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November News & Highlights
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Dear Cville Schools community –
This has been a busy – and good – fall in our schools!
I could write this column about many of the topics mentioned in this newsletter. Important conversations about rezoning our elementary schools? Yes! An update on plans for our preschoolers, 5th-graders, and 6th-graders as we make terrific progress on our modernized middle school? Yes! A new partnership to support our career and technical education at CATEC and CHS? Yes! Beginning the process of developing the 2025-26 budget? Great things happening in our schools? Yes, yes, yes!
Instead of picking a single area to focus on, I want to use this space to thank you for engaging. Our community cares about our schools and puts in the effort to understand the issues and be good thinking partners to us. We find this in surveys, public meetings, PTO events, after-school staff meetings, with my superintendent’s advisory committee, and more. We are also looking for the folks who aren’t at these meetings or on a Zoom so we can follow up and hear all the perspectives.
So I urge you to read on, whether your main interest is the rezoning or the renaming or the reworking of the grade levels. (Or the budget or the calendar or the students and staff who are at the heart of it all.) We’re happy to be partners with you.
Dr. G
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From apple-picking at Carter's Mountain to enjoying the leaves on the playground, elementary students have been enjoying the beautiful fall weather. And fourth-graders across the city have been loving the annual field trip to Camp Albemarle. Pictured: Summit & Jackson-Via students. |
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Will your neighborhood attend a different elementary in the future? Stay informed about rezoning and SHARE YOUR VOICE.
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As Charlottesville builds new housing, attendance zones need to be redrawn for the city's six neighborhood elementary schools to prevent overcrowding. Click for details.
The deadline to fill out a survey on four possible rezoning scenarios is December 1. Note: The survey has been edited to include an open-ended comments section. If you wish to share additional comments, you can also email rezoning@charlottesvilleschools.org.
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REZONING PROCESS TIMELINE
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Ongoing: Public feedback, including outreach to high-density residential areas -- including Kindlewood -- that may be impacted by rezoning. We have sent customized communications to families in these areas to spell out what the various options would mean for their community.
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December 1: Deadline to take survey on four possible rezoning scenarios.
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Mid-December: Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on Rezoning reviews community feedback and creates a draft recommended rezoning map.
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January-February 2025: Recommendation for a new map is brought before School Board for discussion, public comment, and possible further revision.
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February-March 2025: Likely School Board vote on final map.
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August 2026: Earliest possible date when new map goes into effect. (Some changes may be phased in over time.)
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School Renaming: Updates from Committees
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Thanks to all who took our fall 2024 survey about completing the review of our elementary school names. The committees for the four schools are reviewing this feedback and continuing discussions. |
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BRIEF SCHOOL NAMING UPDATES ARE:
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Burnley-Moran’s committee is considering names from the survey (or names similar to ones from the survey, such as River Vista or Vista), and they are also brainstorming additional name possibilities in line with the Board’s policy of new names focusing on the school’s “purpose” and/or “place.”
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Greenbrier’s committee is strongly considering a vote to recommend maintaining the school name based on the community feedback from the survey (and since the name is already aligned with purpose/place as per our policy). Feedback is welcome.
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Jackson-Via’s committee received community feedback in favor of maintaining the current school name (for both namesakes) and is continuing discussions.
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Johnson’s committee is likely to vote to recommend the name Tall Oaks Elementary School and welcomes feedback.
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Planning for Preschoolers and 5th/6th-Graders When We Achieve Reconfiguration
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Starting in August 2026, 5th-graders will remain at their neighborhood elementary schools while 6th-graders begin attending Charlottesville Middle School. Walker will become an early childhood center. This long-awaited reconfiguration of schools is exciting! And it also presents changes. We are working with staff on a smooth transition for these grade levels–for both teachers and students. Key updates include:
- We see amazing progress on modernizing Buford into “Charlottesville Middle School.” We are still on track for 7th- and 8th-graders to begin using the new part of the school this August while the old part of the school gets modernized.
- A light renovation of Walker is earmarked in the City’s plans for summer 2026 in order to ready the building to serve as a preschool.
- We are supporting staff who will move to a new school during this transition.
- We are working with staff to plan changes for instruction, including beginner instrumental music education.
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Fall Budget: Share Your Comments
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Feeling P-R-O-U-D at Buford!
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The Scripps Spelling Bee is back at Buford! Congratulations to 8th grader Hazel Semmelhack, whose correct spelling of the word "salvageable" in the final round of the schoolwide bee this week sends her to the regional competition. Our runner-up is Ethan Huang. Watch out for the spelling bee coming to Walker Upper Elementary soon!
Buford Thespians Win Awards At Virginia Theatre Association Conference
Buford's performance of “Mixed Up Mashed Up Fairytale” won silver, with multiple students winning awards. Find details here!
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Partnerships for Career/Technical Education
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Cville Schools announced a new partnership with Virginia Career Works Piedmont. The agreement will build on the success of CATEC, strengthening relationships and alignment between Cville Schools and regional employers. NBC 29 covered the story.
CHS 10th-graders will be visiting CATEC (the Charlottesville Area Technical Education Center) later this month.
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Cville Schools in the News
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Cville Schools community embraces students who evacuated Asheville, NC
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When Hurricane Helene hit Asheville, NC, last month, the Rollins family evacuated to be with relatives in Charlottesville. Here, our schools embraced sophomore Gabrielle and 7th grader Henry as our own. Gabby has even joined the Black Knight volleyball team on a run to the playoffs! Watch their story on NBC29.
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Cville Schools Offers Free Eye Clinics with Optomistrists
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Charlottesville Schools continues to partner with the nonprofit Conexus Vision to provide free vision clinics at all our schools. Their voucher program enables students to get the glasses they need to support both learning and life.
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Substitute Teacher Pay Rises to $30 at CHS/Buford
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One way to support your schools is to substitute. To align our available subs with the needs at our schools, we have increased pay to $30/hr at CHS and Buford.
- You pick the days/jobs
- Competitive pay: $30/hour ($210/day) at CHS and Buford Middle School and $20/hour ($140/day) at elementaries, including Walker Upper Elementary
- Bonuses for frequent service
- Onboarding training offered frequently
- High school diploma/GED (no college degree needed)
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Need a coat? Toothpaste? Food? Resources Are Available Thanks to the Chris Long Foundation and Other Supporters!
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As the cooler weather sets in, our Family Engagement Coordinator Bianca Johnson has these reminders for ways families can connect with resources. If you need assistance, please let a trusted adult at your school know! Resources include:
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a coat for your student. Please share the child’s name and size.
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“daily life” items ranging from toothpaste to menstrual supplies. At elementary schools, these “EdZone” closets are generously supported by the Chris Long Foundation. At our secondary schools, hygiene supplies are supported by The Emergency Food Network.
- Free food at school and other food resources are available here.
If you would like to donate a coat to a student in need, please check our wish lists on Amazon and Walmart for current requests.
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Updated Draft Calendar and Other School Board Agenda Items
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Thanks to the community for taking the draft academic calendar survey! Based on feedback, slightly revised calendars will be presented for discussion at Thursday's Board meeting. Key changes include adding a mental health day each semester and moving spring break to the first full week of April to mirror changes ACPS has made to their draft. Find the revised, proposed calendars here: 2025-26 draft calendar | 2026-27 draft calendar. No vote will be taken on about these calendars on Thursday night. |
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OTHER TOPICS FOR THURSDAY'S BOARD MEETING:
Topics include updates about literacy, our English language learners, and a possible School Board salary increase (the first discussed in many years). The Board will also vote to approve one-time projects to be funded using a portion of CCS’s excess revenue from 2023-24. These year-end projects include CHS track & field lighting, CHS softball scoreboard, Charlottesville Middle School restroom safety features, and other CCS safety projects such as access control, rekeying, and cameras. The cost of these projects total $1.2 million.
- Mini-Minutes will be added to this post after the meeting.
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Golden Apple Award Nominations for outstanding teaching opened this week and close January 27.
- Elementary schools are collecting extra candy (for care packages for active-duty Virginians) now through November 15.
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Thanksgiving Break is Wednesday-Friday, November 27-29. Schools and offices are closed.
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Fall and winter concert season is approaching, including the CHS 50th anniversary Alumni Concert. Family-friendly theatre is on the docket, too! Find a full listing of events here.
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There's no room to include all the CHS successes, but here are a few recent highlights:
- CHS Mountain Biking placed 13th in the state (with the highest local finish), including Jane Cruthirds tying for first among freshman girls. 6 students are pepping for the East Coast Regionals.
- CHS debate is off to a strong start, including Ali Bird and Gabe Damiani winning the inaugural Christy Ellis Legacy Invitational.
- The boys' and girls' cross country teams just placed 2nd at the Jefferson District Championship. For individuals, both teams claimed the top and 2nd-place spots. The 1-2 finishers were (respectively): Sam Palmer and Nathaniel Orban, and Elaina Pierce and Juliana Pierce.
- Theatre CHS won awards at the Virginia Theatre Association ranging from best ensemble, tech, and musical performance, including Esme Ogden Amt winning for costume design.
- As the CHS Orchestra preps for a tour of Spain and Portugal, they recently received a grant of $35,000 from the Perry Foundation.
So many awards, so little newsletter space! To go deeper on CHS activities and athletics, sign up for the "Updates about CHS Athletics and Activities" group in ParentSquare.
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More Cville Schools Peeps
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At Johnson's school-wide morning meeting, students saw science demos from UVA students. And to celebrate their success on the PTO's change challenge, they turned Mr. K into an ice cream sundae (yes, that's chocolate syrup)! See NBC29 reporting here.
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Trailblazer celebrated Halloween with book character dress-ups. Look at Mrs. Hunter and her class portraying Caps for Sale! |
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Greenbrier 3rd- and 1st-graders worked together to complete a dice (& math) project to design their own unique jack-o-lantern. |
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Walker's International Day is coming up on Friday! This photo from last year shows students sharing games, foods, facts, and experiences to build relationships and understanding. |
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💙 Share the Love of Cville Schools 💙
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Parents/guardians of current students automatically receive this monthly newsletter from the division. Other community members are welcome to subscribe here!
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