Return to Learn: Plan for a Safe Return 2020-2021

Parents are asked to use the Online Pre-Registration (OLR) self-service parent portal which allows parents and guardians to pre-register students online anytime from anywhere. OLR will be used in place of paper registration forms. The school will contact parents and guardians to schedule an in-person appointment to finalize the registration process. More information and to start the registration process.

To help ensure that schools and students are well prepared for the first day of school, parents are encouraged to register their child or children at their zone school as soon as possible. Doing so helps our schools and teachers be equipped and ready to make each student's first day pleasant and productive.

To determine which school your child will attend, use the NNPS School Zone Finder. Enter your address, and the zone finder will provide the names of the elementary, middle, and high school assigned to your residence in the city. You may also call (757) 591-4500 to find out which school serves your neighborhood.

In order to be classified as a junior, a student must have earned a minimum of 11 credits.

Credits Required for Graduation with a Standard Diploma

*A verified unit of credit is awarded for a course in which the student earns a standard unit of credit and passes a corresponding end-of-course SOL test or a substitute assessment approved by the Board of Education.

Credits Required for Graduation with an Advanced Studies Diploma

Schedules will be available for students to view on StudentVUE accounts the first week in September.

Students are encouraged to email their school counselor if they have questions about their schedule.

The last date to request a schedule change is September 18, 2020.

Your school counselor will schedule an appointment to meet with you and your family to discuss your graduation and postsecondary plans. These meetings will occur throughout the months of September through December. If you or your parents have any questions prior to your individual meeting, please email your counselor for assistance. Email addresses are available in the staff section of each school’s website and on the NNPS counseling website.

The first step is to reach out to your teacher through email or Canvas. Teachers will be available to support you in enhancing your understanding of the learning and/or key concepts. Please keep the lines of communication open with your teachers. Should additional support be necessary, please reach out to your school counselor to assist you in navigating support and resources.

All New Horizons classes will be virtual for the first quarter. They will reassess the situation for the 2nd quarter.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday:

• AM Session: 7:40 am – 10:00 am
• PM Session: 12:15 pm – 2:35 pm

Students will also participate in "Workforce Wednesdays" where all CTE students engage in an assortment of workforce related activities.

The daily engagement time is 30-45 minutes:

• Direct instruction with instructor, lab/technique demonstrations, live group discussions
• Every student is expected to engage in 90-120 minutes of instruction and activities per day.
• This includes (not in addition to) the daily engagement time.
• Small group instruction, discussion boards, and reading/writing assignments, projects

Yes. New Horizons is still accepting applications at their online CTE site. Click here to apply.

The online application portal will close for New Horizons on Friday, September 11, 2020.

The Governor’s School for Science and Technology will be virtual for the first quarter. They will reassess the situation for the 2nd quarter.

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday:

• AM Session: 7:10 am – 10:35 am
• PM Session: 11:20 am – 2:35 pm

Students will also participate in Faculty and Academic Advisory Wednesdays. The main focus of Faculty and Academic Advising will be to facilitate the development of the students' research projects.

Daily engagement time (math, science and research) is 180 minutes total for three courses:

• Direct instruction with instructor, lab/technique demonstrations, live group discussions
• Every student is expected to engage in 180 minutes of instruction and activities per day.
• This includes (not in addition to) the daily engagement time.
• Small group instruction, discussion boards, and reading/writing assignments, projects

PSAT/NMSQT: October 14, 2020 Testing Cancelled
Newport News Public Schools provides all sophomores and juniors an opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT test in October at no cost to the student. College Board will provide information regarding alternative assessment dates. Updated information will be shared once rescheduling date is received.

The PSAT/NMSQT will be offered for Juniors on January 26, 2021. Parents of current juniors will receive a survey via ParentVue to opt-in for the assessment.

Sophomores will test on March 26, 2021 for the PSAT 10.

Juniors are encouraged to take a SAT and/or ACT spring of their junior year. Many colleges are waiving this requirement. Newport News Public Schools will be making the decision regarding additional Saturday dates on a month to month basis. This decision is consistent with our surrounding divisions. School Counseling Services is currently creating resources for students and parents that address college/university and NCAA Clearinghouse requirements. Many colleges are waiving this requirement during the pandemic. The National Association for College Admission Counseling provides a central resource of information about changes in college admission as a result of the coronavirus outbreak on their website.

• September 26, 2020 (Cancelled)
• October 3, 2020
• November 7, 2020
• December 5, 2020
• March 13, 2021
• May 8, 2021
• June 5, 2021

You register for the SAT online at www.collegeboard.org and for the ACT at www.act.org.

Students who are interested in playing Division 1 or Division 2 athletics are required to register with the NCAA Clearinghouse. The NCAA advised that the SAT/ACT due to COVID-19 will receive an Automatic Waiver for 2021-2022 Enrollment. However, each university will still have their own academic standards for entry into their respective college/universities. We encourage student athletes to access the NCAA Clearinghouse website for current updates at http://ncaaclearinghouse.net.

11th grade is the year that you should explore your interests and strengths based on career exploration (i.e. Naviance Career Interest Inventory). Create a list of schools that match your career interests. Visiting the school in person or virtually is highly recommended. The Opportunities Guide and Workbook has a Junior Year Checklist (en español).

4 YEAR COLLEGE: It is recommended in your senior year that you should apply to 4-7 schools. We recommend that you tier your applications based on the difficulty of each college’s requirements for acceptance (i.e. GPA, SAT scores). And we always suggest a safety school which is one that you know you will receive an acceptance.

There are many resources on the web. The College Board (Big Futures) and Naviance both have great search engines. Please consider the following: How far away from home do I want to go? Do I want to go to a large university or a medium or small college? Do I want to be in the country, suburbs or an urban setting? Does the college have my major? What extracurricular activities are important and do they have them? Is the prestige of the college important? Does the college help with internships and help me get a job when I graduate?

2 YEAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE: Community colleges offer many opportunities to earn an associate’s degree or various trade certifications. Students may opt to attend a community college and take advantage of the Guaranteed Admissions Program. The Guaranteed Admissions program allows students to attend the community college for the first two years and transfer to a four-year college for their last two years. Visit Thomas Nelson Community College or Tidewater Community College.

VOCATIONAL TRADE SCHOOLS: Students may elect to attend a specialized school (i.e. Culinary Arts, Cosmetology, Nursing, Auto Tech, Aviation).

In order to join the military, you must take the ASVAB test and earn a qualifying score on that test.

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery measures your knowledge and ability in ten different areas. It is not an IQ test, but the ASVAB does help the military assess which jobs you are best suited to perform.

Getting a good night’s rest and arriving on time are the two most important steps you can take to prepare. For free ASVAB practice visit www.march2success.com.

The ASVAB is usually given in schools by test administrators from the federal government. Schools determine where and when the ASVAB will be given. Due the current pandemic, NNPS is not currently offering the ASVAB. However, if you are interested in joining the military contact your local recruiter for more information on ASVAB requirements and testing locations. You may now also take an un-proctored version of the ASVAB test, called the PiCAT, at home at your own convenience.

Local Recruiter’s Offices:

U. S. Army Recruiting Station Denbigh
14346 Warwick Boulevard
Newport News, VA 23602
(757) 890-6219

U.S. Navy Recruiting Station Denbigh
12515 Jefferson Ave, Suite 130
Newport News, VA 23602
(757) 989-6485

U.S. Marines
8100 George Washington Memorial Hwy
Yorktown, VA 23692
(757) 898-8796

U.S. Air Force
8100 George Washington Memorial Hwy
Yorktown, VA 23692
1-800-423-USAF

Virginia Army National Guard​
12638 Jefferson Ave, Suite 19
Newport News, VA 23602
1-804-317-0078

Most scholarships are designed for seniors, however there are some scholarship opportunities for juniors. The junior year is a good time to familiarize yourself with scholarship opportunities. Yes, most colleges have general and major-specific scholarships. For the general merit scholarships colleges make those determinations based on many factors. Some colleges use the student’s GPA and ACT/SAT scores. Some colleges use these as well as an essay. Some colleges use these things and have a specific date that the admission’s application must be submitted, or they have separate applications. Every college is different and you should research their websites. NNPS Scholarship Bulletin

Yes, there are thousands of national, state, regional and local scholarships. Talk to your parent or guardian. Their employer may have one, or your place of worship.

First review the application. Most often there is an essay you have to write, and they will also want your transcript and letters of recommendation. Some applications are as easy as sending in your name, others have interviews.

NNPS will publish a monthly scholarship bulletin starting in October.

Newport News Public Schools will be using a platform called Naviance. You will request your transcripts through this for your counselor to send. Please communicate with your Counselor, and please do not request the transcript the day of the deadline. Strive to request two weeks prior to the deadline (excluding holidays).

There will be a virtual college fair this year over a two-month period. Students will need to register.

September 14 – November 6: VACRAO and StriveScan present the Virtual College Exploration Program. Join over 100 institutions for panels and college fairs over the course of eight weeks.

• Week 1: Sept. 14-18, Transfer-specific panel presentations and virtual college fairs
• Week 2: Sept. 21-25, Freshman admission panel presentations
• Weeks 3-6: Sept. 28 - Oct. 23, Freshman virtual college fairs
• Week 7: Oct. 26-30, Freshman admission panel presentations
• Week 8: Nov. 2-6,Transfer-specific panel presentations and virtual college fairs

All events are free and open to all students. Sign up for as many sessions as you would like that fit your schedule. Website for students to register: www.strivescan.com/virginia.

September 22 – September 26: HBCU Virtual College Fair www.hbcuweek.org/events

OCTOBER

• Meet with your school counselor about your coursework and college plans
• Check college websites for admission requirements

NOVEMBER

• Registration for AP exams
• Individual Junior Student Conferences
• Review the November Scholarship Bulletin

DECEMBER

• Individual Junior Student Conferences

JANUARY

• Program Planning – selection of classes for next school year

FEBRUARY

• New Horizons Visits

MARCH

• ASVAB – TBD

APRIL

• TNCC Open House

Social emotional and mental health resources will be available to support students this fall. Clinical and counseling staff will provide mental health support and resources including group counseling and consultation for students and families as needed.

NNPS has Licensed Mental Health Therapists who offer school based mental health therapy. Please contact your school counselor to complete a referral for services.

Please reach out to your school counselor (email addresses are on the school website) or student support specialist at your school. Send him/her an email, and he/she will respond as soon as they can. Please put urgent in the subject line of your email.

You can also text "HOME" to 741741 for free counseling 24/7 in the United States.

If you are having thoughts of hurting yourself, please call the suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Social/Emotional Support is ongoing and a priority for all school counselors. Noted below are ways this is utilized:

• Collaboration with school psychologists and social workers
• Family updates with resource recommendations
• Sharing resource support with teachers
• Small group meetings on anxiety, stress, management
• Wellness check in with parents/providing resource
• Checking on students through parent contact
• Zoom meetings with teachers and parents
• Sharing resources with teachers on emotional support
• Follow up contacts based on parent and teacher recommendations
• Check in with students via google classroom and zoom
• Phone calls and follow up emails to families
• Small groups in zoom and google classroom
• Teaming in class sessions with teachers
• Counselor corner newsletter
• Providing students & families with tips & resources on wellness
• Following up with students who teachers and administrators have addressed concerns
• Check-in’s with social/emotional concerns 
• Student Support Team Meetings  (Child Studies, 504’s)
• Collaboration with student support specialists, school psychologists and social workers