Inspiration for the New School Year 2017 – 2018

A Back-to-School Message from Mr. Shawn Elbert, Director 

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At the start of a new school year, we feel a sense of excitement. After having time off in the summer

to relax and rejuvenate, we approach the upcoming school year with a renewed sense of purpose, determination, and eagerness to teach. We look at our empty classroom and school as a blank canvas and we imagine what we can create in the minds of our students. We know each year will have its share of ups and downs, successes and failures; however, each opportunity is a chance to learn. A chance to challenge ourselves. A chance to step up to the plate.

I was recently watching the Little League World Series and thought about my days playing baseball. I remembered the times watching from the dugout with my teammates as the opposing pitcher would “warm-up” on the mound. We wanted to see how fast he threw the ball. If he was throwing slow and controlled, we all chomped at the bit to get a chance to bat. If he was throwing some “heat” with a lot of movement in the ball, some of us (including myself) would be hesitant to stand in the batter’s box to face him. We didn’t know what to expect. If I wasn’t confident I could hit the ball, I would often stand further away from the plate. It made me feel safer in the batter’s box. Our coach would encourage us to be disciplined batters, not to be afraid, and to step up to the plate. We may not have known what pitch he was going to throw and how fast he would throw it, but we wouldn’t have a chance to hit it if we weren’t ready for the challenge… if we didn’t step up to the plate.

 

This school year will undoubtedly present its share of challenges. We may have many things “thrown at us” that we haven’t seen before. It may be a challenging curriculum, challenging behaviors, or a sense of not having enough time to complete lessons. It may feel overwhelming and the task may feel daunting. The good news is we were built to accept the challenge. There is something inside of us that helps us to step up to the plate.

So this year I encourage each one of us to accept the challenge before us. Maybe

we want to be the best teacher, student aide, behavior staff, or social worker we can be this year. Maybe it’s to be the best parent, spouse, sibling, or friend we can be. Whatever the challenge is, let’s all remember that with God ALL things are possible! If we believe, keep the faith, and help one another, there is no limit to what we can do.

But first, we have to step up to the plate!

 

 

 

Thank you so much for your contribution in support of our Back to School appeal! While we appreciate online contributions, if you are having any trouble using our online form you are also welcome to mail a check to:

Board of Child Care
Attn: Back to School
3300 Gaither Road
Baltimore, MD 21244

You may also call (410) 922-2100 x5430 to make a contribution over the phone during regular business hours.

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Behind the Tassel-Yeremiyah


“The opportunity changed my Life.” -Yeremiyah

Yeremiyah feels that when he came to the Board of Child Care with three of his siblings, he was ” fortunate to have been granted an opportunity to  change my life forever and hopefully change the lives of those around me.”  Thanks to BCC’s assistance, Yeremiyah realized his dreams and achieved the goals that he would not have considered.  Playing sports, graduating from high school and being accepted into college are only a fraction of the things he has been able to accomplish with BCC’s help.  Yeremiyah made the Dean’s List attending  North Carolina State University where he is pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in chemical engineering. He says, ” The BCC is a support system that I consider to be part of my family.

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Thomas L. Curcio, former President/CEO and youth advocate passes away.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kristian Sekse
(443) 845-4395 (cell)
ksekse@everstand.org

BOARD OF CHILD CARE ANNOUNCES THE PASSING OF THOMAS L. CURCIO, FORMER PRESIDENT/CEO

Baltimore, Md. – August 23, 2017 – “On behalf of the Board of Child Care (BCC) Board of Directors, our employees, and program alumni, it is with deep sorrow that we announce the unexpected passing of Thomas Curcio,” stated Guy Everhart, chair of the board of directors.  “Our hearts and prayers are with the Curcio family.” Mr. Curcio, passed away August 22, 2017.

Mr. Curcio started his career in the field of child welfare more than 45 years ago.  In 1993, he took over as executive director (later becoming president and CEO) of the Board of Child Care and led BCC through remarkable growth. When Mr. Curcio assumed his leadership post, BCC had an annual budget of just $3 million and served 50 youth on one campus. Upon his retirement on June 30, 2014, the organization spanned Maryland, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia and served hundreds of children and young adults annually.

During Mr. Curcio’s leadership the Board of Child Care received several honors including Organization of the Year Award and Best Practice Award for Innovative Programming from the United Methodist Association. In 2009 Mr. Curcio was named Administrator of the Year by the same association. A year prior, he received the Samuel Gerson Nordlinger Child Welfare Leadership Award from the Alliance for Children and Families.

An Ellicott City resident, Mr. Curcio graduated from Gannon University in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He held both a master’s in criminal justice from Long Island University and a master’s in social work from Hunter College, School of Social Work.

Family and friends may call at the Candle Light Funeral Home by Craig Witzke for a memorial gathering on Friday, 6-8pm. Services and Interment private. For further information and/or to post condolences, please visit www.candlelightfuneralhome.com

About the Board of Child Care

The Board of Child Care has a long history of serving children and families in the community.  The organization began as three United Methodist orphanages that opened in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which later merged in 1960 to become the Board of Child Care.

Today, the Board of Child Care’s $32 million annual budget provides programs that enrich communities, one family at a time.  It offers residential treatment, mental health, special and early learning educational programs, and community-based programs throughout the Mid-Atlantic.  To see a map of all program locations and descriptions of each BCC program, visit boardofchildcare.org.

 

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BCC Receives Official EAGLE Accreditation Notice

Board of Child Care is proud to announce that we received word today that our 2017-2021 EAGLE accreditation was officially renewed!  

We had undergone our site visit from the EAGLE review team in March of this year and are thrilled to have received our confirmation letter today.  The site visit involves interviews with program participants, families of our clients, staff members, and our Board of Directors.  The review team also reviews client charts, policy and procedure manuals, and a host of other documentation to ensure that BCC’s operations meet or exceed the EAGLE standards.

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Behind the Tassel – Matthew

Matthew Howard: An Alumni Who Gives Back Every Day

As most anyone on campus knows, Matthew Howard is a well-respected and hard-working member of the Board of Child Care staff. After only two years as head of the on-campus mechanic shop, he has found ways to save thousands in unnecessary charges and updated operations in numerous ways.  What’s less well-known is that he’s also an alumnus of Strawbridge School. That’s not surprising since, as he says, he did not fit the profile of a “typical” student.

“Not everyone who attends Strawbridge School comes from adverse homes,” says Matthew. “My family life is actually pretty solid. I was lucky for that, compared to a lot of the other kids here. I have a lot of support from both of my parents.”

Yet the school proved to be the right fit for him, in so many ways. More important, the transformation that he experienced during the three years he attended was textbook. Matthew admits he never felt comfortable in any school, and the middle school years were particularly difficult for him. “I had a lot of challenges [in 7th and 8th grade], a lot of anxiety and social problems,” he says. “I was super-antisocial and had a really hard time in large groups of kids. So I just wound up leaving school to go hang out in the woods for 6 hours. I just needed to be by myself.”

The public school system tends to be intolerant of such behavior, and eventually, after receiving some counseling and being transferred to several different schools, Matthew wound up as a day student at Strawbridge. As it turned out, it was what he needed most. “In public school, it was like you were up to something if you didn’t want to go to class or anything like that,” he says. “Their answer is always ‘no.’ here [at Strawbridge], it was more like, ‘how can we help you get back into class at some point?’ There is just a strong level of support here for any problems I had, which was really helpful.”

Matthew says Strawbridge’s focus on the individual student’s need, along with small classrooms guided by education specialists, were key to his ability to grow and eventually thrive. “Coming here felt more comforting, it just seemed different. Here, they were accepting of the type of person I was,” says Matthew, who graduated in 2001. “They don’t try to ‘fix’ you, they just try to help you understand that it’s OK if you’re different. A lot of it is just helping you accept and understand who you are.”

One of the things that helped him cope and find a pathway forward, he says, was the school’s flexible curriculum. “I had a lot of electives and I was given more ways to express myself,” he says, adding that he spent a lot of time in the wood shop during senior year, which allowed him to find inspiration and discover something he liked to do. In fact, he originally intended to pursue a career in carpentry after graduation.

Eventually, his desire to work with his hands — and to work indoors on solid ground, rather than up on a roof in bad weather — led him to join his father’s auto mechanic shop. He worked there for a decade and gained experience, know-how and increased responsibility.

In 2015, when offered the opportunity to come back to BCC to run the on-campus mechanic operations, Matthew couldn’t resist. “It felt like it would be cool to come back and work here and give something back,” he says. “I am happy to be back here. It feels like home.” Giving back includes mentoring and teaching: “I have kids who work with me from time to time, and if any are willing to learn, I am more than happy to teach them.”

And not just about maintaining and repairing vehicles, either.

“I tell them to embrace this place,” he says. “This place has a lot of support and a lot to offer, and I think it’s important that they acknowledge that.”

Learn more about our graduates at Behind the Tassel.

 

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Behind The Tassel – William

 

LIFE IS A GREAT BIG CANVAS, THROW ALL THE PAINT YOU CAN ON IT! – Danny Kaye

William R. is a graduate of a local high school. His favorite class in high school was Gifted and Talented (GT) Art.  He plans to begin at a community college and then hopes to transfer to Stevenson University in order to enroll in a Visual Arts program.

William earned 105 hours of community service. He wrote about the impact of his experience volunteering at the senior citizen center and Boys and Girls Club of Harford County.  He reflected on learning about his own feelings and attitudes as he worked with people who were different than himself.  As a result of his self-reflection, he immediately changed his way of interacting with others.  During the event, one of the staff observed how well he was doing and complimented him.

Our Committee was extremely impressed with not only Will’s community service but his ability to articulate the impact it had on him.

Please join us in congratulating William on receiving the Mathis Award for Community Service! Go to Behind the Tassel for more pics and moments!

 

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Behind the Tassel – Cambria

PICTURED FOR SUCCESS!

Cambria W. is a graduate of a local high school. Her favorite class in high school was Economic and Public Issues.  In March of this year, Cambria was awarded student of the month at her school because of her focus, strong determination, leadership skills and participation in classes.

Cambria plans to begin her studies at a local community college and then transfer in order to complete her Bachelor’s degree in the arts. Her dream is to go to the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA).  She states that she has found great pleasure in photography and hopes to move into videography as well.  Her goal is to become a professional photographer with a concentration on photo shoots for animals.

In recognition of her plans for continuing her education, Cambria receives a scholarship from Chase United Methodist Church. We congratulate Cambria and wish her well!  Go Behind the Tassel for more pics and moments!

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Behind the Tassel – Franki

Franki is an Anne Arundel County high school graduate where she achieved stellar academic success. She earned a weighted grade point average of 4.11 and non-weighted of 3.66.  As of May 12, 2017, she ranked 23 out of 341 in her class.  Her favorite class was AP World History.  Her student transcript is filled with many Advanced Placement and Honors classes.

Franki has been accepted to a four-year college and will begin study there this fall. She plans to obtain a degree in Sports Medicine.  Her choice of career was influenced by her work at an Orthopedic Sports Medicine Center as a receptionist.

Her college – 2,685 miles from her hometown in Maryland – represents an exciting next chapter in her life.

We congratulate Franki on winning the Alice G. Seymour Award for Academic Achievement and wish her well in her future success!

Go Behind Tassel for more pics and moments!

 

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Behind the Tassle – Aaron

Charlie Parker, the pioneering jazz saxophonist, once mentioned to one of his bandmates that he really liked country music. Puzzled, the band mate asked why. Parker responded “The stories, man. The stories.” The stories are the best part of graduation. The weeks leading up to graduation are full of events celebrating the successes of students. Today, we invite you to follow Charlie Parker’s example and listen to the stories of BCC graduates. Enjoy!

 

FUTURE VET TECH

Aaron J. is a graduate of the Strawbridge School. His favorite class in high school was English 12.  At his graduation, Aaron received awards from the Vocational and Science departments.

Many of us and the BCC staff have benefited from Aaron’s involvement with Maxine’s Café and the Breezeway Market. He has given many hours in service to the School – and provided enjoyment to his customers!

Aaron wrote about the impact of his life in terms of his accomplishment in graduating from high school. He is the second person in his family to do so.  His younger siblings look up to him as a role model.  He has worked hard and wants to leave a positive impact on his classmates as well as the teachers and staff he has had at Strawbridge.  Aaron is someone who tries to help out whenever he can.

Aaron has been accepted to CCBC (Community College of Baltimore County) and will begin study this fall. He would like to become a Vet Technician.  Over the summer he will be in the work program at BCC working in the auto shop.

In recognition of his plans to continue his education, Aaron receives a scholarship from Chase United Methodist Church. We congratulate Aaron and wish him well!

 

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Many Thanks to David Daughaday

David has concluded his term on BCC’s Board of Directors effective June 30, 2017. During his tenure he served as both chair of the finance and asset management committees as well as Treasurer.  His leadership and thoughtful questions and suggestions will be sincerely missed, and we wish him well as he begins his next grand adventure – retirement!

From left to right: Laurie Anne Spagnola, David Daughaday, Guy Everhart
David receives a piggy bank as a small token of appreciation for his years of service as the Board treasurer.

 

David receives a piece of art made by one of the youth on campus.
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