School may be out for the summer, but many of our students are busy at work making presentations at conferences and receiving awards and opportunities at the state and national level.
Cole Fairchild; Photo: Eze Amos
CHS student Cole Fairchild and engineering teacher Matt Shields were selected as part of the 2018 cohort of Bezos Scholars and recently attended an all-expenses paid trip to the Aspen Ideas Festival.
Each year, the Bezos Family Foundation selects rising public high school seniors who apply with an educator partner to the year-long leadership development program. After attending the festival, scholars return home to organize their own community change projects, known as Local Ideas Festivals (LIFs). We can’t wait to see what Cole and Mr. Shields have planned.
Zyahna Bryant; Photo: Matt Eich
Meanwhile, CHS student Zyahna Bryant is preparing to accept multiple awards for her student leadership on social justice issues. In September, Zyahna will travel to Connecticut to accept the 2018 Harriet Beecher Stowe Foundation Student Stowe Prize and $1,000 for her essay on social justice. In October, she will accept the 2018 Yale Bassett Award for Community Engagement. In addition, this spring she was the recipient of the 2018 Princeton Prize in Race Relations for her advocacy work at CHS and recently attended a two-day conference at Princeton that included presentations, celebrations, and a $1,000 prize.
2018 VA Governor’s School attendees
In addition, the following CHS students are attending the 2018 Summer Virginia Governor’s School for Humanities and Visual & Performing Arts: Rachel E. Beling-Humanities, Talia Marshall-Humanities, Alyce Yang-Humanities, Davida Rimm-Kaufman-Agriculture, Adria Cafferillo-Instrumental Music (Flute), Sahara Clemons-Visual Arts, Sophia Greenhoe-Dance, Linnea Schenck-VA Governor’s Foreign Language Academies (French). Congratulations on earning this distinguished opportunity!
Jack Timmins and Adela Cervantes will present at the 2018 International Space Station Research and Development Conference.
Buford middle school students presenting at the National Museum of American History
And lastly, a group of Buford Middle School engineering students have been conference-hopping this summer, presenting their work with the Smithsonian Invention Kits at national conventions in Washington, D.C. and Chicago. The students have been sharing their projects, challenging audiences to make speakers out of every day items, and leading workshops to teach the teachers about using the invention kits in their own labs.
Senior Portrait Day is August 9, 2018 at Charlottesville HIgh School from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the small gym. Please use the link below to find your appointment time slot. There will be a makeup day for senior portraits on September 12, 2018. For questions regarding pricing, packages, or setup, contact Lifetouch for more info at 540-562-3107 or 800-366-0639.
Q: What if I miss my time slot?
A: If you can come to the MLKPAC before 3:30pm on Senior Picture Day, come on out. Otherwise do make ups.
Q. Where do I take my photo?
A: Go to the PAC, and they will direct you from there.
Q: What should I wear?
A. Wear an undershirt and bring several of your favorite outfits.
Q: Should I take a photo?
A: Yes, it gets you a Senior id, you may want to use the formal shot to send out to relatives, and it’s the first check on your name and image for the yearbook. You can still submit a private photo as well.
Q: What if I want to submit a personal photo?
A: First, take your photo with Lifetouch on Senior Picture Day in the PAC and then do your private setting. Submit the private one by October 1st to Ms. Ewing at ewingd1@charlottesvilleschools.org. Make sure it’s a high-resolution photo (300 DPI) and rename it with your first and last name. Place your name in the subject along with the words “Senior Photo.” Example: Barney Rubble Senior Photo.
For other important CHS fall information, click here.
For CHS Summer Events calendar (pdf download), click here.
Q: What if I miss my time slot?
A: If you can come to the MLKPAC before 3:30pm on Senior Picture Day, come on out. Otherwise do make ups.
Q. Where do I take my photo?
A: Go to the PAC, and they will direct you from there.
Q: What should I wear?
A. Wear an undershirt and bring several of your favorite outfits.
Q: Should I take a photo?
A: Yes, it gets you a Senior id, you may want to use the formal shot to send out to relatives, and it’s the first check on your name and image for the yearbook. You can still submit a private photo as well.
Q: What if I want to submit a personal photo?
A: First, take your photo with Lifetouch on Senior Picture Day in the PAC and then do your private setting. Submit the private one by October 1st to Ms. Ewing at ewingd1@charlottesvilleschools.org. Make sure it’s a high-resolution photo (300 DPI) and rename it with your first and last name. Place your name in the subject along with the words “Senior Photo.” Example: Barney Rubble Senior Photo.
9th-11th Grade Portrait Information:
Non-Senior Picture Day: September 18-19, 9am-4pm, MLK PAC or CHS small gym
Non-Senior Picture Make-Up Day: October 17, 9am-4pm, MLK PAC or CHS small gym
Staff Portrait Information:
Staff Picture Day: August 17, 2018
Individual portraits: 12-4pm
Staff group photo: 11:45am
For a downloadable PDF of the CHS Summer Events calendar (July-August), click here.
Come meet your teachers and see your classrooms! Open houses this year will be on Monday, August 20, 2018. School starts on Wednesday, August 22, 2018.
Wednesday, August 15
CATEC Open House is Wednesday, August 15, from 5-7pm
Members of the Charlottesville High School Class of 2018 received their diplomas at graduation exercises on June 7, 2018 in John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. A recording of the live event can be seen at http://bit.ly/2018CHSGraduation. Congratulations, Class of 2018 CHS Black Knights!
Online registration for summer school classes will continue until June 14. CHS will offer both virtual and face-to-face summer classes for current students and rising 9th-graders.
Summer School Dates: June 18 – July 27
NOTE: many of our popular courses such as Health/PE and Virtual Economics & Personal Finance do have CAPACITY limits. Registration will be accepted in the order in which it is received.
Students attending CHS in the 2018-19 school year are considered “In District.” Students on Free or Reduced Lunch are eligible for reduced tuition rates. Out-of-district students are not eligible for Free/Reduced rates. Tuition is non-refundable.
Course
In District Tuition Price
Out of District Tuition Price
Reduced Lunch Tuition Price
Free Lunch Tuition Price
Full Credit Course
$400 each
$550 each
$200 each
$25 Each
1/2 Credit Course:
PE 09 & 10
Health 9 & 10
$200 each
$350 each
$100 each
$25 Each
You may bring your tuition payment (cash, check or money order payable to Charlottesville High School) to the CHS Office.
Or, you can pay your summer school tuition online through MySchoolBucks at http://bit.ly/chssummertuition. A convenience fee will apply.
As you make plans to attend commencement exercises for the Class of 2018 in just a few weeks, please keep in mind these important details:
When: June 7, 2018, 7:00 p.m. Graduates should arrive by 5:30 p.m.
Where: John Paul Jones Arena. Free parking is available at the arena.
A live stream of the graduation ceremony will be available at www.facebook.com/cvilleschools. No Facebook account or password is needed to view.
Security Information: Please read the following UVA JPJ Arena security policies carefully, especially noting the bag policy.
Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and cannot exceed 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches. Clear one-gallon plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bag or similar) are also permitted.
Small clutch bags, approximately the size of a hand and no larger than 4.5 inches x 6.5 inches (with or without a handle or strap) can be taken into the arena and will be subject to search. An exception will be made for items necessary for medical reasons after proper inspections at a gate designated for this purpose.
Prohibited bags include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag, coolers, briefcases, backpacks, fanny packs, cinch bags, luggage of any kind, computer bags and camera bags or any bag larger than the permissible size.
Items needed for small children must be in a clear bag that meet the stated dimensions.
Bags and purses that do not meet the above criteria cannot be held by staff or stored inside or around JPJ Arena. For clarity, diaper bags and backpacks are also prohibited.
Arrive early. Our entrance procedures may take a few minutes and traffic is often heavy around JPJ Arena. Therefore, we request that all guests arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the start of the ceremony. Please plan accordingly.
Wear as little metal as possible. Large metal jewelry/belt buckles, etc. are allowed, but can slow down the entrance process and/or delay your entry.
Understand prohibited items. Balloons, flowers, umbrellas, outside food and beverage, artificial noise makers, and strollers are specifically prohibited inside JPJ Arena. Gifts for graduates may be presented when they meet families on the plaza after the ceremony.
On February 13, CHS hosted a ribbon-cutting to celebrate a new partnership, the CHS/CFA Institute Finance Academy. The partnership supports financial education and cultivates interest and awareness of the investment profession. The CHS/CFA Institute Finance Academy will impact three programs at CHS: the Student Investment Group (see next item!), the AVID program (including a business-style renovation of the AVID seniors’ classroom, and the economics and personal finance classes required of all CHS students.
Student Investment Group
For the second time in three years, the CHS Student Investment Group (SIG) is one of six American finalists in the University of Pennsylvania Wharton Global High School Investment Competition! The team will join others from the U.S., China, India, Brazil, Norway, Canada and the United Kingdom in Philadelphia at the Wharton Business School in May. Team members are Lucas Higgins, (SIG founder), Cole Fairchild, Whit Rudder, Maya Block, and Hunter Randle. SIG receives support through our partnership with CFA Institute.
A number of Black Knights participated in Charlottesville’s first Next Gen Peacebuilders program, sponsored by the Charlottesville Rotary Club.
CHS debaters won state competition and will advance to nationals! To read more, click here.
CHS debaters won state competition and will advance to nationals!
Fré Halverson-Taylor & Owen Fernandez took first place in Public Forum (4-0) while Junior Dani Szabo went 4-0 and placed 2nd in the Lincoln-Douglas category. Overall, CHS won 3rd Place Sweeps. Altogether, we had 11 qualify for states and 9 participated. Congrats to all students for their amazing performances: Julianna Brown, Cole Fairchild, Ellie Detert, Lena Keesecker, John Emery, Alyce Yang, Evelyn McKenney.
Just prior to the VHSL Super-Regional Tournament, our qualifier, Cole Fairchild, had a family emergency. Alternate Dani Szabo stepped in the day before and came up with an upset win! Since his speaker points were so high (a perfect in the final), CHS also took 2nd place sweeps, an almost impossible feat with a single debater. At states, he was part of a three-way tie for 2nd!
Show Less Debate News
Students at Jefferson School African American Heritage Center for Dialogue on Race
A contingent of CHS students spent a day at the Jefferson School African-American Heritage Center, working with the Cville Youth Council to make meaningful change as part of the community’s “Dialogue on Race.” For more on this important conversation, click here. Other CHS news related to this topic includes area high schools’ “Big Read” of The Hate U Give, which was read by CHS 9th-graders, who also participated in a group forum led by UVA professor and CHS parent Lisa Woolfork. In addition, throughout February, a series of community speakers offered opt-in presentations to students for Black History Month, which concluded with the school’s annual assembly. This year’s assembly speaker was Rashard Davis ’16, winner of a 2018 Super Bowl Ring with the Philadelphia Eagles!
The number of students enrolled in honors courses at Charlottesville High School is up 21 percent this year, with increasing diversity. This is in part due to greater use of “honors-optional” classes that allow students within a single class to elect assignments and readings that qualify for honors credit. For Charlottesville Tomorrow’s reporting on this progress, click here.
Buford, Walker, and CHS parents and guardians are invited to take a survey about college-level classes sponsored by the CHS PTO and Counseling Department. The survey is part of a national conversation about college prep and high school stress.
CHS BACON: state and global qualifiers in Zero Robotics, FTC Robotics, Science Olympiad, and more. Click here for more.
CHS BACON: state and global qualifiers in Zero Robotics, FTC Robotics, Science Olympiad, and more:
#2 in VA at Jefferson Lab Science Bowl
After qualifying for the international finals of the elite programming competition Zero Robotics (again), team leader Jonah Weissman received special recognition for developing a github interface for version control.
CHS BACON also qualified for state competition in FTC Robotics. (Again!)
As they prepped to send up their first satellite, the BACON ThinSat team toured labs at UVA today, including the Aerospace Engineering department.
Not only did CHS host the regional Science Olympiad tournament, but students also brought home (OK, they already were home) a team trophy. Jamie Nachbar and Clara Stelow earned 3 medals each!
BACON came in 2nd place in Jefferson lab’s state Science Bowl competition, losing only to governor’s school and perennial champ, TJ High School for Science and Tech.
Seeing a need, students are creating an ID scanner to record when students come into the building. Their software is software ready for testing, and hardware in development. Look for the prototype!
Show Less BACON News
Fine arts acclaim in music, visual arts, creative writing, theatre! Click here for more.
Orchestra seniors with their Orlando trophies
State and local recognition and appreciation:
An ELEVENTH Blue Ribbon for all-around excellence in band, choir, and orchestra. High Schools ear blue ribbons from the Virginia Music Educators Association when all three of the schools’ top performing groups earn superior ratings (the highest possible).
Orlando Music Festival Excellence: It was a clean sweep for the CHS orchestra, as they claimed first place in the gold division for both 2A and 3A competition, PLUS the outstanding orchestra award, two adjudicators awards, and the instrumental sweepstakes award. Then at the airport heading home, the orchestra was invited to give a command performance — listen to the NPR story here.
State band and choir: Sharon Reitsma, Charlotte MacDonald, Clare Inlow, and Anna Bon-Harper performed with All-Virginia bands; and Adria Cafferrillo, Sarah Garretson, Victoria Kremer, Beau LeBlond, and Parker Nelson repped CHS at the all-state choir.
Art awards: Jane Ormsby won third place in the 2018 VA School Boards Assoc. Regional Forum Art Contest; Tiara Strait and Aleena Haidari won awards in the Rumi Forum’s Annual Peace and Dialogue Art and Video Contest.
Creative Writing Winners: Seven CHS students were winners in the Mirabella writing contest sponsored by Tupelo Press’s Teen Writing Center: Rachel Beling, Ryan Doherty, Sarah Hale, Fentress Lynch, Alice Owen, Elana West-Smith, and Gabe Yeargen. Their works will be published in an anthology.
Rising Stars!
Rising Star Awards: Congrats to the CHS winners of the Arthur C. Greene Rising Star Awards: Rachel Beling (Poetry), Ashley Clark (Creative Writing), Kiki Dowell (Theatre), Parker Sullivan (Choir & Orchestra), and Deveny Watson (Visual Art).
After Theatre CHS’s stellar spring musical (South Pacific), the program goes quiet, right? WRONG: Next up? The Tempest on April 26-27, to be followed by a host of year-end performances such as Dessert Theatre. Plus, broadway performer Deon Ridley spent a day leading CHS theatre classes!
Congratulations to Margaret Lather, Ella Harrigan, and Florence Pinkston, who took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, respectively, in the high school prose category for the UVA Fralin Museum of Art’s Writer’s Eye Contest!
Need a verbal hug? Visit the hallways of CHS and read the hundreds of encouraging post cards sent to Charlottesville students from people all over the world. Thanks to Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Blue Ridge for your efforts to promote positivity through this #DearYoungPerson campaign.
The CHS Model United Nations delegation met with a team of real-life ambassadors at the Nigerian Mission in New York while they attended the National High School Model United Nations, the world’s largest UN conference.
A large CHS Model UN contingent in New YorkSpanish AP and 4 classes at UVA A School
Field Trips
How should we remember war? Students trekked to the Dogwood Vietnam Memorial to see the memorial in honor of the 28 local men who died in the Vietnam War. One student reflected: “You figure out that not everything is a given.”
Spanish IV and AP students recently visited the UVA School of Architecture. Students toured the A School & heard from students who had studied abroad in Barcelona.
Traveling the globe with virtual reality…. CHS students took a trip with GoogleVR to the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
AVID students visited CFA Institute to learn more about their work and careers in finance.
Art students visited Second Street Gallery for a workshop.
Public Presentations and Pitches
Pitching ideas for Project SERVE
CHS students in general — and AVID students in particular — have had a host of opportunities to pitch ideas and present research.
Biology classes participated in a student symposium co-hosted by the UVa Medical Center. CHS students’ research was guided by medical professionals.
AVID students pitched community solutions — and received $10,000 to support them! — at CFA Institute’s Project SERVE. This pitch event is one of many ways that the new CHS/CFA Institute Finance Academy is promoting real-world skills and financial literacy.
CHS students presented a wide range of ideas at the Tom Tom Founders Festival. Topics and presentations included BACON, AVID’s Project SERVE winners, City Schoolyard Garden, AP Psychology, and more.
AVID students also presented their Project SERVE ideas at the Public Education Foundation luncheon.
Lugo-McGinness Academy students shared their stories and student perspectives on alternative education experiences during a round-table event for representatives from Newport News Public Schools who came to learn about the success of the program.
CHS Diversity Assembly
CHS celebrated its students’ commonalities and differences with another beautiful Diversity Assembly this March.
CHS Urban Farming & Entrepreneurship class is preparing for the spring with a student-built chicken coop to host the newest and smallest CHS Black Knights!
The CHS Amnesty Club hosted a “Hunger Banquet” to raise food, money, and awareness of local and global hunger issues.
CATEC’s “Technical Eats” Food Bus
CATEC students debuted their school-bus-food-truck called “Technical Eats” during the Tom Tom Founders Festival’s Makerville Expo, and CATEC student Alonda Clark placed 3rd in the Skills USA competition for Nurse Assisting.
CHS AVID students organized a “Food for Hoops ” community 5v5 basketball tournament at Tonsler Park. Jerry Harris, Kajesha Taylor, and Jaquan Wood put in the organizational work and even paid for the event’s catering!
CHS athletes have been winning in sports AND sportsmanship! For more sports news, click here.
CHS athletes have been winning in sports AND sportsmanship!
CHS received a sportsmanship award from VHSL after the winter season since the school has had no player or coach ejections in the first two sports seasons. Thanks for keeping it classy! And spring athletes, let’s keep it going!
Golfer A.J. Stouffer, P/C Andrew Shurtleff, Daily Progress
Senior golfer AJ Stouffer was named the Newsplex’s athlete of the week in March. Among other district and regional honors, Stouffer won this year’s community-wide Charlottesville City Championship, the youngest champ in its history.
The CHS softball facility continues to see improvement. Last winter, new dugouts were erected, and this year a new infield is being installed along with a new sound system courtesy of Crutchfield. A special thank-you to the City of Charlottesville and Parks and Recreation for aiding us in this process. Similarly, CHS Baseball’s facilities have seen major upgrades over the last few years thanks to the school’s partnership with the Tom Sox of the Valley Baseball League.
Five football players made commitments to continue their athletic and academic careers: Trejon Bryant (Glenville State), Rakeem Davis (JMU), Larry Henderson (Glenville State), Sam Neale (Washington & Lee), and JakePoe (Hampden Sydney).
Kennedy Wardlaw at states
Winter sports highlights:
Ella Reed and Zoe DeGuzman both qualified AND PR’ed at the Class 4A VHSL State Swim Meet. Ella dropped more than a second off of the 100m breaststroke, and Zoe dropped nearly 5 seconds off of her 200 m free.
Girls and boys basketball both completed fine regular and post-season runs before ending in round 2 of regional play.
Senior track athlete Kennedy Wardlaw qualified for states after placing 3rd in regionals in the triple jump.
Senior Isaac Kenner was named to the All Central Virginia Wrestling team, the first Black Knight to be so named since Wade Kammauff four years ago.
Alumni sports highlights:
Football’s Rashard Davis ’12 earned a Super Bowl ring with the Eagles (and came back to serve as the speaker at the CHS Black History Month assembly).
Golf’s Emmy Timberlake ’16 won her first college golf tourney this spring. She shot a 77 to earn medalist honors for Dennison U. in the rain at the Wooster Spring Invitational.
Field hockey’s Kendall Ballard ’16 (Ohio University) played on Team USA when they recently scrimmaged against UVa. Kendall scored the two final goals!
Show Less Athletics News
CHS counselors led a series of Stress-Less Week activities as the first semester wrapped up.
Walking under the banner, “United in spirit, united in cheer,” cheerleaders (and friends) from CHS and Western Albemarle appeared together in the Dogwood Parade.
And upcoming: consider coming out for CHS’s annual Band on the Run 5K on May 5, which benefits the band and cross country team.
We’re in the fourth quarter! Exams, spring concerts, & even graduation will be here soon. (Remember, this year, graduation will be Thursday, June 7 at 7pm at JPJ Arena.) Plus, it’s time to start planning for summer school and next year’s sports! Here’s some helpful information:
Seniors
In preparation for graduation, all seniors and guests should read the John Paul Jones Arena security information carefully, paying special attention to the clear bag policy and non-approved items list.
