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Department of Media and Communications | Office of Community Relations | March 2010


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Working together with schools, educational partners support activities that are aligned with specific goals and provide expanded material, financial, and/or human resources to enhance and enrich teaching and learning. Each partnership is unique and individually planned between the school and the partner, allowing for unlimited opportunities to help promote students’ academic and personal growth and success.

For more information about the VBCPS Partners in Education program, visit the Volunteers and Partners page on vbschools.com.
Students gain work-based experience through partnerships
Students in the Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center’s television communication and production program produced a commercial for Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union, which is airing in the Strawbridge Marketplace Regal Cinemas. Credit Union professionals collaborated with students to develop the commercial’s concept, which focuses on students saving money for the future. Students then wrote, directed, produced, and starred in the commercial, using the Tech Center’s equipment to film and edit the production. In appreciation, the Credit Union presented the students and their teacher with a $1,000 check to be used for classroom equipment.
Students in the dental assisting program at the Virginia Beach Technical and Career Education Center worked with local dentists during the American Dental Association’s “Give Kids A Smile” program. The program is observed every year on the first Friday in February in honor of National Children's Dental Health Month. Students worked with dentists in the Tech Center’s fully-equipped dental lab to provide free dental services to those in need. Photo: Student Brooke Wengler (right) assists Dr. Harlan Hendricks.

The Advanced Technology Center earned a $15,000 U.S. Department of Labor WIRED (Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development) grant to fund work-based experiences for its students taking courses in the engineering and manufacturing strand. Courses in this strand of study include: Computer Aided Drafting and Design, Marine Engineering and Design, Engineering Technology, and Modeling and Simulation. The grant is a collaborative effort among the Southeastern Virginia Partnership for Regional Transportation (SEVA-PORT) partners, Opportunity Inc., and Virginia Beach City Public Schools.

Fourteen students are gaining hands-on engineering experience and applying their technical skills in projects related to the fields of architecture, transportation, and engineering. Students are working with mentors at the following companies: LifeNet, STIHL Inc., Clark Nexsen Architecture and Engineering, Moseley Architects, Pace Collaborative, HBA Architects, City of Virginia Beach/Department of Public Works, and Tidewater Community College/Virginia Aviation Museum. Their experiences in the workplace combined with their technical education at the ATC are helping these students to initiate career decisions and future plans. Three students describe their experiences:

Basilisa R. – “My internship at Moseley Architects gave me a chance to apply my AutoCAD skills to real life building productivity. Being part of a hard working team has helped me strengthen my potential for a successful future as a Naval Architect.” Photo: Lisa with mentor Jeff Hyder
Collin S. – “During my time at HBA Architecture, I had the opportunity to further hone my skills in architectural design. Along with skills, interning has given me a more accurate perception on how a real architecture firm operates and the tasks that an employee must compete. The work I completed was for actual projects that will be carried out in the future.” Photo: Collin with mentor Todd Rassmussen.
Tyler H. – “Being an intern with HBA Architecture has helped me better understand what the field I’m studying is actually like in the real world. The internship helped me realize that our work always needs to be professional and that we need to be a lot more focused in the finishing the desired task.” Photo: Tyler with mentor John DenBoer.
Schools have success with school-to-school partnerships

Princess Anne Elementary and Princess Anne Middle schools formed a partnership to start a new mentoring program. Middle school students in the National Junior Honor Society visit the elementary school two mornings each week to serve as mentors to younger students. Their time together is often spent in role playing activities, playing educational games, reinforcing basic skills, reviewing homework assignments, and/or simply providing a much needed listening ear. The middle school mentors were recently recognized by WTKR-TV with a “People Taking Action” award.
Bayside High School’s Health Science Academy students teamed up with fifth graders at Hermitage Elementary School to work on a cell lab. The objective of the lab was to reinforce the SOLs regarding animal and plant cells. Academy students helped fifth graders make slides of their own cheek cells and plant cells so that they could view both kinds of cells under the microscope. The middle school mentors were recently recognized by WTKR-TV with a “People Taking Action” award.
Fifth graders at Woodstock and Holland Elementary schools are using technology to work together in a distance learning book club. Students have been reading the novel MC Higgins the Great. Both groups of students generated list of questions that they would like to ask the other students during the videoconference. Photo: Brandon K., Milka B., Junna O., Robin B., and Andrew.
Spirit Night proceeds benefits schools
John B. Dey Elementary School is one of many schools in the division that brings families together for Spirit Nights at partnering businesses in the community. The school has earned more than $2,200 through events at businesses such as Baker’s Crust, Y Not Pizza, Qdoba, Chick-fil-A, The Skinny Dip, Just Cupcakes, and more. The proceeds are being used to support technology initiatives at the school, and money raised during March will benefit arts and music in honor of Music in Our Schools Month and Youth Art Month. Photo: John B. Dey families enjoy Spirit Night at YNot Pizza.
Student Bryce R., and Woodstock Elementary School's mascot enjoyed a Spirit Night at Sonic, and the school earned over $435.00 to update technology.
Prior to Alanton Elementary School’s Spirit Night at Chick-fil-A, partnership coordinator Jean Glendon greeted the Chick-fil-A cow before his appearance on the school's morning news show ANN.
Partners visit schools to encourage physical fitness and academic achievement
Studio Bamboo Yoga owner Ann Richardson stretched with John B. Dey Elementary School students at the yoga station during the school’s Fitness Night.
Naval officers from Bayside Middle School’s partner Navy Expeditionary Combat Command attended the school’s celebration for Honor Roll students. During another visit, representatives from the command spoke with students in AVID classes. Photo: GMCS Cassista talks with students during the Honor Roll reception.
Great Neck Black Belt Academy and Premier Martial Arts spent a day at John B. Dey Elementary School working with all grade levels on self confidence, self esteem, self control, self respect and focus. Photo: Representatives from Great Neck Black Belt Academy lead a demonstration with students.
Partners support more school programs and special events
School partner Atlantic Shores Assisted Living supports Corporate Landing Elementary School’s Dolphins Readers program. Eight residents visit the school twice each month to reach to first and second graders. Photo: Atlantic Shores Dolphin Readers (left to right): Doris Wheeler, Marilyn Jackson, Jenny Hilton, Ann Wyche, Mrs. Duvall, Assistant Activity Director Lori Perron, Vicki Shelton, and Gerry Colenda.
Windsor Oaks Elementary School third graders took a field trip to Cal'z Pizza to learn about economic resources. Photo: Jackson E. and Ben J. make their own pizza.
Cindy and Karl Rauch, owners of The Skinny Dip and partners with New Castle Elementary School, brought their yogurt machine to the school to honor the Student Ambassadors and Safety Patrol members.
Vounteers from Calvary Baptist Church help Pembroke Elementary School students check out books for their younger siblings every Wednesday at lunch time. Pre-kindergarten teacher Pam Schneider sponsors this program with a grant from the Virginia Beach Education Foundation. The program helps students practice reading, exposes pre-schoolers to literacy and encourages families to share the joy of reading together. Photo: Lois Meadows and Aileen Painter help Sarah K. and Josh L. check out books.
Point O’View Elementary School students and staff recently welcomed back military partner TACRON 21 from an eight-month deployment. TACRON 21 took Point O’View’s mascot Midnight on their travels and, during a school assembly, showed students a slideshow of all the places that Midnight visited.  Now Midnight and TACRON 21 service members are reunited with their Point O’View families.  
Thanks to Old Dominion University’s Reach Out program, fourth and fifth graders from Pembroke Elementary School attended ODU's basketball game against Georgia State in January with family members and staff. Photo: Young Mustangs hold a post of ODU’s basketball team; (back row) Tyree D., Dawan S., Alonzo R., Deonte V.; (front row) Nicholas N., Yancy D., Gregory G.
Working in partnership with Old Dominion University and Virginia Commonwealth University, Kempsville Meadows Elementary School students, parents, and staff attended one of ODU's largest sellout games of the season. Students received tickets to the game against VCU as part of an incentive program at Kempsville Meadows.
Students in Mary Telinde's EMR (Educatable Mentally Retarded) class at Rosemont Forest Elementary School recently worked together with residents at Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Students participated in the therapeutic activity of cooking with residents from the Christopher Center, a specialized unit for people with Alzheimer’s. For this activity, however, they cooked up dog biscuits to give to canines that will be up for adoption during the SPCA’s Adopt-a-thon in March. Our Lady of Perpetual Help is a very active partner at Rosemont Elementary, and students participate in several activities throughout the year with residents.
New partner plaque presentations
John B. Dey Elementary School P.E. teacher Scott Kamholtz presents Jim White, of Jim White Fitness, with a new partner plaque during the school’s Fitness Night.
College Park Elementary School principal Dr. Nancy Davenport and partnership coordinator Tane Sheppard present a new partner plaque Payday Payroll Services Vice President Danny Kline.
 
Woodstock Elementary School partnership coordinator Regina Erwin presents a new partner plaque to David Rudiger, owner of Boyd Homes.
 
Matt Jackson, an artist from Woodstock Elementary School’s partner Dreams 2 Reality, helped design a mural for the school to recognize all of its educational partners.
 

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