NPS Now Newsletter

Norfolk Public Schools’ instructional priority of literacy permeates all that we do in our classrooms, from preschool through high school. Our mantra for the year is Norfolk Public Schools loves literacy! As such, we have a multitude of offerings for our students and families to promote and support reading and writing at school and at home. Please join us in creating a community of readers and writers by participating in our literacy activities. We invite all families of students in preschool through grade 5 to read “Ways to Make Sunshine” by Renee Watson with their child as the school division again takes part in All Norfolk Reads. Parents or guardians of preschool-aged children are invited to register for Preschool Literacy and Nutrition Nights at the school division’s Family Resource Center. Norfolk Public Schools remains committed to supporting our students and their families with literacy tools to employ throughout various curricula to include mathematics, science, history, art, music, health, and physical education. With a visit to Norfolk Public Schools’ Literacy Plan at www.npsk12.com/literacyplan, parents and guardians will find resources to support literacy enrichment at home as well as ways to access books and other reading material. Look for our hashtag, #NPSLovesLiteracy, across our social media platforms.

In addition to coverage of our literacy initiatives, in this newsletter you also will find demonstrations of the school division’s continued efforts toward Equity and Excellence for All through celebrations of the extraordinary diversity and inclusivity of our schools. Norfolk Public Schools provides a wealth of resources to our students with disabilities and their families, and hosts several annual events designed to promote inclusive engagement. Many schools recognized the contributions of Latin and Hispanic culture during Hispanic Heritage Month.

As we move into this month of giving thanks, I would like to give a special thank you to the many community organizations, volunteers, and partners that support our students and staff. Additionally, I remain deeply grateful to serve as the proud Superintendent of Norfolk Public Schools.

Students from preschool through fifth grade will soon be part of the best, biggest book club ever, and their families are invited to join the fun! Norfolk Public Schools is again participating in the annual All Norfolk Reads event. This year’s book, of which all NPS students will receive a free copy, is “Ways to Make Sunshine” by Renee Watson.

Students began reading on October 23rd and will read a chapter every day until November 17th as part of All Norfolk Reads. Norfolk Public Schools works with All District Reads, which partners with schools and communities to encourage reading aloud in households and classrooms.

Reading an extra 14.2 minutes outside of school every day helps expose students to more than a million additional words each year. Time spent reading is key to literacy achievement and academic success. Please set aside time each day to read with your child(ren).

To help families participate in All Norfolk Reads, Norfolk Public Schools has developed a family reading guide, including an events calendar, discussion questions, reading response journal, and reading tips. For more tips on promoting literacy at home, find the school division’s full literacy plan online at www.npsk12.com/literacyplan.

Raising a reader starts on a baby’s first day. According to ReadingRockets.org, starting a reading routine in a newborn’s first days helps to establish a lifelong love of reading. Virginia Literacy Partners of the University of Virginia offers support for families to help their children in kindergarten through third grade to establish foundational literacy skills. The Virginia Department of Education provides online and offline literacy resources for families of students ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade.

Norfolk Public Schools’ Literacy Plan includes information on resources for families to support their children’s reading and literacy efforts at home, including access to Lexia Core 5 for elementary school students and Lexia PowerUp for middle school students. These computer-based programs complement classroom literacy instruction. Khan Academy Lessons provide videos and practice activities that focus on background knowledge, reading comprehension, and vocabulary. Finally, NoRedInk helps middle and high school students improve reading comprehension and writing skills.

Lake Taylor High School has set a high bar for this year’s School-to-School Attendance Challenge! The Mighty Titans participated in a spirit week that welcomed pajamas, sportswear, and “twin” outfits, all in the name of good attendance! On one morning of the week-long challenge, school administrators served coffee and doughnuts to parents and guardians who dropped off their students by 7:25 a.m. On the last day of LTHS’ challenge week, students and staff took a field trip to Southside STEM at Campostella to personally tap the Cardinals as the next school to take the challenge. The trip included passing along an “attendance flag” created by Lake Taylor High School students.

Since the pandemic, attendance has been the focus of Norfolk Public Schools and school divisions around the state. Norfolk Public Schools saw its chronic absenteeism rate decrease from 24.3 percent in 2021-2022, to 20.2 percent in the 2022-2023 school year. Norfolk Public Schools’ efforts to improve attendance continue this year with the 2nd Annual School-to-School Attendance Challenge. The challenge helps to shift the conversation from the negative of chronic absenteeism to the positive of school attendance and lets students know that if you miss school, you miss out!

“We have division-wide policies and practices in place to address truancy and chronic absenteeism; however, we wanted to go beyond the school-to-student interaction by involving students’ families and the community because we truly believe combatting chronic absenteeism requires an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach,” said Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong.

This year’s challenge, which has widened to include middle and high schools along with elementary schools, kicked off on October 16 and will continue until May 3, 2024. The School-to-School Attendance Challenge will continue to be featured on all Norfolk Public Schools’ communications platforms, including social media channels such as Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. Follow Norfolk Public Schools to stay up to date on the challenge and all the incredible work of the school division’s students and staff.

To measure this year’s progress and success, a data team will capture each schools’ attendance rate during the three weeks prior to its challenge, the week of its challenge, and the three weeks following its challenge. Each month, the data will be used to identify and celebrate the schools with the best and most improved attendance, as well as to recognize students with the best attendance for each semester.

“Ultimately, we want our scholars to know that we sincerely want them to come to school, be ready to learn, and then go out into the world and do great things in life,” Dr. Byrdsong said.

Norfolk Public Schools will begin recognizing the schools with Best and Most Improved Attendance rates each month as part of the division’s focus on improving on-time, daily attendance.

The division would like to congratulate the top schools that achieved the Best Attendance rate from August 28, 2023, through September 30, 2023:

97.54% Sherwood Forest Elementary School (Grades K-5)

96.98% Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (Grades K-8)

96.79% Blair Middle School (Grades 6-8)

96.28% Booker T. Washington High School (Grades 9-12)

Note: Norfolk Public Schools will begin recognizing schools in the Most Improved Attendance rate category in November when the division finalizes its October attendance numbers.

Congratulations to these schools and their students!

Norfolk Public Schools’ fifth graders returned to Naval Station Norfolk for the first NAVSTA Norfolk/NPS STEM Day since the pandemic! The event on October 20th allowed students to learn from representatives of the Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines. Students toured Navy ships and participated in hands-on, real-world applications for science, technology, engineering, and math. Thank you to Captain Janet Days, the first Black woman commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk, which is the world’s largest Navy base, for the warm welcome. To see a gallery of the day’s events, visit www.npsk12.com/images.

Special education students and their parents and guardians can find support and resources at Norfolk Public Schools’ Parent Resource Center (PRC). Visit the PRC’s newly updated website for information including special education resources, a link to the lending library, contact information, and a calendar of events. This fall, the PRC is partnering with Old Dominion University’s Clinical Psychology Department for a fall workshop series in November and December.

One of the goals of the PRC is to provide special education literacy, including information, education, and networking opportunities for parents and guardians to make informed decisions for their student(s). That includes understanding the special education terms and foundational knowledge as defined by the U.S. Department of Education and to share information from the Virginia Department of Education, including:

IDEA
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is a law that makes available a free appropriate public education (FAPE) to eligible children with disabilities throughout the nation and ensures special education and related services to those children.

Section 504
The Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504, addresses protections for students with disabilities. Section 504 is a federal civil rights law designed to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination and ensure access to programs and activities that receive federal funds.

Virginia Parent Guide
Virginia has recently published a new special education guide for Virginia families. This guide can be accessed online and is available in multiple languages.

Virginia Family’s Guide to Special Education

How do I contact the Parent Resource Center?

For questions or for more information, please contact PRC Educator Ms. Kamil Donawa. She can be reached by cell at 757-274-5997, in her office at 757-825-4674 X 3089 or by email: parentresourcecenter@nps.k12.va.us.

During a meeting on November 1st at Lake Taylor High School, the School Board of the City of Norfolk held interviews for individuals from Ward 5 who applied for appointment to the vacant Ward 5 seat. The interviews were followed by a public hearing to allow residents to comment on matters related to the open seat. The Ward 5 seat was formerly held by Ms. Lauren Campsen, who resigned due to health reasons. Her last day on the School Board was September 29, 2023.

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, members of the School Board will vote to appoint one of the candidates. The appointed Ward 5 member will serve from the time of appointment until December 31, 2024. A special election will be held later, and the person elected at that time will serve the remainder of the term, which ends December 31, 2026.

For more information about the Norfolk School Board, visit https://www.npsk12.com/schoolboard. The November 1st meeting including the interviews and public comment session is available to view on the Norfolk Public Schools’ YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@NPSk12va.

Norfolk Public Schools in partnership with Special Olympics Virginia held the annual Big Feet Meet on October 24th at Lake Taylor High School. Approximately 300 Norfolk Public Schools’ middle school students with disabilities participated with peer buddies in 12 sports and fitness activities focusing on the core skills of jumping, running, and throwing. Activities included the soccer kick, obstacle course, fitness stations, disc throwing, and more.

This year’s theme was “Choose to Include.” The Big Feet Meet is the first event of the school year that supports Special Olympics’ efforts to promote disability awareness and inclusion. In the days leading up to the meet, students participated in Spirit Week activities such as “Wear Yellow and Black and ‘Bee’ Inclusive” and “Wear Blue to Support Autism Awareness.”

During the Big Feet Meet’s closing ceremony, students were awarded medals of achievement to recognize their hard work and participation.

Norfolk Public Schools’ largest Special Olympics event, the Little Feet Meet, will be held in the spring, along with Champions, a track and field event for high school students with disabilities.

Norfolk Public Schools invites families with children who received special education services during the 2022-2023 school year to participate in the annual parent engagement survey from the Virginia Department of Education. The survey helps the VDOE to identify training needs related to special education processes. The survey results help Norfolk Public Schools and the state to improve parental involvement in the special education process and improve outcomes for all students. Please complete one survey per child. Find the survey at www.npsk12.com or visit the VDOE survey site. The survey is available in English and in Spanish, and will remain open until December 15, 2023.

Middle school student-athletes have been battling it out on the court and on the fields during the quest for championship medals. Find results below and a full photo gallery here: Photo gallery

Tennis

Co-Ed Tennis Regular Season Champions: Blair Middle School

First Place Boys’ Singles: Charlie Metzfield of Academy for Discovery at Lakewood

First Place Girls’ Singles: Vivian Howard of Blair Middle School

First Place Mixed Doubles: Charlie Metzfield and Katie McNabb of Academy for Discovery at Lakewood

Baseball

Champions: Academy for Discovery at Lakewood

Second place: Northside Middle School

Softball

Champions: Academy for Discovery at Lakewood

Second place: Blair Middle School

Football

Champions: Blair Middle School

Want to hear more from Norfolk Public Schools’ amazing student-athletes? Check out this feature on Norview High School Volleyball player Ajah Sabb.

Congratulations to all our student-athletes, coaches, and staff.

Works from 18 Norfolk Public Schools’ teachers and staff are featured in an exhibition at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk alongside work from Portsmouth Public Schools’ teachers. According to the museum, “The youth in these two public school districts learn from talented working artists, and this exhibition celebrates those teachers who work to inspire the next generation of creative thinkers.”

The Norfolk Public Schools’ teachers featured are Jim Cipalla, Jacquelyn Dingle, Elliot Fisher, Georgeanna Fellio, Crystal Haymes, Marjorie Kinney, Dani Krasner, Kimberly McKinnis, Carlie Pearson, Clayton Singleton, Kimberly Thebarge, Meggin Watkins, Samantha Wegener, Shara Wertz, Valerie Weeks, Dorian Williams-El, Lanier Williams, and Joslyn Woods.

The exhibition is open to the public through December 3, 2023. The Chrysler Museum is located at 1 Memorial Place in Norfolk and admission is free. Georgeanna Fellio, Senior Coordinator of Art Education at Norfolk Public Schools, helped to curate the exhibition. This is the second year Norfolk Public Schools’ teachers are featured artists in the exhibition.

Virginia Farm-to-School Week took place from October 2nd to October 6th. Virginia-grown foods were featured on school menus during October. Norfolk Public Schools and some of the Virginian-grown foods were promoted in a custom edition of the digital magazine Learn More. Several schools also participated in the Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth.

National School Lunch Week took place from October 9th to October 13th. This year’s theme was “Level Up with School Lunch.”

Norfolk Public Schools’ At-Risk Afterschool Meals Program is underway! The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is federally funded and provides free snacks and/or supper at participating schools to ALL children younger than 18.

There is no application form for parents or guardians to complete. All afterschool meals and snacks are served in a group setting and offer children and teens good nutrition along with constructive activities, supportive adults, and opportunities to learn and grow.

Visit the School Nutrition section of www.npsk12.com for more information, times, and locations. Children can attend any of the sites listed. Please note that sites, schedules, and menus are subject to change. Each school’s Nutrition Manager can confirm site participation.

If you have questions or need help, please contact the Office of School Nutrition by emailing schoolnutrition@nps.k12.va.us, or by calling (757) 628-2760.

Students at Crossroads School learned about Latino culture during National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs every year from September 15th to October 15th. On October 12th, the Dolphins showcased their knowledge and projects in the school’s first-ever community Latino Festival!

The event in the school cafeteria featured Latino food vendors and stations that allowed students and their families to create crafts inspired by Latino culture. English as a Second Language Teacher Julie Ulsh and her students showed off their Latin dance moves to music provided by a DJ.

“It has been an enriching experience, and the kids are enjoying this learning process,” Ulsh said. “For our Latino students, it has provided them a time to showcase their cultures and feel an immense sense of pride!”

The students’ art will be displayed along the walls of the cafeteria and enjoyed for months to come.

Norfolk Public Schools recognized National Bullying Prevention Awareness Month in October. On October 18th, students, teachers, and other employees wore orange for Unity Day to show support for a unified stand against bullying at Norfolk Public Schools.

Norfolk Public Schools has partnered with VectorSolutions to provide a safe way for students, parents/guardians, and staff to report bullying, other student-related matters of concern, and even kudos on any device through the Norfolk Public Schools Vector Alert Tip Reporting System application.

Every tip reported through Vector Alert is taken seriously and will be fully investigated. The system is monitored between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tips can be submitted anonymously. The site should not be used to report an emergency matter involving an imminent threat to life or property. Call 911 for imminent threats.

To download the app to your device today, search “SafeSchools Alert” in the Apple Store and “Vector Alert” in Google Play. For more information about bullying and the Vector Alert Tip Reporting System, please visit the Norfolk Public Schools’ SafeSchools web pages, or search “SafeSchools” at www.npsk12.com.

Norfolk Public Schools is proud to recognize its school psychologists during National School Psychology Week. School psychologists are members of school teams and support students’ learning in the school setting. They are trained in mental health support, learning, and behavior and are utilized to assist students in achieving academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists collaborate with teachers, school counselors, school administrators, parents, and other professionals.

In addition, they are trained in data collection and analysis, assessment, crisis intervention, special education, and school law. School psychologists develop interventions for students to assist with academics and emotional issues; support diverse learners; collaborate with school personnel and families and create a positive school climate to assist students in the learning environment. They also serve as members of each school’s child study team.

This year National School Psychology Week runs from November 6th through November 10th throughout the United States. This year’s theme, “Let’s Grow Together,” emphasizes school psychologists’ personal and shared strengths in professional growth as individuals and as part of school communities. The theme also recognizes school psychologists’ role in supporting students’ mental health and learning.

For more on the Department of School Psychology, visit the Student Wellness section of the school division’s website, or review videos from Lead School Psychologist Cyndi Nowitzky, School Psychologist Lindsay Head, and School Psychologist Lloyd English on the school division’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/NPSk12va.

Every student at Jacox Elementary School received a brand-new pair of shoes and a message of hope from community partners at United Way, Truist, and Samaritan's Feet. A representative from Samaritan’s Feet asked volunteers to make sure the children they served walked away feeling special. More than 500 pairs of shoes were given away.

The Norfolk Innovation Corridor (NIC) is a public-private partnership designed to encourage growth in entrepreneurship and innovation, to attract technology startups, and to retain a talented workforce. The NIC is a technology zone that stretches from Norfolk State University to Old Dominion University along the Elizabeth River Trail. Startups that are located within the zone qualify for tax incentives and other benefits.

NIC has worked with Norfolk Public Schools again this year to provide Invention Convention, a global K-12 invention education program that teaches students problem identification, problem solving, entrepreneurship and creativity skills and builds confidence in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship. In spring 2024, students from Booker T. Washington High School, Compass Academy at Ruffner, Lake Taylor School, Lindenwood Elementary School, and Southside STEM Academy at Campostella will participate in the after-school program that will prepare them for the city-wide and regional events. Thank you, Norfolk Innovation Corridor, for investing in our students’ future!

Homer Optical supported students at Sherwood Forest Elementary School again in October. Homer Optical staff provided eye exams and eyeglass fittings at the annual event. Doctors identified eight students who needed corrective surgery. Another 54 students who selected frames have received their new glasses.

“Norfolk Public Schools’ focus is on literacy,” said principal Dennis Holland. “It’s hard to be literate if you can’t see what’s on the page.”

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.

Each month in the #NPSNotableAlumni feature, Norfolk Public Schools’ graduates share what their NPS education meant to them – and where it has carried them so far.

From her time as a student at Tarrallton Elementary School to graduation from Lake Taylor High School in 1975, Terri Doane’s education at Norfolk Public Schools prepared her for where she is today.

Doane is the Chief Information Officer and Director of Information Technology for the City of Norfolk. She supervises 95 employees who are responsible for all City technology needs, including fire, police, and rescue systems, the City’s GIS mapping program, and the software that helps residents pay their bills online.

Norfolk Public Schools introduced Doane to computer programming.

That’s why she has some advice for current NPS students.

“Learn everything you can,” she said, “because you never know what is going to be interesting to you, or where it will lead.”

To suggest a profile or to recommend yourself, send a message to Norfolk Public Schools on LinkedIn or email tellus@npsk12.com. Follow Norfolk Public Schools on LinkedIn for more alumni news, professional development, and job opportunities.