Celebrating Academic Excellence

During the months of October and November,  students throughout the division will be honored for academic excellence.  Students who finished the 2018-2019 school year with All As for their final grades will be recognized with an academic medal during special evening ceremonies.  Over 700 4th through 12th graders will receive a medal for their exceptional achievement.  In addition, seniors who maintained a 3.75 Grade Point Average though their Junior year received an Academic Jacket.  The personalized Varsity Letterman jacket is presented to the student by their parents, or someone special, who actually get to place the jacket on the student.  This is usually followed by several hugs and lots of pictures.

This was the fifth year of the medal and jacket ceremonies for Isle of Wight County Schools.  It was a tradition I started in my previous divisions and I wanted to make sure the students in Isle of Wight County had this same opportunity.  With the assistance of a great sponsor, SSC, I am pleased that IWCS was able to present an academic jacket to over 150 extraordinary seniors. 

The history of wearing a varsity jacket originated over 100 years ago. This time honored tradition is an outward symbol of hard work, determination and perseverance. Often the letter, pins and stars recognize athleticism and great accomplishments in a sport. The Superintendent’s Academic Jacket honors our students who have demonstrated great achievement in the classroom.

Honoring accomplishments in academics lets students know that we appreciate the many hours of studying, note taking, reading, writing papers, listening to lectures, working in groups, and staying up after everyone is asleep to finish a project. The jacket not only honors the students, but also their parents and loved ones, as well as the educators, that have supported them throughout their academic journey.  

We have posted pictures from the ceremonies at Windsor High and Smithfield High on our Facebook page.  We still have medal ceremonies coming up for our Hardy Elementary, Westside Elementary, and Smithfield Middle students.  It is a special moment for the students and their families and one that is well deserved.  

Celebrating the Grand Opening of the Barn and Classroom Building at the Land Lab

December 5 was a memorable day. Not just because of the snow we saw in Isle of Wight County, but because we hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new barn and classroom building at the Land Lab.  I was unfortunately under the weather and on doctor's orders for bed rest.  It was incredibly difficult to not be there, but I'm extremely proud of everyone involved for putting together an outstanding event.

The ceremony took place inside of the barn, complete with stalls of goats and piglets, and even some boxes of rabbits.  The event included remarks from our School Board Chairman, Vicky Hulick, and the Vice-Chairman for the Board of Supervisors, William McCarty.  Gracie Owney, a senior from Smithfield High and a student in the Agriculture program, also spoke to the guests about what the program means to her. Mike Lombardo, our Assistant Superintendent, shared the following on my behalf:

Three years ago the division embarked on an ambitious journey to redesign the CTE program to better meet the needs of our students.  The Agriculture program has been a part of the IWCS curriculum for decades, but we knew it needed to be updated.  In the 2016-2018 school year, we established a working farm (Land Lab) to expand the existing agricultural program. The land lab was constructed on existing division property behind Windsor Elementary School.   We hired a full-time farm manager for the Land Lab.  The farm manager and agriculture teacher collaborate to provide authentic real-world learning in the areas of agricultural business management and mechanization, along with plant, animal, and soil science.  Since opening in September of 2017, the students have transformed the Land Lab from six acres of uncut grass, to four fenced pastures, a vegetable garden, and housing for chickens, rabbits, goats, and, as of yesterday, pigs. Students receive real world experiences through the Land Lab, such as participation in “farm to table” marketing from the sale of farm products to the public and to the division’s culinary arts program.  The lab has welcomed groups of elementary students as teachers introduce science standards in their classes.  The working farm has made agriculture come to life for students throughout the division.  And now we have these two beautiful buildings to further enhance learning opportunities for our students.

The strides we have made with this program, many of our CTE programs, would not have been possible without the support and involvement of several key people and groups. The Isle of Wight County School Board had the courage and foresight to see the need for a redesign our CTE program. The Board of Supervisors listened to our proposal and publicly supported our vision for our schools with 7.9 million dollar investment.  Our Farm Manager, Daniel Judkins, and Agriculture teacher, Jason Brittle, and the leadership at our two high schools, Principal Laura Sullivan from Windsor High and Zachary Haney from Smithfield High.  We emphasize the importance of collaboration with our students.  The success of our new CTE model would not have been possible without this collaboration and I wanted to acknowledge their contributions this morning.

All of the speakers, along with Jason Brittle, Daniel Judkins, Zachary Haney and Laura Sullivan, joined together to cut the blue ribbon, officially opening the barn and classroom building for use.  As guests toured the facilities, they were able to enjoy refreshments provided by the IWCS Culinary Arts students and instructor Kyle Cousins.

This was really a milestone for our CTE program.  We are redesigning our courses to provide students with authentic learning experiences.  In order to meet that goal, we have to include facilities that realistically simulate those work environments.  These new buildings at the Land Lab do just that and continue to support our vision of ensuring students are college, career and life ready.

I encourage you to click on the link below to watch a video of pictures from the event.

Celebrating Academic Excellence

During the months of October and November,  students throughout the division were honored for academic excellence.  Students who finished the 2017-2018 school year with All As for their final grades were recognized with an academic medal during special evening ceremonies.  Over 500 4th through 12th graders earned a medal for their exceptional achievement.  In addition, seniors who maintained a 3.75 Grade Point Average though their Junior year received an Academic Jacket.  The personalized Varsity Letterman jacket is presented to the student by their parents, who actually get to place the jacket on their child.  This is usually followed by several hugs and lots of pictures.

This was the fourth year of the medal and jacket ceremonies for Isle of Wight County Schools.  It was a tradition I started in my previous divisions and I wanted to make sure the students in Isle of Wight County had this same opportunity.  With the assistance of a great sponsor, SSC, I am pleased that IWCS was able to present an academic jacket to over 120 extraordinary seniors. 

The history of wearing a varsity jacket originated over 100 years ago. This time honored tradition is an outward symbol of hard work, determination and perseverance. Often the letter, pins and stars recognize athleticism and great accomplishments in a sport. The Superintendent’s Academic Jacket honors our students who have demonstrated great achievement in the classroom.

Honoring accomplishments in academics lets students know that we appreciate the many hours of studying, note taking, reading, writing papers, listening to lectures, working in groups, and staying up after everyone is asleep to finish a project. The jacket not only honors the students, but also their parents and loved ones, as well as the educators, that have supported them throughout their academic journey.  

Here is a video of the jacket ceremonies from Windsor High and Smithfield High.  It is a special moment for the students and their families and one that is well deserved.   

From Artsville to the Hornet's Nest

Recently I took a little road trip and visited our schools on the southern end of the county.  I was so excited about what I saw that I knew I wanted to share it in my blog.

My first stop was Carrsville Elementary, at the southernmost part of our county, next to the city of Franklin. The school is reinventing itself as an integrated arts school, with programs similar to what you might find at a magnet school. They have given themselves the appropriate nickname of "Artsville."  Beginning in September 2018, Carrsville started a music program where every student participates in violin for 30 minutes every day. This is an amazing opportunity for our students to learn an instrument starting at a young age.  I will write more about the violin program in an upcoming blog.  In addition, Mr. Johnson, the PE teacher, has integrated Drums Alive into his classes. The program combines fitness, drumming, music, and educational concepts to build active movers and learners. I took a turn participating which you can see in the video below (and, Yes, it was as fun as it looks!).

My next stop was Windsor High, or The Castle, where I found an inflatable ball pit in the lobby.  The Yearbook class installed it as part of bullying prevention month.  Students were invited to sit and share with each other as a way to learn more about their difference and to ultimately break barriers. I also visited with building trades students who were working on projects in their new lab space.  Hands on masonry at school?  Now that's building skills for a solid future!

Next up was Georgie Tyler Middle School where "It Takes a Titan" rings true.  I saw amazing examples of curated student work from previous projects:  Digital Songwriting, The Tiny House, Pond Life, and more.  Curation is an important part of project based learning.  It highlights the learning process and showcases student work for a wider audience.  Students also learn to take pride in their work, seeing it on display everyday.

Finally, I wrapped up my journey with stop at Windsor Elementary School.  As I walked about the school, I saw students collaborating on activities in their classrooms and in spaces throughout the building.  I stopped by Mrs. Owens' music room where students were learning to play their new keyboards.  Just like Carrsville, this is an incredible opportunity for our students to learn an instrument while still in elementary school. 

It did take me a few hours to visit all four schools, but you can have the same experience (almost) in just 3 minutes!  Here's a compilation video from my visit to the southern end of the county. Enjoy!

From Artsville to the Hornet's Nest

Building for the Future--New Facilities at SHS and WHS Prepare Students for Success

"Whatever good things we build end up building us."--Jim Rohn
I saw this quote and realized how appropriate it would be for my blog.  On October 4 we held a ribbon cutting ceremony for our new JROTC Fieldhouse at Smithfield High School.  The building will serve as the first dedicated facility specifically for the JROTC program.  The previous location for the program was cramped and supplies were stored in various areas throughout the school.  In addition, cadets were practicing formations and drills outside in a parking area, or in hallways during bad weather.  The battalion now has a beautiful facility with space for classrooms, storage and drill practice.  The new structure was made possible by the Smithfield Foods Legacy Project, a $3 million donation to Isle of Wight County Schools announced in 2017 to fund an innovative and multifaceted educational program.

In the spring of 2018, we opened a brand new facility at Windsor High School to house the Building Trades program.  The previous space did not have sufficient room to work on larger-scale projects.  The new space allows students to gain the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in careers related to building construction.

A few weeks ago, we opened a new athletic fieldhouse at Smithfield High School, near Packer Stadium.  The building is equipped with team locker rooms and a weight room.  It also has public restrooms for use during sporting events.  The facility is a welcome addition to the athletic program at SHS.

The journey to these finished projects wasn't without bumps along the way, which is not uncommon with new construction.  Delays due to weather, changes that arose during the project, and inconveniences faced by students, parents and staff have been the painful part of the process.  The end result represents a commitment to our students to provide them with opportunities, and spaces, to discover their unique gifts and talents--a dedicated space for the JROTC program, a fieldhouse for student athletes, and an up-to-date classroom for building trades.  It is exciting to see the progress we are making and to think about the benefit these facilities will have for our students.   There are still more to come with new spaces for Culinary Arts, Nursing and Manufacturing.  Stay tuned for highlights about those spaces in a future blog. Please scroll down to see pictures of the JROTC building, the Building Trades lab and the Athletic Fieldhouse.


JROTC Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Building Trades Lab

 

Athletic Fieldhouse