Community Partnerships
Hillcrest in the Community
- Catonsville Presbyterian Church: This church is adjacent to the school's campus and has been a partner with the school for many years. Many of our students have participated in their outdoor preschool program and/or after school programs and are members of the congregation. Our partnership in environmental stewardship began in 2010 when the school worked with the church to create an outdoor classroom on their campus. The final project served as an outdoor preschool led by the church as well as a popular after school play space for Hillcrest students . Over the years the church and school have worked to coordinate clean ups and tree plantings and write grant applications for additional greening projects. Most recently, our students assisted them with their Native Woodlands Project. Students collected seeds and divided plants in our native perennial garden and helped plant them in their project site.
Community Active in the School
- Maryland Department of Natural Resources: for approximately 16 years Hillcrest Elementary School has partnered with DNR, implementing an annual raise and release program for fish native to the Patapsco River. DNR has provided many facets to this program over the years, including fish and the instruction to raise them, classroom and field activities. For many years DNR assisted with running the full day Fish Release field trip that serves our entire 1st and 3rd grade classes., however, the Hillcrest PTA Environmental Committee took over the facilitation of the field trip portion of the program, after many years of instruction and guidance provided by DNR staff. The program still however uses DNR support and utilizes Patapsco State Park's Avalon Area for the release. Each Fall, our PTA volunteers either venture down to their fishery in Southern Maryland to acquire our juvenile Bluegill or DNR delivers them to the school. Throughout the year we utilize them for advice in trouble shooting any issues that we may have with our tanks.
November 4, 2017 - Maryland DNR delivered approximately 800 juvenile bluegill for classrooms to raise for our Fish Release Program. Members of the PTA help with the operation.
- Baltimore County Bureau of Solid Waste Management: provides new recycling bins or dumpsters and sent a public information specialist to lead several assemblies on recycling to reach all the school's students. In 2016, Recycle Town came to Hillcrest for one week in October. This was a display to teach students about recycling. Hillcrest also had a recycle assembly for all students and teachers in November 30, 2016 with staff from the Bureau of Solid Waste Management.
- The Hillcrest PTA : The PTA has supported many environmental activities through funding, materials, promotions, and parent-volunteers. There are now two separate committees dedicated to the school's environmental and outdoor education efforts. The Environmental Committee , with about 30 active members, facilitates our Fish Release program, insect raising in the classroom, recycling efforts and Math and Science Night. The Courtyard Committee , with 15 members, works with teachers and students to maintain our garden spaces and provide teachers with support when facilitating plantings and harvestings. In the Fall of 2017, the PTA donated a large shed to the courtyard so that we could properly stow our gardening and outdoor education equipment.
Throughout the year, PTA members assist students with garden maintenance projects.
- Clare Walker- Master Gardener, and Master Naturalist- Clare Walker has been an integral part of our school community for many years. As a Master Gardener, she has loaned her knowledge, time and energy to help us build and maintain our courtyard. She also planned and facilitated each class participating with planting and harvesting. Her effort to help build and maintain our courtyard and incorporate it into our classrooms has been extraordinary. In Spring of 2016 we presented her with a bench, inscribed with a personalized thank you for her dedication to our gardening and environmental education efforts. As a Master Naturalist, she has visited the school to teach about local flora and fauna as well as help facilitate activities at our Fish Release Programs.
- Girl Scouts: in January 2016, Victoria Shepherd, Girl Scout and Hillcrest alumni, approached the school about wanting to "Gold Project" to give back to the community and the school. She wanted create and package curricular activities for our Courtyard that would offer teachers a quick "go to" when they wanted to get their students outside. She met a few times with our PTA's Environmental Committee and the teacher's Innovation team to coordinate her project.
- Local landscape architect: Our partnership with local landscape architect firm, Plusen Llc, began with the original designing of our courtyard space. This partnership has continued as the firm has continued to give advice on layouts and improvements. He was strategic in the design and acquisition of our shade structure, and continues to help us the raising of our shade sail each year.
- Baltimore County Master Gardeners - Volunteers have not only offered us advice on our garden projects, but they have assisted with special events as well. At our 2017 Wellness Night, volunteers set up table teaching students about the importance of native plants. Activities included making seed balls that the students could take home with them. They have also donated plants for our courtyard garden.
- Maryland Master Naturalists - Volunteer to assist with our Fish Release program. For the last couple years we have had a couple Naturalists show up for each trip to help run our learning stations. In May of 2016, Gwen Morrison, assisted with our Macro invertebrate/Seining station. Other Naturalists, helped with our Log Roll/Decomposition station.