DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 179
August 31, 2007
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday, Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
The Spirit
of the Commonwealth Award |
The Virginia
Department of Education (VDOE) is pleased to announce the Spirit of the Commonwealth Award. Based on its Student Advisory
Committees recommendation, the Board of Education established the Spirit of the Commonwealth Award to
acknowledge the importance of promoting student involvement by recognizing
student leadership in the school and community.
The award
will be given annually to individual public high school juniors who have
demonstrated academic achievement, well-rounded participation in school
activities, and community and civic responsibility. Individual public
middle/junior and high schools are also able to receive an award by providing
diverse opportunities for students to serve the community and others in
co-curricular and/or extracurricular activities, such as service learning and
volunteering experiences. This award represents an opportunity for schools to
demonstrate how character education is put in action.
How to Submit A Nomination
To be considered for the
award, a student must be nominated by a school division principal, teacher,
guidance counselor or parent. Nominated high school juniors will complete an
application and submit it with letters of recommendation to their respective
principals. Each high school principal, with the assistance of a school team,
reviews all applications and selects the most qualified applicants in their
respective schools. The names of the selected applicants are to be forwarded to
the school division administration for review and submission to the Virginia
Department of Education.
Individual
middle/junior and high schools must also be nominated by a principal, teacher,
staff member or parent. Principals of nominated schools will submit an
application to their respective school division administrators for review by a
division team. The school division team selects the most qualified
middle/junior high and/or high school applicants and forwards the names to
VDOE.
The Virginia
Department of Education will provide award recipients with a letter of
congratulations and certificates of recognition from the Board of Education.
The completed certificates will be sent to the school division administrators
for presentation to the recipients.
Please refer
to the attachments for specific procedures for nomination and applications for
the Spirit of the Commonwealth Award.
The names of award recipients may be submitted electronically to: Vivian.Stith-Williams@doe.virginia.gov
or mailed to:
C/O Dr.
Vivian G. Stith-Williams
Richmond, VA
23218-2120
If you have
questions or need additional information on the Spirit of the Commonwealth Award, please contact Dr. Vivian Stith-Williams, student services specialist, at
804-225-4543, or e-mail as noted above. Thank for your cooperation and
assistance.
BKCJr/vsw
Attachment
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2007/inf179a.doc