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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Before we get to today's shout-outs, I want to draw everyone's attention to some changes I announced yesterday about how we're distributing food (see the next section) as well as an update on the RPS Transfer Fair (see the "Information for RPS Employees" section at the end of the email).
Shout-outs!
- As a retired RPS teacher, I am so impressed by the outpouring from the community to help our students with food donations and homework assistance. I would also like to give the dedicated RPS employees a shout out for their help with food donations and homework and virtual lessons for students
- Good morning! I would like to give honor where it is due! This teacher has gone above and beyond for her students as well students that she isn’t even teaching. The remarkable professionalism demonstrated from her on a day-to-day basis. She is none other than Mrs. Blue-Snead of Room 333. She teaches the third graders and she is AWESOME and well appreciated. P.S. this break alone from school shows that teachers definitely need raises upon returning to schools.
- A "high five" to Ms. Weisser, the Media Specialist at Huguenot High School! Since we left school last week, she has provided the staff with tons of links, free support, online activities for all subject areas, and online books while we are away from school. Each day as she finds a new link, she sends it to us.
- Shout out to Lindsay Williams, 2nd grade teacher at Munford...she organized great info packets to send home with students prior to the last day and then has done a phenomenal job of engaging students and families via email and Class Dojo. We are so appreciative of her hard work during this week!
- I would like to give a HUGE SHOUT OUT to my daughter’s 9th grade, Algebra I Honors Teacher, Ms. PATRICA KENT @ Huguenot High School. Ms. Kent has gone over and beyond to make sure her students are learning at home. She sends daily assignments via Google Classroom; notifications are sent to students and parents thru Remind; she has provided her cell number and email information if and when assistance is needed and promptly responds to all messages. Ms. Kent also has a YouTube Channel, Algebra Dominator. Her love for her students shows during school and after the school bell rings.
- Aja Jones (grade 5 and a 1st year teacher at Munford) is doing everything through her Weebly site as well as daily emails to parents. On the site she has a link to a weekly plan of work, a link to extra resources, read aloud videos, worksheets needed for their assignments as well as their normal Tangy Tuesday and Wordy Wednesday activities for extra options. She is also posting an art lesson 1-2 times per week, just for a fun activity for them.
- Shout out to Mrs. Miriam Thomas from Barack Obama Elementary School. She Federal Expressed an instructional packet to a 5th grader who had to go to North Carolina during this time so that her parents could work. Richmond Public School teachers go above and beyond to support our students and parents.
Food Distribution – UPDATE: As I shared yesterday, starting on Monday, March 23, we are expanding our meal delivery program by utilizing our buses to bring food to 34 locations around the city. Each bus will have volunteers to help hand out the grab-and-go meals, including Spanish-speaking staff for our Southside routes. For all the details, please see the flyers below in English and Spanish.
We are also closing the 10 least utilized school distribution sites so that we can put more food on the buses. The sites that will remain OPEN are:
- Southside: Boushall MS, Broad Rock ES, George Wythe HS, Miles Jones ES, Reid ES
- East End: Armstrong HS, MLK MS
- Northside: Ginter Park ES
- West End: Binford MS, Carver ES
We will continue to monitor how things go and make any necessary adjustments to ensure our students and families have all the support they need. I want to thank the extremely dedicated RPS staff – including bus drivers! – who are making all of this possible. We are incredibly grateful to you!
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Learning at Home – As a reminder, you don't need to figure this out on your own. We have a TON of resources on our website. Big thanks to the entire academic team for pulling everything together so quickly. Check it out here!
"Mr. K's 30 Minutes of Math!"– I'm live-streaming math lessons every weekday, from 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm. I'm focusing on everyone's favorite subject: fractions! Don't be scared; fractions are awesome once you get to know them. PLUS, every episode has a Math Joke of the Day (major groaners) and a Riddle of the Day!
Wishtree Read-Aloud – We'll be back with our next reader on Monday. Catch Chapters 1-11 here.
Vote! – Thank you so much for all the wonderful names! I asked Ms. Clark to pick five finalists and here they are: Hope, Vida ("Life" in Spanish), Cluckster, Chickie McChickface, and Covie D. Click here to vote!
With great appreciation,
Jason
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Note: Newly added questions are in blue.
Closure
- How long are we closed for? Until April 13. Keep in mind that we may need to close even longer.
- Will we need to go to school in the summer? I highly doubt it. In all likelihood, the State will waive the days we're closed, meaning we won't have to make them up. Once I know for sure, I'll let everyone know.
- Are events run by external organizations that rent space at schools (like churches for Sunday services) cancelled? Yes. ALL activities are cancelled.
Food
- Which schools have food available for pick-up? Southside: Boushall MS, Broad Rock ES, George Wythe HS, Miles Jones ES, Reid ES; East End: Armstrong HS, MLK MS; Northside: Ginter Park ES; West End: Binford MS, Carver ES
- Is RPS also delivering food directly into neighborhoods? Yes! We are using our buses to deliver food to 34 locations around the city. Click here for all the details.
- Can students pick up food without their parent/caregiver being present? Yes.
- Can parents/caregivers pick up food without their student being present? Yes.
- If I want to help in some way, what should I do? Please fill out this Google Form so we can follow up with you. Thank you!
Pay
- Who will be paid during the closure? ALL RPS employees will continue to be paid. That includes full-time, part-time, and hourly employees.
- Are long-term subs included? Yes!
Academics
- Where do I find the "Learning at Home" section of the RPS website? Just click here.
- What should I do if I want to access online learning resources, but I don't have internet? Please call Comcast at 855-846-8376 (English) or 855-765-6995 (Spanish) to get 60 days of FREE internet. In addition, Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country are now FREE. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, just select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots, and then launch any browser.
- Will students receive official grades for the work they're doing while we're closed? No.
- Will students need to take SOLs? It's clear now that the SOLs will be cancelled for this year.
- What's going to happen with graduation? It's still not clear, but it seems likely that many requirements for this year's graduating seniors (and maybe underclassmen, too) will ultimately be waived. There's also the question of whether we'll have graduation ceremonies in June. Again, I'm not sure just yet. As soon as I have clarity on these issues, I'll make sure to let everyone know.
- Where do I go to find all the Wishtree read-aloud videos? Right here!
Communications
- What is the RPS website address? www.rvaschools.net
- Can anyone receive my daily RPS Direct emails? Yes. ANYONE can sign up here.
- Are these messages available in other languages? Yes. They're all posted on our website, which has an auto-translate function for dozens of languages. The translate button is on the top right of the menu bar.
- Does RPS have any guidance on how to talk about the coronavirus with children? Yes. Please click here for a number of resources.
Other
- If I want to volunteer, what should I do? Please sign-up here. Thank you!
- If I want to donate, what should I do? Click here to go to the donation page of the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation. Thank you!
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Information for RPS Employees
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UPDATE: Given the need for social distancing, the March 31 Transfer Fair is cancelled. We are working on a virtual solution to help teachers and other staff pursue transfers for next year. As soon as we have the details worked out, I'll share them in my RPS Direct. Thank you for your patience!
As a reminder, if you have questions about your benefits, please call 804-780-7859. And if you have any other concerns, please reach out to me directly at jkamras@rvaschools.net. I want to make sure you have all the information and support you need during this difficult time!
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