City officials, School Board members, students, staff and guests gathered outside Newton Elementary on Oct. 28 for the Bayside Tri-Campus expansion groundbreaking ceremony.
Several students led the group in the Pledge of Allegiance and read poetry.
Diamond Springs Elementary first grader Tiffany Obesa read part of a poem titled “If I Built a School,” written by students and Diamond Springs librarian Danielle Licari.
“If I built a school, oh the things we would do! We’d dream big dreams and make them come true. From Diamond Springs to Newtown, hooray! A new addition is coming our way!”
The event celebrated the construction to add space to Newtown and Diamond Springs elementary schools, both built in 2008.
In the school year 2028-29, Diamond Springs will welcome pre-kindergarten through first grade students, and second through fifth graders will attend Newtown Elementary.
VBCPS Facilities Services Project Manager Judith Christman said Diamond Springs will gain an additional 7,400 square feet and 22,300 will be added to Newtown.
“The design for the addition at each school has been crafted to blend seamlessly into the existing buildings, so that the additions appear to have been there from the beginning,” Christman said.
Newtown will also gain an interior extended learning area and an exterior covered outdoor learning patio to provide opportunities for learning outside the classroom.
Newtown, Diamond Springs and Bettie F. Williams elementary schools are currently part of the Bayside Tri-Campus established in 2007.
Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson Jr. spoke about the benefits of creating new modernized learning environments within the two schools. He also emphasized the importance of keeping the legacy of Bettie F. Williams alive, even though the current building will not be utilized for students when the expansion is complete.
“At the heart of the story is Bettie F. (Forbes) Williams,” he said. “Williams’ name and legacy will remain an important part of the story.”
Williams was born in 1900 in Princess Anne County, now part of Virginia Beach. Her parents were farmers. After college, she taught in the county for 24 years, including Seatack Elementary, Union Kempsville High School on the grounds of Union Baptist Church and the Princess Anne County Training School when it opened in 1938. She took on a supervisory role before retiring in 1961, the same year a new school was built and named in her honor.
Bettie F. Williams Elementary became part of the Bayside Tri-Campus in 2007.
Williams’ cousin Isaac Forbes grew up in Virginia Beach and is retired from the U.S. Air Force. He serves on the committee designed to ensure Williams’ impact on the community will continue to be recognized within the new chapter of the Tri-Campus.
Forbes said he is honored to be involved in the process.
“Bettie F. Williams is part of the African American heritage in Virginia Beach and Princess Anne County,” he said.
Fifth graders from Bettie F. Williams swayed in unison as their music teacher Alyssa Hutchens directed them in the song, “Three Little Birds.”
The uplifting moment celebrating the shared future of the three school communities garnered applause from the audience.
Wearing hard hats, representatives ceremoniously dug with shovels in the dirt to officially proclaim the Tri-Campus expansion underway.
Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer applauded VBCPS for always striving for excellence. “Our schools are the envy of the entire nation,” he said.
Want another look? Watch video of the groundbreaking. The VBCPS Facilities Services projects webpage has more information about this and other projects.
