At the Annual Reorganization Meeting held on July 6, the School Board unanimously re-elected Fred Brewer as Chairman and Phyllis Henry as Vice-Chairman.  Mr. Brewer has served as chairman since 2007 and Ms. Henry has served as Vice-Chair since 2008.  In addition, the Board voted to change the start time of their meetings to 6:30 p.m.  Meetings will continue to be held on the first (Jones) and third (Ruppert Sargent Building) Wednesdays of each month.

Keep up-to-date on meetings and Board news at http://www.boarddocs.com/vsba/hampton/Board.nsf/Public

Hampton City Schools has always been proud to deliver high quality, cost-effective benefits to our employees.  During the budget process, the Division Leadership Team and the School Board worked very hard to minimize the impact of a significant cost increase or plan changes to our health insurance.  We are very pleased to announce that there will be NO increase to health insurance premiums for the 2011/2012 school year, a slight increase to dental insurance premiums and a DECREASE to disability insurance premiums due to a change in our disability carrier.  Employees will also be able to make their core benefit elections through Oracle self-service this year. 

Open enrollment for the 2011/2012 school year will take place from August 1, 2011 through August 31, 2011.  Enrollment counselors will be available during this period to meet with all benefits-eligible employees in order to review current benefit elections and assist in making changes.  An HCS Benefits’ Fair is scheduled for Monday, August 1 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM in the first floor conference room at SAC.  All of our vendors and carriers will be on site that day to answer questions regarding plan changes.  There will be door prizes and freebies for all attendees. 

This packet includes information about:

• plan changes and premium amounts for the 2011/12 school year
• notices about COBRA, CHIP, Medicare D, ERRP and 403(b)
• enrollment counselor calendar/schedule 

Additional information will be posted on our website and/or mailed to employees’ homes over the next two months.  An updated benefits guide and a user guide for Oracle benefits self-service will be available on the HCS website by August 1, 2011. 

Changes made during open enrollment will be effective October 1, 2011 through September 30, 2012. Open enrollment is your opportunity to do the following:

• enroll in Aetna Disability Insurance – this will be your only opportunity to enroll and be guaranteed coverage
• enroll in Flexible Spending Accounts – you must enroll each year to continue your account
• add, change or drop your medical and dental coverage
• add or drop dependents from medical or dental coverage – if you are currently covering a spouse who is eligible for insurance through his/her employer, you will need to remove him/her from your medical insurance plan during open enrollment.  Any employee who continues coverage for their spouse will need to complete an affidavit, which will be available on our website by August 1,2011. 
• Add, review or change your voluntary benefits – note that new employees hired September 1, 2010 or later will want to meet with an enrollment counselor to review and elect or waive Unum Whole Life, Critical Illness and Accident benefits. This will be the only opportunity to take advantage of the guaranteed issue offer.

If you do not need to make any of these changes, you are not required to take any action.  
Any questions you have regarding your benefits can be answered by an enrollment counselor during your appointment.  If you have questions regarding your benefits eligibility or the open enrollment process, please call Nicole Samuelson at 7277-2326 or Robbin Ruth at 727-2318.

 

The official notification is in! Kecoughtan High School's "Anti-Sagging" campaign is the winner of a 2011 NSPRA Golden Achievement Award!  The campaign brought attention to the unsightly fad known as "sagging", which involves over-exposing one's underwear. According to the award letter from NSPRA (National School Public Relations Association) president, Rich Bagin, judges "carefully sought outstanding achievement in [four steps]: analysis of need; planning to meet the need; execution and communication of the program; and evaluation. Your entry met them all."  While NSPRA generally awards Public Relations programs division-wide, the Kecoughtan campaign was deemed a winning entry as it required "the talents of many people." 

HCS Superintendent, Dr. Linda Shifflette, has been selected to receive a YWCA 2011 Women of Distinction Award!  According to the award letter, this award honors the achievements of women in business, law, government, education, religion, arts & entertainment, finance, communications, human services/non-profit, racial justice/civil rights, science/technology, and volunteerism. Dr. Shifflette was “selected by a panel of judges to receive the award for dedication and commitment in the categories of Education & Racial Justice/Civil Rights." She will receive this prestigious award on June 30th at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News.  Congratulations to our leader! 

Summer Program

Course Selection Registration Form

Summer School Brochure

Virtual Summer Brochure

Virtual Registration Form

Meet our Valedictorians!

Superintendent, Dr. Linda Shifflette had the wonderful opportunity to interview the top graduates from each of our high schools.  Check out what these fantastic students have to say about their HCS experiences and the next chapter of their educational careers!

Meet our Valedictorians from Kecoughtan High School and Hampton High School

 

Meet our Valedictorians from Phoebus High School and Bethel High School

Approved 2011-2012 Calendar

2012-2013 Planning Calendar

 

FY12 Budget-Financial Section.pdf

Dr. Shifflette and members of the DLT will again be available to answer questions regarding the 2011-12 budget. They will be available on:

Thursday, March 24th from 4:30 to 5:30
Monday, March 28th from from Noon to 1
Both meetings will be held:
1st Floor Conference Room, Side A
1 Franklin Street

PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTED

The Superintendent's proposed budget for 2011-2012 was presented to the School Board on Wednesday, March 16. The entire presentation can be viewed on BoardDocs (yellow tab at the top of the homepage) on our HCS website. While this proposed budget presented many challenges for the Superintendent and the Division Leadership Team, here's a synopsis of What's In and What's Out. In addition, please know that this proposed budget includes health insurance premiums being level funded for next year, with no plan design changes or increases in co-pays. 

WHAT'S IN:
• 1% raise for all full & part time employees, effective July 1, 2011
• 2% bonus for all full & part time employees, to be paid December 2011
•  Teacher scale with multiple salary lanes
• Class size maintained
• Mandatory winter break shutdown
• Fuel & utility increases
• Summer transition for rising ninth graders as part of the COMPASS initiative
• An additional AP, 2 SSO’s and 1.5 School Counselors per formula
• Redesign of the instructional program for middle school students who are two or more years older than their peers
• Varsity volleyball in all high schools (boys and girls)

WHAT'S OUT:
• Employer paid dental & disability
• Health coverage for spouses when other employer coverage is available
• 106 Fund 50 positions
• Retirement incentive

NEXT STEPS:
• March 17 - Board Retreat on Budget, 5:30pm, 5th Floor of the Ruppert Sargent Building
• March 16, 23 & 30 - Public Hearings, 7:30pm, Jones Magnet Middle School Forum
• March 30 - Board approval of budget

Public Notice on the Presentation and Public Hearings on the Proposed FY2011-12 School Operating Budget

On Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, the Hampton City Schools Proposed FY2011-12 School Operating Budget will be presented to the Hampton School Board.  Following the presentation, the Board will conduct a public hearing on the proposed budget.  On Wednesdays, March 23 and 30 at 7:30 p.m., or as soon thereafter as the matter may be heard, the Hampton School Board will conduct additional public hearings on the proposed budget.   All meetings will be held at Jones Magnet Middle School, 1819 Nickerson Boulevard, Hampton, VA.

 

BENEFITS EXPLANATION:

HEALTH INSURANCE

1. Anthem will continue to be our health insurance provider for the 11/12 school year. 
2. Employee premiums will not change for the 11/12 school year.  
3. There will be no changes to co-pays or deductibles.
4. An employee's spouse will not be eligible for health insurance coverage with HCS as of October 1, 2011 if they are eligible for coverage through their employer.  Employees will be responsible for removing their spouse during the next open enrollment period if they are no longer eligible for HCS coverage.  Additional information about this change will be outlined in our open enrollment packet distributed later this school year.  

DENTAL INSURANCE

1. Delta Dental will continue to be our dental insurance provider for the 11/12 school year.
2. Premiums are increasing for the 11/12 school year for all of our dental plans.  These new rates will be communicated to employees in the open enrollment packet distributed later this school year.
3. An employee who has waived health insurance and is currently receiving dental insurance for free will be responsible for their dental premium next year if they choose to keep that benefit. 

DISABILITY INSURANCE

1. We are currently reviewing a number of bids for disability insurance to ensure that we are offering the best and least expensive disability insurance for our employees.  There is a possibility that we will have a new disability carrier for the 11/12 school year.  Any change in carriers will be communicated to employees in the open enrollment packet that will go out later in the year.    
2. An employee who has waived health insurance and is currently receiving disability insurance for free will be responsible for their disability premium next year if they choose to keep that benefit.
3. Your disability deduction has been listed as 'income protection' on your pay slip.  As of April, that deduction will show as 'disability' for all pay slips you pull up from January 2011 on.     

These proposed changes have not yet been approved by the Board. Additional communication will go out once the budget has been approved.  Each benefits-eligible employee will receive an open enrollment packet later in the school year outlining all of the changes for the 11/12 plan year beginning October 1.  Open enrollment dates will be communicated in that open enrollment packet.   

For a list of current premiums, please see our 10/11 benefits guide located on the HR section of the HCS website under the 'Your Benefits' tab.  

BUDGET FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Regarding Budget 2011-2012

Q: Am I reading the current budget information correctly? That if my husband can receive health insurance through his job, he cannot be covered by my health insurance policy? This seems highly unfair, considering that I already have to pay for the "family" policy because I have two children. What cost benefit is there for the division to not include my husband in my "family"? I'm still paying the same amount, and so is the division. Please correct me if I have my interpretation is wrong.

A: OK, here’s the correction: Your rate will not go up because you will not have family coverage anymore should you choose to stay with HCS coverage).  Instead, one would probably select “Employee Plus Children.”

Q: I would like some clarification about the "What's Out" in the budget.  Please explain what is meant by "Employer paid dental and disability."  Does this mean that we will no longer have dental benefits where Hampton City Schools will pay a portion of the dental benefits?

A: PLEASE SEE BENEFITS EXPLANATION ABOVE.

Q: When making the decision to cancel dental insurance for HCS School Employees, was any thought given to the many employees whose spouse also works for Hampton schools?  There are many married couples within Hampton City Schools, and now those families have no dental insurance.  These are the families where both spouses have dedicated their time to Hampton City Schools, and now they have to find their own insurance to cover themselves and their children.  I could understand raising rates, but I never thought as a family, we would completely lose our coverage.  This is NOT a cheap expense that we have to take on and this affects MANY of your employees!

A: PLEASE SEE BENEFITS EXPLANATION ABOVE.

Q: I have a few questions about retirement pay through MET LIFE that has been coming out of my pay for the past two years.  I have moved since then and misplaced the phone number.  Would you happen to have that number?  If not, who do I need to contact to be able to reach someone at MET LIFE to speak about this? Thanks

A:  Please contact Nicole Samuelson in Human Resources (727- 2326). She will more than happy to help you.

Q: I was looking at the staffing formula for clerical.  If you have between 300 - 599 students - schools will have one full time and one part time secretary?  

A:  Yes.  The proposal is to add a part-time office assistant to all schools except PLC, Bridgeport and Moton.

Q: When I called this morning I was informed that no dental or disability would be paid by Hpt. City Schools for those who had medical with someone else.  That if I carry medical with Hpt. that I would still be offered dental and disability the same as it is now.  The paper also read the same way as this email. Should this be clarified?

A: PLEASE SEE BENEFITS EXPLANATION ABOVE.

Q: Will I be able to use my vacation time during the mandatory close during winter break?  

A: Yes, you will.

Q: Is What's In, what's going to happen and what's out, what's not going to happen... several people was wondering about the dental.

A: PLEASE SEE BENEFITS EXPLANATION ABOVE.

Q: In reading over What's In and What's out  for the new budget what is fund 106?

A:  We have no Fund 106.

Q: I do not use the health benefit; I chose the dental instead each year for me and my family. Do you know how this will affect me or should I ask someone else?

A: PLEASE SEE BENEFITS EXPLANATION ABOVE.

Q: Good Morning. My question is about the dental/disability. Does this mean that HCS is no longer contributing toward the dental plan?  And that we no longer have any disability?  Lots of teachers at my school are asking about this today so I thought I would find out.

A: PLEASE SEE BENEFITS EXPLANATION ABOVE.

Q: Hello! I didn't catch the meeting. What is the teacher scale with multiple lanes?

A: Here’s a link to that information.  Once opened, please scroll down to Page 49, where you will find the Teacher Scale with multiple lanes. Remember, this is still a proposal until the Board votes on the budget.

Q: Will winter athletic teams be able to practice over break?

A:  We are working on those details now.

Q: How exactly would the mandatory Winter Break affect 12-month salaried and hourly employees? Will we lose our pay for those days? Will we be required to use vacation leave for those days?

 A: 12-month employees can use any accrued vacation/personal leave to cover the mandatory shutdown.

Q: Does the board currently pay part of the dental premium for employees that also have health coverage?

A: No.

Q. What is the dollar amount that the board currently pays for dental/disability premiums?

A: Currently, the total amount paid as dental and disability premiums is $276,065.

Q. Does the mandatory Christmas shutdown mean that 12-month employees will see their contracted days decrease by 4 days? If so will this translate into a reduction in salary by 4 days?

A: No.

Q: With the cost of textbook replacements, what it is possibility of getting these e-readers?  We can have the students use these, load the textbooks needed, and if they lose them, it is usually cheaper to replace one of these than it is more than 1 book.  If the cheapest one is less than $150, I will bet that we can get a bulk deal on them and get them for less than the price of a single textbook.  This would also eliminate the need for large backpacks and the burden/health issued they present.

A: Thank you for your suggestion.  Our IT Department and our Curriculum Leaders are in fact, currently exploring alternative ways to offer instructional content. 

Q: I realize a good portion of the budget must be used for payroll.  I personally am concerned about receiving another decrease in pay or no raise at all.  The economy has not stood still or gone backwards over the last 3 years, it has only increased.  I think this is a concern of a most employees. I would rather there be a reduction of teaching staff even if it means larger classes. My suggestion would be to first identify teachers with poor attendance for non-serious reasons. [They] should be reviewed and let go.  All teachers on Improvement Plans should also be let go.  Identify non-performing teachers, not the students, and find out why their students are not performing.  Those teachers should be placed on an Improvement plan for the following school year. Secondly, after these individuals are terminated determine the budget to give all employees a raise even if it is the amount that was reduced from last year. Once this is done determine if the numbers warrant the hiring of new teachers.  If not then distribute students equitably across the grade level. It is really disheartening to watch teachers abuse sick leave or not do what they need to do for students.  Then to compound it, the good teachers and employees must make sacrifices: i.e. pay decreases in order to pay these teachers' salaries.  I personally would rather have more students in my class than to take a pay cut for someone who abuses their job and is not good for children to stay employed. I just think HCS would better serve the hard working loyal employees by addressing these concerns.  

A: Thanks so much for your well thought-out suggestion. Some of the components you mentioned are currently reflected in our RIF policy.

Q: While I understand that this is a very delicate matter, I have an idea that had been approached last year, then disbanded.  When we lose the 2% this year, (5% taken away from our pay to cover our own VRS, one of our prime benefits, plus a MAYBE 3% raise = 2%), that would make the 4% that was going to be removed from us last year, only with no compensation. Would you please give us the time off without pay for this?  While losing salary is not desirable to me in the least, having time off to help offset this loss would give me an easier mind to sleep with.

A:  The General Assembly does not allow localities to pass along the 5% to our employees hired prior to July 1, 2010….referred to as Plan I employees.  Therefore, it will not be an option for our budget this year.

Q: In my humble opinion, I believe the one-time funds should be used to update our aging schools. I know there are schools that really need updates with heating and cooling as well as roofs and other maintenance issues.  I think this would best serve our school system.  

A: We utilize our capital improvement funds to update our facilities.  We have a 5-yr CIP Plan, and we are currently receiving approximately $10M a year from the City of Hampton. You may have noticed some recent school improvements such as work done at Burbank, Booker, Phoebus High, Forrest, Asbury, Bethel High, Spratley, Moton and Lindsay….just to name a few.  

Q: Could you explain the budgeting process at the central office level, including the process used to develop the budget and monitor its implementation?  I would also like to know how the budget uses resources to support teaching and learning.

A:  We are using the same process as we used last year.  To see a quick overview of that process, just visit the Business and Finance Department link from our website, and click on “Download Operating Budget.  The process is described on Page 6 of that document, with more in-depth information found on Page 42. In addition to the process, we give monthly reports on the status of budget to the School Board.  When we roll out our Strategic Plan and the Balanced Scorecard, you will see how we plan to monitor the academic process.

Q: In previous years, HCS elementary PE, Music and Art teachers would alternate between two schools.  I think this should be an option for FY11-12 school year; decreasing the amount of resource teachers. 

A:  Recognizing the importance of developing the whole child, we’ve added these teachers, as it was also the will of our community.  The resource teachers allow opportunities for elementary teachers to enjoy mandated planning time.

Q: Zoning for fundamental schools were eliminated which also eliminate bus transportation.  However, increase in special education classes located in these schools warranted the need for buses.  Why can't these special education classes be relocated in other schools as an additional class (along with their current teachers)?  This will cut back the need for buses at the fundamental school all together.  {We understand that other schools' spec needs classes are at their limit but the suggestions is to add an additional classroom (for schools who have space) so all the spec ed students can ride the same bus).  (i.e.;  ECSE classes a.m. and p.m.--the a.m. class have only 3 children and the p.m. have 6 students--they can't combine these kids in the same school with other ECSE classes for transportation reasons).

A: Thanks for your input, as we are always looking for efficient ways to get students to and from school, and at the same time, optimize our transportation system.

Q: I have a question or thought in regard to the budget... if the state proposes full funding of textbooks at $76/student - $410K (and we get it), does the locale have to buy actual textbooks? Is there a valid educational reason to continue to buy tangible textbooks? If education is moving towards the common core, which it seems to be, won't we have to purchase other/new textbooks again? So many teachers don't use textbooks anymore...I know that I know very little in comparison to the overall impacts of the budget.  I just thought I would check to see HCS position on buying new textbooks.

A: According to the code, the term "textbooks" means print or electronic media for student use that serve as the primary curriculum basis for a grade-level subject or course.

Q: I was inquiring about the Education Jobs Fund that will be up for elimination in 2012. Are the Dean positions at the 4 high schools and BPA funded by the "Education Job Fund?"

A:  No, they are funded through operational funds.

Budget Update Presented To School Board 2/16/'11

Dec. 2, 2010 Email from HCS Superintendent Dr. Linda Shifflette

Hampton Employees:

Barron Fundamental School, Tucker-Capps Fundamental School and Armstrong School for the Arts are now accepting applications for the 2011-12 school year. Click here for more information on Tucker-Capps. Click here for more information on Armstrong School for the Arts. Click here for more information on Barron.

The Hampton High School Band has been named a “Virginia Honor Band.” 
”Virginia Honor Band” is the highest achievement that can be bestowed upon a band program. 
This recognizes the school, students and director for being a fully comprehensive music experience.

On March 16, Bethel High School's  "Army Strong" ROTC cadet program received a "Gold Star" evaluation. The "Gold Star" is the highest level of achievement an Army ROTC can be awarded. The cadets earned a 98% out of 100% for numerous skills such as color guard, drill, and formation. At the debriefing with the evaluators from Fort Bragg, the unit learned that its  Army ROTC Academic Team had also placed # 1 in the 4th Brigade, outperforming 330 programs from Virginia, Delaware, Washington D.C., North Carolina, South Carolina, and West Virginia!! The academic competition is patterned very similiar to the SAT test and  Bethel High School ended up #1 out of 330 schools across these states!

On Wednesday, March 2, the School Board officially thanked the corporate sponsors of the Superintendent's Citizen of the Month program.  These groups, through their generous donations, sponsored a luncheon for students who were selected at their school to attend luncheons at an area hotel.  The luncheons, which are televised, include selected students in grades 4-12, School Board members, City Council members and HCS administrators.  The program includes a speaker and each student receives a packet with a memento and certificate.  

The following sponsors were honored:

Silver Sponsors

Old Point National Bank – Robert Shuford

ING Financial Services – Jacques Cureton

Moseley Architects – Jack Hasten

HAEOP (Hampton Association of Educational Office Professionals) – Ann Fuhs

Old Point Comfort Exchange Club – JoAnn Cornish

Anthem Blue Cross

Gold Sponsor

Hampton Rotary – A. G. Womble, Jack Pope

Platinum Sponsor

Hampton Roads Educators Credit Union – Stephanie Adams

John Smith Enterprises (McDonald's) – John Smith, Jennifer Smith

If you are interested in sponsoring our Citizen of the Month luncheons, please contact Carolyn Bowers at 757-727-2011 or cbowers@hampton.k12.va.us for more information.

 

Resolution from February 2, 2011 School Board meeting

 

 

Hampton City Schools saw many scores increase across the division as the district reached 97% accreditation!  Five out of five (100%) Hampton middle schools met accreditation, while all four of our high schools reached the accreditation mark as well!  On the elementary level, 19 of our 20 elementary schools - representing 95% - met accreditation...with only one school barely missing the mark by a mere 0.19%. Oh...so close! Paula Brown, the division’s Director of Instructional Accountability, was quick to give kudos. "While we were very, very close, I must credit our 97% accreditation to the hard work being done in our schools every day by so many caring teachers and administrators.”  Next year's goal? 100%!!

If you've been waiting to take a peek inside our two new PreK-8 schools, the wait is over.
Just click on the videos below for an impressive guided tour inside these world-class buildings!

George P. Phenix	Hunter B. Andrews

 

November 2008

HCS Earns Bronze Quality Team Award, a team comprised of Instructional Accountability’s Paula Brown, Bryan Elementary School principal Dr. Vatara Slade, Superintendent Dr. Patrick Russo and Dr. Sally I’Anson, made a presentation on November 17th at the 16th National Quality Education Conference held in Reno, Nevada. The presentation highlighted the division’s Student Achievement Focus Team (SAFT) initiative. Going up against international competition, the Hampton school division took the Bronze Quality Team Award!

Emma Freakley, a third grade student at Armstrong Elementary, won the "My Dream House" 2008 Governor's Housing Conference poster contest. Emma, her family, and her art teacher (Debbie Taylor) were all invited to attend a special luncheon where the Governor was to personally recognize Emma and present her with her award.

Skyland Barbee of Jones Magnet Middle School, won
3rd Place, Division II in the 2008 Virginia Association for Pupil Transportation Poster Contest

Hampton High School freshman Reginald Jones was selected
as the State of Virginia’s Outstanding Future Leader, by the Virginia Jaycees

Ian Masters Dansey, a senior at Phoebus High School, was named
the 2008 Prudential Spirit of Community Volunteer of the Year.

Jenna Napier of Kecoughtan High School won First Place, Poster Contest while Shawn Lugo of Kecoughtan won First Place, License Plate Contest in the 2008 State Driver Education Contest.

Kecoughtan High School was selected a 2008 Virginia Naturally School by the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, for its efforts toward environmental stewardship.

Kecoughtan High School’s Katheryn Bodie or Kecoughtan High School, and Joseph Luke of Phoebus High School both received Perfect Scores of 800 on the Verbal Critical Reading section of the SAT Exam (2008).

Jakyll Henry and Johnel Trammel of Bethel High School, Tracie Cabler and Jaclyn Stokes of Kecoughtan High School, and Michelle L. Ammons of Phoebus High School were all named Outstanding Participants in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

Gerston James and Bradford Knight of Hampton High School were named Semifinalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program.

Armando Aguilera, Joshua Garber and Grace Miller...all of Kecoughtan High School...have been named Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

October 2008

HCS Social Studies Teacher Specialist, Charles “Chuck” Baumgardner, was named Outstanding Economic Educator of the Year by Christopher Newport University’s Center for Economic Education! His enthusiasm and dedication to teaching were cited as major reasons the Center for Economic Education was certain he was their top choice.

September 2008

Two HCS Teachers Honored By OfficeMax. Two HCS teachers recently had surprise in-class ceremonies after being selected as honorees for the Office Max “A Day Made Better 2008” program. Debra Costa of Tyler Elementary and Kitya Chandler of Tarrant Elementary were the two teachers selected by their principals as educators who have shown both dedication and innovative approaches to education.  Both were presented with over $1,000 worth of teacher resources and supplies.

August 2008

On August 7, representatives from the Farmers Insurance Group visited Hampton Superintendent Dr. Patrick Russo to provide a financial donation to the school division. The $500 donation was viewed “not as a donation but as support” said Russo. The check was presented by Farmers Insurance and Financial Services Agent, Michael Lewis. The funds will go toward implementing Division Leadership Team strategies for continuous improvement, as well as improvement of the division’s accreditation process.

At a School Board meeting held on August 6th, the HCS Technology Department received $15,000 from the Batelle Foundation to continue the internship program between Hampton City Schools, Thomas Nelson Community College and Batelle. For the last four years, the Batelle Foundation has provided HCS with funds to hire an IT student from Thomas Nelson to work for HCS.

June 2008

Cheryl McLaughlin’s 8th grade students at Syms Middle School earned first place state level honors in the annual Project Citizen competition. The Project Citizen service learning initiative is designed to increase students’ awareness of important community issues and how they can influence public policy to help solve these issues. The award winning entry was entitled “Wiping Out Homelessness in Hampton.” The students investigated the local homelessness issue and created their own action plan proposing policy changes to help homeless families in Hampton. Their first-place project will represent Virginia as they advance to the national level!

Anthony Winslow, a second grade student at Mallory Elementary School took First Place in the region in WHRO’s 14th Annual Reading Rainbow Young Writer’s and Illustrator’s Competition (Second Grade Category) for his book entitled “Herman the Bear”. There were 600 entries for this year’s competition. Anthony’s book will continue competition on the national level. He has been featured reading his book on WHRO and received $100 and a book bag filled with books/tapes from the Reading Rainbow Program.

Warren Campbell, a Junior at Kecoughtan High School, was the First Place winner of U.S. Representative Thelma Drake's High School Students' Art Competition for the 2nd Congressional District. The competition’s theme was “An Artistic Discovery.'' With entries received from Hampton, Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach, Warren’s winning entry was titled was titled “Warren, Age 5.” His artwork will hang for 1 year in the tunnel between the Capitol Building and the Cannon House Office Building, in Washington, D.C. where members of Congress walk on their way to vote. Warren is also eligible for one of 5 college scholarships.

The Hampton School Division was one of only six school divisions in the nation to be the distinguished winner of the 2008 NEA-Saturn/UAW Partnership Award. Hampton won for its New Teacher Induction & Mentoring Program called “TEACHERS HELPING TEACHERS.”

WHCS-TV Channel 46, our in-house television station, is the recipient of not one, but TWO 2008 Telly Awards! The Telly Awards annually showcase the best work of the most respected advertising agencies, production companies, television stations & corporate video departments in the world. It receives over 14,000 entries annually from all 50 states and many foreign countries. WHCS won for the Warrior Classic production (Live Events) and one for its Math Zone program (Student Productions.)

WHCS-TV Channel 46 has been awarded 3 Videographer Awards plus an honorable mention! The goal of the Videographer Awards is to identify & recognize the artisans who excel in the scope of their own environment. The station received an Award of Excellence for Sports Coverage, an Award of Distinction for the Warrior Classic and an Award of Distinction for the HCS Teacher Recruitment Video. They also received an “Honorable Mention” for the Math Zone.

MAY 2008

Tucker-Capps 3rd grade teacher Aretha Livingston was selected as the Virginia Lottery’s Super Teacher of the Year for our region! She was surprised May 22 by Lottery officials and HCS administrators, and is one of only 8 Super Teachers selected across the state of Virginia! Super Teacher Awards are a combined effort by the Virginia Lottery, the Virginia PTA and The Supply Room Companies to illustrate what great teachers we have in Virginia – and to highlight the cream of the crop. She received a cash prize of $2,000, and a $2,000 classroom supplies credit from Virginia based The Supply Room Companies.

MAY 2008

For the second year in a row, Hampton High School has made the list of Newsweek Magazines Top Schools in the nation. Hampton High School was recognized for its highly impressive International Baccalaureate Program. A total of 83 schools in Virginia were listed, with Hampton High being the only school from Hampton to make the Newsweek list.

MARCH 2008

Bethel High School social studies teacher Mary Lynn Everhart Mary Lynn, who in October was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award by the National Council for Geographic Education, has recently been selected to participate in a study trip to Ecuador with 15 other Virginia teachers! The study/travel experience is sponsored by the Geographic Alliance. This is an exciting opportunity to expand classroom instruction, as Mary Lynn plans to certainly integrate her travel experiences into her Human and World Geography classes. That’s cool!

MARCH 2008

The Kecoughtan High School Band program was named a Virginia Honor Band for 2008! This is the highest award a band program can earn in Virginia, and is the second year in a row that the KHS band has earned this honor.

The distinction comes as a result of the students earning a superior rating at marching and concert band festivals. This award is based on the Music Standards Of Learning for Virginia.


MARCH 2008

Hampton City Schools finished 15th in the nation in the first-ever Safe Search Awards Program sponsored by netTrekker! The Safe Search Awards Program recognizes districts that are keeping kids safest when searching on the Internet. HCS was recognized for outstanding usage in the 2006-2007 school year, and for “an extremely successful” district-wide implementation of netTrekker d.i.

FEBRUARY 2008

Congratulations to the staff of Channel 46 WHCS TV! The new HCS Teacher Recruitment DVD…produced by the station…. won a Platinum Award in the Video/ Film/ Recruitment category from the International Ava Award competition. The Platinum Award is the highest level awarded in the competition!

The International Ava Awards recognizes outstanding work by creative professionals involved in the concept, writing, direction, shooting and editing of audio-visual materials and programs. Entries include film, analog & digital productions viewed in a wide variety of mediums – from movie screens to televisions to computers. Entries came from throughout the United States and several foreign countries.

FEBRUARY 2008

Angie R. Smith, school counselor at Smith Elementary School was selected Virginia’s Elementary Professional School Counselor of the Year by the Virginia School Counselor Association. She is a National certified counselor who has worked in public school, education for some 22 years.

JANUARY 2008

The Virginia Association of Secondary School Principal's (VASSP) recognized Kecoughtan High Assistant Principal Tiffany Sanzo, as Virginia’s Assistant Principal of the Year for 2008!

Sanzo, who has been a member of the HCS family for some 13 years, earned her National Board Certification (NBC) and uses that experience to mentor and support NBC candidates through the process.

DECEMBER 2007

The Keep Hampton Schools Beautiful Program won the 2007 Keep America Beautiful National Award for Beautification & Community Improvement. The program is a collaborative effort of Hampton City Schools, Hampton Parks & Recreation, Hampton Neighborhood Commission, the Volunteer Center of the Virginia Peninsula, United Way Day of Caring, the Virginia Cooperative Extension Hampton Master Gardeners, the Hampton Clean City Commission, and many individual and group volunteers. The award was presented at the Keep America Beautiful Annual Conference in Washington, DC on December 7.


OCTOBER 2007

Debby Martin, Hampton City Schools’ Teacher of the Year, has been selected by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) as one of the "20 to Watch" educators for 2007. This special recognition was launched to identify emerging leaders who will be helping to shape the world of education technology for the next 20 years. Martin, who joined the Hampton school division in 2001, is a Career and Technical Education teacher at Phoebus High School. The 20 educators identified this year by NSBA range from classroom teachers and technology directors to a superintendent and a non-profit foundation leader.


SEPTEMBER 2007

Mary Lynn Everhart of Bethel High school is the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Teaching Award given by the National Council for Geographic Education. This prestigious award recognizes outstanding contributions to geographic education and Mary Lynn is one of only 14 educators in the United States to receive this honor!

SEPTEMBER 2007

Mary Hurst of Cooper Elementary Magnet School for Technology was named the 2007 Elementary Teacher of the Year by the Virginia Technology Education Association. Mary is currently enjoying her recent retirement from the Hampton school division.

AUGUST 2007

The Hampton School division is the recipient of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) 2007 Golden Achievement Award! The award was given recently for the school division’s Schools Curb Appeal Initiative.

According to the award letter received, NSPRA’s Golden Achievement Award recognizes “exemplary work” with award judges seeking “outstanding achievement.” The initiative, which is an on-going project – serves as a keen example of the positive changes that can take place when schools work hand in hand with the community.

The Hampton School Division won a 2007 Partnership District Award from the National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS) at Johns Hopkins University! This marks an important step in the school district’s leadership in building strong partnerships.

Hampton was honored for making excellent progress in helping schools develop comprehensive programs of school, family, and community partnerships to support school improvement goals. Essential elements included teamwork, leadership, plans for action, implementation, facilitation, evaluation, and network connections.


MAY 2007

The Hampton School division is the recipient of the 2007 Excellence In Education Award, given by the Virginia Tech School of Education. This annual award recognizes successful programs in PreK-12 schools and in community colleges as well.

Hampton won for its program, Community Visioning – HCS Community Priorities Workshop. This workshop, which began when Dr. Patrick Russo took over as Hampton’s Superintendent of Schools three years ago, engages the entire Hampton community in shaping a set of shared outcomes for the division.

APRIL 2007

The American School Board Journal tapped Hampton City Schools as the only school division in the State of Virginia to receive the highly coveted 2007 Magna Award. Over the past 13 years, the Journal has featured excellent examples of school governance, showcasing divisions offering practical advice on how districts solve pressing problems.

The Hampton School Board earned this national recognition for the division’s various program involvements with In-Sync Partnerships to develop collaborations designed to increase school success and improve neighborhoods.