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<p>Please note: The VSBA website will receive updates on Saturday, October 31, 2020. This may impact your ability to access and view the site as normal. Updates should be complete by Saturday evening.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.vsba.org/meetings_conferences/vsba_annual_convention/">November 18-20, VSBA Virtual Annual Convention</a><br>
The VSBA Annual Convention is the largest and most anticipated VSBA meeting of the year. While this year our Annual Convention may look a little different, and we won't get to see your smiling faces in person, we hope you'll find our event schedule to be just as enriching and…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://richmond.com/community/powhatan-today/powhatan-full-virtual-sees-ups-and-downs-in-first-9-weeks/article_ef345bbc-18e1-11eb-8c71-e3825112b2a0.html">Powhatan full virtual sees ups and downs in first 9 weeks</a><br>
Almost everything about having 20 percent of Powhatan County Public Schools students receiving their education virtually has been a learning experience on all fronts. As the division ended its first nine weeks of the 2020-2021 school year last week, administrators are realistic…</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0in;"><a href="https://martinsvillebulletin.com/news/local/watch-now-martinsville-receives-grant-to-expand-minet-service-across-entire-city/article_910c3a44-1947-11eb-a3aa-df139872e98d.html">Martinsville receives grant to expand MiNet service across entire city</a><br>
By the end of this year, everyone in Martinsville will have access to high-capacity and high-speed wireless internet service. The announcement came at the end of Tuesday night’s regular meeting of the Martinsville City Council, when City Manager Leon Towarnicki told council that…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://www.dailypress.com/virginiagazette/va-vg-wjcc-dashboard-1031-20201029-zsf54ijj7neitgv4lijti4vzhq-story.html">W-JCC Public Schools aims to keep parents informed through COVID-19 dashboard</a><br>
Since July 1, the COVID-19 Dashboard on the Williamsburg-James City County Public Schools website has kept parents informed with data on staff members that test positive for COVID-19. The dashboard let users on Thursday know of the third positive COVID-19 case among staff…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://www.pilotonline.com/news/education/vp-nw-virginia-beach-schools-funding-20201028-c5olorxeyveohjd6imfqinaxzm-story.html">Virginia Beach schools to give all full-time employees a $1,000 bonus</a><br>
All full-time Virginia Beach school employees will soon get a $1,000 bonus and teachers will receive either .25% or .5% raises on top of that, the school board voted Tuesday. Teachers who teach both in-person and virtually also will see an increase in the roughly $750 stipends they…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/alexandria-city-public-schools-approves-revisions-to-contract-with-police/2020/10/29/910c82e0-1a0c-11eb-82db-60b15c874105_story.html">Alexandria City Public Schools approves revisions to contract with police</a><br>
The Alexandria City Public Schools board voted Thursday to approve significant revisions to the school system’s contract with police- changes meant to boost accountability and equity amid a national debate over racism in American policing. The new contract, which went through at…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://richmond.com/sports/high-school/vhsl-still-on-track-to-play-in-december-local-schools-can-decide-whether-to-participate/article_f89d2e9b-99fc-508b-9b53-1ca09cb272df.html">VHSL still on track to play in December; local schools can decide whether to participate, even if they are still virtual</a><br>
Virginia High School League executive director Billy Haun said the league remains on track to start practicing and playing games in December. “Absolutely,” he said. “The latest communication that we’ve had from the Virginia Department of Health [is] there’s been no…</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0in;"><a href="https://roanoke.com/news/local/franklin-county-high-school-goes-all-virtual-for-five-school-days/article_6883ece2-1961-11eb-b003-078a698ee592.html">Franklin County High School goes all-virtual for five school days</a><br>
Franklin County High School will return to all-virtual learning from Thursday through Nov. 4 because of a staff shortage caused by the need to self-isolate in response to reported COVID-19 cases. According to a letter sent to Franklin County parents Wednesday by county schools…</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0in;"><a href="https://wtop.com/loudoun-county/2020/10/loudoun-co-school-board-votes-to-eliminate-class-rank-starting-with-class-of-2025/">Loudoun Co. school board votes to eliminate class rank, starting with Class of 2025</a><br>
The Loudoun County School Board voted to eliminate the numerical ranking of high school students, starting with the next incoming freshman class, in the Northern Virginia county. Starting next fall, as the Class of 2025 enters high school, Loudoun County Public Schools…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://newsadvance.com/news/local/education/lynchburg-city-schools-administrators-present-proposed-five-year-capital-improvement-plan/article_464ac1a0-7ddd-57c6-af9c-0138a439b28d.html">Lynchburg City Schools administrators present proposed five-year capital improvement plan</a><br>
Lynchburg City Schools could see two new buildings and two school renovations by 2026. Division administrators presented their proposed 2022-26 capital improvement plan to members of the school board finance committee at its meeting Tuesday. The proposed CIP includes…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://www.timesnews.net/news/education/virginia-education-superintendent-school-divisions-doing-good-job-handling-pandemic/article_7795a078-193d-11eb-93e7-5b868fffa069.html">Virginia education superintendent: School divisions doing good job handling pandemic</a><br>
Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane got the same welcome that most visitors to Norton Elementary and Middle School get these days — his temperature was taken and he was asked about any symptoms he might have. Lane’s stop in Norton on Tuesday…</p>

<p style="margin-bottom:0in;"><a href="https://www.chesterfieldobserver.com/articles/school-board-holds-retreat-to-refocus-self-evaluate/">School Board holds retreat to refocus, self-evaluate</a><br>
When they were sworn into office last December, Chesterfield’s five newly elected School Board members knew they faced a steep learning curve in 2020 without even one holdover to help them navigate the intricacies of a large and increasingly diverse school system. Because…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://wjla.com/news/local/fcps-teacher-talks-about-taking-mental-health-day">'Risk your life or... your career': Fairfax teacher explains union's 'mental health day'</a><br>
The Fairfax Education Association (FEA) said hundreds of teachers took a mental health day Wednesday. The reason? Friday, teachers have to choose if they will return to the classroom to teach in-person, take unpaid leave, resign, or retire. “I love teaching music. It’s the best job in…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://www.nbc12.com/2020/10/29/hanover-county-public-schools-receiving-chromebooks-students/">Hanover County Public Schools receiving 9,000 Chromebooks for students</a><br>
Hanover County Public Schools announced the district received a shipment of 9,000 Chromebooks. The Chromebooks will be distributed beginning next week. The school district says every middle and high school student will have a Chromebook by Thanksgiving break...</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://www.wric.com/news/local-news/the-tri-cities/petersburg-gets-school-mental-health-grant/">Petersburg schools to receive mental health grant</a><br>
Petersburg Public Schools are one of six districts in the Commonwealth receiving funding to help increase the number of qualified mental health service providers in their division. The Virginia Department of Education received a five year $6 million grant from the U.S…</p>

<p style="line-height:14.25pt;background:white;"><a href="https://ams.embr.mobi/Events/Registration/Wizard/EventDetails.aspx?C=ifON&amp;EID=GKJF">Wednesday October 29, 2020 Early Bird Session at the VSBA Annual Convention</a><br>
<strong><span style="border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in;background:white;">Student Achievement and Success During Times of Uncertainty: </span></strong><span style="background:white;">The Early Bird session participants will gain various insights pertaining to the importance of a high quality systems approach relating to the core business of teaching and learning as well as establishing a…</span></p>
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