training.
During a recent PD day, Ms. Wells attended a math workshop titled “Differentiation in Singapore Math” led by City Springs’ elementary teachers Jen Hagemann and Dorothy Glewwe and academic coach Victoria Jennings. In education, “differentiation” means adjusting how you teach based on your students’ diverse needs. This workshop presented different strategies and activities that teachers could use to address the different ways their students learn. The workshop leaders demonstrated how engaging math games and manipulatives (interactive objects that teach math concepts) could help struggling students understand complicated ideas like multiplication and division.
Ms. Wells found the workshop so helpful that she quickly implemented some of their suggestions in her classroom. She set up several math centers in her room for specific students to engage in activities that targeted their math needs. Students begin by looking through a “menu” of math activities with different sections (appetizers, main course, etc.) containing instructions for activities. For example, one of the activities in the menu asked Jashard and Quantaz to roll a pair of dice twice to create two double-digit numbers. Then, students counted out foam chips representing the 100s, 10s, and 1s place of those numbers to help them add them together. Using manipulatives helps them physically represent these abstract math concepts and strengthens their math skills along the way.
Ms. Wells’ experience truly shows the value of professional development for educators. Her students are enjoying the new math centers, and Ms. Wells is grateful for her colleague’s willingness to share their wealth of knowledge. ... See MoreSee Less
