Upcoming school dates
Oct. 24 early release: Students will be dismissed three hours early Oct. 24 at every Chesterfield County school except Bellwood Elementary, which follows a year-round calendar.
Nov. 4-5 student holidays: At every Chesterfield County school, students will be on holiday Nov. 4-5. Also, parent-teacher conferences will take place Nov. 4.
Complete student calendars for 2024-25 are available on this webpage, including English and Spanish versions of the regular school year calendar and the year-round calendar for Bellwood Elementary.
Me Museum helps students get acquainted
A Me Museum is how Old Hundred Elementary students in Jesslyn Katz’s second grade class get to know each other and build community. To create the Me Museum, students curate three items each about themselves, then everyone visits the exhibits. Displays include photos, toys, books and interesting facts like:
“My brother is 2. His name is Luke. He is cute.”
“My dog is Fluffy. I play with her.”
“I love soccer. I have a Namar jersey.”
“Baseball is how I have fun.”
“I collect Pokemon cards. I go to card shows with my dad!”
College and Career Fair set for Oct. 23
Don’t miss the annual College and Career Fair, scheduled 6-8 p.m. Oct. 23 at Midlothian High (401 Charter Colony Parkway). Students can explore their future at this year’s Chesterfield County Public Schools event, where hundreds of colleges and work-based learning partners will answer questions and offer information. Chesterfield County Public Schools students in grades 6-12 and their families are welcome at this free event and should register at strivefair.com.
Report card schedules for 2024-25
Chesterfield County Public Schools issues report cards to K-12 students at the end of each nine-week grading period. Here are the dates that students will receive printed report cards to take home in 2024-25:
Printed report cards will be issued Nov. 8, Jan. 31 and April 11 to students at every school except Bellwood Elementary and Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy. Digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE on those dates.
Bellwood Elementary follows a year-round calendar, so printed report cards will be issued to students Oct. 16, Jan. 17 and April 9. Digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE on those dates.
Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy will provide progress reports in November, February and May.
At the end of the fourth grading period, digital report cards will be posted to ParentVUE instead of being printed and mailed to homes. Parents who want a paper report card have the option of coming to school to have the report card printed out.
Report cards for every school except Bellwood Elementary and Chester Early Childhood Learning Academy will be posted June 3 to ParentVUE.
Bellwood Elementary report cards will be posted June 9 to ParentVUE.
Using ParentVUE: Parents can find easy-to-follow directions for accessing ParentVUE online. ParentVUE is also available as a free app from the App Store and Google Play. Parents who do not have access to ParentVUE should contact their child’s school to get login information.
Tips from the Chesterfield County Health Department
The Chesterfield County Health Department has shared that there have been increased reports of pediatric pneumonia in Virginia. Here are tips they have provided:
Wash hands often, especially when exposed to someone with an infection or when touching objects that may be contaminated.
Cover mouth and nose with a disposable tissue when coughing or sneezing or use your inner arm (elbow crease), but do not use your hands.
Dispose of facial tissues that contain nasal secretions after each use. Wash hands afterwards.
Avoid touching the eyes, nose or mouth.
Routinely clean and disinfect commonly touched surfaces, toys, etc.
Students who are sick should remain home until they are fever-free for a full 24-hours without the use of fever-reducing medication and other symptoms have improved such that they are feeling well enough to participate in school activities.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick
Nov. 9: Career and Technical Center open houses
Both campuses of the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center invite families to Nov. 9 open houses to learn about engaging, up-to-date programs available to high school students. Flyers provide details in English, in Spanish and in Arabic.
Through career and technical education, students explore fields across 17 career clusters. Students can earn industry-recognized certifications and connect with work-based learning experiences. November is College and Career Readiness Month, so it’s a great time to see how career and technical education helps students jump-start their careers.
Families can learn more at the school website and by coming to the open houses:
Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse (10101 Courthouse Road) will have an open house 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 9. Also, ESL students and families are invited to an info session 10-11 a.m. Nov. 9 at the Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse.
Career and Technical Center @ Hull (13900 Hull Street Road) will have an open house noon-2 p.m. Nov. 9.
Nominate outstanding principals for $30,000 award
In partnership with the R.E.B. Foundation, the Community Foundation invites nominations for the R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership. This annual initiative recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment.
Parents, students, teachers, volunteers and community members are encouraged to nominate outstanding principals before 5 p.m. Nov. 7. Details and the nomination form are here. The awards will recognize one principal each from Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and Richmond. Each winner will receive $30,000: a $20,000 grant for school-based initiatives and a $10,000 unrestricted grant.
Recent Chesterfield County honorees include Dr. Randi Smith of Ettrick Elementary, Nina Brink of Gates Elementary and Natalie Bare of Gordon Elementary.
Coffee & Conversation offers connections each week
Coffee & Conversation is an easy way to connect with experts offering advice on topics helpful to parents. The free online gatherings take place 1-2 p.m. weekly. See the full schedule and register here for topics of your choice:
Oct. 16 topic is “Bullying and Your Child.”
Oct. 23 topic is “Helping Children Deal With Grief.”
Oct. 30 topic is “The College Mindset.”
Oct. 13 car and truck show will benefit Career and Technical Center
Everyone is welcome to attend a car and truck show benefiting the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center. The event will run 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Chesterfield Career and Technical Center @ Courthouse, 10101 Courthouse Road. Admission is free for spectators. In addition to seeing 100+ great-looking cars and trucks, visitors can browse vendor tables, play family-friendly games, possibly win prizes and buy lunch from food trucks. In case of rain, the event will take place Oct. 20.
If you want to display your car or truck at this River City Cruizers event, then you can access the registration form and vendor details online. Vehicle registration costs $30. Students in Chesterfield County Public Schools get a 50% discount.
What to do when problems arise
Everyone within Chesterfield County Public Schools works to support students and help them grow into strong young people. When problems arise that get in the way of learning, schools want to connect with students and families to solve those problems. But we can only solve problems that we know about, so communicating to school staff members is how problem-solving starts. That’s the topic of this CCPS in the Know video. Bonus: This easy-to-understand chart is a handy reference.
Do you have a question that you’d like answered via CCPS in the Know? This video series gives quick-but-helpful insights into central Virginia's largest school system. If you have a question for CCPS in the Know, then ask it here. We’ll cover as many topics as we can. You can see all of the videos via this playlist, with captions available in English and in Spanish for each video on our YouTube channel.
All Chesterfield County schools are accredited
The Virginia Department of Education announced Sept. 30 that every Chesterfield County school is accredited for the 2024-25 school year and that the school system’s on-time graduation rate is 91% overall.
“Our data reflects focused work by students, teachers and schools,” said Dr. John Murray, interim superintendent. “Chesterfield County Public Schools is committed to helping our students achieve the bright futures they are capable of. This is a school division where parents want to enroll their children because they know they will learn and grow. The entire community can be proud of Chesterfield County Public Schools and confident in our future.”
On-time graduation tracks the percentage of students who graduate from high school in four years. Data shows 5,199 students started in the class of 2024 for Chesterfield County Public Schools and that 4,741 of those students graduated in four years — for an on-time graduation rate of 91%. Of those 4,741 graduates, 3,036 (64% of graduates) achieved an advanced diploma. Details about on-time graduation for individual high schools are available on the website of the Virginia Department of Education.
School accreditation as determined by the Virginia Board of Education is based on performance on multiple school quality indicators. Scores and pass rates on Standards of Learning tests are among the accreditation factors. Chesterfield County Public Schools students improved or maintained scores on 2023-24 Standards of Learning tests in reading, writing, math and science.
All schools in Chesterfield County Public Schools are accredited for 2024-25:
Elementary schools: Bellwood; Bensley (accredited with conditions); Beulah (accredited with conditions); Bon Air; Chalkley; Marguerite Christian; Clover Hill; Crenshaw; Crestwood; Curtis; Davis; Ecoff; Enon; Ettrick; Evergreen; Falling Creek; Gates; Gordon; Grange Hall; Greenfield; Harrowgate; Hening; Hopkins; Jacobs Road; Matoaca; Moseley; Old Hundred; Providence (accredited with conditions); Reams Road; Robious; Salem Church; Elizabeth Scott; Alberta Smith; Spring Run; Swift Creek; Watkins; Bettie Weaver; Wells; Winterpock and Woolridge
K-8 school: Chesterfield Virtual School (accredited with conditions)
Middle schools: Bailey Bridge; Carver; Elizabeth Davis; Falling Creek (accredited with conditions); Manchester (accredited with conditions); Matoaca (accredited with conditions); Midlothian; Providence (accredited with conditions); Robious; Salem Church; Swift Creek and Tomahawk Creek
High schools: Bird (accredited with conditions); Clover Hill; Cosby; Thomas Dale; James River; Manchester; Matoaca; Meadowbrook (accredited with conditions); Midlothian and Monacan
Alternative school: Carver College and Career Academy (accredited with conditions)
Gifted education referrals for students in grades 2-12
Gifted learners are students who show the potential for advanced thinking and reasoning, creativity and high achievement. So that schools can support, challenge, enrich and engage gifted students, Chesterfield County Public Schools conducts an annual referral process to identify gifted students. Students are evaluated during the current school year for services that will formally begin in the 2025-26 school year.
Parents, teachers, community members, and students can refer a student for gifted evaluation by filling out this online form.
Oct. 25 is the deadline to refer students currently in grades 2-12 in Chesterfield County Public Schools.
Oct. 25 is also the deadline to refer students in grades 2-12 who are not enrolled in Chesterfield County Public Schools but who are residents of Chesterfield County.
For more information, check out the
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Free online tutoring via Stride is available for grades 3-12
Free online tutoring is now available for students in grades 3-12 via Stride Tutoring. To provide this service, Chesterfield County Public Schools is using funds available through the Virginia Department of Education’s ALL In initiative as well as other funding sources. Students can access free tutoring through Stride as long as funds are available.
To access Stride Tutoring, students along with their families should go to the backpack icon on the RapidIdentity dashboard using their CCPS-issued Chromebook. Click the Stride Tutoring icon under the “District Applications” heading. No additional login credentials are required.
Students can reserve time for online video meetings with tutors licensed in subject areas in which they need additional support. Students and families select a tutor based on expertise and availability to fit their schedule, with tutoring available in the evenings and on weekends. Students do not need a teacher referral to schedule a tutoring session. There is no limit to the number of tutoring sessions at this time. Information is available at oneccps.org/tutors.
Specialty center fairs and open houses offer info for eighth grade families
Each fall, Chesterfield County Public Schools eighth graders explore their options for high school and decide whether or not to apply to a specialty center, governor’s school or regional technology school. This video gives an overview of how those schools provide unique opportunities to explore special interests.
Complete information about the application process is provided at bit.ly/CCPSoptions. That includes the online application form, links to specialty center websites and everything eighth graders need to know about the process. Here are important dates to keep in mind:
Online application opened Oct. 1 and closes Dec. 6 for specialty centers and governor’s schools.
Online application opens Jan. 6 and closes Feb. 14 for CodeRVA.
Informational fairs and open houses offer opportunities for eighth grade families to visit those schools. Here are upcoming dates:
6 p.m. Oct. 15 open house for CodeRVA Regional High School (2601 Durham St. in Richmond)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 open house for Humanities Specialty Center at Monacan High (11501 Smoketree Drive)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 open house for International Baccalaureate at Meadowbrook High (4901 Cogbill Road); this International Baccalaureate program is for students zoned for Bird, Thomas Dale, Manchester, Matoaca and Meadowbrook high schools
6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 open house for International Baccalaureate at Midlothian High (401 Charter Colony Parkway); this International Baccalaureate program is for students zoned for Clover Hill, Cosby, James River, Midlothian and Monacan high schools
6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 open house for Meadowbrook Academy for Developing Entrepreneurs at Meadowbrook High (4901 Cogbill Road)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 open house for Center for Spanish Immersion at Manchester High (12601 Bailey Bridge Road)
6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 open house
for Appomattox Regional Governor’s School for the Arts and Technology (512 W. Washington St. in Petersburg)
We’re hiring bus drivers and transportation workers
Chesterfield County Public Schools is hiring school bus drivers and transportation workers during a job fair 4-6 p.m. Oct. 15 at Manchester Middle School, 7401 Hull Street Road. Full position details and job fair registration can be found on the CCPS website. The school system will also interview applicants for student transporters and bus attendants at this job fair.
For bus drivers, no experience is required and commercial driver’s license training is provided while you work. Starting pay is $23.68 per hour and could be higher with previous experience.
Every job available within Chesterfield County Public Schools is posted on the school system's website, including positions for teachers, cafeteria staff, substitute teachers, administrators, instructional assistants, facilities employees, bus drivers and more. Find a job that makes a difference: Work in Chesterfield County Public Schools!
Gates Elementary to host Oct. 17 blood drive
The American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive 2-6 p.m. Oct. 17 at Gates Elementary School (10001 Courthouse Road). Click here to make an appointment to donate.
Oct. 11 event focuses on fire prevention
Chesterfield Fire and EMS invites families to a Fire Prevention Week event 3-6 p.m. Oct. 11 at North Courthouse Library (325 Courthouse Road). The community event will include the fire life safety house, fire safety story walk, games and other activities focused on fire prevention.
Help schools and the community by getting rid of your old denim
Turn jeans into jobs while helping your school! Each year in the Denim Drive, families and community members donate used denim clothing of all kinds. Goodwill tracks the denim donated on behalf of each Chesterfield County school, then awards nine cash prizes to the top three elementary, middle and high school PTAs. The denim is sold in Goodwill stores or recycled. Clean out your closet and support schools and job training in the community by bringing your denim donations between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Oct. 19-20 to the Career and Technical Center @ Hull (13900 Hull Street Road).