News around the school includes our first Financial Literacy seminar of the year by Berman McAleer, a Conversation with TCS Alumni, the recent Sponsor Meeting and a Spotlight on Dr. Latonia Moss, our English 101 teacher from Baltimore City Community College.
The students enjoyed one of their favorite “Conversations with…” today as alumni Dyrrell Moon, Olivia Yates, Ronan Guilfoyle and Jayla Nickens-Gill came back to the school. There was keen interest in the experiences that these former students had when they were in the school. The alumni shared the special value they hold for their time at TCS and how it transformed and shaped their lives. They were also inquisitive about how the school is serving current students and how they are engaged.
Each off the alumni represented different years in the school and stages in their lives from Dyrrell who graduated 7 years ago and is now working for an international organization doing election monitoring in Eastern Europe and Asia, to Olivia who just started law school at the University of Baltimore to Ronan and Jayla who are working their way through college.
This was a particularly useful and inspiring conversation and as one of our newest students commented, “I can see myself in them and every time we have a conversation it motivates me.”
This edition of TCS Student News was researched, written, produced and anchored by Rhys Guilfoyle and
It was a packed room as students, family members and sponsors gathered for the first sponsor meeting fo the year. It was a chance for everyone to renew ties and for new folks to get to know one another. Mr. Tom gave a sweeping overview of the school’s approach to education and went over the expectations of everyone. The students shared their experiences in the first few weeks of school and several sponsors shared their positive views. The next meeting will be in December.
Budgeting was the topic of the 1st Financial Literacy Seminar of the year. This monthly seminar is sponsored, staffed and developed under the capable direction of Kathleen Gower, by Berman McAeer (BMc), a wealth management company. Nearly all of the staff at BMc come in on a rotating basis throughout the year to assist in the teaching. This month Deanna Heid and Amy McAuliffe Cooper joined Kathleen serving a delicious lunch and then teaching the class.
The students learned the basics of budgeting and setting short and long term goals. For the next few class, they are to track all of their expenses – both the ones they pay for directly and that are provided for them. This will be used as a basis for the next seminar.
This is learning an essential life skill that the students take all four years at TCS with the goal of helping them make informed choices in their future financial lives. We deeply appreciate the folks at Berman McAleer for making this possible!
The students enjoyed a lively and meaningful “Conversation with…” Michelle White on Friday. Ms. White is the Assistant Dean for Early College and Access Programs at Baltimore City Community College. Many will recognize her as the former long term Principal at Western High School.
Ms. White shared stories about her early life growing up in Baltimore and attending public schools through her time as a teacher, administrator and principal in the Baltimore City School system. She talked about her challenges and the importance of her family and community in her ability to weather them. The students were impressed with her commitment to young people and the expansion of their opportunities through a quality education. She was as interested in the students as they were of her which led to a very active, wide ranging discussion.
The Community School has renewed its ties to Baltimore City Community College through Ms. White and she and her office have expanded college programming at the school for TCS students. They are now providing a professor to come into the school each semester to teach a three credit college course to our 11th and 12th grade students.
We are very thankful for the warmth, caring and candid sharing from Ms. White as well as her support in deepening our college offerings. This is a partnership that is off to an amazing start!