Bard High School Early College is offering two new dual enrollment offerings this fall to help engage students during COVID-19 and keep them on track for college. The college courses, to be offered via virtual learning, are “History of Black Baltimore” and “The Big Sick: Disease, Culture, and Society in World History”.

The program is open to students at 11 campuses in City Schools; the list of schools is below. Also, check out the informational flyer.

If you attend an eligible school and are interested, the updated application form is available here: forms.gle/iMx9zS5BdRnrcQzr9.

List of eligible schools:

Participating schools and programs:

• Achievement Academy at Harbor City High School 
• Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts 
• Benjamin Franklin High School at Masonville Cove 
• Bluford Drew Jemison STEM Academy West 
• Career Academy 
• Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High School 
• Forest Park High School 
• New Era Academy 
• Reginald F. Lewis High School 
• Renaissance Academy 
• Youth Opportunity 

City Schools is taking action after learning of instances where unknown persons have logged into and disrupted Zoom classroom sessions. We need your help to prevent similar events from impacting the learning of our students.

All students should log into Zoom before attending live sessions. To learn how to log in, visit our Distance Learning webpage. In the coming days, City Schools will further adjust its Zoom settings to allow ONLY authenticated users to access district Zoom meetings. If students do not log in, they will be unable to engage in live sessions.

The opening of the school year is a perfect time for students and families to review our annual calendar and Media Opt-Out Form. Visit the Back-To-School webpage to view or download the documents in English and Spanish. 

The calendar is a downloadable version of our online calendar for the 2020-2021 school year. Feel free to print the calendar as needed.

The Media Opt-Out Form allows families to let City Schools know if they do not want a student in photographs or videography. Be sure to look over the new version, as it includes updates related to Virtual Learning.  If you wish to opt-out your student, please complete the form and return it to your school.
 

City Schools extends a sincere thank you to The Wish List Depot for supporting our first Back-To-School Bus Tour on Sept. 4, 2020. Together, we spread good news and provided school supplies and support to students and families. #WeAreAllLearning

Don’t Wait Until Tuesday – Make Sure You’re Ready!

If you have not done so, please log into your district-issued laptop to make sure your email and password credentials work. If they do not work, the Student Support Line will provide live assistance to parents/families to resolve concerns Monday through Friday – please call 443-984-2001.  

EXTENDED LABOR DAY HOURS – To make sure you’re ready for the first day – The Student Support Line will be open on Labor Day (Monday, September 7) from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Beginning on Tuesday, September 8 and for the remainder of the first week of school, the Student Support Line will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Starting the week of Sept. 14, the hours will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Note: Call wait times may be longer than usual due to the back to school season)

Access Student Platforms for Virtual Learning (Visit our Virtual Learning Page)
1) Log into Clever, your one-stop shop to access classroom resources and ensure your password works. Visit  https://clever.com/in/bcpss log-in 

2)  View Clever's online help guide (different languages are offered)

We’re Here to Help! 

If you have trouble logging on or getting into a platform – please be sure to:

• Contact our Student Support Line to get live assistance with your technology needs and questions 
• Please call the Student Support Line 443-984-2001, Monday through Friday live assistance.  For the first week of school, the support line will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  Starting the week of Sept. 14, the hours will be 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  (Note: Call wait times may be longer than usual due to the back to school season)
•  Visit the City Schools webpage to find out if there is a system-wide outage.
• If there is a problem, students should login to their class impacted via Google Classroom. Instructions regarding access to another program link will be provided.  

Help us keep in touch and stay connected with you! See your child's classes, schedules, grades, and report cards all in one place in Campus Portal 

To create a Campus Portal account, click here and follow the directions. Additional instructions are available in this flyer.

Baltimore City Public Schools is sharing this update with its community in response to comments by Maryland Gov. and State Superintendent of Schools Karen Salmon on August 27, 2020.

City Schools believes in-person teaching and learning is best for our students. We share Gov. Hogan's desire to reopen schools fully, by taking steps gradually as health and safety conditions permit. In alignment with that vision, City Schools will continue to explore the best ways locally to do that while protecting those at the heart of our mission - our students, families, and staff.

City Schools will open the 2020-2021 school year virtually on Tuesday, September 8, 2020. The district remains committed to reevaluating the possibility of adding a hybrid learning option by October 16, 2020. During this period, the district will include some in-person supports for small groups of students while continuing to monitor input from the Maryland State Department of Education. 

We urge all City Schools students, families, staff, and community members to stay connected and informed about our progress through our website, social media channels, and updates via phone call and email.

Thank you.
 

Beginning after August 24, 2020, families may obtain laptops for their students directly from their schools. However, schools will directly notify students and families about the days and times when the devices will be made available. There is no need to visit the campus for a device until the school notifies you.

See you Tuesday, September 8, for the first day of school!
 

Join us for the Pre-k and Kindergarten Virtual Town Hall on Wednesday, August 19 at 5:30 p.m

P-EBT Card Update: 

August 12 UPDATE:

P-EBT Card Update: Families who still have not received a P-EBT card and have questions should visit dhs.maryland.gov/p-ebt/ for information and answers. If your question isn't answered, please complete the form on that page. As a reminder, P-EBT cards are not being distributed at the district office on North Ave.

JULY 7 UPDATE:

To receive P-EBT card benefits, families must have an updated mailing address. Please update your address with both the Department of Human Services and Baltimore City Public Schools. 

How do I update my address?

• To update a mailing address with DHS, please use this form. 
• To update your address with City Schools, please submit the updated address with two proofs of residency or a photo of the documents to UpdateMyInfo@bcps.k12.md.us. Families who are unable to submit address updates online can visit the following locations, Monday, July 13 to August 21, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., to securely drop off copies of accepted documentation.
  • Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary/Middle School (3501 Hillsdale Road, Baltimore, MD 21207)
  • Dunbar High School (1400 Orleans Street, Baltimore, MD 21231) 
  • Office of Enrollment, Choice, & Transfers (200 East North Avenue, Room 106, Baltimore, MD 21202)

Documents that will be accepted as proof of residency include:

• Complete, utility bill (gas, electric, water, telephone, or cable) within the last 60 days
• Deed or title to residential property
• Fully-executed, property sales agreement
• Military housing order
• Mortgage settlement sheet
• Signed lease agreement (by landlord and tenant) reflecting the name(s) of the parent(s)/guardian(s) as tenants
• Property tax bill or statement
• Recent bank or mortgage statement* 
• Recent employer pay stub*
• Recent homeowner, renter, or medical insurance statement*
• Recent letter from Social Security Administration, Social Services, Maryland Vehicle Administration, Internal Revenue Services, or Maryland Judicial System*

How do I activate the card?
Call the phone number on the back of the card. You will need the 16 digit EBT card number on the front of the card, your zip code, and the date of birth of the eligible child listed on the card. When prompted to enter the last four digits of your Social Security Number, enter 0000. You will then need to set a four-digit pin number

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:

On July 1, the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS) provided an important update to the Pandemic-EBT Program. Please see below for the latest update.

The Maryland Department of Human Services (MD DHS) has established a P-EBT Customer Inquiry Form for households to submit questions regarding P-EBT. Please share the following link for the new P-EBT Customer Inquiry Form with schools, families, and parents: P-EBT Customer Inquiry Form

As a reminder, the Maryland P-EBT website includes Frequently Asked Questions. The MD DHS hotline is 1-800-332-6347.

ORIGINAL MESSAGE
 

Find out information and frequently asked questions about P-EBT on the new Maryland P-EBT website.

All students enrolled in Baltimore City Public Schools are eligible for the Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) Program. Households will receive approximately $114/month in benefits for each school-aged child in your household. P-EBT cards will allow families to purchase food directly from approved grocery stores and other outlets that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), EBT, or the Independence Card.

If your household currently receives SNAP benefits, the P-EBT payments are automatically added to your SNAP card. If you think you may be eligible for SNAP, we encourage you to apply. View SNAP eligibility criteria and apply online at mydhrbenefits.dhr.state.md.us by clicking “create account.” You can also call the MD Department of Human Services (DHS) at 1-800-332-6347 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. If you have trouble or need help applying for SNAP, call Maryland Hunger Solutions at 1-866-821-5552.

If your household does not currently receive SNAP benefits, you are eligible to receive a new P-EBT card from the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS). To help ensure access to these benefits, households should update their current contact information in their City Schools’ profile by emailing updated address documentation to the enrollment official at their student’s school. Providing updated address information ensures that City Schools can share the most accurate and up-to-date information with the responsible state agencies. It also should reduce wait times to be contacted by the Maryland Department of Human Services. Inaccurate addresses or telephone numbers in your City Schools’ profile could delay the Maryland Department of Human Services’ distribution of a P-EBT benefit card to your family.

Things you should know:

• Families will receive P-EBT benefits between June 23 - 30. Both SNAP households and non-SNAP households will receive benefits during this same time frame.
• Benefits for the period of March, April, May and June will be issued in one lump sum payment of approximately $330 per child.
• Each eligible student will receive a benefit card in their name.

For more food options, visit: https://coronavirus.baltimorecity.gov/food-distribution-sites.

The Walters Art Museum is excited to offer free Summer Art Adventures: Museum at Home Edition. All activities are geared toward children ages 6 to 11.
Find out more about the free art kits

On Monday August 10th, families will have the opportunity to receive free physical activity incentives and ideas during meal pickup. Through a partnership with University of Maryland Extensions SNAP-Education program, we will be offering jump ropes, bubbles and beach balls, with simple suggestions for how to using items to be active. The items will be available at all 18 Emergency Meal Site locations!

On Tuesday, July 28, during its virtual meeting, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners (the Board) approved the district’s proposed changes to the 2020-21 school calendar.

Here’s what this means:

• The first day of school is now Tuesday, September 8
• Staff will return to work on August 26 for professional development
• The last day of school is Tuesday, June 15

As you know, City Schools will open the school year with virtual learning. The district will continue to prepare a hybrid option and provide you with an update by October 16. The calendar changes are part of Closing the Distance, the district’s plan for reopening schools. The draft plan was presented to the Board during the meeting.

As we consider the continuing impact of COVID-19 we took into consideration what’s best for our students, staff, and families – while making the best use of instructional time for students and optimizing professional development for staff.

View the reopening plan

Community feedback on the plan may be given at the virtual Reopening Town Halls every Thursday evening at 6 p.m. The events are streamed live on the district Facebook, Twitter and YouTube platforms.

Update: Device Distribution

City Schools is changing how students and families will get devices and wifi hotspots. 
Devices and hotspots will not be distributed during the next two weeks as we transition distribution to schools. We will share specifics no later than Monday, August 17. You'll get this information via robocall, email, on Facebook and Twitter, and via the City Schools website.

Providing these important items at school, we can reduce the large crowds and serve you better while also taking time to prepare our schools and staff for the transition.

If you have questions or need to let us know about your device needs, please contact our Summer Learning hotline at 443-984-2001 Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. You may also email reopening@bcps.k12.md.us with your student's name, school, and device needed.

Fourth Quarter Report Cards

Due to an error with our vendor, the first Q4 report cards were mailed on July 23 and July 24. Report cards for seniors have not yet been mailed. We are working with ITD on a resolution to that issue.

If you have an immediate need for a student’s information please sign into Campus Portal. 

We sincerely apologize for this delay. Rest assured, the lessons learned from our Q3 and especially Q4 mailing process will be applied to Q1 next school year.
 

The UMBC Classic Upward Bound Program is seeking high school students (rising 9th - 11th graders) who attend Baltimore City Public Schools.  
 
The program provides:

• Assistance with study skills
• Saturday Tutorial Program
• SAT and PSAT Prep
• Student and Parent Workshops
• Educational/Cultural Activities
• Summer Program on College Campus
• Enrichment Courses
• Peer Mentoring
• College Readiness Workshops
• Career Planning workshops
• Workstudy Opportunity up to $900
• Youth Works Job Opportunities during Summer

To be eligible, students must be either low income (reduced lunch eligible) or first generation to go to college in their primary household. 

More information: http://upwardbound.umbc.edu
To apply, go to http://upwardbound.umbc.edu/apply-here

All schools in the district will open the 2020-21 school year virtually, delaying the start of the hybrid in-person option until later this fall.

Please read the full letter to families at https://baltimorecityschools.org/reopening-plan-letter