MISSION MOMENT: BCPS CONSULTING TEACHERS HOLD WINTER GATHERING
HOT CHOCOLATE AND FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES
To usher in the holidays, a winter gathering for more than 24 BCPS consulting teachers was held at the Exchangeree at THE AVENUE at White Marsh. That facility is one of two collaborative resource centers provided to all BCPS educators by The Education Foundation of BCPS.
The event served to both recognize the hard-working and dedicated consulting teachers and to introduce them to the multiple resources at The Exchangeree. Joelle Bielski, supervisor of the Peer Assistance and Review Program, and Chandea Rowley, BCPS consulting teacher at Church Lane Elementary Technology, planned the event.
During the event, teachers sipped hot chocolate and shopped the shelves of the Exchangeree for items ranging from desk accessories, notebooks, pencils, pens, erasers, posters, art supplies, paper, and various other student and classrooms resources at no cost to them. They were also given the opportunity, with teacher clients’ lists in hand, to stock classroom libraries with an unlimited number of books and select winter coats and accessories for those students in need. The consulting teachers left the event with a variety of supplies and resources worth an estimated $5,000.
REFLECTIONS
Some reflections about the event from several who attended:
Katie Hess | Padonia Elementary School consulting teacher: “Visiting the Exchangeree was a very pleasant experience. As a consulting teacher with BCPS, I support and oversee teachers who are building their classroom libraries and who need a variety of supplies and resources. The Exchangeree had a large variety of items that were well-organized and easy to locate. The best part of the Exchangeree was the service! The ladies assisting me were very welcoming! They were knowledgeable and helpful. It is clear that the Exchangeree truly cares about teachers and students. I will encourage the new teachers I support to come back on their own and explore.”
Melissa Changler | BCPS consulting teacher: “Visiting the Exchangeree was an amazing experience. The staff was so kind and helpful as they explained the procedures since it was my first visit. I was overwhelmed with the quantity and variety of materials available. I have already distributed the supplies I picked up to my client teachers, and they were so excited and appreciative!”
Erin Clifford | Crossroads Center consulting teacher: “I visited the Exchangeree in December to do a little ‘shopping’ for my clients, many of whom are new teachers and in need of supplies for their classrooms. As a newbie to the Exchangeree, I was pleasantly surprised by the number of supplies available, the organization of the ALL the supplies, and the staff’s overall willingness to help me find what I needed to support BCPS teachers. I will remind BCPS teachers of this amazing, FREE resource available to them and I will definitely visit again! 🙂”
Stephanie Gewon | Carroll Manor Elementary School consulting teacher: “The Exchangeree has provided me with an incredible opportunity to give an abundance of resources to my teachers. The extensive selection of materials ensured that I was able to honor all my teachers’ requests and needs. I am truly looking forward to revisiting the Exchangeree in the future and bringing my teachers with me!”
FULFILLING ITS MISSION
The foundation’s mission is to provide needed assistance to our schools, alleviating some of the concerns surrounding the cost and accessibility of research-based classroom/student resources for BCPS educators. Providing resources to teachers at no cost is a gift from our generous community through their donations and support.
There are several ways to participate in the experiences provided through the foundation’s Exchangerees. To learn more about The Education Foundation of BCPS, we invite you to visit our website. You can also join the Exchangeree experience by accessing the foundation’s Exchangeree web page.