| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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Fine Arts Festival Wrap-up – Enormous gratitude to everyone who came out this past Saturday for the seventh-annual RPS Fine Arts Festival! It may have been rainy and gray outside, but inside, it was bursting with color and creativity. And I'm not just talking about our students' visual art. The All-City Elementary Choir, All-City Elementary Harp/Band/Orchestra, All-City Marching Band, Guitar Ensemble, and dance/theatre students also showcased their abundant talents!
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School Immunizations – RPS Health Services will hold several school-based immunization clinics this week: tomorrow, March 12, at Albert Hill MS, and Thursday, March 14, at Richmond Alternative School and Dogwood MS. If you would like for your child to be vaccinated, please return the completed consent form to your school nurse in English or Spanish. These immunizations are mandated by Virginia law so please make sure to take care of them ASAP. See the flyer below for locations and times.
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Third District Budget Meeting – Board member Kenya Gibson will hold a Third District Budget Town Hall this Wednesday, March 13, from 6 - 7:30 pm at Barack Obama ES, to discuss the FY25 budget. To review the budget, scan the QR code below or visit our website.
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Wellness Expo – The Links, Inc. will host the Black Family Wellness Expo on Saturday, March 16, at Martin Luther King, Jr. MS. Stop by anytime from 12 - 4 pm for a day of health and wellness, children's activities, raffles, and more!
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2024-25 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment – Preschool and kindergarten enrollment will begin on Monday, March 18 – exactly one week from today! We're thrilled to offer preschool for eligible 3 and 4-year olds, and kindergarten for all 5-year-olds living in Richmond. Please note: 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.
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Teacher Ambassador Program – Amazon is currently accepting applications for their paid Future Engineer Teacher Ambassador Program. Ambassadors will work in partnership with Amazon to help promote science and engineering in schools. The deadline to apply is Monday, March 25. For more information, please visit their website.
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With great appreciation,
Jason
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Shout-Outs – Please help us continue to inspire and uplift the RPS community by submitting shout-outs to shoutouts@rvaschools.net. Entries can be submitted in Spanish or English!
- Huge shout-out to the wonderful Encore teachers who worked hard all day to provide an amazing Virginia Reads One Book kickoff at the Marvelous Miles Jones Elementary School! Thank you, Ms. Cunningham, Ms. DeYoung, Ms. Dorsey, Ms. Evans, and Mrs. Stallings, for all your hard work and for always supporting reading! We love you!
- Happy belated National School Social Work Week to the amazing school social worker at J.H. Blackwell Elementary School, Mrs. Chapman. We are truly thankful to have you and all the support you give to our students, families, and school community. Thank you for all you do!
- Shout-out to CIS Site Coordinator Ms. Ashley Edmonds at Blackwell. You are "pawsitively" awesome!
- Shout-out to Ms. Godley at George W. Carver ES for all that you do for your classroom. You are truly an amazing 3rd grade teacher. Your hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed. Thank you for being patient and loving to our students. You are continuously pushing them to be better and prepare for the next grade level. You are appreciated! Shout-out to Ms. Dilligard at Carver ES. You are an amazing person and educator here at Carver nation. You always show up and out for your students and your team. You always do what is asked of you. Your students have truly grown and progressed this school year due to your amazing instructional practices. Thank you for all the hard work that you put in to ensure that our students are prepared for the next phase of their life. You are truly appreciated! And shout-out to the most kind, loving, and patient educator here at Carver ES, Ms. Jones. Ms. Jones is a first grade teacher here at Carver nation. You never cease to amaze us. You always have a joyful smile on your face that is contagious whenever someone walks past you. You are hardworking and dedicated to the success of your team and students. Just know you are appreciated!
- Shout-out to Mrs. Hunter Claiborne and Mr. Dade! Thank you for always going above and beyond to support the teachers at Frances McClenney Elementary School. Your willingness to help and constant support make a world of difference. You are both wonderful additions to our school community! The administration team at Frances McClenney has been doing a great job! Thank you for being supportive, listening, and receptive. Your dedication truly makes our school a better place to learn and grow.
- A huge shout-out to Elizabeth Dechent, director of the Albert Hill advanced harp ensemble. Ms. Dechent and Mr. Turner, orchestra director, collaborated to add the harp ensemble to the school orchestra for the state music assessment which was held last week. This is the first time harps were included in an adjudicated event. The judges made several complimentary remarks about the harps. The group received four superior ratings.
- Huge shout-out to Ms. Janice Gray, reading coach, at Blackwell Elementary School, for organizing an amazing week of events for Read Across America! Lieutenant Governor Winsome Earle-Sears, read a story to one of our kindergarten classes that was blended with an intricate science lesson about senses, using roses that she received as a gift. Additionally, thank you Ms. Janice Gray, Ms. Desiree Cotten, Ms. Latoya Thomas, and Mrs. Karrie Evans for making Kindergarten ExCell Night a grand success!
- Last week, Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears visited Blackwell Elementary School to help celebrate Read Across America Week! While visiting, she meticulously integrated a science lesson with a bouquet of red roses she received as a gift. The scholars used their senses (smell, touch, feel, sight and hearing) to identify characteristics of a rose – it was phenomenal!
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| RTC Open House – Everyone is encouraged to check out the great things happening at the Richmond Technical Center during their upcoming open house. Stop by on Wednesday, March 13, from 6 - 7:30 pm, to learn more about opportunities available to students in our Career and Technical Education program.
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| RPS History Fair – The 2024 RPS History Fair will be held on Thursday, March 14, at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Mark your calendars to come out and support our students as they walk us through the "Turning Points of History." The fair will begin with a gallery walk from 5 - 6 pm, followed by an awards program from 6 - 7 pm. Hope you can make it!
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Tutor Recruitment – Are you a retired teacher, college student/recent grad, or community member interested in supporting the academic success of our students? We're currently accepting applications for academic tutors to support our high-intensity tutoring program. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the RPS team, just visit our website to apply or scan the QR code below with your phone's camera. This work is going to take #AllofUs!
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| RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
Health and Wellness Links
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