On Monday, February 13 (CMS, 5:30), Superintendent Calveric will present the FY24 proposed budget to the School Board for approval. The School Board and Dr. Calveric will then present their approved FY24 Budget to the Board of Supervisors. This meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 21 at 6:00 at the Caroline Community Center. Please join us on these two evenings to learn more about the budget priorities and how you can advocate for CCPS staff and students at the BOS Budget Public Hearing on Tuesday, April 11.

At the state level, Governor Youngkin proposed funding for:

• A 5% compensation increase and 1% retention bonus for Standards of Quality (SOQ) positions,
• Teacher retention bonuses (10M statewide) and teacher performance bonuses (50M statewide), and
• Expansion of the K-3 reading specialist initiative to grades 4/5 (550 to 1).

The General Assembly convened on January 11, 2023 with final changes to the budget bill expected by February 15, 2023. The GA's final budget bill will be used to inform the school division's final FY24 budget.

Goal 3 of Achieve 2027 is Health & Safety, which promotes safe and respectful learning environments supportive of academic, physical, and social-emotional well-being. To support students' collective wellness, CCPS utilizes the Panorama universal screener in the fall and spring to evaluate school climate, teacher-student relationships, student engagement, and learning strategies. The schoolwide and individual student data are used to plan classroom lessons, guidance groups, individual supports, and schoolwide initiatives. The impact of these social emotional efforts and supports is then measured through the spring assessment which informs the division, school leaders, teachers, and service providers on how to craft next steps.

CCPS honors Black History Month 2023 which affords parents, guardians, and educators the opportunity to further enhance students' ability to analyze, think critically, and flex their thinking skills surrounding past, present, and future contributions of African Americans.

The phrase, "We stand on the shoulders of giants," is commonly spoken, and this month our students stand on the shoulders of African American history change makers in Caroline County, the Commonwealth, and across the Nation. Their shoulders provide the historical context for each schools' BHM2023 activities and the school division's daily Facebook posts which celebrate current students, alumni, and our greater community's accomplishments, productive struggle, and activism.

After an extensive application and interview process, Malayla Courtney was selected as the 2023 Student School Board Representative. Malayla is currently a junior at Caroline High School and has exemplified leadership in a number of activities in school and the community. She is a member of the CHS Varsity Cheerleading team and plays volleyball and tennis. In addition, Malayla has served on the SCA and she is a member of BETA. Upon graduation in 2024, Malayla plans to attend Virginia Tech to study anesthesiology.

As the new Student School Board Representative, Ms. Courtney is eager to be a voice for all students. As such, her platform will include speaking about highlights from each CCPS school during school board meetings. CCPS is excited about Ms. Courtney’s new role as Student School Board Representative and enjoyed introducing her at the January 23, 2023 meeting.

Caroline County Public Schools 2023-2024 Preschool recruitment is opening on Tuesday, February 21, 2023. All preschool programs (Head Start, VPI and Title I) have been blended into one program! #OnePreschool

If you have a child that will turn 3 or 4 years old by September 30, 2023, he/she may be eligible for preschool. For more information, reach out to the Family Engagement Coordinator at the school in your attendance zone.

School bus safety is extremely important. Here are a few reminders:

• Students should be at assigned bus stop 10-minutes prior to scheduled pick up time.
• Students should remain in seat while vehicle is in motion.
• Headphones/earplugs must be used with all electronic devices.
• Students are only permitted off the bus at their assigned stop, unless they have a bus pass issued by the school with a valid date.
• Additionally, it is prohibited for any parent/guardian or any person that is not a student to board a CCPS school bus. Boarding a bus is considered trespassing. All violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Thank you for helping us keep our children and drivers safe!

Thank you to the 717 staff, students, parents and community members who completed the ESSER III grant survey in December! Your feedback assisted CCPS with determining how to best utilize the remaining pandemic funds in support of students. Survey results yielded the following trends:

• An overwhelming 80% of our community would like CCPS to continue to use ESSER funds for class-size reduction teachers and additional instructional staff.

• 55% of stakeholders selected additional student mental health supports as a priority.

• Approximately 40% of stakeholders believe implementing virtual tutoring would be beneficial for student learning loss and 43% of families indicated they would be interested in their child having access to a virtual tutoring program.

• Approximately 20-25% of respondents indicated summer enrichment and weeklong transition camps were not a high priority, even though helpful.

Next Steps: CCPS leadership staff and building administration are in the process of evaluating four virtual tutoring companies to expedite the implementation of this service. In addition, the ESSER review committee will evaluate the current quantity (7) of Class Size Reduction teachers and adjust according to future needs. Additionally, ESSER III funds will continue supporting Family Engagement Coordinators and an additional school counselor - both of whom support mental health and wellness.

Caroline County Public Schools is hiring for the 2023-2024 School year. Job opportunities can be found at workincaroline.com. Additionally, for those who want to learn more about how to become a teacher, the Virginia Department of Education has a new website to support your journey into the profession: https://becomeateacher.virginia.gov/. Should you have any questions regarding future employment, please email kfoster@ccps.us or ptsmith@ccps.us.

Take a look at the January School Board Meeting highlights:

• Board Reorganization: Mr. Shawn Kelley, 2023 Board Chair and Mr. John Copeland, 2023 Vice Chair. Congratulations!

• Recognitions: 2023 Student School Board Rep., VA Schools Principal Week, VASCD Team Impact Award, Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Winners, and Mentor Program Awareness Month

• Approval of Policy IIA and IIAB, as well as Budget Amendment #2

• Information from School Division on Chronic Absenteeism, CHS Turf Field Design

• New Business - First Reading of 23-24 Draft Instructional Calendar and CHS eSports Club Stipend

• FY24 Budget Public Hearing (6:30PM) - Presentation of FY24 Budget Priorities

For more information on these topics, you can access the Boarddocs link or view the meeting at our CCPS YouTube Channel.

Over the holiday season, Pitts and Manns Realty in Bowling Green conducted a coat, scarves, and hats drive, which resulted in two large boxes of coats, scarves, and hats being delivered to CCPS. These items were distributed to the schools and shared with students and families in need! We are so very grateful for our Partners in Education. They truly demonstrate the meaning of #OneCaroline.

If you are interested in being a Partner in Education, click HERE.

If you are in need of groceries, you can order free groceries from the Fredericksburg Food Bank and they will be delivered to the Caroline Parent Teacher Resource Center for you to pick up. Order online at orderahead.org, use zip code 22427, and schedule your pick up date. The service is private and free to anyone. Groceries must be ordered each month as needed and they will be delivered to the PTRC on the following dates:

• February 23
• March 30
• April 27
• May 18

TYL, Inc, a local contractor, is partnering with CCPS to provide Weekend Food Packs for food insecure, at-risk children in Caroline County. Any child in need is eligible.

Packs will be distributed to the schools on Thursday or Friday each week. Please contact the Parent Teacher Resource Center to arrange food pick up. Call 804-633-5088, Extension 1702.

Thank you TYL for being an invaluable Partner in Education!

African American History Month

Career and Technical Education Month

School Board Appreciation Month

February 1: Global School Day of Play

February 7: Family BINGO Night

February 9: Parent Conferences (CMS/CHS)

February 6-10: National School Counseling Week

February 17: Student Holiday/ Division PD

February 13-17: National FCCLA Week

February 20: No School/ Holiday (Make Up Day)

February 22: Love the Bus/ School Bus Driver's Appreciation Day

February 23: Digital Learning Day