Chesterfield County Public Schools Better Together

October is Dyslexia Awareness month. On this Engage Chesterfield podcast, Dr. Zenia Burnett, Coordinator of Special Education and Dr. Samantha Hollins, Director of the Department of Special Education for Chesterfield County Public Schools talk about the signs and impacts of dyslexia. Emily Stains, Literacy Specialist for Chesterfield County Public Schools shares ways parents can support literacy learning at home. In addition, Caitlin Wynings, CCPS graduate, provides her personal perspective of living with dyslexia.

This episode was recorded prior to the COVID 19 pandemic. Yet, it is still timely as now more than ever, media and technology play a huge role in our kids’ lives. As our children mature and crave more privacy, it can be hard to have a window into their online world. During this podcast, I will interview Barbara Huth, Education Program Manager for Common Sense Education. She will offer you the latest research about what and how much media our kids are using. We'll explore media and tech issues and trends including social media pressures. Then, we'll take a closer look at the perspectives of our kids and share tips and resources to help address these topics with your own child. You'll come away armed with new knowledge, empathy, and insight into the online issues they face and strategies for how to talk about them.
Thanks for listening!

This podcast episode is all about an innovative teacher recruitment program in our area. If you know of someone who has thought of making teaching a second career, or perhaps a current undergrad student who is thinking of pursuing a master's degree, or a CCPS teacher who would make a powerful mentor...please share this podcast with them! Special guest Kim McKnight, Director of RTR-Petersburg and RTR-Chesterfield at Virginia Commonwealth University, shares the scope of the Richmond Teacher Residency, a program that recruits, trains, and supports teachers for high-needs and hard-to-staff schools. Hear the stories of Ettrick Elementary staff and teachers who have been participants in the program as residents and mentor teachers.

Learn how you can join and make a difference!
A special thanks to all the CCPS educators who opened their classrooms to share their experience. They are truly lifting up our community one classroom at a time.
Megan Bottoms
Sydney Lilly
Diana Rios
Martha Sanchez
Eugenia Scales
Randi Smith
Jasmine Stith
Abby Rose

Every person counts! In mid-March of 2020, homes across the United States will start receiving invitations to complete the census. Did you know that the census greatly impacts our community? School lunches, plans for roads, supports for firefighters and families are all impacted by the census count and affect our everyday lives! In this podcast, we will discuss this important event with census partnership specialist Justin Beck. He will share facts about how to respond, why your answers matter, and address privacy and security concerns.
We hope that by listening to this podcast you will understand how a complete and accurate count is critical for our community here in Chesterfield Virginia.
For more information on the census, see the website census.gov.
For details on Chesterfield County Public School's event, Statistics in Schools: Every Person Counts, see this event flier.

Do you have a little guy or gal heading off to "big school" this year? If so, this episode of the Engage Chesterfield Podcast is for you! We will share a few things parents can do over the summer to prep for this monumental first day and year of elementary school.

Jana Kline, principal of Alberta Smith ES, shares important self-help skills that kindergartners need and bus riding tips. Kristen Hepburn, CCPS Literacy Specialist talks about everyday tasks and teachable moments that parents can sneak in throughout the day to make learning fun and get their wee one started off on the right foot academically. Leslie Lenhart, Gordon Elementary Kindergarten teacher, informs parents on first-week expectations.

Parents and teachers alike want to children to get on the bus and walk into school that first day feeling comfortable, confident, and excited to learn. Listen and find out how you can support the Class of 2032!