March is traditionally a tough month for schools. Students are feeling the stress of 3rd quarter grades and teachers are dealing with long days and very few (if any) days off. Spring is not quite here, it's still dark in the mornings, and summer feels so far away. But it's not! Graduation and Prom season will soon be upon us. Spring sports have started and and our spring musical will occur in the middle of the month (3/18, 3/19). We had a lot of great moments in February and the beginning of March but many more great moments are to come.

Special congratulations go to our Varsity Cheer Team and Girls Basketball Team - the cheer team finished a school best 3rd in the state and the Lady Panthers basketball team repeated as 1A State Champions!!!!!

Please continue to check on your child's academic progress through Schoology. Help us by making sure they are on school on time. And please support our school PTSA and Booster Clubs.

Eric

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March is Women’s History Month. Throughout this month, students will examine the impact of women in their respective fields of study; for example, twelfth grade students will be completing their end of Quarter Three assessment in reflection of gender roles in music. The developing roles of women in American culture daily will be a focus on the morning announcements. Explorations of social, political, and economic rights will highlight the contributions of women to society, as well as the obstacles still in place to reach gender equity. Finally, staff will be evaluating how to promote student voice in the classroom in pursuit of more equitable learning opportunities.

March 16 National Honor Society Induction, 1:00-2:30pm

March 17 St. Patrick’s Day

Schools and Offices close 3 hours early.

March 18 School Musical, 7:00pm

March 19 School Musical, 2:00pm

March 21 BCPS Dance Festival, 10:30am – 9:00pm

March 24 Third marking period ends – all schools close 3 hours early for students.

March 25 Pikesville Music Festival 8:00am – 4:00pm, 2:00pm concert.

March 25 Maryland Day

March 27 Spirit week begins.

March 31 Faculty Basketball game, 1:00pm

Spring Break begins at the end of the school day.

April 11 School reopens.

April 12 report cards distributed.

April 14 Sit for Lit

April 21 systemwide professional development day, schools closed for students.

Pikesville's Homeland Security Program has been identified as a model for other schools! Our students and teachers got the chance at the end of February to showcase their work by hosting teachers from Chesapeake High School to see how it's done. Way to go! Rising sophomores (current 9th graders) at PHS that are interested in careers in law, law enforcement, government, or the military should consider entering the HSEP program here at PHS. See your school counselor if you have not already added this program to your schedule for next year.

Congratulations to the Students of the Month from the Social Studies Department

Cayce Green- Mrs. Johnson

Demond Jackson- Mrs. Bartkowski

Ni'Jay Pruitt- Ms. Bush

Khuyen Tran- Mr. Smith

Caris Adams- Mr. Ohara

Ryan Kilareski- Ethan Goodman

Tobiaz Thompson- Mr. Babcock

Evette Davis-Newkirk- Mr. Lambert

We would also like to congratulate the following students for their participation in the Black History Month Trivia Contest.

Ian Davis

Anela Coward

Jonah Spiegelman

Febechukwu D'ibor

Casey Robinson

Colin Bernstein

Kudos to Mr. Smith who led the PHS Model UN delegation at the Towson University Conference. Several members of the PHS delegation were given awards!

It has been a few years, but this year PHS was honored to host a delegation of students and teachers from Israel, both Jewish and Muslim who are committed to cooperation and peace. Students in the delegation live in Israel in villages where sometimes violent conflict between the two groups exists because of different religious and cultural views. They have come to America to see how groups of different people live together in relative peace and acceptance. The students enjoyed their visit and were amazed at how much Pikesville has to offer students and how different groups of students get along.

The teachers of the Social Studies Department want to remind students and families that 3rd quarter ends March 24. If students are struggling, they should see their teachers ASAP about what can be done to get 3rd assignments in order before the quarter ends. For some students they MUST pass this quarter to have any opportunity to pass for the year. Families should have received letters in the mail if this applies to you. Every student is capable of making progress and meeting standards. It is not always easy. It requires focus on the work and sitting distractions to the side. Set your goals and take actual steps to meet them. A goal without action is a wish.

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91 physical books checked out
44 eBook and audiobooks checked out
1,025 Student visits over 18 school days

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We have some really exciting news from February.

First, a few students (you’ll see them I the video) were featured in the BCPS TV spotlight on CTE in February. Pikesville High PLTW program was the subject this month, and out students shined brightly! Check out the video here. https://vimeo.com/796686141

Secondly, we have some excellent news, courtesy of Mr. Lantos and his senior EDD students. 9 students have already passed the Autodesk Certified User Exam for Autodesk Inventor! This is a massive accomplishment for these students, who now have industry-recognized credentials before even leaving high school. We will be getting more students certified in Inventor and additional students certified in Autodesk Revit (through CEA class with Mr. Knispcher). The students who have already passed the certification test are:

Sadie Rosenfeld

Olivia Ghiaur

Sofia Cignatta

Tyler Lumpkin

Noah Schneider

Jacob Cohen

Marlee Fox

Rob Davenport

Okiki Ossunuyi

Finally, we have gone on several field trips this month. On 2/17, a group of Mr. Martello’s principles of engineering students went to the Engineers Club for a positive learning experience about Plumbing Engineering. On 2/23, our AP Computer Science students had the opportunity to learn about Cybersecurity from the NSA experts themselves at Dreamport in Columbia, MD. Lastly, on 2/24 we invited our 9th grade IED students to a trip to the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies in Linthicum, MD, where they learned “the ropes” when it comes to all things seafaring and engineering. See attached photos from the trips.

I would be remiss if I did not mention Mr. Anderson and Mr. Martello who really stepped up and kept the department together during all of these field trips. Thank you for “holding down the fort”, gentlemen!

That is all from a very busy month. Looking forward, we have more certifications to give out, AP tests around the corner (Computer Science), and courses to schedule. Don’t miss out on your chance to join the STEM department during course registration!

Mr. Knipscher, STEM Department Chair

Mr. Lantos, PLTW IED, PLTW EDD, AP Comp Sci A

Mr. Martello, PLTW DE, PLTW POE, Foundations of Engineering

Mr. Anderson, Foundations of Computer Science

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Pikesville High School is planning a staff basketball game vs. some PHS graduates headed by Class of 1989 graduate and former State Senator Bobby Zirkin. The game is the culmination of our Spring Spirit week on Friday, March 31st (and will be held at 1pm during the last period before spring break). If you are a PHS graduate and you would like to take part in the game, message Mr. Ethan Goodman (egoodman@bcps.org). Feel free to spread the word to any graduates who might be interested in playing and have them contact Mr. Goodman. Thanks.

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For the sixth year in a row, BCPS’ Division of Information Technology (DoIT) will hire several summer employees for the summer of 2023. Preference will be given to current BCPS students. Incoming 11th and 12th graders typically gain the most from this summer experience. There is a lot of work to be done supporting students and staff in preparation for the start of the 2023-24 school year.

This is the perfect summer employment opportunity for a BCPS student who is interested in a career in technology. Please share this opportunity with students who may be interested in technology.

A description of the work is outlined below:

IT Support Tech I: This is an employment opportunity that teaches those new to a technology support position the theoretical and practical knowledge that can be used in the information technology industry and gives participants a competitive edge over other applicants when applying for future jobs. The hours of operation are Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Summer employees will work up to five 7.5-hour days and appropriate breaks will be provided. Summer employees may have preapproved flexible hours within the Monday through Friday schedule and occasional overtime is provided to summer employees that are able and allowed to work based on the Fair Labor Standards Act guidelines.

Positions will be spread throughout the county, including but not limited to traveling from school to school, remote work, and/or working at one centralized location.

Students…

· Will be offered the opportunity to gain an HP Certification for repairing devices manufactured by Hewlett Packard (HP)

· May work in an online ticketing system, working directly with customers by responding to service requests.

· May answer incoming calls from BCPS students, staff, and community members if assigned to the DoIT help desk.

· May learn how to perform complete diagnostics and repairs on laptop or desktop computers (including but not limited to repairing

hardware components, cleaning computers, and installing operating systems)

· May participate in technical training and gain knowledge of real-world technical practices.

· May assist with technology set-up in classrooms and offices.

We are very excited and would like to welcome youth with the below skills (not all-inclusive):

· Previous computer repair experience (preferred not required)

· Communication skills

· Ability to focus on tasks

· Be reliable

· Willingness to learn

· Ability to work well with others

The job ID for the IT Support Technician I is job #19690.

https://www.applitrack.com/bcps/onlineapp/ . In the Job Search box, type IT Support Technician to apply.

The cadet program prepares young adults for careers and leadership in the public safety profession. The experiences build character, leadership development, and appreciation for community services and good citizenship. The program is open to everyone ages 14-20 years old. For more information on eligibility, and the application process please access this link or call 410-887-2240.

The Baltimore Museum of Art will host the Baltimore County "Art is for Everyone!" Exhibit including artwork from BCPS students, grades Pre-K – 12. The exhibit will be open from March 8 to March 12, 2023, with a reception on Sunday March 12, 2023, from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. The Museum is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., including the sculpture garden. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators are all invited to this special event. A formal invitation will be shared with schools prior to the show’s opening.

The BCPS Summer Music Camp is a non-auditioned day camp for Baltimore County Public Schools’ students who are currently enrolled in Grades 5–12. The camp will be held on weekdays, beginning Thursday, June 22, 2023, through Thursday, June 29, 2023, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Perry Hall High School. See attached flyer for more information.

The fee for this unique summer music experience is $125.00, which includes a camp T-shirt. Transportation to and from each camp location will be provided at no additional charge to students. A listing of school-based, pick-up sites is included on the registration form. BCPS students currently enrolled in grades 5-12, as well as children of BCPS employees have enrollment priority for the Summer Music Camp. Additional requests may be considered if space allows.

Students may register for the BCPS Summer Music by clicking on the following link: BCPS Summer Music Camp Registration Form. All registration forms and payment are due in full to the Office of Performing Arts no later than Friday, May 12, 2023.