TOWSON, MD—Baltimore County schools turned blue on Thursday, Jan. 9, for Team BCPS Day 2025. Students, staff and community members showed their support for the school system by wearing blue and sharing photos on social media using the hashtag #BCPSblue.

The annual event, held on the second Thursday of January, celebrates the achievements and spirit of Baltimore County Public Schools. This year, participants submitted more than 150 photos showcasing their creativity and enthusiasm.

The school system awarded prizes to several individuals and groups for their outstanding contributions, including:

• Best and Brightest Blue Shoes: Dominic Hood, fifth grade, Rossville Elementary School
• Best BCPS Cheerleader: Delayni Nemec, third grade, Riverview Elementary School
• Best BCPS Multiverse: Rodgers Forge Elementary School — staff, staff who are BCPS parents, staff who are BCPS alumni
• Best Blue Lunch Period: Winand Elementary School
• Best Blue-on-Blue-on-Blue Photo: Mandy Shanks, principal, Dumbarton Middle School
• Best Blue Through and Through Post: Chapel Hill Elementary School
• Best Custom-made Team BCPS Day hats: Rebecca Strumsky’s first-grade class, Vincent Farm Elementary School
• Best Mother/Daughter/Teacher/Student Photo: Kaleigh Braverman, library media specialist, and her daughter Jamie Braverman, a kindergarten student, Vincent Farm Elementary School
• Best (Red, White, and) Blue Outfit: D’Vea Williams, eighth-grade student, Lansdowne Middle School
• Best Return Engagements: Three Pikesville High School students who returned as Pikesville High teachers — English teacher Lauren Gill, social studies teacher Ethan Goodman, and mathematics teacher Guiliana Datnoff
• Best True-Blue Business Partner: First Financial Federal Credit Union
• Best True-Blue Hug: Candace Brinkley, principal of Reisterstown Elementary School, and three students — Brandon Beltran Romero, third grade; Deysi Beltran Romero, first grade; and Sheila Romero, first grade. Also recognized is first grader Elizabeth-Sophia Gelba, a student photographer.
• Best True-Blue Legislator: Baltimore County Delegation, Maryland State Legislature
• Best True-Blue Photographer: Courtney Holewinski, CARE liaison, Bear Creek Elementary School. Holewinski photographed 60 staff and students.
• Best True-Blue Toe-to-Toe Competition: Scott Conway, principal, Hampton Elementary School, versus Justin Pugh, vocal music teacher, Pine Grove Elementary School
• Best True-Blue Young Learners: West Towson Elementary School Prekindergarten
• Best Wall-to-Wall Blue: Grange Elementary School staff
• Bluest Classroom Photo: Brittany McKenzie’s second-grade class, Rossville Elementary School
• Most Overarching True-Blue Pride: Jill Rosenthal, social worker, The Chatsworth School
• Most Stalwart True-Blue Family: Katie Cox, kindergarten teacher, Fifth District Elementary School, and family

Team BCPS Day, a celebration of the schools, students, and staff of BCPS, takes place each year on the second Thursday in January.   Photos from Team BCPS Day are available here on Flickr.

This article was written with the assistance of AI and reviewed by a human editor.