Welcome to This Just In, a weekly news show highlighting the people and events in Newport
News Public Schools, where teachers and staff went the extra mile to prepare for a new school year.
The Southeast Community threw a Block Party for the whole city to enjoy. Spread across the
campuses of An Achievable Dream Middle and High school and Heritage High, the Southeast Community
Back to School Block Party offered free school supplies for students, important resources for
families, and entertaining and fun activities for everyone. The event was organized by the Southeast
Community Coalition, which includes Newport News Public Schools, Achievable Dream, Incorporated,
Ivy Baptist Church, and Newport News Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Superintendent,
Dr. George Parker, welcomed over a thousand people to the epic weekend event, and thanked everyone
for supporting our youth and wished them a great start to the new school year. Just for showing up,
every attendee received a backpack with important school supplies, free food, a fresh haircut, and
access to wonderful community resources to support families and students. Across both campuses,
a range of fun activities and games kept students of all ages engaged,
including a three on three basketball tournament, DJ lessons, and a Touch a Truck display.
On the main stage, everyone enjoyed performances from different youth groups, or followed along
to an up tempo Zumba lesson. The Southeast Community Block Party was a huge success,
bringing an entire community together to celebrate another great year of learning for our youth.
Since Washington Middle school is home to the Marine Science and Pre-Advanced Placement Magnet
program, teachers are encouraged to spend time on and around waterways, so they can pass on their
firsthand knowledge to their young Bay Savers. During the summer months, teachers were invited
to enjoy time kayaking around Hampton Roads. Aquatic Lab Instructor, Daniel Ellis, coordinated
a number of staff kayaking trips at different locations throughout the Peninsula. The trips
were designed as fun and relaxing outings, giving teachers an opportunity to spend time together
outside the classroom. For new teachers, fresh out of college, it was a wonderful introduction
to Washington’s outdoor learning environment. And when educators returned to school in late August,
Principal Dr. Sean Callender, invited his entire staff to Fort Monroe for a day on the water.
Teachers had a number of activities to keep them engaged, such as kayaking, fishing, and marine
science activities on the beach. This allowed all educators, no matter their area of teaching,
to personally experience what students do on their field trips. Taking water samples,
using tools to measure water quality, and discussing the plant and animal life found
throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed were a few of the fun and informative activities that helped
Washington’s staff sharpen their knowledge as they prepare for students returning to school.
The school leaders at General Stanford Elementary couldn’t wait for the start of the new school
year, so they invited their students to arrive early and enjoy a cool treat. Three weeks before
the first day of school, students and families were invited to Popsicles with the Principals.
Outside on the school’s blacktop, families had a chance to meet and chat with Principal,
Elizabeth Galbreath, and get introduced to their new Assistant Principal,
Jesse Dutton. Students enjoyed seeing their school leaders in person,
while parents and caregivers had an opportunity to talk to the energetic leaders about the
start of the new school year. Since General Stanford Elementary is located on Fort Eustis
and all of the students are in military connected families who change posts often,
this was a wonderful event to introduce new students to the Eagles family, while welcoming all
students back for an exciting year of learning. During the first week of school, pickup times
may vary, so students should arrive at the bus stop 15 minutes before their scheduled pickup.
If the bus is late, please remain at the bus stop for an additional 15 minutes.
Bus routes are assigned according to your child's home address. Newport News
Public Schools’ user-friendly Bus Stop Query and Zonefinder website allows parents and students to
determine the bus stop closest to their home, and the approximate walking distance to the bus stop.
The Here Comes the Bus app allows families to view the real-time location of their child's school bus
on a smartphone, tablet, or computer. Through this app,
families can receive confirmation that their child's bus has arrived at the bus stop or
at school and receive notifications when the bus is a certain distance from the bus stop.
If you do not plan on using a school bus to transport your child to and from school this year,
you can email the Transportation Department to inform them.
Please include each child's full name and school. (busoptout@nn.k12.va.us)
If you have any questions about bus transportation,
please contact your school’s main office.
Thanks for joining us for this week’s edition of This Just In.
And check out more fun and informative videos at nnpstv.com to see the many great things happening
in Newport News Public Schools. Thanks for watching, and have a wonderful school year.