Mission
To ensure the positive physical, social emotional and academic development of each student by engaging students, families, staff and the community to address the needs of the whole child.
The Barclay School, located at the corner of 29th and Barclay Streets, serves the elementary and middle grades. As a Community Resource School it has strong ties to the neighborhoods which surround it in addition to thirty-five vibrant partnerships with institutions like Goucher College and Parks and People, Inc.
It is a certified Maryland Governor’s Green School, using the schoolyard habitat to teach children about nature and the environment, and at least 84 percent of its students have consistently scored proficient or advanced on both the reading and math portions of the Maryland School Assessment (MSA) test in the last two years.
Leadership
Principal: Although Jenny L. Heinbaugh is beginning only her 3rd year as principal of Barclay Elementary/Middle School, she has worked at the school for over twenty-five years, first as a teacher, then Assistant Principal, and now as Principal. A graduate of University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Principal Heinbaugh holds a Master of Science in Education from Johns Hopkins University. Under her administrative leadership, Barclay continues to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). Additionally, Principal Heinbaugh’s shared leadership management style allows for students, teachers, parents, and community members to take an active role in the success of the school. She was a member of the forward-thinking administrative team that decided Barclay should be a part of the Community Schools Initiative when it began in City Schools five years ago.
Principal Heinbaugh’s ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with numerous community partners is instrumental in Barclay’s continued growth as a Community Resource School. Under her leadership, parent and community involvement has shown improvement over the last three years, primarily in the area of volunteerism.
PTO: During the past several years, Barclay Elementary/Middle School has had an informal Parent Teacher Community Organization group. This group averaged 12 to 25 parents at their bi-monthly meetings. This past school year (09/10) there was a group of engaged parents researching options, as well as the process taken to establish a “formalized” parent group. Presentations were made to the parents, an organizational structure was voted on, resulting in a PTA, and officers were elected. Currently, this board of the PTA is focusing on recruiting and building the investment of other parents in the school before making the push of being a formally recognized PTA. They have held multiple parent engagement trainings and events to encourage communication amongst parents. There are many events in the planning phase for the PTA and consistently growing numbers of attendees to such events. Additionally, the Family Community Engagement Team (FCET), a subcommittee of the School Family Council (the school’s governing body) hosts monthly meetings and activities that include Family Nights, Chat & Chews, Parent/Community workshops, and Healthy School fairs. The FCET reports to the School Family Council monthly on the implementation of the school’s Family and Community Engagement Action Plan which is currently being revised and having new focuses added, such as increased communication to all parents at the Barclay School.
Academics
Project Based Learning: As part of the Great Schools Charles Village initiative, Barclay has augmented their curriculum with a project based learning component, giving students practical application for the knowledge they learn in school in order to provide a strong context for learning. For more information about Project Based Learning, click here.
Curriculum: The school serves 479 students in Pre-K through 8th grade. Their overall learning philosophy is to rigorously meet the needs of the “whole child,” where all staff members strive to meet not only the academic needs of all students, no matter the level, but also their physical, social, and emotional needs as well.
Barclay Elementary/Middle School implements the mandatory State Curriculum of Maryland and utilizes Open Court and Scotts Foresman textbooks – both of which have been officially adopted by the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners.
Open Court Reading is an elementary basal reading program for grades K- 6 developed by SRA/McGraw-Hill and designed to systematically teach decoding, comprehension, inquiry and investigation, and writing in a logical progression. Additionally, teachers in Pre-K – 2nd grade employ Project Early Identification, a three-tiered Response To Intervention initiative which tracks reading difficulties and provides interventions where and when necessary. Students in 7th and 8th grade use novels to develop their literary knowledge, vocabulary, and advanced grammar conventions. SRA Direct Instruction is given to 4th-8th grade students who are reading below grade-level.
For Mathematics, the school uses Math Works, a program developed by the 2002 Maryland State Teacher of the Year, Linda Eberhart and designed for students to master math skills in the Maryland State Curriculum, which are assessed on the Maryland State Assessment (MSA). All students use Scotts Foresman textbooks to support and provide resources for Math Works.
Barclay already has in place certain aspects of our vision for the future. We want to be able to implement the Voluntary State Curriculum in a more creative way by further implementing arts integration and the state arts standards. To take us to the next level, we are implementing interdisciplinary, thematic, project-based instruction.
Test scores are available here.
Enrichment Activities
Through committed relationships and partnerships with staff members and community partners the school offers academic, athletic, cultural and arts programs during and after school. All teachers in grade 5 – 8 provide Coach Classes after school to provide extra attention for students needing academic support. Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in the Baltimore Urban Debate League, academic competitions through the National Academic League, financial training through Stocks In The Future, and outdoor education through North Bay. Elementary students can participate in an after school program that blends academic, cultural, artistic and athletic activities to complement and extend school-day learning. Basketball, soccer, volleyball, and lacrosse are offered to middle school students.
Additional clubs and enrichment programs include; Chess Club, Environmental Justice, Reading Circle, Gardening Club, Girl Scouts, Story Pals, Days of Taste, Days of Service, Creative Writing Club, Girls Enrichment, and Future Problem Solvers. Monthly Family Night events are an excellent way for parents to remain actively involved in their child’s education and in the school itself.