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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
I'm excited to share that we'll be rolling out the 2nd generation of our online learning plan, which we're calling "RPS@Home," on Monday. It will have a daily schedule of lessons for just about every grade and subject, with very clear directions for students and families. We're hoping RPS@Home will provide more structure so that families have less to figure out on a day-to-day basis. I'll have a lot more information about this in my Friday message, so keep an eye out for it!
One important caveat: To be able to access RPS@Home, you're going to need a computer and internet access. That's why we're asking any RPS family who needs these resources to let us know ASAP by filling out this survey. Please spread the word!
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- Many, many thanks to Mrs. Cherita Sears and the staff at Thomas Jefferson for holding a Town Hall meeting with the students. The staff at TJ rocks!
- Wanted to give a shout out to my son’s absolutely amazing Kindergarten teacher at Holton, Ms. Dabreona Brown. This is her first year at Holton and she is so loving, caring and organized. We feel blessed to have her! Since the school closure, Ms. Brown has been facetiming the kids individually to do story time, she reads to the kids and the kids practice reading to her. She has also done group zooms so the kids can have some connection to each other and this week she is writing all the kids individual letters and asking them to write her back! She is awesome and we so appreciate all she is doing during this difficult time!
- I would like thank Col. Hudson at Franklin Academy for meeting up with my daughter and assisting her when I couldn't!!
- As the Secondary English Language Arts (ELA) Instructional Specialist, I’d like to give a huge Shout-Out to the Secondary ELA Literacy Coaches, Melinda Lawson (MLK), Azurde Greenhill (Hill), and Diane Flemming (Binford). I’m thankful for all they are currently doing to support teachers and students. These coaches are an integral part of the ELA Team and their leadership does not go unnoticed.
- I just wanted to send in a shoutout for Ms. G, the Communities in Schools Site Coordinator at Henderson Middle School. She has been getting donations from individuals in the community to ship brand new books directly to her students' homes! Ms. G is always going above & beyond for her students.
- I would like to give a shout out to the 5th grade teaching team at Fox; Ms. Shim, Ms, Merriman, Ms. Hall and Ms. Marshall. They have sent daily communication via Remind with links to poems, creative activities and lessons, as well as hosting bi-weekly Zoom meetings for all of their students. Most importantly these teachers are sending messages of hope and love to each of their students, making them feel valued and connected. My heart is overflowing with gratitude for these amazing teachers.
- On Monday, March 29, the preschool staff took part in a parade to cheer our babies as well as the entire East End...We rode through Mosby, Fairfield, Whitcomb, and Creighton Courts, as well as all the neighborhoods in between. Thank you a bunch, Ms. Hawkins, for the idea and planning. Thank you, Mr. Simmons, for creating the route. Thank you, staff, for loving ALL RPS children.
- I wanted to give a HUGE shout out to Ms. Harr from Holton. She has been going above and beyond to provide my 2nd grade daughter with decoding lessons several times each week virtually! I am so grateful for all of the resources that she has provided us. I also wanted to thank Ms. Hidalgo from Holton for connecting with my fourth grade daughter virtually. The flipgrid challenges, iReady lessons, and virtual class socials help her stay connected to the curriculum and her friends.
- I want to thank all the teachers at Thomas Jefferson High School for going above and beyond.
- Please give a shout out to Ms. Tiffany Floyd. She wasted no time getting an engaging Google Classroom started, and adds to it daily. It is by far our favorite home-schooling resource...Ms. Floyd has broken the various assignments into projects that are laid out clearly enough that my second grader can work on them independently most of the time, or when she needs my direction, it is straightforward. Since I have more than one child at home, and am now also working from home, this is so appreciated!
- I retired from Southampton Elementary last year and it gives me great joy to see, read and hear (forwarded from a friend) how RPS has rallied together as 'ONE' to take care of our families! A BIG SHOUT to your amazing TEAM, PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, AND SUPPORT STAFF to get it done! 'RPS PRIDE is TRULY TAKING A STRIDE' in this hour! Keep up the great work! I'm proud to have been an RPS Teacher!
- RAS would like to shout out Mrs. Dianne Callendar and Ms. Quanisha Grimes along with Spartan/Aspire Academy staff for conducting a home visit yesterday to drop off groceries for two of our students who lost their parent last week.
- I would like to give a huge shout out to the kindergarten team at Oak Grove Bellemeade! They have each worked so hard to collaborate and come up with daily video lesson plans for each subject area that are fun and engaging - ranging from Read Alouds, Mindfulness, STEM Challenges, math lessons, and morning meetings. Specifically, I would like to shout out Ms. Sterling! She worked SO hard to beautifully compile these videos from all of her teammates, and create the final product! Amazing, amazing work ladies!
- I would like to give a shout out to the teachers and administrators at Boushall Middle!!! Thanks, Ms. K. Brown, for calling to check on my son and to give updates on assignments and any other school related information!!! 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!!! Ms. Petrey rocks!!!! Thanks so much for helping with getting my son’s medicine from the clinic and his glasses that he left at school. Thanks so much to Ms. Powers for writing a letter to my son and also talking to him on the phone. He really enjoyed that talk! Also thanks to Ms. McElroy, Ms. Scott and Ms. Smith, amazing third grade teachers that my daughter really enjoyed this school year. The parade last Friday really made their day!!!
- So it IS possible to teach an old dog new tricks! A heartfelt thank you to my colleague Ms. Jessica Shim from Fox Elementary. She spent hours teaching me how to use google drive/classroom to deliver instructional content to my students. You rock, Ms Shim!
- I would like to shout out Ms. Wilson, Ms. Meek and Ms. Andrea Taylor, 7th grade teachers at Albert Hill. Ms. Wilson and Ms. Meek are doing an excellent job engaging our kids on zoom. I really appreciate their effort keeping the kids learning on Google classroom as well. Shout out to Andrea Taylor for reaching out to my son to make sure he is ok (he's autistic) and Ms. Taylor, his case manager. She, as well as several others, joined in on Ms. Wilson's and Ms. Meek's zoom session. Lastly, Principal Ivy is doing a fantastic job as well. I feel proud to say my son is an Albert Hill Tiger.
- I just personally want to thank Colonel Hudson for leading such a great and supportive team. He goes above and beyond to connect with parents outside of school and keep us well informed. The teachers are AWESOME! Specifically Captain Nunez who meets with his classes through google classroom and gives fun, engaging assignments through quizlet. Ms. Clarke who utilizes the same classroom app and email to connect with the students. Mr. Dubinsky actually called me, the parent, to provide some direction for continuing education the rest of the school year today. The last one is AMAZING! While serving military duty, Sgt. Gilliam actually contacted me regarding an assignment and responded to our inquiry about his safety. I just really love this school and ALL staff that come with it.
- I would like to shout out Col. Hudson at Franklin Military for always being there for the students, staff and parents. No task is too small and he always makes sure the students and parents have what they need. Also to Maj. Barclay, my daughter’s math teacher for hosting a daily zoom class where the kids can still connect, learn and have a bit of normalcy through these times.
- Open HS: Clary Carlton, Interim Principal for her weekly parent link contacts and taking the extra steps to find a book my student needed for his English work. She obtained it from the teacher's classroom and made it available outside the school. Chris, the chemistry teacher, for his daily or nearly live streaming lessons. Other teachers who are in regular contact with assignments/projects include Chad (history), Tracey (health/pe), Ted (economics), and Caroline (English).
- Thomas Jefferson HS: teachers who are continuing to provide structured learning are Mr. Stevens (math), Mr. Barrett (chemistry), and Mrs. Feldman (English) as well as the economics and 11th grade history teachers.
- Shout out to Ms. Euting, 1st grade teacher at Linwood Holton Elementary. She has organized weekly Zoom calls for the entire class to connect with each other, have show and share, talk about their feelings, as well as to chat about things they have learned at home. We appreciate your care for our kids. Thank you!
- I would like to give two shout outs: First shout out to MLK Principal Mrs. Dabney for going out of her way each and every day to ensure the families that come into MLK have essential items in their household for adults and their children of all ages! Thank you, Mrs. Dabney. Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed. We truly appreciate your support and dedication! And a second shout out to Albert Hill teacher and star volunteer Molly McPhillips for coming out everyday to help stuff and distribute bags and going the extra mile to make sure every student has supplemental work to continue to strengthen their skills. We appreciate your dedication and hard work Molly!
- I would like to give a shout out to Mrs. Mueller at Westover Hills Elementary who is providing daily classes on zoom to her first graders. My daughter loves seeing her teacher everyday along with her classmates. Mrs. Mueller is going out of her way to make sure parents understand the optional assignments by subject she began posting this week. I really appreciate everything she is doing to prepare her students for second grade.
- I just want to shout out Jennifer Thomas at Maymount Preschool. She has kept in contact with us parents since they cancelled school initially the first two weeks. She then created a group chat with all of her student parents. She does a zoom chat twice a day with her students, once in the morning, and a second one in the evening for the children of parents that work during the day. She’s always sending us free educational links to assist the parents with teaching at home. I could go on and on. I wish she could move up with my child to kindergarten. But I’m just blessed that my daughter was blessed with an amazing preschool teacher who honestly cares about her students.
- To Mr. David Hudson and Mr. Jamison from The Super Awesome Franklin Military Academy. Mr Jamison made an in home visit to tutor my son in Algebra. I'm so thankful and blessed to have teachers and an awesome Principal who cares and will go the extra mile to make sure my children succeed.
- Thanks to the excellent 7th grade math teachers @ Lucille Brown Middle School. Ms. Graf has reached out to my daughter Ahmya Johnson sending words of encouragement, offers to help with anything needed for math, and care for her overall well being. Ms. Graf also has extended prayers for our safety. My daughter was so elated that hear from her.
- I would love to shout out my Bellevue Family...To our mother of Bellevue, Ms. Michelle Coleman, oh how I miss walking in to see that smile...Ms. Hines, our Principal, I can still hear and see you joking with me about the pearls. Mrs. Houdek, miss you sis, even tried to dye my hair pink just so we could be twinning. Ms.Teal, you're always thinking of me, I miss you making sure I take time for me...Ms. Cronin, you not only share your granny but you have always been that phone call away, whether it’s good or bad, smile and all. Oh our CIS coordinator, Mrs. Tasha E., thanks for always helping to keep our children calm and thanks for all the resources you send our way. Mrs. Harris, our counselor, who's always understanding..I could write a book on our memories, WE LOVE OUR OTHER FAMILY, BELLEVUE DRAGONS!!!!
- I wanted to give a big shoutout to Ms. Dennis, 3rd grade teacher at Miles Jones Elementary School. My daughter had a slight meltdown today as I think the reality of her not being able to go back to school finally set in. Ms. Dennis not only took the time to FaceTime with her but also read with her and made sure she understood her assignment in the packet. She checks in everyday through class dojo and I’m beyond thankful for her and all the RPS teachers that are still checking in with their students!
- Ms. Thomas is very consistent and sympathetic at this time. She is always calling and checking on my baby even though he’s in preschool. She takes the next step to ensure the kids don’t feel this pandemic. We appreciate her so very much and thank her for always keeping the kids connected and comfortable.
- I have dropped off donations to MLK several times. Shout-Out to Tameka DePriest of CIS for organizing community support! I have to say Principal Dabney ROCKS! Principal Dabney is leading by example as she is present (physically and mentally) and making sure parents get what they need. In addition to the food bags, they have a little MLK minimart of items for families. Very nice - keep up the good work! Don't know the other names but everyone is friendly!
- I would like to give a shoutout to Mrs. Demlein, 2nd grade teacher, for checking up on students and parents from J.L. Francis. She has done an excellent job of helping my son Jahmai. She will check on us on Zoom and send messages out on ClassDojo. My son loves doing doing math problems with Mrs. Demlein on Zoom.
- I want to send a shout out to Ms. R. Brown, Ms. Gray, Ms. Abdelkarder at Henderson Middle School for reaching out to 8th graders to help keep them on track with their English lessons. Also shout out to Ms. Robinson for her healthy selections on Instagram and for reaching out to the cheerleading team to check on them. Love you ladies!
- I would like to give a big shout out the security at MLK middle school for helping the community out with various of supplies. Very grateful!
- To Lucina Littig, Bilingual Parent Liaison at E.D. Redd. Mrs. Littig has provided the Exceptional Education team with support since we left school. She has helped to arrange IEP meetings, translate IEP's, and has even translated during the meeting via phone conference. Mrs. Littig, our team LOVES YOU and we are so appreciative and grateful for all that you have done for the sped team and our school. #PrideInThePack
- Shout out to Ms. Jamie Twist (ICC) at E.D. Redd. Thanks for pulling the sped team together to get those IEPs done. Answering our calls/texts no matter the time when we needed assistance. #PrideInThePack
- I want to give a huge shout out to our CIS and family coordinator at GH Reid ES: Sydney Capito and Amanda Ketterlinus. Ms. Capito has been posting awesome read alouds (in Spanish and English) on our school's Youtube page, collecting and sanitizing books to give out, and making encouraging posts on our school's facebook page. Mrs. Ketterlinus has been regularly checking up on both teachers and families, helping out with translating, posting daily ideas of activities and schedules on our school's facebook, and keeping everyone's spirits up! Thank you ladies!
- I just want to make you aware of the wonderful teachers at Broad Rock Elementary. Ms. Alston, Ms. Ruggerie, and Ms. Oduro put together a Zoom Video Conference to read to the students and touch base to see how they were doing.
- As a public servant myself, I have always appreciated how hard our teachers work, and the struggle they endure while taking care of our most precious asset (our children), while often facing challenges...I want to recognize these incredible teachers for checking in on their students and interacting with them, even for a short time. It truly made my son's day, and I hope they are able to continue this practice, by either Zoom or one of the other Video Conferencing platforms. I know that the entire public school system is in chaos at this time, and I just wanted to let you know that we truly appreciate the way that all of the resources have been pulled together on short notice and made available to the parents and students.
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Food – We need additional volunteers to help with our food distribution program. If you can help, 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 taking a one-day hiatus; check back tomorrow!
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 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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