A Word from Dr. Gurley
Dear Cville Schools families and staff –
During this last week of school, I want to say thank you for a great year. Our schools are stronger than ever thanks to outstanding educators and the enthusiastic community that supports them.
I want to keep this note short – particularly since this newsletter contains a lot of important information for finishing the year strong, ways to prepare for next year, and celebrations of all we’ve accomplished together.
But, I do want to give a quick comment about the Federal Executive Institute decision. As you know, the property was initially pledged to us, but is now going to UVA. As our School Board wrote in a recent letter to the editor, this is a moment for the City, UVA, and CCS to develop a bold vision for serving the students of Charlottesville.
The passionate calls for investment in our schools have been extraordinary. We can’t have an Emmet Street campus, but we do have a community that wants better for its kids. And that’s something we can work with.
Full Circle: CHS Grads Return to Their Elementary Schools
Last week, our seniors visited their old elementary schools to walk the halls as younger students cheered. Our graduates hugged former teachers, encouraged younger siblings, viewed old class photos, and even played with the parachute. Find more photos on Facebook.
Mark Your Calendars
- Wednesday, May 28: Last Day of School for Buford (regular dismissal schedule). The school is closing early to prepare to begin renovating the “old” buildings!
- Friday, May 30: Early Dismissal for Last Day of School (elementary releases at 12pm; grades 5-6 at 12:45; CHS at 1:40; and LMA at 11:30)
- Save the Date for Sunday, August 10: Better Together Back to School Bash at Boys & Girls Club (1000 Cherry Avenue), 11am-3pm
News You Can Use
Re-register for Fall, SunBucks, and Resources for Physical and Mental Wellness
Re-Register Your Students and Make Bus Requests
It is now time to re-register your student for the 2025-26 school year. You can update your bus requests, phone numbers, and more to get ready for next year. The re-registration form is open in SchoolMint for all returning resident students and all approved non-resident students. Find instructions with screenshots.
Summer Meals and Virginia SUN Bucks
Need summer meal assistance? Here are two options:
1) Students who are not enrolled in summer academy classes can still request free meals at summer school locations. See details.
2) Virginia’s SUN Bucks program provides a one-time $120 food benefit to purchase groceries this summer. Families who receive SNAP, TANF, or an income-based medical assistance program will automatically receive SUN Bucks. Other families may also qualify and can apply.
- You can learn more and apply for SUN Bucks here.
- You can apply for SNAP, TANF, and other benefits here.
Take Care this Summer! Vaccines, Sports Physicals, and Mental Wellness
This summer, make plans to take care of you and your family:
- Be sure to get your student’s vaccinations updated (especially for rising grades K, 7, and 12). Blue Ridge Health Department has a Back to School Immunizations webpage.
So Much to Celebrate
CCS Science Programs Earn Statewide Honors
Buford’s UVA Innovation Hub and CCS’s iSTEM program have received state recognition as “Programs that Work.” The iSTEM PreK–4 program provides students with hands-on science, engineering, and computer science experiences embedded into the elementary school day, building a bridge to the UVA Innovation Hub, in grades 7-8. This lab school initiative, developed in partnership with the University of Virginia, is embedded within students’ regular science classes with computational thinking, design challenges, and community-connected STEM experiences. Learn more about these award-winning programs!
GET INVOLVED IN SCIENCE AT CCS: The Innovation Hub is seeking students and parents/guardians to serve on an advisory committee. Apply here.
Student Recognitions
- Six 4th graders from Trailblazer Elementary auditioned and were selected to participate in the All Virginia Chorus. Congratulations to (left-to-right): Alton Rihner, Salima Buluma, Evie Chen, Amarah Johnson, Vera Sheynkman, and Sofia Jimenez.
- The Buford Middle School Orchestra earned Best Overall Middle School Orchestra (and 1st place superior) at the Music in the Parks competition at Busch Gardens. The musicians excelled despite starting the day with a flat tire on their bus, which caused them to arrive 1.5 hours late, just in time to go on stage! We’re proud of your skill and poise!
- Jackson-Via 2nd-grader Zoe Halbert was a winner in Mr. Alex-Zan’s My Help List essay competition.
- Maggie Shaw at Summit and Amrit Tamang at Greenbrier were honored as “student peace-keepers” by the UVA Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.
- Congrats to CHS students Spencer Boggs, Ginger Craghead-Way, and Charlotte Abney− their film Junebug and the Sun was selected as a finalist for the VHSL Film Festival!
- Knight School students at Lugo-McGinness Academy worked with 4-H to learn garden skills including planting crops, making compost bins, and cooking farm-fresh produce.
- Congratulations to all of the artists and writers whose work is featured in this year’s Unfinished Jigsaw!
CHS Celebrations
- Seniors Thimson Duolo (left) and Amin Zakari(right), leaders of CHS’s defending state champion soccer team, committed to playing at Virginia Military Institute and Randolph Macon, respectively, next year. Read this week’s Daily Progress Athlete Spotlight featuring Thimson.
- The Charlottesville High School Orchestra won every possible award at Music in the Parks in Williamsburg. Their two ensembles earned 1st and 2nd place in the AA High School Orchestra division, received Outstanding Orchestra, and were honored with the Esprit de Corps Award. You can help the CHSO as they continue fundraising for their summer tour to Spain & Portugal.
- Junior Sam Palmer broke the CHS mile record (which had stood for over 50 years). The previous record-holder, Doug Horn, officially passed the record baton to Sam at CHS. Read more in the Daily Progress or watch on CBS19. Sam broke the record at the Carolina Distance Carnival − there, he, Elaina Pierce, and Juliana Pierce qualified for New Balance Nationals in June.
- Senior Afton VanHooser competed in the Eastern National Gymnastics Championships in Fort Lauderdale, bringing home gold on the high bar. He finished third in the rings and fourth in the pommel horse. Watch the story on 29News.
Thank you, Retirees!
Join us in honoring our retirees, including five employees who have worked with Cville Schools for more than three decades! Congrats to these Cville Schools retirees:
- Luella Anderson-Smith, Jackson-Via, 37 years with CCS 🎉
- Dorothy Carney, Buford, 23 years
- Mary Craig, Summit, 13 years
- Nancy Goodwin, Burnley-Moran, 30 years 🎉
- Marlaine Hall, CATEC, 19 years
- Leslie Hunter, Trailblazer, 32 years🎉
- Charles “Chip” King, Adult Education via PVCC, 13 years
- Sheri Little, CHS, 7 years
- Robert Reid, City Yard, 33 years🎉
- Francien Vigour, Walker, 17 years
- Bonnie Vineyard, Trailblazer, 30 years
- Lisa Yates, Central Office, 33 years🎉
School Board & Other Updates
Highlights from May 1 Board Meeting
The Board passed the rezoning plan as recommended in January. Partial implementation begins in August 2027, with full implementation scheduled in August 2029. Exemptions include allowing families to apply for early or delayed implementation. Find more at charlottesvilleschools.org/zoning.
The Board unanimously approved a one-time $1000 retention bonus for full-time staff who will return in the 2025-26 school year. Find more information here (slides 3-4).
As a follow-up to the Board’s March 27 decision to restore school resource officers to our safety model, the superintendent’s advisory committee met to discuss feedback from stakeholders, including student focus groups recently held during some health and English classes. Next steps include drafting a MOU and soliciting public feedback.
Find more details from the May 1 meeting in the Mini-Minutes.
Interested in future School Board meetings? Community members can sign up to receive notices of School Board meetings. Staff and Cville Schools families will automatically receive notices.
Update on PowerSchool Cyber Incident
PowerSchool announced that a threat actor has reached out to multiple school districts (although not CCS) in an attempt to extort them using data from the incident in December 2024. PowerSchool does not believe this is a new incident. PowerSchool is working with cybersecurity experts to assess this development and have reported it to law enforcement in Canada and the U.S. If there is an incident involving Charlottesville Schools (including CATEC) we will notify impacted people. PowerSchool is offering free credit monitoring and identity protection. Learn more.
State Change in Collecting Students’ Legal Sex
To comply with a federal executive order, the Virginia Department of Education will no longer accept a legal sex other than F or M on school divisions’ state reports. This change has no impact on Charlottesville Schools’ own records or its commitment to supporting students and families. If a child does not have an F or an M listed as their legal sex, we will confer with the family about how to handle the state reporting.
Reminder: School Zone Enforcement Cameras Installed at Buford, Johnson, and Summit
To address unsafe street conditions during student arrival and dismissal, the City of Charlottesville has installed school zone speed cameras at Buford, Johnson, and Summit. Beginning May 19, cameras started monitoring for speeding violations during arrival and dismissal. Initially, warnings will be given to motorists instead of citations. Learn more.