| Wednesday, September 27, 2023
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| Wellness Wednesday – Join us tonight from 6:30 - 7:30 pm for our Wellness Wednesday virtual town hall. Get tips for staying healthy this winter, learn about RPS wellness programs, and more!
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| VCU 10 Under 10 – Please join me in congratulating RPS Lead Educational Technology Integrator Ashley Bland, who recently received VCU's 10 Under 10 award! This recognition is for alumni who are making a noteworthy impact on their community and who earned their first VCU degree within the past 10 years. Ashley received her B.S., M.Ed., and post-graduate certificate all from VCU. Way to go, Ashley!
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| Road to Licensure – Join us on the RPS Road to Licensure Saturday, September 30, from 9 am - 1 pm at Huguenot HS. Learn about the requirements for teacher licensure, participate in onsite interviews, and speak with representatives from RPS and local universities. To sign-up for this wonderful opportunity, click on the flyer or scan the QR code below with your phone's camera.
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| ¡Virginia Fiesta! – Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month this Saturday, September 30, with the Science Museum of Virginia and Radio Poder. ¡Virginia Fiesta! is a celebration of science and culture, highlighting the many amazing contributions of the Hispanic community in Virginia. The event will run from 9:30 am - 5 pm and will include a community fair, vendors, food trucks, cultural performances, live demos, and workshops!
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| Angel Tree Registration – Registration is currently underway for the Salvation Army of Central Virginia's Angel Tree program, which provides Christmas assistance to children (13 and under) whose families are experiencing financial hardship. Visit the Salvation Army website for enrollment details in English and Spanish. Appointments open every morning at 9 am through Friday, September 29, and slots fill up very quickly. If you're unable to request an appointment, all slots are filled for that day or your zip code is not part of the Greater Richmond area.
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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 an enormous shout-out to the parents and Beaver Boosters at Westover Hills Elementary. They are the epitome of leading with love! Our parents and Beaver Boosters are there to supply all of our wants and needs and they do acts of kindness, just because. I am glad we have them on our team!
- I would like to shout-out Bus 61 (Mr. Lucas and Ms. Lewis) for transporting the students at Maymont Preschool on our first field trip to the Children's Museum. Thank you for your patience and professionalism. You made our first trip and bus ride fun and full of laughter!
- Shout-out to the Henderson Middle School staff, admin, and teachers for a great Back To School Night! My kid was happy to see their teachers and their teachers were happy to see them. It warms my heart. There is such a kind and nurturing vibe at this school, and we are loving being a part of it.
- Shout-out to Principal Hicks, Sonata Koger, Ernestine Mills, Shannon Simms, Susan DeBruycker, Kellie Lorish, and Sarah Baird for a successful WISE Wednesday!
- Thank you to the amazing attendance committee from Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School for planning a fun filled spirit week to encourage student attendance. It was so exciting to see all the students (and staff) dress up and participate in the fun themed days you planned. Also, shout-out to Ms.Cardona, co-chair, Ms. McCray, co-chair, Ms. Christian, Ms. Martin, Ms. Nurse, Ms. Osteen, Ms. Rudebusch, Ms. Samuels, Ms. Shannon, Ms. Simmons, Ms. Simpson, Ms. Sinanian, Ms. Taylor and Ms. Wingfield for planning awesome activities for our students, staff and community for Hispanic Heritage Month.
- Congratulations to Angela Moore of Richmond High School for the Arts, who won VAFTDC Forensics Coach of the Year. Vincent Simone of Richmond Community High School won VAFTDC Debate Coach of the year! Thanks guys for representing Richmond Public Schools. Thank you for working with our students.
- I want to give a shout-out to Mr. Dupont, the gym teacher at Overby-Sheppard. He is consistently present, sets high expectations for all students, and ensures that students are meeting them. Shout-out to Principal Spain for being relentless about student attendance. We are seeing the difference!
- I would like to give a shout-out to Nurse Parris at Francis Elementary School. She went over and beyond to help me with a student. She was able to reach out to the student's parent as well as service providers to obtain information that is beneficial to the school in order to best serve the student. Without her help, we would not have made the progress that we have with this student.
- We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Chanae McLaughlin for taking the lead in organizing our Grandparents Day event at Mary Scott Preschool. We also want to express our appreciation to Ernestine Mills for her efforts in adding the final touches to the room and Sonata Koger for arranging to get us delicious donuts from Sugar Shack. Also, Kellie Lorish and Sarah Baird for the awesome event signage. The turnout of enthusiastic grandparents eager to participate in the classroom was truly remarkable. We cherish and deeply appreciate the support of our wonderful grandparents.
- Wow! Ms. Leanne Caird, our media specialist, is rocking our school with poetry! Our namesake, the late Governor Linwood Holton, who led the battle of desegregation across the state of Virginia, would have celebrated his 100th birthday last week and Ms. Caird had kindergarten to fifth graders writing poetry about our school and Governor Holton's impact on education. From class poems in kindergarten to haiku, acronym, and concrete poems, our students wrote some amazing poetry! Thank you, Ms. Caird, for all you do to inspire our students!
- From all of us at MLK, huge congratulations to Javaria Johnson for being named a finalist for the RVATech Educator of the Year award from Capital One. We are rooting for you and are so grateful for all you bring to the Titan family!
- I would like to send a shout-out to Ms. London at William Fox Elementary. Ms. London goes above and beyond for the students and staff. She always has a kind smile and words of encouragement. We need more counselors like her. Sending "yays" to Ms. London.
- I am constantly amazed by Ms. Chloe Grant, English teacher at Dogwood MS. She has the most caring attitude toward her students and I always marvel at how she knows by heart my child's trouble spots and areas of excellence. She makes the class more interesting for her "reluctant reader" students and finds ways they can better engage. She is so encouraging and energizes all who come in contact with her. I feel like my child has an advocate and caring mentor when he is with her.
- In honor of mental health awareness month, our scholars and staff held a rally at Amelia Street School while chanting, “I love myself,” “You are enough,” and “You are loved.” Everyone did a great job prioritizing the importance of mental health and I am so proud. Thank you to the students, teachers, support staff, and RBHA for making this a memorable event for the school and the neighborhood.
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| RPS Advisory Councils – Applications are now open to join the 2023-24 RPS Multilingual Learner Success Advisory Council. The council provides space for those most connected to the multilingual learner community to support RPS students and families. Applications are currently available in (English) and (Spanish) with additional languages coming soon. This year, our advisory councils will play an important role in helping develop our new strategic plan, Dreams4RPS 2.0 (more details on that process soon). Please visit our website for additional information.
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| Hispanic Heritage Month Swag – Fall is here and cooler temperatures have arrived. Now is the perfect time to add a sweatshirt to your collection, and we've got you covered. Check out the RPS Love Store for newly added swag available in English and Spanish. All proceeds and additional donations will go to local racial justice non-profits that support Hispanic and Latino youth and families.
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| Nominate an RPS Principal! – Nominations for the R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership are now open! Don't miss this opportunity to recognize an amazing RPS principal who demonstrates every day what it means to lead with love. The winning leader will receive a $10,000 award and an additional $20,000 for their school. Submit your nominations by Thursday, November 2 at 5 pm.
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| Teach With Love at RPS – We hire all year long so if you know of a great teacher who might like to join the RPS team, please tell them to apply now. We're offering bonuses of up to $12,000!
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| Student Wellness and Mental Health Support – Please note the resources below and remember that we love you here and you are not alone.
- Students who need emergency mental health support should call the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority at (804) 819-4100 or the ChildSavers Immediate Response line at (804) 305-2420 (or send a text to 741741).
- Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center provides education, advocacy, and support to Spanish-speaking individuals affected by violence. The 24/7 hotline in Spanish is (888) 969-1825.
- The Trauma Healing Response Network is a coalition of grassroots, community-based organizations and mental health partners that provide support services to families and communities impacted by gun violence. The network can also facilitate the distribution of emergency relief funds to help those in crisis. For more information, email traumahealingresponsenetwork@gmail.com.
- RPS employees in need of emergency support should contact the Cigna 24/7 Crisis Line at (833) ME-CIGNA, or (833) 632-4462. Additional counseling and support services are also available through the Cigna Employee Assistance (EAP) program by calling (800) 544-6931.
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| RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
Health and Wellness Links
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