CCPS Express
Monthly Newsletter
Superintendent's Message
We're thrilled to share that a solar eclipse, a fascinating scientific phenomenon, will occur on Monday, April 8th. In our CCPS viewing area, the moon will obscure approximately 85% of the sun between 2:00 and 4:20 pm. While we won't experience totality (100% coverage), it promises to be a great learning and viewing opportunity.
To ensure both safety and educational enrichment, CCPS has purchased protective eyewear for all students and staff. Attached is an article providing essential guidance for safely observing this celestial event. Staff will review these tips on Monday, April 8 and distribute protective eyewear to each student and staff member. As an added precaution, all afterschool activities will be conducted indoors for the duration of the eclipse.
We encourage all families to discuss the safety recommendations at home over spring break as we embrace this very special event. We’ve included two resources that families can use to support this conversation.
This eclipse marks a truly historic occasion, as the next visible one in the United States will occur in 2044. Let's make the most of this remarkable learning opportunity together!
Be well,
Sarah Calveric, Ph. D.
CCPS All Schools Art Show
The Caroline County All Schools Art Show is taking place on Thursday, April 25 from 5-8 pm. There will be artwork from all five schools in the county on display. Feeling creative? There will be printmaking, button-making, and face-painting! Cookies and drinks will be available to keep you going. Hope to see you there!
CTE Summer Camp
ATTENTION RISING 6th, 7th, AND 8th GRADERS! Our second annual CTE Camp will take place June 10-June 13. The camp will explore CHS CTE programs and is FREE. Registration will open on April 8 at noon. There are only 75 spots so sign up quickly! Click HERE to register or on the flyer below.
Attendance Matters
Daily attendance is critical to your child's learning and socialization. Each day a student misses school, they miss instruction and interaction with teachers and other students. Attendance is also critical to a school's accreditation status. See the chart below to see each school's chronically absent percentage for March (all red).
Let's work together to drive down chronic absenteeism and aim for fully accredited schools. For more information, see this article from Attendance Works : Absences Add Up: How School Attendance Influence Student Success. As always, if your child is sick, we encourage the parent to kep the student at home!
Parent Mental Health Virtual Workshops
In March, ParentGuidance,org presented a meaningful virtual parent session on “Building Your Child’s Confidence”. If you missed it, the recording will be on our website!
We hope you can make it to the next one, “How to Motivate Your Child” on April 30, 2024 from 6:30-7:30PM via Zoom. This will be a good session to help our children have a successful end of the school year! Click HERE to register!
Cook Center April Family Mental Health Newsletter - Sleeping Sound
Discover the latest insights on how sleep impacts children's mental well-being in our April Mental Health Newsletter (English/Spanish) "Sleeping Sound." Dive into the crucial connection between quality sleep and children's emotional health. Explore expert tips for fostering better sleep habits and learn how a well-rested child is a happier, more resilient child.
Caring for Our Watershed Event
Anti-Bullying Walk at CMS
Caroline Middle School held an anti-bullying event on Tuesday, 3/26, entitled CMS Takes Flight Against Bullying. Teachers led activities aimed at helping students reflect upon and discuss the impact of kindness and bullying. All students had the opportunity to sign a kindness pledge banner made by CMS art classes. Through the efforts of the Social and Emotional Learning BRAVE Committee, parent volunteers, and teachers, the event was a success! Here was the video that all of the students viewed as one of their activities.
Freshman Academy Service Learning Week Success!
The Freshman Academy celebrated the month of March with Service Learning Projects that helped others in the Caroline community. Over 300 Freshman participated in this Service Learning experience during the week of March 11th - 18th. Students in their Career Strategies classes identified community areas in need of support/assistance, created a plan to improve the situation, and then had the privilege of implementing that plan to help serve others.
Projects included repainting the gym bleachers at the Lotus Academy, hosting activities for the Bowling Green Health & Rehab Center residents, hosting a food drive for the Animal Shelter, tutoring students, and beautifying the grounds at the multiple schools in Caroline County.
During this Service Learning experience, students learned critical workforce skills such as how to communicate and collaborate with staff, peers, and businesses during the planning and implementation process. At the end of their project, students were able to see how their hard work and service helped others in the Caroline community while also earning their CTE Credential for graduation.
As we reflect on the success of our service learning projects, we are inspired to continue our commitment to community. Moving forward, we aspire to expand our initiatives, deepen our partnerships, and create lasting positive change in our community. #OneCaroline
Caroline Career Connections
This month, the CHS Career Cohort will be attending a tour and informational session at Anton Paar. Students will learn about the multiple opportunities available to them as early as their junior year in high school. April also comes with multiple Externship opportunities. Atlantic Builders will be hosting another student in the Carpentry program to learn more about the building trades and management aspect of the industry. Ferbers Automotive will be hosting their first Externship experience with a CHS Senior enrolled in the Automotive program. Sheehy Ford of Ashland will also be hosting another student from the Automotive II program. We appreciate our businesses hosting CHS students and providing them an experience to help them grow in their career interest.
Please contact Mrs. Kristina Sanders at Caroline High School (804) 633-9886 ext. 5129 or ksanders@ccps.us if you would like to be a guest speaker, assist with service-learning week, or host an extern. Thank you for your partnership!
Graduation 2024
Can you believe the end of the school year is almost here? This year is special because we have the opportunity to celebrate the Class of 2024 at the very first graduation ceremony that will occur at the new Henrico Sports and Events Center on May 21st at 7 pm. Our senior class sponsor, Mrs. Douglas, has been working hard to make sure this is a wonderful event for both our graduates and their families. Mr. Black and his Technical Drawing students have designed the layout for family tickets, so everyone will have a great view of this ceremony.
STEM Expo
Caroline Middle School students and staff dedicated months of effort to prepare for the March 28th STEM EXPO. Students joined forces, working collaboratively in groups, to craft projects showcasing either engineering design or scientific inquiry. Throughout the day, CMS welcomed members of our community and education partners to view our students' presentations. Later that evening, the broader community joined our Eagle scholars for an evening brimming with innovation and STEM demonstrations. This extraordinary event culminated in the announcement of winners and the presentation of prizes, marking a celebration of our students' achievements.
Preschool Family Fitness Night
We hope to see many Preschool families on April 26th from 5:30-6:30pm at the Caroline Recreation Park. Families can enjoy fitness stations, food will be provided and all preschool students will receive a summer activity bucket.
School Board Highlights
March 11, 2024 Regular School Board Meeting
- Workshop (4:30PM): FY25 Budget Update
- Achieve 2027 Spotlight: #OnePreschool & Kindergarten Recruitment & Registration
- Special Performances: Art & Music in Our Schools Month
- Recognitions: Superintendent Art of the Month, SEAC & Rocket Awards, CHS Student Heroic Acknowledgment, Scholastic Bowl Team, Innovation Challenge, Student Athletes (Fall & Winter), and Recognition of Women's History Month.
- Information from the School Division: Student Clubs K-12, Folds of Honor Golf Tournament, District Wide Professional Development Day, iTeach, Vaping Education, and Monthly Update on Revenues, Expenditures, and ADM.
- Action: Approval of K-% Core Instr. Program Adoption & Budget Amendment #3: Textbook Fund and 12 Month Employee Leave to include 2024/2025 Winter Break and 2025/2026 Spring Break as well as June 20, 2024 (12 month employees worked a federal holiday).
- New Business: First Reading of 2024-2025 Perkins Grant, 2024-2025 Student Fees, and the February 2024 VSBA/CCPS Policy Updates.
The School Board would like to thank our citizens that attend, advocate, and speak during public comment. For more information on these topics, you can access the Boarddocs link or view the meeting at our CCPS YouTube Channel. The next regularly scheduled School Board Meeting is Monday, April 8, 2024.
2024 Mtg. Dates: Apr. 8, May 13, Jun. 10, Jul. 8, Aug. 12, Sept. 9, Oct. 14, Nov. 11, Dec. 9
Partners in Education Spotlight- NSWC- Dahlgren
NSWC Dahlgren has offered divisionwide resources and the gift of time to our CCPS students. NSWC provided all STEM materials for Grades 6-7 for the STEM Expo last month, while also supporting the CMS Robotics Club. NSWC Dahlgren also provided resources to CHS students for the Pi-Top Competition Challenge and also sponsored the Innovation Challenge for both middle and high school in partnership with UMW. How amazing to have this powerhouse partner just down the road!
We love our Partners in Education! If you are interested in being a Partner in Education, click HERE.
Community Resource Corner
Local Food Pantries
If you or someone you know is looking for local food pantries, you can use this Pantry Locater Map: https://fredfood.org/Pantry-Locator-Map.
There is also an app: https://fredfood.org/Pantry-Locator-App
Folds of Honor Gold Tournament and Scholarships
Folds of Honor is a non-profit organization that provides educational scholarships for children and spouses of fallen or disabled American military service members and first responders.
CCPS will be helping support a golf tournament on June 14 to raise money for Folds of Honor at the Golf Club at Mattaponi Springs. If you are interested in participating, sponsoring, or volunteering, contact Glenn McDearmon at 804-633-7888.
For more information about the Folds of Honor scholarships, click on the flyer below.
Important Dates
Month of the Military Child
School Library Month
National Autism Awareness Month
April 1-5: SPRING BREAK
April 1-5: Assistant Principal Appreciation Week (will be celebrated at CCPS April 8-12)
April 3: Paraprofessional Appreciation Day
April 4: School Librarian Day
April 10-16: Week of the Young Child
April 24-30: National Student Leadership Week
April 22-26: School Volunteer Appreciation Week
April 22: Earth Day
April 24: Administrative Professionals Day
April 25: CCPS All School Art Show at CHS
April 29- May 3: School Nutrition Employee Appreciation Week
Caroline County Public Schools
Website: www.ccps.us
School Board: 16261 Richmond Tnpk., Bowling Green, VA, USA
Phone: (804)633-5088 Twitter: @carolineschools
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolineschools