Welcome to This Just In, a weekly news show highlighting the people and events in Newport
News Public Schools, where students learn how leading and serving go hand in hand.
Hundreds of students from Virginia gathered at Heritage High school to
grow as student leaders who will create a positive impact on their schools’ culture.
The annual Jostens Renaissance Regional Conference returned to Heritage this year,
offering student leaders from thirty-five middle and high schools the opportunity to collaborate
and gain inspiration about new ideas for improving the climate at each of their schools.
Heritage’s Student Ambassadors enthusiastically greeted over nine hundred fifty students as
they arrived for the energetic conference, including Newport News students from all six
high schools and four middle schools. Renowned educator, administrator, and public speaker,
Dr. Phil Campbell, kept students and faculty engaged with collaborative exercises, fun games,
and informative examples of how students can take the lead in positively transforming their
school day, while also increasing graduation rates and attendance numbers. Using ideas and
leadership skills gained at the Jostens Regional Conference, students were given
time to huddle with their peers and design an action plan for recognizing students and staff,
welcoming new students, and branding their school as a site of success and achievement.
STEM is bringing elementary and high school students together, building relationships through
education. Youth Volunteer Corps of Hampton Roads is a community focused organization that inspires
youth to build life and work skills by serving and positively impacting the lives of others.
Thanks to a grant from the City of Newport News' Gun Violence Intervention Program, Youth Volunteer
Corps has created a brand-new initiative this school year called, Service Through STEM,
which uses mentoring and engaging STEM activities to bring a community of learners together.
Service Through STEM starts at the high school level, with all six Newport News high schools
now hosting Youth Volunteer Corps Clubs. During club meetings, over one hundred thirty students
complete hands-on activities to boost mental health and build coping skills,
while focusing on the social-emotional benefits of serving others. High schoolers also prepared for
five excursions, where they had the opportunity to mentor two hundred seventy younger students
at Marshall Early Learning Center, Discovery STEM Academy, and Newsome Park Elementary.
Two high schools were paired with each of these schools, so mentors and mentees could build
meaningful relationships throughout the school year. Each visit included a literacy component,
a hands-on engineering challenge, and time for older and younger students to
bond through discovery and problem solving. Each of these excursions were strategically
scheduled before holidays or long weekends, when attendance numbers traditionally drop.
The positive experience of seeing their high school mentors helped increase attendance on
these dates by an average of 5% at each school. The theme for this year’s Service Through STEM
is “elevate”. While elementary students are working hard to elevate their STEM skills,
high schoolers are focused on elevating their own leadership and communication skills to increase
the self-confidence in their dedicated mentees. For both the high school mentors and elementary
mentees, participating in Service Through STEM has opened a world of learning opportunities,
as students look forward to building a brighter future for themselves and for others.
Heritage High school’s NJROTC cadets are on an important mission to help the students at Newsome
Park Elementary succeed. An emphasis of the Naval Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps is teaching
high school students citizenship, leadership development, and a sense of accomplishment.
To fulfill these goals, Lieutenant Commander Eric Tyson’s cadets were in search of a school
to adopt, while Newsome Park’s Professional School Counselor, Richard Green, was looking for student
mentors. To fulfill the needs of both schools, Heritage’s cadets visit Newsome Park every other
week to tutor and mentor second grade students. Thirteen cadets take turns visiting in teams
of four, focusing on tutoring students in math and reading. They also spend time sharing some
of their NJROTC skills through fun activities, such as flying drones, drills, and flag folding.
By serving others, and gaining important volunteer hours, the Heritage High naval cadets
are fulfilling their mission to assist Newsome Park’s students as they succeed academically.
Bright futures begin with good school attendance. Too many absences, whether excused or unexcused,
can keep students from succeeding in school. Starting in preschool and elementary school,
good attendance and arriving on time helps build the foundation for continued academic achievement
and increasing students’ self-worth. Missing just a day or two every few weeks can cause
children to fall behind the rest of their class and make it harder to learn to read.
In middle and high school, consistent attendance keeps students on track to graduate, while
reinforcing an important life skill that will help your child graduate from college and keep a job.
Parents, help your children attend school by setting a regular bedtime,
maintaining daily routines to finish homework, and getting a good night's sleep. Also, encourage your
student to participate in meaningful afterschool activities, including sports and clubs. Going
to school on time, every day, is important for students to succeed in school and in life.
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.