Connections

Dear families and community members,

Did you know that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, firearms have been the leading cause of death for children and teens in the U.S. since 2020?

At its January 25th meeting, the Albemarle County School Board, in tandem with legislation from the Virginia General Assembly and an executive order from President Joe Biden, asked division leaders to help stress the importance of safe and secure gun storage in the home in an effort to help combat this statistic.

To do so, we sent a letter to families with information and resources about how to safety secure guns in the home. We hope you will take the time to read this letter and ensure that any weapons are securely stored and out of reach of children.

Wishing you a safe and happy Spring Break,

Sincerely,

Dr. Matthew S. Haas

Superintendent

A lot has happened this month! Here's what we think is important to know:

ACPS launched the School Champion Initiative with a group of more than 20 local businesses and organizations eager to support the division. The School Champion Initiative is designed to enhance the exchange of resources and expertise between schools and community organizations. These lasting partnerships are mutually beneficial, improve school learning environments, and provide meaningful support for schools, students and staff. School champions give their time, talent, and treasure to help ACPS fulfill critical needs and create opportunities for each student to thrive.

If your business or organization is interested in becoming a school champion, please reach out to Tessa Ashoff at afe@k12albemarle.org.

During community meetings and various other gatherings, Superintendent Dr. Haas collects suggestions and questions through an anonymous Suggestion Box. Each week, he chooses one question to answer or suggestion to address. In each edition of Connections going forward, we will highlight one of those questions and link to the other questions on our website.

What is the difference between a police officer and a school resource officer?

Police officers and school resource officers (SRO) are both certified law enforcement officers employed by the local law enforcement agency. Both police officers and SROs are responsible for crime prevention, detection and enforcement of laws in Virginia, with the authority delineated in state law to respond to incidents, conduct investigations, issue citations and make arrests. SROs, however, operate under a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the school district and police department. Under this MOU, officers are assigned to one or more schools to provide law enforcement and security services within school environments but are still subject to administrative control of the local law enforcement agency.

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Did you know that 1.7 million scholarships are awarded each year in the United States? There are plenty of scholarship opportunities available locally, like the African American Heritage Scholarship! For more information for scholarships you or your student may qualify for, contact their school counselor!

Albemarle County Public Schools is accepting preschool applications for the 2024-25 school year. To learn if your child is eligible for these programs and how to apply, visit our Preschool Application Information webapge.

Email: superintendentoffice@k12albemarle.org
Website: k12albemarle.org
Location: 401 McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Phone: (434) 296-5820
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/K12Albemarle
Twitter: @k12albemarle