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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Happy Friday! Tonight's updates:
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| VUU MLK Celebration – This morning, we had the honor of celebrating our principals at Virginia Union University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Leaders Celebration! Now in its 45th year, this powerful event highlights leaders in the region who are bringing Dr. King's vision of a "beloved community" to fruition. I can't think of any group of leaders more deserving of this recognition than our principals. Please join me in expressing our profound gratitude to them.
Let me also take this opportunity to thank President Lucas of VUU and the hundreds of community leaders who came out this morning to celebrate RPS. Don't worry if you weren't able to be there this morning; the entire event will be televised on Monday, January 16 (MLK Day), from 10 - 11:30 am, on CBS 6.
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| Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – This weekend, Richmond is honoring Dr. King's legacy with tons of great events and volunteer opportunities. I hope you'll be able to participate! And don't forget, all schools and offices are closed on Monday, January 16.
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| VEA Rally and Lobby Day – What better way to celebrate MLK Day than rallying for education! Come out to the Strong Schools, Strong Communities rally this Monday, January 16, at the State Capitol. It will start at 9 am in front of the Bell Tower (corner of East Franklin and 9th Street). Please be sure to RSVP.
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| 2023 Girl Ambassador Program – Correction: The deadline to submit applications for the Girls For A Change Girl Ambassador Program is Monday, January 23. The registration fee will be waived for all RPS students. See flyer below for details.
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| Happy Founders Day! – Wishing all the Deltas and AKAs in the RPS family a Happy Founders' Day (today for Delta Sigma Theta and Sunday for Alpha Kappa Alpha)!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Huge shout-out to Principal Lamont Trotter at Richmond Alternative School! Principal Trotter is a dedicated and passionate educator who goes above and beyond to support the success of every student. Thank you, Mr. Trotter, for your hard work and dedication to RPS Students. You're absolutely amazing!
- I’d like to shout-out Ms. Hartsfield from MLK preschool. Not only is she at the door greeting staff, families, and students every day with a smile, but she steps up and fills in when needed. We are lucky to have a principal who respects her staff members' input, and offers guidance and support when needed. She’s amazing!
- I would love to shout-out to Ms. Ebony Davis, principal at Blackwell Elementary School. Thank you, Ms. Davis, for showing up day in and day out for our students! As a mama to little ones at home, you sacrifice your time with them by coming to work each day to make the lives of our students better. We appreciate your commitment to helping us do hard things, one day at a time.
- Ms. Murphy-Braxton, you are appreciated by your SLPs at River City Middle School! Thank you for all you do!
- I would like to send a shout-out to the admin team at Huguenot High School – Mr. Gilstrap, Dr. Hines, Dr. Massa, Mr. Hawes, and Mrs. Wyche. Thank you for all that you do. The faculty, staff, and students appreciate you!!!!
- As Virginia School Principal Appreciation Week comes to a close, Principal El Koubi at Westover Hills Elementary School deserves a shout-out for the energy, spirit, and time she invests in students and staff at Westover Hills. Thank you for all that you do, Principal El Koubi!
- Thank you, Principal Bell, for making Armstrong High School a place students, staff and the community can be proud of again. You're helping to restore the positive image to a school that represents greatness in every aspect. You have such a positive and motivating attitude and demeanor, even in tough situations. We want you to know that you and your efforts are valued and appreciated every day, but especially during this Principal Appreciation Week.
- Shout-out to AP Otey at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School. She has a hand in everything to make sure our school is running smoothly each day. And she does it all with a smile on her face! Your positivity means more to us than you know, Dr. Otey!
- Shout-out to Dr. Smith of Franklin Military Academy! She is the lifeline of our school. She helps keep everything together and moving smoothly. She is always ready to help any student in need and has that same love and support for the staff. There aren't enough wonderful words I can say about her! Dr. Smith, thanks so much for all you do! You're invaluable to our team!
- I would like to send a shout-out to my daughter’s teacher, Mrs. Brockman at Linwood Holton Elementary School. She brings joy and light to all of her students every day! I also want to thank all staff at Holton for greeting students with a smile, and continuing to show up. We appreciate you so very much.
- Shout-out and huge thanks for the teamwork, assistance, and timely advice from my colleagues at Oak Grove-Bellemeade for helping to get the Spelling Bee set up for our students! Ms. Carter, Ms. Resnick, Ms. Valenza, Ms. Davis, Ms. Dungee, Ms. Shannon, and Ms. Wilkins! We are going to make sure our students are celebrated and have fun! T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U!
- My son's first grade teacher, Mrs. Edwards at Linwood Holton Elementary School, is so, so, so special! She consistently shows up for her students every day with a huge smile on her face. Her energy is contagious and she is such a bright light to our school and community. I also appreciate her proactive approach of sending worksheets home with his older sister while he has been at home this week due to illness.
- A big thank you to Mrs. DeMet and Mrs. Conway at Linwood Holton Elementary School for all of the amazing partnership and collaboration they are doing in preparation for Mrs. DeMet's leave. Holton is lucky to have such dedicated teachers, and your students/families appreciate you so much!
- The front office staff at River City would like to give our star principal, Jacquelyn Murphy-Braxton, a shout-out. She goes over and beyond to make sure our staff and students are striving successfully each day. Thank you for having a positive tone for our teachers, staff and students. We are forever grateful for your impact at River City Middle School. Keep up the great work! Together we S.O.A.R!
- I would like to shout-out our assistant principals at River City Middle School: Mrs. Jamison and Mrs. Estrada. Thank you for all that you ladies do for all the students and families. You are really appreciated. Together we S.O.A.R!
- I would like to shout-out LaTonya Waller, principal at T.C. Boushall Middle School, during Principal Appreciation Week. Ms. Waller goes above and beyond to make sure that each of our scholars is loved and cared for. This is just one of the reasons that she was selected as the district's Principal of the Year! We're lucky to have you, Ms. Waller!
- I'd like to shout-out Beverly Fitch, choir and orchestra teacher at T.C. Boushall Middle School, for bringing actress, dancer and vocalist Brevita Brown to our school. Ms. Brown did an amazing job sharing her expertise with our scholars and engaging them in the performing arts. We love you, Ms. Fitch!
- I would like to shout-out the Communities in Schools site coordinators at T.C. Boushall Middle School, Ms. Bono and Ms. Martin. They do an amazing job every day rallying our scholars and making sure that they have everything they need to be successful. They both are funny and smart and kind and patient! They are a true asset to our entire school community!
- I would like to shout-out Dr. Joyce Otey, assistant principal at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School. She greets the staff in the morning with a cheerful smile. She assists the teachers with students who are having a bad day. She is visible in the hallway during the school day and at dismissal. She's great!
- I would love to say a huge thank you to Ms. Welton-Boxley at Cardinal Elementary. She was in the cafeteria on Friday when one of my students started choking on her sandwich. Ms. Welton-Boxley reacted immediately and gave the student the Heimlich!
- From students and staff at RCEEA to Principal Burton, we love and appreciate him.
- Shout-out to Mr. Jacobs, assistant principal, for adapting and leading Albert Hill the past couple of weeks. Your leadership is appreciated and you are a true asset to Hill.
- Shout-out to Principal Doxey! We appreciate you. Thank you!
- I would like to give a shout-out to the 5th grade students at Bellevue who helped to plan our first salad party in STEAM encore class. We've been growing plants in a "Lettuce Grow" tower garden and the 5th grade students planned a successful tasting party. I was so proud of the students for trying new foods and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their salads. It was decided that rainbow chard was the tastiest lettuce. Additional kudos go to Nurse West and Mrs. Cadwallader who wrote a grant for the tower garden and helped to provide additional ingredients for our salads.
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| Open Enrollment Applications – The application window to apply for out-of-zone schools via the Open Enrollment lottery is open through February 1 via the Enroll RPS Portal. This is your opportunity to apply for up to three schools outside of your "zoned school," including Richmond Virtual Academy. (Reminder: This is different from specialty school applications for schools like FMA or Community.)
A few important notes:
- Families will have until 4:30 pm on February 1, 2023, to submit open enrollment applications.
- We unfortunately cannot accept late applications for any reason. Please plan accordingly.
- As long as your application is submitted before the deadline, the timing of your submission will have no impact on the outcome.
- If you have additional questions, please email us at enrollrps@rvaschools.net.
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| Teacher Job Fair – Interested in joining the RPS team, or know someone who is? Join us on Saturday, February 11, from 9 am - 1 pm, at Martin Luther King, Jr. MS for an in-person teacher hiring event. Visit our website to apply today!
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| R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence – Don't miss the opportunity to nominate your teacher for the R.E.B. Awards for Teaching Excellence! Award winners receive grants up to $15,000 to support any professional learning adventure they wish to pursue – anywhere in the world! Nominations are due by Tuesday, February 21.
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| Important Links – Last updated on November 14, 2022.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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