The Hobbs' House: How Repairing a Citizen's Home Became More than Nails and Paint

In March, I wrote a blog called Building Relationships in the Community through Building Trades which highlighted the work of our students who were helping to rehabilitate a senior citizens home.  The journey that began in early 2019 came to a close over the summer.  The students completed work on Mrs. Hobbs' house, leaving her with a much nicer and safer structure for her to continue living in.
As much as this project was about providing our students with authentic experiences, it was about learning the importance of giving back to our community.  However, I was overwhelmed at the bond that formed between the students and Mrs. Hobbs.  They became her boys and she was like an adopted grandmother to them.

We have created a beautiful documentary that captures the story of the "Hobbs House", as we affectionately call it.  But this became more than a story about a house.  It's a story of building relationships and showing kindness to one another.  I am very proud of the students who worked on Mrs. Hobbs' house and hope you enjoy watching their journey.

Say Y-E-S to H-E-S

Tuesday evening I spoke to members of the Hardy PTA and other citizens who came out to Hardy for a special meeting on the future of the school.  I shared with them our plan for Hardy, which includes a significant renovation and addition to the aging facility.  I showed them examples of recent renovations throughout IWCS so they could see that our proposal is not just putting "lipstick on a pig". 

Many of the parents, grandparents, and citizens who spoke Tuesday night shared their love for Hardy and their appreciation for the incredible staff who teach and care for their children daily.  They agreed that the children in the Hardy district deserve similar spaces and programs offered at other elementary schools.  We showed a video that highlights the incredible differences between Hardy Elementary and a newer elementary school less than 15 miles away--Carrollton. Whether you have ever set foot in Hardy or Carrollton, you must watch this video to see for yourself the side by side comparison of these 2 schools.  You will immediately recognize the issues at Hardy and understand why we need to implement the proposed plan as soon as possible. 

There were some questions from parents about how this project would impact taxpayers.  If you are a homeowner, then the renovation, if approved by the Board of Supervisors, will probably result in a tax increase.  Our calculations are that it may be around 2.3 cents per $100, but the rate would be determined by the Supervisors.

I want to thank everyone who came out to the meeting on Tuesday, including Mr. Rudolph Jefferson, Board of Supervisors, Hardy District, and School Board Members Vicky Hulick (Chair, Newport District), Jackie Carr (Vice-Chair, Carrsville District), and Kirstin Cook (Smithfield District).  I appreciate Mrs. Denson's assistance with getting the word our to her parents about the meeting.  Most importantly, I want to thank everyone who attended the meeting and those who candidly shared their feelings about Hardy. 

The Board of Supervisors has scheduled a Public Hearing on the Operating Budget and Capital Improvement Plan budget for April 25, at 6:00 pm, at the IOW Courthouse Complex.  We need our parents to share their support for the Hardy project with the Supervisors.  If you can't attend, consider writing a letter that someone who is speaking can deliver to the Supervisors that evening.  Let's make sure the students and staff at Hardy have a facility that matches their same level of greatness.

Preparing all Students for a Successful Future

In less than seven days, the school division was involved in two significant events that demonstrate our commitment to preparing students for a successful future.

On Wednesday, we officially opened the Career Building at Smithfield High School.  The heavily renovated facility is home to five of our Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, including welding, nursing, culinary arts, manufacturing and engineering.  Manufacturing and engineering have access to a MakerSpace area, equipped with 3D printers, laser and vinyl cutters, and numerous other devices that allow students to take an idea from concept to finished product.  Engineering also incorporates mechatronics into the curriculum, providing students with hands-on learning for mechanical, electrical and computer systems.  The nursing space is designed as a mock medical facility, complete with beds, mannequins, privacy curtains, diagnostic equipment, and a nurses' station.  Our welding lab uses industry standard equipment to prepare students to be highly qualified candidates for employment.  The culinary arts program is soaring to new heights with a commercial kitchen and student-run restaurant.

I felt like a proud parent as I surveyed each room on our tour of the building. There were looks of amazement from our guests and faces full of joy and confidence from our students.  Students, not teachers, spoke to the visitors about their programs, their spaces, and the skills they are developing.  It gave me goose bumps to see the students not just working in their areas, but comfortably sharing their story with all the guests on hand.  They are mastering those 5 Cs (communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, citizenship) that they need to be successful in any path they choose.

The other event occurred on March 1 and, while it didn't receive the same level of coverage as the ribbon cutting on Wednesday, I consider it equally significant.  Last Friday, the Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, Betting Ring, visited our Land Lab to see how we are teaching Ag through authentic learning experiences.  She was impressed with new barn and classroom as well as the variety of animals and plants located at the farm.  But she was most impressed with the students.  They showed her around and explained to her what they've learned by being part of the program.  It was all student driven. She was not there to celebrate the opening of a facility, but rather the way we are providing our students with real-world learning opportunities.  This was an important part of the redesign of our CTE programs. Having leaders at the state level acknowledge our work and consider it a model for other programs only reaffirms our mission.

Both events would not have been possible without the support of several key groups and organizations.  We are grateful to Smithfield Foods and CEO Ken Sullivan, and the Smithfield Foundation, for donating $3million to establish the Smithfield Legacy project.  The project supports our commitment to preparing students to be college, career and life ready.  The Legacy Project funded the construction of a dedicated facility for JROTC, and the renovation and installation of a state-of-the-art MakerSpace facility in the Career Building, and will support a global logistics program slated for 2020. We also appreciate the financial commitment from the Isle of Wight Board of Supervisors, who believed in our vision and understood the importance of providing opportunities for all of our students, not just those going to college after high school.  Because of the support of our School Board, the Board of Supervisors, the business community, and Smithfield Foods, our students will be sought-after candidates for high skill, high wage, high demand jobs.

I've included a round-up of media coverage from both events. I'm also posting a few pictures below.  The images capture the remarkable accomplishments we had only envisioned a few years ago.  While the journey isn't over, I know that the pathways we are creating will equip our students with the skills needed for a successful future.

Links to the Career Building Grand Opening

WAVY News 10:  State-of-the-Art Career Center Unveiled at Smithfield High

Daily Press Video:  Smithfield High Vocational Training

Daily Press: Smithfield High's New Career Facility Includes Restaurant and MakerSpace  

WVEC 13 News Now:  Smithfield High School Opens New Career Center

Suffolk News Herald:  New Career Building Unveiled at SHS 

Global News Wire:  Smithfield Foods Unveils New Career Building at Smithfield High School 


Links to the Secretary of Agriculture's Visit to the IWCS Land Lab

Virginian Pilot:  Isle of Wight's Student-Run Farm Welcomes State Agriculture and Forestry Secretary

Daily Press Video:  Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry Bettina Ring Visits Isle of Wight's Student Farm

Check out our Facebook and Twitter feeds for more pictures from both events.

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.