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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
It occurred to me this afternoon that tomorrow, May 13, marks two months since we closed our doors. In that time, the Richmond area has tragically experienced over 2,500 infections and more than 150 deaths. During that same period, we've also seen a surge in the number of people needing mental health support. Though the data on this is harder to come by, I think we can all agree that the situation is dire for many in our community. Given this, I want to share once again the mental health supports available to the RPS Family.
- If I'm an RPS emplpyee, where can I get mental health support? This 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. Cigna is providing 10 free counseling sessions for any concerns related to the coronavirus.
- 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.
Finally, please take the time to check on your loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Call. Text. Write an actual letter to tell them how much they mean to you. Do whatever it takes to connect. And if you need help yourself, please use the resources listed above and know that your entire RPS Family is right there with you.
With great appreciation,
Jason
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| Today's Updates:
RPS Live! – Don't miss our new weekly (virtual) community meeting, every Wednesday at 7 pm, on our Facebook page. "See" you tomorrow!
Computer and Hot Spot Distribution for Elementary Students – As I shared yesterday, please note the schedule change for tomorrow:
- Wednesday, May 13*: Bellevue, GH Reid
- Thursday, May 14: Ginter Park, Overby-Sheppard, Mary Munford, Southampton
- Amelia Street students may go to a designated school on any date.
- *SCHEDULE CHANGE: JL Francis, Miles Jones, and ESH Greene have been moved to next week because of a shipping delay. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.
Tech Support – If you're having a tech issue with your Chromebook, hotspot, or the RPS@Home platform, please email us at helpdesk@rvaschools.net. For issues that require hands-on support, please visit one of our mobile tech centers listed below.
- Boushall Middle School, Mondays, 4pm - 6pm
- MLK Middle School, Wednesdays, 11am - 2pm
- Elkhardt-Thompson Middle School, Fridays, 7am - 9am
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Shout-outs! – Please keep sending them to me at jkamras@rvaschools.net! And keep emailing the teacher appreciation videos to outreach@rvaschools.net. Today’s featured shout-out comes from Margaret, a student in Ms. Euting’s 1st grade class at Holton Elementary School. Margaret’s parents are so thankful for Ms. Euting’s patience, diligence, and love!
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- Super shout out to Mike Liggans, Chuck Johnson, Alfred Vann, and their teams for their collective work knocking on the doors of our fabulous seniors to help get them to the finish line and graduation. Thank you for the commitment to and belief in our students!
- As a parent and teacher in the district I graduated from, I'd like to give a lot of shoutouts. Big ups to all of my current and former students who have been calling to check on me! Shoutout to all of the RPS educators who were in the district when I graduated from John Marshall in 2011 and are still serving the youth of tomorrow, today. I'm honored to be their colleague and to work with such great educators. Don't ever stop shaping young minds. I am a product of RPS and proudly brag on how my teachers shape my mind. I love you, Dr. Nicole Sparkman, Dr. Dercarda Jackson, Kelly Carter, Temeka Quinn, Lailah Rajab, Monica Murray, Anne Van Divider, Shaneka Oliver, Dr. Zeno Hines, Nakita Lee, Felicia Coleman, and last but not least, my high school counselor, our new Teacher of the Year, Ms. Rahmah Johnson. Also, special thanks to my son's teacher at Summer Hill Pre-School, Ms. Marilyn Gozzo, for checking in with him and calling on his birthday. He will always remember how his first teacher called and wished him Happy Birthday!
- Both of my girls' IEP renewal dates came recently and the IEP meetings were conducted through a phone conference call. The 8th grade team at Lucille Brown Middle School was just GREAT, and completely supportive in their efforts to finalize their IEP reports. Mrs. Mayo, for her phone check in calls; Mr. Scott, for his updates about changes with their IEPs; Mrs. Behsudi, for always saying that my girls are in her heart; Mrs. Glen-Jackson, for calling prior to the meeting to confirm if I was ready and satisfied with the results of the IEP; Mr. Wilson, for his math support; the Asst Admin Team, for their support; Ms. Thomas, from Communities In Schools, for continuing to call to offer support; and Mrs. Avgeros, for the extra support during the Chromebook distribution day. They all have continued to assist and assist and assist!
- I just want to give a HUGE shout to my amazing Administrators - Jennifer K. Moore & Jacqueline Drye! They made us all feel great last Thursday with our Teacher Appreciation Drive Up! To take the time to come up with ways to recognize us (even with social distancing) is one of the things that makes them AMAZING! I want to also thank them for making our Chromebook Distribution go so smoothly and then they served us (the Teacher Volunteers) breakfast and lunch! I am proud to be a Barack Obama Teacher! We love to shine!!!
- I would like to give a big shout out to the Special Education Team at Fairfield Court Elementary School. They have been so supportive of our students. They have done sidewalk home visits, daily calls, and video lessons. Kudos to Mr. Richardson, Ms. Turkson, Ms. McAdams, Ms. Wright, Ms. Parks, Ms. Ramsey, Ms. Morton, Ms. Craig and Ms. Hill. Also super shout out to Ms. Crawley, our librarian, Ms. Faison, our school counselor, Ms. Powell, our social worker, Ms. Mills, our reading interventionist, and Ms. Grandison, our math coach, for supporting our students during this time. The team leads have been amazing with checking in on their team members and students. Kudos to Ms. Woodson, Ms. J. Morton, Ms. T. Williams, Ms. Wilson, Dr. Edwards, Ms. J. Williams, Ms. Turkson, and Ms. Crawley.
- I will like to give Ms. Melonie Brown, the Behavior Specialist Teacher at 13 Acres, a huge shout out for going far and beyond the call of duty for ALL her kids. I’ve never seen so much love a teacher can put into all of her students at one time! She makes sure every child’s needs are met regardless of the circumstances. She’s an amazing woman and we love her!!!!
- Thanks to Elkhardt Thompson Middle for your hard work and for supporting the kids during this pandemic time!! Love u and keep doing what u are doing!!
- Shoutout to Oakwood Arts and their ED, Shannon Castleman. They have been making and delivering 150 Artkits each week to go out to families with meal delivery at RPS sites. There are projects, with all supplies, for K-5 and teens each week to do fun art projects at home, even an opportunity to share them online.
- I would definitely like to give Ms. Melonie Brown, who is the behavior specialist at 13 Acres School inside of Amelia Street School, a HUGE shout out for going beyond the call of duty when it comes to her students! She’s one of the most caring and loving people I’ve met on this earth in dealing with teachers! Please recognize her work because she truly deserves it!
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Important Links – I'll note in orange when there have been additions/updates so you you won't miss anything.
Local, State, and National Public Health Links
Local, State, and National Public Education Links
RPS COVID-19 Quick-Links
FAQs
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