Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Inspiring Charlottesville's next generation to make history
Tuesday was Charlottesville 12 Day, marking the 67th anniversary of 12 Black students integrating Charlottesville City Schools on September 8, 1959. As part of this year’s commemoration, Mr. Alex-Zan, a member of the Charlottesville 12, shared his story with students at Sunrise Elementary School and inspired them to be history makers by being kind, compassionate, and caring. Check out the coverage of Charlottesville 12 Day from NBC29 and Cville Right Now.
Mark your calendar
Wednesday, September 16, 5 p.m.: Charlottesville High School home cross-country meet at McIntire Park.
Thursday, September 17, 5:30 p.m.: Bobcat Boogie at Sunrise Elementary School.
Friday, September 18: No school (Mental Wellness Day).
Friday, September 18, 7 p.m.: Charlottesville High School varsity football home opener vs. Rocktown. Purchase tickets at gocville.org.
Wednesday, September 23, 6 p.m.: Charlottesville City Schools Budget Bistro community budget engagement event at Charlottesville Middle School. Event and RSVP info.
Friday, September 25, 8:30 a.m.: 20th annual Trailblazer Walk-A-Thon.
Wednesday, October 7, 5:45-7 p.m.: CCS Family Workshop on Youth Substance Use at Charlottesville High School. Workshop led by Region 10.
People are also reading…
Art by Alex Mason, Grade 8, Charlottesville Middle School.
RSVP to the Cville Schools Budget Bistro
On Wednesday, September 23, Charlottesville City Schools will welcome members of the community to the Budget Bistro, a communal dinner to discuss school dollars and share ideas on how the division should allot resources.
The Budget Bistro will take place from 6-7:30 p.m. at Charlottesville Middle School (1000 Cherry Avenue, Charlottesville). Guests will enjoy a complimentary meal featuring an appetizer, main course and dessert while selecting from a "menu" of budget options to support local students and schools.
Faces of CCS: Meet July Paw
We are introducing a new feature to the Cville Schools This Week newsletter: Faces of CCS. In each newsletter, we will introduce you to one of the many great people either working or learning in Charlottesville City Schools. Get to know our first Face of CCS.
Name: July Paw
School: Summit Elementary
Position: 2nd grade teacher
How long have you been with Charlottesville City Schools? This is my 3rd year with CCS.
What is your favorite part about your job? Building relationships with all my students, sharing laughter and seeing them grow throughout the year.
What do you enjoy doing outside of school? I love working out, being outdoors and spending time with my family and friends.
Did you know? Ms. Paw's principal, Carmella Johnson, was her 4th grade teacher!
Do you know someone who should be featured in Faces of CCS? Submit your suggestions.
Important Cville Schools updates
Tour your child's future school
The school year’s just begun but we’re already making plans for next year. Especially if your child is approaching a school transition (for example, kindergarten, 6th grade or 9th grade), join us for a tour of your child’s future school. Each school is offering prospective and future families guided tours throughout the year.
Free online tutoring available for students grades 3-8
Free online tutoring is available for CCS students in grades 3-8 in English/language arts and/or math. The tutors are licensed teachers and are available after school, in the evening and on weekends. You schedule what works for your family. Sessions can be either 30 minutes or an hour.
Tutoring is available for the 26-27 school year or until available sessions are filled. Students can log onto their Clever account through a personal computing device and access K12 Tutoring by following these directions.
Learn more about special education and disability accommodation
In the latest edition of Charlottesville Family Magazine, Charlottesville City Schools Director of Student Services Rachel Rasnake provides parents the information they need to know about special education and disability accommodation in our schools.
“We have to be proactive to prevent discrimination because it often isn’t overt,” Rasnake said. “Small decisions can lead to larger access issues later.” Read the story.
Mental health and crisis support
Additional help is available for parents and children. The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is a free, confidential resource available 24/7 for anyone experiencing a mental health crisis, emotional distress, thoughts of suicide or substance use concerns. As a parent, you or your child can call, text or chat 988 at any time to connect with a trained crisis counselor who will listen, offer support without judgment and help you find local resources if needed. The service is not just for emergencies; it is also there if you’re worried about your child or someone else and need guidance on how to help. Counselors are specially trained to support people of all ages, and fewer than 2 percent of calls require emergency services, so you can feel comfortable reaching out for help whenever you need it.
Good News Download
Celebrating our multilingual students
During the 2025-26 school year, Charlottesville City Schools created a more equitable pathway for its bilingual students whose first language is not English to earn the prestigious Seal of Biliteracy on their diplomas.
The Charlottesville High School Class of 2026 was the first to have the opportunity to take a test to show their bilingual proficiency skills in Dari, Pashto, Arabic and Swahili, languages that CHS does not offer as courses but which many of its students speak.
Check out the media coverage of Charlottesville City Schools expanding its pathways to earning the prestigious Seal of Biliteracy: NBC29, CBS19, Cville Right Now.
CHS/CMS Latin teacher honored by Yale
CHS and CMS Latin teacher Matthew Clay has been named one of the recipients of the 2026 Yale Educator Award. The award recognizes outstanding educators from around the world who have supported and inspired their students to achieve at high levels. Mr. Clay was nominated for the award by Lily Curtis, a 2026 Charlottesville High School graduate who is now a freshman at Yale.
Ragged Mountain Cup three-peat for Charlottesville girls cross-country team
The CHS girls cross-country team kicked off the 2026 season in style on Tuesday by winning their third straight Ragged Mountain Cup at Panorama Farms in Earlysville. The group of Liliana Jones, Catherine Crook, Juliana Pierce and Phoebe Fischman finished the 4x2-mile relay in a combined time of 49:14 to bring home the title for the Black Knights. Read the Daily Progress story.
For all the Black Knight athletics and activities news, subscribe to Updates about CHS Athletics and Activities, Activities Director Andy Jones' weekly roundup.
Getting to know the new SROs
Teachers, students and families at Charlottesville High School and Charlottesville Middle School have been getting to know Arron Arreguin and Tyree Kirby, CCS's new school resource officers, during the first few weeks of the new school year. NBC29 recently visited both CHS and CMS and found the new SROs have quickly become an important part of the school community. Watch the story.
Engage with CCS
Donate to the CCS snack drive
The Charlottesville City Schools Family and Community Engagement (FACE) team is currently hosting a snack drive for our CCS students. Anyone wanting to purchase snacks can do so using this wishlist. You can also drop off snacks at the Division Annex (1400 Melbourne Road), or at any school of your choice. The snack drive runs until Friday, October 2.
Send in your Royal Recognition nominations
During the school year, Charlottesville City Schools Superintendent Dr. Royal Gurley will deliver Royal Recognitions, recognizing staff for their dedication, excellence, exemplary service and positive impact. Each winner earns $250 to spend on their school. Want to see your favorite staff member get the royal treatment? Fill out a nomination form.
Art contest for students
The City of Charlottesville is hosting its annual water conservation-focused art contest for city and county students in grades K-12. This year's theme is Small Drop, Big Difference. Entries will be accepted from September 14-October 26. Learn more about the art contest.
Engineers in training
Students at Summit Elementary School learn how to build a structure in the school's iSTEM lab.
