SHS Weekly Update

Smithfield High School's welding program is the recipient of a $37,500 competitive grant to upgrade career and technical education (CTE) equipment, the Virginia Department of Education announced Wednesday.

Congratulations to welding instructor Paul Miller, who will use the grant funds for a Multi-Process Welder. Isle of Wight County Schools was one of 16 school divisions awarded the CTE grant.

According to a news release, "the annual General Assembly appropriation provides for innovative equipment that aligns to CTE programs that prepare students for high-demand and fast-growth industry sectors based on data from the Virginia Office of Education Economics (VOEE)."

A $10,000 grant was awarded to the SHS Chorus by Smithfield VA Events from the 2025 Wine & Brew Fest. The Chorus will be able to purchase new acoustical shells to use for performing on the auditorium stage, which will greatly enhance our sound quality. We are extremely grateful to SVA Events for this generous grant!

Click here to read the story: https://www.wavy.com/news/local-news/isle-of-wight/iw-students-teachers-work-to-commemorate-250th-anniversary-of-virginias-founding/

Check out our students' work on the "Revolutionary Roots" website.

Team Bluebird submitted their “bluebirds only” nesting box to the InventVA online state contest. Their project was a bluebird nesting box that used color and distance sensors to recognize the type of bird in the snake-proof Noelle cage. If it sensed blue, the door would open for the bird. If it did not sense blue, it would stay closed-keeping invasive sparrows and wrens out of the nesting box.

The team won recognition for “Innovations in Wildlife Habitats” in the category of Environment and Sustainability. They also won second place in the KidWind Eastern Regional Solar Challenge. Team members include: Vincent JaimeSawyer, Evelyn Newman, Aiden Montgomery, Jaydon Ruffin and Will Flythe.

The last Red Cross/ JROTC/ SHS Blood Drive was held on April 30th, and 78 pints of blood were collected. Over 120 students, faculty and community members participated, and there is the potential just from this drive to save over 230 lives. For the 24-25 school year, donation at SHS exceeded 250 pints, saving over 750 lives. SHS retains the title of the #1 high school in the state for Red Cross blood donations. This year, with over 250 pints of blood donated at SHS, the Red Cross will provide $4,500 in scholarships to graduating seniors who participated in running the drives. Congratulations to all donors for making SHS the number one school in the state and saving over 750 lives in the process.

May 12 - Interim Reports Issued

May 23 & 26 - All Schools/Offices Closed (Memorial Day)

June 4-6 - Spring SOL Testing

June 11-12 - Three-Hour Early Dismissal for All Schools

June 12 - Last Day of School/End of 4th Quarter

June 13 - Graduation

For complete information about graduation and all end-of-year senior activities, check out the Senior Activities Newsletter linked below.

Student Registration for After-School Activity Bus Pilot Program (Spring 2025): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6a5gfFvwP8PVgqflWUb_8PV3oFkydMZkMh0dNQGZsx3HF3w/viewform

Registration will be open from April 1, 2025 until May 8, 2025.

To Sign Up, visit: https://tinyurl.com/ASVABMAY2025

Tickets for The Wiz are $12 on GoFan. Purchase your tickets here: https://gofan.co/app/school/VA12875?activity=Performing%20Arts

On Friday, May 30, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council is hosting a Maritime Career Expo in collaboration with Newport News Shipbuilding and Isle of Wight County Schools. Click the link below for more information. RSVP by May 15.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1tFB_yoVc34jiaqcF2goC2SJ5gvRH-PlspLkLwtn4oIE/viewform?edit_requested=true

Open the file below for more information and to apply for the Student Leadership Institute, a program of the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce.

Ready to purchase your yearbook? Click here to order.

Can't remember if you ordered a yearbook? Click here to check.

ALL MEDICATION IN THE CLINIC MUST BE PICKED UP BY:

Thursday, JUNE 12th

Between 7:30-2:00

Medications not picked up will be destroyed in compliance with the Isle of Wight County School Board Policy.

Isle of Wight County Schools Child Nutrition Department participates in the National School Breakfast and Lunch program and is responsible for preparing more than 3,500 meals each day. We encourage every child to participate in school breakfast and lunch programs, which provide well-balanced and well-prepared meals, as well as a la carte and snack items that meet all Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act guidelines.

The Child Nutrition Department offers a variety of menu selections which are designed to ensure we meet the nutritional needs of our students as established by USDA guidelines. For more information contact Melissa Barbee, Admin Associate for Child Nutrition, at 757-365-1631 or mbarbee@iwcs.k12.va.us.

IWCS is excited to announce that preschool registration is now open for the upcoming school year!

If you, or someone you know, has a child who will be 4 by September 30, we invite you to apply to our high-quality, nurturing preschool program designed to help your child grow, learn, and thrive.

Spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait. Visit our IWCS Website or call 757-357-4393 for more information.

We look forward to welcoming your little learner to our school family.

• Drop-off in the line in front of the school ONLY! There is to be NO student drop-off in ANY parking lots by parents or older siblings.

• No left turn onto Turner Rd from the parking lot during morning drop-off!

If you are planning to pick up your child early from school. Please send an email to shs-attendance@iwcs.k12.va.us by 10:00 am with the time you are picking them up. We will put your child’s name on the early release list. They are responsible for letting the teacher know they have “Early Release.”

Please ensure that all absences for your child are properly excused. To clear unexcused absences:

• Parents may submit up to five parent notes per semester for any reason.
• Doctor's notes are unlimited and can be submitted at any time.

To receive credit for a class, students must not exceed five unexcused absences. Any student with more than five unexcused absences in a class will not earn credit for that class, regardless of their grade. These students will need to go through the Attendance Appeal Process to address the issue.

Please send in all absent notes as soon as possible to ensure your child’s attendance record is updated. Thank you for your cooperation! Shs-attendance@iwcs.k12.va.us

Website: https://shs.iwcs.k12.va.us/
Location: 14171 Turner Drive, Smithfield, VA, USA
Phone: 757-357-3108
Twitter: @OfficialSHSPack