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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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| School Construction Grants – Some great news to share! We just received word that the state has awarded RPS four school construction grants:
- $20 million to begin the process of turning the Maury Street property that we own (old Altria building) into a new, high-tech CTE high school.
- $5.6 million for the rebuilding of Fox ES. This is in addition to the insurance payout and the $15 million from Mayor Stoney and City Council. In short, we're now all set for the Fox rebuild.
- $1 million for Henderson MS and $1 million for J.L. Francis ES to begin switching from open-space floor plans to more traditional plans (i.e., building walls :). While this isn't enough money to complete the transformation, it's enough for a solid start.
I have to shout out now-Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, as she sponsored the legislation in 2020 (when she was a State Senator) to create the Virginia Commission on School Construction and Modernization. That commission recommended the grant program that funded the awards we just received. I also like to thank our School Construction and Grants teams for their work in securing these grants. All in all, a phenomenal team effort!
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| Honoring Our Retirees – Last Saturday, we had the great honor of recognizing our retirees at a wonderful breakfast event on the U of R campus. We have 83 retirees this year, who have dedicated an astounding 1,967 years of service to RPS! Many thanks to School Board Vice Chair Mrs. Cheryl Burke and School Board Member Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed for joining the celebration. To our retirees, we love you and wish you only the very best in your retirement. And if you ever get the itch, don't hesitate to come on back to tutor, sub, or just volunteer :).
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| Teach With Love at RPS – If you or someone you know is interested in joining the RPS team, sign up to attend one of our Virtual Teacher Hiring Events happening tomorrow, May 17, and Thursday, May 18. Register here and visit our website to submit your application. Don't forget: if you sign your commitment letter by June 1, you're eligible for up to $12,000 in signing bonuses.
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| AHMS Yard Sale – This Saturday, May 20, stop by Albert Hill MS from 8 am - 1 pm for the PTA yard sale. The student bake sale will begin at 8 am and food trucks will be on site from 10 am - 1 pm. Hope you can make it!
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| RTC Community Day – The Richmond Technical Center will hold a Community Day this Saturday, May 20, from 10 am - 1 pm. This is a great opportunity for students to learn about the offerings at RTC and enjoy great food, prizes, and more!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I'm a 10th grader at Franklin Military Academy and I would like it if you could shout-out Major David Corey, our band teacher, for all the hard work he’s put in. I know for a fact that students are able to go to him personally about music or life and he always does his best to lead us on the right path. He’s put in hours and hours of work writing, composing, and preparing solos and band arrangements for students. He also spends his time helping us perfect those pieces for auditions and performances. He’s an amazing musician but also knows how to let his students shine. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Major Corey!
- Happy Educational Bosses Week to my friend and my partner in leadership, Mrs. Jennifer K. Moore! Serving Barack Obama Elementary School with you is truly an honor and a joy! Keep shining!
- Shout-out to Ms. Claudia Hill, instructional assistant, who goes the extra mile each and every day on the kindergarten hallway. She does an amazing job with our scholars and has awesome relationships with staff and parents. We appreciate the energy she brings each and every day!
- Extra love in Room 114 at Fairfield Court Elementary can be felt every day because of Mrs. T. Wright & Ms. P. Jiggets. They do an amazing job with their students and help build a wonderful climate & culture inside their room, in the hall, and among their colleagues and each other. If you need an extra dose of positivity, they always have smiles to share. #EaglePride
- Shout-out to Ms. Wood & Ms. Boldin for the great food and tokens of appreciation last week. Shout-out to the Career Day and Field Fun Day committee. Thank you, Mr. Baker and Ms. Austin, for cooking the burgers and dogs.
- I would like to give a big shout-out to Rebecca Ceja, intensive support coordinator, and our partners at SOAR 365 for allowing the students at Huguenot High School to use their facility to pack the material kits for ESY. This opportunity allowed students to feel what it was like to be in a work environment where they could showcase their strengths. They were excited when they arrived and proud of themselves when they left. Thank you for giving them this opportunity!
- Mr. Akdabi Ingram has been a great asset to the Amelia Street School the entire school year. We can always count on his prompt response with technology assistance. Mr. Ingram is our "Johnny on the Spot" and we are forever thankful.
- The third-grade team at Cardinal Elementary would like to recognize our amazing math coach, Ms. Welton- Boxley. She has worked hard to ensure that our teachers have the tools they need to help our students be successful.
- I would like to send a shout-out to Chloe Grant at Binford Middle School. Ms. Grant is a fantastic teacher who goes above and beyond for her students and school. She works hard to build a class community and let students know they are in a safe place. Ms. Grant is professional, dedicated and caring!
- Special shout-out to Ms. Hayes and everyone else at Maymont Preschool who helped put together the first annual Sneaker Ball! Seeing the kids and parents all dressed up was so fun. Another shout-out to Ms. Mosby for making the corsages/headbands, and RPD for DJing the event.
- Thank you, Linwood Holton teachers and staff, for the wonderful video to encourage our kids to do their best on their SOLs! My 2nd grade child watched the video over and over again and said, “Everything they say in the video is exactly true.” I agree, Linwood Holton teachers and students are the best!! You got this, 3rd - 5th graders!
- Shout-out to Ms. K. Harris and Mr. D. Turner with the REA for their continued advocacy and marvelous leadership! Hoot Hoot!
- Shout-out to Mrs. Terry & Mrs. Carter at RVA for being inclusive in all that they do in RVA, ensuring our scholars here at RVA receive FAPE! Hoot Hoot!!
- Shout-out to Dr. Robinson for enduring multiple challenges here at RVA but caring and standing in dignity & respect, all with a smile on her face! A constant advocate for RVA scholars and RPS scholars and being a servant leader to her staff here at RVA! Hoot Hoot!!
- Shout-out to Ms. Copeland at RVA for her willingness to stand in the gap! Hoot Hoot!
- Shout-out Ms. Pillard for stepping up to all challenges presented at RVA pertinent to homebound and finding scholar-centered solutions. Hoot Hoot!
- Shout-out to Mrs. Davis of RVA for her encouragement of all of her scholars at RVA and for being welcoming to all scholars, ensuring FAPE! Hoot Hoot!!
- Shout-out to Ms. Rudd at Maymount for her continued advocacy for her scholars!!! Hoot Hoot!
- Shout-out to Mr. Gail at MLK and Mrs. Tamara Williams for their constant encouragement! Once an RVA Owl, always an RVA Owl!!
- Shout-out to Ms. Carmen Brown for her fantastic work as a math coach! Hoot Hoot!!
- Shout-out to Ms. S. Behsudi, Ms. C. Johnson, Mrs. A. Bryant, Ms. J. McKay, and Mrs. DJ at Lucille Brown for their excellence!! Hoot Hoot!!
- Shout-out to all of the teachers on the RPS Teacher Retention Task Force for a successful teacher TownHall last week! Hoot Hoot!
- Shout-out to Rodney Robinson for his continued advocacy to ensure equity for all teachers and staff in RPS. Hoot Hoot!
- Shout out to Principals Delaney, Holomon and Winston and administrative staff for supporting the school nurse and the teachers last week during National Nurses Week and National Teachers Week. They provided an exciting activity for us every day. In addition, Ms Allgood's 1st grade class and Ms. Smith's special education class made beautiful posters celebrating school nursing. The collaboration and support between every staff member and our wonderful students makes G.H. Reid a great place to work.
- Shout-out to Dr. Volley for her quick and informative responses to emails as well as her support. Hoot Hoot!
- Shout-out to Mr. T. Williams and Ms. R. Switzer-Ellis in the Talent Office for their encouragement and advice! Hoot Hoot!
- I’d like to give a huge shoutout to Linwood Holton’s Ms. Turnage, Mrs. Harr, Mr. Patterson, Mrs. Edwards, Ms. Robinson, Ms. Joy, and Ms. Tam who worked so hard to give our students the experience of performing "The Little Mermaid Jr." for the spring play. They went above and beyond and the play was magnificent.
- I would like to shout-out Mrs. Colangelo at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School. My class has never been so excited to read a book until Dog Man arrived in their hands. We appreciate all of the footwork that went behind ensuring that the entire school received their very own copy. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
- Thank you so much, T. Slayton, for the amazing breakfast you organized and supplied the staff at Huguenot for Teacher Appreciation Week. I'd also like to thank the front office staff and the administrators for organizing and delivering special treats throughout the week. A special shout-out to Bon Air Baptist Church for always supporting our teachers and students throughout the year.
- Shout-out to the Linwood Holton teachers and staff who made such a hilarious and joyful music video to cheer on the students taking SOLs. Our kid is headed to middle school next year and I am sad that we won't be seeing so much of these shining faces and smooth dance skills! Hope that video was as fun to make as it was to watch.
- Congratulations to Principal Smith’s SOL positive behavior winners! These students exhibited excellent test taking behaviors! They were nominated by their teachers and received a variety of prizes!
- The school counseling department at Blackwell Elementary held its 1st Annual Moms & Muffins Event in the Cafeteria. Almost 50 moms, grandmas, aunts, & godmothers attended!
- Yesterday, our OGBES students and staff celebrated the start of SOL testing with an SOL Pep Parade. The non-testing PreK - 2nd graders cheered on our testing 3rd - 5th grade students. After the parade, Principal Smith gave a pep talk to all the students who will be taking the SOL test over the next few weeks and encouraged them to do their best, use their strategies, and be on time...We had a blast and know our students will do their best on the test!
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| Decision Day Announcements – Class of 2023, please keep sharing your Decision Day news with us at outreach@rvaschools.net. Thank you!
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| 2023-24 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment Events – Join us for our upcoming preschool and kindergarten enrollment events. For more information, please email enrollrps@rvaschools.net. All children enrolled while at the event will be entered into a raffle to win a bike!
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| 2023 Summer Programs – We're beginning to hire for our summer programs. See the flyer below for details and apply today!
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Important Links – Last updated on April 14, 2023.
RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
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