| Thursday, February 15, 2024
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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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Farm-to-Table Monthly Market – Join us tomorrow, February 16, from 2:30 - 4:30 pm at Swansboro ES, for our next Farm-to-Table Monthly Market. All RPS families are encouraged to stop by and pick up free, fresh produce to enjoy at home.
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| BHM Spotlight – Taj McLaughlin is a kindergartener at Overby-Sheppard ES. His teacher, Ms. Walker, describes Taj as: "A very clever, vivacious, and witty student who enjoys sharing his ideas and interests. He brightens any room he enters with his charm and outfits." Taj's favorite classes are music and art, and the people he most admires from Black history are arctic explorer Matthew Henson and singer-songwriter Marvin Gaye (pictured below). Did Taj nail this look or what?!
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BHM Research Assistance – The Richmond Room in the Richmond Public Library (101 East Franklin St) remains open for research assistance to support anyone interested in learning more about Black history in Richmond. This is a wonderful opportunity for students working on research projects. Assistance will be available every Monday, from 10 am - 12 pm, and every Wednesday, from 5 - 7:30 pm, throughout February.
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R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence – The deadline to submit nominations for the R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence is Tuesday, February 20, at 5 pm. Award winners will receive grants up to $15,000 to support any professional learning adventure they wish to pursue – anywhere in the world!
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| VA Kindness Week – As the poster below reminds us, anyone can "be the rainbow in someone else's cloud" with a bit of kindness. To celebrate the final day of VA Kindness Week tomorrow, don't forget to "wear blue because we got you!"
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| RRHA Waitlist Updates – Beginning March 1, the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority will require all individuals who would like to remain on the Housing Choice Voucher waitlist to update their information on the applicant portal. All information must be updated no later than March 29 – no exceptions. See flyer below for details.
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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!
- I would like to give a shout-out to Mr. Parris at Henderson Middle School! Mr. Parris engages his students with genuine care. He holds them accountable to their work while also creating a safe space for them to learn and grow. Thank you for the work you are doing to maximize student potential, Mr. Parris! You are making a difference!
- Huge shout-out to Math Interventionist Lynda Winters, who is always going above and beyond for McClenney Elementary! She spent many hours preparing for the "Gator Bowl." She partners with her school's math coach, Ms. Tuck, to support teachers and students with All In Tutoring, and she provides wonderful math instruction every day. Way to go, Mrs. Winters!
- Shout-out to Mr. Nathaniel Manly from the Talent office for his exceptional dedication! His commitment to enhancing teaching and learning within a safe and nurturing environment truly surpasses the call of duty. Mr. Manly's willingness to go above and beyond is commendable.
- Shout-out to Coach Roye at Henderson Middle School! Coach Roye has dedicated so much of her heart and soul to coaching the Warriors boys basketball team, and she has become almost like part of our family. My son loves her and hopes she'll continue coaching basketball and other sports at Henderson, so he can have her as his coach next year too!
- Shout-out to Alexis Allmon! She gives her best at G.H. Reid ES. Keep up the good work!
- Officer Burton, you are highly appreciated here at JMHS, to include your role as coach for the Lady Justices! Thanks for all you do!
- Shout-out to Jillian Dudley, media specialist at Dogwood Middle School. Jillian has been instrumental in securing and scheduling visiting artists for arts integrated learning. She provides space for students to enjoy reading in a nurturing, safe, and quiet space.Thank you, Jillian! Shout-out to Mr. Hogans, custodian, at Dogwood Middle School. Yesterday he spent extra time helping Ms. Pickens retrieve her cell phone after it dropped behind a 4-foot tall wall partition in our gym. Mr. Hogans to the rescue! Thank you!
- I wanted to give a shout-out to Jacky Dobbins. Jacky is expanding experimental science at Thomas Jefferson by integrating a rocket lab into her physics class. We are so happy to have Jacky as a part of our science team at TJ and cannot wait to see all she continues to do in the future.
- Shout-out to Ms. Jarman Fagalde at Broad Rock ES. She is an incredible community partner and our very own Child Savers clinician! Thank you for your calm spirit, giving nature, and dedication to our students and families. And thank you for your sweet gestures to staff during Kindness Week. We love you!
- I would love to give Dr. Watts a shout-out. We met with her at the beginning of the month and she was able to get us necessary materials in a short amount of time. She immediately began scheduling times to help our 3-5 students receive reading intervention/tutoring. Thank you, Dr. Watts! We loved having you at Amelia Street. Shout-out to Mrs. Merritt! She and the mental health team have done a wonderful job organizing and getting our students excited about kindness week! Her ability to support students through a trauma informed approach is truly remarkable! She is affectionately referred to as the "pink lady." Thank you for being a "kindness" fairy at Amelia Street! Lastly, shout-out to Ms. Walko! She is the wonderful speech pathologist who serves all of the students at Amelia Street! She does an amazing job being flexible and creating an engaging environment for all of the scholars she works with! Thank you, Ms. Walko!
- I want to shout-out my child’s teacher, Mrs. Rogers at Woodville Elementary! He has so much fun in her class. She is a very sweet teacher and she makes learning fun! Mrs. Rogers always celebrates her students during the holidays and birthdays! Thank you, Mrs. Rogers, for making school exciting and fun! And thank you for making my baby feel special at school!
- I would like to shout-out our science/STEM teacher, Ms. Tara McCrone, at McClenney ES! She arranged for Barn Hill to come bring a few rehabilitated wild animals to showcase to our scientist scholars and talk a little about animal adaptations! It was so cool to have them come and even for some of the kids to have their pictures taken with an owl or bearded dragon! Thank you, Ms. McCrone!
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| Advocate for RHSA – On Wednesday, March 6, RPS will be requesting a waiver from the city Zoning Board to install light poles on the athletic grounds of the new Richmond High School for the Arts. If you can, please come out to support the RHSA community. For more information, visit our website or scan the QR code below with your phone's camera. Thanks in advance for your support!
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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
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Health and Wellness Links
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