Newport News Public Schools to Begin School Year Virtually

During its special meeting on August 5, the Newport News School Board voted for all students to begin the school year with virtual learning during the first quarter (September 8 – November 2). School leadership provided details on their Return to Learn plan, which emphasizes educating and developing students of all ages and abilities, as well as the School Division’s commitment to health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) is committed to ensuring that every student can participate in virtual learning – anytime, anywhere. Their CoNNected @Home Program provides resources to help NNPS students and their fami lies connect, engage and succeed. A Chromebook will be provided for each student in kindergarten through 12th grade. Distribution of Chromebooks will take place for high school students August 10 – 13 and middle school students from August 17 – 20. Schools will notify students and families by phone and e-mail when a pick-up schedule is established. Pre-K and elementary students will receive their Chromebooks later this year.

The NNPS CoNNected @home program will provide free mobile Wi-Fi hotspots to eligible families who might not otherwise have reliable access to the internet. Families can apply for assistance on the NNPS website

The academic plan has been revised to include learning modules that will review and reinforce content that was not covered before mid-March when schools transitioned to virtual learning. Teachers will communicate performance and grades to parents and students regularly and consistently.   

  • Elementary School: Teachers for students in pre-kindergarten through second grade will communicate performance and feedback through the communication tool identified by the teacher. Grades will be posted weekly in ParentVue and StudentVue for students in third through fifth grades.
  • Middle and High School: Grades will be posted weekly in ParentVue and StudentVue. Students will have five school days to make up assignments and/or improve a grade to demonstrate mastery of the concept or skill that was assessed.

 Next week, families may access a learning intent form through ParentVue to decide if their child(ren) will continue virtual learning through the end of the first semester (January 27). Families can also indicate if their elementary student needs a loaner device and if they hav e child care needs. Parents/guardians without a ParentVue account may sign up for one by contacting their child’s school. 

To read more about virtual learning, please visit the Frequently Asked Questions webpage. NNPS has also posted the < a href=”http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Mhy0kM0KdL1jZxPLQXRQ2P1VIgMZ0Pe259yn21brDu14KST9TsospggnVVNZdY3k-NPU-XVD-qwfRQqG4-AB7LnTviq5kMM2gtDynjOuV-m4P3FiCxib5lx1pwKNzcVGfMtprYsGm1B3Zbl_uP4-IxfdHjwKMJfb2sOvDAGZ2cfcZ_lVeEaAjQ==&c=jZT2py9eZ_Hir8uPXLTLxh3uUqobXPjuGE0_wFFiOusY-UFfJBoEIQ==&ch=UswJ5lI734Z1kIx9ZNRp8A0gzFmBtDRazjikGGnA-dBZkdGqQjrbuA==” rel=”noopener noreferrer” target=”_blank” style=”font-size: 14px; color: rgb(0, 174, 188); font-family: Arial, Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; text-decoration: underline;”>Middle School Virtual Learning Sample Schedule and High School Virtual Learning Sample Schedule online, and plans to update their site frequently as additional information becomes available. Visit their Return to Learn website for more details.