NPS Now Newsletter June 2022

It seems like just yesterday that we started this school year! When we first returned to full-time, in-person instruction, so much seemed to be different for our students: masking and social distancing; changes to classrooms and lunchtimes to accommodate health mitigation efforts; and continued virtual events and meetings.

Our students and staff showed determination and resilience as we all embraced the challenge of another school year that would look and feel differently as we continued to navigate a pandemic. We tackled contact tracing and in-school vaccinations with the same pursuit of excellence that we apply to our academic programs and student outcomes.

Now, with the end of the school year in sight, much of the rhythm and ritual of school has returned! Our high schools held in-person proms; our sports programs returned and flourished; and our volunteers are back in our buildings. And, our upcoming high school graduations will again be held in person.

As you prepare for the last day of school, take a moment to reflect upon the year’s many successes. Here, we salute our City-Wide Teacher of the Year as well as other award-winning staff members. We are excited for our graduating seniors to head out into the world. And, we are already making plans for the next amazing year for Norfolk Public Schools.

Finally, please help us plan for the future of NPS by taking our climate survey.

Enjoy your summer!

Our School Climate Survey is open!

The survey asks for your feedback on student and academic support, school leadership, safety, and family involvement. The results will be used to shape improvement plans for our schools and the entire division.

You can find the survey on the school division’s website at www.npsk12.com/surveys or on our Facebook and Twitter pages. If you prefer a paper survey, you may obtain one from your child’s school. The survey is offered in English and Spanish, and all responses are strictly confidential.

Thank you for being a part of this important survey.

Registration is open for summer school! Click the link to find program descriptions including Camp Einstein, Junior University, AP Summer Academy, and cyber, STEM and arts camps!

Additionally, the School Nutrition program will provide FREE breakfast and lunch this summer to children and youth ages 18 and under at various schools and community sites in Norfolk through the federal Summer Food Service Program (SFSP). More information is coming soon; review our website and social media pages for details!

If you have a child who will be 5 years old by September 30, 2022, NPS welcomes your student to kindergarten!

Find all the information you need to register, including all required forms and a list of required immunizations, on our Student Support Services page.

The Department of Early Learning and Title I continues to accept preschool applications for the 2022-2023 school year.

Do you have a child that will be 3 or 4 years old by September 30, 2022?

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 because preschool matters!

To apply for NPS’ preschool programs, visit the Department of Early Learning and Title I webpage.

The Virginia General Assembly has amended vaccination requirements for attendance at public and private schools and childcare facilities.

Parents will receive information regarding these immunization updates, which took effect on July 1, 2021.

Find more information about required immunizations and physicals on the school division’s website.

The 2022-2023 athletic season will begin July 28, 2022 for fall high school sports and August 29th, 2022 for middle school fall sports. In order to participate, student athletes must meet the following requirements:

• have a valid physical, dated after May 1, 2022; review the NPS athletic website for a complete schedule

• participate in the annual concussion education training for parents and athletes

• have a completed COVID Education Form that is signed by a parent/guardian

• be eligible for participation: HS student athletes must have passed a minimum of 5 year-long courses and have 2.0 GPA (from previous school year or cumulative GPA); MS students must have passed 3 of the 5 courses and have a 2.0 GPA from the previous school year

This information can be reviewed on the NPS athletics web page. Student athletes should contact their school’s athletic director for additional information pertaining to the school they attend.

Youth Earn and Learn Jobs-for-Kids is a non-profit organization that believes that children should not only learn where money grows, but how to grow it in their pockets. The mentoring, workforce, and entrepreneurial training and development program pays a stipend to participants and recognizes that kids can do anything, given the right leadership, training, and opportunities. Students learn how to grow and harvest vegetables, and use them to create fresh food grab bags for the Youth Earn and Learn Mobile Fresh Produce Stands as well as meals that are delivered to residents living in low food access communities. Students learn how to create healthy meals from the community garden of fruits and vegetables.

Thank you to Youth Earn and Learn Jobs-for-Kids!

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.

Maury High School boys and girls tennis teams won the Region 5B championship.

Maury Girls tennis player Mya Byrd is the Regional Champion. The doubles team of Byrd and Addison Felts also won the Class 5 Region B championship.

The Lady Commodores come away with 2nd place in the state tournament.

Team Sports:

Maury girls soccer team won the Class 5 Region B championship. Lost to Cox HS in the state quarterfinals by a score of 1-0.

Granby baseball team won the Class 5 Region B championship. Lost to Freeman HS in the state semifinals, 4-3.

Granby softball team runner up in Class 5 Region B. Lost to Stone Bridge HS in the state semifinals, 2-0.

Track & Field:

Maury’s Lily Guinn won the 3,200 as well as the 1,600 in Class 5 state tournament.

Diamond Baker of Maury took second place in both the discus and shot put.

Norview’s Emmani Shaw won the triple jump and the high jump in the Class 5 state tournament. Emmani also came in sixth place in both the 100 hurdles and 300 hurdles.

Graduation is just around the corner for Norfolk Public Schools’ Class of 2022! Ceremonies are scheduled for June 13 and 14 at Old Dominion University’s Chartway Arena with rehearsals taking place on June 10.

NPS’ 2022 graduation schedule is as follows:

Monday, June 13, 2022

Booker T. Washington High School 1 p.m.

Maury High School 4 p.m.

Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Granby High School 1 p.m.

Lake Taylor High School 4 p.m.

Norview High School 7 p.m.

Each graduating senior will receive 10 guest tickets for graduation. The ceremonies will be livestreamed on YouTube and on the division’s meeting streaming service.

The graduation ceremonies will also be broadcast on WNPS Channel 47 in the days following graduation.

We wish all NPS’ graduating seniors the best of luck in their future endeavors!

Here’s a list of websites that can help your child stay connected and engaged during the summer months!

• NPS Student Tab (Many Resources) - https://www.npsk12.com/domain/6916
• https://emediava.org/
• https://www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-learning-resources-matt-davis
• https://www.summerlearning.org/resources-for-programs-and-families-during-school-closures/
• https://virginia.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/summer-learning-collection/
• https://www.readingrockets.org/article/get-ready-summer-ideas-teachers-share-families
• https://www.nwea.org/blog/2018/8-resources-for-parents-to-promote-summer-learning/
• http://www.starfall.com
• https://www.funbrain.com/
• https://pbskids.org/games
• https://www.mathplayground.com/
• http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html
• https://www.coolmath.com/?scrlybrkr
• https://www.education.com/games/reading/

Norfolk Public Schools has named Norview High School’s Subhadra Desaraju as the 2022-2023 City-Wide Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Desaraju serves as the school’s Chemistry Team Leader and is a classroom teacher who teaches AP Chemistry, Honors Chemistry, and AP Research. Ms. Desaraju also assists teachers within the science department with integrating technology in their planning, teaching, and assessments. She also serves as a lead mentor in her school.

Ms. Desaraju has been a member and mentor of the Advanced Placement Chemistry Community since 2009, a National Board-Certified Teacher since 2012, and is a virtual coach for the US National Chemistry Olympiad beginning this year.

She lives by her mottoes: “Love all, serve all” and “Be POSITIVE, like a PROTON.”

Next up, Ms. Desaraju will represent NPS for Regional Teacher of the Year.

Find names and images for the entire NPS’ City-Wide Teaching Team on our website. You can view the entire Teacher of the Year ceremony or a news story on our YouTube channel. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date on all NPS news!

Maury High School’s art students installed their sculpture entitled “Maladaptive Puppeteer” outside the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Virginia Beach. Students were invited by the MOCA to create a work of art in conjunction with the works of artist Maya Lin, whose artwork is currently on display at the Museum. Thanks to donations and some valuable time at Old Dominion University’s art studio, the students were able to design and construct their sculpture.

All five high schools held proms this year – special “first time since the pandemic” celebrations.

For the first time, Granby High School students elected a non-binary person as Prom King.

Aren Delarosa of the senior class identifies as non-binary and uses they/them pronouns. Aren said the crown and sash have a place of honor in their room.

“A lot of LGBT students in my school were looking up to me,” Aren said. “I had people reaching out to me and saying they hoped I would win because they see themselves represented.”

Alvin Moore, an educator at Norview High School, was recently selected as a Claes Nobel Educator of Distinction by The National Society of High School Scholars. He was nominated by a student for outstanding dedication and commitment to excellence in the profession.

The Educator of Distinction program honors educators around the world.

The National Society of High School Scholars was formed in 2002 by James W. Lewis and Claes Nobel, senior member of the family that established the Nobel Prizes.

Congratulations, Mr. Moore!

Norfolk Public Schools celebrated its bus drivers with a “Spirit Week” from June 6-10. NPS thanks the many dedicated drivers who worked tirelessly to transport thousands of our students across 810 bus routes each day.The school division and our families appreciated the daily efforts of bus drivers to safely transport our students to and from school!

Are you interested in joining the Norfolk Public Schools’ family?

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