April 2024 Newsletter

Norfolk Public Schools celebrates the Month of the Military Child in April to underscore children's important role in supporting their Armed Forces family members, while also acknowledging the sacrifices they make as children connected to those who serve our country.

During the Month of the Military Child, we are encouraging all schools and families to participate in all our Military Child Appreciation Spirit Days, and especially on Wednesday, April 17, 2024, which is National PurpleUp! Day. Purple is the color combination of the five branches of military service, and you can show your support by donning your purple attire with Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong and the rest of Norfolk Public Schools.

(No observances during the week of April 1-5 due to Spring Break)

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 - Wear Red, White, and Blue Day

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - National PurpleUp! Day

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 - Favorite Branch of Service Camo Day

Friday, April 26, 2024 - R.E.D. Friday (Remember Everyone Deployed by wearing red)

Norfolk Public Schools serves nearly 4,000 students who are identified as military-connected within the division, and fourteen schools have received the Virginia Purple Star Designation. The Virginia Purple Star Designation is awarded to military-friendly schools that meet rigorous qualification criteria. The distinction illustrates each of our schools’ commitment to our military community, especially our military-connected students.

Purple Star Designation schools receive a resolution of recognition, an award coin, and the opportunity to proudly display the Purple Star logo for three school years. In the coming school year, Norfolk Public Schools would like to increase its number of designations, while continuing the proud tradition of the schools that have already achieved the distinction, ensuring they maintain their designations.

In Norfolk Public Schools, a commitment to Equity and Excellence for ALL continues as the cornerstone for providing proactive, high-quality instructional interventions and supports tailored for individual students’ learning needs. Data indicates that though students’ learning in reading and math has progressed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, students across the Commonwealth of Virginia, including students in NPS, continue to exhibit significant gaps in learning, especially in reading and math. To effectively close students’ learning gaps and accelerate learning, Norfolk Public Schools has developed an instructional support and tutoring plan in alignment with the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) All-In Tutoring Plan. In addition, schools are offering tutoring outside of regular school hours.

To read more about the ALL In VA Tutoring Plan for providing high intensity tutoring to qualifying students during the school day, please visit https://www.npsk12.com/Page/21924. Additionally, please visit the website for your child’s school to find the school’s outside of school tutoring schedule. To visit your school’s homepage, please visit https://www.npsk12.com/Page/1, click on “Schools” in the upper right corner, then select your child’s school.

During these last few months of school, your child's daily, on-time attendance at school remains critical in helping close learning gaps to support your child’s progression to the next academic level. #AttendanceCountsAtNPS!

Each month, as part of the School-to-School Attendance Challenge, Norfolk Public Schools recognizes the schools that are leading the way in displaying an on-time, everyday frame of mind when it comes to good attendance.

Congratulations to the following schools for having the Best Attendance and earning the Most Improved Attendance for the month of February!

Best Attendance rate for February:

95.4% Sherwood Forest Elementary School (Grades K-5)

95.1% Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (Grades K-8)

90.7% Academy of International Studies at Rosemont (Grades 6-8)

80.3% Norview High School (Grades 9-12)

Most Improved Attendance rate for February:

Lindenwood Elementary School (Grades K-5)

Lake Taylor School (Grades K-8)

Academy of International Studies at Rosemont (Grades 6-8)

Maury High School (Grades 9-12)

Congratulations to these schools and their students!

Norfolk Public Schools continues celebrating staff with the most recent round of Rock Star Teachers! Teachers from every school received a Rock Star crystal trophy and heartfelt thanks from members of NPS’ administration team for their dedication to their students through perfect attendance. This monthly recognition highlights the division’s emphasis on attendance and accountability. Find a photo gallery of this month’s winners, as well as previous winners, at www.npsk12.com/images.

Reading and writing are critical to literacy achievement and what better time to exercise both skills than right now during National Poetry Month? American Poet and Journalist Walter Lowenfels once said, “We are all poets, really.” Prove this to be true and have fun reading some of your favorite poems with your students and writing your own poem together. Poetry offers a creative way to explore shared experiences, emotions, and life lessons. Parents/Guardians and students are encouraged to visit the websites of the Poetry Foundation and Academy of American Poets to discover poems that “speak” to their interests and experiences. For templates and additional inspiration, visit the Family Friendly Poems website.

Norfolk Public Schools’ students of all ages celebrated with the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) the week of March 12-15, 2024! Camp Allen Elementary School celebrated with music, dancing, MEAC mascots, and recognition from special guests including our very own superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong and MEAC Commissioner Sonja Stills, for being the winners of the 2024 Read with MEAC contest! This fun celebration underscored the importance of literacy for our young scholars.

Please join us in congratulating all of the Read with MEAC winners from Norfolk Public Schools:
First-Place School - Camp Allen Elementary ($2,000)
Second-Place School - Taylor Elementary ($1,500)
Third-Place School - Larchmont Elementary ($500)
Winning Class - Teacher Karen Patterson, 3rd grade, Little Creek Elementary ($1,000)

Top Readers
Avicenna White, 2nd grade, Larchmont Elementary School
Kenrah Mieko Marcaraig, 2nd grade, Little Creek Elementary School
Isabella McKenzie, 3rd grade, Larchmont Elementary School
Hannah Needell, 3rd grade, Academy for Discovery at Lakewood
Mohiyuddin Bashir, 4th grade, Taylor Elementary School
Zachary Ross, 4th grade, Academy for Discovery at Lakewood
Delilah Emerson-Coyle, 5th grade, Taylor Elementary School
Henry Lieb, 5th grade, Taylor Elementary School
Gideon Jones, 6th grade, Blair Middle School
Isabella Clark, 6th grade, Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
Eleanor Wernly, 7th grade, Academy of International Studies at Rosemont
Liam Brennan, 7th grade, Academy of International Studies at Rosemont *
Alpha Sall, 7th grade, Academy for Discovery at Lakewood *
Andrew Lee, 8th grade, Academy for Discovery at Lakewood
Esme' Courson, 8th grade, Academy of International Studies at Rosemont

High school students from across Norfolk Public Schools attended the MEAC College Fair where they had the opportunity to interact with representatives from the eight colleges that make up the MEAC conference. During the event, Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong encouraged students to ask questions, seek guidance, and envision the possibilities that lie ahead in a post-secondary educational setting.

Dr. Byrdsong was an honorary coach and accepted a check from Dominion Energy on behalf of NPS for the Read with MEAC program during the men’s basketball game between Norfolk and Coppin State Universities on March 13, 2024.

Dads, doughnuts, books, and students were the perfect combination on March 13, 2024, when P.B. Young, Sr. Elementary students hosted Doughnuts with Dads in the school’s cafeteria. After eating lunch together, students and dads read books and decorated doughnuts for dessert. Families were able to read together, which sparked conversations and questions for the scholars to answer and created a sweet time for everyone.

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.

High School Graduation Rehearsal Times
Rehearsals will take place at Old Dominion University’s Chartway Arena located at 4320 Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk on Friday, May 31, 2024. Students are to report 30 minutes before their rehearsal time starts. Parking is in the 43rd Street Parking Garage on the day of rehearsal.

• Lake Taylor HS: 8:45 a.m.-10:15 a.m.

• Maury HS: 10:30 a.m.-Noon

• Norview HS: 12:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m

• Booker T. Washington HS: 2 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

• Granby HS: 3:45 p.m.-5:15 p.m.

High School Graduation Ceremonies

High School Graduations are scheduled to take place on June 3, 2024, and June 4, 2024, at Old Dominion University’s Chartway Arena located at 4320 Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk.

• Lake Taylor HS: June 3, 2024, 4 p.m.

• Maury HS: June 3, 2024, 7 p.m.

• Norview HS: June 4, 2024, 1 p.m.

• Booker T. Washington HS: June 4, 2024, 4 p.m.

• Granby HS: June 4, 2024, 7 p.m.

Congratulations to Maury High School student, Claire Giglio, on her 1st place win, representing Poland in the Model NATO Challenge that was hosted at Virginia Wesleyan University. Claire won the top scholarship of $2,500! The Model NATO Challenge is a scholarship competition in which the top applicants are chosen to represent each of the 31-member NATO nations. Maury had four students compete, and this is the first time a Maury High School student has won the challenge. With this win, Claire earned a spot to participate in the 71st Annual Parade of Nations and Flag Raising Ceremonies on Saturday, April 20, 2024, in downtown Norfolk!

In a 5-2 vote, the School Board of the City of Norfolk approved its proposed $672 million operating budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 during its business meeting held on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong developed the operating budget proposal on the foundation of five priorities: employee compensation; employee recruitment and retention; right-sizing the school division; safety, security, and building maintenance/repairs; and instructional and social-emotional learning resources for students.

Budget highlights include:

• salary increases averaging: 8.04 percent for teachers; 8.34 percent for classified staff; and 5.94 percent for administrators;
• an increase in starting pay for teachers from $53,000 to $57,500;
• a $3,000 retention bonus for eligible employees;
• no increase to employee health care premiums in the coming year;
• funding to support the academic and social-emotional learning needs of our students with disabilities;
• establishment of Equity and Excellence Learning Centers in four schools: P.B. Young, Sr. Elementary, Jacox Elementary, the Ruffner (3-8) School, and Booker T. Washington High School; these centers will be designed to provide wraparound services, such as mental health services, social-emotional learning supports, access to medical resources, and family engagement offerings;
• funding to support a feasibility study to explore the possibility of transforming Lake Taylor High School into a comprehensive career and technical education (CTE) school through a public charter;
• funding to establish a welcome center for our English Learners and their families at the Rosemont facility along with the expansion of translation services and other contracted services;
• the return of two school facilities (Madison Alternative Education Center and the Coronado School) to the City of Norfolk as the first step towards right sizing the school division; and
• additional staff and other resources to help address the mental health and social-emotional needs of students.

For a comprehensive overview of the FY2025 proposed budget, visit the Budget at a Glance webpage here: https://www.npsk12.com/Page/22000.

The statutory deadline for submitting the School Board’s approved proposal to Norfolk City Council was April 1, 2024. The City Council will adopt a municipal budget in May 2024, which includes an operating budget for Norfolk Public Schools.

The Virtual Scholars Academy (VSA), NPS’ online school, is now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 school year!

VSA is available to students in grades K-12 with full course offerings through Virtual Virginia, including applicable special education services for eligible students 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.

During May and June, Norfolk Public Schools will begin the Family Life Education (FLE) program for the 2023-2024 school year. The FLE program has existed since 1988 and is aligned to the 2020 Virginia Department of Education Family Life Education Standards of Learning. All lessons will be taught by teachers who have received special training in FLE.

Curriculum information and opt-out forms are available on the division website in the Family Life Education section of the Department of Health, Safety and Physical Education webpage. Additionally, all families will receive FLE information sent through email, text, the United States Postal Service, and a flyer sent home with all students. Please be on be on the lookout for this important information. Contact the Academic Affairs Office at 757-628-3834 should you have any questions regarding the FLE curriculum.

If you had a chance to join us for Family University, we trust that it was everything you needed it to be and more! Dozens of Norfolk Public Schools’ staff and community partners set up at Norview High School on March 23, 2024, to provide countless resources, such as family wellness information and engaging instructional activities designed to enrich learning at home. Families celebrated the arts and music at various stations around the building and received help with applications to enroll their children in preschool. Attendees heard from some inspirational speakers throughout the day and had the opportunity to add to their home library with an abundance of book selections that were available for preschool-aged students to grade 12. Click here for the sights and sounds of 2024 Family University. We hope to see you next year at Norfolk Public Schools’ 2025 Family University!

The Department of Student Wellness participated in the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk at Old Dominion University on Saturday, March 16th. The Norfolk Public Schools Wellness Walkers, led by team captain, Dr. Dennis Moore, raised $595.00 for this compelling cause!

Participants in picture (Left to right)

Joan Tiberi - School Psychologist

Cyndi Nowitzky - Lead School Psychologist

Dr. Dennis Moore - Senior Director, Student Wellness

Dr. Monica Williams - Coordinator, ICWS

Ann Burney - Lead School Social Worker

Sandree Reid - School Nurse

Big shout out to all who participated in the Operation Smile Shamrock Final Mile at the Oceanfront in Virginia Beach. It was a great turnout, and everyone had a great time.

Girls Basketball

Champions: Norview Middle School
Second Place: Academy for Discovery at Lakewood

Boys Basketball

Champions: Blair Middle School
Second Place: Lake Taylor School

Forensics

Champions: Academy for Discovery at Lakewood

Girls Soccer

Champions: Blair Middle School
Second Place: Academy for Discovery at Lakewood

Community Partnerships are an important part of Norfolk Public Schools. Partnership support in our efforts to engage our students and families does not go without notice. One of Gethsemane Fellowships’ goals is to support youth development. The warm coats and hats, hot meals at literacy events, reading and mentoring help our students become more resilient and ready to grow academically. Gethsemane Community Fellowships’ faithful stewardship in youth development is evident in their generational and ministerial groups that provide support to our students from the beginning to the end of each school year. Thank you, Gethsemane Community Fellowship, for supporting Norfolk Public Schools’ students!

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.

Lake Taylor School Families gathered in the cafeteria to enjoy an evening of dinner and painting on March 7, 2024. Families participated in a free-style paint session led by Ms. Andrea Redmon, LTS’s Integration Technology Specialist. The evening began with a light meal followed by painting and a lesson about pandas and their habitat.

Make your Library Media Specialist feel appreciated this April, as it is School Library Month. The library is the heart of the school, and our Library Media Specialists are as vital as ever. School Library Media Specialists are responsible for much more than simply ensuring that all books are in their right places. They are teachers, mentors, and champions for education and their students. They collaborate with teachers to assist their classroom work and with students to foster a love of reading, media, and literacy skills. Let us recognize the critical role that libraries and Library Media Specialists play in enhancing learning in our schools. Thank you for everything you do to support our students and staff!

National Deaf History Month honors the efforts and accomplishments of deaf and hard-of-hearing persons while also raising awareness about the deaf community. We're altering our focus as we learn more about the continuing push to make life easier and more inclusive. How will you commemorate Deaf Awareness Month? Maybe you’ll learn sign language, support and share deaf creators' works, volunteer in schools or the community, or even advocate for deaf accessibility everywhere, whatever you choose, please join Norfolk Public Schools as we honor the importance of raising awareness for our deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

On April 25th, we commemorate School Bus Drivers' Day to recognize all the committed and hardworking professionals who transport our students safely each day. They carry out an important job and our schools would not function properly without them. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to these everyday heroes who devote their time and energy to getting our children where they need to be daily!

It's that time! April 21-27, we acknowledge and celebrate the individuals that make our offices run smoothly every day. We appreciate each of our Administrative Professionals for their hard work, dedication, and upbeat attitude! Thanks for being the glue to our schools and departments while always going above and beyond; your efforts do not go unnoticed!

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) defines secondary transition as the process students and their families use to think about life after high school, to identify their desired outcomes, and to plan their community and school experiences to assure that the students acquire the knowledge and skills to achieve their goals.

Preparing for secondary transition can start as early as kindergarten by talking with student(s) about what they want to be when they grow up, what activities they enjoy, and learning more about their personal interests. For more information about secondary transition, please see the Secondary Transition fact sheet and additional information on the VDOE website.

How do I contact the Parent Resource Center?

Ms. Kamil Donawa, PRC (Parent Resource Center) Educator

Phone: 757-274-5997 (cell)

Email: parentresourcecenter@nps.k12.va.us