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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
First, a quick housekeeping note this evening. I received feedback that the red color I use to highlight important or time-sensitive information is hard for color-blind people to see. I was told that orange is much better so that's what I'll be going with from now on.
I also want to address a few questions I've received about our effort to close the digital divide in our community by purchasing computers for students who cannot afford them. First and foremost, this is about equity. Thousands of Richmond families do not have the resources to purchase a computer for their children. As a result, they neither have access to RPS online learning materials – which we're enhancing significantly over the next couple of weeks – nor the countless others provided by organizations around the world.
Our objective with this initiative is simple: in pursuit of equity, make sure every RPS student has access to all of these resources. To be clear, we're not suddenly asking all of our teachers to begin teaching their normal classes virtually. Not at all. I certainly applaud those educators who have posted read-alouds on YouTube and conducted lessons via FaceTime. But these are not required activities, nor will they become so. Our educators, just like everyone else, have families to care for and many other obligations during this very difficult time.
Finally, I want to put to rest the idea that we want children in front of computers all day or that this effort is an attempt to switch forever to virtual learning. Nothing could be further from the truth. We encourage RPS students to read physical books, play, and engage in physical activity. And we will always do so.
Shout-outs! – Please keep sending them to me at jkamras@rvaschools.net. We have lots today, but there's one that especially moved me. It's listed first below.
- I am a grandparent of 3 RPS students who attend Miles Jones. On yesterday around 6pm I was at Kroger on Midlothian when my car had broken down. A gentleman stopped and asked if I needed help, he introduced himself as Mr. Barnes. While keeping our social distances we had conversation, and that's when I found out Mr. Barnes is an RPS employee. I told Mr. Barnes I have 3 grandchildren at Miles Jones and he stated he's the Crew Chief at John B. Cary Elementary. Mr. Barnes tried giving me a jump but that didn't work. Next it was determined that my car battery was completely gone. I had just made groceries and didn't have extra money for a new battery. Mr. Barnes said he would help with purchasing the battery for me, which he did. I asked how to repay him and his answer was you don't owe me anything, Mrs. Wilson, I'm more than happy to bless you today. Take care yourself and stay safe. I just wanted RPS to know what an awesome employee they have.
- A big thank you to the Payroll and Accounts Payable team who have worked around the clock to ensure that all RPS staff continue to be paid – and that we pay our bills throughout this closure: Wanda Payne, Nishawn Lee, Sonya Howell, Tyler Cartledge, Kisha Clark, Jeanette Johnson, Pam Whitaker, Larue Pope, Kathy Frank, Clara Curbello, Angela Foster, Carmen Ricks, Tina Garrison, Melissa Dixon, Yolanda Bullock.
- Shout-out to Ms. Flemming who is my daughter's intervention teacher at Binford Middle School. I reached out to her to set up a Zoom meeting with my daughter and without hesitation she immediately agreed and has set up ongoing 1 on 1 meetings 2x weekly to keep my daughter engaged and learning. We appreciate it very much!
- Ms. Park at Bellevue met with the class on Zoom yesterday. She answered all of their questions and had a basic, fun conversation with them. They also had the opportunity to have fun and chat with each other. It was an amazing experience for Chloe to be able to see her classmates and it helped her know that we’re all in this together…I really appreciate Ms. Park for taking the time to create a moment during the current chaos to create a comfortable space for her students and most of all for her compassion and love for them. I’m really thankful that my child has such a wonderful teacher.
- Yesterday members of the Chimborazo PTA organized a Google hangout meeting with me and two Chimborazo teachers, Ms. Saunders and Ms. Kilgore, to discuss an active school grant for next year. Even during this unprecedented time, Chimborazo parents and teachers are already planning on how they can support the school next year. They are amazing!
- Shout-out to Ms. Kate Euting at Holton Elementary for starting a weekly Zoom meeting for her first graders (it was so lovely to see them all chatting like normal) and for passing along some great ideas to keep them academically engaged.
- A big shout out to Tiffany Floyd, SPACE Teacher who has created a Google Classroom open to ALL students full of things to do for 1st-5th graders!
- Ms. Lackey! She has been ROCKING food distribution for JB Cary! She is definitely a commodity to the community!
- I called my son who has 3 children in RPS schools. He couldn't talk because the 9 year old was on zoom with his teacher Ms. D. from Fox. All of the teachers are working very hard to make sure the students can keep on learning.
- Here is my shout-out for today!! Beverley Fitch, the Orchestra and Choir director at T. C. Boushall Middle School, made masks for our food distribution volunteers! Thank you so much Mrs. Fitch!!!!
- I would like to shout out Aspire teacher Rachel Shawul for continuing to contact students and parents regarding Edgenuity as well as being available with additional supports for our students.
- I just wanted to give a shout out to the whole staff at Westover Hills. Today we are doing our parade and everyone has just been doing an amazing job staying in contact with families, providing resources, and still building and nurturing relationships through these unknown times. Love you all!
- I would like to shout out 1st grade teacher Ms. York at Linwood Holton Elementary for sending updates to parents to check in on our children and to keep them creatively academically engaged. She recently did a zoom call so the kids could see each other - it was a big hit with my daughter! It is clear Ms. York’s commitment and love for our kids goes way beyond what happens in the classroom. RPS is fortunate to have such outstanding teachers.
- I would like to offer a shout out to Ms. Amy Stout at Linwood Holton Elementary. She has really done a phenomenal job with keeping her students engaged with lessons and challenges via Class DoJo. I enjoy watching her videos and it really helps me support the lessons being taught. Getting the daily videos have been the highlight of my daughters day. She is especially excited about connecting with her classmates via Zoom tomorrow.
- Ms. Helen McSweeney and Mrs. Lauren Hicks - These ladies work with our incarcerated males and females at the Richmond City Justice Center. Since school closed, these ladies continue to email packets to the Re-Entry staff who distribute the assignments.
- Ms. Morgan Obrochta, Adult Education ELA Instructor - She utilizes SKYPE with her Adult ELA students two days a week. The students also have a Google Doc where they take notes and insert links. They also use Hoopla, which gives access to the library, and the students are reading eBooks and watching movies to discuss.
- My Sports Medicine teacher, Ms. Krystal Randolph, is donating unused medical supplies from her lab to area facilities. Donations include hand sanitizer, face masks, latex gloves and sanitizing wipes. KUDOS to her.
- Mr. Djenoska, Mr. D, 4th grade teacher, sends cool videos and projects daily. He updates the children on the class chicks he’s hatching for them...at his home! He also bought novels for the whole class and hand delivered them to each child on bicycle so they could wave to him through the door!
- I would love to shout out my daughter’s (Ke’Asyia) fourth grade teacher Miss Chelsie Smith. She has class meeting every Tuesday and Thursday to talk with her class about any questions they may have about any class work. She reads a book to them and just goes above and beyond! I just love her! She’s wonderful and so is the whole Miles Jones Elementary team! I am proud to have a child that goes there! Big shout out and God bless to everyone!
- I would like to shout out Principal Rickey at Binford. Tuesday was my daughter’s birthday and she called her personally to wish her happy birthday and give words of wisdom to make her day positive on a day she can’t celebrate as planned. Ms. Corbin, the security officer at Binford, also gave my daughter a birthday shout out in the background. Thank you so much to both ladies. It made her day!
- We are so fortunate. First to be part of the RPS family. And second, to have Ms. Cynthia Dejnozka as my son’s teacher. In order for RPS to grow to where we want it to be, we need more teachers like her. My son is not excited about most figures of authority, but she has intrigued him. She is thoughtful in her teachings and assignments. A recent favorite was where she asked him to emulate a Mali storytelling style. We were asked to record a video of a story in its technique and as an example, she recorded herself with her daughter and told a personal Christmas story. If we had more teachers who were as genuinely dedicated to her craft as she, our education mission would be accomplished with ease.
- I need to give a shout out to Ms. Jacobs. Her dedication shows in her daily emails.
- I want to also thank Ms. Bauman and Ms. Brockman at Linwood Holton for not skipping a beat. Their classroom expectations, love for students, and dedication to their profession has continued even with them being away from their students. They are continuing to ensure their students are learning and are encouraging them daily. Their loving hearts and true character are appreciated and have not gone unnoticed.
- Shout-out to Mr. Lombardi, my son's 5th grade teacher, for being so dedicated to his students. Throughout the last couple of weeks, he has sent home assignments, suggested educational resources, and held several Zoom classes with the kids. Thank you, Mr. Lombardi, for making a tough situation much better!
- I wanted to give a shout out to two Amazing Teachers at Elizabeth D. Redd (Mrs. Reisner & Mrs. Cosby) that are doing a very good job at communicating with me and a few other parents...They even started a YouTube channel for the kids to continue learning math and reading. We love these two teachers as much as our children do. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK LADIES.
- Mr. Dejnozkas, 4th Grade Teacher at Fox Elementary, and his student teacher, Miss Settles, have been posting great video lessons on a blog he created daily. Yesterday he rode his bike over to our house (in the rain!) to deliver a brand new book the class will begin reading together! Knowing my son won’t get the chance to finish the year with his favorite teacher ever is so hard :-(
- I would like to give a shout out to the J. B. Fisher team! My daughter's 8th birthday was on Sunday and we cancelled all plans and weren't able to celebrate with friends and family. Principal Walton called on Sunday to wish her a special happy birthday! We have also facetimed with her teacher Ms. Taylor who misses her students dearly! Much love to the entire Flamingo family!
- Shout out to Ms. Johnson at Mary Munford for packing up all her 2nd grade class desk supplies and lockers for the year! She has gotten them on track with Zoom class and everything they need for a successful 2nd grade year and to be ready for 3rd! Love RPS!
- Shout out to the Open High School principal, Clary Carleton, who is keeping our spirits up but hosting Zoom staff hang outs! To the Open High School AP Art History Class and AP Art and Design Class who continue to take Zoom classes online and continue to prepare for their exams! I am so proud of them. Also a shout out to Jane Ruggles and Theo Hall who came out to mulch the Open High School Garden.
- I’d like to give a shout out to health service staff. Everyone is sending messages to each other to see how everyone is doing. Ms. White started the communication going and everyone is responding.
- Shout out to Principal Jacquelyn Murphy at ETMS for making sure exceptional education students receive scheduled IEP information, in some cases hand delivering paperwork to student’s homes. Way to go showing you care even when students are out of school.
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Specialty School and Open Enrollment Deadline – Please remember that you have until 11:59 pm TONIGHT to submit your final selections in the EnrollRPS platform. If you do not submit a selection by the deadline, you will lose your acceptances. Thank you!
Food – Please note that we've added two more food drop-off sites, bringing our total to 43 stops + 10 school sites! If you'd like to assist with our meals program – or anything else – please sign up here. Thank you!
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2020 Census – I know I shared this video of Rodney Robinson yesterday but I love it so much that I'm including it again today. Please watch it and then do as Mr. Robinson says - fill out your 2020 Census form!
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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!"– Check out my math lessons at 2 pm every weekday. All you have to do is click here! If you want to just get a taste, here's today's lesson:
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Wishtree Read-Aloud – Our celebrity reader for Chapters 20-22 is Parney Parnell and Nutzy from the Flying Squirrels! Thank you so much to both of them for taking the time to do this! If you'd like to go back and watch the earlier chapters, just click here.
With great appreciation,
Jason
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Note: Newly added questions are in orange.
Coronavirus/COVID-19 in Richmond
Closure
- How long are we closed? For the remainder of the school year.
- Will we need to go to school in the summer, and will next school year start early or end late? Possibly. We're exploring these options now and we'll be seeking your feedback very soon.
- Are events run by external organizations that rent space at schools (like churches for Sunday services) cancelled? Yes. ALL activities are cancelled.
- When can students/families and staff pick up personal items from school buildings? Principals will be reaching out to their school communities about specific days/times when individuals can come to retrieve essential personal items.
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!
Academics – Online Learning
- Where do I find the "Learning at Home" section of the RPS website? Just click here.
- What should I do if I don't have internet access? Please call Comcast at 855-846-8376 (English) or 855-765-6995 (Spanish) to get 60 days of FREE internet.
- What should I do if the Comcast option isn't working for me? We are working to get wifi "hotspots" for families that can't access the internet. I'll have more information on this soon.
- What should I if I don't have a computer for my students? We are doing two things to provide support: 1) we're going to send home the computers we have at schools; and 2) we're going to purchase about 10,000 additional computers for students who need them. I'll have more information on this soon.
Academics – Graduation
- Will current high school seniors who were on track to graduate when we closed still get their diplomas this year? Yes! The Virginia Department of Education has just clarified that these students WILL graduate this year.
- What about graduation ceremonies? Prom? Unfortunately, we will not be able to hold these events when they were scheduled. That said, we're exploring rescheduling them for the summer or fall, as we know how important they are to our students and families.
Academics – Other
- Will students be held back a year because of the closure? No. But we may need to start next school year early and/or end late.
- How will grades be calculated for the 3rd marking period? We're looking at a number of options, which we'll share soon for feedback.
- Will students need to take SOLs? No.
- 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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Note: Newly added questions are in orange.
Health
- What should I do if I have a question about my 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!
- Where can I get mental health support? Mental health support is provided through our Cigna Employee Assistance Program. To access it, call 877-622-4327 or visit www.mycigna.com. “RPS” (without the quotes) is our Employer ID.
- Where can I get mental help support for someone not covered by our plan? The Richmond Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) provides support to anyone in Richmond. Please call 804-819-4000 for assistance.
- What should I do if I know someone who is thinking about harming themselves? Please immediately call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 or visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
Pay
- Who will be paid during the closure? ALL RPS employees will continue to be paid during the entirety of the closure. That includes full-time, part-time, and hourly employees.
- Are long-term subs included? Yes!
- What about contracted personnel, like 1:1 aides? We are working to make sure these individuals get paid as well. It's just a little tricker since they're not RPS employees. I should have more information on this soon.
- Will teachers still get "spread pay" this summer? Yes. Just as always, our 9.5 and 10-month employees will receive their “spread pay” during July & August, and our 11-month employees will receive theirs in July.
Other Matters
- Will we have a Transfer Fair on March 31 as scheduled? No. 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.
- What should I do if I need to renew my license? Though we are technically closed, you can still send in your licensure renewal paperwork to Deborah Dailey, our Licensure Specialist. Use this address: Talent Office – 15th Floor, Attention Deborah Dailey, 301 N. 9th Street, Richmond, VA 23219. You can also email Deborah at ddailey@rvaschools.net.
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