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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Thank you for sharing such wonderful shout-outs! Keep them coming!
- Shout out to our fabulous Principal Monica Murray for creating a social media campaign to engage students and teachers. #JMBreakChallenge
- Ms. Vanburen at G.H. Reid started a YouTube for read-alouds from different teachers to share with students!
- Shout out to Ms. Siders and Mrs. Nguyen at Miles Jones Elementary School for keeping us informed and for all the homework help and packets on Dojo. Love them, best teachers ever. So grateful for all their help. My family and my son are so blessed to have them in our lives.
- Shout out to Sylinda Walker, Stephanie Privott, DeFonda Foskey, staff at Summer Hill Preschool who delivered homework packets in the Ruffin Road Community to all grade level homes (along with meals) to those who could not get to a site.
- I would like to shout out Ms. Heather Lackey, 1st grade teacher at John B. Cary elementary school. Ms. Lackey follows-up with each of her students and parents to ensure all of her students are on track and provide assistance if and when needed without hesitation…Her passion and love for her students shows each and every day.
- I just wanted to give a shout out to my son's Kindergarten teacher at Holton Elementary, Mikaela Forshay. She took the time today to FaceTime with him while he read her a book. She has set up a sign-up sheet so that all of her students can schedule a time read to her, or be read to. My son was so excited and talked about her for the rest of the day and kept asking when he could do it again…She is really amazing!
- I want to send a shout out to Mrs. Rasberry, who is continuing to provide FaceTime instruction and support to one of our students in the Hospital Education Program to allow him to complete his certification program!
- I would just like to take a moment and recognize Mrs. Rymer from ETMS. My son has her for history and she is truly AMAZING. She is consistently checking in on her students during this time and updates her assignments in Google Classroom often. I appreciate her for not only making sure that her students are still learning during this time, but for most importantly caring about their well-being.
- My son is in Mrs. Evans' Kindergarten class [at Patrick Henry]. And daily she has been emailing educational videos of herself speaking while at the James River. It has been very encouraging. Our music teacher, Mr. Godsey, has been posting videos on YouTube. My daughter’s teacher, Ms. Starke, 4th grade, has not skipped a beat to ensure her class stays in the loop and has fun while out of the classroom.
- I want to give a shout out to Ms. Germain, the PDD teacher at Reid Elementary. She sent out a YouTube video of their morning song so that the kids would feel like they still had a part of school with them. She is continually checking in to make sure they are alright and that the parents know of ALL the current updates. She is also sending ideas and activities to keep them engaged during this downtime.
- [M]y child attends G.H. Reid Elementary School. I want to give the biggest shout out to my child's teacher, Ms. A. Beverley. She has made sure my child has all the work she will need while school is out and she even volunteered to provide childcare for her parents that have to work. She has started making read-aloud videos every day for her students to watch. She gets in costume which really has kept my daughter engaged. She is the BEST and if I could shout it from a mountain I would!
- I’m the librarian at Swansboro Elementary and I wanted to shout out the team of volunteers and community members that came out today to ensure that the needs of our RPS families are being met.
- My children attend Linwood Holton and the teachers are going above and beyond reaching out to the children...[Mr. Gaskin] set up a Flipgrid so the children can still connect and he can continue to teach and challenge them. I think it’s genius and my daughter loves it. I’m really impressed how the city is responding to this crisis but even more so how the teachers of RPS have wrapped their arms around these children.
Food Distribution – We're continuing to provide food at 20 school-based sites (9:30 am - 12:30 pm) AND at 15 neighborhood sites (9:30 am - 11:00 am). ALL of the sites are listed here. For emergency food support, please call the FeedMore hotline at 804-521-2500. See below for a great pic of the wonderful team at Miles Jones ES!
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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!"– I'm live-streaming math lessons every weekday, from 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm. I'm focusing on everyone's favorite subject: fractions! Don't be scared; fractions are awesome once you get to know them. PLUS, every episode has a Math Joke of the Day (major groaners) and a Riddle of the Day. Here's Episode 2!
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Specialty Schools / Open Enrollment – As I shared yesterday, given how hectic everything is right now, we're extending the deadline to make specialty school and open enrollment decisions until Friday, March 27. This extension does NOT apply to the Governor's Schools and CodeRVA; their deadline is still this Friday, March 20, 2020. Even though schools are closed, you can still access results through the EnrollRPS portal.
Wishtree Read-Aloud – Today's celebrity guest reader for Chapters 8 and 9 is Tracy Epp, our Chief Academic Officer! Catch the earlier chapters here.
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Life – Tiffany Clark, a 3rd Grade Teacher at Broad Rock ES, sent me this picture of a baby chic that just hatched from an egg her class was incubating before the shutdown. So here's the deal, everyone: this little guy needs a name. If you'd like to suggest one, please email me at jkamras@rvaschools.net! I'll confer with Ms. Clark to pick 5 finalists, which we'll share tomorrow.
With great appreciation,
Jason
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Note: Newly added questions are in blue.
Closure
- How long are we closed for? Until April 13. Keep in mind that we may need to close even longer.
- Will we need to go to school in the summer? I highly doubt it. In all likelihood, the State will waive the days we're closed, meaning we won't have to make them up. Once I know for sure, I'll let everyone know.
- Are events run by external organizations that rent space at schools (like churches for Sunday services) cancelled? Yes. ALL activities are cancelled.
Food
- Where are the food distribution centers and what are the hours? The hours are 9:30 am – 12:30 pm, Monday through Friday. The locations are listed here.
- Is RPS also delivering food directly into neighborhoods? Yes! 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!
Pay
- Who will be paid during the closure? ALL RPS employees will continue to be paid. That includes full-time, part-time, and hourly employees.
- Are long-term subs included? Yes!
Academics
- Where do I find the "Learning at Home" section of the RPS website? Just click here.
- What should I do if I want to access online learning resources, but I don't have internet? Please call Comcast at 855-846-8376 (English) or 855-765-6995 (Spanish) to get 60 days of FREE internet. In addition, Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country are now FREE. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, just select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots, and then launch any browser.
- Will students receive official grades for the work they're doing while we're closed? No.
- Will students need to take SOLs this year? The VDOE just put out a press release indicating that they are seeking permission from the Commonwealth and Federal Government to waive testing for this school year. As soon as I have further information on this, I'll be sure to share it.
- What's going to happen with graduation? It's still not clear, but it seems likely that many requirements for this year's graduating seniors (and maybe underclassmen, too) will ultimately be waived. There's also the question of whether we'll have graduation ceremonies in June. Again, I'm not sure just yet. As soon as I have clarity on these issues, I'll make sure to let everyone know.
- 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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Information for RPS Employees
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Nothing new to report today! As a reminder, if you have questions about your 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!
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