Chesterfield County Public Schools

Virginia’s Secretary of Education, Dr. Jeffery Smith, visited Bellwood Elementary School during Teacher Appreciation Week. Among the school leaders welcoming him to a faculty meeting were School Board members Lisa Hudgins and Ann Coker, Superintendent Dr. John Murray and Bellwood Principal Jennifer Rudd. Dr. Smith was joined by DeAndre McEwen Jr., who previously taught at Bellwood and now works in the governor’s office, and by Virginia Sen. Michael Jones. On behalf of Gov. Abigail Spanberger, Dr. Smith celebrated the work of educators and presented an official proclamation that read, in part: “teachers serve as the cornerstone of the Commonwealth’s future … nurturing foundational early learning skills in young children and empowering older students … [and] Teacher Appreciation Week provides a dedicated opportunity for the Commonwealth to recognize, honor, and celebrate the invaluable contributions of teachers across Virginia, and to express profound gratitude for their service, dedication, and enduring impact.”

Each year during National Nurses Week, Chesterfield County Public Schools honors a School Nurse of the Year in recognition of all that school nurses do to support student health, safety and success. Jenna Ornelas of Chalkley Elementary is the School Nurse of the Year for Chesterfield County Public Schools. She has worked in nursing for 20 years — four of those years as a school nurse — and says, “While my philosophy of school nursing evolves alongside the changing needs of my students, it remains centered on caring for the whole child so they are healthy, safe and ready to learn.” ▪️Read more about Jenna's recognition at https://lnkd.in/eVBpecZa

⭐ Congratulations to the six newest members of the #oneCCPS Hall of Fame! On Thursday, April 30, families, friends and colleagues gathered to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of these remarkable educators and their dedication to students and schools. ▪️ Learn more about the #OneCCPS Hall of Fame Class of 2026 at https://lnkd.in/eTbHS4VK.

🚌 Want a full-time job with optional summers off or maybe part-time with a flexible schedule? Become a bus driver for Chesterfield County Public Schools! Come and interview at our hiring event Thursday, March 12, 2026, from 5-6 p.m. at Clover Hill High (13301 Kelly Green Lane). No experience needed. ▪️Learn more and register to attend at oneccps.org/careers

🖼🎨🖌 It was the perfect ribbon cutting for the world’s largest, kid-created museum of tiny artworks. Chesterfield County Public Schools leaders and mall representatives used teeny-tiny scissors Feb. 25 to officially open the Mini Museum. The museum holds miniature artworks created by PK-12 students from throughout the school system, arranged into galleries by school. Visitors can view portraits, landscapes, abstracts, still lifes, pop art, sculptures and more. The Mini Museum is open to the public during regular mall hours through April 19 at Chesterfield Towne Center, 11500 Midlothian Turnpike.

Midlothian District representative Lisa Hudgins was elected chair of the Chesterfield County School Board during the board’s annual organizational meeting. Matoaca District representative Steven Paranto was elected vice chair. ▪️To learn more, visit https://lnkd.in/eYUTAMB2.

👏👏 Virginia’s Art Educator of the Year and Virginia’s Secondary Art Educator of the Year both teach in Chesterfield County Public Schools. ▪️ Jimi Herd, the visual art curriculum specialist for Chesterfield County Public Schools, is Virginia’s Art Educator of the Year. ▪️The Virginia Art Education Association named Shannon Sissokho of Thomas Dale High as the state’s Secondary Art Educator of the Year. Read more about their impact on arts education at https://lnkd.in/eRbde9Xn.

👏 Congratulations to Sue Anderson, who was recently honored by the Virginia Association of Science Teachers for her work teaching science at Carver College and Career Academy. The association annually presents RISE Awards to spotlight the excellent work by science educators across Virginia. There are several award categories; Anderson won a RISE Award for teaching at-risk students. ▪️Learn more about Anderson and her achievement at https://lnkd.in/eA4mi4eh.

Chesterfield County Public Schools was honored with the annual Dan Domenech Champion for CIS Award at the 2025 Communities In Schools of Virginia Network Summit, recognizing more than 30 years of partnership with Communities In Schools of Chesterfield. The award celebrates CCPS’ leadership in creating a partnership that has become a model for the Commonwealth, one that demonstrates how schools and communities can work together to ensure every student has the relationships and resources needed to achieve in school and life. Superintendent Dr. John Murray accepted the award, describing CIS-C as “part of the CCPS family” and highlighting the collaboration’s impact on reducing absenteeism, strengthening academic performance and fostering family engagement. Today, CIS-C serves nearly 15,000 students across 16 Chesterfield County public schools, helping create thriving, more connected school communities and setting the standard for what an effective, student-centered collaboration can look like across Virginia. To learn more about this partnership, visit www.cisofchesterfield.org.

👏👏👏 Heather Snyder, coordinator of the Office of Student Health Services, was recently recognized with two statewide awards from two different groups. ▪️The Virginia Association of School Nurses recognized Snyder as the 2025 Outstanding School Nurse Administrator of the Year, honoring her excellence in nursing administration and coordination of health programs. ▪️The Virginia Nurses Foundation honored her with its Leadership Excellence Award, recognizing her contributions to public health nursing practice and leadership in professional organizations. Learn more about Snyder and her achievements at https://lnkd.in/epQVZbxP.