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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Thank you for all the wonderful feedback about RPS@Home! I'm overjoyed that so many RPS families are using it! Enormous gratitude to our Academic Office, led by Tracy Epp, as well as the teachers, principals, and other staff who made this possible. Thank you also to those of you who shared how we can iron out some of the wrinkles. Keep the feedback coming so we can make RPS@Home even better!
RPS@Home Notes – I've received several questions over the last 24 hours about whether the lessons are required, if they'll be graded, and other similar issues. Below are a few notes to help clear things up.
Pre-K - 8 Students
These students are NOT required to complete the RPS@Home lessons, and even if they do, the lessons will NOT be graded. That said, they're a great way to make sure students are prepared for next year. We strongly encourage families to take advantage of them – my two boys are!
9th - 11th Graders and Middle School Students Taking Courses for HS Credit
To receive credit for the courses they were enrolled in at the time of the closure, these students need to complete one RPS@Home module for each class. (Please note that the these modules will be posted to RPS@Home later this week.) The modules will NOT be graded, but they must be completed for a student to earn course credit.
Seniors
Seniors who were passing all their courses needed for graduation when we closed do not need to complete any additional work. These students are all set and will receive their diplomas in June! Of course, we strongly encourage even these 12th graders to use the platform to further their learning during the closure. We also strongly encourage them to take the AP exam for any AP courses they're in.
Seniors who were NOT passing one or more courses needed for graduation when we closed must complete the relevant module/s on RPS@Home to receive credit. The work will NOT be graded, but it must be completed.
Please note that high school counselors will be contacting every senior to make sure they know which modules, if any, need to be completed for graduation.
We have a lot more information for our high school students in a special guidance document we created just for them. I strongly encourage you to review it, if applicable. Also, I know this is a lot of information to process so don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions!
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| 3rd Marking Period Grades and Final Grades – Since we closed school about 2/3 of the way into Marking Period 3, we needed to come up with a way of calculating grades for that period, and for the year (as there won't be grades for Marking Period 4). Below is the approach we developed after talking with students, teachers, principals, the REA, and our colleagues in the counties. Please note that it was approved by the School Board last night.
We had two goals in mind when crafting our approach: 1) do no harm to students; and 2) create guidance that is simple to execute and easy to understand. While certainly not perfect, the approach outlined below does justice, I believe, to these two goals.
Elementary Students
Marking Period 3: We will be asking teachers to finalize these grades by May 8 (the Aspen window will open on Monday), using the following guidance:
- Use the notation "S" for "Successful" (not a grade) when a student had a passing grade in the subject as of March 13.
- Use the notation "N" for "Needs Improvement" (not a grade) when a student did NOT have a passing grade in the subject as of March 13.
These notations will help next year's teachers have a sense of where students may need extra support.
Final Grades: We will not be assigning final grades at the elementary level.
Middle and High Schools
Marking Period 3: We will be asking teachers to finalize grades by May 8 (the Aspen window will open on Monday), using the following guidance:
- Use the notation "E" for "Exempt" for any missing assignment, meaning no make-up work needs to be turned in. This is to protect students (as many are unable right now to complete make-up work) and teachers (as many are unable right now to grade such work).
- Use 50% as the numerical value for any assignment graded as an F (meaning no score below 50%), so as not to unnecessarily depress student grades at this time.
Final Grades: We will calculate final grades using the average of the grades for Marking Periods 1, 2, and 3, each making up 33% of the final grade.
As with the RPS@Home guidance, I know this is a lot to absorb so please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
With great appreciation,
Jason
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- This shout out is for all of the people involved in creating RPS@home for our students. It takes a village to support children, and I am thankful that all of you are a part of my child's village. As a parent, I really appreciate having access to such a great resource and am amazed that it was developed in such a short time. I am hoping it will make it easier to keep my 14-year-old daughter engaged in the learning process while school is closed because I have not been a great homeschool teacher!
- Shout out to Na-Keisha White and the entire School Health Services Team. They have continued to work to ensure the health and safety of all of our students during the closure of the schools, have returned medications and medical equipment home to families, and have supported local hospitals by gathering and donating PPE for health and protection. Their work and commitment is appreciated very much - we are grateful!!!
- I’d also like to shout out the AMAZING nutrition staff and bus drivers! I’ve volunteered at many of the distribution sites, and they are always wonderful! They are hard working, positive and caring. Many of the bus drivers get to know the parents who come pick up food. They ask parents how their families are doing every day and deliver updates about food distribution. It is clear that they take pride in their work and truly care about RPS families. Thank you to this team for continuing to support our kids in the midst of this uncertain time!
- I would like to give a shout-out to Mrs. Ray, the assistant principal at Ginter Park Elementary! She has gone above and beyond to support students, families, and teachers these past few weeks. She has made the exceptional education team feel EXTREMELY supported through collaborating on virtual IEP meetings, providing guidance to case managers, finding answers to our many questions, and by making countless home-visits to ensure our students have everything they need! We appreciate all you do and could not get through this time without you!
- I'm a parent of a student that attends Redd Elementary. His current 3rd grade teacher is Ms. Smith - she is awesome! She has reached out and even taken time to bring a work package to my son. She has contacted us repeatedly with encouraging words...She simply ROCKS!
- Many thanks to the Administrators at RTC, Jonathan Mitchum and Alida Smith, and our CTE Specialist, Ms. Lauren Anne Sledzinski, for their updates and for adding our online lessons to the RTC website for our CTE students at the Richmond Technical Center. Kudos!
- I want to say "thank you" to the Cary Staff for supporting each other as colleagues and continuing to communicate to parents through phone calls, emails, texts, and the JB Cary PTA site. Thank you, Dr. Holland, for creating an art lesson which will take place on Thursday as a Google Chat with our Cary Student Leaders. Shout out to Maranda Miller, 4th grade teacher, for creating read-aloud lessons for the story, "The One and Only Ivan," on TouTube with discussion questions to follow. Ingrid Cauthorne, Cary School Counselor, has created monthly menus, links, and articles for students, staff, and parents. Samantha Jones, administrative assistant, and Heather Lackey, 1st grade teacher, always go above and beyond to meet the needs of our students and families, and make sure instructional packets are provided for our students. Thank you, Nurse Lindsey Crider, for calling ALL of our parents/guardians that had medicine in the office and then mailing those who did not pick them up. The Cary Exceptional Education Team continues to schedule meetings and call their parents to provide the best service through exemplary two-way communication!
- I'd like to send a shout out to Mrs. Howard at Albert Hill Middle School. She has held video meetings for her classes and has provided daily work to keep her students on track to learn the material for the rest of the year. We are so grateful for all of her efforts to make this as normal an experience as possible for her students. She is an amazing teacher and role model! Also a shout out to Mrs. Russell at Hill. She has sent weekly art assignments to her students to help keep them creatively engaged. She is a wonderful teacher and we are thankful for her support and dedication to her students. I'd also like to shout out to Mr. Grow at Hill for hosting a zoom meeting for his students. My daughter really enjoyed the opportunity to see some of her classmates with whom she doesn't communicate outside of school. I'm hoping it will encourage her to reach out to more of her classmates.
- A big shout to Michelle Owens for being there to answer my questions about FMLA and dealing with the company that deals with short term disability.
- I’d like to give a shout out to all the staff at Swansboro Elementary, especially Mrs. Trickey and Mrs. Cosans! They always go above and beyond for their students. Since we’ve been out of school, they talk to their students’ parents daily and video chat with each student every week. They’ve called parents to walk them through how to access Google Classroom and Clever. They are amazing!
- We'd like to give a shout out to Ms. Rockwood at Linwood Holton Elementary. We get daily updates for work the kids should be doing and ideas to keep them busy. This week she put together a Google hangout video chat for the class to get together and talk about what they have been up to. The kids were so excited and literally did not stop talking. So happy to have her as a 5th grade teacher.
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| Food – We still need additional volunteers, so if you're able to assist, please sign up here. Thank you!
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"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!
Answer to Friday's Riddle
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Wishtree Read-Aloud – Today's celebrity reader is RPS Chief Schools Officer, Harry Hughes. Thank you, Harry, for taking the time to do this! To see all the other celebrity readers, just click here.
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Note: New or updated 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 45 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 RPS@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? Please see the guidance above.
- 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: New or updated 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!
- Will I have to pay for a COVID-19 test if I use my RPS health insurance? No. Cigna has clarified that COVID-19 related screening will be covered at no cost to customers. In addition, an associated office visit will be covered at 100%, and cost-sharing and co-payments for COVID-19-related treatment through May 31, 2020 will be waived.
- 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. UPDATE: Cigna has doubled the number of free sessions (to 10) any customer can use for concerns related to the coronavirus, at no additional cost.
- 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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