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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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| Monthly Theme – I hope everyone enjoyed the reels, stories, and photos during our "We Love You Here" attendance campaign last month. Although April is behind us, we'll continue to highlight the importance of attendance because every day counts! For May, our focus will be teacher and staff appreciation. Throughout the month, we'll highlight our amazing teachers and staff, who teach, lead, and serve with love each and every day. Please send your teacher and staff shout-outs to shoutouts@rvaschools.net throughout the month of May. Thank you!
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| New Teacher Bright Spot – We're kicking things off with a New Teacher Bright Spot, highlighting Dominique Buffington, beginning dance teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr. MS. "Mr. Buffington is a rising star in the district who has gone above and beyond teaching and preparing our students. He has reinvented our dance department to the point that more students are eager to participate. He has been a welcome addition to the MLK Family!" – Principal Inett Dabney
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| National Decision Day – Today is National Decision Day and I want to hear from our seniors! Send an email to outreach@rvaschools.net to let us know what you'll be doing after graduation. Be sure to include your first and last name, your high school, and anything you want to share about your plans for next year. Thank you!
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| School Board Meeting – The School Board will hold an in-person meeting tonight at 6 pm at Thomas Jefferson HS. You can watch the livestream of the meeting in English or Spanish. Hope to see you there!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Adrienne Simms is a staple at Summer Hill Preschool! She is professional, warm, friendly, and helpful. I have never seen her lose her cool under pressure. She puts the entire building at ease with her demeanor and kind words. Her bubbly personality mixed with her attention to detail makes visiting SHPK a pleasure. What she doesn’t know, she will find out, and what she does know, she shares to aid others. Keep up the fantastic work, Ms. Simms, and Happy Office Associates Week!
- This shout-out is for Ms. Deborah Boldin at Blackwell Preschool. Ms. Boldin is a staple in the building. No doubt, this school year has had its ups and downs, but Ms. Boldin has stayed on the ride with her hands up! Thank you, Ms. Boldin, for staying the course and persevering. The love and dedication you show to the staff and students at BPK is felt on a daily basis! Happy Office Associates Week!
- Ms. Sonata Koger, office associate at Mary Scott Preschool, has dealt with a lot this school year, but has managed to push through in ways that cannot be explained. I appreciate her tenacity, her talent, and her commitment to not only her family, but to the students and staff as well. She always organizes creative and engaging activities and uses her community connections to make each MSPK event a great one! Happy Office Administrators Week, Ms. Koger!
- It is my pleasure to shout-out Ms. Keisha Shelton, office assistant at MLK Preschool. Ms. Shelton is visible, knows all of the students’ and their parents’ names, is knowledgeable about the preschool program, and can be counted on by all for words of wisdom. Thank you, Ms. Shelton, for all that you do for the staff and students at MLK PreK! The school would not be the same without you!
- I would like to send a shout-out to Mrs. Kimberly Berry-Hale, librarian at Woodville Elementary!
Mrs. Berry Hale plays a large role in the school working with the students not only as their librarian, but also through other avenues in the community. She communicates with our multigenerational caregivers at dismissal, leads a sewing class weekly with the 4th and 5th graders – encouraging their entrepreneurial and fashion aspirations – and makes sure that she is present at the Lit Limo each Tuesday to greet the students and inspire their love of reading for pleasure Thanks so much, Mrs. Berry-Hale, for the contributions you make for the school and its community! Happy School Librarians Month! - I want to thank MLK, Jr. MS's principal, Inett Dabney, as well as Ram Bhagat, Meredith Ose, Ashley Williams, and the Well Collective for holding our first Community Wellness Night at MLK Middle School last week. Students, parents, teachers, and community partners participated in wellness activities together to build community, healing, and wellness. Thank you all for your service, support, and inspiration!
- I would like to give a huge shout-out to the following Franklin Military Academy staff, students, and parents for helping out with our talent show this past Friday: Maj. Corey, Cpt. Hayward-Jones, Maj. Dubinsky, Maj. Ashe, Cpt. Parker, Cpt. Logan, Cpt. Portmess, Cpt. Dereu, Cpt. Vernet, Cpt. Draughon, Cpt. Loney, Maj. Walker, Ms. Francis, Dr. Sapini, Abigail Avula, Sarah Aguilar, and Jaheem Hewlett. Each of these wonderful people helped to ensure our talent show was safe and fun while allowing our students (and faculty) to show off some amazing skills. I can't thank you all enough for volunteering your time to help make this possible for both our students on stage and in the audience!
- A humongous shou-tout to everyone who played a role in the Richmond Book Festival this past Saturday! A special thanks to all of the volunteers, PTA members, parents, students, teachers, and administrators who helped. Your assistance was appreciated so much!
- On Friday, I was in line to pick my daughter up at JB Fisher Elementary. There were several kids standing around waiting for their parents. Principal Duane Samuels walked out of the front doors and was suddenly flocked by every child out there, each one clamoring for hugs and high fives, which he gladly gave. After putting my kindergartner in the car and driving away, all she could talk about was how much she loves Mr. Samuels and how he works so hard and does so many fun things with them. Thank you, Mr. Samuels, for being a bright light for the Fisher Flamingos!
- I would like to shout-out Darren Blackwell, business teacher/FBLA sponsor at Henderson Middle School, and the FBLA students for collecting food and donating it to the Food Share refrigerator. Thank you for helping to build future leaders and for your commitment to the community. We appreciate all that you do.
- I would like to shout-out Vickie Williams, business teacher at Huguenot High School, and her students. Her classes averaged an 86% on the WorkPlace Readiness exam.
- I want to shout-out all faculty and staff at Huguenot High school. I believe we all work together for the good of our students.
- Congratulations to Taleah Childress of George Wythe High School! She placed 3rd in the Blacks in Government Region 3 oratorical competition. She represented George Wythe High School and Richmond Public Schools in an excellent way!
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| Teacher Job Fairs – We're hiring! If you or someone you know is interested in joining the RPS team, sign up for our Virtual Teacher Hiring Event happening 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.
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| SNAP for Head Start Eligibility – Wonderful news for families with children ages 3 and 4 who also receive SNAP benefits. Your child may be eligible for Head Start or Early Head Start – and that means eligibility for RPS Preschool! For more information, scan the QR code below or click on the flyer. You can also visit our website to begin the enrollment process. Don't wait!
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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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