U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Kingston Elementary and Old Donation School as the No. 1 elementary and middle schools in Virginia. Old Donation School, which has students in grades two through eight and is the home of the Edward E. Brickell Academy for Advanced Academics & Arts, was also ranked as the No. 2 elementary school in the state.
Program Offerings
African American Male Summit
Beach Girls Rock Empowerment Series
Beach Girls Rock (BGR) is an empowerment series offered three times during the school year for girls in grades 5-8. The workshops are hosted and planned by high school students, staff and and division-wide committee. The high school leaders plan and facilitate the sessions with the support of staff. BGR is designed to develop and enhance and empower girls to become strong, successful women emotionally and academically. The series provides opportunities for girls to identify themselves as valuable, powerful, and capable young women in their respective schools and community.
Black History Initiative
The Black History Initiative (BHI) is a diverse team of students, educators, parents and community partners focused on exploring and understanding the lived experiences of black residents of Virginia Beach. BHI shares the information they gain through awareness events and social media platforms. Additionally, the BHI team participates in leadership opportunities, service-learning experiences, community outreaches, research opportunities, and other pathways to build inclusivity through validation and affirmation of all cultures. The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was awarded the Beneath the Surface grant from Virginia Humanities and Hampton Roads Community Foundation for the BHI team to explore, understand and communicate a multi-faceted project focused on the 38 alumni who were eligible to integrate Virginia Beach Public Schools in 1962.
Diversity Ambassadors Workshop
Diversity Ambassadors Workshop (DAW) offers an opportunity to provide cultural awareness knowledge, skills and tools to our middle and high school students, alongside club advisors in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. The engaging DAW activities support the goals of our School Board and division’s core values based on a culture of respect for every student, every day. Students who successfully complete the workshop have the tools to lead as Diversity Ambassadors and will work within their school and community to become models and champions of cultural diversity. The DAW is provided in partnership with Tidewater Community College (Norfolk) through planning, facilitation and evaluation.
Making Waves Mentoring Program
The Making Waves Mentoring Program ensures that all students benefit from an educational experience that fosters their social and emotional development. The program provides central office staff a unique opportunity to mentor a student across our 86 schools and centers to support students’ social/behavioral/emotional growth during an entire school year. During the 2019-2020 school years, fifteen Making Waves mentors were selected to participate in this program. Our mentors commit to spending at least two hours a month with their assigned mentee on school grounds.