Since I began at NBS I have had many reasons to be so proud of our school. Each year we have had teachers who are voted Favorite Teacher in the CharlottesvilleFamily Magazine, we have held the Virginia Naturally award for Environmental stewardship, administered by the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries, for many years, and our students shine in person and on stage every day. This is a wonderful place. It is also a place that fosters creativity and agency.
On the one hand I am always inspired when I see students who get to experience childhood – that is, they get to be kids. I have personally experienced children in schools for over thirty years, and I have always advocated giving kids space to be and live their age. That is a hallmark at NBS. On the other hand I am so proud of NBS for our rigorous academics. Our students are competitive at a national level. Being a child does not preclude being able to compete.
In March NBS middle school students entered the Kid Wind competition in Harrisonburg. Two of our teams moved on to the state competition in Petersburg on April 23. This is a huge success in and of itself. In Petersburg, one team advanced to the national competition, to be held in San Antonio, Texas on May 16-19. Just to be clear, this is a competition that brings many thousands of students from all over the country together to create, invent and demonstrate their engineering achievements. Any school anywhere in the country would love to make it to their state competition, and any school would be honored to field a team at the nationals. This is an amazing achievement.
We have been invited to send a team of young scientists to compete nationally. Doing so on short notice has necessitated a quick fundraising drive. The estimated cost is $1200- $1500 per student – a big increase over our usual field trip experiences. I have personally committed to financially support this endeavor. If you are able to help financially, or if you have suggestions of people or organizations to approach in support of this opportunity, please contact Bonnie Holliday, giving@nbsva.org, or donate here: https://bit.ly/NorthBranchdonation
Thanks for your consideration and your ongoing support.
Sincerely,
Smith Coleman, Head of School