Chesapeake Public Schools - Our teachers are HANDS DOWN THE BEST!

🎓 The Hickory High School Hawks Class of 2025 has shown up, contributed, and lived the Hickory experience to the fullest. Now, it’s time to spread your wings and SOAR beyond the nest. We can’t wait to see how high you’ll fly. 🦅 #Classof2025 #CPSCelebrates #EmpowerCPS 📸 Relive the celebration with photos, slideshows, and more at www.cpschools.com/graduation.

🎓 Indian River High School Braves Class of 2025, your time has come! 🎉 With every challenge faced and every goal achieved, you showed what it means to RISE, with humility, courage, and purpose! 💙🤍 We couldn’t be prouder of this graduating class and the legacy you leave behind. #Classof2025 #CPSCelebrates #EmpowerCPS 📸 Visit www.cpschools.com/graduation to relive the celebration with photos, slideshows, and more!

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🪶🩵 LYNDEY BROWN is Indian River High School’s 2025 Valedictorian. She will attend the College of William & Mary as a Monroe Scholar. She will major in Biology on the Pre-Med Track. ------------------------------------ What is the best class you took in high school and why? The best class I took in high school was public speaking. It prepared me beyond taking a test. It taught me social skills that I will carry with me forever. ------------------------------------ If you could give a shout out to a member of the faculty or staff at a Chesapeake Public School, who would it be and what would you say? Dr.Shabazz has made a huge impact in my educational growth. He is someone that gives good advice mentally, physically, and educationally. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🪶🩵 RYLAN WILLIAMS is Indian River High School's 2025 Salutatorian. #Classof2025 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🐯💛VEDANT DIXIT is Oscar Smith High School’s 2025 Valedictorian. He will attend the University of Virginia. ------------------------------------ What did you accomplish in high school that you are most proud of? I always put my health first and I never got less than 8 hours of sleep. ------------------------------------ If you could give a shout out to a member of the faculty or staff at a Chesapeake Public School, who would it be and what would you say? Thank you Mrs. Foss for everything you done for the IB program. From IBLC, to IB grad, to guiding us through the EE, you are truly appreciated. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🐯💛 ALEC EMOND is Oscar Smith High School’s 2025 Salutatorian. He will attend the University of Virginia. ------------------------------------ What is the best class you took in high school and why? The best class I took in highschool was AP art history. It essentially combined my favorite subject with art, which I knew virtually nothing about. The teacher kept the class entertaining and the curriculum was intriguing. ------------------------------------ Please share your best advice for the rising senior class. Enjoy your senior year while it lasts, and make sure you participate in as much as you can before it’s over. Do every spirit day and go to every event because before you know it you’ll be graduating too. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🐻💛 AMARI SYKES is Western Branch High School’s SCA President. #Classof2025 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🐯💛 CINDY ZHENG is Oscar Smith High School’s 2025 Salutatorian. She will attend the University of Virginia to major in psychology with a planned minor in economics. ------------------------------------ Who had the biggest impact on your experience in high school, and what would you like them to know? My grandparents. They immigrated from China with almost nothing. They worked long hours, barely spoke the language, and never asked for anything. Watching them live that way made it impossible for me to slack off in school. I knew what they gave up, and I wasn’t going to waste it. ------------------------------------ What is the best class you took in high school and why? Theory of Knowledge was easily the best class I took. We questioned everything, argued about random topics, and somehow got to watch movies for it. It didn’t feel forced, just genuinely interesting. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

☀️ Beginning this week, our district is operating on a 4-day week. Schools and administrative offices will have extended service hours Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will be closed on Fridays. In addition, we will be closed this Thursday, July 19, 2025. 🗓️ We will resume our regular schedule on Monday, August 25, 2025. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.cpschools.com/events?filter_ids=466766&view=list-all

💜🐝🤍 RUTVI SHETH is Deep Creek High School’s 2025 Valedictorian. She will attend Elmira College & Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine ( 2+4 BS/DO Program). ------------------------------------ Who had the biggest impact on your experience in high school, and what would you like them to know? My dad has been my #1 supporter throughout my entire 4 years. He helped me when I was defeated at times and gave me opportunities that I thought would never be possible. His wise words and advice helped me be successful! I owe a huge part of my success to him! Thank you!! ------------------------------------ What did you accomplish in high school that you are most proud of? I am most proud of getting 2nd place in the Bioengineering category with my research of making a custom fit CPAP Mask for patients with Sleep Apnea. A huge thank you goes to my professor I worked with at ODU, Dr. Audette. He helped so much with getting me resources and helping with the execution of this project! #Classof2025 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🐻💛 JAYDEN MORSE is Western Branch High School’s 2025 Salutatorian. She will attend Virginia Tech to Major in Engineering with Biomedical Intent. ------------------------------------ If you could give a shout out to a member of the faculty or staff at a Chesapeake Public School, who would it be and what would you say? Mrs. Stiltner — Her welcoming nature, kindness, and intelligence has pushed me to want to be like her! She was my first teacher at WBHS and has made an everlasting impact in my life.. ------------------------------------ What's something you're looking forward to that might surprise people? I’m looking forward to being less focused on my academic standing—in the most positive way. I want college to be a time of self discovery along with my studies, instead of solely focusing on my studies! #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 With pride in their hearts and ambition in their stride, the Great Bridge Wildcats Class of 2025 has carried on the Wildcat tradition. 💚🐾😺 Your journey is just beginning, but your legacy is already felt. #Classof2025 #EmpowerCPS #CPSCelebrates 📸 Relive the big day with photos, slideshows, and more: 👉 www.cpschools.com/graduation

💜🐝🤍 JACK BARTISH is the Senior Class President at Deep Creek High School. He will attend Old Dominion University to study Mechanical Engineering. ------------------------------------ Please share your best advice for the rising senior class. Life will get busy, just remember these moments are temporary. Do what you need to enjoy things while maximizing your future. ------------------------------------ Who else had the biggest impact on your experience in high school, and what would you like them to know? My friends. I'd like them to know I appreciate each and every one of them for contributing to the great high school experience I had. #Classof2025 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🐻💛 TREMAYIA DOTSON is the Senior Class President at Western Branch High School. She will attend Carnegie Mellon University. ------------------------------------ What did you accomplish in high school that you are most proud of? I’m most proud of how I balanced it all and still managed to grow as an individual. Being class president, performing on stage, keeping up with schoolwork, still showing up for people around me, AND being a person who is very much type B wasn’t easy. There were plenty of late nights and MANY close calls, but I did it. I kept going, and I never lost myself in the process. ------------------------------------ What's something you're looking forward to that might surprise people? Leaving Virginia. A lot of my family and friends have lived here their whole lives and have never really experienced life outside of its borders. I’m excited to step out of that, start a new life somewhere else, and really learn more about myself, the world, what I like, and who I want to be. It’s scary, but it’s also freeing and I’m ready for it. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💜🐝🤍 ARAV PATEL is Deep Creek High School’s 2025 Salutatorian. He will attend Virginia Tech to study Industrial and Systems Engineering. ------------------------------------ If you could give a shout out to a member of the faculty or staff at a Chesapeake Public School, who would it be and what would you say? Mrs. Sosunova deserves a huge thank you from me. She might be retired now and enjoying life to the fullest, but her AP Calculus class is still one of my favorites. Class always felt welcoming and never too serious because of her lilting Russian accent and the way she included small "jokes" into her lessons. Every day felt worth showing up for because of her. She’ll always be one of the people who made these years feel like more than just school. ------------------------------------ Who else had the biggest impact on your experience in high school, and what would you like them to know? Without a doubt, my parents had the biggest impact on my high school years. As an only child, I didn’t have older siblings to bank on, so every step I took, they were right beside me: sometimes leading, sometimes quietly holding me up when I didn’t even know I needed it. They are truly the epitome for me. If they see this, I just want them to know that every good thing I am becoming started with them. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💚😺💛LIBBY BENTON is the Great Bridge High School’s class of 2025 Salutatorian. She will attend the University of Mary Washington to major in Biochemistry. ------------------------------------ Please share your best advice for the rising senior class. Prioritize sleep! Even if you have mountains of homework, sometimes the best option is to know when to call it quits. Getting late points taken off a well-done assignment usually results in a higher grade than a rushed and poorly done assignment that was submitted on time. ------------------------------------ If you could give a shout out to a member of the faculty or staff at a Chesapeake Public School, who would it be and what would you say? I would give a shout-out to our school nurses! They have always been super kind and helpful. They do so much for GBHS, and we are all fortunate to have them. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 ❤️🐻💙 NAMISH SHAH is Grassfield High School’s 2025 Salutatorian. He will attend the Georgia Institute of Technology and major in Industrial and Systems Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research and Economic and Financial Systems. ------------------------------------ What is the best class you took in high school and why? The best class I took in high school was AP Comparative Government with Mr. Giannotti. I learned so much about the world and was one of the most dynamic classes I’ve ever been in. ----------------------------------- What's something you're looking forward to that might surprise people? I’m looking forward to sledding down the streets of Atlanta. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 💙🐻💛 COLE BUTLER is Western Branch High School’s 2025 Valedictorian. He will attend Virginia Tech to study ocean engineering. ------------------------------------ Please share your best advice for the rising senior class. Take your setbacks in stride and keep moving forward. ------------------------------------ If you could give a shout out to a member of the faculty or staff at a Chesapeake Public School, who would it be and what would you say? Mr. Yowell, for being an amazing Latin teacher who always went the extra mile to help us succeed. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 ❤️🐻💙 ESHANI PATEL is Grassfield High School's 2025 Salutatorian. She will attend the University of Virginia. ------------------------------------ What's something you're looking forward to that might surprise people? I did karate for years, but had to quit because of an injury. I’m looking forward to either joining a martial arts class in Charlottesville, but if I’m not cleared for that, then the list of things I want to do includes the following: - Learn how to properly change a tire (but not just in theory) - Acquire a baby goat or lamb - Officiate a wedding! - Paraglide without an instructor - Remodel a decommissioned postal truck and turn it into a coffee truck. ------------------------------------ What did you accomplish in high school that you are most proud of? Aside from academic accomplishments, I’d have to say that I’m most proud of my volunteer service hours, which totaled to over 500 after my four years in high school. Honorable mentions to: - My performance at this year’s senior banquet, where I threw myself off a chair, backwards, for a skit. - Finally getting the courage to talk to and become close with the baristas at Pale Horse Coffee, where I wrote nearly every college essay and completed the majority of my homework. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates

🎓 Senior Spotlight 🎓 🩵🪽🩶 CHARLOTTE PETCHEL is Hickory High School’s Class of 2025 Valedictorian. She will attend the University of Virginia to study law. ------------------------------------ Tell us about a moment in your time in high school that you will never forget. In our 5A regional playoff field hockey game, I scored the winning goal in overtime my senior year. Since it was a golden goal, the game immediately ended. I’ll never forget my team running to me to make a dog pile and advancing to the next round. ------------------------------------ What did you accomplish in high school that you are most proud of? I am proud of being captain and MVP of my school’s soccer, basketball, and field hockey teams. #Classof2025! 🎓 #CPSCelebrates