Thursday, October 12, 2023
A Word From Dr. Gurley
Dear families, staff, and students:
I want to speak to about two issues that are on my mind—one local and one global.
Planning for the Future of Our Schools
As I wrote to you last week , we are hitting the ground running with our new 2023-28 Strategic Plan. To get up to speed, watch the intro video or review the full plan .
Our next step is making sure next year’s budget (FY 2025) supports the priorities of this plan. We want to hear your ideas for making this happen: please take a moment to complete this budget survey.
War Between Israel and Hamas
We continue to be deeply shocked and alarmed by Hamas’s massacre of Jews, and by the ongoing human suffering of civilians in Israel and Gaza.
This war, while troubling to us all, can be particularly difficult for children and teens to process. Some of our students have family members or friends directly impacted by the ongoing conflict, and many more have cultural, religious, and personal ties to Israel and Palestine.
Our focus will continue to be on ensuring our schools remain safe, inclusive, and welcoming environments for our students. Our counselors are always available to students who may need a little extra help during times like these. If you believe your child may be struggling, please encourage them to speak with a counselor at any time.
Read on for more important information and updates from our division. Thank you as always for working alongside our schools as we support our students.
Yours,
Dr. Royal A. Gurley, Jr. |
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Let's Hear It for Trojan Spirit
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| Buford eighth graders cheer on their classmates on the volleyball team at the all-school Fall Sports Pep Rally last week. |
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DONATE SNACKS & COATS FOR OUR KIDS
Our Family and Community Engagement team says THANK YOU for helping them support our students! They are hosting more opportunities to support our students and schools:
- Snack Drive: We are seeking individual, peanut-free packs of items such as pretzels or goldfish. Drop them off at your school, the division annex offices behind CHS, or purchase snacks here.
- Coat Drive: We are seeking NEW coats or hoodies. Drop these items off at your school, the division annex offices, or purchase coats on Amazon or Walmart.
- Other Items: The team is also in need of these NEW items: booster and car seats, headphones, and puzzles (75 pieces or less). Take these items to Bianca Johnson in the division annex offices.
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VOLUNTEER FOR OUR SCHOOLS!
Parent involvement and community support are vital to the well-being of our school system. Charlottesville City Schools invites members of the community to become volunteers in our schools. We have added several additional virtual Volunteer Training sessions this week:
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Friday, October 13 at 10am
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Saturday, October 14 at 11am
To sign up, complete the registration form then join us for training on your selected date by accessing the Zoom meeting at this link.
Volunteers can serve many important roles, from clerical work to mentoring, from helping in the classroom to tutoring English language learners, from chaperoning to special events support. For more information, including a Volunteer Handbook, visit the Volunteer Page on our website.
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MEET YOUR FUTURE SCHOOL BOARD
On October 18 at 6pm, the advocacy group Charlottesville United for Public Education (CUPE), along with the news outlet Charlottesville Tomorrow, will co-host a hybrid online and in-person candidate forum at the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center (4th Street NW. With four School Board candidates and four openings on the Board, the candidates are running unopposed, but this is still a valuable opportunity to meet these future school leaders. Find more info and register here.
MORE FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD
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| OUR FUTURE 'CHARLOTTESVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL' |
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One big sign of progress on this project is the demolition of the school gym at the end of September! In its place, Nielsen Construction will build a new multi-story modernized facility that will include the school’s new gym. Another significant effort is the continued work to install the geothermal wells that are a key part of the school’s sustainability plan.
Students continue to learn on-site throughout the project. During phase 1 (through summer 2025), students are learning in the old buildings while the new construction is built. (Students are also using the neighboring Boys & Girls Club gym during this time.) In Phase 2, 7th & 8th grade students will learn in the new building while the old spaces are modernized. When all work is completed in fall 2026, 6th graders will come to the middle school! At that time, 5th-graders will return to the elementary schools, and our preschool programs will move to the current Walker campus. School leaders are forming committees now to support a smooth transition for PreK and grades 5 and 6.
You can find beautiful architectural renderings of the future Charlottesville Middle School here. Thanks to our current Buford staff, students, and families for their patience and flexibility during this time!
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Down By the Banks
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Greenbrier student-scientists share their findings in Moormans River on a recent field trip to Camp Albemarle. Every year, fourth graders in all our elementaries get this hands-on experience!
| WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! |
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COMPLETE OUR BUDGET SURVEY
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DOWNLOAD THE PARENTSQUARE APP
We are getting great (and helpful) feedback about ParentSquare. To get the most out of this tool, we strongly encourage you to log into your account or download the app. Start by visiting parentsquare.com/signin (use your email or phone number to get started). Or see links at the bottom of this message to download the free app from Google Play or the Apple App Store.
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3 CHS SENIORS NAMED NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS
Congratulations to CHS students Alexis Fox, Emma Heisig, and Jay Conklin, 2024 National Merit Scholar Semifinalists! This honor goes to academically talented seniors nationwide with the highest PSAT scores in their state. Fewer than 1 percent of U.S. high school seniors earn this accolade. We also congratulate four CHS seniors recognized as National Merit Commended Scholars: Solomon Goluboff-Schragger, Gavin R. Mortimer, Shrey Panicker, and Evelyn Wellmon. We’re proud of all of you!
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"BEFORE RUBY BRIDGES, THERE WERE THE CHARLOTTESVILLE 12"
Virginia Public Media recently aired a story about the trailblazers who integrated our schools in 1959, including an interview with Charles Alexander. Click here to watch.
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What's cooking?
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| Third graders in Kaitlynn Proffitt's class at Johnson Elementary are busy baking in the outdoor mud kitchen. |
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Sound ON!
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DO YOU KNOW A COMMUNITY MEMBER WHO WOULD ENJOY THIS NEWSLETTER? Forward this email and encourage them to subscribe !
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