June Newsletter

What a wonderful time of year!

Students have completed their Standards of Learning and end of course tests.

Our graduates have donned caps and gowns and crossed the stage to receive their diplomas, moving their tassels to symbolize moving toward the future and the next stage of their lives.

We have had field day fun, proms, and graduation celebrations, and we are looking forward to sunshine and summer days.

Still, this time is also bittersweet. Teachers and students who have grown close over the course of a year said farewell to each other. We said goodbye and good luck to this year’s graduating class even as we began to prepare the next group of scholars for their transition to life after high school.

Those of us who have already enjoyed our own field days and proms and graduations can look back and reminisce, hopefully with few regrets and many successes since those days. For those of us with children experiencing these transitions now – I hope that you were filled with pride and pleasure in seeing your son or daughter on that stage. I hope that any tears you shed were happy ones. And I hope that the tiny infant you once held in your arms recognizes his or her own strength, worth, and readiness to take on the world that awaits.

Thank you, all of you, for your partnership and support during this school year. Enjoy the break, and we will see you all in August.

Congratulations to Crossroads School for winning the 2023 Courtroom Law Competition!

Courtroom Law is an extracurricular partnership with the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association, and the City of Norfolk Courthouse. Using a mock court case, students played the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and jury while learning about public speaking, teamwork, research, collaboration, civil and criminal legal concepts, and civic engagement.

Eight NPS middle schools participated in the preliminary Courtroom Law Competition in April at the Norfolk Courthouse. The final competition was held on May 4, 2023, between Crossroads (prosecuting team) and the Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (defense team) and was presided over by an actual sitting judge!

A special thank you to the attorneys from the Norfolk & Portsmouth Bar Association, who volunteered their time over two months to teach NPS' middle school students about judicial proceedings.

For the second year in a row, Norfolk Public Schools has earned the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) Foundation! The designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students.

Zachary Rooksby, Senior Coordinator of Music and Theater Education at NPS, said the department is proud to receive the designation again.

“This award acknowledges the efforts to provide all NPS students access to a quality music educational experience,” Rooksby said. “This could not happen without the tireless efforts of our music teachers, the support of our administrators, and the encouragement of the Norfolk community to make music a vital part of children’s public education.”

The goal of music education in NPS is to empower students to experience music as a source of personal enrichment, as a vehicle for the constructive expression of human emotions, and as a unique intellectual discipline. Highlights of the NPS music program include participation in local, state, and national performances as well as competitions throughout each school year.

Norfolk Public Schools’ high school students shared their outstanding artwork this spring. Congratulations to all the annual NPS Art Contest winners!

First Place:

Granby High School

Ashley Abel

Maury High School

Lola Battenfeld

Anastasia Rodriguez

Fairen Paquier

Gabriella Waite

Lily Capra

October Brewer

Carleigh Parker

Norview High School

Oyinkansola Ogunbo

Priscilla Okobea Arko

Layla Gray

Students thousands of miles apart shared their pandemic experiences in a special ceremony. The Academy of International Studies at Rosemont partnered with the Norfolk Sister City Association to create a book of student essays. “Voices of COVID -- A Middle Schooler’s Perspective,” features essays from several NPS students along with students from Tema, Ghana.

A new initiative for teachers has ignited excitement at Lindenwood Elementary School! On top of division-wide initiatives, classroom teachers and special education teams at Lindenwood are eligible for a one-time bonus of $5,000 and a $500 classroom supply bonus through the “Ignite at Lindenwood” program. Tuition reimbursement for two college courses per semester (up to six college credits per year) is also available.

Interested? Contact Sonja Hale (Elementary Education) at shale@nps.k12.va.us or 757-628-3905 ext. 21225 or Erica Norfleet (SPED and Resources) at enorfleet132@nps.k12.va.us or 757-628-3905 ext. 21056 for more information.

Kindergarten registration has begun!

If you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 30, 2023, NPS welcomes your student to kindergarten!

Visit Student Support Services/ Kindergarten (npsk12.com) for registration packets, a list of required immunizations, and other necessary information.

The Department of Early Learning and Title I continues to accept preschool applications for the 2023-2024 school year.

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

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

Preschool classes are free, in-person, and offered five days a week.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see if you qualify for this important first step in your child’s education – preschool matters!

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

Beat the rush and schedule your child’s back-to-school vaccinations over the summer! Required vaccinations for rising pre-K, kindergarten, 7th, and 12th grade students are available through the Norfolk Department of Health. Call 757-683-2735 between 8:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule your appointment. No insurance is needed to receive services.

Softball: Granby HS Class 5 Region B second place
Girls’ Soccer: Maury HS Class 5 Region B second place

Boys’ Soccer: Granby HS Class 5 Region B second place

Tennis: Maury HS Boys and Girls Class 5 Region B champions

Track: Jaydin Willams Class 5 High Jump champion

Field Hockey: Blair champions, ADL second place

Baseball: ADL champions, Lake Taylor School second place

Track: Girls-ADL champions, Boys-Blair champions

Time spent reading is key to achievement and academic success! Research shows children who read 14.2 minutes a day encounter more than 1 million words over the course of a year, expand their vocabulary, and increase comprehension skills.

Join Norfolk Public Schools from June 20 through August 25 for the NPS READ 14.2 Summer Reading Challenge! Students are encouraged to read at least 14.2 minutes per day, five days a week, and complete a reading log. Turn the reading log in to your 2024 school year teacher by August 31st to be eligible for prizes!

All participants who turn in a reading log will receive coupons, including those for free activities at APEX. Thanks to a partnership with COX Communications, eligible students will also be entered into a drawing to win a $50 gift card. There are 100 gift cards available!

Visit the NPS Summer Reading Challenge website for a downloadable reading log, suggested summer reading books, reading bingo, and Norfolk book resources.

Norfolk Public Schools is participating in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). Meals will be provided to all children ages 18 and under free of charge. While participation in NPS’ summer academic programs is highly encouraged for students, it is not required for them to receive a meal. No application, registration, or proof of identification is needed for a child to receive a meal. Also, please note: This service extends to the Middle and High School Transition Programs taking place on August 7 and 8, 2023.

Meals will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Children must be present to receive a meal and they must consume the meal on-site. A maximum of one breakfast and one lunch per child, per day, Monday through Friday, may be provided.

Please visit School Nutrition’s webpage for meal site information, as well as any updates to the schedule and contact information: https://www.npsk12.com/nutrition. To use a cell phone to find a summer meal site closest to you, text FOOD to 304-304.

Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong celebrated National School Lunch Hero Day with Richard Bowling Elementary School Cafeteria Manager Tiffany Cooper and Cafeteria Monitor Latiesha Manning.

"Our amazing School Nutrition staff works during breaks, summers, and weekends to ensure all NPS students are fed throughout the year, not just on school days," Dr. Byrdsong said. "School Nutrition workers have my sincerest gratitude for the significant role they play each day in educating the students of Norfolk Public Schools."

From June 5 to 9, Norfolk Public Schools thanked volunteers for their dedication and support with special recognition events during Volunteer Appreciation Week.

Volunteers and community partners contribute to students’ daily learning by providing school supplies, helping with math and reading skills, or providing STEM-related opportunities. These acts of compassion and kindness help students succeed in learning and life. Volunteers’ willingness to share their talent helps to build a better community.

NPS offers innovative volunteer programs in the community as well as the classroom. For example, the New Rose of Sharon Elam Baptist Church created a free tutoring program to prepare students for SOL testing and assessments. Approximately 20 students from various schools met at the church on Saturdays from February to May. Pastor Ervin Scott and his wife, Loretta, wanted the students to continue learning after the program concluded. NPS distributed approximately 55 books to the church for all students who attended the final session on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

The Norfolk Innovation Corridor and Raytheon recently sponsored an “Invention Convention” for NPS students. The Invention Convention aims to provide access to innovation, invention, and entrepreneurial learning for all. The program is flexible, interdisciplinary, and valuable to all children, regardless of academic skill level, knowledge of English, or learning abilities. Students from across the division who are enrolled in Next Step to Success, along with students from Lindenwood Elementary School and Lake Taylor School, participated in this program. The inaugural event in January began with teacher training to guide the students through the innovation process. The culminating event on May 20, 2023, at the Selden Market in Downtown Norfolk, allowed students to present their inventions to a panel of judges. Students gave step-by-step instructions that led to the creation of their inventions.

At Southside STEM Academy at Campostella, a group called “Men of Vision and Valor,” sponsored by teacher Tim Mallory, Jr. and Leviticus Ministries, united mentors and tutors with

male students. The group took students to Norfolk State University basketball games and to The Smithsonian Institute and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, D.C. The group cruised on the Spirit of Norfolk to celebrate the partnership.

There are so many ways you can become a volunteer or partner with NPS! The Community Engagement Office appreciates volunteers and its partners in education for their commitment to our students and staff. We welcome positive, collaborative, and meaningful partnerships with our communities to enhance student academic learning and success.

To become a partner in education or to volunteer, apply online at www.npsk12.com/volunteer.

For more information on Community Engagement, contact LaEunice Brown, Community Engagement Coordinator (Office of Communications & Community Engagement), at (757) 628-3459 or email lbrown405@nps.k12.va.us.

Norfolk Public Schools will again implement a four-day work week for the summer months when operations resume on Tuesday, June 20, 2023. The division will extend operational hours Monday through Thursday. The division will close on Fridays through August 11, 2023.

Norfolk Public Schools will close on July 3 and 4 to observe the Independence Day Holiday, and will remain open on Friday, July 7.

Don’t forget! The 2023-2024 School Year starts before Labor Day this year on Monday, August 28, 2023.

For a printable version of the 2023-2024 Academic Calendar, click here.

Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong and members of her leadership team supported NPS’ 200+ Men Scholars at the annual scholarship breakfast held in Hampton. The Hampton Roads Committee of 200+ Men, Inc. is a regional organization of men who influence, encourage, and inspire young African American male students to reach their highest potential. The breakfast honored young men who excel in their schools and communities, with GPAs of 3.0 or higher and qualifications including community service.

It’s official: NPS is now on Instagram! Be sure to follow us @NPSchools_VA as we kicked off with plenty of photos from graduations!

Also, please note that we changed our Twitter handle to match: it’s now @NPSchools_VA.

Social media is a fun way to stay connected with Norfolk Public Schools! Give us a like on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and on Instagram!

NPS has an entire Facebook page en Español! Stop by and give Norfolk Public Schools en Español a like!

For information on all the division’s services for English language learners, visit www.npsk12.com/fl. Did you know that all information on www.npsk12.com is available in several languages? Just click on the “translate” option under the “District Home” button pictured here.

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 a $250 signing bonus for bus drivers. No CDL? No problem. We’ll train you.

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

• Monday, July 10, 2023, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Lake Taylor High School, 1384 Kempsville Road
• Wednesday, August 2, 2023, from noon to 3 p.m. at Crossroads School, 8021 Old Ocean View Road
• Saturday, August 19, 2023, from 9 a.m. to noon at Crossroads School, 8021 Old Ocean View Road

#YOUbelongwithNPS

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 is free and will provide an engaging, supportive experience that promotes learning without limits for students and embodies NPS’ efforts toward the goals described in Continuing the Drive | Equity and Excellence for All strategic plan. 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 invites you to host a table during the summer community summit! If you are part of a nonprofit, a member of the community or a government organization that will provide NPS’ staff, families, and community members with the information, resources, and strategies to promote learning without limits for students, please apply here: https://www.npsk12.com/connectingforstudents.

Exhibitor requests can be submitted through July 7, 2023.

Registration for the community summit is now open through July 27, 2023.