NPS NOW NEWSLETTER

Education is always about preparing for the future.

We seek, always, to ensure that our students are ready for what comes next – the next quiz, the next Standards of Learning test, the next grade level, graduation, college, employment, and careers.

In short, we strive to ensure they are prepared for life.

That is why so much of our work here looks forward, from the division’s strategic plan, “Continuing the Drive | Equity and Excellence for All” that maps out the next five years, to our operating budget that maps out our spending for the next fiscal year, to classroom lesson plans for the next marking period.

You will find a lot of that focus upon the future in this newsletter. Mark your calendars for graduations – those caps and gowns will be here before you know it! Save time, too, for the upcoming Connecting for Students summit this summer. Applaud our students at Booker T. Washington High School who recently participated in financial literacy lessons: groundwork for life. And celebrate our students enrolled at the Norfolk Technical Center who participated in an event for Future Health Professionals – in preparation for outstanding careers in STEM.

I am excited to see what the future holds for all our scholars who are featured in this month’s edition of the NPS Now Newsletter.

Finally, please join me in wearing purple on April 19, 2023, to celebrate all the military branches represented in our schools by the children of service members. We salute the service of their parents, and we warmly welcome military-connected children to our schools.

The City of Norfolk School Board approved Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong’s proposed operating budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year in a meeting held on Wednesday, March 22.

The School Board’s approved budget now heads to the City Council for consideration.

The budget approved by the Board stands at $494.8 million and underwrites the daily operations and immediate facility improvements of the school division. It focuses on five priorities: compensation; employee recruitment and retention; safety and security; additional resources for schools and students; and building maintenance and repairs.

Recommendations from Dr. Byrdsong include:

• Pay increases for all staff including teachers, bus drivers, school nutrition, and facilities staff;
• The continuation of a variety of bonuses designed to improve teacher recruitment;
• Safety and security enhancements, including pay raises for existing security staff, hiring additional school security officers, and installing a weapons detection system at each school;
• Additional resources for students and schools that range from enhanced support for English Language Learners to the purchase of additional mobile devices to maintain one-to-one student access to personal technology; and
• Window, door, and roof replacements for schools.

“This budget proposal is a sound recommendation that improves employee compensation, enhances school security, and strengthens programs for children, both academically and in the area of social-emotional well-being,” said Board Chair Dr. Adale Martin. “We thank Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong and her staff for working with the School Board to craft a budget that is superbly aligned with our strategic plan, Continuing the Drive: Equity and Excellence for All. The School Board and the NPS administration are determined to provide public education that is relevant to preparing students for their path ahead."

City Council will adopt a municipal budget, which includes an expenditure plan for schools, in May. The 2023-2024 fiscal year begins July 1, 2023.

Norfolk Public Schools has received the 2022–2023 Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) from the Association of School Business Officials International (ASBO).

The award “demonstrates the high standards you and your school district have for school business management and budget policies,” said the award letter from ASBO Chief Operating Officer Siobhán McMahon.

Congratulations to the staff members in the Department of Budget and Grants Management in addition to other NPS staff who supported the development of our fiscally-sound operating budget. Well done Team NPS!

Do you have a child who will be 3 or 4 years old by September 30, 2023?

If so, the Department of Early Learning and Title I is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year.

Norfolk Public Schools offers high-quality preschool for qualifying children.

Preschool classes are free, in-person, and offered five days a week in accordance with the school division’s adopted academic calendar.

Preschool matters! Don’t miss this opportunity to apply and see if you qualify for this important first step in your child’s education!

To apply for NPS’ preschool programs, visit the Preschool Application Process page under the Department of Early Learning and Title I webpage.

Two recent events brought hundreds of students together from across NPS to highlight their athletic abilities. Students in grades 9-12 competed in the Champions Together Track Meet on March 21 at Norview High School while elementary school students participated in the Little Feet Meet on April 4 at Old Dominion University.

Both events are co-sponsored by Norfolk Public Schools and Special Olympics Virginia.

About 250 students from all five NPS high schools participate each year in the Champions event. “Teams of approximately equal numbers of students with and without intellectual disabilities compete in track and field events,” said Candace Delpino, Senior Coordinator of Learning Support - Special Education Services for NPS. All students were awarded a medal for participation, and students placing in each event received a ribbon.

“The Little Feet Meet is designed to be socially inclusive and engage all learners,” Delpino said. Students participate in disability and inclusion awareness campaigns leading up to both the spring Little Feet Meet and the Big Feet Meet in the fall.

This year, approximately 600 students from 15 elementary schools across NPS participated, which is an increase from 12 schools in 2022. Volunteers from ODU Athletics, Therapeutic Recreation and Physical Therapy Departments, along with the Norfolk Police Department, Norfolk Sheriff’s Office, Naval Station Norfolk, Riverside School of Health Careers, Norfolk State University, and many others contribute to the event’s success.

The Virtual Scholars Academy (VSA), NPS’ online school, is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year!

VSA is available to students in grades K-12 with full course offerings through Virtual Virginia to include special education services provided by NPS teachers.

Students interested in attending VSA must apply and be accepted into the program. If accepted, those students will remain enrolled at their zoned school and can participate in all school-sponsored sports, clubs, and activities.

The application deadline is Friday, April 28, 2023. Click here for more information and to apply.

Middle School students at Southside STEM Academy at Campostella wrapped up two weeks of FREE swim lessons at the Blocker Norfolk Family YMCA.

The lessons are part of a program called A Splash of Joy, which provides water safety skills and lifeguarding training to underserved communities. The scholarships are fully funded through donations from POOLCORP.

The company believes the experience of enjoying the water should be universal, and that was evident by the smiles, laughs, and enthusiasm SSAC’s Scholars displayed during the lessons!

NPS extends its thanks to the Blocker Norfolk Family YMCA and POOLCORP for the opportunity with hopes to share A Splash of Joy with even more NPS students in the future!

Please visit our photo gallery for all of the sights and sounds from our awesome SSAC swimmers.

Norfolk Technical Center students attended the 43rd annual Virginia Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) Future Health Professionals competition in Williamsburg from March 10 to 12 to demonstrate their newly learned professional skills. Students displayed their health science knowledge and skills through competitive events individually or in teams through online tests, skill demonstrations, formal presentations, displays of work, or group situations.

At the State Leadership Conference, members who place first, second, or third are given the opportunity to compete at the international competition during the International Leadership Conference (ILC), which will be held in Dallas, Texas, from June 21-24, 2023. Students who place fourth and fifth are considered alternates. Norfolk Technical Center HOSA members Leidi Galan-Alfaro (NTC Practical Nursing/Norview) and Andrea Arcelao (NTC Dental Career/Lake Taylor) both qualified for the 2023 International Leadership Conference!

Dental Careers:

• Andrea Arcelao: 2nd Place Dental Terminology, 4th Place, Dental Science
• Tyler Pierre: 4th Place, Dental Terminology

Clinical Medical Assisting:

• Destany Walston: 4th Place, Medical Assisting Skills

Nursing I:

• Saniyah Butler: 4th Place, Health Education
• Leidi Galan-Alfaro: 4th Place, Health Education, 1st Home Health Aide
• Cheyan Sarber: 4th Place, Health Education, 4th Place, Job Seeking Skills

Pharmacy Technician:

• Janiah Owens: 4th Place, Pharmacy Science

Norfolk Public Schools’ Department of Learning Support – Special Education Services will host the 2023 Connecting for Students Community Summit on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at Lake Taylor High School.

The summit will provide an engaging, supportive experience that promotes learning without limits for students and embodies NPS’ efforts toward meeting and/or exceeding the goals described in the school division’s strategic plan, Continuing the Drive | Equity and Excellence for All. The summit seeks to strengthen the connection between the community and schools, and to provide tools and information to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment in which all students can thrive.

NPS’ Department of Learning Support-Special Education Services seeks education professionals and community organizations interested in presenting at the summit.

Proposals for presentations on strategies that support early academic and behavior intervention for ALL students, PK-12 and beyond, are strongly encouraged. Sessions must incorporate participant interaction and engagement. Session presentations that emphasize the inclusion of students with disabilities, alternatives to suspension, or increasing students’ self-determining and self-advocacy skills are also highly encouraged. Conference organizers request that potential presenters design sessions for parents/guardians, educators/school staff, and community members as the intended audience - including sessions where all participants can learn together, and strategies gained can be applied at home, school, or the community in working with students.

For presentation ideas, the 2022 conference agenda included the following session topics and much more:

• High-Leverage Practices
• Social-Emotional Learning
• Trauma-Informed Care
• Culturally Responsive Teaching
• Equity and Inclusion
• Family Engagement
• Building Parent, School, and Community Partnerships
• Social Emotional Learning through Music and Art
• Executive Functioning Skills with Older Students
• ABC’s of Storytelling
• Self-advocacy and Self-determination for Students/Families
• Self-care for Students, Families, and Educators

To apply, visit https://www.npsk12.com/connectingforstudents.

The application deadline is Friday, April 7, 2023.

Please check back in mid-April for the Call for Exhibitors.

Norfolk Public Schools welcomes volunteers! To volunteer for upcoming spring and end-of-school events, please register in our volunteer management system, called Raptor.

All volunteers must register and receive an email clearance to volunteer from Raptor before coming to the school.

Raptor allows the division to conduct a criminal background check on everyone who volunteers in our schools to ensure that all within NPS adhere to the division’s safety and security protocols. Raptor allows those who wish to volunteer to choose the types of opportunities and events for which they would like to serve or select specific schools where they would like to give their time.

Once registered and cleared, volunteers are approved for two years. All volunteers must adhere to the Code of Conduct and Volunteer Duties Agreements, both found on the Raptor Frequently Asked Questions page at https://www.npsk12.com/Page/18597.

All visitors to schools must check in to Raptor at the school’s front office to ensure the safety and security of all children in NPS’ care. This also allows school staff to know who is in the building in the event of an emergency.

To find out more about volunteering with NPS or to register through Raptor, visit www.npsk12.com/volunteer.

Norfolk Public Schools is committed to the safety and security of all within our schools. Find safety and security information, including a letter from Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong and the division’s Safety Plan, under the “Safety and Security” button in the “Find it Fast” section of our website.

Norfolk Public Schools seeks the continued partnership of parents and guardians to ensure that our buildings remain safe. Parents, please check your children’s backpacks and belongings daily to ensure that they do not have weapons or items that may be perceived as a weapon. Please talk to your children about the use of social media. Please let them know that all threats, even those made as a “joke,” are taken seriously and may come with severe consequences.

Finally, school staff has been instructed that “It’s okay to delay” to conduct identification checks for all who enter our buildings. Parents and guardians, please be prepared to show identification when you enter our buildings, and remember to ensure that the door closes behind you as you enter the building. Doing so ensures that those who may be waiting to enter are also screened. Please do not hold or prop open the door for others.

Norfolk Public Schools celebrates three young student-athletes as trailblazers in the sport of wrestling!

Sophomore Krystal Carter (7-8-0), junior Sania Horsey (6-8-0), and junior Litukya Love (1-1-0) of Booker T. Washington High School recently competed in the first-ever Virginia High School League (VHSL) Girls State Wrestling Championship Tournament!

The event was held at Unity Reed High School in Manassas, Virginia. The Mighty Bookers’ wrestlers were among 284 girls representing 114 schools at the historic event.

Congratulations, girls, and we look forward to hearing much more from you along with additional lady wrestlers in the years to come!

The spring athletic season is underway. Visit the NPS athletics webpage for all schedules and ticket information.

Announcements have begun for high school winter season state honors.

2023 VHSL Class 3 Boys All-State Basketball Team Elijah Washington, Lake Taylor High School - First Team All-State Rodney Baines, Lake Taylor High School -Second Team All-State

Forensics:
1st Place -- Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (ADL)

2nd Place -- Academy of International Studies at Rosemont/Lake Taylor

Wrestling:

1s Place - Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (ADL)
2nd Place -- Lake Taylor/Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
3rd Place -- Northside

Bank On is a free, five-month long financial literacy program offered to Hampton Roads residents – including Norfolk Public Schools’ students and families. Bank On seeks to ensure that everyone has access to a safe and affordable bank or credit union account. The program offers financial classes that combine instruction with coaching to help participants become financially empowered and feel confident in making financial decisions. Bank On offers financial classes that teens can attend before graduation to prepare for real world transactions.

On March 24, 2023, students at Booker T. Washington High School participated in a “Reality Store” event for a glimpse of what their lives might be like after graduation. The activity helps teens learn basic skills in financial planning, goal setting, decision-making, and career planning. The event was also designed to encourage students to evaluate their career options and motivate them to pursue higher education and/or other training beyond high school.

Thank you to Bank On for partnering with NPS to encourage our students to become financially empowered!

To learn more about the Bank On program, visit its website, bankonhr.org.

Norfolk Public Schools welcomes positive, collaborative, meaningful partnerships between our schools and our communities to enhance student academic learning and success. For more information on community engagement, contact LaEunice Brown, Community Engagement Coordinator, Office of Communications & Community Engagement, (757) 628-3459.

Join Norfolk Public Schools this month as we celebrate #MonthOfTheMilitaryChild to underscore the important role children play in the Armed Forces community.

NPS is proud of the more than 4,000 students who are identified as military-connected.

We encourage all schools and families to participate in the following Military Child Appreciation Spirit Days:

(No observances during the week of April 10-14 due to Spring Break)

Wednesday, April 19, 2023 - National Purple Up! Day

Wednesday, April 26, 2023 - Favorite Branch of Service Camo Day

Friday, April 28, 2023 - R.E.D. Friday (Remember Everyone Deployed by wearing red)

Please note that April 19, 2023, has been designated Purple Up! Day for 2023 and is included in the spirit days. The color purple symbolizes all the branches of the military, as it is the combination of the five branches of the military service: Army green, Marine red, Navy blue, Air Force blue, and Coast Guard blue. All students and staff are asked to wear purple on that day in honor of our military-connected students. Share on social media with NPS’ handles and hashtags:

@NorfolkPublicSchools (Facebook)

@NPSchools (Twitter)

#NPSSupportsOurMilitary

#NPSPurpleUpDay

#PurpleUpVA

#navalstationnorfolk

For more information about NPS’ dedication to making sure that all of our military-connected children thrive, visit https://www.npsk12.com/domain/919.

National Robotics Week (April 1-8)

National Assistant Principals Week (April 3-7)

National School Library Month

Mathematics Awareness Month

Autism Awareness Month, World Autism Awareness Day (April 2)

School Bus Drivers Appreciation Day - April 25, 2023

Schools are closed for Spring Break on April 10-14, 2023.

We look forward to seeing you again on Monday, April 17, 2023, to finish out the rest of the school year strong!

For a printable version of the 2022-2023 NPS Academic Calendar, click here.

High school graduation ceremonies are just around the corner. Rehearsal times and the graduation schedule are below and can also be found on the Academic Calendar webpage.

Rehearsals will take place on Friday, June 9, 2023, at ODU’s Chartway Arena, 4320 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23529. Students are to report 30 minutes prior to the start of rehearsal. Parking is available in the 43rd Street Parking Garage on the day of rehearsal.

• Maury High School: 8:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
• Granby High School: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
• Lake Taylor High School: 12:15 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.
• Norview High School: 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
• Booker T. Washington High School: 3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

High school graduation ceremonies are scheduled to take place as follows on June 12 and 13, 2023, at ODU’s Chartway Arena, 4320 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23529:

• Granby High School: Monday, June 12, 4:00 p.m.
• Lake Taylor High School: Monday, June 12, 7:00 p.m.
• Norview High School: Tuesday, June 13, 1:00 p.m.
• Booker T. Washington High School: Tuesday, June 13, 4:00 p.m.
• Maury High School: Tuesday, June 13, 7:00 p.m.

Are you interested in joining the Norfolk Public Schools’ family? NPS seeks teachers, bus drivers, school nutrition and clerical staff, security guards and more!

NPS offers signing bonuses for teachers and bus drivers. No CDL? No problem. We’ll train you.

What are you waiting for? Visit our website for openings and to apply!

The next career fair will be held on April 22, 2023, from 9 a.m. until 12 p.m. at Norfolk Technical Center, 1330 North Military Highway, Norfolk, Virginia 23502. Stay tuned for additional career fairs scheduled through August.

#YOUbelongwithNPS

HR on Campus is a new NPS recruitment initiative. The Department of Human Resources sends recruiters to school-based events to speak with attendees about job opportunities available within the school division. Human Resources representatives have attended events including math nights, STEM family nights, Black history programs, and music programs.

Watch for Human Resources representatives at your child’s school and learn about all that employment with NPS has to offer!

Finders Keepers is an opportunity for current, full-time, non-administrative employees to earn $250 for referring a teacher who successfully begins employment with Norfolk Public Schools. The one-time bonus is paid in a lump sum to the referring employee.

NPS has partnered with VectorSolutions to provide students, parents/guardians, and staff a safe way to report bullying and student-related matters anytime, anywhere, on any device through the Vector Alert Tip Reporting System application.

Text us, call us, e-mail us, or report it through the website, while remaining anonymous. As always, every tip is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

Download the app to your device today! Use “SafeSchools Alert” at the Apple Store and “Vector Alert” in Google Play.

To learn more about the Vector Alert Tip Reporting System, please visit

nps-va.safeschoolsalert.com.

Norfolk Public Schools is pleased to partner with FEV Tutor to provide students in grades 3 - 12 with high-quality, division-sponsored, live, one-to-one virtual tutoring and homework help.

Virtual tutoring sessions can be scheduled in advance or requested on-demand. This virtual program can be accessed anytime, anywhere, and with any Internet-connected device. Simply visit www.fevtutor.com, and login with Clever.

To schedule tutoring sessions, email NPS@fevtutor.com with the student's name, grade level, subject area needs, and the days/times of the week that work best for you.

If you have any questions about this free virtual tutoring program, please contact FEV Tutor directly at NPS@fevtutor.com or 855-763-2607. FEV Tutor's Support Team is happy to answer any questions and work with you to create a personalized tutoring experience that best suits each student.