Making honor roll or maintaining perfect attendance in the rigorous and busy environment at the Baltimore School for the Arts is an achievement deserving of rewards. Yet, the BSA administrations’ first round of honor roll celebrations for the end of Quarter 1 have been the subject of scheduling tension.
BSA Principal Rosiland Cauthen explained that the various rewards were meant to recognize students for their achievements and that 216 students were slated for the rewards out of 430 total BSA students. These students earned at least an 80 percent, or B-, in each of their academic classes.
However, there were different rewards for the freshman and for the other grades— this was intentional.
Cauthen stated that the administration “wanted to do something special for the freshman since it’s their first year and first honor roll at BSA.” Freshmen were rewarded with a field trip to Skateland Putty Hill occurring on Monday, November 6, while sophomores and above received a catered breakfast scheduled for the following morning.
When the information about the skating trip was released, freshmen members of BSA’s Symphonic Wind Ensemble (SWE) knew there was a problem— the SWE had a mandatory rehearsal during that school day for a concert two days from then.
This rehearsal was announced weeks prior to the trip, so SWE musicians knew there was a slim chance that they would attend the reward trip.
But, what of the rest of the department? The orchestras and chorus had no concerts within the next three weeks, so would only the freshmen in the SWE be excluded from the trip?
Confusion was cleared when Music department staff posted on Google Classroom that honor roll freshmen would be “unable to go due to mandatory rehearsals” because “it is more important that we are all prepared for our upcoming events.”
Cauthen clarified where the decision was made, explaining, “[I] made the decision. I realized a little too late that the field trip conflicted with Music rehearsals. We’re still working to figure out our complex schedule of classes, performances, and rehearsals, while also adding in new programming such as Honor roll celebrations. Our calendar is a complex matrix and at times priorities compete and conflicts happen.”
Freshmen musicians were evidently disappointed. Two weeks after the cancellation, freshman musician Leo Schiavone said, “I feel like they should have made it up somehow, because we didn’t get to go on the field trip.”
Schiavone’s discontent was justified: in that same Google Classroom post, Music staff wrote that Honor Roll freshmen “will get another opportunity to celebrate… honor roll accomplishments in the near future,” with a promise to keep students updated.
Yet, as of the 6th of December, no such opportunity has been announced; Principal Roz promised that “[the administration is] working on this. More specific details to come.”
Soon after the freshman trip, Assistant Principal for Student Support Dawn Strickland announced via email the reward for tenth graders and above— a special breakfast to take place from 7:45 to 8:20 a.m. on Tuesday, November 7.
However, a last-minute cancellation due to an issue with the caterers left many students unfed and hungry. Students claimed to have not received any communication from administration, but Principal Cauthen clarified that “we did not realize they wouldn’t be showing up until the morning of the breakfast. As soon as we were informed by them, we informed the students.”
“It was a little bit [of] poor planning,” said sophomore visual artist Abigail McMaines. “I know it wasn’t BSA’s fault, because it was the catering company that canceled, but it was a disappointing turn of events. There were so many kids who didn’t eat breakfast.”
The breakfast was rescheduled for the morning of Tuesday, November 21, at which point upperclassmen were directed to the cafeteria for their promised meal. The scene was a chaotic one as over 100 students tried to get food at once, causing backups and confusion.
This was the second time an Honor Roll breakfast occurred, another having happened at the end of last year. Sophomore vocalist Ruthie Kumodzi compared it to last year’s event: “Last year, you were just able to go up and get your breakfast, but this year, they had a very long line, and by the time I was done, I didn’t get to sit down and eat my food.”
Scheduling conflicts and communication errors are common occurrences at the bustling Baltimore School for the Arts. As the departments wrap up their winter performances, students and staff are already preparing for mid-year juries, mid-terms, the 2024 Expressions showcase, and other forthcoming programs.
Nevertheless, BSA Principal Rosalind Cauthen asserted that the administration was dedicated to ensuring recognition of students’ achievements.
“Ultimately we were trying to do a good thing by celebrating the accomplishments of our community,” Cauthen wrote. “We just have to keep working to get the logistics right next time.”
To contact this writer, email Muse Newspaper at musebsa@bsfa.org.
Featured photos of freshman students skating photographed by Yolanda Morgan Mobley.
