NPS Now Newsletter
A Message From The Superintendent
I am pleased to announce that Norfolk Public Schools has welcomed back volunteers and community groups to our schools. The division halted volunteer visits to our school buildings during the height of the pandemic. Now, with the decrease in coronavirus transmission levels in our community, we are able to welcome our volunteers back into our schools. We have missed your contributions to the well-being of our students and teachers, and we invite you to return to an updated volunteer application process.
Moreover, as the days grow warmer and longer, we begin a series of milestone events that lead to the end of the school year in June. Our Teacher of the Year recognitions will culminate in the naming of a city-wide Teacher of the Year and teaching team. Students will conclude their end-of-grade assessments, and we will look forward to our high school graduations.
Finally, please join us in recognizing April as Month of the Military Child. We are proud to salute our parents, guardians and other family members who serve our nation. We are also proud of the 14 schools in our division that have attained Purple Star designation as military-friendly schools by meeting rigorous qualification criteria established by the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. Read on for the various spirit days coming in April and other ways to participate!
School Transitions
The City of Norfolk School Board voted to move forward with some recommendations for school transitions as part of the division’s comprehensive, 10-year facilities plan.
The transitions approved by the school board include:
Easton Preschool will close, and students enrolled there will transition to the site of the former Fairlawn Elementary School in September 2022.
Tidewater Park Elementary School will close at the end of the 2022-2023 school year. Students there will transition to Ruffner Middle, which will be repurposed from a traditional middle school to a combined school for grades 3 through 8 during the 2023-2024 school year. The 2022-2023 school year will be a planning year for this transition and will include community input. Ruffner School for grades 3-8 will include a division-wide choice program.
School Board members voted against a recommendation to close Lindenwood Elementary School and transition its students to W.H. Taylor and Willard Elementary Schools. A related plan to close the current Madison Alternative Center facility and transition students enrolled there to the Lindenwood site also did not move forward.
The administration of Norfolk Public Schools will begin working with the staff and families of Easton Preschool to prepare for the transition and the accompanying moves of students, staff, equipment, and materials. NPS will provide updates and information to families and students affected by the transitions. Details of planning for the Ruffner transition to a 3-8 school with a choice component will be provided soon.
Kudos to a great teacher!
Congratulations to Ghent Middle School History Teacher Dr. William Eger, who was selected as the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Tidewater Post 4809’s 2021-2022 Smart/Maher VFW National Citizenship Education Teacher for Grades 6-8.
Summer School Teachers
Norfolk Public Schools seeks summer school teachers! The following positions are available: pre-k teachers, elementary school teachers, secondary school teachers, special education inclusion teachers, special education self-contained teachers, school nurses, media specialists, ITRTs, clinic/wellness assistants, security officers, student data specialists, payroll/office clerks, custodians, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, and center leaders. Applications can be completed for a variety of programs which include Summer STARS Camp (formerly known as Summer Basic Skills), enrichment programs, and preparation courses. Summer school applications are now available in Talent Ed Hire. Please consider applying for summer school teaching today!
Community Partner Corner
Norfolk Public Schools is excited to welcome back volunteers! We know how important volunteers are to schools. The Office of Communications and Community Engagement is implementing changes in the volunteer management program to assist with recruiting, retaining, and recognizing our volunteers and community partners.
Volunteers will be able to set up portals that will assist with: choosing their school(s) to volunteer, selecting volunteer opportunities; and tracking volunteer hours. For more information and to apply to volunteer, visit the Community Engagement website, https://www.npsk12.com/Page/18258, and apply today.
Norfolk Public Schools welcomes positive, collaborative, meaningful partnerships between our schools and our communities to enhance student academic learning and success. For more information on community engagement, contact LaEunice Brown, Community Engagement Coordinator, Office of Communications & Community Engagement, 628-3459.
International Social-Emotional Learning Day
On March 11, Norfolk Public Schools observed International Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Day. Social-Emotional Learning is something everyone needs. That's why NPS has invested significant resources in ensuring these supports for our students, including expanded summer school programs, one-to-one online tutoring, and a strategy that emphasizes school-wide expectations for behavior with a continuum of discipline including remediation and suspension alternatives. NPS offers an employee assistance program and deploys a strong, highly skilled team of school counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses and behavioral specialists. For more more on what SEL means, check out this video: https://vimeo.com/569568347.
For more on all that NPS offers to support these crucial life skills, visit our school counselors page: www.npsk12.com/Page/11503, our school social workers page www.npsk12.com/Page/17691, our school psychologists page: www.npsk12.com/Page/17690, and our mental health resources page: https://www.npsk12.com/Page/16069.
Athletics
Congratulations to all of our student athletes, coaches, trainers, and staff on an exciting winter sports season. For a full list of recognitions, please visit the link below and also check out the video below.
Good luck to all of our NPS athletes, coaches, and staff as the spring season is underway!
April Observances
HRT Freedom Passes Still Available for NPS Students
Students ages 13 to 17 can access unlimited rides on Hampton Roads Transit buses, light rail, and ferry thanks to the Student Freedom Pass! NPS students can use the pass at any time, including evenings and weekends.
To obtain a pass, visit gohrt.com/studentfreedompass and fill out the application, or stop by the Downtown Norfolk Transit Center at 434 Saint Pauls Boulevard between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., Monday-Friday to have a photo ID created.
Service is available in the cities of Chesapeake, Hampton, Newport News, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach.
Budget approved; heads to Norfolk City Council
The City of Norfolk School Board voted to approve the Superintendent’s Proposed Operating Budget of $376.7 million for fiscal year 2022-2023. This budget represents a 6.2% increase over the current fiscal year and contains substantive recommendations to provide students and schools with additional support. It is also designed to offer staff competitive salary and benefits packages.
The School Board must submit its budget to the Norfolk City Council for consideration by April 1. City Council will adopt its municipal budget, which includes a budget for schools, in May. The 2022-2023 fiscal year for both the schools and the City begins on July 1, 2022, and ends on June 30, 2023.
Remaining key dates:
April 1, 2022: Submission of School Board’s Proposed FY2023 Operating Budget to Norfolk City Council
May (Date TBD): Norfolk City Council appropriates funds for School Board’s Operating Budget
May 18, 2022: School Board adopts the approved School Board FY2023 Operating Budget
Child Find
Norfolk Public Schools participates in public awareness activities, screening, and a referral process to identify, locate, and evaluate children, ages birth to 21, who reside in Norfolk and are in need of special education services or adaptations and accommodations under Section 504.
Section 504 is a federal mandate that requires schools to ensure that in relationship to their non-disabled peers, students with disabilities have equal opportunities to earn the same results, get the same benefit, and obtain the same level of achievement.
Please contact the following if you suspect your child is in need of services:
- Student currently enrolled in an NPS school: Contact your child’s school of attendance to begin the referral process.
- Non-enrolled school-age student: Contact the Department of Learning Support-Special Education Services at (757) 628-3950 or by e-mail at sped504compliance@nps.k12.va.us.
- Non-enrolled preschool child (ages 2 to 4 years old): Contact the Department of Learning Support-Special Education Services Preschool Assessment Team (PAT) at (757) 852-4630 Ext. 3510 or by e-mail at sped504compliance@nps.k12.va.us.
April is Month of the Military Child!
In 1986, the Department of Defense established April as Month of the Military Child in order to underscore the important role children play in the Armed Forces community. There are approximately 2 million military children, 1.3 million of which are school-aged. Care of military children sustains our fighting force and strengthens the health, security, and safety of our nation's families and communities.
There are more than 4,000 students identified as military-connected within Norfolk Public Schools! NPS will be launching a social media campaign and spirit days celebrating Month of the Military Child in April.
Schools and families are encouraged to participate in the following Military Child Appreciation Spirit Days:
- Wednesday, April 6, 2022 - Wear Red, White and Blue Day
(Nothing during week of April 11-15 due to Spring Break) - Wednesday, April 20, 2022 - National Purple Up! Day
- Friday, April 22, 2022 - R.E.D. Friday (Remember Everyone Deployed by wearing red)
- Wednesday, April 27, 2022 - Favorite Branch of Service Camo Day
Please note that April 20, 2022, has been designated Purple Up! Day for 2022 and is included in the spirit days. The color purple symbolizes all the branches of the military, as it is the combination of the five branches of the military service: Army green, Marine red, Navy blue, Air Force blue and Coast Guard blue. All students and staff are asked to wear purple on that day in honor of our military-connected students and share the support on social media by using the following handle and hashtags:
- @NPSchools
- #NPSSupportsOurMilitary
- #NPSPurpleUpDay
- #PurpleUpVA
- #navalstationnorfolk
For more information about NPS’ dedication to making sure all of our military-connected children thrive, along with information on the division’s Purple Star designated schools, visit https://www.npsk12.com/domain/919.
NPS’ List of Purple Star Designation Schools Grows to Include Two High Schools
More than a dozen Norfolk schools have been selected for the Virginia Purple Star Designation, including two high schools!
The Virginia Purple Star Designation is awarded by the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on the Educational Opportunity for Military Children. The designation goes to military-friendly schools that meet rigorous qualification criteria.
Norfolk Public Schools is proud of the distinction and what it states about each school's commitment to our military community, especially our military-connected students.
Purple Star Designation schools receive a resolution of recognition, an award coin, and the opportunity to proudly display the Purple Star logo for three school years.
NPS’ impressive list of Purple Star recipients can be found here.
Click here for more information on the Purple Star Designation.
Work as a lifeguard or swim instructor at Old Dominion University!
ODU Recreation & Wellness is seeking individuals aged 16 and older to work at the ODU Student Recreation Center indoor pool this summer.
Starting pay is currently $13.55 for lifeguards and $16.50 for swim instructors.
Ideally, staff will begin working by May 1.
Questions? Contact Lexi Ricciuti, Coordinator for Aquatics & Operations, at aricciut@odu.edu or 757-683-4156.
For more information and to apply: https://odu.edu/recwell/student-employment.html#tab3=1&done1612907281342
Not certified yet? No problem! ODU can certify you as a lifeguard or swim instructor at no cost if you plan to work for them. There is also a five-day American Red Cross course from April 11-15 at ODU! Learn more on the ODU Rec Well website.
Spring Break Schedule
Spring Break is scheduled to take place on April 11-15, 2022.
We look forward to seeing you again on Monday, April 18, 2022, to finish out the rest of the school year strong!
For a printable version of this year’s recently updated Academic Calendar, click here.
Academic Calendar
Thank you for taking our survey to help determine which Academic Calendar option best suited the division for the 2022-2023 school year.
Academic Calendar Option 1 received the majority of votes. The School Board voted to approve the Academic Calendar Option 1 with a modification to move a holiday scheduled for Monday, January 2, 2023, to March 13, 2023.
The official calendar can be found on the Academic Calendar webpage.
Preschool Applications
Do you have a child that will be 3 or 4 years old by September 30?
The Department of Early Learning and Title I is now accepting applications for the 2022-2023 School Year.
Norfolk Public Schools offers high-quality preschool for qualifying children.
Preschool classes are free, in-person, and operate five days per week in accordance with the NPS Academic Calendar.
Don’t miss out on this opportunity to see if you qualify for this important first step in your child’s education because preschool matters!
To apply for NPS’ preschool programs, visit the Department of Early Learning and Title I webpage.
NPS Gets Tip Reporting Service to Report Bullying and Other Safety Concerns
NPS has partnered with VectorSolutions to provide students, parents/guardians, and staff a safe way to report bullying and student-related matters anytime, anywhere, on any device through the Vector Alert Tip Reporting System application.
Text us, call us, e-mail us, or report it through the website, while remaining anonymous. As always, every tip is taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.
The app is available now to download to your device. To learn more, please visit https://nps-va.safeschoolsalert.com.
Norview HS Pilots DECA Dream Team
Three members of the Norview HS Pilots DECA Dream Team won awards at the Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference, qualifying them to compete in DECA's International Career Development Conference in Atlanta in April.
We are so proud of these amazing students and their accomplishments! They represented #Norview with poise, professionalism, and true PILOT PRIDE!
Kaesha Deir - Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making Finalist
Jonathan Powell - Business Law and Ethics Team Decision Making Finalist
Johonvon Richards - Quick Service Restaurant Management Finalist
Jayla Ames
Cathrine Caldwell-Sandy
Ayanna Cherry
Jahmal Edwards
Khamal Fisher
Joseph Harter-Hartis
Andy Matias
Brittany Perkins
Zoila Santo
We would also like to thank Mr. Khari Griffin and Ms. Dawn Florence, the team's sponsors, for their guidance, time, and resources.
We’re Hiring!
Are you interested in joining the Norfolk Public Schools’ family?
What are you waiting for? Visit our website to check out our openings and apply!
Contact NPS
Email: TellUs@npsk12.com
Website: https://www.npsk12.com/
Location: 800 E. City Hall Avenue Norfolk, VA 23510
Phone: (757)-670-3945
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorfolkPublicSchools/
Twitter: @NPSchools