Survive & Thrive

The VBCPS induction program begins with Teacher Orientation and continues throughout the school year with a variety of division and site-based resources and support.

This newsletter brings you useful information to inspire your professional practice, sparks a yearning for continuous learning and growth and help you to survive and thrive as a beginning teacher or an experienced teacher new to VBCPS. Enjoy!

Nestled somewhere between the crashing waves of summer and the empty beaches of autumn, is Back to School - a season in itself, rich with sights, sounds, and smells educators know and love. Whether you're starting your career, winding down, or riding a mid-career wave, you cannot avoid certain feelings:

• pride in transforming your office or classroom from a blank canvas to a warm, welcoming space
• sleepless anticipation the night before students arrive
• anxiety in facing a sea of young people looking to you for knowledge, guidance, and inspiration
• relief in waving to the taillights of the final bus to leave the parking lot.

And that's just Day 1!

Whether you're new to the profession, or just new to VBCPS, our goal is to equip you with information, resources, and supports you need to be your best for every student every day.

In this Back-to-School issue of Survive and Thrive you'll find several items intended to help you move professionally and personally through Back-to-School season with intention.

Building relationships, nurturing social and emotional development, and modeling passion, care and support. These are the building blocks of a learning environment in which students thrive academically and socially. If you were not able to join a Zoom workshop, register now in Frontline to get the Join Code for this short Schoology course.

You might be familiar with an activity that went viral in which students opened up in unexpected ways to the prompt "I wish my teacher knew...". In the spirit of building a positive and supportive learning environment, getting to know our students is definitely a building block of classroom community. However, we must proceed with cautious compassion. This blog post from Alex Shevrin Venet offers a way to reframe this strategy with a renewed intentionality. As educators, we have a professional responsibility to continuously reflect and learn from others. I invite you to read this blog with an open mind and heart for the important work of making personal and positive connections with students.

Explore what VASCD has to offer teachers at all stages of their careers. First- and second-year teachers and those new to Virginia can enjoy free membership this year. Download the flyer below for more details and a link to join.

This 15-minute video provides details about the BeWell Beach Employee Wellness program, including resources, events, and incentives.

If you attended any part of Orientation Week August 23-25 and / or engaged in online learning opportunities in July or August, we encourage you to answer a few questions about your experience. We use your responses to learn what worked and how we can improve the experience. Thank you in advance! CLICK BELOW TO COMPLETE THE SURVEY

Email: pgi@vbschools.com
Location: 641 Carriage Hill Rd.
Phone: 757-263-6972
Twitter: @PGIVBCPS