Dear Charlottesville City Schools staff and families,

The election results are in – and we have some great news for the students of today and tomorrow: School construction funding has been approved with overwhelming support.

We are proud and humbled to see 72 percent of Charlottesville voters say “yes” to this investment in schools and students. These funds are critical to our future, helping us to upgrade classrooms and add cafeterias, a kitchen, and a secure entrance to schools that lack that essential infrastructure.

As a school division, we are fortunate to receive strong, sustained support from the people of Charlottesville. We don’t take it for granted, and we work every day to keep our community involved, informed, and engaged. Read on below for more great news from our division and ways to stay in touch. 

Thank you for all you do to make Charlottesville City Schools the best possible place for our students to learn and grow. 

Dr. G

We're working with the City of Charlottesville to make the area around the Charlottesville Early Learning Center (CELC) safer for students. At approximately the end of November, the school‑owned section of Gentry Lane will become a “school street,” a street where people walking, biking, and rolling are prioritized, and motor‑vehicle through‑traffic is limited. 

There will be an open house for the public to learn more about this change on Monday, November 16 from 5-6:30pm at the Charlottesville Early Learning Center. Details about the plan are also posted to the City's Connect website.

Eighth graders from Charlottesville Middle School had a blast during their recent visit to Charlottesville High School. Students launched more than 20 rockets that they built in science class as part of a UVA Innovation Hub project. They also had a chance to tour the CHS urban farm and engineering lab, and learn more about their future school from CHS BACON club and Link Crew leaders. Check out the coverage of the event from NBC29 and CBS19. 

Thank you to Charlottesville Elks Lodge #389 for making a generous donation to our coat drive. With winter right around the corner, every donation counts. If you’d like to contribute, you can find the lists here:

New coats only. Send to ATTN: Bianca Johnson 1400 Melbourne Road Charlottesville VA, 22901

The coat drive runs through November 20.

Watch as Dr. Gurley surprises these educators and support staff at their schools, recognizing them for their dedication, excellence, exemplary service, and positive impact: 

👑 Angela Johnson, Front Desk Administrative Technician, Charlottesville Middle School

👑 Ladi Smith, First Grade Teacher, Trailblazer Elementary School

👑 Matt Rosello, Math Teacher, Charlottesville High School 

👑 Bobby Benson, Custodian/Courier/Crossing Guard, Charlottesville City Schools

Each winner earns $250 to spend on their school. Want to see your favorite staff member get the royal treatment? Fill out a nomination form.

Charlottesville City Schools’s first-ever citywide One-Act Festival will take place this Friday, November 6, at 7pm at the MLK Performing Arts Center. 

A collaboration between TheatreCHS and TheatreCMS, the festival will include three one-act performances – The Beggar's Opera, Kodachrome, and Letters From Ivy – on one stage for one night only. 

Approximately 75 CMS and CHS students from eighth through 12th grade are coming together to showcase their incredible talent and creativity. Ticket information 

Charlottesville City Schools values student voice. We have a new column called “Backpack Dispatch” that features articles about our schools, written by our students. For our first installment, Trailblazer fifth grader Mateo Vincent visited the school bus yard to see the two new electric buses in our fleet, interview a driver, and take a ride. Read Mateo’s story. 

Are you a student interested in writing an article about CCS? Email Community Relations Coordinator John Shifflett at shifflj1@charlottesvilleschools.org. 

The story of middle school in Charlottesville is changing, and we want to make sure everyone has a chance to hear the good news (and get their questions answered!) Join Charlottesville Middle School Principal Dr. Summerlyn Thompson to learn about how the city's brand-new middle school supports students in exploring academic and extracurricular opportunities, making friends, and building community. There will also be a Q&A where we'll tackle your real questions and separate fact from fiction.

This conversation is open to anyone with a future middle school student who is curious about what CMS has to offer. 

PLUS: We're collecting YOUR ideas for the most important questions to answer and topics to cover. Submit Your Questions/Topic Requests for the Fireside Chat Submit an idea and be entered into a drawing to win 1 of 10 new Charlottesville trucker hats!

NEXT MEETING: Thursday, November 5, at 5:30pm at CHS Media Center.

MINI MINUTES: Read the full Mini Minutes from the October Board Meeting.

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