Specialty center open houses continue
Open houses offer an in-depth look at specialty centers and regional schools to help eighth grade families explore high school options. A complete calendar of open houses is available online. Here are the ones scheduled in the next few days:
6:30 p.m. Oct. 27: Mathematics and Science High School at Clover Hill High (13301 Kelly Green Lane)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 29: Specialty Center for the Arts at Thomas Dale High (3626 W. Hundred Road)
The online application closes Dec. 5 for specialty centers and governor’s schools. The online application opens Jan. 5 and closes Feb. 20 for CodeRVA.
Full details about high school options are online at bit.ly/CCPSoptions. That includes the online application form, links to specialty center websites and more.
A creative approach to constructing sentences at Moseley Elementary
When you are constructing sentences, it’s smart to take precautions before handling nouns, verbs and other important parts of writing. That’s why first graders at Moseley Elementary wore hard hats and safety vests as they inspected a variety of sentences to make sure everything was in order.
CTC students collab to showcase delicious dishes and beautiful bakes
Career and Technical Center students in commercial photography, baking and culinary arts collaborated on a cross-curricular project focused on commercial food photography. Baking and culinary arts students practiced professional plating and product presentation while photography students mastered the art of food styling, composition and studio lighting techniques to capture these delicious dishes for potential marketing use.
This week: Coffee & Conversation talks building relationships with your teen
Join us online at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, to explore ways to talk with teens that make them feel heard, how to ask questions to open real conversation, and share guidance in a way that builds trust. Special guest is Eric Faw from Chesterfield Prevention Services. Sign up to attend here.
Parenting is tough and children don’t come with an owner's manual. So, grab a cup of coffee and get some friendly support each week with Coffee & Conversation. We’ll have a topical discussion with community experts to help understand and foster success in your students.
Missed a conversation? Visit our Programs for Families page to watch past sessions.
Special Education Parent Involvement Survey for the 2024-25 school year
All parents of school-aged children and youth with disabilities who receive special education services in Virginia are requested to complete the Virginia Department of Education’s annual Special Education Parent Involvement Survey.
This survey will remain open through Dec. 12, 2025. Please complete one survey for each of your children who received special education services during the 2024-25 school year.
For questions, contact Dr. Chiquita Seaborne by email at Chiquita.Seaborne@doe.virginia.gov or phone at 804-418-4672.
Hiring event for Substitute Teachers scheduled for Nov. 6
Do you want a meaningful job with a flexible schedule so you can work when you choose? Become a substitute teacher! Chesterfield County Public Schools pays substitute teachers $136 on regular days and $203 on Fridays and high-demand days.
Attend our substitute teacher hiring event Thursday, Nov. 6, from 4:30-6 p.m. at Meadowbrook High (4901 Cogbill Road, North Chesterfield, VA) for an opportunity to learn more and interview. Advanced registration is recommended but not required.
Check out Nov. 2 car and truck show at CTC@Courthouse
Classic cars, custom cars, new models and more will be on display 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 2 at the Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse, 10101 Courthouse Road. Admission is free for spectators.
In addition to seeing 100+ great-looking cars and trucks, visitors can browse vendor tables, play family-friendly games, possibly win prizes and buy lunch from food trucks. In case of rain Nov. 2, the car show will move to Nov. 9.
And it’s not too late if you have a car or truck you want to display in this annual River City Cruizers event benefiting the Career and Technical Center. The registration form is online. Registration by Oct. 24 costs $20 per car or truck. After that date, registration costs $30 per vehicle. Students in Chesterfield County Public Schools get a 50% discount off registration.
Chesterfield celebrates Teachers of the Year at Gold Star Gala
Chesterfield County Public Schools honored Teachers of the Year from every school at a Gold Star Gala on Oct. 15.
The top honoree was Davis Elementary reading specialist Maria Meyers who is the 2025 Teacher of the Year for Chesterfield County Public Schools. She has received multiple awards throughout her career but considers her top accomplishment to be "the students that can now read ... and the teachers that can now effectively and efficiently teach their students to read because of the guidance [I have] been able to provide."
Other top honorees were Carly Alford, who teaches English as a second language at Providence Middle and is the CCPS Middle School Teacher of the Year, and Victoria Fitzgerald who is the visual arts teacher at Meadowbrook High and is the CCPS High School Teacher of the Year.
In an unusual situation, a wife and husband were named 2025 Teachers of the Year for their schools: Nancy Sheetz for Bensley Elementary and Bryan Sheetz for Thomas Dale High.
See the full list of our Teachers of the Year from every school.
Registration now open for fall 2025 SOL/W!se academies
Registration is now open for our fall 2025 sessions of the SOL/W!se academies. Fall sessions will take place Mondays through Thursdays from Dec. 1-4 and Dec. 8-11 at Clover Hill High. The deadline to register for fall is Nov. 24.
SOL Academy is free and open to any student who passed a class in science, social studies, math, reading or writing but did not pass the end-of-course SOL test.
W!se Academy is free and open to any student who passed the economics and personal finance class but did not pass the W!se financial literacy test and needs a career and technical education credential to graduate.
Learn more about the SOL/W!se academies and register to attend online.
Academies are offered in the fall and spring. Students who have questions about their diploma status should contact their school counselor. Learn more about the academies. For questions, email solacademy@ccpsnet.net.
Explore career pathways at Nov. 8 Career and Technical Center open houses
Both campuses of the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center invite families and students to Nov. 8 open houses to learn about engaging, up-to-date programs available to high school students. Flyers provide details in English, in Spanish and in Arabic.
In career and technical education, students explore career fields ranging from health professions to technology to skilled trades to logistics and more. In dozens of career pathways, students can earn industry-recognized certifications and connect with work-based learning experiences. Learn more on the Career and Technical Center website and by going to this year’s open houses:
Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse (10101 Courthouse Road) will have an open house 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 8.
Career and Technical Center @ Hull (13900 Hull Street Road) will have an open house noon-2 p.m. Nov. 8.
Career and Technical Center applications for 2026-27 open at 7 a.m. Nov. 1 and close at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 18. Details about the application process, including a link to the online application portal, are available here. Email Karen Golden at karenm_golden@ccpsnet.net if you have questions.
Enforcement has begun for school bus stop-arm camera violations
Chesterfield County Public Schools, in partnership with the Chesterfield County Police Department and BusPatrol, has launched a new school bus safety program. Motorists who fail to stop when a bus’s stop-arm is extended and red lights are flashing will receive a $250 civil penalty.
Over the past month, a 30-day warning period allowed vehicle owners who violated the law to receive a letter without a fine. With the grace period now over, enforcement is active on Chesterfield County school buses equipped with stop-arm safety cameras.
The stop-arm cameras automatically capture any vehicle that drives past a stopped bus with flashing red lights. Each incident is reviewed by trained county staff before a notice is issued. The fine does not add points to a driver’s license but serves as an important deterrent to help protect students at bus stops.
In Virginia, all drivers must stop when a school bus’s stop-arm is extended unless they are traveling in the opposite direction on a divided roadway separated by a median or barrier.
Passing a stopped school bus is among the most dangerous driving violations. During the warning period in Chesterfield County, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 8, 2025, more than 1,400 violations were recorded.
The stop-arm camera enforcement program is designed to reduce these violations and help keep children safe as they travel to and from school. For more information about the use of stop-arm cameras on Chesterfield County school buses, visit the Chesterfield County government website.
Nominate outstanding principals before Nov. 6
Let’s support our excellent principals by nominating them for the prestigious R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership.
Nominations can come from parents, students, teachers, volunteers and community members. The deadline is 5 p.m. Nov. 6. Learn more and make your nomination for the R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership at the Community Foundation website.
Public school principals from Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and Richmond are eligible for the awards, which come with a $10,000 cash grant for the principal and an additional $20,000 for the principal’s school. Recent Chesterfield County honorees include Dr. Nicholas Olson of Salem Church Middle, Dr. Randi Smith of Ettrick Elementary, Nina Brink of Gates Elementary and Natalie Bare of Gordon Elementary.
Return your unused medicine at Medication Take Back Day event Oct. 25
Is your cabinet filled with unused or expired medications? Dispose of them safely at the Medication Take Back Day event. The event will be 10 a.m.-2p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25, at Wegmans (12501 Stone Village Way, Midlothian, VA). No needles will be accepted.
These events help prevent drug abuse and protect the environment. Learn more about medication take-back programs.