| Monday, November 28, 2022
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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Before getting to tonight's updates, I'm heartbroken to share that we've recently lost yet another student to gun violence. Tyrae Clanton, a student at Huguenot HS, was caught in crossfire just before Thanksgiving. His teachers shared with me that Tyrae was a wonderful student who always left a smile on their faces. I ask that you keep his family and friends in your thoughts and prayers this evening.
If your student needs help processing this tragedy, please reach out to your school's counselor. Students who need emergency support should call the ChildSavers Immediate Response line at 804-305-2420 or send a text to 741741. RPS employees in need of emergency support should contact the Cigna 24/7 crisis line at 1-833-ME-CIGNA (1-833-632-4462). Additional counseling and support services are also available through the Cigna Employee Assistance (EAP) program by calling 1-800-544-6931.
Finally, please consider donating to our "Honoring the Memory Fund," which helps RPS families who have lost a student with funeral costs, co-pays for mental health support, and any expenses incurred for taking time off work to grieve. (Please make sure to select "Honoring the Memory Fund" in the designation pull-down menu.) Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Tonight's updates:
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| 2023-24 School Applications – The application window for families to submit Specialty School and Governor’s School applications for the 2023-24 school year closes at 4:30 pm on Thursday, December 1. We unfortunately cannot accept late applications for any reason. Please plan accordingly. For more information, visit our website or email enrollrps@rvaschools.net if you have additional questions.
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| Winter Health Town Hall – Stay healthy this winter by staying informed! Join RPS and the Virginia Department of Health for a virtual town hall to get the most up-to-date seasonal health information for your community. You can join the livestream on Wednesday, November 30, at 6 pm, in English or Spanish.
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| Grocery Delivery Drivers Needed – We need a few more volunteers for our grocery delivery program. Sign up to bring groceries to RPS families experiencing housing instability this Thursday, December 1, or next Thursday, December 8. Thank you in advance for your help!
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| Professional Development Opportunity – The National Math and Science Initiative is offering their Laying the Foundation professional development series – for free – to RPS high school biology, chemistry, math, and English teachers. And if you register by Friday, December 2, you'll receive a $200 honorarium! Email Jennaye Brown at jbrown@nms.org for more information.
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| Book Tasting at Fairfield Court ES – Fairfield Court ES recently held a "Book Tasting" for students and their families to browse and select books together. This delicious :) activity is just one of many happening across RPS to help develop a love for reading!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Shout-out to Katherine Jones, Holton PTA President, for opening the door to become partners with Fairfield Court Elementary School. We are excited about the amazing things we have planned to support the whole child and our Fairfield Court community!
- I am grateful for our assistant principal, Cornelius Smith, at Lucille M. Brown Middle School. He shows such compassionate care to both students and staff. Today, after students left, he made a heartfelt announcement that not everyone has family or friends to celebrate the holidays with and that he is available by email or text if we were feeling alone or needed someone to talk to. And I know he meant this because he leads with compassion and authenticity that is meaningful and rare, and I see it daily. Thank you, Mr. Smith!
- Shout-out to the staff at Binford Middles School who put on a wonderful Inlight show Monday night. There were wonderful displays across the curriculum!
- Shout-out to Ms. Pollard, the school counselor at Binford Middle. She is always there for students and parents to help guide them through the high school application process. I love that my kid has a person to talk to that knows and cares for them.
- Oak-Grove Bellemeade Elementary would love to shout-out Ms. Lauren Freeze, our school psychologist. Ms. Freeze is an absolutely wonderful person and is amazing at her job! She goes above and beyond for the Oak Grove students, and the students and staff love and appreciates her so much! Ms. Freeze makes students feel comfortable and loved and they cherish spending time with her. She comes in every day dedicated to our students and we are so thankful to have her as a colleague. Thank you, Ms. Freeze, for being so amazing!
- Shout-out to Michelle Lightfoot at Chimborazo Elementary! She is the voice and face of the school and leads it with so much energy and professionalism. Ms. Lightfoot's work is the definition of efficiency! It is like she is doing the work of two people and makes it look effortless!! We would not be the same school without her. The best!
- I am grateful to my newcomer students at George Wythe High School. They are a daily reminder to me of grace and resilience in times of adversity. They are teenagers, some of whom are separated from all known family members, all of whom are adapting to the challenges of a new language, a new school system, a new society, and a new life. They confront these challenges daily with dignity and humor. Many work jobs outside of school hours and must be exhausted, yet they come to class with a smile on their faces, ready for a hug at the door of the classroom. Some of their stories keep me awake at night with the burden of their sadness, but these students' insights into the vicissitudes of life have been the best, most humbling education for me during my career with RPS, and during these years of pandemic. Thank you, students.
- I’d like to shout-out our bus driver for the World Cup Event at T.C. Boushall Middle School, Chandra! She went above and beyond to make sure that every scholar got home safely! We Are so grateful for your commitment to our scholars, Chandra! Thank you!
- A big shout-out to Ms. Brenda Murray, Teacher of the Year at Boushall Middle School. We want to thank Ms. Murray for going above and beyond to care for our scholars and to meet their academic needs. Thank you for going above and beyond the call of duty. We see your hard work.
- Shout-out to the Fairfield Court ES cafeteria staff led by Clarence Round for their support with CIS for parent engagement for our Thanksgiving Family and Friends Feast. We had parents from each grade come to the school to eat with their/our amazing Fairfield Scholars and collaborate with our Trio Team, continuing to build authentic relationships.
- I'd like to shout-out Dr. Ramsey, director of athletics for RPS, and Dawn Page, 8th District School Board Representative, for all of their efforts towards the new tennis and pickleball courts at T.C. Boushall Middle School! They look great and our scholars are going to be so excited to play on them!
- I'd like to shout-out everyone who helped make the World Cup Event at T. C. Boushall Middle School such a shining success! Especially Mr. Pierce, Mrs. Fitch, and Mrs. Carver! Your hard work and tireless enthusiasm for our scholars do not go unnoticed!! But also Franklin Military Academy's color guard, recording artist Ru for singing the National Anthem, Lucille Brown's soccer team and coach, River City's coach and the players who came to help with the clinics, Boushall's coaches, Ms. Gonzalez and Mr. Lopez and their team, and all of the staff who made the day so much fun for everyone who came out! Thank you very much!
- I'd like to shout-out Angel Reynolds, student support specialist at T.C. Boushall Middle School. Her title really should be community support specialist, as she is always there for not only her students, but their parents, teachers, and staff as well! She truly is an "Angel!"
- I'd like to thank Ms. Hayes, school counselor, and Ms. Martin, CIS site coordinator, at T.C. Boushall Middle School for going above and beyond to make sure that our scholars have everything that they need to be successful. You both inspire me to be a better person!
- Shout-out to the entire Fairfield Court Elementary staff for the amazing work they do every day!
- Fairfield Court Elementary staff is thankful for the leadership Jennifer Ramsey has provided to support her colleague, Stephanie McAdams. We are excited about the other members of the EE team, Kailyn Small and Kevin Brown, who are awesome additions! The support staff builds collective efficacy to make an impact with our students.
- Thank you to Daniel Irwin, Sarah Reilly, Peyton Douglas, and Marjorie Buchanan for our meeting today to continue to build strength and support in our PBIS program at Fairfield Court Elementary! You are appreciated!
- Congratulations to Mrs. Lisa Jackson for being selected as the Teacher of the Year at Fairfield Court Elementary for the 23-24 school year!
- Ian Johnson on the Asset Management Team is always willing to go the extra mile. He serves with a smile and is very patient.
- Thank you to Ms. Robinson of Richmond Alternative School for a great Literacy Day event.
- Great Job to Ms. Jones and Mr. Patrick at RAS for kicking off our Middle School Karaoke Lunch and Feeding the Homeless initiative.
- Shout-out to Mr. Benjamin Siegel, River City's teacher of the year! There is no one more deserving of this award. He is a perfect example of what it means to teach, lead, and serve with love. Mr. Siegel's positive attitude brightens up any room he walks into and RCMS is so lucky to have such an incredible educator.
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| Important Links – Last updated on November 14, 2022.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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