| National School Nurse Day – From leading COVID-19 contact tracing to providing first aid to sometimes just offering a space for students to decompress, RPS school nurses are true heroes and we're incredibly grateful for them! We proudly recognized their work at our last School Board meeting and we recognize them again today, National School Nurse Day!
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| George Wythe Reimagined – Community members, students, and staff had a great STEM-focused community meeting for George Wythe Reimagined on Monday. From candy DNA to phone app physics, everyone got to explore the different ways we can learn and teach STEM. I hope you can attend one of our upcoming meetings next week!
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| Help Address Health Gaps in Our Community – The Richmond and Henrico Health Districts are looking for community members to join their Health Equity Fund Community Advisory Committee (HEF CAC) to help create innovative, community-led projects that address health inequities in our community. This is a paid opportunity so be sure to check it out!
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| STAY RVA Food Trucks for Teachers & Staff – Tomorrow is Day 2 of STAY RVA offering delicious free meals from local food trucks to our teachers and staff in recognition of their extraordinary service. Reserve your spot today and consider donating to cover a meal. Thank you!
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| C-FIT Housing Series – The first session in our Housing Education Series is tomorrow, May 12. The RPS Center for Families in Transition and Virginia Housing are working to help RPS families access the resources and information they need to stay in our community and thrive. Sessions on both homeownership and renting will be available in English and Spanish via Zoom.
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I would like to shout-out Ms. Battle, the counselor at Henry Marsh Elementary School, who planned and executed an extraordinary STEAM Innovation Fair last week for all of our students. My class had an amazing day. Some of their favorites were: seeing firsthand how milk got from the cow to their refrigerator – yes they saw a cow being milked! Then they got to help operate a robot with the help of the Maggie Walker Robotics team and they even got to pet a horse from the police department. Thank you, Ms. Battle!
- I would like to shout-out to my administrators at Broad Rock Elementary School. Mrs. Green, Mrs. Petrey, and Mrs. Williams are the best principals I have ever had the privilege to be employed under. They are the reason that I love my job. Each one of these ladies is gifted and leads in such a way that makes everyone feel at ease. I wish all three of them could get principal of the year. They all deserve it. Thank you, ladies!
- I would like to send a shout-out to Mrs. Rubinos, Mrs. Castillo, and Mrs. Cox at Broad Rock Elementary School. These ladies make our school run smoothly. They are so sweet and always willing to answer questions and help. They deserve an award. Thank you!
- I would like to recognize an RPS employee that exceeds the cliche "wears multiple hats". It would minimize how hard she works and what she really does on a daily basis. A mere cliche cannot begin to frame up her work ethic – not only does she "wear multiple hats", but she also performs the duties of several jobs outside of her contracted job title as the assistant principal. Dr. Javan Jefferson of the THRIVE Credit Recovery Program performs duties daily outside of that of the assistant principal to ensure that the THRIVE program is functional and that the THRIVE scholars receive the best education that she can provide. Some of Dr. Jefferson's daily responsibilities include those of a principal, office associate, exceptional teacher, school social worker, and financial supporter. Your multiple roles do not go unnoticed. The THRIVE scholars and staff appreciate all that you do.
- I wanted to take just a minute of your time to highlight an individual working at Henry Marsh Elementary School. Her name is Molly Glover and she is a social worker working for RBHA in the Richmond Public School system. Molly has worked with students at MLK Middle School and Henry Marsh Elementary. Molly's commitment to her students/clients is evident in all she does. Thank you for your time and for all you do and have done for RPS.
- I would like to congratulate Mrs. Elvira Barron-Rojas, STC at Huguenot High School, on passing the licensure exam to become a licensed professional counselor. This accomplishment could not have come to a more dedicated person. Hats off to you, Mrs. E.
- I want to shout the Exceptional Education Team at Barack Obama Elementary School! Ms. Fields and Ms. Dixon are phenomenal teachers that truly make a difference in the lives of their students. From September to now, I have witnessed firsthand their students' progress with varying abilities! Their classroom is welcoming and warm, and you can tell they teach with love. Also, they do all of this with remaining 100% compliant in all special education processes. Principal Moore and Assistant Principal Drye, this speaks volumes to your leadership. Thank you for all that you do to create an inclusive school culture!
- Special shout-out to Shannon Bryant, the school counselor at G.W. Carver Elementary. On many occasions, I have observed her flexibility and willingness to help every student, whether it is through community visits or taking students home and supporting testing. It is a breath of fresh air to see how determined she is to see students succeed.
- Spring has sprung at Elizabeth Redd Elementary School. The teachers and staff are creating a beautiful learning environment both inside and out. Students were happily surprised as they found eggs throughout the grounds. Our teachers created beautiful spring bulletin boards to enhance the joy of learning and teaching. We are roaring away here at Redd. Thank you, teachers, students, and staff for your dedication and love.
- Please shout-out our wonderful school nurses and school health services staff in recognition of National School Nurse Day. Our knowledgeable staff continuously serves as the bridge between education and healthcare, by facilitating health equity and quality improvement. They promote student wellness by acknowledging social determinants of health while engaging in holistic care coordination with parents and community-based providers. Not a day goes by that we are not overly impressed by their unwavering compassion, staunch advocacy, and commitment to serving our wonderful students here in RPS. Thank you, RPS Health Services, for all that you do!
- May is Lupus Awareness Month and I would like to thank my coworkers at Woodville Elementary School for wearing purple and showing their support today for Lupus Awareness Day (May 10). It means a lot because it's an invisible disease I struggle with daily. #thewoodvilleway
- I’d like to give a shout-out to my fellow healthcare professionals – the occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech therapists. All of you are amazing with our students and I want to shine a light on all of you as I think we can at times blend into the background.
- I would like to shout-out Amanda Akrie who is the nurse at Blackwell Preschool. Nurse Akrie is knowledgeable, kind, and hardworking! She is phenomenal with the staff and students! She is a wonderful addition to our staff! We love you to the moon and back!!
- Shout-out to the fabulous librarians at River City Middle School. We can always count on Ms. McQueen and Ms. Hayes to be there to help students and staff with whatever need may arise. We are so lucky to have you!
- Shout-out to Ms. Wood, environmental education teacher at Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts. PHSSA participated in the National Science Bee for the first time and with Ms. Wood's excellent coaching, 9 students qualified to advance to the finals in Florida. All the participating students had an excellent time learning about science and having fun while doing it!
- Tremendous shout out to Na-Keisha White, Candiece Bourne, Karrell Smith, Maria Hardwick, and the entire RPS School Health Services team for their unyielding commitment to keeping our students and staff safe and healthy. Our team works tirelessly to promote healthy choices, connect families to healthy homes, support the sick, and advocate for those who need a strong voice. Thank you for all you do each day as we celebrate our health care team on National School Nurses Day under the theme "Bridging Healthcare and Education." Thank you for being our bridge.
- Shout-out to Ms. Diaz, 6th grade lead teacher, Mrs. Harris, and AP Mr. Smith at Lucille Brown MS for all of their work organizing a fantastic field trip to the zoo for the sixth grade team. Our students loved it and it was a well earned outing for them!
- Shout-out also to Ms. Watson, Mr. Gaskins, Ms. Johnson, Ms. Behsudi, and the rest of the sixth-grade exceptional education team for all of your hard work supporting our scholars. It does not go unnoticed!
- Shout-out to Ms. Randall at RVA. She is an innovative teacher and her scholars are growing and glowing with her at the helm.
- Shout-out to Ms. Davis at RVA. When I visited her class yesterday all of her scholars were engaged and participating, but most importantly, when I entered the room they all stopped and welcomed me in. Hoot Hoot to Ms. Davis and her scholars!
- Shout-out to Ms. Hosick at RVA for providing us with a mindfulness break and yoga practice during a staff meeting. It was much needed. Hoot Hoot.
- I'd like to shout-out Kakim Fung at George Wythe High School. He has gone above and beyond (literally burning the midnight oil) helping the 21st Century Community Learning teams prepare for new grant applications and monitoring visits. We could have not done this process without him!
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| Policy Pathways Summer Academy – Richmond high school students and young adults (up to age 25), if you're looking for an exciting summer experience focused on real-world policy issues, check out the Summer Academy for Policy Leadership and Public Service. Full scholarships are available for RPS high school students. Apply by May 15!
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| RVA Men Teach HBCU Residency – I'm thrilled to share that our very own RVA Men Teach is partnering with Virginia State University and Virginia Union University to launch an HBCU Teacher Residency program! Black and Latino male residents will serve as long-term substitute teachers in RPS next year while taking courses at VSU and VUU to complete a master's in elementary or special education FREE OF CHARGE.
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| RPS Preschool and Kindergarten Enrollment – RPS preschool and kindergarten enrollment is happening now! Enroll your 3 and 4-year-olds in our free, high-quality preschool program, and your 5-year-olds in kindergarten. Please also remember, if your student is currently in RPS preschool, they will still need to enroll for RPS kindergarten.
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| Important Links – Last updated on April 12, 2022.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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