| Wednesday, March 13, 2024
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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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RPS History Fair – The 2024 RPS History Fair is tomorrow, March 14, at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. Come out and support our students as they walk us through the "Turning Points of History." The fair will begin with a gallery walk from 5 - 6 pm, followed by an awards program from 6 - 7 pm. Hope you can make it!
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Women's History Month Spotlight – Women’s History Month holds significant meaning for Thomas Jefferson HS Principal Crystal Potee. "I aim to inspire our students by showcasing the achievements of women who have overcome obstacles throughout history. Through initiatives like Girls For A Change and our school's commitment to gender equality, we empower young women to pursue their dreams without limitations. Overall, fostering gender equality and empowerment is a priority in our school community."
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Arts in Our Schools Spotlight – Last week, ART 180 held the second opening of "Cross Contour," displaying the amazing work of artists in the Creating the Moment middle school residency at Boushall MS. Teaching artist Khalid Thompson led students on a project that embraced the freedom to create without predefined expectations. The results (see below) are phenomenal – our students never cease to amaze me!
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Belmont Library Art Exhibit – Beginning Friday, March 15, the Richmond Public Library Belmont branch will host a student art exhibition featuring the work of students from Albert Hill MS and Dogwood MS. The exhibit runs through April 15.
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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!
- Shout-out to Dogwood Middle School Nurse Krista Brandl. Nurse Brandl recently became a Nationally Board Certified School Nurse! This means Nurse Brandl has met nationally recognized standards for excellence in school nursing practice. We are so proud to have Nurse Brandl on our team and so thankful for all she does to support our students and advance the practice of school nursing!
- I'd like to give a shout-out to some very supportive professionals at Amelia Street School. First, Shannon Brady is an amazing educator who shows kindness and support to all staff and students. She was recently named our staff member of the month. Although she is not the art teacher, Ms. Brady extends her talent in art to support all of the students at Amelia Street and coordinated our exhibit at the Fine Arts Festival last weekend. Also, I would like to shout-out Shondra Kersey and Shaila Thomas, our office support associates, who make every effort to make everyone else's job easier. No matter what I need for a student or a project I am working on, both Ms. Kersey and Ms. Thomas demonstrate customer service that is top notch. I am so appreciative of these ladies.
- Shout-out to Mr. Charles Ownby, theater teacher at Lucille M. Brown Middle School, for putting on a lively performance at the Fine Arts Festival last Saturday at Huguenot High School.The interaction between your students and the audience created three enjoyable improvisations in just 30 minutes. Way to go!
- Sending a special thanks to Ms. Tracy Cady, coordinator of IB programs at Lucille M. Brown Middle School and Thomas Jefferson High School, for visiting the Fine Arts Festival last Saturday. Your support for the fine and performing arts is so very much appreciated!
- Sending gratitude to Ms. Susanna Surio, Spanish teacher from Lucille M. Brown Middle School, for showing up to the Fine Arts Festival and for sticking around until the bitter end to help with the logistics of packing up materials and equipment. Many hands make light work! Here's a heartfelt "thank you!" to Dr. Shonda Harris-Muhammed, 6th District representative of the RPS School Board, for visiting the Fine Arts Festival. Your warmth and support helped to make the day feel really special. What a wonderful gift! Words cannot express how much gratitude goes out to Christie-Jo Adams, fine arts coordinator, and Julianne Suder, fine arts instructional specialist, for facilitating the amazing Fine Arts Festival. You both managed to keep all the many parts of this endeavour moving in the right direction. Kudos all around!
- Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Major Corey, the band teacher at Franklin Military, did a fantastic job as our All-City Elementary Band's guest conductor. His energetic teaching style kept our young musicians engaged and they were amazed at how many instruments he played while demonstrating how each section should sound. Although there were hiccups with the technology during the concert, he never wavered. We appreciate you, Major Corey.
- A huge shout-out to Dr. Rossi Volley, director of exceptional education, for her hard work in ensuring that teachers received their sensory items this school year. These items are very beneficial for our students and we are so grateful that we received them.
- I want to shout-out to my entire staff at MLK MS. Despite the challenges, you all show up and educate our students with love and kindness every day. I know this time of the school year is very stressful, but thank you for hanging in there and supporting our students. You are educating future leaders. I speak for our students by saying that they appreciate you and look forward to seeing you every day. Teachers like you make a positive difference in the lives of children.
- Thank you to the office team at Patrick Henry. Ms. Phillips, Ms. Santiago, and Ms. Taylor consistently make everything work well at school. They are appreciated and loved by our students, staff, and families.
- Shout-out to all of the coaches, interventionists, and tutors in RPS who are ensuring our students get the extra time needed to meet their learning goals.
- Mr. Youakim was recently honored as the Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts Support Staff Person of the Year! He is dedicated to all of the students and he supports the staff in so many ways. Thank you, Mr. Y!
- I would like to extend a heartfelt shout-out to Dr. Patricia Aldridge, assistant principal at Boushall Middle School. I needed some assistance with a student and she immediately dropped everything (including her lunch), to help me. A little act of kindness goes a looooong way and I greatly appreciate her!
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| 2024-25 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment – Preschool and kindergarten enrollment will begin on Monday, March 18! We're thrilled to offer preschool for eligible 3 and 4-year olds, and kindergarten for all 5-year-olds living in Richmond. Please note: if your student is currently enrolled at an RPS preschool, they will still need to register for kindergarten. For more information, please email enrollrps@rvaschools.net.
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| School Immunizations – RPS Health Services will hold school-based immunization clinics on Thursday, March 14, at Richmond Alternative School and Dogwood MS. If you would like for your child to be vaccinated, 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. See the flyer below for locations and times.
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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
Crisis Support Links
Health and Wellness Links
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