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Charlottesville High School

CHS - A Note from Dr. Malone: Week of May 24, 2026

Posted Date: 05/24/26 (05:00 PM)
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CHS

BLACK KNIGHT NATION

Weekly News from Charlottesville High School

May 24, 2026

A Note from Dr. Malone

Families -

What a week! So many events and emotions and celebrations!

Graduation
First, I want to congratulate the seniors from the cohort of 2026. I just love them all and their culminating graduation was a beautiful and special event.

We hope that the images from graduation - including photos of specific students - are available in the next two weeks.

Memorial Day and our Upcoming Schedule
As we head into the long weekend, I hope you will join me to observe Memorial Day. This Monday, I will take a moment to honor and remember the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country. Whether you are spending the day with family, attending a local service, or relaxing at home, we wish everyone in our neighborhood a safe, peaceful, and meaningful Memorial Day weekend.

This week is a short week.
CCS is closed tomorrow for Memorial Day and we have an early dismissal on Friday, May 29th.
CHS dismisses at 1:40pm.

Staff Update
On Friday, it was announced that our assistant principal, Jason Bennett, will be the new principal of Lugo-McGinness Academy. This is a bittersweet change for CHS as Mr. Bennett has been an invaluable member of our staff and administration team for over a dozen years. His role at LMA, however, means he remains a critical member of our community and will provide direct support for the opportunities and experiences of our CHS students.

These last few days of this school year are the same as any other. We will prioritize safety and structure so everyone can enjoy a safe and meaningful end of the school year. As always, we expect students to arrive on time and ready to give their best. Lastly, as this year concludes, we continue to lean on each other - like the community we are - to celebrate our shared successes and send our students into summer on a note of joy, stability, and acceptance. We appreciate everything you do to make our school a thriving and supportive community.

CHS, I love it!

CHS Events

Upcoming School Events and Engagements

Upcoming Lockdown Drill - Week of May 26

As required by the state, CHS holds up to 4 lockdown drills during the school year. We anticipate holding a lockdown drill this week to maintain with CCS drill safety protocols and timeline expectations. We will notify you again after the drill is completed.

Remember, this year our lockdown drills include age-appropriate discussion about how staff might respond during an actual emergency. To learn more about lockdown drills, visit charlottesvilleschools.org/emergencyplanning.

How can you help?
Set a calm tone as you let your child know that a lockdown drill will be coming soon.

  • You know your child best and your guidance will help them. Let them know that school is a safe place and that part of the job of teachers and school staff is to practice safety skills. “Just like you practice fire drills at school, you also practice lockdown drills so that you know exactly what to do to stay safe in an emergency.”
  • Explain that the lockdown drill is like the many safety habits you do on a regular basis, for example, wearing seatbelts and bike helmets. Though it may be new to your child, the lockdown drill is best learned through practicing.
  • Follow your child’s lead. If they seem worried or uncomfortable, help them to identify their feelings and talk with them about ways of handling them. For example, taking a few deep breaths, reminding themselves the drill will end soon, asking the teacher for help or staying close to a friend. 
  • Let your child know that schools perform lockdown drills throughout the school year and that they are announced as a drill or a practice. Consider your child’s unique needs. If you are concerned about how your child will handle the lockdown drill, reach out to the school and partner with your child’s teacher to address your concerns. 

CHS Urban Farming

Here is the long-awaited list of Community Gardening Days at the CHS Urban Farm! If you weren't able to sign up to help adopt a row in the garden this summer, but still want to come join in the power that is community gardening, then please make plans to join us on any or all of these dates. Keeping the garden thriving over the summer will help us hit the ground running with the students in August so that we can help provide farm-fresh food to the school cafeteria.!

AP African-American Studies Course - feedback needed

CCS is currently collecting community feedback on our textbook finalists for the new AP African American Studies course at CHS. To review these textbooks, please stop by the textbook table in the Division Annex (across from the baseball fields). If you have any questions about these textbooks or this process please contact Dr. Alicen Brown at browna3@charlottesvilleschools.org or by phone at 434-245-2826. 

CHS Food Pantry - THANK YOU

Thank you

Yearbooks are on Sale Now

Yearbooks Are On Sale! -
Families can place their order using this link: https://yearbookordercenter.com/job/26439. Senior families also have the opportunity to purchase a senior ad to celebrate their student in this year’s book using the same link.

Summer Volunteer Opportunity

We need your help! Come volunteer at the Charlottesville I Can Bike camp this June. You will be partnered with a rider with a disability on Monday and come back to support that rider each day; you will be the #1 reason they ride a two-wheeled bike by the end of the week! Registration for volunteers is now open!

Hosted by Wintergreen Adaptive Sports in partnership with I Can Shine, this camp helps individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities, autism or neurodivergence, or mild physical disabilities learn to ride two-wheel bikes—often for the first time. Using specialized equipment and expert instruction, the goal is simple: help more people experience the independence and joy of riding a bike.
When & Where:
June 15–19
Albemarle High School 
You will sign up for 1 or 2 sessions and attend the same session each day of the week. 
  • Session #1 8:30 – 9:45 am
  • Session #2 10:05 – 11:20 am
  • Session #3 11:40 – 12:55 pm
  • Session #4 2:00 – 3:15 pm
  • Session #5 3:35 – 4:50 pm
As a volunteer, you will walk or lightly jog with your rider throughout their 75-minute session — keeping them safe by spotting them using the safety handle while also building a relationship to motivate them and using learning strategies taught by the I Can Shine staff. No experience riding a bike or working with disability populations is necessary. We will teach you everything you need to know!
We would love to have you at camp this year! Additionally, this is a great opportunity for team building and community engagement for organizational leadership teams, staff experiences, families at home for the summer, high school sports teams (must be over 15 years old) — or any group that wants to have a fun experience! Have your organization sign up for one session and experience camp together. 
We need your help! Each session has between 6 to 8 riders, making the volunteer role critical to success for all of our riders. Make a difference this summer and help someone learn to ride! Register here: Volunteer Registration
If you’re interested in participating, volunteering, or supporting the camp in anyway, please reach out to icanbikecharlottesvilleva@gmail.com. Thanks for helping get more people in our community on bikes! T

CHS Daily Routines: Reminders

Please review the following routines and call the school with any questions

Schedule

Schedule and School Events

Here is the schedule for the remainder of the school year:

  • 25 Mon No School
  • 26 Tue SINGLE Impact 6
  • 27 Wed OB Impact 7
  • 28 Thu EB CHS Time
  • 29 Fri Last Day- Early Dismissal

CCS

CCS Early Dismissal Hours

  • Elementary: 12pm
  • CMS: 12:45pm
  • CHS: 1:40pm
  • Lugo-McGinness Academy: 11:30am
(Walker and PreK will have already finished their years so this does not apply to them)

FYI this information can also be found 

Nutrition Information

Monthly and Daily Menus

May 2026

CCS menus are published at the following site and each month's menu is published at least a week before the month begins.


CCS does not serve foods containing pork or peanuts.
Information and resources related to the CCS nutrition page can be found here.

Details on accessing the CCS Nutrition app option - including menu access - can be found in the link below: