Thank You, Team Chesterfield Week is Oct. 28-Nov. 1
Chesterfield County Public Schools is launching a weeklong celebration to honor and appreciate all staff members. Thank You, Team Chesterfield Week will take place Oct. 28-Nov. 1, and everyone is encouraged to express their thanks to teachers and school employees.
The goal of Thank You, Team Chesterfield Week is to encourage and uplift all teachers and all employees of Chesterfield County Public Schools. Unlike days or weeks that focus on one group or another, this week of appreciation covers everyone working in Chesterfield County Public Schools: teachers, cafeteria staff, office workers, bus drivers, skilled tradespeople, custodians, technology employees and all other people working in our schools and central offices.
Here are a few ideas for participating in this week of staff appreciation:
Use your words: Parents, students and families are encouraged to express their appreciation by writing notes, sending emails or having a conversation with a teacher, office staff member, bus driver or anyone else working in Chesterfield County Public Schools. In addition, you could nominate school employees for a Game Changer Award using this simple form.
Treats: Community groups could bring in snacks (maybe snackle boxes!) or meals for teachers and staff members at a school. Please contact your school if you want to provide treats.
Freebies: Businesses could offer a free cup of coffee, BOGO sandwich or something else to CCPS teachers and school staff members. Businesses that want to do this for Chesterfield County Public Schools should email Ken_Oxendine@ccpsnet.net.
Something else:
Maybe you could organize volunteers to line up and cheer people into school one morning. Or maybe you could arrange to clean windshields of staff cars while they’re parked at school. We are open to your ideas!
Learn about bullying prevention
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, making this a great time to talk about bullying and what to do if it happens. Watch this CCPS in the Know video to learn more about bullying prevention.
Do you have a question that you’d like answered via CCPS in the Know? This video series gives quick-but-helpful insights into central Virginia's largest school system. If you have a question for CCPS in the Know, then ask it here. We’ll cover as many topics as we can. You can see all of the videos via this playlist, with captions available in English and in Spanish for each video.
Teachers of the Year honored during Gold Star Gala
Chesterfield County Public Schools celebrated Teachers of the Year from every school during a Gold Star Gala earlier this week. Watch this inspiring video to get to know our top 2024 Teacher of the Year: Brian McGill, who teaches English at Tomahawk Creek Middle. Here’s a digital version of the program for the Gold Star Gala, so you can read about each school’s Teacher of the Year for 2024. (Chesterfield schools are currently selecting their Teachers of the Year for 2025.)
Saying thank you
This was National School Lunch Week, and Chester Early Childhood Learning Center students found an adorable way to say thank you to cafeteria workers.
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month
Curtis Elementary School held a parade to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. Students represented their heritage through clothing, flags and music as other students cheered them on.
Registration open for SOL and W!se test prep sessions
Registration is open for the SOL Academy and W!se Academy that will meet Dec. 2-12.
SOL Academy is free and open to any student who passed a class but did not pass the corresponding SOL end-of-course test in science, social studies, math, reading or writing.
W!se Academy is free and open to any student who passed the economics and personal finance class but did not pass the W!se financial literacy test and who needs a career and technical education credential to graduate.
This webpage has complete details. Registration closes Nov. 26 for these opportunities:
Drop off used denim Oct. 19-20
Turn jeans into jobs while helping your school! Each year in the Denim Drive, families and community members donate used denim clothing of all kinds. Goodwill tracks the denim donated on behalf of each Chesterfield County school, then awards nine cash prizes to the top three elementary, middle and high school PTAs. The denim is sold in Goodwill stores or recycled. Clean out your closet and support schools and job training in the community by bringing your denim donations between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 19-20 to the Career and Technical Center @ Hull (13900 Hull Street Road).
Specialty center fairs and open houses offer info for eighth grade families
Each fall, Chesterfield County Public Schools eighth graders explore their options for high school and decide whether or not to apply to a specialty center, governor’s school or regional technology school. This video gives an overview of how those schools provide unique opportunities to explore special interests. Also, two virtual fairs offer online tours of specialty centers and regional high schools.
Complete information about the application process is provided at bit.ly/CCPSoptions. That includes the online application form, links to specialty center websites and everything eighth graders need to know about the process. Here are important dates to keep in mind:
Online application opened Oct. 1 and closes Dec. 6 for specialty centers and governor’s schools.
Online application opens Jan. 6 and closes Feb. 14 for CodeRVA.
Open houses offer on-site visits for eighth grade families. Here are upcoming dates:
6:30 p.m. Oct. 22 open house for Center for Innovative Technology at Matoaca High (17700 Longhouse Lane)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 23 open house for Center for Leadership and International Relations at James River High (3700 James River Road)
1 p.m. Oct. 26 open house for Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies (1000 N. Lombardy St. in Richmond)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 28 open house for Mathematics and Science High School at Clover Hill High (13301 Kelly Green Drive)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 30 open house for Governor’s Health Science Academy at Cosby High (14300 Fox Club Parkway)
6:30 p.m. Nov. 6 open house for Specialty Center for the Arts at Thomas Dale High (3626 W. Hundred Road)
6:30 p.m. Nov. 7 open house for Governor’s Academy for Engineering Studies at Bird High (10301 Courthouse Road)
6:30 p.m. Nov. 21 open house for Center for Mass Communications at Manchester High (12601 Bailey Bridge Road)
6 p.m. Dec. 10 open house
for CodeRVA Regional High School (2601 Durham St. in Richmond)
Oct. 31 is deadline to apply for openings on School Board advisory committees
Advisory committees established by the Chesterfield County School Board are one way community members connect with schools. Advisory committee members are appointed from each of the county’s five magisterial districts and include parents, teachers, staff members, students and others interested in helping Chesterfield County Public Schools achieve its vision of creating a better tomorrow. Advisory committee members who are appointed by the School Board must reside in the district they represent. Go to bit.ly/BdCom for information about specific committees (including meeting dates).
The School Health Advisory Board is seeking a Clover Hill District representative to serve a partial term ending June 30, 2027. Apply at bit.ly/BdCom by Oct. 31 if you are interested and eligible.
The Special Education Advisory Committee is seeking a teacher representative to serve a three-year term. Chesterfield County Public Schools teachers can get details and apply by Oct. 31 at bit.ly/BdCom. The teacher representative can work in any magisterial district.
School Board meetings
The Chesterfield County School Board is the governing body of Chesterfield County Public Schools. Notices of upcoming meetings are posted online, along with details about public participation. Work sessions and business meetings are shown live on Comcast channel 98 and Verizon channel 28 and livestreamed here. Meeting videos are curated on the school system’s YouTube channel.
Upcoming school dates
Oct. 24 early release: Students will be dismissed three hours early Oct. 24 at every Chesterfield County school except Bellwood Elementary, which follows a year-round calendar.
Nov. 4-5 student holidays: At every Chesterfield County school, students will be on holiday Nov. 4-5. Also, parent-teacher conferences will take place Nov. 4.
Complete student calendars for 2024-25 are available on this webpage, including English and Spanish versions of the regular school year calendar and the year-round calendar for Bellwood Elementary.
College and Career Fair set for Oct. 23
Don’t miss the annual College and Career Fair, scheduled 6-8 p.m. Oct. 23 at Midlothian High (401 Charter Colony Parkway). Students can explore their future at this year’s Chesterfield County Public Schools event, where hundreds of colleges and work-based learning partners will answer questions and offer information. Chesterfield County Public Schools students in grades 6-12 and their families are welcome at this free event and should register at strivefair.com.
Report card schedules for 2024-25
Chesterfield County Public Schools issues report cards to K-12 students at the end of each nine-week grading period. Here are the dates that students will receive printed report cards to take home in 2024-25:
Printed report cards will be issued Nov. 8, Jan. 31 and April 11 to students at every school except Bellwood Elementary and Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy. Digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE on those dates.
Bellwood Elementary follows a year-round calendar, so printed report cards will be issued to students Oct. 16, Jan. 17 and April 9. Digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE on those dates.
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy
will provide progress reports in November, February and May.
At the end of the fourth grading period, digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE instead of being printed and mailed to homes. Parents who want a paper report card have the option of coming to school to have the report card printed out.
Report cards for every school except Bellwood Elementary and Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy will be posted June 3 to ParentVUE.
Bellwood Elementary report cards will be posted June 9 to ParentVUE.
Using ParentVUE: Parents can find easy-to-follow directions for accessing ParentVUE online. ParentVUE is also available as a free app from the App Store and Google Play. Parents who do not have access to ParentVUE should contact their child’s school to get login information.
Tips from Chesterfield County Health Department
The Chesterfield County Health Department has shared that there have been increased reports of pediatric pneumonia in Virginia. Here are tips they have provided:
Wash hands often, especially when exposed to someone with an infection or when touching objects that may be contaminated.
Cover mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing or use your inner arm (elbow crease), but do not use your hands.
Dispose of facial tissues that contain nasal secretions after each use. Wash hands afterward.
Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth.
Routinely clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces, toys, etc.
Students who are sick should remain home until they are fever-free for a full 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and other symptoms have improved such that they are feeling well enough to participate in school activities.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Nov. 9: Career and Technical Center open houses
Both campuses of the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center invite families to Nov. 9 open houses to learn about engaging, up-to-date programs available to high school students. Flyers provide details in English, in Spanish and in Arabic.
Through career and technical education, students explore fields across 17 career clusters. Students can earn industry-recognized certifications and connect with work-based learning experiences. November is College and Career Readiness Month, so it’s a great time to see how career and technical education helps students jump-start their careers.
Families can learn more at the school website and by coming to the open houses:
Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse (10101 Courthouse Road) will have an open house 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 9. Also, ESL students and families are invited to an info session 10-11 a.m. Nov. 9 at the Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse.
Career and Technical Center @ Hull (13900 Hull Street Road) will have an open house noon-2 p.m. Nov. 9.
Nominate outstanding principals for $30,000 award
In partnership with the R.E.B. Foundation, the Community Foundation invites nominations for the R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership. This annual initiative recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment.
Parents, students, teachers, volunteers and community members are encouraged to nominate outstanding principals before 5 p.m. Nov. 7. Details and the nomination form are here. The awards will recognize one principal each from Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and Richmond. Each winner will receive $30,000: a $20,000 grant for school-based initiatives and a $10,000 unrestricted grant.
Recent Chesterfield County honorees include Dr. Randi Smith of Ettrick Elementary, Nina Brink of Gates Elementary and Natalie Bare of Gordon Elementary.
Coffee & Conversation offers connections each week
Coffee & Conversation is an easy way to connect with experts offering advice on topics helpful to parents. The free online gatherings take place 1-2 p.m. weekly. See the full schedule and register here for topics of your choice:
Oct. 23 topic is “Helping Children Deal With Grief.”
Oct. 30 topic is “The College Mindset.”
Nov. 6 topic is "Peer Pressure - The Upside and Downside."
Gifted education referrals for students in grades 2-12
Gifted learners are students who show the potential for advanced thinking and reasoning, creativity and high achievement. So that schools can support, challenge, enrich and engage gifted students, Chesterfield County Public Schools conducts an annual referral process to identify gifted students. Students are evaluated during the current school year for services that will formally begin in the 2025-26 school year.
Parents, teachers, community members, and students can refer a student for gifted evaluation by filling out this online form.
Oct. 25 is the deadline to refer students currently in grades 2-12 in Chesterfield County Public Schools.
Oct. 25 is also the deadline to refer students in grades 2-12 who are not enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools but who are residents of Chesterfield County.
For more information, check out the
and the
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Free online tutoring via Stride is available for grades 3-12
Free online tutoring is now available for students in grades 3-12 via Stride Tutoring. To provide this service, Chesterfield County Public Schools is using funds available through the Virginia Department of Education’s ALL In initiative as well as other funding sources. Students can access free tutoring through Stride as long as funds are available.
To access Stride Tutoring, students along with their families should go to the backpack icon on the RapidIdentity dashboard using their CCPS-issued Chromebook. Click the Stride Tutoring icon under the “District Applications” heading. No additional login credentials are required.
Students can reserve time for online video meetings with tutors licensed in subject areas in which they need additional support. Students and families select a tutor based on expertise and availability to fit their schedule, with tutoring available in the evenings and on weekends. Students do not need a teacher referral to schedule a tutoring session. There is no limit to the number of tutoring sessions at this time. Information is available at oneccps.org/tutors.