| Tuesday, December 6, 2022
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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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| National Board Certified Teachers – Last night, we had the pleasure of recognizing four RPS teachers for earning National Board Certification! Please join me in congratulating Nicole Dawson of J.B. Fisher ES, Ashley VanBuren of Richmond Virtual Academy, Meredith Hertel of G.H. Reid ES, and Gwendolyn Nixon of Huguenot HS on this major accomplishment!
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| Virginia History Teacher of the Year – We also had the honor of recognizing Edward “Chad” Ingold of Open HS as the Virginia History Teacher of the Year! This award, presented by the Virginia Department of Education and the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, recognized Mr. Ingold for being an exceptional teacher, leader, and instructional innovator. Congratulations, Mr. Ingold!
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| Armstrong HS Dance Ensemble – But wait, there's more! Last night, the Armstrong HS Dance Ensemble, led their teacher Deedra Hite, graced us with an incredible performance. Our students are so talented and it's always a joy to see them shine. Let me take this opportunity to thank the East End Music Festival, which provided the funds for a new dance studio at Armstrong, making it possible for the school's ensemble to practice in a modern facility.
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| Welcome, New Chiefs! – I'm thrilled to announce that we've filled our Chief Wellness Officer and Chief Operating Officer positions as of last night. Please join me in congratulating Renesha Parks and Dana Fox to their new positions!
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Renesha Parks, Chief Wellness Officer – Renesha Parks has spent her career improving social-emotional and academic outcomes for students with specialized needs, particularly those in urban and alternative settings. Most recently, Renesha served as the Director of Exceptional Education for RPS. As a result of her leadership, RPS was able to exit our VDOE-mandated corrective action plan for exceptional education. Renesha began her career as a teacher with Henrico County Public Schools and has also served in various instructional and administrative roles in North Carolina, Louisiana, and New York City. Renesha earned her Bachelor’s in Education from Elizabeth City State University and holds a Master’s in Education with a focus on mild/moderate disabilities from Southern University and A & M College. Renesha also holds a Post-Master's in Educational Leadership from VCU.
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Dana Fox, Chief Operating Officer – Dana Fox has spent her career advocating for gender equity in industries where women have traditionally been under-represented. Most recently, Dana served as the Director of School Construction at RPS, where she has led the work to design and build a new George Wythe HS, renovate Clark Springs ES, and rebuild Fox ES. Dana began her career in commercial construction, building the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building on James Madison University's campus. She has also led critical construction projects in Henrico and Goochland Counties. Dana earned her Bachelor's in Construction Management from East Carolina University, and is currently serving as Virginia's 2023 Emerging Leader for the Southeastern Association of School Business Officials.
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| Inclusive Schools Week – This is Inclusive Schools Week, a time to highlight the progress we've made implementing inclusive practices and reflect on what more we can do to ensure every child feels that they are seen and loved for who they are. Check out the Inclusive Schools Network for tips on how you can help. RPS has partnered with the Special Olympics Virginia again this year for the #ChooseToInclude campaign. Teachers, check out these ideas for how elementary and middle/high schools can participate!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I would like to give a shout-out to Ms. Wilder, KB, all of the amazing volunteers from Wiley/Wilson and the community donors who made our Chimborazo Elementary School Winter Market possible. Thanks to their generosity, all students are able to shop for a sibling or caregiver (free of charge) and wrap their gifts to give to loved ones for the holidays.
- I would like to give a big shout-out to Ms. Willnett Williams, office associate at Maymont Preschool, for all of her hard work, particularly in her collaboration with transportation to make sure our students can attend school.
- I would like to shout-out the staff at Blackwell Preschool. We all care for each other and look out for each other every day. Thank you to all of my colleagues because we cannot always do it by ourselves, but we all work it out together.
- Summer Hill would to thank Jody and Rosemary Kane "Klaus" for taking the time to play Santa for our students here at Summer Hill. We partnered with Barbara Crump from RVA Reads to distribute books to our little scholars. RVA Reads and Mr. and Mrs. Klaus brought many smiles to Summer Hill today!
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| Bank of America Student Leaders – Bank of America is looking for the next generation of community leaders in RVA! As a BoA Student Leader, high school juniors and seniors will participate in an 8-week paid internship at a local nonprofit organization to learn first-hand about the critical role nonprofits play in our city. Learn more and apply today. You can also register for the information session on Tuesday, December 6.
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| Open Enrollment Applications – The application window to apply for out-of-zone schools via the Open Enrollment lottery is open through February 1 via the Enroll RPS Portal. This is your opportunity to apply for up to three schools outside of your "zoned school," including Richmond Virtual Academy. (Reminder: This is different from specialty school applications for schools like FMA or Community. That application window closed yesterday.)
A few important notes:
- Families will have until 4:30 pm on February 1, 2023, to submit open enrollment applications.
- We unfortunately cannot accept late applications for any reason. Please plan accordingly.
- As long as your application is submitted before the deadline, the timing of your submission will have no impact on the outcome.
- If you have additional questions, please email us at enrollrps@rvaschools.net.
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| Important Links – Last updated on November 14, 2022.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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