Wellness

Social, emotional, and physical wellness are foundational to life and learning

Charlottesville City Schools recognizes the strong link between a child’s social, emotional, and physical health and their ability to learn. Schools also play an important role in teaching children about wellness.

In 2016, our school division won a U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools District Sustainability Award in recognition of our policies in place to promote healthy choices for our students and staff. We have also won national recognition for our attention to mental wellness through social and emotional learning programs and our systems of positive supports.

Our 2017-23 Strategic Plan places a strong emphasis on “Safe and Supportive Schools,” with specific goals for social, emotional, and physical wellness.

The School Health Advisory Board—made up of health professionals, community agencies, parents, educators and students—advises the School Board in the development and evaluation of our state-recognized Wellness Policy and programs that support the health and well-being of students, families, and school staff.

More Information:

• Charlottesville City Schools Wellness Policy (Policy JHCF)
  • CCS Wellness Policy Brochure (2017) — distributed to all families
• Physical Fitness Programs at Charlottesville City Schools
• Social-Emotional Learning
  • Trauma-Responsive Practices
• Counselors, Social Workers and Psychologists including Bullying Prevention and Peer Mediation
• Employee Wellness Benefits and Overview of Programs
• Green Initiatives at Charlottesville City Schools
• Safety Programs and Planning
• School Community-Building Programs
• School Health Advisory Board
• School Nurses and Student Health
  • Information about student insurance for qualifying families (FAMIS)
• School Nutrition at Charlottesville City Schools
• School-wide Positive Supports (Virginia Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports)

Sample Partners and Related Programs:

• City Schoolyard Garden
• Local Food Hub
• Safe Routes to School
• Wildrock

Fostering School Community and Relationships

One of the goals for Charlottesville City Schools is to promote a positive and inclusive culture in our learning communities.  Relationships are at the heart of a thriving community.  We strive to encourage strong relationships among and between staff, students, and families through mentoring and other initiatives.

Examples include:

• A strong sense of community is at the heart of our division-wide framework for supporting students’ academic, behavioral, and mental health needs (Virginia Tiered Systems of Support and Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). Both Johnson Elementary and our alternative learning center, Lugo-McGinness Academy, have led the way as we establish practices that build community, encourage good behavior, and deepen relationships.
• From school-wide meetings at Venable to Fun Fridays at Clark to the Harry Potter-style “house” system at Jackson-Via, our elementary schools promote a positive sense of community. Need another example? How about the “welcome back” field days at the start of each semester at Burnley-Moran.
• We believe in mentoring, whether that means Buford eighth-graders serving as reading buddies at neighboring Johnson Elementary, upperclassmen at CHS welcoming ninth-graders through Link Crew, or teachers, coaches, and community leaders guiding students at every step of the way.
• Our school counselors foster social-emotional health in a variety of ways. They offer classroom lessons, such as Walker students guiding their blindfolded partners to solve jigsaw puzzles. They also sponsor clubs and groups such as the Walker Peace Squad or the Jackson-Via Bully-Nots. Social-emotional learning is also part of our curriculum, and trauma-responsive practices are in place in all our schools.
• Relationships (and reading skills) can deepen even during the summer through our teachers’ and librarians’ Books on Bikes program! The BoB team visits neighborhoods to deliver free books, popsicles, and smiles. (A therapy dog even makes the rounds!)
• Parents are a big part of our school communities, whether through staying connected, volunteering, or attending  events such as Doughnuts with Dad at Johnson. We are proud to have a Family Engagement Coordinator and are so grateful for the good work of our active PTOs!
• Clubs, athletics, and our amazing fine arts programs also build relationships and community.
• An award-winning and comprehensive commitment to wellness — from mental health to outdoor gardens — lays the foundation for our community-building.

Related Information

• Social-Emotional Learning
• Trauma-Responsive Practices
• Wellness at Charlottesville City Schools
• Positive Systems of Supports
• Staff Supports such as Counselors, Social Workers, and Psychologists

Emergency Planning

School leaders work throughout the year evaluating security measures and planning for crises and emergencies. Student safety is our top priority. We work with local first-responders, develop building-specific security procedures, and participate in emergency management training and activities. Each school has a threat assessment team to promote safety in the schools.

Our plans include:

• Training for all employees
• Routine safety drills
• Building-specific security procedures
• A team of care and safety assistants who build relationships with students, staff, and the community and who promote a safe school atmosphere
• Strong and expanded school-based staffing of counselors, social workers, and psychologists
• Threat assessment teams at all schools
• Surveillance cameras, screening procedures for visitors, buzz-in entrances, lighting/locking upgrades, and standardized exterior door signage to assist first responders
• Continued awareness of local or national events and their impact
• Participation in local emergency management activities and drills with government, school, and public health officials
• Attendance at school safety conferences to stay in step with best practices
• Partnering with the community, including clearly defined situations when police come to schools to promote safety.
  • Find our CCS/Charlottesville Police Department Protocols (2021)

• In addition, in March 2018, the Charlottesville School Board approved a Resolution on Gun Violence Prevention.

In 2020, the schools and the Charlottesville Police Department jointly ended our 2016 Memorandum of Understanding for School Resource Officers (SRO’s).  A new model for school safety was unanimously approved in spring 2021 and implemented in August 2021.  Find our CCS/Charlottesville Police Department Protocols (2021).

These emergency plans complement our larger goals for promoting safety by building systems of supports for all students, promoting wellness, and creating a positive school culture.