Author Archives: Division Compass

Poetry & Prose Contests for Middle and High School Students

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Virginia Festival of the BookThe Virginia Festival of the Book has announced their annual Poetry & Prose Contests for middle and high school students! Selected students will be invited to read aloud their winning entries at the Poetry & Prose Celebration on Tuesday, March 15, 2016, at 7 p.m. at the Charlottesville Omni Hotel. Selected submissions will be printed in the Festival’s annual anthology for middle school writers or Crossroads, the annual teen anthology for Central Virginia, coordinated by the Tupelo Press Teen Writing Center.

All submissions must be received by Monday, February 15, 2016, at 5 p.m. Contest details »

Welcome to 2016 — It’s beginning to feel a lot like winter!

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ACPS Supt's BlogWelcome to 2016! I hope everyone experienced a relaxing holiday season with family and friends. We asked our staff and students to take time away from school and homework over the winter break to spend time with their families, read a good book, visit relatives, or simply do those things that families accomplish together — cleaning out a closet or repairing something around the home.

Now it’s time to get back to school and re-engage with our learners as we head toward the end of the first semester.

January also heralds two important processes for our community — inclement weather decisions and budget season engagement. Read more of the Superintendent’s January 4 blog post »

Best Wishes for a Healthy and Happy Holiday Season

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Superintendent Pam MoranDear Colleagues:

As we prepare for winter break, I hope each of you will enjoy this time with your family and friends. I will be traveling to visit my mother, who is 94, and I also am looking forward to a visit with my son, who now lives in New York City.

While the work we accomplish as educators represents the most important profession that exists, the time we spend with our families is even more important. Continue reading →

VDOE-Sponsored Intel Elements Professional Development

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VDOE LogoThe Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) provides six-week, facilitated online courses through a grant with Intel. These professional development courses are available to educators in Virginia at no cost. The courses are conducted all online (no face-to-face meetings needed) and take approximately 30 hours, or 5 hours per week, to complete. The courses are facilitated by Virginia educators. Participants will receive a certificate at the end that can be used towards 30 recertification points. Registration for the Winter 2016 session (January 20 – March 2) ends January 6, 2016.

Available courses include: Continue reading →

Teachers Matter Most

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ACPS Supt's BlogDecember is a busy month in our schools from wonderful holiday programs to routine activities that engage children in deep learning. I am fortunate to visit our schools and see the amazing work accomplished by our young people and the teachers who create opportunities to involve learners. Learning planned by our teachers challenges children’s imaginations, supports them to solve complex problems, engages them to seek and use deep knowledge of content and make interdisciplinary connections, and encourages them to sustain curiosity and pursue learning that is of intrinsic interest. Read more of the Superintendent’s December 14 blog post »

Strategic Plan Summary

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Horizon 2020Albemarle County Public Schools is committed to all graduates mastering the lifelong-learning skills they need to succeed as 21st century learners, workers and citizens. Our Horizon 2020 Strategic Plan provides us with strategic objectives and priorities that are designed to keep us focused on our commitment to that goal. Our strategic plan has been summarized for our teachers, school administrators, and community members to serve as an easy reference and reminder of what drives our work each day. View the 2015-2017 Strategic Plan Summary »

2016-17 Draft Calendar Now Posted

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2016-17 Draft CalendarThe input provided by nearly 2,000 parents, students, employees, and community members on the recent Community Outreach Survey helped the calendar committee draft the 2016-17 School Year Calendar that will go before the School Board for review on January 14, 2016. Public comment will be taken at that time. View the draft calendar »

Connect to the 2016-17 calendar development process »

Fall 2015 Community Outreach Survey Results

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Survey ResultsThank you for your feedback! Nearly 2,000 parents, students, employees, and community members shared their thoughts about school climate, the school calendar, and budget priorities in our recent Community Outreach Survey.

Highlights: Greater than 90% of respondents agree or strongly agree that they feel welcome in our schools. Nearly 70% are pleased or very pleased with our current school year calendar. Respondents identified the following as the top three budget priorities for 2016-17: Provide exceptional class sizes; stay competitive with employee compensation; and fully fund student population growth. See the full survey results »

Multicultural Children’s Book Day Is January 27

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MCCBDJoin the national celebration of diversity in children’s literature on January 27, 2016, Multicultural Children’s Book Day.

New this Year: Teachers, join the Multicultural Children’s Book Day (MCCBD) 2016 Classroom Reading Challenge and get a FREE diversity book for your classroom library! You also can win a Skype author visit with a children’s book author! Find out how »

ACPS Ranked 5th Best School District in the State

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ACPS in the NewsA national education assessment company has ranked Albemarle County Public Schools among the top five school divisions in Virginia. Niche, which each year evaluates more than 100,000 public and private schools and divisions based on a comprehensive survey of performance data and the views of more than 27 million students and parents, also placed Albemarle County Public Schools in the top two percent of all school divisions in the nation. Read our press release »