SPARC Logo Contest – Deadline: Mar. 1

Logo ContestThe Suicide Prevention Awareness & Resource Council (SPARC) invites students to participate in their logo competition. The new logo will be featured in all official SPARC correspondence and other SPARC initiatives. The prize for the final candidate’s selected logo will be a $50.00 pre-paid VISA card. The entries must be submitted via mail or email by March 1, 2015.

View the contest announcement »
View the contest rules »

Budget Update

Superintendent Pam MoranDear Colleagues:

Many of you know the school division budget proposal for 2015-16 includes a 2.3 percent pay for performance salary increase for classified staff and an average 2 percent increase for teachers, effective half-way into the new year.

In remarks to the media this week, School Board Chair Ned Gallaway spoke for all of us when he said compensation was the top priority in next year’s budget. Continue reading

6 Small Grants for Teachers That Could Make a Big Difference

esn-grantsEach month, eSchool News compiles a list of new education grant opportunities. This month’s grants focus on mostly smaller sums ideal for individual classroom teachers or projects. Check out these funding opportunities for teachers, students, parents and administrators: Continue reading

2015 DC Metro & VA Regional Rubik’s Cube Competition

YouCanDoTheRubiksCubeLogoThe 2015 Rubik’s Cube Competition is coming soon! The Virginia Regional Competition will be held on Wednesday, April 1, at Holman Middle School in Glen Alen, and the DC Metro Competition will be held Tuesday, April 14 (Divisions 1 and 2), and Wednesday, April 15 (Division 3), at the National Electronics Museum in Maryland. Students in grades K-12  may enter one or both competitions (as a solo competitor or as a team). Register today; it’s free! Continue reading

It’s School Counseling Week! Have You Thanked Your Counselor Today?

SCW2015_v2National School Counseling Week 2015, “Celebrate School Counseling,” will be celebrated from Feb. 2-6, 2015, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of professional school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February. It’s a golden opportunity to show your community’s appreciation for your school counselor(s)!

See ideas for how to celebrate Albemarle County School Counselors »

Recent Court Decision That Impacts Student Information

Matthew Haas, Ed.D.Greetings Albemarle County Educators:

I want to make you aware of a recent Circuit Court decision that impacts student information in school divisions across the Commonwealth, including our own. The following is a message from the Virginia Superintendent of Instruction, Steve Staples, regarding the court decision described in this article: Judge Rules Against VDOE, In Favor Of Loudoun Parent Seeking Student Progress Data.

Before you read on, I want to assure you that Albemarle County Public Schools has no plan to use Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) student growth data for teacher evaluation. Keep reading »