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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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| Updated COVID-19 Health & Safety Protocols – The federal government's emergency declaration for COVID-19 will expire tomorrow, May 11. It's hard to wrap my head around all we've been through over the past three years. In some ways, March of 2020 feels like yesterday; in other ways, it feels like more than a decade ago. But there's one thing I know for sure: the RPS family rose to the occasion and never gave up. Together, we kept students and staff safe, delivered millions of meals, launched a 1:1 Chromebook program in a matter of months, and fought every day for our young people in the face of unimaginable disruption, chaos, and fear. I couldn't be prouder.
As of tomorrow, we'll be on the other side of the official emergency. As a result, we've updated our health and safety protocols. But the impact of the pandemic is far from over. The academic and mental health toll on our students has been staggering. Case in point: as I shared recently, we're on track to have roughly 600 student suicide assessments this year, which is four times what we saw pre-pandemic. That's why sustained investment in our children and in our public schools is absolutely essential – perhaps now more than ever before. Keep up the fight at the General Assembly. Remember: the Senate's version of the budget would add $1 billion to the Commonwealth's schools while the House's would allocate that for tax breaks, which would largely benefit the wealthiest Virginians. Don't let the GA off the hook – our students' lives are literally depending on it.
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| 2023-24 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment Events – Join us for our upcoming preschool and kindergarten enrollment event tomorrow, May 11, from 12-4 pm at Lincoln Mews. 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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| Fox ES Rebuild – Yesterday, we celebrated the first truly visible sign of the Fox ES rebuild – the installation of the roof! Please join me in thanking Mayor Stoney for proposing $15 million in funding for the rebuild and the City Council for approving the request. Thank you also to Board Chair Stephanie Rizzi, Board Member Mariah White, Council Member Katherine Jordan, members of the Richmond Fire Department, Chief Operating Office Dana Fox, Principal Daniela Jacobs, and four Fox students for coming out to celebrate this critical milestone!
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| New Teacher Bright Spot – Tonight, we're highlighting Erica Essigman, third through fifth grade general education teacher at Amelia Street School. "Ms. Essigman has stepped into the role as our sole general education teacher for grades 3-5 at Amelia Street School. She has exceeded all expectations of a first year educator! She shows amazing patience and is a solid team member with her peers." ~ Principal Mark Jacobs
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| Stepping into the '70s – Last weekend, the Martin Luther King, Jr. MS Boys and Girls Club hosted a “Stepping into the '70s” prom. As you can see from the photos below, the students crushed it! It was such a success that they're going to plan their very own '70s fashion show. I can't wait!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Big shout-out to Nurse Thomas and Nurse People at Linwood Holton Elementary School!!!!! They are readily available to help as needed and they treat every child with so much love and respect. I am so grateful for their care!!!!!!
- I would like to shout out Ms. Henderson at PHSSA. Ms. Henderson was the substitute for my class so that I could chaperone a field trip. She did everything in my plans exactly as I had written, then extended the reading lesson with a fun and cute craft that reinforced the skill and allowed the students to express themselves creatively. When my students are with Ms. Henderson, I know that they’re safe, appropriately challenged, and cared for. Ms. Henderson is the kind of super special substitute that every building should have.
- I would like to shout-out Ms. Michael at PHSSA. Ms. Michael routinely goes above and beyond the call of duty. If she has a spare minute, I believe she’s thinking how she can be of service to others, whether that’s providing relief during testing or planning an engaging and differentiated schoolwide activity that all students have access to. Ms. Michael is the kind of teacher that makes a lasting impression, on both students and teachers alike.
- Shout-out to Nurse Parris!!! You are the best. The J.L. Francis staff loves you.
- Special shout-out today to the nurse at Blackwell for nurturing our students when there is an accident or unfortunate incident. Thank you for treating our students with love and care. Today I hope it is shown how much you are truly appreciated! Thank you for all of your hard work.
- Nurse Brandl from Binford Middle School is the best school nurse I have ever had the pleasure of working with. She has been a tremendous support since October with my scholar's medical diagnosis. Her patience, care, understanding, communication, and above all else, support, have way exceeded our expectations. Our time is up at Binford this year, and I just wish I could pack Nurse Brandl up and bring her to our new destination next year as her care and love will surely be hard to match! We love you, Nurse Brandl. Thank you so much for your love and support! You are always a great smile and welcoming person to my scholar each and every day – some days, multiple times! You will surely be missed!
- I would like to shout-out our school nurse, Ms. Sharon Scales. She is so loving, patient, and compassionate toward the students at MLK Middle. We are truly blessed to have her. Thanks for all you do, Nurse Scales! You are the best!
- I want to shout-out two of the best nurses on the northside of Richmond! Nurse Shannon Sims and Nurse Mooney, thanks for all you do!
- Nurse Beaton is the best nurse a school could have. Martin Luther King, Jr. Preschool Learning Center is so happy to have her. From coughs to fevers to passing out medication to caring for the adults in the building, she is there for us all. She is not just our nurse, but also our gardener. The children have learned about planting veggies and we all have enjoyed fresh salad. Thank you so much, Nurse Beaton, for your joyful spirit that is felt in our building.
- I would like to give a huge Teacher Appreciation Week shout-out to those teachers and staff members at George Wythe who work with the Bulldog Enrichment Academy students. Your dedication and hard work doesn't go unnoticed. Thank you, Catherine Few, Nicole Turnage, Abizue Rios-Santos, Joyce Ross, Ka Fung, Joy Moore, Christal Bacon, Lisette Kimbrough, Maria Hernandez, Tonya Brown-Fletcher, Renee Goode-Boyd, Monica McLean, Tonya Dixon, and Michael Brown.
- Thank you to the PHSSA testing team who completed their training for SOL testing. You are an awesome team and greatly appreciated. We are prepared and ready for our students to shine!
- Thank you to Principal Ms. Hudson and Assistant Principal Devaughn for supporting the SOL testing process and supporting our PHSSA staff, students and community!
- Thank you to our office administrator, Mrs Samantha Phillips, for all her efforts and diligent work at PHSSA! You are the best and are greatly appreciated!
- I would like to shout-out Mr. Glen for saying he's gonna do something and always making sure he does it. He always greets everyone, and the kids love and respect him and so does the rest of the Francis team. Thank you, Mr. Glen, for being who you are and bringing that to work each day.
- I would like to shout-out Mrs.Waddey at Francis ES. Mrs. Waddey is a fantastic teacher. I love that she teaches her students morals, principals and values! She loves on her students and cares about their success. Mrs. Waddey has patience and she cuts no corners. She's the real deal and I'm thankful for her!
- I would like to give a shout-out to Mrs. Agee-Wade here at Francis. When she says she's gonna do something, trust she's gonna get it done! She has so much patience, care and kindness. She makes sure her entire department is running smoothly, no matter what else she has to do and I am just amazed at how she gets it all done. She deserves this special shout-out during this special week. Thank you for always rocking it out!
- I would like to shout-out Ms. Shauntele Waller-Day for going above and beyond to help make the license renewal process smooth, efficient, and convenient. She handled a hiccup with grace and a lot of extra care. It made the situation less stressful and I wanted her to know how appreciated she is.
- Let's take a moment to appreciate our incredible school nurses and school health services staff for their specialized practice in school nursing. They work tirelessly to improve the safety, health, and academic success of all students, and are always available to help in many ways throughout the day. The school health services team adheres to high standards of practice, and the school nurses provide leadership, community/public health, and care coordination. They serve as a crucial link between healthcare and education, playing a pivotal role in achieving student success. We extend our heartfelt thanks to RPS Health Services for their invaluable contributions.
- Shout-out to our Nurse Gloria, our home-based nurse!! You are amazing and your giving goes beyond miles. Thank you for being such a major support for my homebound student!!!
- I want to thank Principal Latonya Waller at Thomas C. Boushall Middle School for the amazing start to Teacher Appreciation Week. Teachers were blessed with aromatherapy, painting and tea in our wellness room from SCAN. At the end of our Monday all teachers were blessed with delicious tasting fish, coleslaw and french fries. What a way to start work on Monday!!!!!!! Thank you!!
- I would like to shout-out Libbie Ryan. She is a first year exceptional education teacher at Chimborazo Elementary School. Although this is her first year as a teacher, she performs in the classroom as if she has been teaching for years! She is knowledgeable, diligent, creative, organized, and you can tell that she loves working with her students. And to top it off, she has exceptional classroom management skills. From lesson plans to classroom management, she is always ready and always pleasant. I have enjoyed working with Ms. Ryan this school year.
- Teachers at Armstrong High School were welcomed on Monday morning by the school's secretary, Mrs. Faniel, for Teacher Appreciation Week. She was standing outside our building with balloons and many assorted treats from our admin team. This greeting made us glad to be a part of the Armstrong High School family.
- I want to give a shout-out to one of our students at Huguenot, Ca'Miyah King, who was just showcased this week for being featured in the CIS national graduation campaign!
- I want to shout-out Nurse Martin and Nurse Miller.
- Shouting-out Nurse Rosa at Cardinal Elementary. She is the only adult I talk to on the phone during the school day as a teacher…often daily. She is endlessly positive, kind and compassionate to our students, and is extremely patient with the “frequent fliers” that need her attention, daily. Thanks so much for your love for our students.
- I want to give a huge shout-out to all the High School STCs – Happy Teacher Appreciation Week. Thank you for going above and beyond your duties with adding all of the SOL testing. Thank you soooo much!
- One of my best friends – Karen Meadows – tutors every day now at Carver ES. Karen is a lovely, caring person...I admire her.
- A big shout-out to Mrs. Carolyn Mitchell at MLK Middle. She is an unsung hero who showers us every day with grace, love and humor. She is an amazing colleague and friend who is an unwavering blessing to her students!
- A special thank you to Ms. Humphreys, Ms. Robinson, and the Girls on the Run team of volunteers at John B. Cary Elementary for conducting a practice 5K yesterday to prepare our girls for the culminating event. Your commitment and dedication have not gone unnoticed. You are appreciated!
- Ms. Henderson is always positive, engaging, and kind to everyone here at Cary Elementary. Thank you for being a ray of sunshine, Ms. Henderson!
- We had our Field Day this year at John B. Cary and it was such a success. Ms. Robinson put a lot of effort into planning it. Our students were introduced to the different stations prior to this event during their PE time. Everything was so spaced out and the students were enjoying themselves. Ms. Robinson, well done, and on a perfect day!
- I need to give a huge shout-out to Ms. Robinson for such an amazingly fun and organized Field Day! The kids loved each station and you could tell they had a blast. Thank you, Ms. Robinson, and all the teachers and parents who helped to make this year's Field Day a wonderful, active, and fun day at Cary Elementary!
- Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of the fabulous educators at the Richmond Virtual Academy! You are all amazing! Thank you again for all that you!
- I'd like to give a shout-out to the “marvelous” William Fox Elementary teachers – Ms. Wilcox, Ms. Keeling, Ms Faircloth and Ms. Hines. This team of teachers go above and beyond for the students. We appreciate you. You have made a huge impact. Thanks for all you do!
- A big shout-out to Sabrina Beamon for her incredible work with our federal stimulus funding. During our recent monitoring review with the Virginia Department of Education, we received positive feedback on our record keeping and met all program requirements! Thank you so much for your dedication to ensuring our funding is spent appropriately and timely.
- Barack Obama Elementary School would like to send a huge shout out to the 1st grade music and choir students for their outstanding performance in the Spring Concert! There was so much talent in one room! Way to go, Barack Obama Stars!
- A heart-felt "thank you" is extended to Sarah Riley and Peyton Douglas, two of the RPS behavior specialists! We appreciate your time, attention and expertise! We felt very supported with your presence in the building and your willingness to speak with parents and hear their concerns. The saying, "Serve with Love," was truly manifested in your support of our school and administrators.
- Barack Obama Elementary School is super proud of Tito Niyonzima! He represented our school fabulously at the recent All-City Orchestra concert! We also are shouting him out for the tremendous progress he has made while attending our school! Going from a non-English speaking student to one that will hold a lengthy conversation is a miraculous feat! Tito, remember, as you move into middle school, you will always be a BOES shining Star!
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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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| Strawberry Street Festival at Clark Springs ES – Join William Fox ES on Saturday, May 13, from 12-4 pm for the 2023 Strawberry Street Festival! Come out to Clark Springs ES (1101 Dance St) for live entertainment, yummy treats, a bounce house, carnival games and more! Tickets may be purchased at the event or online until May 13 at 3:45 pm – just scan the QR code below with your phone's camera. Hope you can make it!
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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 on May 17-18. To register, just scan the QR code below with your phone's camera, and to apply for a position, just visit our website. Take advantage of up to $12,000 in early commitment bonuses if you sign your commitment letter by June 1.
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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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