May 2023 Newsletter

We celebrate our amazing and talented teachers year-round, but especially during Teacher Appreciation Week.

This year it ran from May 8-12, and we very much hope you joined us in showing appreciation to these extraordinary humans who provide support, encouragement, and mentorship to our students and serve as their role models.

It is fitting that we show our love for teachers in May, which also brings Standards of Learning (SOL) and End of Course testing. These tests are one measure of students’ progress through the academic year, and our entire team has worked to ensure our students are prepared to succeed. Again, I ask you to join Norfolk Public Schools in this effort. You will find within this newsletter a few tips for helping our students to do their very best.

Finally, if you and your child would love to see more of our excellent teachers, Norfolk Public Schools offers a wide variety of fun, free, enriching summer programs and activities. We would certainly be pleased to have your children with us through the summer!

Students at St. Helena Elementary School have honed their gardening knowledge and skills through a partnership with the Newby Foundation and the Norfolk Police Department.

Through tower gardening, students learn STEM concepts including the growth cycle, knowledge of minerals and elements, and how to assess the Ph of soil. The gardens also encourage healthy food choices.

Tower gardens use aeroponics, which allows vegetables to grow without soil. Compared to soil gardening, aeroponics increases yields by as much as 30% and triples the speed of plant growth, while using only 10% as much water and space, making such gardens ideal for smaller growing areas like patios, apartments, and even classrooms!

St. Helena’s students tend five tower gardens, all made possible by a generous donation of $10,000 from the Norfolk Police Foundation’s mini grants. This month, current and retired police officers visited the school to discuss healthy eating and safety topics.

Students at three other NPS schools also enjoy tower gardens thanks to the partnership: Southside STEM Academy at Campostella, Ingleside Elementary, and Suburban Park Elementary Schools.

Norfolk Public Schools continues to use ESSER III/ARP funds to assist with safely sustaining operations following the COVID-19 pandemic. We are currently seeking input on an updated Safe Return to In-Person Learning and Continuity of Services plan. Please take a few moments to review the plan and share your feedback on our survey, both available at www.npsk12.com/surveys. The updated plan will be posted no later than June 1, 2023.

Norfolk’s Department of Early Learning and Title I wants your help!

Please take a few moments to complete our survey and share your ideas and priorities for spending federal funding under Titles I, II, and IV. These grants are designed to support schools that serve students from households with low income (Title I), provide professional development of teachers and other school staff (Title II), and ensure a well-rounded education including improving school conditions and the use of technology (Title IV). Additionally, this survey provides an opportunity to suggest discussion topics for upcoming Family Engagement Committee meetings. Please act fast as the survey closes May 24, 2023.

Click here for a listing of Norfolk’s Title I schools.

The School Nutrition Association (SNA) recognized Lisa Winter, Norfolk Public Schools’ Senior Director of School Nutrition, as its Mid-Atlantic Regional Director of the Year! The national, nonprofit’s award recognizes school nutrition directors who are highly effective in managing school meal programs while providing healthy and appetizing meals to students.

“As the leader of this team, I wake up and fall asleep nearly every day thinking of better ways to feed kids,” Winter said.

Since becoming senior director in 2019, Winter and her staff have prided themselves on expanding access to nutritious meals for Norfolk Public Schools’ students throughout the entire year, not just when school is in session. NPS is enrolled in the Community Eligibility Program (CEP), which provides free meals to every student in the school division.

Norfolk Public Schools observed Teacher Appreciation Week from May 8-12!

We hope you took the time to thank a teacher!

If you still would like to do something extra special for teachers and their classrooms click here to find “wish lists.”

Last week and all year round, we thank the more than 2,400 teachers in our division. NPS also salutes the longest-serving educator in the division:

Franklin Phillips, a school psychologist at Tidewater Park Elementary who was hired by the division in 1969.

Congratulations, and Norfolk Public Schools thanks you for decades of service to our students!

Andrew Harris, a senior piccolo player at Maury High School, earned a spot representing NPS at All-State Band in April following auditions at the local and the state levels.

Students selected for All-State Band participate in four days of rehearsals with top musical educators, performers, and conductors, culminating in a late April performance in Richmond.

Phillip Lane, band teacher at Maury, stated that this honor resulted from Andrew’s dedication and hard work.

"I am so proud of the musicianship that has developed within Andrew the past two years,” Lane said. “He has always been eager to receive new music and can always be heard practicing. The Maury High School Band Program is honored to have Andrew represent us as well as all of Norfolk Public Schools at the state level.”

Students begin at the regional level by preparing an audition piece that demonstrates several skills along with a prepared solo. They must also sight-read a new solo during the audition. The highest scoring students from the regional level go on to audition at the state level with students from across Virginia. Top scorers participate in the All-State Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Band, or Concert Band.

Andrew, who also plays the flute, credited Mr. Lane and his previous band directors at Maury and Blair Middle School, as well as Rachel Ordaz, a flute and piccolo player with the Virginia Symphony.

Andrew is the first NPS student to participate in All-State Band since 2015.

Students throughout Norfolk Public Schools will be completing Standards of Learning (SOL) and End-of-Course exams starting mid-May. They worked hard all year to prepare. Help our students to do their best! Here are a few tips and ideas:

• Limit television and electronics to provide plenty of time for study and sleep.
• Wear comfortable clothes on test/exam days.
• Eat a healthy breakfast at home or at school. A working brain needs fuel!
• Make sure your child wears glasses if needed.
• Encourage your child to follow directions, read questions fully, and to check for complete responses to questions.

The Virginia Department of Education provides a variety of testing resources online, including sample exams.

For your child’s testing schedule, please reach out to your child’s school or your child’s teacher(s).

Finally, remind your amazing scholar: #MyScoreMatters!

Norfolk Public Schools’ Summer Programs are open for enrollment through May 24! These free programs are open to students from pre-school (age 4) through high school and meet the needs of learners at all levels, whether through enrichment, college and career readiness, or inclusion and learning support.

Programs include:

NPS 2023 Elementary Summer Academic Programs

Preschool Summer STARs (Successful Thinkers are Ready Learners) Camp (4 years old), Elementary Summer STARS “Lit Camp” (Grades K-5) or Elementary ESL (English as Second Language) Newcomer Program (Grades K-5). Register Here

NPS 2023 Elementary Summer Elective Enrichment Programs

Camp Einstein (Grades K-4) or the Summer Arts Academy (Grades K-7) Register here

NPS 2023 Middle School Summer Programs

Middle School Summer STARS Camp with Inclusion Support (Grades 6-8), Getting Ready for Algebra, Getting Ready for Pre-Algebra 6 (rising 6th graders only), Junior University “College & Career Readiness Summer Academy,” Middle School Health & Physical Education Program, Summer Arts Academy, or English as a Second Language Middle School Step Ahead Newcomer Enrichment Program. Register here

NPS 2023 High School Programs

High School Summer School Program & Inclusion Support or the Advanced Placement Summer Academy
Register Here

For more information, visit www.npsk12.com/summer-school

Students, staff, and alumni said goodbye to Tidewater Park Elementary with glitter, balloons, cheerleaders, Motown, and healthy doses of tears and laughter.

Tidewater Park will close at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Students will transition to the Ruffner 3-8 School, which will be repurposed from a traditional middle school to a combined school for grades 3 through 8 starting in September. Tidewater Park Elementary School, which opened in 1964, is within the City of Norfolk’s St. Paul's Redevelopment Corridor.

“Get your cameras ready,” Principal Dr. Sharon Phillips told the crowd at the April 4 Reunion Day event. “Tonight will be a night worthy of recording.”

Reverend Ed Sivells was among those visiting the school and former classrooms one last time.

When asked what Tidewater Park meant to Norfolk, he responded that it’s a school with rich history.

“What was previously done and what they’re doing now, Tidewater Park meant a lot to the city. If they were to go back and find the students who attended here, they would tell their story like I’m telling mine. If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.”

Dr. Phillips celebrated past principals, including Dr. Sylvia Spratley, who attended the event. The school’s teachers and staff include veterans with decades of service, such as school psychologist Franklin Phillips, who has worked for NPS since 1969, and Janna Drof, who has worked at the school for 30 years.

Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong, Norfolk Mayor Kenneth C. Alexander, Ph. D., School Board Vice Chair Tiffany Moore Buffaloe, and School Board Member Tanya Bhasin, joined the crowd.

Farewell, Tidewater Park Elementary and all within it, and thank you for your many years of dedicated service to the families of Tidewater Gardens.

NPS Now: Celebrating 59 Years of Tidewater Park Elementary (Video)

Norview High School celebrated 100 years on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

The celebration featured a demonstration from JROTC members, presentations by the chorus, orchestra, and marching band, a “roll call” of alumni from the school, and closed with the school’s Alma Mater.

Special guests included Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong and members of the City of Norfolk School Board. Notable alumni who attended included Dr. Patricia Turner, who was a member of the Norfolk 17, and former Norfolk City Council member Randy Wright.

The first “Norview School” opened in a farmhouse in 1922. Norfolk County built the first Norview High School in 1923. It consisted of two buildings: one for the high school and one for elementary students. The current building on Chesapeake Boulevard opened in 2004.

NPS Now: Norview High School Celebrates Its 100th Anniversary(Video)

The City of Norfolk has dedicated a new work of public art, The End of Massive Resistance, in Downtown Norfolk. The work by RE:site depicts the Norfolk 17, the exceptional young Black students who integrated previously all-white schools.

“Massive Resistance” was a strategy employed by Virginia politicians and opponents of school integration, as required by the United States’ Supreme Court decision in Brown vs. Board of Education.

In April 1951, Black students in Prince Edward County went on strike to protest unequal education there. Those students joined the lawsuit that led to the Brown decision.

In April 1956, Norfolk’s New Journal and Guide reported that the NAACP planned to sue the City of Norfolk School Board to force it to share its plan to comply with the Supreme Court's Decision in Brown vs. Board of Education. In September 1958, Norfolk’s School Board adopted a resolution to admit 17 Black students, the Norfolk 17, and assigned them to schools.

Virginia’s governor ordered that six all-white schools in Norfolk close their doors rather than admit the Norfolk 17.

Schools remained closed from September 1958 to February 1959.

For months, the 17 students studied at Bute Street First Baptist Church, just blocks from where the Central Administration Building (CAB) stands today. Their lessons included training on how to desegregate all-white schools.

Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 students, the "Lost Class of 1959" went without schooling.

Massive Resistance ended on February 2, 1959. The Norfolk 17 attended school and excelled academically. They endured harassment, isolation, and threats, but kept their experiences private to protect the desegregation effort.

Norfolk Public Schools remains indebted to those students. All that we do, including our continued drive toward Equity and Excellence for All, has built on the foundation they established.

The art installation is in Flatiron Park at 114 W. Charlotte Street. It includes these words from Virginia Poet Laureate Tim Seibles:

"Be here with them for a moment. Open your eyes. Try to remember what has been won, what it means after all the madness, to see the doors everywhere finally open."

The Academy of International Studies (AOIS) at Rosemont hosted its Night of the Notables Young Scholars event in March. The culminating event highlights a process that gives students the opportunity to select their curriculum, create and present research, and teach others in their community.

Scholars select a notable individual to research, which helps the student explore their areas of passion and in turn, illustrates the meaning of giftedness, talent, creativity, and intelligence. The students complete an in-depth study that includes research papers, visual displays, costumes, and character scripts.

The Night of the Notables event sets the stage for students to interact with others and challenges students to put their knowledge to the test by sharing information and answering questions about the individual’s life and accomplishments.

We honor all our school nurses making a difference in the lives of children today and every day! On May 10, we celebrated School Nurses’ Day. School nurses lead the way to support health and ensure that students are healthy, safe, and ready to learn.

Communication disorders affect tens of millions of children and adults in the United States. Left untreated, these disorders can affect a person’s academic, social, and career success, as well as overall quality of life.

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month. NPS appreciates the speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and all the dedicated service providers who work to ensure students have access to quality resources helps to improve their lives.

If you have concerns about your child’s hearing, speech, or language skills, please contact your child’s school of attendance.

For preschool students not already enrolled in school, please contact our Preschool Assessment Team at preschoolassessmentteam@nps.k12.va.us.

For homeschooled or private-schooled students, please contact Candace Delpino, Learning Support Senior Coordinator, at cdelpino@nps.k12.va.us.

Blair Middle School’s students had the extraordinary opportunity to spend an afternoon with Eliza Hamilton!

Actor Nikisha Williams plays Alexander Hamilton's wife, Eliza, in the touring production of the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” which played at Norfolk’s Chrysler Hall in March. Williams treated the Clippers to an afternoon of acting pointers and a musical performance, which received loud cheers from the impressed students.

Watch her performance of "Burn" at Blair Middle School here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxQ2LYzokAM

The 2022-2023 school athletic season is ending! High school playoffs will be held May 26th - June 10th. Middle school playoffs will be held May 25th - June 10th.

Please visit this link for the schedule of upcoming physicals as you prepare for the upcoming fall season.

NPS has an entire Facebook page en Español! Stop by and give Norfolk Public Schools en Español a like!

For information on all the division’s services for English language learners, visit www.npsk12.com/fl. Did you know that all information on www.npsk12.com is available in several languages? Just click on the “translate” option under the “District Home” button pictured here. All Norfolk Public Schools’ messaging is also available in parents’ and guardians’ preferred language through our mass notification system. Please be sure to update your contact information and your preferred language with your child’s(ren)’s school.

If you haven’t already, please follow us on our English language Facebook page and also on Twitter! You will see pictures, videos, and news from around the division as well as event reminders!

Do you have a child who will be 3 or 4 years old by September 30, 2023?

The Department of Early Learning and Title I is now accepting applications for the 2023-2024 school year.

Norfolk Public Schools offers high-quality preschool for qualifying children.

Preschool classes are free, in-person, and offered five days a week in accordance with the division’s academic calendar.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see if you qualify for this important first step in your child’s education – preschool matters!

To apply for NPS’ preschool programs, visit the Preschool Application Process page under the Department of Early Learning and Title I webpage.

Norfolk Public Schools’ Department of Learning Support Special Education Services will host the 2023 Connecting for Students Community Summit on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at Lake Taylor High School. The summit will provide an engaging, supportive experience that promotes learning without limits for students and embodies NPS’ efforts toward the goals described in division’s strategic plan, Continuing the Drive | Equity and Excellence for All. The summit seeks to strengthen the connection between the community and schools and to provide tools and information to create an inclusive and equitable learning environment in which all students can thrive.

NPS’ Department of Learning Support invites you to host a table during the summer community summit! If you are part of a nonprofit, a member of the community or a government organization that provides NPS’ staff, families, and community members with the information, resources, and strategies that promote student learning without limits, please apply here: https://www.npsk12.com/connectingforstudents.

Exhibitor requests will be accepted through June 30, 2023. Selected exhibitors will be confirmed by July 7, 2023.

Norfolk Public Schools welcomes volunteers! To volunteer for upcoming spring and end-of-school events, please register with Raptor, our volunteer management system.

Raptor allows the division to conduct a criminal background check on everyone who volunteers in our schools to ensure that all within NPS adhere to the division’s safety and security protocols. Raptor allows those who wish to volunteer to choose the types of opportunities and events for which they would like to serve or select specific schools where they would like to give their time.

All volunteers must register in Raptor and receive an email clearance to volunteer before coming to the school.

Once registered and cleared, volunteers are approved for two years. All volunteers must adhere to the Code of Conduct and Volunteer Duties Agreements; both are found on the Raptor Frequently Asked Questions page at https://www.npsk12.com/Page/18597.

All visitors to schools must check in with Raptor at the school’s front office to ensure the safety and security of all children in NPS’ care. This also allows school staff to know who is in the building in the event of an emergency.

To find out more about volunteering with NPS or to register through Raptor, visit www.npsk12.com/volunteer.

Norfolk Public Schools is committed to the safety and security of all within our schools. Find safety and security information, including a letter from Superintendent Dr. Sharon I. Byrdsong and the division’s Safety Plan, under the “Safety and Security” button in the “Find it Fast” section of our website.

Norfolk Public Schools seeks the continued partnership of parents and guardians to ensure that our buildings remain safe. Parents, please check your children’s backpacks and belongings daily to ensure that they do not have weapons or items that may be perceived as a weapon. Please talk to your children about the use of social media. Please let them know that all threats, even those made as a “joke,” are taken seriously and may come with severe consequences.

Finally, school staff has been instructed that “It’s okay to delay,” to conduct identification checks on anyone who enters our building. Parents and guardians, please be prepared to show identification when you enter our buildings. Finally, please do not hold or prop open the door for others to enter the building after you. To ensure the safety of everyone, school personnel must admit each person separately.

High school graduation ceremonies are just around the corner. Rehearsal times and the graduation schedule are below and can also be found on the Academic Calendar webpage.

High School Graduation Rehearsal Times
Rehearsals will take place on Friday, June 9, 2023, at ODU’s Chartway Arena, 4320 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23529. Students are to report 30 minutes prior to the start of rehearsal. Parking is in the 43rd Street Parking Garage on the day of rehearsal.

• Maury High School: 8:45 – 10:15 a.m.

• Granby High School: 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

• Lake Taylor High School: 12:15 – 1:45 p.m.

• Norview High School: 2:00 – 3:30 p.m.

• Booker T. Washington High School: 3:45 – 5:15 p.m.

High School Graduation Ceremonies
High school graduation ceremonies are scheduled to take place on June 12 and 13, 2023, at ODU’s Chartway Arena, 4320 Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, VA 23529.

• Granby High School: Monday, June 12, 4:00 p.m.

• Lake Taylor High School: Monday, June 12, 7:00 p.m.

• Norview High School: Tuesday, June 13, 1:00 p.m.

• Booker T. Washington High School: Tuesday, June 13, 4:00 p.m.

• Maury High School: Tuesday, June 13, 7:00 p.m.

Are you interested in joining the Norfolk Public Schools’ family? NPS seeks teachers, bus drivers, school nutrition and clerical staff, security guards and more!

NPS offers signing bonuses for teachers and bus drivers. No CDL? No problem. We will train you.

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

The next career fair will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at Norfolk Technical Center, 1330 N. Military Highway, Norfolk. Stay tuned for additional career fairs scheduled through August!

HR on Campus is a new NPS recruitment initiative. The Department of Human Resources sends recruiters to school-based events to speak with attendees about job opportunities available within the school division. Human Resources representatives have attended events including math nights, STEM family nights, Black history programs, and music programs.

Watch for Human Resources representatives at your child’s school and learn about all that employment with NPS has to offer!

Finders Keepers is an opportunity for current, full-time, non-administrative employees to earn $250 for referring a teacher who successfully begins employment with Norfolk Public Schools. The one-time bonus is paid in a lump sum to the referring employee.

NPS has partnered with VectorSolutions to provide students, parents/guardians, and staff a safe way to report bullying and student-related matters anytime, anywhere, from any device through the Vector Alert Tip Reporting System application.

Text us, call us, e-mail us, or report it through the website, while remaining anonymous. As always, every tip is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

Download the app to your device today! Use “SafeSchools Alert” at the Apple Store and “Vector Alert” in Google Play.

To learn more about the Vector Alert Tip Reporting System, please visit nps-va.safeschoolsalert.com.

Apply for the Summer Lifeguard position on this application form (Must be over 16).