NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk Public Schools (NPS) are getting a little extra help ahead of the new school year.
NPS hosted its first Serving Our Schools Day, inviting volunteers from Naval Station Norfolk (NSN) to help prepare elementary schools for the first day of school.
About 30 sailors from NSN visited Ingleside Elementary, Sewells Point Elementary, Tanners Creek Elementary, and Madison Alternative Center on Thursday, supporting teachers and other staff with various tasks.
A true moment of neighbors helping neighbors, as the sailors helped clean desks, organize textbooks, and stuff goodie bags for teachers.
This comes as teachers all across the country are taking on more responsibility and larger classrooms as the teacher shortage continues.
Ingleside Elementary Schools' Assistant Principle Michael James says something as small as a clean desk can really help teachers enter the school year with a good mindset.
"It really helps ease some of the pressure in terms of the things they have to do leading up to school," said James. "They can come in and streamline their focus on the task at hand which is preparing for the first day of school and bringing in their students."
NPS is also seeing a shortage of volunteers ahead of the new school year. They say the district lost several volunteers during the COVID-19 Pandemic and are now struggling to bring them back.
While a background check is required, NPS says they are welcoming all kinds of volunteers. Specifically, the district is asking for tutors, cafeteria workers, teacher assistants, and field trip chaperons.
