Smith Commemorates 350th Anniversary Year with Education Theme

Essex, Md. (October 15, 2009) - At an event held today, Baltimore County Executive Jim Smith commemorated the County's 350^th anniversary year at Chesapeake High School, 1801 Turkey Point Road in Essex. The school's virtual lab presented the perfect location to celebrate this month's anniversary theme - The Past, Present, and Future of Education in Baltimore County. Smith has marked the County's anniversary each month during this commemorative year with a focus on significant highlights in the County's history.

Attending the commemoration are all County university and college presidents as well as all living superintendents of the Baltimore County Public Schools. They included:

• President Robert Caret
  Towson University
           
• President Freeman Hrabowski
  UMBC
           
• President Sandra Kurtinitis
  CCBC
           
• President Kevin Manning
  Stevenson University
          
• President Sanford Ungar
  Goucher College
          
• Dr. Robert Y. Dubel
  BCPS Superintendent
        
• Dr. Stuart Berger
  BCPS Superintendent
       
• Dr. Joe A. Hairston
  BCPS Superintendent
          
• Dr. Anthony G. Marchione
  BCPS Superintendent
  

Welcome

Principal Maria Lowry welcomed guests and the official Baltimore County Town Crier, Fred Taylor "kicked-off" the program.

Citations Presented

Smith presented executive citations to the County presidents and superintendents, and each recipient spoke to the past, present, and future of their institution. "Of all the significant events in the history of our County, none would have been possible without our outstanding educational legacy," said Smith. "Thanks to the hard work and commitment of generations of dedicated teachers and administrators, and innovative school superintendents and college presidents, the children and young adults of Baltimore County have always been offered the finest education available."

County Councilman Joe Bartenfelder added, "Today's event shows once again why Baltimore County is a great place to live and raise a family. Baltimore County Public Schools and the outstanding institutions of higher learning in the County are rated among tops in the country."

County First

Chesapeake's virtual laboratory is the first virtual learning classroom in Baltimore County. Educators blend 21st-century skill sets with old-fashioned research in a project-based environment with 3-D visualization. This school year, students use the lab in geometry and environmental science courses; school officials say they will eventually expand to other subjects.