VBSchools

12/13/2019

A record $200,000 in grants was awarded to Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) teachers by the Virginia Beach Education Foundation (VBEF) at their annual Teacher Grants Improve Futures (TGIF) Celebration held Dec. 12. The amount, which funds 79 projects, surpassed last year’s awards of $150,000, which was donated by sponsors and raised through VBEF fundraising events. To learn more about this year’s grant projects as well as other VBEF programs such as Beach Bags, which provides shelf-stable food to needy families, or VA Star, which provides refurbished computers to underprivileged families, visit the foundation’s website at vbef.org.

A record $200,000 in grants was awarded to Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) teachers by the Virginia Beach Education Foundation (VBEF) at their annual Teacher Grants Improve Futures (TGIF) Celebration held Dec. 12. The amount, which funds 79 projects, surpassed last year’s awards of $150,000, which was donated by sponsors and raised through VBEF fundraising events. To learn more about this year’s grant projects as well as other VBEF programs such as Beach Bags, which provides shelf-stable food to needy families, or VA Star, which provides refurbished computers to underprivileged families, visit the foundation’s website at vbef.org.

12/13/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Show your child in many ways that education matters - When your child knows that school is important to you, it will become important to her. To show them, talk with your child every day about school. Tell them why you value education. Monitor their homework, and post their improved and successful work for all to see. Be sure your child has the school supplies they need. And let your child know that you and their teachers are working together to help them succeed in school. http://bit.ly/35gzDwk

12/11/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Encourage your teen to read, learn and use new words - Students with large vocabularies have an easier time understanding and learning new material. Reading is the best way for your teen to build THEIR vocabulary. The more they read, the more new words they'll encounter. Encourage your teen to try to learn five new words a day. they can write them on index cards, but the most effective way to learn them is to use them in speaking and writing. http://bit.ly/2RAbwVk

12/10/2019

Virginia Beach Education Foundation

Pick for your favorite! Voting closes soon.

Cast your vote for the 2020 Commemorative Print as voting closes tomorrow at 11:59 p.m.

12/09/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: College application essays take time and honest effort - For many high school seniors, the toughest part of applying for college is writing the essay. Your teen will have an easier time if they allow plenty of time before the application is due and writes more than one draft. Their essay should be honest and convey a sense of who they really are. It's OK for your teen to ask others' opinions and make edits, but in the end, their essay should say what your teen wants to say. http://bit.ly/2s6L5Mm

12/05/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Check your child's backpack for conversation starters - If all you hear from your child about school is that it was "fine" or "boring," the papers in their backpack are a perfect conversation starter. Kids who won't respond to general questions like "How was school?" will often answer specific ones like "How did you use this map in class?" If you find artwork in your child's bag, ask what they were thinking when they made it. Spelling words? Ask which are easy and which are hard. http://bit.ly/2OPyVAa

12/04/2019

Compass Keeper: Cooke Elementary School Partnership - The Core

This month’s Compass Keeper video is about a mentorship between Cooke Elementary School and the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office. Cooke matched Spanish-speaking students with deputy mentors who come to school during lunch to talk to students about their studies, visiting the school’s language library together and helping bridge the communication gap. non-Spanish speaking deputies have joined in as well, creating a P.E. buddy program. The partnership has now grown to more than 20 mentors and is making a difference in children’s lives. http://bit.ly/2PbPCF8

This month’s Compass Keeper video is about a mentorship between Cooke Elementary School and the Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office that started during something that will be happening in many homes …

12/04/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Be alert for signs of a hidden reading problem - Teens who can't read well often find ways to hide the problem. Take notice if your teen doesn't read spontaneously, either for pleasure or information. Other signs of struggles include: getting upset over reading assignments, having trouble reading signs or following instructions on a package, or frequently reading words out of order or incorrectly. If you see several signs, contact the school to find ways to help your teen. http://bit.ly/2YfmeSo

12/03/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Families support school success in important ways - There's no recipe for creating a successful student. But the families of many successful students have some things in common. They read to their children. They make sure that their kids get enough sleep and exercise, and start each day with a nutritious breakfast. These families encourage and support their children and expect them to work hard and achieve in school. http://bit.ly/2r8ZQxX

12/02/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Building problem-solving skills gives your child a real lifeline - Parents who rescue their children at the first sign of trouble are sending them a message: "You can't do it without me." Their children never learn how to handle situations themselves. They may not even believe they can. As long as your child is safe, let them try to solve a problem on THEIR own. If they get stuck, ask them what else they think they could try. Help them think through their options, and then let them decide what to do. http://bit.ly/2LgBRnc

11/28/2019

Happy Thanksgiving VBCPS family!

11/26/2019

School Hours

All VBCPS schools and administrative offices will have an adjusted dismissal tomorrow, Nov. 27, and will be closed Nov. 28 and 29. Have a safe holiday weekend.

Old Donation School Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:10 p.m. Student Hours: 8:35 a.m. - 3:39 p.m. Elementary Art & Dance - Follows normal student hours

11/21/2019

Cox High School SCA students were joined in the cafeteria by fellow classmates representing teams and clubs on November 15 for the annual #lunchbag event. Within 20 minutes, more than 2000 sandwiches were made and bagged up for families in need throughout the community. Kiwanis Key Club members delivered the bags to Union Mission.

Cox High School SCA students were joined in the cafeteria by fellow classmates representing teams and clubs on November 15 for the annual #lunchbag event. Within 20 minutes, more than 2000 sandwiches were made and bagged up for families in need throughout the community. Kiwanis Key Club members delivered the bags to Union Mission.

11/18/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Notice and praise what your child does right - The right kind of praise helps your child feel like a valuable person. It can encourage them to keep trying. Effective praise is specific and lets your child know exactly what they did well ("Thank you for folding the towels so neatly"). Praise should be sincere, too. If you praise everything they do, your praise will lose its meaning. To motivate your child, praise them for their effort and for progress they make. http://bit.ly/333v0E0

11/16/2019

Ocean Lakes High School students again achieve perfect score on ACT - The Core

How amazing is this! A big congratulations to these students for achieving perfect ACT scores. 👍🎊💯🎉

Alan Mach checked his phone every hour on the hour Sept. 24. Finally, at 3 p.m., a tweet shed light on news that he and perhaps other high school students …

11/13/2019

Good evening VBCPS families,

We are closely monitoring the weather and road conditions. If needed, any changes to school operations will be shared via AlertNow and social media.

11/10/2019

All VBCPS schools and administrative offices will be closed tomorrow, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day.

11/10/2019

UPDATE: Due to the high volume of people trying to access the survey we are experiencing delays. We are currently working with our provider to remedy this issue. Thank you for your patience.

After reviewing previous survey results and transportation needs, including multiple scheduling implications, VBCPS administrators have made a recommendation regarding school start times. Now, we are asking students, staff members, parents and Virginia Beach community members whether they are in favor of shifting school start times or maintaining the current schedule.

The survey will be live through Wednesday, Nov. 20.

http://bit.ly/2q0dHG7

11/04/2019

‪Tomorrow is a Virtual Learning Day for students and a Staff Day for employees. Students will not be reporting to school tomorrow, but instead, working on their Virtual Learning Day assignments at home.‬

11/04/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Jump start your child's creative writing skills - Here's a great way to encourage your child to write and have fun together at the same time. Set a timer for six minutes. Then, until it rings, each of you write whatever comes into your head. Keep writing, even if it doesn't make sense. When the timer goes off, share what you each wrote. This technique is also great when your child has a writing assignment and says, "I can't think of anything to write." http://bit.ly/2r4sRub

11/01/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Give your teen responsibility for college applications - When college application deadlines loom, some parents simply take over. They write essays, contact teachers for references, and more. But success in college takes responsibility, and applications are the first step. If your teen needs a push, make an appointment to visit their school counselor together. Create a list of required tasks and deadlines. Have your teen check it regularly so they'll know exactly what they need to do and when. http://bit.ly/2NCWJ8S

10/31/2019

Check out these fun costume ideas from our VBCPS community!

10/30/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Talk with your child about school safety - Families have an important role to play in making school a safer place. Start by talking to your child about life in and out of school. Kids often know about situations that could turn violent before adults do. Encourage your child to tell you, or a trusted adult at the school, about any potential trouble or danger. Review the school rules with your child, and make it clear that you support them.
http://bit.ly/2Wnw6sq

10/28/2019

Betsy has spent her entire career loving those students who often go unloved; serving those students who often go unserved; connecting to those students who often go disconnected; and taking the time to understand those students who all too often go misunderstood. #GreatDreamsNeedGreatTeachers http://www2.vbschools.com/greatteachers/pages/dreams.asp#BetsyShiner

10/28/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Read the signals your teen sends about social life - Parents need to be aware of what's going on in their teens' social lives. But if you try to hover, your teen is likely to shut you out. Instead, think about what you are seeing: Have you met most of their friends? Do you feel uneasy about any of them? Listen to your teen, too. If you casually ask, "How was the party?" and they get angry and shout "Why do you care?" or is completely silent, it may suggest a problem. http://bit.ly/2ooipwF

10/27/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Bust the myths that prevent math success - Does your teen believe that "You're either born a math person or you're not"? This is a common math myth. Give them the facts: Great teaching and hard work are what make a math person. Here's another myth to bust: "Math takes too much memorization and repetition." The truth is, that math is about learning patterns. Once a student is familiar with them, the problems make sense and the math starts to be fun. http://bit.ly/33QPNeF

10/26/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Is your teen sleeping instead of studying? - Many teens have trouble staying awake when they sit down to study. To help your teen stay alert, make sure they get enough sleep at night (at least eight hours). Exercising regularly can help your teen sleep better and also give them more energy during the day. You might also suggest that your teen set an alarm clock for 30 minutes when they begin to study. If they do fall asleep, it won't be for too long! http://bit.ly/2Jb9sxQ

10/25/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Help your child map the world on a pumpkin globe - To teach your child about world geography, give them a round pumpkin. Pretend that the stem end is the North Pole and the blossom end on the bottom is the South Pole. The pumpkin's grooves are like lines of longitude. Have your child measure halfway between the poles and draw the equator around the pumpkin. Then, help them refer to maps or a globe to draw the continents in the correct hemispheres. http://bit.ly/33SyDxl

10/24/2019

Parents Connection Tip of the Day: Join the effort to keep students safe - You can't protect your teen from everything. But you can help keep them safe. Encourage your teen to keep busy after school. Get to know their friends, and step in if a friend is known for drugs or violence or has helped your teen get into trouble. Prepare your teen to handle tough situations by helping them rehearse responses in advance. You can also get involved in school efforts to prevent violence. http://bit.ly/2N5H6GK

10/23/2019

Bus Driver Appreciation

Happy Bus Driver Appreciation Day! To all of our dedicated bus drivers and every staff member that works to get our students to and from school safely, Thank you. #WeAreVBSchools https://youtu.be/lLpACUOoD3U

10/23/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: A group effort can strengthen study power - Studying in a group can be an effective way for your teen to tackle a challenging subject. When forming a study group, your teen should choose members he knows and likes, but who aren't so close that socializing gets in the way of learning. The group should then establish goals and create a plan to meet them. Members should also share the responsibility by taking turns leading the group. http://bit.ly/32AM7gG

10/22/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Add acts of kindness to your child's to-do list - We all want our children to grow up to be kind and caring people. Here's a simple way you can help: With your child, make a list of all the children in their class. Then each morning, ask your child to choose a different name from the list. Talk about a specific way they could show kindness to that student. To remind them, you might put a note in their lunch bag. After school, talk about what your child did. http://bit.ly/2J8ERRH

10/21/2019

"Nicole Berger’s dedication to her craft is unmatched. I haven’t worked with her for very long, but it doesn’t take long to recognize greatness. A sixth grade math teacher at Larkspur Middle School, she has the ability to create transformative learning experiences for her students in a safe, caring and connected environment. She is a true leader and the staff and students of Larkpsur Middle School are exponentially better for having her." #GreatDreamsNeedGreatTeachers http://bit.ly/2MWvLZk

10/21/2019

Hundreds of fifth to eighth grade girls from across VBCPS attended the first Beach Girls Rock! empowerment event of the year, Saturday, Oct. 19. The next BGR! is Dec. 14 at Kellam High School.

Hundreds of fifth to eighth grade girls from across VBCPS attended the first Beach Girls Rock! empowerment event of the year, Saturday, Oct. 19. The next BGR! is Dec. 14 at Kellam High School.

10/21/2019

Parent Connection Tip of the Day: Good manners are important at home and school - When a child misbehaves in school, everybody loses. Classroom time must be spent on discipline instead of learning. The manners children use at home are the ones they take to school. Expect your child to be considerate, and to express disagreement politely. Teach them to pay attention to the teacher and raise their hand. Respect for others is a critical factor in making the school a peaceful, productive place to learn. http://bit.ly/2MzpUKH