| Wednesday, January 11, 2023
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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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| Calendar Reminder – All RPS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, January 16, in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In honor of Dr. King's legacy, please consider spending part of the day giving back to the community!
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| VEA Rally and Lobby Day – One way to get involved is by attending the Strong Schools, Strong Communities education rally on Monday, January 16, hosted by the Virginia Education Association. The rally will take place at 9 am at the State Capitol. Please be sure to RSVP!
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| 2023 Girl Ambassador Program – Girls For A Change is currently recruiting high schoolers to participate in their Girl Ambassador Program. The young women will learn about job readiness, leadership, networking, and financial literacy to give them a head start in their careers. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, January 20, and the registration fee will be waived for all RPS students!
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| Lit Limo – The Lit Limo is back on the road delivering free books! Don't forget to check out the updated schedule on our website.
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Shout-out to Principal Hines at Bellevue for her tireless hard work and dedication to make Bellevue the best it can be for students, staff, and families!
- Shout-out to Mr. Patterson at Holton ES for bringing his positivity and enthusiasm to the 3rd grade class he is long-term subbing for! Thanks for leading the class and making learning fun!
- I would like to send a huge shout-out to the best math coach in RPS, Ms. Chaun Newkirk at Albert Hill Middle School! She is the true definition of leading with love. Ms. Newkirk consistently goes above and beyond and her work ethic is unmatched. She always anticipates the needs of others and volunteers before you can even ask for help. Anyone that comes in contact with her knows that she is a ray of sunshine and ensures that everyone in the tiger family feels seen and valued. She is the embodiment of excellence and the definition of extraordinary. I am grateful to have her as a colleague and even more blessed to call her a friend.
- Thank you to the amazing ELA Department at River City Middle School! They have selflessly pulled together in order to make great things happen for their students. They have an unwavering commitment to every scholar and it has not gone unnoticed. A special shout-out to our department chair, Melicka Finney, and content administrator, Mrs. Jamison.
- A huge shout-out goes to Mrs. Kimberly Jones at Richmond Virtual Academy. She had a guest speaker from the Center for Disease Control in her 7th grade English class and the kids loved it! Thank you for always showing up for your students. You rock!
- Chrystal Hartsfield is the best principal ever! MLK Preschool is so grateful to have her leadership. She encourages the staff and all of our children. Thank you for all that you do!
- I want to shout-out Mr. Craig at Amelia Street School. Mr. Craig goes above and beyond for his students. He always communicates with parents on their student's progress. He has brightened my child's day when he comes to school. Thank you for all you do!
- I’d like to shout-out Mrs. Delaney, principal at G. H. Reid Elementary. She is dedicated to the school, the students, teachers, and staff. She puts in the extra work to make it a great school! A true leader that leads with love!
- I’d like to send a shout-out to my wonderful spelling bee team at Overby Sheppard. Mrs. Froden, Mrs. Chalmers, Ms. Gordon, Mr. Owens, our Axiom tutor, Ms. Malone, Mr. Robinson (our custodian), and our volunteers: Mr. Watts, Ms. Rita Jane Robinson, and Mrs. Mary Burton. They did not hesitate to fill the vacant roles and help me make our spelling bee a success. Shout-out to the parents who came, the seven finalists (which included a second grader), the top spellers from 1st to 5th grade, and hearty congratulations to our spelling bee champion, Enzo B. Thank you, all – you’re highly regarded and appreciated.
- A big magnificent Miles Jones shout out to our principal, Sonya Shaw. Mrs. Shaw is full of passion and love for her school community! She believes in our students and cares about them getting the best possible education they can. Mrs. Shaw is always there for a needed hug or encouraging word and we thank her for all she does each and every day at Miles Jones for students and staff.
- Shout-out to Principal Hines at Bellevue Elementary! She remains accessible to staff and students, is open to ideas from her staff, and is positive and upbeat around the school! Thank you for everything you do for our dragons!
- I appreciate our principal at MLK, Mrs. Dabney. Her overriding concern is the well-being of the children. She understands their struggles and has the ability to cut through competing informational noise to get to the heart of the matter and take action. In the 5 years that she has been here, the school has gotten better every year, by every measure. I have no doubt that MLK will rise to greatness under her continued leadership.
- I would like to send a heartfelt shout-out for Principal Massenburg at Richmond Community High School (RCHS). She is dedicated to the students as well as the staff. Principal Massenburg meets all of the students every morning with positive, uplifting, and encouraging words. Her enthusiasm for RCHS is shown every day as she makes sure we are represented in the best way because....We Are Stronger Together! All in, All One, All Pharaohs! Thank you for being our wonderful principal. We love you! Happy Virginia School Principal Appreciation Week!
- I want to shout-out Principal El Koubi at Westover Hills Elementary School. She is a true example of someone who "leads with love". She gives so much to our school, I don't know when she finds the time to sleep! She shows up day after day with a smile on her face and is constantly going the extra mile to dream up and implement new programs and experiences for students, and show appreciation for teachers and staff. Thank you, Principal El Koubi, for all that you do! Rest assured, the big (and all the little!) things you do every day do not go unnoticed!
- I would like to give a shout-out with appreciation to Ms. Jennifer Romero for her professionalism, acts of kindness, and help. I am so thankful that I have met this individual. You, rock!
- Shout-out to Dr. Robinson at RVA for putting together an informative RVA information session last night! She is a loving leader who cares about her staff and the families at RVA and RPS! Way to go, Dr. Robinson! Hoot, Hoot
- Shout-out to Dr. Otey, Mrs. A. Davis, Ms. P. Woodson, Ms. E. Boyd, Dr. Barnes-Robinson, and RPS Interpretation Services for helping make the RVA information session a success!
- Shout-out to Mrs. Terry & Mrs. A. Davis of RVA for being so welcoming to my scholars during our times together for circle of friends! Here at RVA we are all about inclusion!
- Shout-out to Ms. Lashley for helping RVA continue to strive to be inclusive! We see you, Ms. Lashley!
- Shout-out to all RPS Principals during VA Principal Appreciation Week!
- Shout-out and congratulations to Ms. Rizzi and Mrs. Burke for your new roles on the RPS School Board!
- Shout-out to Ms. C. Hayer for a moving speech about advocacy at the last school board meeting! Thank you, and well said!
- Shout-out to the REA, Mr. Young-El, and its collective bargaining team for making history! You all have established a blueprint for getting it done as one RPS! It may not be perfect, but it is a start, and RPS is further along than where it started!
- Shout out to Dr. Harris-Muhammed for all her work as the School Board Chair and her continued work! Thank you!
- Shout-out to Ms. Carter of RVA for her willingness to help and show up!
- Shout-out to Ms. Winning of RVA for being this year's RVA Teacher of the Year! Hoot Hoot!
- Shout-out to Mr. Harshawn Green, office associate III at Huguenot High School! He has brought a fresh perspective to our main office. He observes students, listens to them, and discerns their moods whether he is standing outside during bus pick-up, meeting them and their parents in the front office, or walking down the hall. He greets them with a joke that replaces scowls with smiles. He believes that keeping youngsters engaged is essential to their educational experiences. He assists with peer mediation and works closely with staff to support students. His interactions with staff are professional and exuberant! I hope that Huguenot will nurture and embrace this young man and reward him with a supportive environment because he has a lot to offer our students and staff. I’d love to see him in a classroom teaching!
- Thank you Mr. Greg Muzik and Dr. Sametrian Miller for your dedication to the students and staff and for all that you do at Munford Elementary.
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| Bank of America Student Leaders – Bank of America is searching for the next generation of community leaders in RVA. As a BofA Student Leader, high school juniors and seniors will participate in an 8-week paid internship at a local nonprofit. The deadline to submit applications is this Friday, January 13.
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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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| 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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