Safety has, and will always be, a top priority for our division–and we are not alone. Across the nation division leaders are conducting conversations about how to best keep our students, staff, and communities safe. This week I was honored to participate in the Town Hall Meeting, sponsored by The Safe Virginia Initiative (SVI), Senator … Read more

  I was reminded of why I became an educator this week when I met with the Student Council Association (SCA) leaders from across our division.  What an inspiring group of student leaders they are! I am a big advocate for providing student leadership opportunities and encouraging our students to take the lead.  During our … Read more

This has been a challenging week–some would say historic! Never before have we been impacted by a mandatory evacuation ordered by the Governor. I was impressed by how well our Emergency Team came together to address Hurricane Florence. We were all thrown for a loop when Governor Northam made his announcement on Monday evening. As … Read more

This week marks the start of a new school year–one that I have been anxiously awaiting for a while now. The halls are sparkling, the rooms are inviting, and we are ready for our first students of the year to walk through the doors. A personal goal of mine is to visit all 47 of … Read more

There’s something about the start of a new school year… it is energizing!  You could feel the excitement building this week as we continue to prepare for the start of a new school year.  Many of our schools welcomed students as they held the first of many back-to-school events to allow new students the chance … Read more

I finally had the chance to visit The Branch this past week.  The students, staff, and community at Western Branch High School really made me feel welcome!  I can’t get over the sense of pride you feel in each part of our city.  Each community is unique and I am enjoying getting to meet and … Read more

Last week my administrative staff put the finishing touches on their back-to-school presentations to kick off the year for our administrators.  We met at Grassfield High School on Thursday to reflect upon the events of the past year, share important information, and set goals for the future.  I was impressed watching the team come together … Read more

What a great week!  I have been working hard to get reacquainted with Chesapeake, and this week I was able to talk with some of our community partners.  I sat down with Dr. Rhine from Tidewater Community College on Wednesday.  I am proud that we have such a strong partnership established with TCC.  I am … Read more

I am amazed at the growth I see in Chesapeake.  While it feels as if it was only yesterday that I was walking the halls of Crestwood Intermediate as a 5th grade teacher, the years have really flown by.  I was reminded of that fact when visiting several of our high schools this week as … Read more

Have you ever had a moment in your life when things just click? Everything falls into place and things just make sense. That sums up my first week back in Chesapeake. I spent the first part of the week visiting schools and departments across our division, just to say hello. I wanted to put faces … Read more