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MAY 25, 2023 Vol. 6, Issue 21
THIS ISSUE: IMPORTANT DATES • SCHOOL BOARD CORNER • PARTNERS IN SAFETY • GRADUATIONS • INTRODUCING PARENTSQUARE • REMINDERS AND OPPORTUNITIES • TECHNOLOGY REMINDERS • AVIATION SHOWCASE • ACROSS HENRICO COUNTY • SUMMER ACADEMY • KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION • SPRING WORKSHOPS • DID YOU KNOW?
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Welcome to The Binder! Look for new editions of The Binder in your inbox approximately every two weeks, for news and reminders from Henrico County Public Schools.
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May 25: Henrico School Board work session and monthly meeting
May 26: Schools and offices closed (banked inclement weather time)
May 29: Memorial Day holiday (schools and offices closed)
June 9: Last day of school (student half day and staff clerical day)
June 10: Last day for teachers
June 19: Juneteenth holiday (schools and offices closed)
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School Board green-lights weapons scanners and additional safety staff
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As school board members and parents, we share our community’s urgency to take additional measures to address student and staff safety in our schools. During our May 25 meeting, Board members unanimously voiced our support for an administrative plan to hire additional school security officers (SSO) and phase in the use of high-tech weapons scanners during the 2023-24 school year. The recommendation follows a four-month evaluation and field test of new technologies, focus groups and community surveys.
To further strengthen existing layered safety plans, HCPS will:
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Install weapons scanners and add one additional SSO at each high school;
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Place one SSO at each elementary school;
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Install weapon scanners and add one more SSO at each middle school; and
- Install weapon scanners at elementary schools.
The changes will not all come at once. Based on availability, the HCPS safety team will deploy scanners in phases beginning with high schools followed by middle and elementary schools. HCPS will use existing technology funds to order weapons scanners as soon as possible. The placement of new SSOs will be contingent on hiring success and the time needed for safety training.
The school board appreciates the flexibility of students and staff at the field test schools whose experiences and feedback were crucial as Dr. Cashwell and school leaders evaluated the benefits and impacts of weapon scanner technology. Likewise, we want to thank our families, HCPS employees and the Henrico community for sharing their opinions on these measures through a division-wide survey. The division received nearly 6,900 responses in five languages. These new safety measures reflect your input and expectations for school and campus safety.
You can see the full field test report, including survey data, on the safety page of the school division website. The safety update from the May 25 school board meeting is also available online.
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Community Conversation: Families and Schools as Partners in Safety
Earlier this spring, the HCPS Bridge Builders Academy hosted a virtual session about how families and schools can work together to support a safe community. Topics included discussion on gun safety and storage, supporting mental health for youth, and opportunities for families and schools to partner in addressing issues within our community.
Additional resources
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Graduation details: While seniors and their families will get specifics from your schools, the HCPS Graduation Hub is the place for information about the graduation season, including parking and traffic tips. As in past years, families and friends who can’t be present can watch a livestream of the ceremonies by going to www.henricoschools.us at the time of the ceremony. Ceremonies will also be recorded to view later.
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May 26:
May 31:
- Virginia Randolph Education Center (VREC campus, 1:30 p.m.)
- The Academy at Virginia Randolph (Hermitage H.S., 7 p.m.)
June 1:
- Henrico Virtual Academy (J.R. Tucker H.S., 7 p.m.)
June 5:
(VCU Siegel Center, 7 p.m.)
- ACE Center at Hermitage, ACE Center at Highland Springs and ACE Center at Virginia Randolph
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June 6:
(VCU Siegel Center)
- Deep Run H.S. (11 a.m.)
- Mills E. Godwin H.S. (3 p.m.)
- Douglas S. Freeman H.S. (7 p.m.)
June 7:
(VCU Siegel Center)
- Glen Allen H.S. (11 a.m.)
- Hermitage H.S. (3 p.m.)
- J.R. Tucker H.S. (7 p.m.)
June 8:
(VCU Siegel Center)
- Highland Springs H.S. (11 a.m.)
- Varina H.S. (3 p.m.)
- Henrico H.S. (7 p.m.)
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New communication tool puts you in control
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HCPS is stepping up its communications with families and staff with a new resource called ParentSquare. With ParentSquare, you’ll be able to:
- Receive announcements and school closure information via email, text or app;
- View HCPS and school calendars;
- Easily sign up to participate in school events;
- Securely receive SOL test scores and other important student documents;
- … and much more!
You’ll receive an email from HCPS on Tuesday, May 30, with steps to activate your new ParentSquare account. It takes less than one minute to get set up. You will also want to download the free ParentSquare app on your iPhone or Android device for future access to news, photos and information.
Beginning June 13, HCPS will use ParentSquare to send families secure copies of student SOL scores as well as a new individualized report of your child's SOL testing history called the Student Assessment Summary report. You must have an active ParentSquare account to receive these secure documents.
Thank you for taking the time to activate your ParentSquare account. We look forward to connecting with you.
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Reminders and opportunities
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- Upcoming job fairs: Come find out more about careers with the HCPS team!
- Human Resources Job Fair: June 6 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Varina Area Library, 1875 New Market Road, Henrico, Va.
- Teacher Licensure Information Session: June 7 from 5:30-7 p.m. at Fairfield Area Library, 1401 N. Laburnum Ave., Henrico, Va. Register by June 1.
- School Nutrition Services Job Fair: June 13 from 10:15 a.m.-2:15 p.m., Gayton Branch Library, 10600 Gayton Road, Henrico, Va.
- Don't forget: preschool registration continues for the 2023-24 school year!
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You have big summer plans. HCPS iPads, Chromebooks and laptops do too.
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HCPS' 50,000+ student devices (iPads for pre-K and kindergarten, Chromebooks for grades 1-5 and laptops for grades 6-12) must be turned in before the end of the school year so they can be updated and repaired during the summer. You’ll receive more information from your school’s administrators (including Henrico Virtual Academy). Summer school is the exception: students identified by their school as needing devices for HCPS-related summer coursework will turn in their device the last week of their summer course.
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Does your student have a T-Mobile hot spot? If the HCPS-issued hot spot device is still in use over the summer, keep it into the new school year, so that your student will continue to have internet access.
Fees aren’t fun. As detailed in the “Device Acknowledgement Form” signed by students and parents or guardians at the start of the school year, families will be charged a fee or related repair or replacement costs if:
- A student loses or damages their assigned device or doesn’t return it.
- A student loses or damages their charger or returns a different charger than the one they were assigned at the start of the school year.
- A student intentionally damages their assigned HCPS device. In addition to a repair or replacement fee, this will be handled as a disciplinary matter per the Student Code of Conduct.
Thank you for helping keep HCPS students connected and learning! Questions? Email the Department of Technology.
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HCPS, RIC team up for one-of-a-kind showcase
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In a first-time collaboration between Henrico County Public Schools and the Capital Region Airport Commission, a group of 15 high school students got to tour Richmond International Airport and gain firsthand experience of the careers offered by the airport at recent Aviation Career Showcase.
“If they can see it, they can be it,” was the motto for Dr. Monica Manns, HCPS’ chief equity, diversity and opportunity officer, as she introduced the students along with local leaders and executives, such as airport president and CEO Perry Miller and state Sen. Lamont Bagby.
The students ranged from several different HCPS high schools and brought with them different motivations for attending, whether it was an interest in engineering, piloting, aeronautics or military service. But the event offered them not only a glimpse into those professions but also the many other roles that are critical to the daily operations of Richmond International Airport.
Learn more about this thrilling, one-of-a-kind opportunity that these students had on our website.
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Quioccasin "Food and Futbol," reforesting Henrico County and CTE students prepare to build a house
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After 48 years at Skipwith E.S., Ernest Lewis' name will forever grace the school's cafeteria
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With the spring sports season entering the home stretch, check out the latest Sportswire roundup
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Get the latest on HCPS school-community partnerships, workforce and career development
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Register now for Summer Academy
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HCPS Summer Academy is a unique program that gives elementary, middle and high school students important opportunities for enrichment, credit-recovery and remediation. The 2023 edition will be held at 26 HCPS sites: 11 elementary schools, seven middle schools and eight high schools, along with online summer instruction for Henrico Virtual Academy students.
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Kindergarten registration continues for fall
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Registration is now open for Henrico families who wish to enroll kindergarten students for the 2023-24 school year! There are two ways to complete the initial kindergarten registration process: by completing the online PowerSchool Enrollment form or by calling the child’s school and making an appointment with the registrar for an in-person meeting. The online PowerSchool Enrollment process is strongly encouraged. To register, your child must live in Henrico County and be age 5 by Sept. 30.
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There's one (very useful) Bridge Builders Academy spring workshop remaining:
- Engaging Your Child During the Summer: June 6 at 6 p.m. (virtual). The Family Resource Center visits local communities throughout the summer to connect and engage with families. Learn about the free, fun and educational engagement opportunities that will be hosted by HCPS’ Division of Family and Community Engagement.
Recordings of more than 100 previous Bridge Builders Academy workshops are available to view online.
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HCPS held its fifth Letter-of-Intent Signing Day for Henrico Career and Technical Education graduates! The event at Libbie Mill Library celebrated students entering the workforce by having them sign with their future employers in a ceremony with family, teachers and administrators! Learn more about Henrico's career training and work-based learning programs at henricocte.com.
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