New principal on board at TDHS: Jones comes to Chester from Virginia Beach
0Chris Jones is a man full of ideas. He’s been sharing those with the Thomas Dale High School students and parents recently. Jones replaces Pam Lumsden, who retired after serving as principal the past seven years. A Virginia Beach native, Jones comes to Chester after six years as an Army Ranger and 11 years in education as a math teacher, professional development specialist and principal, mostly in Virginia Beach. “I love the diverse student body,” he said of Thomas Dale. With his military background, he also likes the fact that the 2,400-student school has a junior Reserve Officer Training Corps…
New school start times going into effect
0Earlier this year, the Chesterfield County School Board unanimously approved changes to school operating times, beginning with the 2018-19 school year. The new schedule will be: •7:35 a.m.-2:05 p.m.: Middle schools (with the exception of Tomahawk Creek because of extremely long bus rides) •7:45 a.m.-2:15 p.m.: Bensley, Bon Air, Crenshaw, Clover Hill, Jacobs Road and Wells elementary schools •8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.: All high schools, Tomahawk Creek Middle, and Alberta Smith, Chalkley, Grange Hall, Matoaca and Salem Church elementary schools. •9:25 a.m.-3:55 p.m.: All remaining elementary schools “This is not a perfect proposal; neither is the current schedule. But it is…
N.C. native is the new principal at Marguerite Christian: Ingram previously worked at two other schools in the district
0When Rovez Ingram found out he would be the new principal at Marguerite Christian Elementary, he was elated and hysterical. Ingram said he was laughing and shouting when he received the phone call and said it was an exciting time for him. Ingram’s 15-year journey in education began at North Carolina Central University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in elementary education. After teaching for three years, he graduated with a master of education in special education and eventually received a post-master’s certificate in educational leadership, both from Virginia Commonwealth University. Ingram said he got into education to…
Meeting date changed for CCPS school safety task force working group
0The July 25 meeting of working group No. 2 of the Chesterfield County Public Schools’ school safety task force has been rescheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 8. The meeting will be held at the Eanes-Pittman Public Safety Training Center, 6610 Public Safety Way. Last month, the school district fired Donald Green after it was made aware of some Facebook posts from 2015. Green had been the school’s director of safety and security since 2014 and had been heading up working group No. 2, which has been considering adding armed mentors in 10 elementary schools.
Medication collection unit installed at police headquarters
0ABOVE: Police chief Jeffrey S. Katz and Regina Whitsett. CHESTERFIELD – A MedReturn Drug Collection Unit was recently installed in the lobby of Chesterfield County Police headquarters at 10001 Iron Bridge Road. The unit was donated to the police department by Substance Abuse Free Environment, Inc., the substance abuse prevention coalition serving Chesterfield County. The collection unit will give residents a safe and environmentally responsible way to dispose of unwanted, unused or expired prescription and over-the-counter medications. Needles, syringes and other “sharps” will not be accepted. “Our department, in partnership with SAFE and other agencies, has hosted medication take-backs regularly since…
VSU creates incubator farm in Culpeper
0The Small Farm Outreach Program at Virginia State University recently entered into a memorandum of understanding with the George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center in Culpeper County to create an incubator farm and demonstration site. The incubator farm and demonstration site comprises 2 acres of land and one hoop house to grow an assortment of vegetable crops. Workshops, meetings and training sessions for farmers will be held on-site at the research center. The outreach program will provide fertilizer, seeds, hand and power gardening tools, personnel to provide training and technical assistance and financial assistance. “Working together with the George Washington…
Two local residents complete agriculture leadership program
0CHESTERFIELD – The Virginia Agriculture Leaders Obtaining Results program, the commonwealth’s premier agriculture-leadership training program, celebrated the graduation of its third class of leadership fellows at the Hotel Roanoke July 14. The VALOR fellows, who engaged in a service project and professional development activities during the past two years, enjoyed an evening reception and dinner ceremony at the historic hotel and closed their fellowship experience with an alumni networking brunch. Each reminisced about experiences and knowledge gained throughout the program. Ten graduating fellows included Christopher Mullins of South Chesterfield and Michelle Olgers, director of marketing and communications at Virginia State…
Tournament champs!
0The Chesterfield Little League all-stars of ages 9-11 girls softball recently won a regional tournament in Clarksville, Tenn. They went undefeated, beating North Carolina 12-2, Florida 8-4 and West Virginia 11-1.