The Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium (SVRTC) held an awards luncheon today at Longwood University. Three educators from Halifax County Public Schools won awards. Susan Elliott, ITRT for Cluster Springs Elementary and Meadviile Elementary, won the Instructional Technology Support Award. Khaela Powell, ITRT from Clays Mill Elementary, Scottsburg Elementary, and Sinai Elementary, won the Technology Support Award. Haley McKinney, 5th grade teacher from Meadville Elementary, won the Technology Teacher Award. Congratulations to all of the awardees!
First and second grade students in the Elementary Gifted Program participated in the International Fair on March 18, 2026. The event took place at the Prizery's banquet hall through the generosity of a mini grant from the Halifax County Public Schools Education Foundation. Students visited various locations, and they experienced hands-on activities, stories, and games.
They also had the pleasure of tasting a treat from each of their "travels" through the collaboration with the HCPS Culinary Dept. students and Chef Worley. The culinary students provided some unique facts of that particular location along with the ingredients of the tasty treat as they "traveled" to each station. It was a fun, educational day enjoyed by everyone.
Click on the link below to view the pictures.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18PWUusu7X1FNTH0oOIzBoE64FE8qJD_B?usp=drive_link
They also had the pleasure of tasting a treat from each of their "travels" through the collaboration with the HCPS Culinary Dept. students and Chef Worley. The culinary students provided some unique facts of that particular location along with the ingredients of the tasty treat as they "traveled" to each station. It was a fun, educational day enjoyed by everyone.
Click on the link below to view the pictures.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/18PWUusu7X1FNTH0oOIzBoE64FE8qJD_B?usp=drive_link
There will be a joint facilities meeting of the Halifax County School Board Facilities Committee and the Building and Grounds Committee on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 at 1:00 PM. The meeting will be held at Halifax County Middle School Fine Arts Building, Door A, Room FA-3. The open session of the meeting will also be available on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdcs-5ta4vQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xdcs-5ta4vQ
Report cards for the third nine weeks are available for viewing on the Campus Portal. If you need assistance with the portal or need a paper copy of the report, please contact your child’s school.
As a reminder, tomorrow, Thursday, March 19, 2026 is a full instructional day. Students attend school all day.
Due to widespread power outages and potential road conditions, Halifax County Public Schools will operate on a two-hour delay tomorrow, March 17, 2026. Twelve-month employees follow code 2, report two hours late.
Due to the threat of severe storms and the potential for tornadoes, Halifax County Public Schools will be closed on Monday, March 16, 2026. Twelve-month employees should follow Code 0, do not report to work.
Due to inclement weather, all after school and evening activities are cancelled for today, Thursday, March 12, 2026.
The HCPS facilities use form has moved to an online site. Please click on the link below to book a venue.
https://hcps.rentmycampus.com/
https://hcps.rentmycampus.com/
Save the Date!
Please plan to join us on March 31, 2026 at 6:30 PM at HCHS. In addition to the hands-on sessions, Tracy Quackenbush Martin, Commonwealth's Attorney for Halifax County, will also speak that evening about internet safety.
Reminders
The Halifax County School Board will meet Monday, March 9, 2026 at 6:00 PM in the auditorium at Halifax County High School. The open session of the meeting will also be available on YouTube at the following link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q_RlWyF1W0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q_RlWyF1W0
🍀 🌈Finding Digital Gold – Smart Internet Searching🌈🍀
Not everything online is as good as gold — especially on social media! This month, focus on helping your child become a smart digital detective. Teach them to pause, think, and check before they believe or share something they see online.
✨ Tech Tip:
Encourage your child to double-check information by looking at more than one source. Talk about how likes and shares don’t always mean something is true.
For younger learners, guide them to kid-safe websites where they can explore and learn with confidence.
🌐 Helpful Websites:
PBS Kids – www.pbskids.org
National Geographic Kids – www.kids.nationalgeographic.com
Both offer fun, safe, and educational resources and videos for curious minds!
💚 Remember:
When kids learn to question, compare, and verify what they see online, they strike digital gold — building lifelong skills for safe and smart internet use!
Not everything online is as good as gold — especially on social media! This month, focus on helping your child become a smart digital detective. Teach them to pause, think, and check before they believe or share something they see online.
✨ Tech Tip:
Encourage your child to double-check information by looking at more than one source. Talk about how likes and shares don’t always mean something is true.
For younger learners, guide them to kid-safe websites where they can explore and learn with confidence.
🌐 Helpful Websites:
PBS Kids – www.pbskids.org
National Geographic Kids – www.kids.nationalgeographic.com
Both offer fun, safe, and educational resources and videos for curious minds!
💚 Remember:
When kids learn to question, compare, and verify what they see online, they strike digital gold — building lifelong skills for safe and smart internet use!
PreK Screening - 3 Year Old Program
PreK Screening - 4 Year Old Program
Kindergarten students at Clays Mill Elementary School recently explored foundational coding concepts thanks to a mini-grant funded by the Halifax County Public Schools Education Foundation.
Students were introduced to coding through an interactive “Simon Says” activity, where they acted as robots and practiced following step-by-step directions. Through this experience, students learned about sequencing, the importance of clear instructions, and how computer “bugs” can interrupt a program—and how debugging helps fix mistakes.
Students then applied their understanding by programming Coding Critters. As they tested commands and revised their instructions, they strengthened problem-solving skills and learned that mistakes are part of the learning process.
The lesson was facilitated by Khaela Powell, ITRT.
Students were introduced to coding through an interactive “Simon Says” activity, where they acted as robots and practiced following step-by-step directions. Through this experience, students learned about sequencing, the importance of clear instructions, and how computer “bugs” can interrupt a program—and how debugging helps fix mistakes.
Students then applied their understanding by programming Coding Critters. As they tested commands and revised their instructions, they strengthened problem-solving skills and learned that mistakes are part of the learning process.
The lesson was facilitated by Khaela Powell, ITRT.
Interim reports for the third nine weeks are available for viewing on the Campus Portal. If you need assistance with the portal or need a paper copy of the report, please contact your child's school.
All schools and offices will be closed Monday, February 16, 2026 in observance of Presidents' Day.
The Halifax County School Board voted last night to make the originally scheduled early release dates of March 19, 2026 and April 3, 2026 full instructional days.
Building Clean Out
