Katherine Johnson Elementary receives Christine Darden STEM Community Partnerships Award
Katherine Johnson Elementary School was honored with the prestigious Christine Darden STEM Community Partnerships Award given by the Family and Community Engagement Learning Network and Successful Innovations Inc. The award was presented on April 17 at the Innovations in Family Engagement Symposium in Raleigh, North Carolina.
A cross-departmental collaboration between NNPS Family and Community Engagement specialists, STEM leads and Instructional Technology coaches worked together on the STEM Night event that was recognized.
The Darden award recognizes individuals and schools that have made significant contributions to enhancing STEM education and impacting family engagement in these vital fields, according to the FACE Learning Network’s website. The award celebrates innovative initiatives that empower families to engage with science, technology, engineering and math, creating a supportive environment for students to strive.
The award honors the legacy of Dr. Christine Darden, who was a NASA aeronautical engineer and one of its iconic Hidden Figures.
CNU and Newport News Community Walk travels to Gildersleeve
The student community gave a rousing welcome as the Christopher Newport University and Newport News Community Walk visited Gildersleeve Middle School this spring.
CNU President William Kelly led a contingent that included students and alumni, along with Virginia Delegate Shelly Simonds, Virginia Senator Danny Diggs, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew, Newport News School Board Chairman Lisa Surles-Law and NNPS Superintendent Dr. Michele Mitchell.
Gildersleeve’s cheerleaders greeted guests with a specially created CNU cheer, and the school’s band played several selections. President Kelly and Gildersleeve Principal Roland Noel exchanged greetings and gifts as part of the visit.
First Dual Language Immersion students complete 10th grade
Ever since kindergarten, a group of NNPS students have studied, learned and grown together as the first to enroll in the school division’s Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program.
The innovative learning opportunity has grown with them, expanding to add grade levels and instructional opportunities. It is now offered at six NNPS schools.
Dual Language Immersion students learn half in English and half in Spanish, and their classes consist of native English and Spanish speakers who support one another each school day. This fosters bilingualism, biliteracy and cross-cultural understanding.
The original group of first DLI students attended Saunders Elementary School and Gildersleeve Middle School together, and just completed tenth grade at Menchville High School. Menchville’s program will expand to add the language program for eleventh graders next year, paving the way for this first group to graduate in 2027 as the first to complete it for all years of their education.
