Browsing: Schools

As part of Governor Terry McAuliffe’s education round table, 16 Chesterfield County teachers were given the opportunity to address the governor, directly, on Monday with recommendations for Virginia’s education system. The first of an eight stop tour around Virginia, the Bellwood roundtable focused heavily on the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. Under the McAuliffe administration, Virginia has eliminated five of the 34 tests which is well above the national minimum of 17. Teachers made several recommendations for the SOLs including providing more and fairer prompts for the writing tests and making the test shorter because students become fatigued. The governor…

Beulah United Methodist Church decided to join Chesterfield County’s STAR (SummerTime Access to Reading) program, and host neighborhood elementary school students and their families for three evenings of books, snacks, games and crafts. The main idea was to keep children reading over the summer so they will be better prepared for school in September. Three Tuesday evenings were scheduled – one each in June, July and August. Following the success of our June event – about 30 children and their families came – we asked, “Why not do something like this on a more frequent basis?” From that question, Breakfast & Books…

Lisa Cole of Chester was one of 63 Duke University Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students receiving a white coat on July 17. The White Coat Ceremony marked the transition of the DPT Class of 2016 from the classroom into the clinic and the students’ commitment to professionalism and excellence. On July 27, the students began working with patients during the first of three 12-week clinical placements.  Lisa, the daughter of Terry and Penny Cole, is a 2009 graduate of L. C. Bird High School and a 2012 Virginia Tech graduate.

Preparing your family for going back to school can be stressful for parents and create apprehension for children. Demands from children to have certain items or brand name clothes, and the concerns for parents just meeting the schools lists required by teachers can be daunting. According to USA Today, $630.36 is the average amount of families, with children in grades K-12, plan to spend on electronics, apparel and other school needs. That amount is actually down from $669.28 last year. The National Retail Federation released its annual Back-to-School spending survey last week noting that spending has increased 45 percent in…

Chesterfield County Public Schools hired 429 new teachers for the 2014-15 school year: 180 in elementary schools, 139.3 in high schools, 47.6 in middle schools and 63 in special education. The teaching positions School division successes include 111 new hires designed to strategically reduce elementary class sizes in targeted grades and at targeted schools and to provide middle schools with more flexibility with electives. In 2014-15, the school division and schools sent about 4 million phone/digital messages through a parent notification system, including school closing information, emergency information and details about getting involved in schools.

For the 2014-15 school year, every school within Chesterfield County Public Schools is accredited. The Virginia Department of Education establishes accreditation status each year based on student achievement on Standards of Learning tests taken during the previous school year.  Chesterfield County Public Schools pass rates on Standards of Learning tests continue to exceed or meet state averages in the “all students” category, according to 2013-14 school year testing results released by the Virginia Department of Education. Highlights from the state report also show that Chesterfield County Public Schools demonstrated increases on mathematics tests. Students with disabilities, as well as white…

You have heard a lot of teachers, politicians and media talking about STEM or STEAM, but what on earth does it mean? In brief, STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and math, and STEAM instruction is one strategy the district is using to engage students and achieve Goal 1 of its strategic plan: “All learners will acquire, analyze, synthesize and evaluate information to solve meaningful problems and to achieve success as productive, thriving global citizens. Students will learn through active engagement, collaboration and exploration of personal interests, talents and ambitions across disciplines.”

Chesterfield County Public Schools volunteer – a person who, working under staff supervision, donates his or her time to assist with activities that enhance instruction, promote learning or support athletics and activities. The goal of the volunteer program is to enable dedicated citizens to assist administrators, teachers and other school personnel in helping young people more fully develop their academic skills, their potential as individuals and their mastery of life skills. Become a Chesterfield schools volunteer. http://mychesterfieldschools.com/community/volunteering/ Hundreds of businesses, faith groups and organizations partner with schools, and thousands of individuals volunteer annually. In 2013-14, school supporters volunteered 51,905 hours…

Choosing the right care for your child is one of the most important decisions you will make as a parent. At the end of the day, it comes down to entrusting the care of your child to a provider that will give you peace of mind and give your child the best possible experience. Primrose Schools® is an accredited early childhood education preschool that offers a premier educational child care experience for families across the country. The Primrose Experience starts with fostering a strong connection and partnership with parents to help build the right foundation for future learning and success…

As children and teens gear up for another year of studies, parents should be aware of often overlooked obstacles that may hinder academic success: vision problems. Challenges with learning and performance Living in a visual world, almost 80 percent of what children learn through age 12 is from their sense of sight. In order to succeed in common activities, such as learning at school, reading, playing sports and being engaged in everyday activities, kids call on more than 15 visual skills. For children, the most common vision issues are known as refractive errors, such as astigmatism, farsightedness and nearsightedness. These…

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