Happy New Year! We hope you and your family enjoyed the holidays. We are delighted to have your children back in school and look forward to a fun and learning-filled second half of the school year.

Our second of two state-required lockdown drills is scheduled for tomorrow at 1:30 pm. During a lockdown drill, teachers lock the classroom door and pull down the shades. They guide students to spread out in their classrooms and remain quiet while waiting for directions. In a real-life crisis, each situation may call for a slightly different response. School staff members are all trained to be alert to their surroundings and choose from options for maximizing safety.  This is why students are taught to listen carefully to their teacher. 

We know that these drills can feel sensitive for some students and families. To reduce anxiety, we will prepare students beforehand by reviewing what the drill will look like and reminding them often that it is only practice. Teachers will use calm, age-appropriate language to help children understand that these drills are one of the ways we keep them safe.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Albemarle County Public Schools is beginning the 2026-27 budget planning process, and we want to hear from you.

This brief survey takes just a few minutes and asks you to review and rank unfunded operational needs for next school year. Early feedback helps inform planning and decision-making from the start.

📝 Share your priorities today:

ACPS Budget Priorities Survey

Dear Families,

As we start our new semester, we wanted to share some information about small groups we’ll be running beginning later this month. If you think one of these groups would be helpful for your child, or want to learn more, please reach out to our mental health support specialist Laura Longhine at llonghine@k12albemarle.org by Friday, January 16. Groups will be run throughout the spring semester and are typically held weekly for six weeks during non-instructional time.   

Kindergarten–2nd grade

Family transitions: This group will offer support and strategies for managing change for children whose families are experiencing divorce or parental separation, moves, new siblings, or other family transitions.   

Social skills: Social skills groups help students develop their social skills in a safe space, through games, role plays, learning and discussion about friendship and how to handle peer conflict.  

Emotional regulation: This group will cover the basics of noticing and identifying our feelings, and learning strategies for successfully managing big emotions at school and at home. 

3rd–5th grade

Body confidence: In this group, students will learn to identify and challenge the messages we all receive about appearance; talk about how those expectations affect them; and practice strategies for self-compassion and body confidence.     

Anxiety: Everybody worries sometimes, but when anxiety becomes overwhelming it can interfere with school, making friends, or participating in activities. In this group, we’ll talk about how to recognize when worry is taking over, and what to do about it.     

Navigating school with ADHD: For students who have been diagnosed with ADHD, this group will offer peer support and skill-building strategies for managing school work and classroom expectations.

From Your Baker-Butler Counseling Team,

Ms. Drew, Ms. Hukill, and Ms. Longhine