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Chess League Expands—and Attracts New Students of All AgesThanks to support from the Abell Foundation, Baltimore Kids Chess League (BKCL) will add at least 12 new schools this year, upping membership from 48 to a possible 60 schools. "The kids are into it," says Steve Alpern, director of BKCL. "They get hooked, they focus and listen, and they start doing better in school."
Now in its seventh year, BKCL hopes to attract at least three new high schools, up from five. The total of eight teams would allow the league to set up two four-team conferences; the teams could then go head-to-head in playoffs at the end of the season—and ultimately compete for a high school title.
"The high school kids are really excited about chess," Alpern explains. "They take it seriously, and it's made a difference in the five high schools, for sure. That's why we need to expand."
At the other end of the age range, kindergarteners, too, are eager to play chess, and BKCL—one of the only K-12 chess leagues in the nation—hopes to bring more on board. "At the city-wide conference last year, we had a full table of six kindergarteners playing each other in chess," Alpern says. "It was great, and just imagine how good they'll be by high school."
Stay tuned for profiles on some of BKCL's players.
Summer STEM Academy Culminates with Robotics CompetitionOn Aug. 5, 200 teams from Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) came together for the second largest VEX robotics competition in the nation. The event marked the end of the STEM Academy in City Schools' Summer Learning program, during which students applied math and science concepts to the design and engineering of robots.
The all-day event, held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, ended with a "King of the Field" competition against the 48 teams making the playoffs.
VEX robotics competitions take place all over the world. Developed by VEX Robotics Design System, the competitions—and the weeks leading up to the competitions—help students build essential STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and life skills while engaged in a fun competition with robotics.
Stay tuned for more on the competition. Middle School Students Experience College FirsthandAfter six weeks of intense learning, middle school students in Higher Achievement's summer learning program set out to tour universities and gain impressions of the lives of college students. Departing Aug. 3, students spent a total of three nights at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County in Catonsville, Maryland. There, they learned about the admissions process, financial aid and degree options, while experiencing dorm and campus life firsthand.
The Higher Achievement summer learning program runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. five days a week, and it offers small classes in core subjects—English, science, math and social studies—and electives like French, animation, sculpture and design.
Click here for a Baltimore Sun story about Higher Achievement's college trip. SquashWise Summer Camp Teaches More than Just Squash
"The book generated a lot of deep discussions with students," explains Abby Markoe, the executive director of SquashWise. "We talked about the struggles people face accessing education in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and it got them thinking about education in our own country."
"The week-long camp was full of really great opportunities for students," Markoe adds, explaining that camp slots were awarded to students for their academic improvement, attendance and commitment to SquashWise during the school year. A number of students also won expense-paid slots in sleepover camps across the nation, including Squash Smarts in Philadelphia, StreetSquash in New York City and squash camps at Princeton University and the U.S. Naval Academy.
SquashWise students attend Civitas Middle/High School and Booker T. Washington Middle School.
Students Green NeighborhoodOn Sat., July 24, middle school students at the Alternative Learning Center are planting a garden and painting a mural to make the Gwynn Oak neighborhood a better place to live, work and play. The project came after months of a clasroom investigation of abandoned lots in Baltimore. Open to the public, the community event offered free food, arts and crafts and information about the neighborhood; it took place from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Gwynn Oak United Methodist Church—and the abandoned lot behind it. Click here for the flier, and click here for a story about a forum on abandoned houses hosted by the same students in May.
Stay tuned for photos and an article about the event.
Fifth Grader Honors Mom in Essay Contest
Says Asia's mother, June Brown: "I think this accomplishment reflects what a positive impact our school system has on my child, ... and I ask that [it] continues to provide opportunities and partnerships with the community that will help all of our children discover and develop their gifts and abilities."
Click here to read Asia's essay. Students Reflect on the Preakness and Maryland History
As the winner of "The Jewel" award, which goes to the best drawing in grades 5 to 12, Shantel received box seating for four at the
"The Junior Jewel," given to the best drawing in kindergarten to 4th grade, went to 3rd grader Jewelian Dove from Cross Country Elementary/Middle School. Highlandtown #215 Students Take to Broadway
Says Melissa Rosenburg, the executive director of CCTA: "Our program gives students access to high-quality arts programming. It's
Now in its third year of partnership with Highlandtown, CCTA also works with students at Coldstream Park Elementary/Middle School and John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School. CCTA's free after-school programs in Baltimore City Public Schools are made possible by funding from the Wright Family Foundation, the Maryland State Arts Council and the Jim and Patty Rouse Foundation.
Third Graders Design and Race Miniature CarsOn Fri., June 4, students from nine schools competed in City Schools' first annual Safe Racer Competition for Third Graders. The competition came after months of combining knowledge in science, technology, math and engineering to design, build and race a miniature car. Participating schools include: Yorkwood Elementary School, Holabird Elementary/Middle School, Woodhome Elementary/Middle School, Hampden Elementary/Middle School, Garrett Heights Elementary/Middle School, Harlem Park Elementary/Middle Schools, Windsor Hills Elementary/Middle School, Arundel Elementary/Middle School and Leith Walk Elementary School.
The competition took place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the cafeteria of Baltimore Polytechnic Institute. Explains Katya Denisova, the science coordinator for Baltimore City Public Schools: "This program is part of our efforts to grow a new generation of engineers and scientists. We feel that STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education needs to start in elementary school, and the Safe Racer is a great example of a hands-on STEM program."
Stay tuned for stories and video from the event. Mayor Honors City Schools' ChampionsCity Schools has hundreds of champions, and on May 19 at the War Memorial Building, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake honored them at the Student Spotlight Recognition Ceremony. Students received individual and team recognition for excelling in academics, chess, athletics, robotics and spelling. Click here for the list of individual champions and here for team champions. Northwestern Track Team Wins Gold in Special Olympics Unified SportsNorthwestern High School's Special Olympics Unified Sports track team took home the gold from the state championship at Coppin State University on May 12. Beating out 21 other teams, the victory comes after months of practice and dedication. Says Margo Workman, an adapted physical education teacher who worked with the team: "This is a validation of all the hard work we've put in over the past two years. Last year, we participated in Unified track as a pilot program—and we placed 8th in the state competition. When we heard our name called for 1st place this year, we couldn't believe it. We were ecstatic."
The track team athletes are: Derrod Burrell, Yamah Boakai, Octavius Chase, Aaron Cook, Phillip Gethers, Keona Haley, Parrish Holland, Anthony Jones, Douglas Jones, Kevin Press, Aaron Randle, Patrick Taylor, Daquan Walkins, Anthony Williams and Jermaine Wright.
Ashley Pierce, Tavonna Leggette, Terrell Harris and Gilbert Cooper—all students at Northwestern—served for two years as volunteer mentors to the track team. Students Use Art to Challenge Stereotypes of Baltimore YouthWatch the city's most creative thinkers question the stereotype of Baltimore youth and craft a new image. Held on April 26 but also available on-line, the Who Are You? Wide Angle Youth Media Festival features video, performances and music by City Schools students. Click here to view a live recording by Radar Redux. Abbottston Brings Dads to School
Students to Sell Goods at Historic FlowermartJoining other artisans and garden-lovers dating back to 1911, students from Booker T. Washington Middle School and Midtown Academy get set to sell their flower-related wares this weekend in Mt. Vernon Square. Items for sale include homespun flower pots, mugs and other ceramic pieces, along with hand-drawn notecards and pictures. Proceeds support arts programs in the schools.
The event, known as Flowermart and held each spring in Mt. Vernon Square, is a Baltimore tradition with more than 100 vendors and performances that include dancing, organ playing, singing and more. Click here to learn more about the festival, and don't miss the Baltimore City Public Schools tent set up near the Washington Monument.
Flowermart takes place on May 7 and 8 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Students Use Poetry to Get at Important Issues
"This is the first year of the club," explains 6th-grade language arts and social studies teacher Louis Bryant, who co-manages the club with Sarah Heilbron, an information-science-technology teacher at North Bend. Both poets, Mr. Bryant and Ms. Heilbron met outside of school at poetry functions around town—and then ended up working together at North Bend. "Starting a poetry club was a natural step for us," Mr. Bryant adds.
Open to elementary and middle school students and meeting every Wednesday afternoon, the poetry club encourages students to write about things about matter most. "I tell them I want this to be an extension of what they feel—their spirit and their soul," says Mr. Bryant. "Most of the time, they use their poetry to talk about real-issues, either things they go through or have observed."
Click the links below to read a sampling of poems from the event.
"Queen"
Taylor Jones, 8th grade
Jasmine Tallie, 7th grade Poly Students Show Knack for HistoryFor six years running, students from Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) placed high enough in the state-level National History Day competition to advance to the nationals. The competition required students to use primary and secondary sources to research topics relating to the theme of innovation—and how innovations across history have impacted or changed society. Presentations took the form of web sites, essays, exhibits, performances and documentary films.
The students moving forward attend Baltimore Polytechnic Institute and are enrolled in Dennis Jutras' AP Government and Politics or U.S. History class. They include:
Dan Borgnia and Peter Jennings, also from Poly, made it to the state-level run-offs for their documentary film, "The SAT: Standardizing American Education," as did Justus Jackson, Daniel Jalova and Brandon Johnson for their group exhibit, "Disney Animation."
Says Mr. Jutras about his students' strong outcome: "It's incredibly rewarding to have kids at a math and science school excel in the humanities. This is a sign that we have well-rounded citizens who can do great work in more than one area."
Stay tuned for results from the national competition. It takes place in June at the University of Maryland at College Park.
Stringfest Brings Together Student Musicians Across the DistrictKick off the month of May with Stringfest 2010, a concert hosted by Roland Park Elementary/Middle School that features student musicians from eight schools. Enjoy folk tunes, marches, dances and classical favorites as students perform in string orchestras and ensembles. Participating schools include Dr. Bernard Harris Sr. Elementary School, Empowerment Academy, Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary School, Hampstead Hill Academy, Hamilton Elementary/Middle School, Mt. Washington Elementary School, Roland Park Elementary/Middle School and Rosemont Elementary/Middle School.
The concert takes place on Sat., May 1 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. at 5207 Roland Ave., Baltimore, MD. Click here for the flier. Carver Vocational-Technical High School Launches Exchange with Xiamen, China
A port city on China's east coast, Xiamen is home to 2.5 million people and has had a sister-city relationship with Baltimore since 1985. NACA and Highlandtown Place First in African American History TournamentOn April 10, at the First Annual African American History Tournament and Honor Roll Celebration, Northwood Appold Community Academy (NACA) and Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School #215 beat out twelve other Baltimore City Public Schools teams to take home first-place prizes in a quiz bowl-style competition. Sponsored by the Urban Education Partnership, the competition occurred after three months of studying African American history—and learning to recall facts as fast as Jeopardy champions. Other winners include: Poly Students Place First in Maryland Math League ContestAfter taking math tests for seven months, students from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly) placed first in the 2010 Maryland Math League, edging out schools from across the state. Poly students scored 160 out of 180 points on a series of seven tests; St. Albans School (District of Columbia) placed second, scoring 156.
Over 1 million students participate in the Math League each year, designed to challenge students with grade-appropriate math materials and contests. |
While students in the SquashWise Summer Camp, held June 28 to July 2, spent plenty of time perfecting their serves and returns, they also took on the acclaimed 
Along with reading Three Cups of Tea, students learned about chemistry through an experiment making homemade ice cream and organic gardening and taking care of horses at McDonogh School in Owings Mills, Maryland. 
"I have an illness that causes me to take medicine by IV every two months," writes Asia Brown (pictured left, with mother), a 5th grader at Northwood Appold Community Academy (NACA), in her 1st-place essay for Good Samaritan Hospital. "My mom gets me to those appointments, and she makes that day a great one." In her essay "How a Woman I Love Takes Great Care of Me," Asia writes about her mother's ongoing love and support, which "show in her actions," the 5th grader says. Judged on neatness, content and clarity, Asia's 1st-place entry came with a $100 award, along with the chance to attend a special ceremony at Good Sararitan Hospital. 
Eighth grader Shantel Blackston's drawing features a wind-blown Maryland flag in front of iconic images of the state's most acclaimed horse race, the Preakness Stakes. It landed her the top prize in the 2010 Preakness Portraits Youth Art Contest, a 10-year-old art competition for elementary, middle and high school students in the Pimlico-Northwest community. For the competition, students used materials of choice to create an original drawing capturing the spirit of Thoroughbred racing and the place of the Preakness in Maryland history. 
Preakness, framed artwork autographed by Preakness winners and a $250 gift certificate. 
After a year of working with professionals from the Columbia Center for Theatrical Arts (CCTA), students in Highlandtown Elementary/Middle School's drama club took to the stage of the Creative Alliance at the Patterson on May 19 for a performance of A Tribute to Modern Broadway. Students belted out such tunes as "Good Morning Baltimore" from Hairspray, "Ease on Down the Road" from The Wiz, "Dancing Queen" from Mama Mia and "We Go Together" from Grease. 
learning, but it doesn't feel like learning, and it helps students build confidence and express themselves in a variety of ways."
“Usually, mothers are the ones going to school events,” says Brenda Miller, an intervention teacher and parent coordinator at Abbottston Elementary School. To bring more dads to campus, Ms. Miller developed the school’s annual Father/Son Game Day, a boys-only event involving musical chairs, dance and basketball contests, picture-taking and snacks. This year’s event took place on Fri., April 30, a day that also marked the release of progress reports. Dads with questions could speak with teachers on hand about their child’s performance.
At an evening fundraiser, Through a Child's Eyes, on April 30, students from North Bend Elementary/Middle School used poetry to share stories and ideas about topics like vanity, inner-beauty and the importance of staying in school. The event took place at 
On April 22, the principal and two staff members of Xiamen Electronic Vocational School (Xiamen, China) visited Carver Vocational-Technical High School for a signing ceremony that kickstarted a formal exchange between the two schools. The partnership will include an e-mail based pen pal program between students; the use of the Internet to collaborate on studies; and a summer exchange program between top language students at both schools. 
