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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
I know the days of the week have all sort of blurred together, but happy Friday nonetheless! A few notes before we head into the weekend.
- I want to remind everyone that RPS@Home, our pre-packaged online lessons, will launch on Monday. I'll send a quick message when it's live, along with some introductory notes.
- We have a School Board meeting on Monday (5 members in-person and the others virtually, per VA statute), where I'll be sharing recommendations about how to handle third quarter and final grades. In my Tuesday RPS Direct, I'll provide an update based on our discussions Monday evening.
- Per my instructions, principals have established times for staff and families to pick up essential personal items. Please do not come to a school outside the designated times and please only come if you need something truly essential.
- A friendly reminder that our playgrounds are officially closed. Though I know families everywhere are looking for things to do with their children, please do not use these facilities.
- Next week, I'll have more information about when/how we're going to start distributing laptops. To manage expectations, we're going to begin with high school seniors, and then work our way down the grades.
- We need more volunteers for our food distributions program. If you're willing and able, please sign up here. Thank you!
- If you're not able to volunteer, but would like to donate, please do so here. Thank you!
With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I have been volunteering with RPS food distribution since school was closed, and I would like to give a shout out to all of the amazing support personnel who make this happen. Barbara Anderson, at Armstrong, and Ms. Saunders, at MLK, have done a heroic job prepping the breakfasts and lunches in time for delivery each day. They have responded quickly to increased needs, always working to get the most children fed. The bus drivers on our route (Trea and George), which covers Fairfield, Whitcomb and a piece of Mosby, have even used their own time to assure the children get fed. They are fun to spend the morning with, and are true partners with the volunteers in the meal delivery. I would also like to congratulate Erin Stanley for her coordination of the meal deliveries. Erin has been agile in her response to issues and made changes to assure the most children are being fed. Every piece of feedback that I have provided has been acted upon...even by the next day. Erin responds to text messages in the evenings and on weekends. Again, one more person who is focused on helping the children. I do not, nor have I ever, had children in Richmond Public schools. However, this experience has motivated me to become an advocate for RPS. Once we get through this pandemic, I will actively support your mission. We are so fortunate to have all of these support employees doing a wonderful job - I am happy to say that the children in our city are served by outstanding staff.
- I would also like to give a special shout out to Mr. Whitfield at George Wythe High School. He works through RBHA and provides therapeutic day treatment at the school. He always is checking on my daughter.
- I want to shout out Mr. Calhoun from Albert Hill Middle. He has been keeping me up-to-date with the latest RPS news. He, along with Ms. McPhillips, have been holding zoom sessions with their students to keep them socially engaged with each other. It was nice to see my child interact with his teachers and peers again. It definitely made his day! It’s been a rough couple of weeks trying to adjust to the “new normal” but with Mr. Calhoun's help, it has gotten better.
- Ms. Finney has been wonderful!
- Shout out to Mrs. Campbell for staying connected with her 2nd grade class...She decided to go over site words and check on each family with face time and phone calls, all while keeping her own two children entertained!! This is Ms. Horton's first year as a student teacher and she has reached out and given academic support! We love these two ladies.
- Thank you so much Renesha Parks, our leader. The online learning we've received in the Exceptional Education Department has been outstanding! There have been webinars on so many topics, from teaching reading to students with autism, to secondary transition, and everything in between!! Our brain cells thank you! You Rock!!!
- Shout out to Tiffany Pierce, the Pharmacy Tech teacher at RTC, for donating medical supplies from her classroom to local health agencies.
- Shout out to Amber Brown, PLC Academic Coordinator, and Reny Harris, CIS Site Coordinator, for continuing to reach out to PLC students to offer support and encouragement.
- I just want to send a special shout out to Southampton Elementary!!! I have been working with my boys at home everyday and I must first say thank you to all the teachers that put so much time, energy, and passion into this all year long. I always knew my boys had two of the best teachers in VA (Mrs. Kielty and Mrs. Herndon) but I hadn’t recognized how much the boys had learned. Both of my boys are soaring at home but I know it’s because of what they got while in school...The boys and I can’t wait to get back to school so they can see all their friends and all the lovely staff. We miss you guys and just can’t say thank you enough!!!!! TIGER PRIDE!!!!!!!!
- I would like to shout out Ms. Brown and Mrs. Fisher, 5th grade teachers at Bellevue for setting up Zoom classes, where the kids can see each other and talk as if they were in class! My son really needed to feel some normalcy at these uncertain times! I really appreciated that! They are amazing teachers! Shout out to Ms. Hines for doing her Facebook readings nightly! I love how she has shown leadership in these times. And shout to RPS!
- I would like to give a shout out to my daughter's kindergarten teacher, Ms.Kalkus, at Redd Elementary. She has made herself more than available to us through emails, phone calls, FaceTime, and she even wrote letters to each of her students!! Ms. Kalkus sent me the link to my daughter's app that they use in the classroom and even told my daughter that she could call and read a book to her. We love you and miss you. We talk about you and school everyday!
- I would like to give a shout out to the teachers and administrators at Boushall Middle!!! Thanks, Ms. K. Thompson, for going live to give her students updates. Also a big shout out to Ms. Haas, the librarian, for keeping in contact with the kids. Also want to shout out to Ms. Martin, the CIS worker, for reaching out to the kids to make sure they were okay, and for providing hygiene kits to kids in needs. Thanks to Principal Waller for always keeping her parents informed as well. Thanks to all of the teachers who have reached out to us parents during this difficult time.
- I would like to give a big shout out to the teachers, staff, and administrators at Broad Rock!!! Thanks so much for reaching out to the parents and students during this difficult time. Also thanks to Ms. Saad and Ms. Sparzak, amazing fifth grade teachers that my daughter really enjoyed this school year.
- Shout out to Ms. Oliver, Mrs. Moore. Mrs. Wright, and Mrs. Dawson for being an awesome team and staying on top of the needs of our students in the CSIT and Eligibility processes! Mrs. Oliver is a super star! She goes above and beyond to make sure Fox students get what they need!
- I would like to shout out Sarabeth Kawugule, a kindergarten teacher at William Fox Elementary. In addition to engaging with students online, Mrs. Kawugule left resources and supplies on her students’ porches so that they can continue learning at home. What makes her actions extra special for me is that she included duplicates for my other kindergartener who is not in her class. She has truly gone above and beyond to ensure the success of her students.
- Thank you to all of the cafeteria staff, custodial crew, security and volunteers at the food distribution sites, especially the cafeteria staff at Miles Jones. A huge amount of work, time, and dedication has gone into preparing and providing the food bags for our families and community. They always have a smile on their face and spirit in their voice.
- I want to shout out 2 of my SPED teachers, Ms. Holly Walker and Ms. Karen Matney, for engaging their students and parents, from calling to check on their well being, to dropping off learning packets and books at their homes, to setting up virtual learning experiences. I am so proud of them as teachers and members of the MLK FAMILY!
- I would like to shout out Dr. Smith of Franklin Military for reaching out to her students and allowing them to call her if they are feeling down or need work!
- I would like to shout out the School Counselor intern at Bellevue Elementary School, Ms. Alexis Vega! Ms. Vega created a phenomenal video on Emotional Regulation to provide students with helpful skills to practice while learning from home. Please check out her video!
- LaVerne Janae Tanner (Mrs.Tanner) Oak Grove Development Center (Fairfax Ave) has gone above and beyond for the Pre K students EVERY Thursday from 12pm to whenever it ends. She’s doing different lessons using the zoom app. She is really keeping our future, which is our kids, TOGETHER! She is very APPRECIATED for all she’s doing.
- I'd like to give all of my gratitude to Deanna Fierro!!! She comes to T. C. Boushall every day and helps us communicate with our Spanish speaking families! She is kind, smart, cheerful and warm! We are so lucky to have her with us!!!!!!
- Today, Ms. Katz did a FaceTime with our Kindergartner. We’ve been working on the math and literacy packets she passed out and writing in the journal she provided. She has been very supportive, kind and caring through all of this. Thank you, Ms. Katz!
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| Food – We've added two more sites (shaded in blue in the flyers below), bringing us to 55 locations! As I shared above, we need additional volunteers, so if you're able to assist, please sign up here. Thank 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!"– Check out my math lessons at 2 pm every weekday. All you have to do is click here! I'm focusing on fractions, but every lesson also includes a Math Joke of the Day and a Math Riddle of the Day (see below). If you can solve today's riddle, feel free to email me your answer. And if you'd like to watch today's full episode, just click here!
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Wishtree Read-Aloud – We're back! Today's celebrity reader is Delegate Jeff Bourne. Thank you, Delegate Bourne, for taking the time to do this! To see all the other celebrity readers, just click here.
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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 if I don't have a computer for my child or can't get internet access? Please fill out this survey. We are working to provide computers and internet access to any RPS student who needs them.
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 I get back the leave I was scheduled to take after we closed on March 13? Yes! In fact, we have already returned all of it.
- Since we aren't having an in-person transfer fair, what should I do if I want to transfer to a different school next year? We are working on a virtual solution.. 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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