| Wednesday, January 26, 2022
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| Calendar Reminder – We have a 2-hour early dismissal (no extended day) on Friday, January 28, and no classes on Monday, January 31. Classes will resume on Tuesday, February 1.
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| Budget Meetings – We're beginning our series of Budget Work Sessions TONIGHT at 6 pm. You can attend in person at City Hall or watch the livestream in English or Spanish.
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| RPS Live! – Due to the upcoming Budget Work Session this evening, we won't have RPS Live! tonight. See you all next week!
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| 2022-23 Open Enrollment Applications – The deadline for families to submit open enrollment applications for the 2022-23 school year is Tuesday, February 1, at 4:30 pm. Students can apply to up to 3 out-of-zone schools, plus Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts, if eligible, via the lottery. Please note that we will not accept late applications for any reason. Visit our website for more information.
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RPS Student at the General Assembly – Ivey from Binford Middle School is another incredible RPS student serving as a House Page this session. Ivey is proudly representing RPS and we're thrilled for her to have this opportunity – she even got a selfie with Delegate (and RPS parent + former Board Chair) Jeff Bourne!
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Red4Ed Wednesday – Check out the staff at Boushall MS showing their Red4Ed pride in honor of Educator Action Week! Make sure to reach out to your delegate and senator to advocate for RPS and all public schools in Virginia.
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Shout-out to Mr. Carias at George Wythe High School! Whenever we have a new student, he escorts them to class to introduce them to their new teacher. He connects with our students and is a friendly face around the building. His support for our students is unmatched and the kids know it!
- Shout-out to Mr. Pitt at George Wythe High School. Whenever I see him engage with our students, he’s always putting a positive spin on the conversation. He’s polite to everyone! It’s always nice to see him in the hallways!
- Shout-out to Major Corey at Franklin Military Academy. He has created a safe space in his band/orchestra room that allows for all of his students to be themselves. His empathy and compassion are evident in the relationships that he’s built with his students during this really hard year! Shout-out!
- Mr. Williams is an asset at Miles Jones ES! He has helped the kindergarten team with students on and off his caseload. Whenever you need him, he is there. Thanks, Mr. Williams.
- Mrs. Harper and Mrs. Reese are such wonderful teachers. They are a team of teachers who make Miles Jones ES a great place to work and grow. The students are learning so much. Thank you so much and stay amazing!
- Shout-out to Terrell Nichols (5th-grade science teacher at Westover Hills Elementary School) for his consistent use of the No-Nonsense Nurturer framework. His precise direction, positive academic narration, and sense of urgency maximized instructional time, which resulted in 100% of his students being engaged 100% of the time. He pushed his students to think critically and to learn collaboratively. Way to go!
- I would like to give a shout-out to Principal Gordon of Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School. He has been the definition of a champion these last two weeks as we navigated through student and staff absences. He covered classes and pulled intervention groups. Thanks for being a true example of "walk it how I talk it"!
- Shout-out to Monique Evans, our school counselor at Miles Jones ES. Thank you for helping students overcome obstacles and providing much-needed emotional support during this challenging year. Our students are so blessed to receive your listening ear and vital support. We appreciate you!
- Shout-out to Ms. Pamplin for being such a positive role model for our Miles Jones ES students! Thank you for everything you do, Mrs. Pamplin!
- I would like to shout-out the hardest working nurse in RPS, Kathryn Beaton! She is an MLK Preschool rockstar! Nurse Beaton takes care of everyone – staff, students and their families. She is constantly juggling covid cases, runny noses, bumps and bruises, weekend calls, and much more. Her bedside manner is impeccable, consistently calm and understanding. I don't know what we'd do without her. Thanks for all that you do, Nurse Beaton, from your MLK Preschool Family.
- We want to give a big shout-out and appreciation for our testing team here at Huguenot HS over the past few weeks. Mrs. Barron-Rojas, Ms. Wanda Anderson, Mrs. Kaylin Bryce and Mr. Christopher Barna have worked tirelessly to ensure a flawless logistical plan was communicated and facilitated. Even when things didn't go as planned, they stayed the course, re-evaluated, and charted a new course of action. These are the attributes needed for a successful school. We are truly grateful to have these individuals in our building and working with our students!
- Our Huguenot HS Care & Safety Associates are second to none. During the entire semester, we have counted on them to build relationships, de-escalate situations, and help maintain a positive culture in our building. During our testing season, they keep the hallways clear, noise to a minimum during testing, and even serve lunches for extended testing sessions. These actions go above and beyond the call of duty and their impact here is unsurpassed.
- Look no further than Fairfield Court Elementary for the amazing Nurse Enjoli Washington who continues to lead us through the pandemic with patience, passion, and professional drive. She is focused on making sure the admin team and staff have the most updated information on our health and safety protocols. What I also admire and respect about Nurse Washington is her CICO (check in, check out) system with students throughout the building. She has her pulse on the mental, social and emotional health of our students and collaborates with our support staff as well. Thank you, Nurse Washington, for your personal commitment of excellence and going above and beyond for the students, parents, and staff of FCES!
- I would like to recognize my principal, Ms. Smith of Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts. She is just awesome! She is always professional. She is always encouraging and supportive. This year has been challenging, but she has made it easier by being so flexible. She has been a great addition to PHSSA.
- Kudos to Ms. Gilbert-Greene and Ms.Vaughan at Blackwell Preschool. They are expectational teachers. They have helped my son to grow and mature tremendously in only a few months and they go over and beyond for our son and the others in his class. We greatly appreciate and love them so much.
- Ms. Claiborne, STC at Franklin Military Academy, is always willing to fill in wherever it is needed. She keeps all IEPs in compliance.
- Shout-out to Ms. Walker, history teacher, for volunteering to step in and take classes when coverage is low.
- Shout-out to Mr. Jamison for coordinating assessments with a smile and his calm demeanor.
- Shout-out to Dr. Banister for ensuring that every student has a Chromebook for testing.
- Shout-out to Ms. Frierson for working on the ever-evolving master schedule.
- Shout-out to all of the Franklin Military Academy staff who have been displaced and moved around to assist with SOL testing. You are appreciated!!
- I wanna say thank you to Donovan Robinson at Mary Scott for working hard and maintaining a safe and clean environment for the teachers and students. He is always going above and beyond to help out wherever he is needed.
- I would like to give a big shout-out to Fairfield Court Elementary School's assistant principal, Mrs. N. Henderson! During the absence of the principal, Mrs. Henderson continued to maintain the order of the daily operation. She is a great leader who shows compassion, loyalty and a true understanding of her staff. She is definitely appreciated!!
- Blackwell Elementary school counselor, Ms. Elizabeth Atkins, has transitioned into her position in a big way since her arrival this school year! Not only does she assist with morning intake by providing our students with a mask and a smile, but she checks in on our students daily with "good mornings" and greetings throughout the building. Her presence has been greatly appreciated and a much needed resource for our students' emotional health during this transitional school year.
- Shout-out to our River City Middle School Nurse Mary Schell! Besides managing Covid-19 contact tracing for 1500 students plus, she has all the normal school-nurse duties, as well as students coming to her all day for everything from water cups to band aids to new masks. For the 2021-22 school year, school nurses are the MVPs!
- A huge shout-out to Ms. Midyette and Mrs. Sherlip, Spanish teachers at Albert Hill MS, for putting on an awesome international night last week! We were able to log in from home and learn how to make arepas as a family – it was so fun!
- Shoutout to Mrs. Allgood at G.H.Reid Elementary, who leads with love, compassion and humor. She eats, sleeps and breathes love for her students, and seeing her celebrate successes inspires not only her students, but her coworkers.
- Shout-out to Ms. Daniel at Mary Munford ES. We are so thankful for your excellent communication, organization, and love. In this year of transition back into the classroom, your clear expectations, consistency and high bar have allowed my child to thrive. She comes home happy every day.
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| COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics – We have more vaccination clinics scheduled at our schools this week. If you haven't gotten your 1st, 2nd, or booster shot yet, please do so this week. Remember, everyone five-years-old and up is eligible!
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| R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence – Don't miss the opportunity to nominate your teacher for the R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence. Award winners receive grants up to $15,000 to support any professional learning adventure they wish to pursue, anywhere in the world! Nominations are open until February 22.
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| In-Home Vaccination – The Richmond City Health District is offering to bring vaccinations to your home if you can't get to a clinic (amazing!). See the flyers below for more information.
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| Testing at Richmond Raceway – The Richmond Raceway is serving as one of the state's COVID-19 Community Testing Centers (CTC). To make an appointment, click here and enter zip code 23222. The CTC operates at Gate 7, 4690 Carolina Avenue, and is open Saturdays - Tuesdays, from 9 am - 6 pm.
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| Important Links – Last updated on December 15, 2021.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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