National School Counseling Week
Henrico School Counselors put students first every day. Have you thanked your #schoolcounselor today? #NSCW23 @HCPSCounselors @VSCA
Henrico School Counselors put students first every day. Have you thanked your #schoolcounselor today? #NSCW23 @HCPSCounselors @VSCA
We are seeking teachers in all content areas, as well as librarians, school counselors, psychologists, social workers and nurses.
ELEMENTARY
Thursday, Feb. 16 • 5-8 p.m.
J.R. Tucker High School
2910 N. Parham Road, Henrico, Va. 23294
Deadline to apply: Feb. 10
SECONDARY
Tuesday, March 14 • 5-8 p.m.
Highland Springs High School
200 S. Airport Drive, Highland Springs, Va. 23075
Deadline to apply: March 7
To apply, go to www.henricoschools.us/careers/ and click “Apply and view job opportunities online” at left. At the iRecruitment site, enter “”job fair” (in quotation marks) in the keywords field to view individual job fair postings.
January 2023
HCPS families and staff:
I’m writing this evening about the critical issue of school safety. I apologize for the length of this message, but the topic deserves our full attention and thorough consideration.
By now, you’ve likely heard the troubling news that a loaded gun was recovered from a student at a Henrico County middle school last Friday. An anonymous tip led administrators and the school resource officer to search the student’s backpack. This is just the latest significant safety-related incident involving weapons and threats being made to schools across Henrico County this school year.
I am saddened to live in a time when these incidents happen, and like many in our community, I am also angry. Students should not have anxiety about going to school, and teachers should not have to worry about putting themselves in harm’s way to protect their students. Enough is enough. As a community, we must stand together and take action to reduce youth violence. Every student and adult has a critical role in keeping our schools and our community safe.
As superintendent, I am committed to the necessary and ongoing work to strengthen school security measures and support all of our students and staff. It is a shared priority and commitment for the entire HCPS administration and the School Board. Safety and wellness are a cornerstone of the school division’s strategic plan, and comprehensive and multi-layered security plans are in place for each school building and campus.
By mid-February, we will begin a field test of metal detectors at multiple schools at all levels across the County. Trained staff will lead students, employees and visitors through free-standing detectors and/or screen them with hand-held metal detecting wands. We will also test new weapon detection technology currently being used at some professional sports stadiums and other venues. The detectors will change arrival procedures, but we are working to minimize delays to the greatest extent possible. Principals at field test schools will share details with impacted staff, students and families soon.
The metal detectors supplement the increased K-9 sweeps, security cameras, access control systems, buzz-in vestibule entryways, threat assessment and crisis response teams, school resources officers (SROs), HCPS safety officers, Anonymous Alert systems and other security layers HCPS has in place. We continue to educate students about safety and practice drills for all types of emergencies, including an act of violence at school.
This summer, I brought together a team of safety experts to look at security measures and how the division can better support first responders in an emergency. The division is currently funding and implementing many of the Blue Ribbon Safety Panel’s recommendations. HCPS is also investing in essential human resources through a multi-year commitment to add more school-based mental health professionals, school counselors and school resource officers.
We work daily to build relationships and a strong school culture of trust and support in every school where staff, students and families understand our shared responsibility for school safety. That work is making an impact. In most cases where weapons were found at school, they were recovered because someone spoke up or used the division’s Anonymous Alert system to do the right thing.
We must acknowledge, however, that the surge in youth crime and violence is not just a school issue but a community issue. We must work together to address the problem, as families, neighbors and community members. You are each a critical part of the solution.
Last year, the county manager, police chief, and I established a joint task force on youth crime and violence. Our focus is on streamlining school, general government and community resources to combat youth crime and violence. As a result, a “Handle with Care” program is now in place to help schools identify and serve students impacted by violence and trauma in their homes and community.
The task force cohosted a community town hall last spring where organizations provided resources and made connections. For example, the Henrico Police Division was there to speak with families about crime prevention, safe gun storage and more. As a next step, the task force will host a Regional Youth Summit this spring focusing on topics and issues identified by students for students.
To further engage families, the school division’s Division of Family and Community Engagement offers services and workshops on various topics, including mental health resources, social media awareness, academic support and more. HCPS and our community partners also recently opened The Oak, the region’s first full-service community school to provide academic and wraparound services to students and families.
You may ask yourself, “What can I do?” Have conversations with your children about their concerns and how to share suspicious activity through the Anonymous Alert system. Know what they post on social media and what they carry to school in their backpacks and pockets. Reinforce that there are very real and serious consequences for bringing weapons on campus, whether they intend to use them or not. Finally, please ensure any weapons in your home are safely stored.
We are making an urgent plea to our families, caregivers, faith leaders and community partners: help us help our students. Be present, engaged and involved in our students’ lives, and leverage your personal and professional resources to reduce youth violence and trauma in our community. We cannot do this work alone, and it is too important to ignore. The very lives of our students and school employees depend on it.
Thank you for being part of the solution.
Sincerely,
Dr. Amy E. Cashwell
Henrico, Va., Jan. 19, 2023 — Central Virginia recipients of the REB Awards for Teaching Excellence have earned graduate degrees, climbed mountains, studied the effects of climate change, traced their ancestors and met peers from around the world — all to reignite their own passion for learning and to pass it on to their students. Each of their REB journeys started with a nomination.
Nominate the special Henrico County Public Schools teacher in your life for an REB Award for Teaching Excellence. Nominations are due Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. The annual awards provide a tangible, public way to recognize outstanding HCPS instructors — and give them the means to continue growing. The awards are given by the Community Foundation, and identify, recognize and support teaching excellence in the Richmond area. Honorees receive professional development grants, given to teachers who have distinguished themselves by their inspiring classroom performance. Grants have been increased and range from $5,000 to $15,000.
Through a nomination process, approximately 15 outstanding teachers are selected each year to receive cash grants to support professional development activities. Nominations are invited from parents, students, educators and the community at large. Individuals may nominate only one teacher. Teachers may not be nominated by their principal and may not nominate themselves.
Nominations must be made online. A letter in support of the nomination must be written by another individual and submitted online with the nomination.
Who: The Community Foundation invites nominations from students, parents, colleagues, school staff and administrators (except for the school principal), and members of the community.
When: Nominations and letters of support must be submitted online by Feb. 21 at 5 p.m.
How: Go to henricoschools.us and look under “What’s Trending” for a link with full details, or visit www.cfrichmond.org/REB. For questions regarding nominations, email Tracie Weston, HCPS’ director of professional learning and leadership, at taweston@henrico.k12.va.us.
By virtue of the authority vested by the Constitution of Virginia in the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, there is hereby officially recognized:
(Click the link view the Virginia state proclamation)
Henrico, Va. Dec. 9, 2022 — To meet an increasing demand for substitute teachers on Fridays, Henrico County Public Schools will increase the daily rate for classroom substitute teachers to $131 on Fridays beginning Jan. 6. The new rate is $25 above the Monday through Thursday rate of $106. The increase is not retroactive for Fridays previously worked by a substitute teacher and does not apply to other substitute positions or long-term substitute teachers.
Substitute teaching is a good fit for those seeking a flexible schedule, including retired teachers who want to stay connected with students and colleagues.
Find out more and apply by visiting the Careers page of the HCPS website at https://henricoschools.us/careers/.
Candidates for substitute teachers must be 18 or older and have earned at least 60 credit hours toward an associate degree or bachelor’s degree.
The duties include:
For questions or more information, call the HCPS Human Resources Department at 804-652-3664.
Henrico, Va. Dec. 12, 2022 — Henrico County Public Schools employs more than 4,000 teachers, but only one is honored each year with the school division’s Teacher of the Year Award. This year’s recipient is Crissy Lynn, a kindergarten teacher at Shady Grove Elementary School. She was selected for the honor from among five finalists across the division.
“For me, this is a reward for living out my passion every single day,” Lynn said at a surprise announcement Monday at Shady Grove. “I don’t do it for awards, I don’t do it for the money, I do it to create lifelong learners, because that’s what I am myself. My heart of hearts is right here in the kindergarten classroom, starting these students off with a love of learning – loving school, wanting to learn, wanting to know more, wanting to answer questions and ask questions.
“I vividly remember playing school every afternoon using my sister and best friends as my students. I had all the things that I thought made a great teacher – a chalkboard, textbooks handed down from my own teachers, a place to teach, ‘teacher clothes’ and a passion for learning. That passion is still burning strong in my heart 18 years later.
“This is also a huge win for elementary education because we are the foundation. We start these kids from the get-go and get them to middle school and beyond.”
In addition to her work in the classroom, Lynn is a longtime mentor for student teachers and new teachers. In 2017 and 2020, she was a finalist for the Community Foundation’s REB Award for Teaching Excellence and was a Henrico Citizen “Top Teacher” in 2019. She served as Shady Grove’s lead kindergarten teacher in 2020-21. Lynn has been the school’s faculty PTA representative since 2006 and chairs the safety committee. She has also served as chair of the school’s committees on hospitality, literacy and adoption of a British-inspired “house” system. Lynn is also sponsor of a school club devoted to tie-dye and has taught after-school classes in sewing and watercolor.
Lynn grew up in Henrico County and attended Lakeside Elementary School and George Moody Middle School. She earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Longwood University and a master’s degree in library science from Old Dominion University. Lynn was a student teacher at Shady Grove and Brookland Middle School before joining the Shady Grove faculty in 2005 as a kindergarten teacher.
The Henrico Education Foundation will host a banquet at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in May to recognize the Teacher of the Year honorees from all HCPS schools, including the 2023 divisionwide Teacher of the Year finalists: Laurie Morris, a math teacher at George Moody School; Erica Hall, a third grade teacher at Laburnum Elementary School; Lisa Dingman, an English-as-a-second-language teacher at Quioccasin Middle School; and Rebekah Wright, a kindergarten teacher at Henry Ward Elementary School.
The purpose of the American Rescue Plan Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief — or “ESSER III” — fund is to help sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on the nation’s students. Funding may be used to address students’ academic, social, emotional and mental health needs.
Henrico County Public Schools was awarded $78.32 million in federal ESSER III funds.The Henrico County Public Schools American Rescue Plan ActESSER III Spending Plan, including a recently added Appendix, describes how the funds are being used. After reading the document, please complete the short survey.
Responses will be helpful to HCPS staff as they continue to develop and implement supports to expand student learning and narrow achievement gaps.
Henrico, Va., Nov. 17, 2022 — For students struggling with a homework problem, sometimes questions can’t wait until the next time the class meets. Beginning in December, Henrico County Public Schools middle and high school students will be able to get personalized help quickly from experienced tutors using a web-based interactive platform.
The division has contracted with tutoring service FEV Tutor to provide one-on-one online support after school hours and during designated school hours. Students can book a session ahead of time or get instant on-demand help 24/7. Students can also set up a regular time to meet with a tutor for more comprehensive support. There is no charge to families for the service.
Some tutoring hours may be reserved for students identified by school administrators as needing focused academic remediation and support.
“Sometimes students need help right away, or regular support after hours, and not all families can afford a private tutor,” said Amy Cashwell, HCPS superintendent. “This program is a creative, personalized way to support students and families on evenings and weekends, to bridge skill gaps and help foster academic growth.”
The tutoring support service was introduced as an option for some of the division’s 2022 Summer Academy students. It is being funded by federal ESSER funds, allocated in 2021 as part of the U.S. Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act.
Students will connect with tutors through Clever, a K-12 digital learning platform used by HCPS and other school divisions. Students will schedule a session or request on-demand support, and share their work with a tutor. Students and tutors work together using an interactive whiteboard, chat or audio chat function. The format can be personalized for different learning styles. All tutors have at least two years of experience teaching or tutoring and undergo an FBI-clearance background check.
To find out more about FEV tutors and how options can be tailored to the ways different students learn, go to https://www.fevtutor.com/live-1-on-1-instruction/. Information about the tutoring experience can be found at https://henricoschools.us/wp-content/uploads/FEVStudentDashboard.pdf.
HCPS families can find information about using Clever at https://henricoschools.us/wp-content/uploads/accesstoclever.pdf.
HCPS Families and staff:
Today’s tornado warning is now extended until 3:00 p.m. Students are safe; however, visitors are not permitted in the building. Afternoon dismissal will begin once the tornado warning is over. Friday’s after-school activities and childcare housed in Henrico Schools are canceled.
We appreciate your understanding and flexibility.
Thank you,
Henrico County Public Schools