Throughout the school year

• Free meals available in all school for all BCPS students.
• Free meals available for all Virtual Learning Program students. (Meals must be ordered in advance).

Dates

Oct. 1 (Friday) – Midpoint of Quarter One

Oct. 4 through Oct. 8 – Scholastic Book Fair (students shop during Library)

Oct. 5 (Tuesday) – Watch Dog Visit from Mr. Lewis

Oct. 6 (Wednesday) – Evening Shopping Hours for Book Fair (5:00 to 7:00 PM)

Oct. 7 (Thursday) – Evening Shopping Hours for Book Fair (5:00 to 7:00 PM)

Oct. 11 (Monday) – Columbus Day/Indigenous Peoples' Day

Oct. 12 (Tuesday) – Kindergarten Field Trip to Gaver Farm

Oct. 15 (Friday) – Systemwide Professional Day (School Closed for Students, PAL open from 9:oo AM to 4:00 PM)

Oct. 18 (Monday) – PAL Center Closed

Oct. 22 (Friday) – Watch Dog Visit from Mr. Lewis

Dear BCPS Parents, Students and Staff:

Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) will host a live, virtual Town Hall on Safe and Supportive Environments on Wednesday, Oct. 13. At this event, the BCPS community will learn about the district's efforts to ensure student and staff safety and build positive school climates. The virtual town hall for elementary families will take place from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. and from 7:15 – 8:15 p.m. for secondary families. The event will be streamed live on the BCPS website, BCPS-TV and on YouTube.

Safe and Supportive Environments is a key focus area for the district and is outlined in the strategic plan The Compass: Our Pathway to Excellence. The Oct. 13 Town Hall is closely aligned with the ongoing work of the district to foster safe, secure, and supportive learning and working environments in which students and staff have the resources and supports necessary to succeed.

TOWSON, MD. – Effective Monday, September 13, the ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) Welcome Center will be relocated to the Catonsville Administration Building at 615 Frederick Rd, Catonsville, MD 21228. Families who speak a language other than English and who need to enroll a child in Grades 1 – 12 can call 443-809-6752 to make an appointment.

Parents are granted the ability to log in and access Focus (BCPS’ Student Information System) and Schoology (BCPS’ Learning Management System). The directions for parents can be found on the BCPS website under “Tech Support” and they are also linked here.

In addition, a document has been prepared to aid schools in their support for parents as they navigate these new tools. That document can be found here.

Parents and teachers should also be aware that there is now a link within Focus to take them directly to Schoology, thus eliminating the need for separate login pathways.

The Bridges program will continue to be used by BCPS for math in grades K-2nd. Bridges will be a newly implemented resouce in grades 3rd-5th this year. Within the Bridges curriculum students will solve problems using visual models and manipulatives, make and test conjectures while recording their thinking, talk and move around the classroom as they actively engage in learning. Number Corner will continue in all grades K-5th. Number Corner is a skill-building program that revolves around the classroom calendar, providing daily practice as well as continual encounters with broader mathematical concepts in 15–20 minutes of engaging instruction.

Bridges 2nd Edition Family Support

Masks

Indoors – Masks are required to be worn in all BCPS offices and schools unless an individual is alone in a private space. Governor Hogan’s executive order released on May 14, 2021, continues to require masks to be worn on school buses and indoors. The CDC guidelines that relaxed masking recommendations and were released on May 13, 2021, were directed towards vaccinated individuals only.

Outdoors – Effective May 17, 2021, masks are no longer required to be worn outdoors. Unmasked individuals should maintain physical distancing of at least three feet or to the greatest extent possible. Mask wearing continues to be recommended for all persons who have not been vaccinated.