There have been questions concerning the use of social security numbers on forms. Please be advised that employees of Pittsylvania County Schools may use their Identification Number rather than the social security number on any form generated by the Central Office. Principals will receive an e-mail from Mrs. Jane Nichols, Payroll Supervisor, in early October that will include a listing of all employees assigned to their school and the Employee Identification Number. Questions regarding this information should be directed to the building principal or Mrs. Nichols.

The 2011 United Way campaign is underway for Pittsylvania County Schools. Soon, you will be receiving pledge information at your base school. You are commended for giving unselfishly in previous campaigns to those who are less fortunate. Historically, Pittsylvania County Schools has been a community leader in total contributions.

• 2004-2005 $19,144.24

• 2005-2006 $23,000.00

• 2006-2007 $20,520.44

• 2007-2008 $21,000.00

• 2008-2009 $19,200.00

• 2009-2010 $20,818.59

• 2010-2011 $16,000.00

School divisions will celebrate Constitution Day on September 16, 2011. As you know, Congress passed legislation that requires the implementation of an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on a date designated by statute officially as Constitution Day and Citizenship Day. All schools may determine what kind of educational programs are appropriate for their students. Some informational resources pertaining to the Constitution that may be useful in planning educational activities are listed on the United States Education Department’s (USED) website at http://www.ed.gov/ (go to the search box and enter Constitution Day). Information about citizenship and civics is also available at other nonpartisan websites including the Bill of Rights Institute at http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/page.aspx?pid=593.

The Virginia Department of Education, in collaboration with the Education Commission of the States, encourages all parents, teachers, and caregivers to join them in celebrating Read for the Record, October 6, 2011. Read for the Record is a national campaign designed to encourage hundreds of thousands of children and adults to read the same book on the same day, October 6, 2011. The ability to read is the foundation of literacy and the single most important activity for building knowledge for personal success; therefore, individuals in Pittsylvania County Schools are urged to set aside time to read to a child. It is our hope that reading to a child will provide a reading role model and that it will help motivate all children to develop a passion for reading, a love for books, and an appreciation for lifelong learning. Read for the Record website On this website you can register to read to a child, obtain information on the selected book, and find out ways you can share your involvement with friends, family, and your community.

Regent is developing a program to help provisionally licensed special educators get the coursework they need to accomplish the requirements of the five (5) year renewable license for the Special Education K-12 General Curriculum. There may be professionals in Pittsylvania County who are provisionally licensed and need to take classes. It is my understanding that most of the courses are offered online and are developed for those working full-time. For more information, please contact Hannah Duke at (757) 352-4277 or by e-mail at hannmil@regent.edu Also, you may click on the following link to receive more details about the Regent School of Education. http://www.regent.edu/acad/schedu/masters-special-education/ Teachers are asked to please check with Mrs. Janet F. Hancock, Clerk of the Board, before registering for classes to ensure the courses are appropriate for the endorsement.

The Virginia Retirement System is pleased to share the link to the summer issue of Member News. The Web address for the newsletter is www.varetire.org/MNews. This notification gives members the opportunity to read about benefit changes, updates and the latest news as soon as the newsletter is posted.

It is once again time for the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk. The walk will be held at Gretna Middle School on Thursday, September 29, 2011. Information about the Heart Walk has been presented in the school library and over the public announcement system. This walk is held in memory of Drake Robertson who lost his battle with heart disease. Drake was a beloved student at Gretna Elementary School. Everyone is encouraged to come out on the evening of September 29, 2011, and enjoy the fun and fellowship of this community event. Registration begins at 6:00 p.m. and the walk begins at 6:30 p.m.

The Southside Elementary School Nutrition Staff awarded backpacks full of school supplies to six (6) students whose names were drawn from all the students who ate a school meal during the first week of school. The School Nutrition Staff wished to stress the importance of eating the delicious, nutritiously well-balanced meals served in the cafeteria each day. During the first week of school 944 breakfasts and 1823 lunches were served to students.

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Brenda Saunders, Cafeteria Manager at Southside Elementary School, on her selection as Pittsylvania County Schools’ Employee of the Week. Please click on the following link to find out what our employees do to make this A Great Place to Learn and Work! http://www.pcs.k12.va.us/staff/employee-of-week/2011-2012/

Visit http://www.pcs.k12.va.us/media/index.html to (1) request media presence on site to cover an upcoming event or (2) to request media coverage (without media on site) of an upcoming event or (3) to report news from a past event. Thank you for identifying the great things happening in our schools!