| Tuesday, September 12, 2023
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| September Student Representative – Many thanks to our September student representative to the School Board, Josue Ayala Calderon from Huguenot HS, for sharing his heartfelt story with us during last night's meeting. Josue is a sophomore at Huguenot HS, where he participates in the HHS Academy, a club that celebrates Latino and Hispanic culture. He loves music and his favorite genre is punta, a form of Afro-indigenous dance and cultural music originating in the Caribbean Island of Saint Vincent and The Grenadines. In his spare time, Josue enjoys playing the congas and drums. Upon graduation, Josue plans to pursue a four-year degree and hopes to design computer software and applications related to his musical interests. Thanks again, Josue!
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| Athletics Events Update – We've updated our safety protocols for athletic and other major after-school events. Anyone 17 and under must now be accompanied by an adult, with no more than 4 young people per adult. Additionally, loitering on school grounds, including parking lots, will not be permitted. These changes will go into effect immediately.
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| Imagination Library – Read to Them, in partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, is providing Richmond families with very young children the opportunity to build a home library for their little ones. Every month, Imagination Library will mail a high quality, age-appropriate book to your household for free. Children "graduate" the program at age five. Visit their website to sign up!
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| CPR Anytime Kits – I'm thrilled to share that RPS middle school students will now receive CPR and AED training in their Health/PE classes! Enormous gratitude to Cigna and the American Heart Association for their support of this program and for stopping by River City MS last week to deliver the CPR kits. While we're talking about CPR, if you need a refresher, here are some instructional videos for administering hands-only CPR in English and Spanish. Stay safe, RPS!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Huge shout-out to Ms. Bracey and Ms. Upshaw-Barnes - our two new annual substitutes at Elizabeth Redd Elementary School. They have hit the ground running with various assignments since their first day here and taken it all in stride! We are thankful to have them join the Lion Pack!
- I need to show major appreciation for Angalyn Jones, IA at Elizabeth Redd Elementary School. Hands down she is one of the hardest workers in the building, and she has made significant gains with her students over the course of the past two years. We are so lucky to have her!
- I wanted to shout-out Dr. Hopkins for all of his help here at Albert Hill and for learning to play the guitar with my 6th grade beginner guitar class – he is a rock star! It is so humbling to be a beginner again, and he is showing the sixth graders how to do it.
- Sending a huge thank you to Ariana Trickey, ETI who supports Amelia Street School. Ms. Trickey's willingness to provide support for the team at Amelia is incredible. She is a wonderful resource and even if she is not sure how to get something done, she will quickly find out how. We appreciate all of her contributions to our team.
- Shout-out to Ms. Dorsey at Miles Jones for doing a fantastic job outside at dismissal time. Thanks for helping the students get to their pickup rides in a safe and timely manner. Your smile and kindness are greatly appreciated. On the hottest days you continue to smile and keep a great attitude. You are a great asset to Miles Jones Elementary.
- Shout-out to Ms. Wilson, 2nd grade teacher at Linwood Holton, for the exciting learning environment and camaraderie already created. Loved hearing my daughter's enthusiasm and excitement about learning place value with donuts. Tons of smiles all around.
- Shout-out to Mrs. Durrette, 4th grade teacher at Linwood Holton, for creating a calm, challenging learning environment for her students. My daughter reports feeling ready and steady within the walls of Mrs. Durrette's class!
- Shout-out to Mr. Clark, music instructor at Linwood Holton, for bringing his incredible enthusiasm and experience to teaching kids at Holton! It's remarkable to hear my young students talk about beats, rhythm, and basic music theory not quite one month into the year! His passion is infectious.
- I would like to shout-out Dr. Mike Massa and Mr. Harshawn Green at Huguenot High School. Dr. Massa is doing an excellent job as interim principal! He shows he cares about us, he tells the students and the staff that he loves us, and if you go to him with an issue, he tries his best to solve it or he will find a way to make the issue better for all of us. Dr. Massa is visible throughout the day even with his heavy load of responsibilities. Mr. Green had big shoes to fill when we lost Ms. Patron. Mr. Green has filled those shoes in an enormous way! He listens, hears, and will take care of the situation brought to his attention. He is, as the saying goes, "Johnnie on the spot!” I feel Ms. Patron would be proud of this young man!
- Big shout-out to the whole East End CIS team (and especially Ms. DePriest at MLK, Ms. Hodges at Bellevue, Ms. Korb at Woodville, and Ms. Johnson at Fairfield Court) for collaborating to support a family after a house fire. The site coordinators took the initiative to pull together and collect needed supplies from all of the school CIS clothing closets, our faith community partners, and school leadership teams to enthusiastically surround this family with a community of support during a time of need.
- Shout-out to Ms. Wilson here at George W. Carver Elementary School. She is a phenomenal kindergarten teacher who goes over and beyond for her students every day. She is positive light not only to her grade level but for everyone here at Carver Elementary.
- Shout-out to Ms. Green - Grade 4, Mrs. Stafford - Grade 2, Ms. Siders - Grade 3, Ms. Nicer - Grade 5, and Ms. Mackenzie - Grade 5 at Overby-Sheppard Elementary School for their awesome classroom protocols, engaging instruction, and leadership.
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| School Immunizations – RPS Health Services has scheduled a series of school-based immunization clinics. If you would like for your child to be vaccinated at one of these clinics, 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.
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| Road to Licensure – Join us for the RPS Road to Licensure Fair on Saturday, September 30, from 9 am - 1 pm at Huguenot HS. This is a great opportunity to learn more about the requirements for teacher licensure and to speak with representatives from the RPS Talent Office and local universities. Attendees will also be able to participate in onsite interviews. To register, click on the flyer or scan the QR code below with your phone's camera.
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| Teach With Love at RPS – We hire all year long so if you know of a great teacher who might like to join the RPS team, please tell them to apply now. We're offering bonuses of up to $12,000!
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| RPS Advisory Councils – As a reminder, applications are now open to join my 2023-24 advisory councils. These groups advise me and the RPS leadership team, advocate for RPS, and help us achieve our goals. This year, our advisory councils will play an important role in helping develop our new strategic plan, Dreams4RPS 2.0 (more details on that process soon). Please visit our website for additional information.
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| Lit Limo Fall Schedule – Check out the newly updated Lit Limo schedule. This is the perfect time to fall (get it?) in love with reading!
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| Student Wellness and Mental Health Support – Please note the resources below and remember that we love you here and you are not alone.
- Students who need emergency mental health support should call the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority at (804) 819-4100 or the ChildSavers Immediate Response line at (804) 305-2420 (or send a text to 741741).
- Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center provides education, advocacy, and support to Spanish-speaking individuals affected by violence. The 24/7 hotline in Spanish is (888) 969-1825.
- The Trauma Healing Response Network is a coalition of grassroots, community-based organizations and mental health partners that provide support services to families and communities impacted by gun violence. The network can also facilitate the distribution of emergency relief funds to help those in crisis. For more information, email traumahealingresponsenetwork@gmail.com.
- RPS employees in need of emergency support should contact the Cigna 24/7 Crisis Line at (833) ME-CIGNA, or (833) 632-4462. Additional counseling and support services are also available through the Cigna Employee Assistance (EAP) program by calling (800) 544-6931.
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| RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
Health and Wellness Links
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