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>> Hi, and welcome to this
edition of "BCPS News."
I'm Mary Beth Marsden.
On today's show, we'll check out
safety in our schools,
some future engineers, a country
singer going Nashville,
and a celebration for
Dr. Martin Luther King.
All this and more.
But first, let's check out
what's trending.
Vincent Farm Elementary School
was named the gold prize winner
in BGE's Wires Down Video
Challenge that was launched in
the fall of 2012.
Open to all elementary schools
in central Maryland, the
challenged involved students'
creating their own rendition
of BGE's popular
Wires Down electric safety
commercial.
Judged by more than 65,000
online votes and a panel of
judges, Vincent Farm took the
top prize with a $10,000 check
and broadcast air time of their
original video.
The money will be used for
classroom iPad minis.
With the strong response to the
challenge, BGE plans to make
this an annual contest.
Southwest Academy Magnet Middle
School teacher
Kim Sturdivant-Miller
is this year's winner of the
Technology and Engineering
Educators Association
of Maryland.
The award is given to the middle
school teacher who demonstrates
excellent in technology
education.
Miller, who has been a
technology instructor for 22
years, wears many hats.
She is the Science Department
chair, aquatics instructor, and
Project Lead the Way Gateway to
Technology teacher,
just to name a few.
Later this year, she will go on
to represent Maryland at the
2013 International Technology
and Engineering Educators
Association.
Superheroes were everywhere at
Kingsville Elementary School,
who recently celebrated
Kindness Day.
As part of a two-year focus on
building kindness, students were
encouraged to create costumes
depicting superheroes who would
spread kindness to everyone
at school.
The idea behind the project is
to look beyond themselves and to
make the world around them
a little nicer.
Each classroom in Kingsville
dons a kindness wreath where
students tie ribbons when they
are caught performing
a kind act.
Up next in our studio, how BCPS
is keeping our kids safe.
And let's take a look at that
winning BGE electric safety
video created by our kids from
Vincent Farm Elementary School.
Stay with us.
There's more to come.
[Thunder crashes]
[Thunder crashes]
[Thunder crashes]
>> ♪ Wires down ♪
♪ Red alert ♪
♪ Don't go near ♪
♪ You'll get hurt ♪
♪ Get some help, better rush ♪
♪ And do not, do not,
do not touch ♪
♪ BGE knows what is best ♪
♪ Call on us,
that's our request ♪
♪ Get some help, better rush ♪
♪ And do not, do not,
do not touch ♪♪
>> A message from BGE.
>> Hi, and welcome back.
You know, we all have concerns
about our everyday lives.
With me now to discuss how BCPS
is keeping our kids
safe and secure each day
is Dale Rauenzahn,
Executive Director of School
Safety and Security.
Dale, thank you so much for
being with us.
>> You're welcome.
>> I have to say, when it comes
to education, I don't know that
there's a hotter topic right now
than school safety.
So, in general, what are you
doing and what is BCPS doing to
keep our kids safe in school?
>> Well, Baltimore County Public
Schools has a long history in
emergency management and
planning.
Every school in Baltimore County
has an emergency plan.
It details for that school
according to a systemic template
how that school should react
during any kind of emergency.
It carries four universal
responses that they determine
which one is appropriate.
It has their evacuation site,
it has places they can go to
to be safe, so our principals
are all trained in how to do
those plans each year.
They're updated constantly.
And then they practice
these plans.
They work constantly on trying
to make sure the students and
staff know what to do, where to
do, during an emergency.
We've also been very active in
the last three, four months,
assessing all the schools
as far as their security.
Can they lock their doors?
Can they secure the perimeter
of the buildings?
All of those things that we
think they can, we're checking
to make sure it actually
does happen.
And additionally, that scoped
out 200 projects that had to be
addressed immediately.
We have addressed 67% of those
already.
We are also looking at other
systems that we need to put into
place and working with our
partners, the police, fire,
Emergency Management
from the county.
We are taking a very critical
look at all of our plans, all of
our facilities, to make sure
they're up to date and running
accordingly.
>> You know, I don't think
anyone in BCPS is naive to
what's going on.
Obviously, we all know what's
happening nationally, and we had
an incident on the first day of
school this school year.
Are times changing now?
>> Well, I think we're much more
conscious of it.
Society has forced us that way.
We have taken deliberate actions
on our part to make sure that we
can secure every one of our
schools and make them as safe
as possible for the students and
staff and the community that
uses them after hours.
>> Talk about the partnership
that we have going with the
Baltimore County Police
Department.
>> It's absolutely terrific,
very unusual to have such a
strong partnership.
Again, Baltimore County Police
Department have dedicated
immense resources to the school.
We have over 60 SROs in -- every
high school has one.
Most of our middle schools
have them.
They have now coordinated a
program called "Keep a Check,"
which looks at every school in
the county, whether it's
elementary, special ed,
alternative programs, and
they're checking on those
schools on a daily basis.
>> What are your thoughts about
having a police officer
in every school?
>> Well, I think we're partly
there -- we have 63 officers out
there that are assigned
to our schools.
So the remaining schools,
particularly elementary and
special ed schools and
alternative schools, the
check-in program is there.
But with today's...um, politics
and everything else that's going
on, I believe the human resource
of security is going to be
increased and that at some point
in time, schools will have a
security officer, a police
officer, someone in the building
that's responsible for that.
I just think it's the way we're
moving in society today.
>> Of course, when we're talking
about school safety and
security, we're not just talking
about acts of terrorism or
violence in school, we're
talking about natural disasters,
even -- flooding, weather
events.
>> Yes, we've had an earthquake
here in Maryland recently.
>> I remember.
>> And we have hurricanes.
We have, again, emergency
procedures that we put into
place.
We have a centralized response
team that will manage the school
system during those emergency
times, opening shelters, working
with the police, the Red Cross,
and other agencies, to make sure
that the school system reacts
accordingly.
Of course, one of our goals is
to always open our schools back
up, so how do we return to
normalcy after an event such as
a hurricane?
We've had to move bus stops,
we've had to, you know, get kids
into different locations because
of flooding and those type of
incidents.
So, yes, we have those plans
in place.
>> Well, Dale, you have a lot
to do.
I know this is a priority for
the school system.
I really appreciate
you joining us.
Dale Rauenzahn.
>> Not a problem. Thank you.
>> Thank you.
Coming up next, a Nashville
recording artist in our own
backyard.
Evan Michael, a country
singer/songwriter who attends
Parkville High School, is on his
way to stardom.
Let's take a look.
>> YOUNG MAN: For me, music has
always been a safe haven,
I guess.
It's always something
that I can turn to.
♪ If June and I could talk and
say we'll never fade away ♪
My music -- it's a little bit of
everything.
It's country, with a bit of an
edge to it, and then some pop
thrown into it, but I don't
know, country's just what I
grew up with.
♪ You mean more
than you know ♪
♪ Just a boy and a girl
trying to take on the world ♪
>> WOMAN: My cousin said,
"Have you seen your son singing
on YouTube?"
I said, "What?"
I said, "What do you mean,
on YouTube?"
"Yeah, he sings."
I actually kind of cried.
I was, like, elated.
I was, like, surprised.
I cried.
I was, like, "I can't believe
you didn't show us.
You know, this is terrific."
>> ♪ Slow dancing ♪
Country music is -- it's so
different for me.
Um, the whole country music
industry seems like a huge
family, and they all seem
so welcoming.
And I remember growing up
listening to country music.
♪ If June and I could talk ♪
♪ Then you would never be gone ♪
>> He can go very far in the
music business.
He's got a good mind, he's a
quick study, fast learner.
And he's hungry for it.
>> ♪ Oh, should I stay in
with this hand ♪
♪ Or should I put in
all of my chips ♪
♪ And take the risk ♪
>> Everything he's done has just
been far succeeding than
anything I've ever
seen in my life.
He works very hard, and he does
everything he can
to accomplish something.
>> ♪ All in ♪
>> BUDDENBOHN: This is his
dream, and as a parent, and
seeing him sing and him singing
very well, we believe in him.
>> ♪ You're scared to move ♪
♪ To think ♪
♪ To lose ♪
♪ To blink ♪
♪ And what if I feel scared? ♪
♪ What if you're not there? ♪
♪ Where's your heart,
your soul? ♪
♪ The tears fall ♪
♪ A rising pain ♪
♪ I'm tired of this game ♪
>> BUDDENBOHN: And if we can
help make his goals and his
dreams happen,
we're going to do it.
>> Evan is moving to Nashville
in August, and we wish him the
best and hope to hear and see
more from him in the future.
Now, experts say that in the
future, engineers will be a hot
commodity.
We visited Franklin High School,
where students there are
preparing themselves for careers
in engineering and are actually
being recruited by top
engineering schools around
the country.
>> YOUNG WOMAN: I just
like math.
I like math and science.
I've always loved science, and
math goes hand-in-hand with it.
>> Franklin's had a long history
of producing students good in
math and science.
I remember back when I went here
in the early '80s, we
had quite a few students going
to engineering school.
So I think there's always been
the opportunity for students
here to take the highest-level
courses available
in Baltimore County.
>> I've always liked math and
science ever since I was little,
and so engineering was just the
natural next step.
I like to see how things work, I
like to see their applications,
and I like to create things.
>> Now it's awesome to be smart,
'cause when you're smart, you
can get better job
opportunities, people look up to
you, they ask you for help.
I know my friends, they always
come to me like, "Najatee, do
you know what you're doing?
Do you know how to do this?"
And I just feel like I have a,
like, special place in the
world now.
>> YOUNG MAN: People do call me
a nerd occasionally, and I
really like it, because they're
validating everything I think
about myself.
I'm smart,
and these are things I like.
>> McCUSKER: We have a proven
track record that our students
can be competitive, can be
successful in an engineering
program in college.
So we weren't really surprised
last year when the University of
Maryland announced that we were
a source school for the Clark
School of Engineering.
>> NAJATEE: I can get a college
degree, I can go to college, do
whatever I really want with
myself, get what job I want.
I mean, it's just really amazing
to be smart, intelligent.
>> I've applied to the
University of Maryland at
College Park, and they have a
really great engineering
program.
There, I think I would pursue
mechanical engineering.
And the Clark School is
excellent, from everything
I've heard.
>> I want to be a biochemist
when I get older, so, I mean,
I just like this -- it's really
cool -- you can use it
for anything.
>> KEENAN: I'd really like to
become an engineer, either
aeronautical or mechanical.
I don't know where I'd work yet.
I'd possibly get into research,
but if I did work, I'd like to
enter the aerospace industry,
if I pursue that.
Who knows?
Maybe I'll end up at NASA.
That could be great.
>> Those students are
"engineered" for success.
That's some serious home-grown
brain power.
Now let's head around the county
as Hebbville Elementary School
celebrates
Dr. Martin Luther King's
birthday in a spectacular way.
And Darin Atwater, founder
and conductor of Soul Symphony,
visits Lansdowne High School to
play a little music.
>> MAN: ♪ Dr. King ♪
♪ I wish you were here to see ♪
♪ How you made things
easier on me ♪
♪ Dr. King, we still have
work to do ♪
♪ But we got to get through ♪
>> REPORTER: The air is full of
excitement at Hebbville
Elementary School.
Why?
Because of Hebbville's annual
Martin Luther King Jr. tribute
in honor of Dr. King's
birthday and legacy.
>> Staff and students today at
Hebbville Elementary
will be putting on
a Dr. Martin Luther King
performance
in honor of his birthday.
We've been learning a lot and
talking a lot about Dr. King
and what he has taught us.
>> REPORTER: The students and
staff of Hebbville look forward
to this annual event filled with
music performances, rapping,
dancing, acting, singing,
poetry, and the reciting of
Dr. King's most memorable
"I have a dream" speech.
>> I like this day because
everyone gets to participate in
the play, and everyone -- and I
get to put together the play and
stuff, and I get to sing, and
I'm very excited.
>> Today is important because
it's Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr.'s birthday
and I'm singing today.
>> FARR: Students here at
Hebbville are very, very excited
to take part in today.
For one, they have ownership
over the program.
They're all embedded in what's
going on in the program.
And for two, they would like to
show parents and community
members how much they have
learned about Dr. King.
>> REPORTER: Giving students the
chance to educate themselves and
the members of their audience
watching the performance was a
good way to carry on
Dr. King's dream.
For "Around the County,"
I'm Khalida Volou.
>> REPORTER: Students at
Lansdowne High School were all
ears to Darin Atwater,
conductor of Soulful Symphony,
which was presented by
the Hippodrome Foundation.
>> In the beginning it started
very skeptical.
They were like, "Who's this guy
coming to talk to me?
What does he know?"
And the more he came into the
classroom and brought musicians,
they started to click, like,
"This is a real person, and
they really care about who I
am," and that's for everything.
The kids now ask for, they
look forward to them coming.
>> REPORTER: By incorporating
modern music with the blues in
his musical lecture,
Darin Atwater was able to
strike a chord with the kids.
>> ♪ Don't forget me, I beg ♪
>> Great!
You all sound good!
>> ♪ I remember you said,
Sometimes it lasts in love,
but sometimes... ♪
>> My message is how we use
music as a metaphor for life, so
we're using improvisation
and chord progressions to show
that there is a certain set of
standards that we can expand on,
and you can make
unique to your own life.
>> I love music, so I like
learning about how some of the
songs are similar.
I just, I never knew that they
were so similar like that.
>> REPORTER: Can't wait to see
what the Hippodrome Foundation
has got in store for us next.
>> Baltimore County is one of
the Hippodrome Foundation's
biggest supporters, and we are
committed to working in
Baltimore County schools and
helping students appreciate and
really value what the arts can
bring in their lives.
[Playing blues]
>> So that's the blues.
[Cheers and applause]
>> REPORTER: For
"Around the County,"
I'm Erin Tyszko.
>> That does it for this
edition of "BCPS News."
If you have any story ideas,
comments, or suggestions,
contact us at
edchannel@bcps.org.
And follow BCPS
on Facebook and Twitter.
Until next time,
I'm Mary Beth Marsden.
And thanks for watching.