| Friday, November 18, 2022
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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Happy Friday! Enjoy this "Feel Good Friday" edition of RPS Direct that highlights the many wonderful things happening around the division!
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| Aviation Institute Visit – Students from Armstrong HS, along with School Board Member Cheryl Burke and City Council President Cynthia Newbille, visited the Aviation Institute of Maintenance (AIM) in Norfolk where they flew drones and learned about aircraft. Thank you to Richmond's Office of Children and Families, Piedmont Regional Airlines, and AIM for sponsoring this amazing learning experience!
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| Science Experiments with Ms. Dwyer – 5th graders in Ms. Dwyer's class at Cardinal ES have had a busy year exploring science in action – from investigating electromagnets and static electricity to learning about renewable energy. The are DOING science, not just reading about it!
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| Boushall MS Harvest – Boushall MS 8th graders took their first field trip to Mt. Gilead Farm to learn about agriculture and harvest their own kale (330 pounds!) to bring back to their school, families, and community!
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| George Wythe Celebrates Attendance – This week, George Wythe HS celebrated over 300 students for their outstanding attendance over the first nine weeks. Big shout-out to their new interim principal, Mr. Olds, for diving right in!
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| Fall Fun at Maymont – Our littlest learners at Maymont Preschool had the biggest smiles at their recent Fall Fun Day, which included guest read-alouds, visiting a pumpkin patch, and enjoying a bounce house. The day was made extra special with School Board Member Stephanie Rizzi and Virginia Union University football players joining in on the fun!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I want to give the RPS Tech Department a huge shout-out for working so hard for RPS. Thank you!
- Shout-out to a special group from Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary who helped prepare Thanksgiving meal baskets in support of some of our families. Thank you to Ms. Merritte, Ms. Randell, Ms. Ivey, Ms. Branch, Ms. Martin, Ms. Carter, Ms. Simmons, Ms. Shannon, and the Bible Way Church family in Richmond. You all are the true Thanksgiving MVPs!
- Shout-out to Ms. Pace and Mr. Bland for putting together RCEEA's Annual Thanksgiving Luncheon. The Academy family appreciates your love and dedication to students.
- Thank you to all of the families who came out for our Turkey Trot yesterday! A special thank you to Mr. Hunt for creating a fun obstacle course and setting up games our families could enjoy together. Also, thank you to Ms. Gozzo, Ms. Emigholz, Ms. President, Ms. Matute, Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Bailey, Ms. Rouse, Ms. Smith, Ms. Jefferson, Ms. Hunt, Ms. Bonnie, and Ms. Simms for helping to make the afternoon a fun experience for our Tiny Tigers! You're great!
- Dr. Kalota Stewart-Gurley, thank you for taking the time to make the Head Start staff feel appreciated. We see you and appreciate all the thoughtfulness and positive energy you brought to us this week. Keep encouraging us and motivating us. It's nice to know that all the hard work I and my fellow Head Start team members do is not going unnoticed.
- Shout-out to Linwood Holton’s SPACE teacher Emily Hooker. She has gone above and beyond for her classes and this extra effort is felt by my son on a weekly basis. His time in her class is always his favorite part of the day! Thank you.
- Huge shout-out to Ms. Penn, assistant principal at Bellevue Elementary. Ms. Penn does a phenomenal job of supporting staff and students. I’ve come to her seeking advice and with many questions and she’s always willing to help. She follows through and her strong presence at Bellevue is very much appreciated!
- I’d like to shout-out Ms. Harris, school counselor at Bellevue Elementary. She is very welcoming and responsive to staff and student needs.
- Shout-out to the instructional assistants at Bellevue Elementary! They work hard and give so much support to teachers and students. They deserve a big thank you for all they do. Extra big thanks to Ms. Jafri and Ms. Battle for the support they provide to third grade!
- Shout-out to my teacher Ms. Paolino at Holton Elementary School for dealing with things in a calming way and being really nice to everyone. My whole class loves her. She’s caring, funny, smart, sweet, creative, and awesome. She is one of the best teachers ever. And she has an awesome dog. I will miss her so much.
- Shout-out to RCEEA students and staff. Students helped to prepare a meal to celebrate Thanksgiving with their teachers. It was a delicious feast!
- We lost a beloved pet over the weekend and during community circle at J.B. Cary we learned that our daughter shared her sadness and multiple kids comforted her, shared similar experiences, and told her "If there was anything they could do to help to let them know." This is all from 7 and 8-year-olds and is a stark reminder that these kids are watching how we treat one another and learning from us adults. Thank you, Ms. McAllister, for nurturing an environment where kids can be vulnerable, share their feelings and support one another, and thank you for taking the time to share it with me, as a parent it warmed my heart. Keep up the good work, you are a gift to our children and to our school.
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| 2023-24 School Applications – The application window for families to submit open enrollment, specialty school, and governor’s school applications for the 2023-24 school year is now open via the Enroll RPS Portal. Students may apply for:
- Any specialty school for which they are eligible (specialty schools include Franklin Military Academy, Open High School, Richmond Community High School, Governor’s STEM Academy at Richmond Technical Center, and the IB Diploma Programme at Thomas Jefferson High School (for rising 11th-grade students))
- Out-of-zone schools via the open enrollment lottery (maximum of three school choices)
- Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (charter school) via a separate open enrollment lottery (if eligible)
- Appomattox Regional Governor’s School and/or Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (the application for CodeRVA is managed separately by that school)
A few important notes:
- Families will have until 4:30 pm on December 1, 2022, to submit specialty and governor’s school applications, and until 4:30 pm on February 1, 2023, to submit open enrollment applications.
- We unfortunately cannot accept late applications for any reason. Please plan accordingly.
- As long as your application is submitted before the deadline, the timing of your submission will have no impact on the outcome.
- For more information, visit our website or email enrollrps@rvaschools.net if you have additional questions.
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| RPS Preschool Enrollment – We still have spots available in our 4-year-old classes at Blackwell Preschool and Mary Scott Preschool! Start your application today or email preschool@rvaschools.net with questions. Don't miss out on these openings!
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| Mindfulness Opportunity for RPS Staff – The Innerwork Center is offering another series of free mindfulness courses exclusively for RPS staff beginning December 6. See the flyer for additional information and register today!
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| Important Links – Last updated on November 14, 2022.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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