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Happy Indigenous People's Day! Tonight's updates:
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| 2022 Employee Benefits Open Enrollment – RPS employees, the open enrollment window for your 2022 benefits begins today and goes through October 29. This is your annual opportunity to review your benefits and make changes – if you'd like – to your medical, dental, flexible spending, and voluntary accounts. Changes made during open enrollment will become effective January 1, 2022. We have three ways for you to participate in the open enrollment process:
- Online – Click here to access the online benefits system 24/7. Your pin is a six digit number, consisting of the last four of your SSN, followed by the last two digits of your birth year.
- Phone – Call our Benefits Service Center at (844) 379-0069, M-F, 7 am to 7 pm.
- Appointment – Click here to schedule an appointment with a benefits counselor.
Additionally, the Talent Office will hold daily virtual Q&A sessions, M-F, throughout the open enrollment window. Drop in via Google Meet to ask your questions, drop out when you've received answers, and then continue on with your day.
- 8 am to 9 am – Join Google Meet here.
- Noon to 1 pm – Join Google Meet here.
- 5 pm to 6 pm – Join Google Meet here.
For access to a benefits information portal, click here. Enter "RPSbenefits" as the username. The portal will provide you with up-to-date information, educational videos, and enrollment instructions. Finally, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our Benefit Service Center at (844) 379-0069 or our Benefits and Compensation Department at (804) 780-1880 or benefits@rvaschools.net.
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| Calendar Note – Don't forget that we have a 2-hour early release for all students on Friday, October 15. Please note that we will not have extended day programming that afternoon. To view the full 2021-22 calendar, click here.
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| Parent/Caregiver Advisory Council – Join the 2021-22 Superintendent's Parent/Caregiver Advisory Council for an opportunity to directly impact RPS decision-making in support of all students. PAC meetings will be held virtually, once a month. Click here to learn more, and apply by October 25!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I want to shoutout some of the rockstars at Swansboro Elementary…Roxanne Wilkins, Amber Bebbs, and Marie Hutchinson at for assisting me so much while I was out sick – immediately making sure my students were getting the best instruction and their needs met in my absence. It means the most! I cannot thank you enough!
- I'd like to shout out Blake Mogel for going above and beyond her job title. Blake is such an amazing member of the Fox Family. She has been so helpful with any students who may need some extra love and also delivered an outstanding personal lesson to my class last week on introducing some mindfulness techniques into our classroom. We love Ms. Mogel!!
- This is a shout out to all of the high-school guidance counselors who support our seniors as they find their way into an unknown post-RPS life. I only have one senior and I can not imagine the emotional strength it takes to offer support to so many hearts and minds in this post-pandemic journey. Thank you to our resilient guides who show up to meet our seniors where they are. I see you.
- I'd like to give a shout to Mrs. McEwan at John B. Cary Elementary. She is new to RPS and my son's kindergarten teacher. She has been so great at keeping us informed about what is going on in the class, and her responsiveness when we have questions related to anything is amazing! She's a great addition to the RPS Family.
- I would like to give Mrs. Diligard a kudos for all of her hard work and courage! She has been an exceptional teacher to my son with his first year at Woodville Elementary and I want her to know how much I appreciate the things she does and her being in our lives. I just wanted to say thank you.
- I would like to shout out to Ms. Briggs with RAS for providing two VUU football tickets to their homecoming game this past week. Two students with perfect attendance were awarded to attend the game along with a gift bag.
- I would love to give a shout out to these people for doing a wonderful job. I seen these hardworking people do every job in transportation, from driving the bus to working in the office to make sure student transportation is successful! They are from the Southside compound and their names are: Mrs. Parker, Ms. Potee, Mr. Thigpen, Mr. Mosher, Ms. Nita, Mrs. Donaldson and Mr. Lee.
- Thank you to Jasmine Lewis, Daniel Nelson and Helen Mickens-Demena for your assistance with hiring our support staff. You guys make TalentEd shine bright!!!
- Thank you to Michelle Hudacsko, Kecia Ryan, Donita Jackson, Monique Homsley and the J.L. Francis school nurse for assisting me during off hours. Some may say it is their jobs, but all of them went above and beyond to answer every question I had. Kudos to each of you!
- Whenever you need them, they are there. Ms. Johnson, Mr. Williams, and Ms. Bland are appreciated at Miles Jones Elementary School. They have ensured that instruction continues every single day since the first day of school. No matter what is needed, they are there. Thank you for all of your hard work!
- Ms. Mckay of Lucille Brown Middle School goes above and beyond for her students. Last week she even helped a student that was having some challenges and self esteem issues. The support Ms. Mckay gave has provided this student with a much needed boost and she goes to class now with confidence and the ability to fully focus on her academic goals.
- Shout-out to Ms. Rochelle Wilkins! She works so diligently as she supports and assists all STC! As a new STC, her training and openness to guide me are priceless! If we need her support she makes time to help. For example, she created sessions to meet and discuss all our questions regarding testing. She is a role model and outstanding RPS representative! We are very lucky to have her as our STC leader!
- I would like to give a huge shout out to Lisa Armistead in Technology Services. She went above and beyond helping with a tech issue that had gone through several people already. Tech Women Rock!!!!
- I would like to shout out Ms. Angela Moore, English department chair from George Wythe, and Ms. Lily Mirjahangiri, specialist at the Newcomer Academy at George Wythe, for their leadership of a new 21st Century Learning Center Grant. This grant award will help students graduate on-time while increasing engagement through literacy and academic support. In addition, Ms. Brittany Flippen, Spanish teacher from John Marshall High School, has authored a new grant for student success as well. This is a huge accomplishment for RPS to have two new 21st Century awards from the VDOE, and we are very proud of them!
- Shout out to Dr. Alfred Vann, lead school social worker, for his support and assistance in making sure a family in crisis had what they needed. His help is greatly appreciated!
- Thank you to Bernadette Cruse, virtual Spanish teacher, for all the many hats you wear from supporting our elementary world language teachers with professional learning, to providing virtual Spanish instruction for two of our elementary schools, to serving as the webmaster for the Department of Curriculum & Instruction. You truly show what it means to teach, lead, and serve with love!
- Shout-out to WHES Assistant Principal Nokomis Alston for being an amazing partner on our admin team! You bring incredible attention to detail in everything you do. I deeply appreciate many, many things about your leadership, but want to first highlight and celebrate how you make sure that the safety of our students and staff is top of mind every single day. Here are just a few examples (of many!) that come to mind: Your genius idea of alternating colors of the "beaver paws" in the hallways in order for students to either space out 3ft or 6ft (if that ever became necessary). Your follow-through with making sure the blinds for the cafeteria and front hall were ordered by the district. How you revamped our safety drill procedures, including drawing a new school map and customizing the evacuation routes for every classroom, updating our crisis flow-charts, and making an emergency "go-bag" for every teacher. Without a doubt, you have already done so much in your few months here as assistant principal to make our school a safer place for all of us.
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| R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership – 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 #LeadWithLove. The winning leader will receive a $10,000 award and an additional $20,000 for their school. Submit your nominations here by November 4.
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| Bus Driver Incentives – As a reminder, we now have a $4,000 signing bonus for bus drivers with a CDL. New hires without a CDL will receive $2,000. Check out the flyer below for more details and apply at www.rvaschools.net/talent.
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| Important Links – Last updated on September 8, 2021.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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