Virginia Beach City Public School central support staff and school board members are holding a two-day retreat to address important topics that affect students, their families, and staff.
On Tuesday at the Plaza Annex on Carriage Hill Road, school leaders discussed topics such as artificial intelligence and its use in schools, as well as the school calendar development for 2025-2026 and 2026-2027.
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Dr. Donald Robertson, superintendent of VBCPS, said, “What the board has asked us to do is get a calendar to the community earlier each year and consider a two-year calendar.”
Robertson added that board members are expected to vote on the calendar in late August or in September.
On day one of the retreat, they also talked about potential options for serving gifted students. One option mentioned was opening a “satellite site.”
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“Could we open up a satellite site: A school with additional classrooms which would then allow us to then offer more classroom experiences similar to what a student would get at ODS in other schools across the division,” said Robertson. So, we’ve explored that. Obviously we can do it. There’s a cost, so that’s something the board will have to consider.”
The VBCPS school board is expected to discuss options for the gifted five-year plan in November.
During the first day of the retreat, Governor Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order that directs the Virginia Department of Education to draft guidance for public school divisions to adopt local policies and procedures establishing cell phone-free education.
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In response, VBCPS issued the following statement:
“VBCPS feels Governor Glenn Youngkin’s Executive Order 33 aligns with our current regulations which were adopted in 2022. We are constantly reviewing the impacts of cell phones and social media on student learning and our learning environment in general.”
School leaders are expected to talk about cell phone policies on Wednesday. Also on the agenda is a discussion on new construction, and budget priorities.
Robertson said it’s a good time to talk about these topics.
“Throughout the year, the board will bring forward meaty topics that require a great deal of reflection and discussion and problem-solving and we’ll bring those to the retreat, because we have time to give to a presentation.”
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