Wednesday, March 29, 2023
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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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| Opportunities Hub – Don't forget to check out our Opportunities Hub for exciting new scholarships, internships, summer programs, and a variety of other opportunities. Don't delay – deadlines for some programs are fast approaching. If you'd like to share an opportunity with our students, please email opportunity@rvaschools.net. Thank you!
The following opportunities are currently available:
- Mayor's Youth Academy (deadline 3/31)
- VCU Summer Camp in Philosophy
- MEDRVA 2023 Virtual Science Fair
- Bernard Harris Math & Science Scholarship
- Policy Pathways to Life Abroad
- Policy Pathways Summer Academy
- High 5 Dreams Institute
- Young Writers Program
- Court of Appeals 2023 Student Essay Contest
- Richmond 34 Scholarship
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| Parent Advocacy Opportunity – Do you have a student with an IEP and you'd like to learn more about the special education process and how to advocate on your child's behalf? The Parent Education Advocacy Training Center, in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Education, is offering a free online training course. The training takes approximately six hours, and can be accessed anytime between April 3 - April 23.
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| Art Therapy Workshop – The Beauty Within Girls will hold an art therapy workshop for girls ages 9-13 on Saturday, April 22, from 10 am - 1 pm. Hurry – there are only 30 seats available for this free workshop. Register here or scan the QR code on the flyer below with your phone's camera.
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Shout-out to Judy Deichman, who brought the Lit Limo to Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary for the day to help us celebrate literacy! Every student got a book! Huge thanks to the OGBES reading team, who helped promote the event, coordinate students, and take pictures: Ms. Rudebusch, Ms. McCray, Ms. Ou, Dr. Hooks, and Ms. Bumpers. As always, shout-out to Ms. Resnick, who created and edited the schedule to accommodate all grade levels. We also appreciate the pictures and fun videos she made to capture the students' excitement. Shout-out to Ms. Ivey for helping the preschool students select their books.
- Shout-out to Ian Johnson from Technology Services, who brought needed equipment to Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School to ensure that computer carts are properly functioning so that student Chromebooks are ready to go each morning. He also fixed a cart which needed service for a while; thanks for figuring out the problem and finding a solution. Ian is always positive in his communications and willing to help staff members to support students. Thanks to Ian Johnson for always, always being willing to listen to technology concerns and finding ways to assist staff. You are the best!
- Shout-out to Lisa Harrison, head school counselor and exceptional education counselor at Huguenot High School. Lisa attends all IEP/504 meetings, and when she cannot, she provides data to answer any parental/guardian or student questions. Ms. Harrison brings to the table all assessment data, SOL scores, and other needed information as students transition from one grade level to another and prepare to graduate. Our IEP/504 meetings run smoother and more efficiently with our school counselor in attendance. Thank you, Lisa, for all that you do for our department.
- Shout-out to Deidra Starkes for being an absolutely exceptional colleague! She responded to a last-minute request with speed, kindness, and humor. Deidra flat-out makes things happen!
- Big shout-out to the C-FIT team! Vanessa Johnson, Takita Brown, and Sandra Bullock-Lomax are a small but mighty team. They are quick to respond to assistance requests and always kind and respectful when working with families experiencing housing instability.
- I want to give praise, congratulations, love, and gratitude to Crystal Clark at Mary Munford Elementary! Not only is she an incredible educator, colleague, and friend every day, but she just planned and executed an incredible STEM night for our school. Our students were so happy and learned from community leaders, teachers, and fellow students. It was an enriching experience, well-organized, and lots of fun! Crystal puts so much thought and effort into everything she does.
- A huge shout-out to our student support specialist, Ms. Sanchez, at Lucille Brown Middle School! Thanks for all your support!!
- I would like to send a huge thank you to Aimee Sobon. Aimee has been such a great help to the science teachers and students at Thomas Jefferson High School.
- I would like to thank the Lucille Brown Math Team (McKay, Graf, Brownlee, Owens, Bryant, Meadows, Dickerson, Brown, Dacosta-Kaufman, McLaughlin, Robinson, Matney, and Jackson) for making Pi Day (3.14) a success! From the t-shirts to costumes to the cafe meal (Pizza Pie) and cross-curriculum fun activities, the students had a great time celebrating Pi!
- Thank you to Angela Wright and the staff at Fairfield Court Elementary for including some of the Facilities staff in their appreciation luncheon. It is always nice to be recognized and rewarded for the behind-the-scenes work we do. The food was delicious and the staff were so kind.
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| Early Commitment Bonuses – We're now offering bonuses of up to $12,000 for new hires who sign their commitment letters by Monday, May 1. If you know of a great teacher who might like to join the RPS team, please tell them to apply now!
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| 2023-24 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment – Preschool and kindergarten enrollment is underway! We offer preschool for eligible 3 and 4-year olds, and kindergarten for all 5-year-olds living in Richmond. If your student is currently enrolled at an RPS preschool, they will still need to register for kindergarten. For more information, please email enrollrps@rvaschools.net. If you enroll your child now, they'll be entered into a raffle to win a bike!
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| 2nd Annual RPS Shines – We're thrilled to announce that nominations are now open for our 2023 division awards for RPS staff, including the Lucille Brown Impact Award, Rodney A. Robinson Equity in Education Award, Principal of the Year Award, and Support Staff of the Year Award. Review the award details and complete your nomination by Friday, April 14. We can't wait to celebrate all the winners – including our 2023 Teachers of the Year – at our 2nd Annual RPS Shines on Tuesday, May 23!
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| RVA Men Teach Conference – The first-ever RVA Men Teach Conference will be held on Saturday, April 15 from 8:30 am to 3 pm at Huguenot HS. Conference breakout sessions, led by some of our dynamic male minority educators here in RPS, will showcase the ground breaking work being done in the city. There will also be panel discussions on 21st century education issues, an RPS hiring fair (with on-the-spot interviews), and free CPR certification classes for RPS teachers. Registration is free and open to all RPS teachers.
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Important Links – Last updated on March 20, 2023.
RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
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