Recognizing and Celebrating Alumni

Windsor High and Smithfield High both celebrated Homecoming during October.  The tradition has been around for decades and it originated as a way to welcome "home" the football team after several weeks of road games.  While that may not be the case anymore, it is still a time when alumni will make the trek back to their high school to see their alma mater and reconnect with their classmates and community.


Both SHS and WHS took time recently to recognize some of their alumni for outstanding accomplishments.  On Friday night, October 25, the Dukes introduced the Class of 2019-2020 Windsor High/Georgie D. Tyler High Alumni Hall of Fame.  The purpose of the award is to honor graduates from both of the Windsor schools, who have made their Alma Mater proud through career, community, military, and or/philanthropic accomplishments. 

The inductees included Carla Duck, and Mr. and Mrs. Drake.  Carla is a 1983 graduate of Windsor High School.  Carla was an employee of Isle of Wight County Public in the technology department, at Central Office, and as an ISS coordinator at WHS.  She is a member of Chapel Grove Faith Community Church. She spends much of her time serving others through meal preparation for those in need in the local community and visiting those that are house bound.  Linda and Jerry Drake are 1971 graduates of Windsor High School. Mr. Drake retired from Union Camp and Mrs. Drake currently serves as a school bus driver for Isle of Wight County Schools. They are faithful supporters of every program at Windsor High School and have served as ticket takers at WHS events for the last 25 years. The Drakes serve as the unofficial hospitality committee:  sharing a story and a smile with all members of the Dukes family on multiple nights a week.  

That same night, Smithfield High recognized members of the 1969 undefeated football team, along with members from earlier undefeated Westside High football teams.  In 1969, Isle of Wight County Schools integrated and students from the all-black Westside High moved to SHS.  There were vocal groups throughout Smithfield who worried about the impact of desegregation.  The young men who played on the football team that year rallied the community as they continued winning game after game, finishing their season a perfect 10-0.  The members of that team helped to ease concerns and brought people together as they sat with each other in the stands and rooted for the Packers. 

Both Windsor High and Smithfield High have a rich history within the county, but we must also remember the other high schools that were part of this county that live on in the names of some of our current schools--Westside High School and Georgie D. Tyler High School.  One of the things I have seen from our emphasis on deeper learning and authentic experiences has been more connections with the community.  The recent recognitions at both high schools are excellent examples of making those connections and honoring those who are forever a Duke or a Packer.

Smithfield High/Westside High Football Team

WHS Hall of Fame Honorees (photo courtesy of Stephen Cowles, Windsor Weekly)

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.  

Two Degrees are better than One

At Thursday night’s School Board meeting, Susan Goetz, Director for Leadership, shared information with the board on expanding dual enrollment (DE) opportunities for our students.  The goal is to add enough courses that students could earn an associate’s degree by the time they graduate from high school.  DE allows students to receive both high school and college credit for the same course (hence, dual enrollment). 

IWCS already partners with Paul D. Camp Community College to provide several dual credit classes at Windsor and Smithfield.  The classes are popular with students but we are limited to the number of courses we can offer. The main reason we don’t offer more DE classes has to do with the credentials needed to teach these classes.  Community college instructors need 18 hours of graduate coursework in their content area.  Usually, teachers will take graduate courses in the field of administration, not their content area. 

We are looking at a possible plan that would increase the number of teachers qualified to teach DE courses.  Our recommendation is to pay for teachers to take classes to become DE credentialed.  They would need 18 credit hours, or 6 courses.  Tuition would be about $1,068 per class (using ODU tuition as an example) or $6,408 per teacher.  We will look at partnering with a university to offer classes or provide tuition reimbursement.  In addition, we would limit the number of teachers per subject area that IWCS will pay for courses.  To ensure teachers don’t get their degree and immediately leave, we would require them to remain in IWCS for 3-5 years after completing courses paid for by the division.

The good news is that we have several teachers that are very close to meeting the 18 credits required to teach DE, meaning we would not be starting from scratch to develop the faculty needed to make this happen.

There are still many unanswered questions:  Will there be any cost to take the DE classes?  Could students still get the degree if they didn't start the program until they were a sophomore?  We will be working VERY closely with Paul D. Camp as we continue to develop our plan.  Keep in mind that this is a long-range plan because it may take two years for a teacher to complete the 18 credits to qualify as a DE instructor.  That’s just the reality of the situation.  Because of this, I believe we can’t wait any longer to put something in place.  Our students should have the ability to graduate from high school with their school diploma and an Associate’s Degree from PDCCC.  And that should happen as quickly as possible.

Celebrating Students as they Embark on Careers after High School

On Thursday, May 30, Isle of Wight County Schools did something we had never done before--we hosted a Career Signing Ceremony.  The event was similar to the signing days you see with high school athletes when they commit to a college to play a sport.

But the students this day were not athletes signing with a college.  Instead, they were students who had completed coursework and certifications in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and they were signing with a business where they would use their skills in their chosen career pathway.

The ceremony recognized thirteen students in the programs of Agriculture, Building Trades, Cosmetology, Culinary Arts, and Welding.  Businesses ranged from local salons and restaurants, to national companies, and employers associated with the shipbuilding industry.  At the ceremony, the student sat down with a representative from the business, they both signed a ceremonial agreement, and pictures were taken of the student wearing "swag" from their employer.  Families attended, as did members from the School Board, Board of Supervisors, and Economic Development.

We talk about providing students with opportunities to develop their unique gifts and talents, and preparing students to be college, career and life ready.  We made a commitment to our students by offering programs that will prepare them for high skill, high wage, high demand jobs.  I am excited that these students have made decisions in high school that have put them on the pathway to success.

Below are the names of the students who were recognized during the career signing and the businesses who have invited them to join their family.  Scroll down further to see pictures from the ceremony.

Student                                Program                              Business
Adkins, Logan                      Building Trades                   Lowe’s
Baggett III, Webster             Welding                                Suffolk Iron Works
Beasley, Robert                    Welding                                Newport News Shipbuilding
Charles, Joshua                    Culinary Arts                        US Navy—Culinary Specialist
Crocker, Nelson                   Agriculture                            Smithfield Foods
Cross, Tobias                        Culinary Arts                        Vintage Tavern
Dalton, Tyler                        Culinary Arts                        Smithfield Station
Daughtry, Logan                  Cosmetology                         Reflections Salon
Davis, Noah                         Welding                                 Allfirst LLC
Mason, Donnell                   Building Trades                     Lowe’s
Smith, Jada                          Cosmetology                         Nails Studio LLC
Throckmorton, Davis          Welding                                 Allfirst LLC
Yost, Patrick                        Welding                                 Newport News Shipbuilding

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.