As we bid farewell to Dr. Atkins, we look ahead to a transitional time. We will be guided in the months to come by Acting Superintendent Jim Henderson, who retired from the schools in 2020 as associate superintendent following a career dedicated to Charlottesville Schools.
In addition, the School Board has contracted the executive search services of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates (HYA) to guide the hiring of the next superintendent.
Follow the process at charlottesvilleschools.org/superintendent. We want to hear from you! Help us find the right superintendent for Charlottesville City Schools! Follow the process at charlottesvilleschools.org/superintendent.
We want to hear from you! Help us find the right superintendent for Charlottesville City Schools!

Complete Superintendent Search Survey 

Congrats to Theatre CHS for placing second in the state in the VHSL one-act competition for class 3 with their performance of “Shakespeare’s R & J.” And further congrats to junior Cole Lyman, who won “actor of the year” in the competition!
​​​​​​​In addition, Charlottesville City Schools has been named as one of the Best Communities for Music Education in the nation! This distinction was awarded to 686 districts across the country! Thank you to all the administrators, teachers, students, parents and community members for your support of music education! Need more fine arts in your life? CHS Orchestra returns for a free spring concert TONIGHT (Wednesday, May 19) at 7pm outdoors at the athletic stadium.

“By having first-generation law students reviewing the essays of young adults who were the first members in their own family to apply to college, we were able to build a connection between individuals who could relate to one another in a unique and special way.”—Chelsea Park, CHS AVID Coordinator

Read about this wonderful partnership between University of Virginia School of Law students and Charlottesville High School first-gen college-bound students that led to an abundance of college acceptances and scholarships (including a full ride to Syracuse University for one student)!

• Find details and links to register your student (age 12+).  Any staff who have not yet been vaccinated are also welcome! Registration for May 20 event closes TODAY at 8pm.

Solar-powered night lights, plant-your-own-herb-gardens kits, and decorate-your-own-t-shirt kits were among the fun activities included in hundreds of Climate Action Activity Kits given to Walker Upper Elementary School students this spring. Thank you, Community Climate Collaborative, Virginia Discovery Museum, City of Charlottesville Energy & Water Management team, and others for supporting our students’ hands-on learning.

     Courtesy CBS19. Watch their news story here!

​​​​​​​Burnley-Moran enjoyed a perfect spring day for their Art Walk! Students visited several outside stations with their classmates to view artwork created by schoolmates. During their visits, the students took time to draw the images in their own booklets and to write reflections on each piece responding to prompts such as “What kind of mood or feeling could the artist be showing?” “Does this artwork remind you of anything from your life?” or “What does this artwork inspire you to do?”

Want to go to a virtual gallery? This year’s annual CCS student art show is online at https://tinyurl.com/cvilleschools.  The show also features a student-created coloring book exploring the theme of “Resilience,” a quality that has taken on special meaning during the pandemic.

On Sunday May 23, the YMCA will open registration for the fall YMCA After School program in Charlottesville City Schools (formerly the CLASS program). On Sunday afternoon, we will notify families in elementary school (including Walker). In the meanwhile, learn more here — registration links will be posted to this page on Sunday.

Honorees and teachers Susan Muse, Emily Waters, and Bria Williams

• Susan Muse, English teacher at Buford, won first place in a writing contest in the literary magazine Streetlight for her poem, “Renegade.” An accomplished writer, Susan has published in many other literary magazines and anthologies and has earned a variety of accolades including winning the Signet Poetry Award, being selected to Who’s Who in Poetry in American Colleges and Universities, and being inducted in Sigma Upsilon, an honorary fraternity for writers.
• Emily Waters, orchestra teacher at Walker and CHS alum, recently won a graduate school innovation award from James Madison University for creating teaching materials that bring hip hop into her orchestra classes — not to mention TikTok. Watch more here!
• Bria Williams, history teacher at Walker and CHS alum, is a Dean’s Scholar in the Summer 2021 Cohort of American University’s Masters of Education Policy and Leadership Program. She was selected for exemplifying academic excellence, in addition to her commitment to the School’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a Dean’s Scholar, Bria will receive a $30,000 program scholarship. She will also serve as an Ambassador to the School of Education, as well a Program Advisor to the Dean and Program Director.

In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we partnered with the Kindness Cafe to deliver a custom treat to every school-based staff. The Kindness Cafe, managed by former teachers from CCS and ACPS, provides meaningful employment for adults with cognitive disabilities while creating a joyful, inclusive community space.
​​​​​​​And while our teachers are amazing, we know that not all our superstars are teachers, so this spring we’ve been honoring our “unsung heroes.” Staff members have nominated their peers — from the ranks of our custodians, IT staff, nurses, instructional assistants, bus drivers and more — to shine a spotlight on those who go above and beyond. This week’s winners are shown here — scroll through our Facebook page to see others.

• At their May School Board meeting, the School Board approved the new safety plan as recommended by the Superintendent Committee on School Safety and Security Resources.
• At their May 3 community conversation on school names discussing the names of Clark and Venable elementary schools, the consensus of the gathered group was that they were in favor of changing both schools names — and they were also in favor of gathering additional community feedback. Look for a survey (yes, another survey!) soon.
• The School Board and City Council continue to have discussions about the School Board-approved plan for reconfiguring our schools. The plan would create a preschool center, return 5th-graders to elementary schools, and modernize Buford Middle School for grades 6-8. This summer will be a key time for gathering community feedback on these important projects.

May 21-22: School Board Retreat
May 31: Memorial Day (no school)
June 10: School Board Meeting
June 5: CHS Graduation, 10 am
June 8: Synchronous Virtual Learning Day due to primary election
June 11: Last Day of School (Early Dismissal/Remote Learning Day)