| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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Congratulations, Graduates! – Today, we celebrated the graduates of Open HS, Richmond Community HS, Franklin Military Academy, and Richmond Virtual Academy. This year's graduates had anything but a traditional middle and high school experience. Their eighth grade year ended in March due to the pandemic, freshman year was fully virtual, and sophomore year was disrupted by the Delta and Omicron surges. But they persevered and I couldn't be prouder of them. We love you, Class of 2024. Congratulations!
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Senior Spotlight – Brianna Llewellyn and Justin Kidd-Jones graduated today, ranked #4 and #5 in the Richmond Community HS Class of 2024. In the fall, Brianna will pursue a degree in art history and archaeology at Temple University. For the incoming senior class, Brianna shares the following: "Always stay true to yourself – never change who you are or break yourself down to please the likes of others. Get involved in the school life whether it be a club or an extracurricular. Being a part of something like that is truly special and rejuvenating. Lastly, please apply for scholarships; they may seem tedious in the moment, but I assure you the effort is worth it."
In the fall, Justin will attend Howard University and major in marketing. He shares the following advice with rising seniors: "Take time to live in the moment. This year is all about you. Don't allow yourself to get caught up in the stress of thinking about the future all of the time. You'll miss the limited amount of time you have left with the people you've built relationships with for the last four years."
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Going Places – We sat down with some of our graduating seniors to record their reflections on their time in RPS and to learn about their futures. One thing is certain, RPS students are #GoingPlaces! Enormous gratitude to Thomas Jefferson HS student Brittany Hatcher for kicking us off. We wish her all the best as she heads to Norfolk State University in the fall. Watch the video below, and be sure to follow our Instagram page for more senior sit-downs.
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2024 Graduation Schedule – Our Class of 2024 graduation ceremonies will continue tomorrow and Friday! All ceremonies will be livestreamed for friends and family members who are unable to attend in person. The links to all livestreams can be found below, as well as on our special graduation page. Join us as we celebrate the Class of 2024!
Thursday, May 30
Greater Richmond Convention Center (403 N. 3rd St)
Friday, May 31
Greater Richmond Convention Center (403 N. 3rd St)
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With great appreciation,
Jason
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| - The 5th grade teachers at Frances McClenney did an amazing job with the moving on ceremony. Their hard work and dedication made the event memorable for all the students.
- My child rides Bus G21 to ARGS from the Belmont Library stop. The driver, Mr. Lewis, has made such a wonderful impression on my child. My child chose to take the bus home from ARGS as opposed to me picking them up so they could tell Mr. Lewis happy birthday. The seniors on the bus even had a special plan for Mr. Lewis to celebrate his day. Knowing my child has a friendly face to greet them every morning and drive them safely to school is very comforting for a parent. RPS is so lucky to have such a wonderful role model in their transportation department. Please pass my praises on to Mr. Lewis and his direct supervisor.
- Shout-out to Ms. Marchetti at Maymont Preschool! She is a fantastic teacher and amazing mentor! I wouldn’t be the teacher I am today with out her guidance.
- An enormous shout-out goes to the Henderson Middle School exceptional education department! This team has done a tremendous job of completing all of their exceptional education documents, and I am so proud of all of them! Kudos to Tiasia Trent, Theresa Pleasant, Timothy Watts, Jaykera Norfleet, Shelita Clayton, and Cheryll Hughes! Even without having an ICC for several months, you all pushed through, were willing to learn, and showed an unparalleled dedication to your students and families. Great appreciation also goes to Mr. Antoine London, HMS principal, and Mrs. Sheanna Pinkney, HMS assistant principal, for their leadership and support in ensuring Henderson's compliance. Thank you for the unending encouragement and assistance you provided your staff; it made all the difference!
- A huge shout-out to Amy Harr, one of our exceptional ed teachers, who coordinated a senior walk for Linwood Holton alumni, last week. It was an awesome success and a joy to see past Holton students preparing for their high school graduations. It was equally amazing to see their parents, former teachers and Mr. Hudson (former principal). Wishing all former Holton students success on their new journeys.
- Kudos to Mr. William Dansbach, Holton's PE teacher, who delivered a fun filled, well organized field day for our students. Mr. D. delivers nothing but the best! We literally couldn't do it without him.
- Huge shout-out to the T.C. Boushall Middle School AVID site team. You all continue to surpass my expectations with your ability to teach at such a rigorous level, but you still manage to support and love our babies. You all have worked tirelessly, but you make it look so easy. Thank you for holding our scholars to high expectations, but most importantly, thank you for believing in our babies and the program. You all truly shined this year with those SOL scores! So proud of you! Shout out to C. Tremper, K. Reynolds, P. Williams, Z. Pacheco, M. Thorne, A. Proctor, L. Gonzalez, M. McPherson, A. Johnson, C. Hayes, J. Thomas, F. Ricks, L. Reid, L. Mickens, K. Brown, and T. Pryor for being such positive role models.
- Shout-out to Emioholz, Hoffman, Rouse, and Robin. Thank you guys for everything! You have been greatly appreciated this school year!
- Shout-out to Ms. Marchetti at Maymont Preschool!
- A huge shout-out to Ms. Lucy Jones, principal director, for her outstanding leadership across several elementary schools. Her journey may not have been easy, but she persevered, consistently demonstrating deep knowledge and a hands-on approach with all our schools. Thank you, Ms. Jones, for guiding your schools on their journey from good to great.
- Shout-out Mr. D at Holton Elementary! He organized a fantastic field day! All the kids had fun at various stations and got a cold treat. The parents had fun leading the stations. I would also like to shout-out all of the 2nd grade teachers at Holton Elementary! They organized a fantastic cook-out for the grade last week that was fun for the whole family. My son is looking forward to water day today!
- Shout-out to Southampton Elementary's PE teacher, Mr. Sides! He is always willing to lend a hand without it being expected, and without anyone even asking him. We appreciate you, Mr. Sides!
- Ms. Muzik of Frances McClenney is such a great asset. She continues to reach out and help beyond her role and responsibilities. She does an amazing job with the library and keeps the Class Dojo and website up to date. Thank you, Ms. Muzik, for going above and beyond. Huge shout-out to Mr. Dade, Ms. Green, Ms. Tuck, Mr. Ruffin, Mr. Murphy, and Ms. Lopez for being out front and ensuring our students cross the street safely every day. They are amazing crossing guards who truly go above and beyond. Ms. Crawford, the art teacher, has done an amazing job this year, and her help with breakfast duty is greatly appreciated.
- I want to show gratitude for the hard work that our teachers and support staff provided in organizing and executing two wonderful moving on ceremonies. A special shout-out to Zone Supervisor Coward and Director Beazley for their support, and RPD Officer Hernandez for being with us. Our scholars and families were provided a safe and celebratory environment, and we are grateful for your support.
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| #TeachWithLove at RPS – We're thrilled to offer signing bonuses of up to $7,000 for new hires starting in the fall! If you or someone you know is interested in joining the RPS team, please take a moment to visit our website to browse open positions. For more information, please email talentoffice@rvaschools.net.
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