Nelson County Public Schools

April 7-11, 2025, was National Assistant This week is a celebration of individuals who work tirelessly to bolster teachers, motivate students, support their principals, create a positive learning community, and face the many unpredictable challenges that come their way. Assistant Principals play a crucial role, and this week is a dedicated time to recognize them for their hard work and commitment to our schools, students, and community. Please join us in celebrating these incredible school leaders! #OneNelson #APWeek

Spring Break is here! I know many of you are very excited about the next week, as it is a great chance to take a break from school, get some rest, and have fun. When we return from break on Tuesday, April 22, we will have 24 days left of school. During this time, we will continue our preparation for SOLs, end-of-year assessments, finishing projects, and completing work for classes, working hard to finish the school year strong. The end of the school year is in sight. I encourage you to enjoy your Spring Break and return to school ready to finish the year successfully. Have a great and safe Spring Break! #OneNelson #SpringBreak2025 To view the Spring Break Video Message, click on this link: https://youtu.be/dJS_AbFl1aU?feature=shared

The NCPS School Board Meeting for April will take place this Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 6:00pm in the Old School Board Office room at the Courthouse. Recognitions will take place at the beginning of the meeting, with the rest of the agenda to follow. You can stream the meeting by using this link: https://youtube.com/live/92pP0NeUjq0?feature=share #OneNelson

Thank you to all of our School Librarians on this School Librarian Appreciation Day! You are a wonderful part of supporting literacy for all students, both traditional and digital! What else do librarians do? Take a look at some of the things School Librarians do: -Provide access to information: School Librarians help students and teachers access and use a variety of information resources, including books, periodicals, databases, and digital resources. -Promote literacy and learning: School Librarians promote literacy and encourage a love of reading and learning by selecting and organizing books, leading reading programs, and collaborating with teachers on curricular projects. -Teach research skills: School Librarians teach students how to locate, evaluate, and use information effectively and ethically, helping them develop critical thinking and research skills. -Support technology use: School Librarians assist with the integration of technology in the classroom, including helping students and teachers use digital resources and instructional technology. -Provide a safe and welcoming space: School Librarians create a welcoming and inclusive environment, ensuring that all students feel valued and supported in their learning and growth. -Collaborate with teachers and staff: School Librarians work closely with teachers and staff to align library programs and resources with the school's academic goals and curriculum. Thank you to Tracey Clark (NCHS), Beth Price (NMS), Heather Herrick (RRES), and Misty Ferguson (TRES) #OneNelson #ReadingisFUNdamental #SchoolLibrarianDay2025

Today is Paraprofessional Appreciation Day. Paraprofessionals (Instructional Assistants, Behavior Support Staff, Teacher Assistants, ISS) are our schools' unsung heroes. They’re found in classrooms across all of our schools, from early childhood programs to high schools, and in general and special education environments. Their roles can vary depending on the setting, the students they serve, and the specific needs of the school or division. For students, paraprofessionals provide a lifeline. A child who might otherwise fall behind gains confidence with a paraprofessional’s steady encouragement. These individuals have to be flexible as their daily roles can change quickly throughout a class period, day, week, or even through the year. They are the ones who selflessly give their time to provide the necessary support, whether it is providing one-on-one support for a student, inclusion for groups of students, behavioral support, lunchroom monitoring, recess supervision, substitute coverage, hallway refereeing, or mentoring, just to name a few. NCHS: Ashley Austin, Tanya Bodek, Silvana Campbell, Peggy deSibour, Cynthia Harper, Crystal Phillips, Lauri Banks, and Shirley Goolsby NMS: Laura Combs, Jennifer Durkee, Sierra Miller, and Chris Dowdy RRES: Angie, Campbell, Jennifer Cline, Megan Eckles, Kelsey Gaines, Hope Hurst, Carrie Shoemaker, Stephanie Totty, Jennifer Lane, Emily Martin, and Najomi Saunders TRES: Susie Ballowe, Marie Fitch, Ronda Harvey, April Simpson, Kelley Woodson, Dayna Bryant, Regina Campbell, Melondy Marshall, Patti Morcom, Jessica Tomlin, Jessica Tyree, Melissa Watson, and Jessica Massie Thank you for all that you do to support our students, staff, schools, and division! #OneNelson #ThankYou #ParaprofessionalAppreciationDay

Congratulations to Chloe Hernandez for winning the VSBA Central Region Art Contest for the Middle School Level! This artwork resulted from the "Pointillism Exotic Animals" assignment in her Art 1 class. For this assignment, students selected a colorful exotic animal and then drew it on a Bristol board. They used the technique of pointillism, which uses Staedtler Pens as a medium. Pointillism is done with tiny dots of color, sometimes combined with their complementary color set and at other times three shades of the same color. Students had to study color theory to figure out which pens to use. This process is tedious and time-consuming but highly rewarding. Chloe spent three weeks on it! Chloe's artwork will hang in the VSBA office for the following year. She is automatically entered in the 2025 VSBA Statewide Art Contest. Winners of the statewide contest will be honored guests at the Opening General Session of the 2025 VSBA Annual Convention on November 19, 2025, in Williamsburg, where they will be recognized in front of school board members and educational leaders from across Virginia. In addition to this recognition, each statewide first-place winner will receive a $1,000 award and a commemorative trophy. Congratulations again, Chloe! What an excellent piece of artwork! We are proud of you! #OneNelson #VSBACentralRegionArtContest https://www.vsba.org/spring-regional-art-contest/

Congratulations to our Govs for having artwork included in a Smithsonian-affiliated gallery. Eight students had art submitted for a selective global youth art exhibit. Check out the links below to see the artwork and other media coverage of their work. NCHS Students who have work included are: Lilly Lews, Audrey Watts, Saniyah Brookins, Lailee Pollard, MaryJo Allen, Vee Nelson, Caroline Cason, and Jaidyn Smith. National attention for our talented Nelson artists! Way to go! #OneNelson #GoGovsGo https://augustafreepress.com/news/nelson-county-students-earn-spots-in-selective-global-youth-art-exhibit/ https://wset.com/news/local/eight-nelson-county-students-have-artwork-recognized-at-smithsonian-affiliate-gallery-april-2025 https://wset.com/news/local/gallery/eight-nelson-county-students-have-artwork-recognized-at-smithsonian-affiliate-gallery-april-2025?photo=1

Congratulations to the January 2025 #OneNelson Award winners! Thank you for all that you do to support NCPS! Student: Izaac Mazur Community Members: Stephen White (Food Lion) and members of Nelson 151 (Blue Mountain, Three Notch'd, WildManDan, Afton Mountain, Valley Road) Classified Staff: Patti Morcom & Sharon Aldridge- Super Fans Certified Staff: NCPS Principals (Heather Cofflin, Jody Coffey, Scott Belako, Kevin Walker) If you know of an NCPS student, community member, classified staff (IAs, Front Office/Administrative Assistants, Nurses, School Nutrition, Maintenance, Transportation, Custodians, Technology, etc), or certified staff (Teachers, Administrators, etc) please nominate them for the #OneNelson Award by clicking on https://forms.gle/3WDi5oU92xTmhwWL7

Congratulations to the February 2025 #OneNelson Award winners! Thank you for all that you do to support NCPS! Student: Tinley Branham Community Member: Sarah Turner Classified Staff: Jennifer Durkee Certified Staff: Tom Allen If you know of an NCPS student, community member, classified staff (IAs, Front Office/Administrative Assistants, Nurses, School Nutrition, Maintenance, Transportation, Custodians, Technology, etc), or certified staff (Teachers, Administrators, etc) please nominate them for the #OneNelson Award by clicking on https://forms.gle/3WDi5oU92xTmhwWL7

Congratulations to the March 2025 #OneNelson Award winners! Thank you for all that you do to support NCPS! Student: Hoyt Pollard Community Member: Faber Fire Department Classified Staff: Melissa Marrs Certified Staff: Susan Cargill If you know of an NCPS student, community member, classified staff (IAs, Front Office/Administrative Assistants, Nurses, School Nutrition, Maintenance, Transportation, Custodians, Technology, etc), or certified staff (Teachers, Administrators, etc) please nominate them for the #OneNelson Award by clicking on https://forms.gle/3WDi5oU92xTmhwWL7 To read this month's #OneNelson Newsletter, click on the following link: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dyh4YY_Yqsrinv9QJ_XdyqtWplEx-SwZ/view?usp=sharing

Congratulations to our NMS and NCHS students who participated in the All-District Choir Performance earlier in February. The weather may have been an obstacle, but our students had a great experience! NMS All-Choir Participants: Kevyn Barranco, Betula Brame, Sage Dettweiler, Olivia Morris, Dallas Rigby, Vivian Rigby, Ian Roach, and Andrea Stump NCHS All Choir Participants: Isabel Ackman, Matt Castillo, Jasper Cober-Lake, and Chloe Williams Way to represent your schools and NCPS! #OneNelson #AllDistrictChoir2025

Due to the recent snowstorm's impact on secondary roads and school campuses and continued below-freezing conditions this evening, NCPS will operate on CODE 1- CLOSED WITH REMOTE LEARNING FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2025. Students should work remotely on materials and assignments for classes that teachers have already distributed. Teachers will communicate their expectations for the day with students. Students are encouraged to contact their teacher(s) if they have any questions. #OneNelson

Due to the snow and inclement weather today and anticipated below-freezing temperatures overnight that could result in a refreeze, NCPS will operate on CODE 1- CLOSED WITH REMOTE LEARNING FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025. Teachers will communicate their expectations for the day with students. Students are encouraged to contact their teacher(s) if they have any questions. The School Board meeting is still scheduled for tomorrow evening, starting at 5:00pm. Stay safe and warm! #OneNelson

Nelson County will be under a Winter Weather Advisory from 7:00am through 7:00pm for tomorrow. Since Virginia is still under a State of Emergency, Governor Youngkin has called for limited travel on the roads for Wednesday. Due to the hazardous weather outlook, including anticipated snow throughout the county, NCPS will operate on a CODE 0- CLOSED FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2025. Stay safe and warm! #OneNelson

NCPS will operate on CODE 2 - 2-HOUR DELAY ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025. This delay will provide extra time in the morning for safe travel in sunlight for better visibility and warmer temperatures to assist with ice removal. We will continue to evaluate road conditions in the morning to determine whether any change in school status needs to be made. We appreciate those who worked hard to make our campuses and roads safe to travel. #OneNelson

Due to the recent snowstorm's impact on secondary roads and school campuses and anticipated icy conditions this evening, NCPS will operate on CODE 1- CLOSED WITH REMOTE LEARNING FOR THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2025. Students should work remotely on materials and assignments for classes that teachers have already distributed. Teachers will communicate their expectations for the day with students. Students are encouraged to contact their teacher(s) if they have any questions. Stay safe and warm! #OneNelson

Due to the significant accumulation of snow throughout the county and anticipated wintry mix for this evening, NCPS will operate on a CODE 0- CLOSED WITH REMOTE LEARNING FOR WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2025. As a reminder, a Remote Learning Day means that students will not physically attend school in the building but will be working remotely on materials and assignments for classes that teachers have already distributed to them. Teachers will communicate with students their expectations for the day. Students are encouraged to reach out to their teacher(s) if they have any questions. Stay safe and warm, and as always, #OneNelson

Due to areas of icy roads, particularly at higher elevations, and the continued forecast of possible freezing rain, NCPS will operate on a Code 2- 2-Hour Delay for Thursday, February 6, 2025. This delay will provide more time for the temperatures to rise, the sun to improve visibility, and allow more time to support travel for our buses, staff, and young drivers. We will continue to monitor the weather conditions and make any changes if necessary. #OneNelson

Exciting Special Education opportunities for Families! Please check out the flyers to learn more about Family Partners in Special Education and Life After High School Transition Conference and Resource Fair! #OneNelson

Due to the continued extreme cold throughout the county, NCPS will operate on Code 2- 2-HOUR DELAY for THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2025. This delay will provide more time for buses and facilities to be ready for our students’ arrival, time for temperatures to rise, and sunlight for better visibility. Hot breakfast will be available for students at each school in the morning. We will continue to monitor the weather conditions and make any changes if necessary. Have a great evening, stay safe and warm, and as always, #OneNelson