For the first time, an orchestra director will lead the Virginia Band and Orchestra Director’s Association (VBODA), and it is our very own CHS orchestra teacher, Ms. Laura Mulligan Thomas!  This will be the third time a female has been elected president of the VBODA, an organization of high school, middle school, and elementary school band and orchestra directors within the Commonwealth of Virginia, whose mission is to help promote opportunities of music education to K-12 students. 

The primary arbiter for various band and orchestra events throughout the state, the VBODA organizes many competitions and provides outstanding individual student musicians opportunities to work with renowned conductors around the United States.

Mulligan Thomas has served as the director of the Charlottesville High School Orchestra for three decades. She came to CHS after graduating with honors from James Madison University in 1982 and began immediately to develop and nourish the orchestra program of eight students she inherited. Today an award-winning group of 110, a number of CHSO graduates are professional musicians who perform with orchestras and pop, rock, and country artists in the U.S. and Europe. Still other alumni have followed in Ms. Thomas’s footsteps and pursued careers in music education. The CHSO consistently earns superior ratings and top honors at district, national, and international music festivals.

Honored as Charlottesville’s Woman of the Year in 1999 by the Virginia Women’s Forum, Mulligan Thomas was also named one of the Charlottesville Top 25 Citizens by C-ville. Numerous additional awards for her work with young musicians include Charlottesville’s Distinguished Teacher Award, the Golden Apple Award, the Piedmont Council of the Arts Award, and Outstanding Educator in Central Virginia awarded by Phi Delta Kappa. She studied orchestra conducting with Thomas Wilkins, Carl Roskott, and Ray Fowler, and earned her master’s degree from Shenandoah Conservatory in 1996. In 2002, Shenandoah University honored her with its first graduate Alumna of Excellence Award.

Mulligan Thomas spent her early years in Alexandria, Virginia, where she studied piano with National Symphony pianist Marion Herrett and learned cello in the Alexandria City Schools string program. She has guest-conducted dozens of youth orchestras throughout Virginia, and serves as secretary on the executive board of the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association. She is the chair of the Fine Arts department at Charlottesville High School, and for three years directed the University of Richmond Orchestra. An active performer, Mulligan Thomas plays piano and cello with several Charlottesville chamber ensembles, and whenever possible performs with her three siblings as the Mulligan String Quartet.

Charlottesville High School’s on-time graduation rate rose again to 95.7 percent, continuing a rising trend that exceeds the state rate, yields one of the highest rates among Virginia cities, and sets a new school standard.

“We are so proud of our students and staff,” notes Superintendent Dr. Rosa Atkins. “This is no small accomplishment. It really demonstrates the value of creating systems of supports in our schools so that we are meeting students’ individual needs so that they can succeed.”

The school’s rate surpasses the state’s average of 91.5 percent and tops the state’s averages in most groups, including for black students. Charlottesville’s black students’ rate is 95.9, higher than the school’s overall graduation rate and exceeding the state’s average for black students (89.7) by 6.2 points.

Similarly, the division’s five-year graduation completion index rose to 96.4, which also is among the highest in the state.

The school’s drop-out rate fell to 1.8 percent, compared to the state average of 5.6 percent. Charlottesville’s black students’ drop-out rate fell to 1 percent.

The school’s percentage of students earning advanced diplomas was just below state averages overall (49.8 vs 51.5), and in certain groups, this difference was greater, For instance, the rate of attaining an advanced diploma for black students was 25.5 at CHS vs 35.5 across the state.

“A 96 percent graduation rate is something to celebrate,” adds CHS Principal Eric Irizarry. “And even as we celebrate, we set new goals. As we continue to emphasize increased rigor and high expectations, we will expect to see more students pursuing the advanced diploma. But regardless of the type of diploma our students have earned, we celebrate this accomplishment and the good work our teachers, counselors, and staff are doing.”

The choirs of Charlottesville High School presented a benefit concert earlier this week, along with a silent auction to benefit the Ocracoke School of Hyde County, NC.

A small public school located on Ocracoke Island, NC, a remote barrier island in the Outer Banks, the Ocracoke School serves grades preK-12 and has been closed since Hurricane Dorian struck the area in early September.

“We feel an obligation to help others, whenever and however we can,” said CHS Choir Director Will Cooke. “The island of Ocracoke was devastated, and we have an opportunity to use our time and talents to make a difference for this school.”

The silent auction raised nearly $8,000 preceding the concert. The auction remains open through Friday, October 11, and donations will also be accepted.

All proceeds and donations will go directly to the Ocracoke School.

Please use this link to access the silent auction: https://www.32auctions.com/chsocracokeschool?fbclid=IwAR0Kmfoy9cexSRO99-WDt3Q8Waub_g0MbSIyUaFhBRZK-5ZI6_XUffWZJjA

Virginia Secretary of Education Atif Qarni visited Charlottesville High School for a round table discussion with students and staff to learn more about the variety of mental wellness initiatives at CHS.

Recognized as a leader in using a multi-strand approach to mental wellness, social-emotional learning, and intentional community building, Charlottesville City Schools has implemented a wide range of student-led inititatives, particularly at the high school. CHS students shared some of these efforts with Secretary Qarni, including the Teen Mental Health First Aid program, the Green Dot bystander training program, the Link Crew freshman mentoring program, CHS’s calming space, and partnerships with Region Ten Community Services Board and support services such as Y-CAPP.

The visit to CHS is part of a larger effort by the governor’s administration to shed light on mental health and suicide prevention support programs throughout the state during National Suicide Awareness Month. The Commonwealth’s new program, “Recognize. Talk. Act,” launched earlier this month, aims to equip people to recognize signs of crisis and offer help.

More on CHS mental wellness initiatives

• Teen Mental Health First Aid: CHS was one of two schools in Virginia and eight in the US to pilot this national program last year. It teaches high school students about common mental health challenges and what they can do to support their own mental health and help a friend who is struggling.
• Green Dot: CHS is one of two area schools to participate in this national program, launched at CHS earlier this fall. The goal is to train students, faculty, and staff in bystander intervention to help prevent instances of violence or harassment and to frame and set school norms more positively.
• Link Crew: CHS has been participating in this national teen-to-teen mentoring program for several years.  Each year, returning CHS students apply to train and serve as mentors to a small group of ninth-graders, offering support and peer-to-peer guidance throughout the year.
• Calming Space: Last year, CHS dedicated a calming space for students and staff. Students can get a pass to stop by the room for a few minutes when they are feeling stressed or angered. The room is stocked with tactile and sensory tools to help students re-center.
• Partnership with Region Ten Community Services Board and Y-CAPP: Through a partnership with Region Ten and Y-CAPP, CHS is able to provide in-school clinic mental health services and therapeutic day treatments to students.

To learn more about social-emotion learning and other supports in Charlottesville City Schools, click here.

Related news coverage

• “Secretary of Education hears from CHS students about mental wellness initiatives,” The Daily Progress
• “VA Secretary of Education hears mental health ideas from CHS students,” NBC29