Family Focused Updates

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

P-EBT Card Update: 

JULY 10 UPDATE:

Beginning Wednesday, July 15, P-EBT cards for students experiencing homelessness will be available for pick up at City Schools Headquarters, 200 E. North Avenue. Pick-up times are Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Re-Engagement Center. Government identification is required, and all cards will need to be signed for by a parent or guardian. Contact 
Malkia Pipkin at 443-635- 9487 or MPipkin@bcps.k12.md.us for more information.

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, beginning on Monday, July 13 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.

City Schools will provide internet access hotspots to students participating in summer programs starting July 7. This includes students that are participating in summer extended-learning programs, homeless and foster youth. and Youthworks summer employment. Only students that lack in-home internet access are eligible. 

Starting July 7, families with students that need internet access may pick up hotspots between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at City Schools Headquarters, located at 200 E. North Avenue in Baltimore. Please go to the Re-Engagement center - enter on the Guildford Street side of the building. 

All individuals picking up a hotspot must wear a face mask. For students under age 18, only parents or guardians may pick up a hotspot with a valid student and government ID. Students over age 18 will need to bring their student or government ID.

If you have questions about the distribution, including if you are eligible, call our Summer Learning Hotline at 443-984-2001. The hotline is open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Thursday.

Please note: Charter school students are not eligible for a hotspot. Families should contact their charter school to learn if they are offering summer learning opportunities and if any educational supplies come with those offerings.

Report Card Timelines

Report cards will be available to family members in the following forums: 

• Effective July 1st, families can call City Schools Academics helpline at 443-984-2001 to have a staff member read their report card grades and to have their report card e-mailed. 
• Effective July 6th, families can access their report cards using Campus Portal. We strongly recommend setting up a parent account at https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/campus-portal in advance. 
• On July 1, report cards will be sent out to the vendor for mailing. We expect families to begin receiving the report cards late on the week of July 6th. Some charter schools will be sending report cards on their own and have likely reached out to you already if that is the case.  
  • To correct an address on file, please work with families complete the address certification form and e-mail the form and the documentation identified on the form to enrollment@bcps.k12.md.us. 

Retention Communications 

Retention letters have also been sent to the vendor via mailing and will also be on the report card if you school has identified a student for retention by June 30th, 2020.  

Grade K-8 Retention letters were sent if the following were true by close of business June 26th, 2020:  

1. the student was marked as retained in the enrollment tab on Infinite Campus  
2. the retention was approved in the IC Extensions tab by the ILED and  
3. the student met the failure criteria outlined in regulation IKEA-RA 

Grade 9-11 Retention letters were sent if the student was marked on retained on the Infinite Campus enrollment tab by close of business June 26th, 2020:  

If your school team believes a student should attend summer school and you have not reached out to them, please reach out immediately and support them in their registration process at https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/summerlearning. Summer school registration ends July 6. 

Retention Appeals 

Families can appeal their retention by July 17 at this site. A review of the retention will be complete on August 7. We encourage students of families who are appealing a retention to enter their appeals online: https://baltimore.saasit.com/Default.aspx?AnonymousRequest=yes 

The paper form has also been attached. 

To start the documentation of the appeals process, please fill out the HEAT Form entitled, “Appeal of Student Promotion/Retention Decision” which can be found in the Academic Achievement section of the HEAT Service Catalog. Should you receive a formal appeals request, you are required to complete the HEAT form within five days of receiving a request.  

There are two ways to acquire the parent justification to input the form: 

1. By uploading the following form if received directly from the student’s parent. 
2. You may also receive a HEAT form from families who file promotion and retention appeals online. Follow the steps attached to print the Service Request and upload the PDF to the parent justification portion of the form. 

Once you complete the “Appeal of Student Promotion/Retention Decision,” it will be sent to your ILED for a final decision within 10 business days.

Thank you for your support in this process. Please reach out to Cyrene Gilbert with questions prior to July 7 and Danny Heller with questions after July 7.

All City Schools summer meal site locations will be closed on Fridays in July. For a list of alternative meal resources, please visit https://www.bmorechildren.com/freemeals.

We will resume normal operating hours in August. For information on hours and locations of our meal sites visit https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/meal-sites. 

The Parent and Community Advisory Board (PCAB) is currently recruiting new members to fill several vacant positions on their board. The PCAB is looking for parents of City Schools' students and community members who are eager to have a voice in shaping future policies for City Schools. The primary role of the PCAB is to advise the CEO and the Board of School Commissioners on issues that impact policies that govern City Schools. To apply, please submit a resume and short bio to pcab@bcps.k12.md.us. The deadline is July 10. Additional information is available in this flyer.

Facebook Round Up Responses – Updated June 3, 2020
Note: Questions were taken verbatim from Facebook

Staffing

Please note – City Schools is reviewing all the areas listed in this section. More information is forthcoming.

• We need a group of teachers assigned to a task force for our children via last name to assist with summer schooling.
• What opportunities would assistants have for the summer?
• Will there be any type of summer employment for paraeducators?
• When will teachers be notified about summer school offers for virtual learning?

General academics/distance learning

• I'm interested in the Virtual Learning. Did we have to apply or we will be contacted on what our options are for Fall 2020? I will have a Freshman in High School and a Junior (with IEP) in High School
  • City Schools is building an instructional plan for the 2020-2021 school year, we can use your help. Starting on June 12, please visit www.baltimorecityschools.org/reopening to find out how you can provide input.
• What choices are provided to families that do not want to engage in online learning this Fall? Especially for Charter Schools that do not use Eurika and Wit and Wisdom.
  • City Schools is building an instructional plan for the 2020-2021 school year, we can use your help. Starting on June 12, please visit www.baltimorecityschools.org/reopening to find out how you can provide input.
• Will quarter 4 be calculated in composite scores for 7th graders?
  • City Schools is reviewing this area. More information is forthcoming.
• When will Baltimore City schools sending out report cards?
  • Families can expect to receive grade cards in early July. Please be sure to update your student's address in Campus Portal to receive the mailed grade card.
• When do grades go in for the 4th quarter?
  • Final grades will be uploaded by June 18.
• Are you all allowing 8th graders to graduate?
  • Yes.

Enrollment/transfer/choice
 

• How do we register them for the up and coming school year, for high school
  • To learn more about registration, please visit the Enrollment webpage at https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/enroll
• If child already accepted into high school and recv accept letter..do they need to register as well
  • Please contact the Enrollment Choice and Transfer Office at 410-396-8600.
• My son has been accepted into a high school 9th grade but he doesn't want to go to that school anymore and also I found out the school is too far from home, how do I go about the change of high school
  • Please contact the Enrollment Choice and Transfer Office at 410-396-8600.
• When will the pre-k testing begin? 
  • The testing period will occur after June 23. 
• Will the district conduct early admissions testing for incoming kindergarten students?
  • Children who turn 5 or 6 between September 2 and October 15 may apply for early admission to kindergarten or 1st grade.  To apply, parents and guardians will need to complete the early admission application and students will need to pass an assessment.
• How will composite scores be calculated for high school choice?
  • City Schools is reviewing this area. More information is forthcoming.

Summer Learning

• When will the summer online learning start? I HOPE WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL A DAY OR B DAY.
  • Summer learning options begin as early as June 29. Please visit https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/summerlearning for more information.
• Have there been any more updates around summer school enrollment?
  • To learn more about summer learning opportunities, please visit https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/summerlearning
• Will there be a fee for summer school?
  • Generally, there are no fees to participate in programming. However, please check the details of each program for more information. A listing of those programs may be found at https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/summerlearning
• When do we apply for summer school?
  • To learn more about summer learning opportunities, please visit https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/summerlearning

Miscellaneous

• How will we plan for events for events and testing for rising seniors?
  • City Schools is reviewing this area. More information is forthcoming.