| Wednesday, October 13, 2021
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| RPS Live! – Please join us for RPS Live! at 7 pm tonight, October 13, on the RPS Facebook page to celebrate Hispanic and Latin American Heritage Month. This special episode will be co-hosted by Chasity Rodriguez, RPS Coordinator of the Southside Community Hub; and Amelia Castaneda, RPS Welcome Center Coordinator. Joining the discussion will be Cristina Rivero, RPS Family Liaison; Carmen Candelario, RPS Parent; and Irais Barrera Pinzon, George Wythe HS student.
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| Calendar Note – Don't forget that we have a 2-hour early release for all students on Friday, October 15. Please note that we will not have extended day programming that afternoon. To view the full 2021-22 calendar, click here.
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| New RPS Website – I'm thrilled to announce that we'll be launching a brand new website tomorrow, October 14! For the last six months, our team has been working on a fresh new look that celebrates our students and staff and makes it easier to find the information you need. Big shout-out to Matthew Stanley, Director of Advocacy and Outreach, for his leadership of this effort! As you explore the new site tomorrow, please don't hesitate to share feedback to help us continue to refine its functionality. Please also note that our current site will go dark tomorrow, October 14, at 4:30 pm, and it will take several hours for the new site to go live. All other online systems (for example, Google applications, Aspen, Remind, AS400, and Clever) will continue to be accessible throughout the transition.
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| 2022-23 School Applications – The application window for families to submit open enrollment, specialty school, and governor’s school applications for the 2022-23 school year begins at 10 am tomorrow, October 14, via the Enroll RPS Portal. It will remain live throughout the website transition noted above. Students may apply for:
- Any specialty school for which they are eligible (specialty schools include Franklin Military Academy, Open High School, Richmond Community High School, Governor’s STEM Academy at Richmond Technical Center, and the IB Diploma Programme at Thomas Jefferson High School (for rising 11th grade students))
- Out-of-zone schools via the open enrollment lottery (maximum of three school choices)
- Patrick Henry School of Science and Arts (charter school) via a separate open enrollment lottery (if eligible)
- Appomattox Regional Governor’s School and/or Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School (the application for CodeRVA is managed separately by that school)
A few important notes:
- Families will have until 4:30 pm on Wednesday, December 1, 2021 to submit Specialty and Governor’s school applications, and until 4:30 pm on Tuesday, February 1, 2022 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.
- We're holding information sessions about the application process, the Enroll RPS portal, and school options. Details will be at rvaschools.net/enroll when our new website is live.
- If you have additional questions, please email us at enrollrps@rvaschools.net.
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I want to shout out "Miss LP" – Tomorrow Lofton-Pickens. She was given an incredible challenge to navigate this year and did it with a smooth and pleasant demeanor. A true duck: serene on top and paddling like mad underneath to make the virtual classroom work for all of her diverse and wonderful students.
- I wanted to give a shout out to Holton’s assistant principal, Mrs. Flowers. Over the last few weeks, Mrs. Flowers has jumped in to help me with solving a few student conflicts. I felt very supported by her! Support of any kind this year is priceless.
- The fifth grade team at Holton wants to send a huge shout out to Tracy Epp. Today was the first day we had duty free lunch because of her. Ms. Epp dropped everything she was doing in her busy day to offer us a much needed break. Thank you so much!!
- I want to extend an enormous shout out to Leroy Hatcher from Tech Support for helping me reset my computer this morning. Mr. Hatcher has the patience of a saint! I truly appreciate his friendliness and willingness to help a colleague. Thank you, Mr. Hatcher!
- This is a well overdue shout-out for Ms. Potee at Thomas Jefferson High Dchool. She is awesome. She is always willing to help the staff and students. She supports her school in any way possible. Each day she shows up ready to lead with love!!
- I would like to give a shout-out to Kelly McCrowell and the entire team of counselors, social workers, and psychologists who work for RPS. We are still very much living a life-altering global pandemic. Our students are not okay. Our teachers are not okay. Our staff are not okay. The RPS team has gone above-and-beyond to reach our children and our families and we are lucky to have them. Many of us have our children still with us here today thanks to these wonderful humans. I hope every parent knows and appreciates just how much this RPS team does for our school system. Thank you to all of our wrap-around service providers.
- Shout out to Beth Ramsey and Valenta Wade for being the GOATs (Greatest Of All Time) in the district assessment department. Their responsiveness and attention to detail are unmatched. These two extraordinary RPS family members exemplify what it means to Lead with Love. We appreciate you and all you do for us!
- I would like to shout out multiple RPS district staff members from multiple departments who exemplify Leading with Love due to their responsiveness, quick responses to any type of communication, dedication to RPS, and the unwavering support of administration and staff at the building level. We see you and appreciate you: Christie Barford, Linda Tarry, LaRue Pope, Nishawn Lee, Alyson Davis, Torrie Walker, Ro Stark, Valenta Wade, Beth Ramsey, Morris Green, Damone Harris, Nicole Napier, Taryn Crawley, Deborah Jones, Helen Mickens-DeMena, Timothy Williams, Matthew Stanley, Michelle Hudasko and Solomon Jefferson.
- I'd like to send a shout out to Mx. Pigott in the art department at Huguenot High School! Their classroom is warm and inviting, and Mx. Pigott has been a great support to both their students and coworkers as we all navigate this unprecedented year. Huguenot is lucky to have you, Mx. Pigott!
- Hootie hoot to Ms. Hosick, 2nd grade teacher at Richmond Virtual Academy! When she needed to adjust her lesson plan at the last minute, she was ready to bob and weave to make sure her students were learning and growing every minute. Thank you for being an amazing RVA Owl!
- I would love to give a shout out to Ms. Hawley, the STEM teacher at Holton Elementary School. I received an unexpected call from Ms. Hawley stating how well my son was doing in her class. She stated he was her star student for the day and how it was a pleasure having him in her class. It’s very refreshing to receive a call full of praise for your son! It was out of the blue but made me extremely happy! Your phone call was the extra boost my son needed to hear. Thank you! You are appreciated.
- I would like to give a shout out to Linwood Holton greeters and pick-up team. They are amazing!! When I drop my children off in the morning, Ms. Wilson and Ms. Campbell are a breath of fresh air. Getting the children off to a great start is important. In the evening, unfortunately I don’t know all of the team members' names. But Mr. Gaskin and Ms. Campbell, along with their crew, move the line along swiftly and effortlessly. They have been caught in the rain many times and they still move the line along with a positive attitude. Team work makes the dream work!!! Kudos, Holton Family. You Rock!
- I would like to thank the staff at Southampton Elementary for their great work. My kids are in 1st and 4th grade and they are so happy to be back to school in person. They come home smiling, they tell me about good stuff that's happening at school, and they happily get on the bus the next day. I am so thankful for our Southampton community.
- Shoutout to Ms. Grady at Westover Hills ES. She sets high expectations for everyone in her classroom (herself included) and works hard to make sure students have the tools to meet those expectations. We are so lucky to have her.
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| Community Vaccination Center at Richmond Raceway – Starting today, the Virginia Department of Health is opening a Community Vaccination Center (CVC) at the Richmond Raceway, located at 600 E. Laburnum Ave. The CVC will offer COVID-19 vaccines to the greater Richmond community. It will be open Monday-Saturday, 10 am - 7:30 pm for any individuals who qualify for a COVID-19 vaccination initial series or booster. You can schedule an appointment at vaccinate.virginia.gov or by calling 877 VAX-IN-VA. Walk-ins are also welcome. All three COVID-19 vaccine types and Pfizer booster vaccines will be available.
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| Parent/Caregiver Advisory Council – Join the 2021-22 Superintendent's Parent/Caregiver Advisory Council for an opportunity to directly impact RPS decision-making in support of all students. PAC meetings will be held virtually, once a month. Click here to learn more, and apply by October 25!
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| 2022 Employee Benefits Open Enrollment – RPS employees, the open enrollment window for your 2022 benefits begins today and goes through October 29. This is your annual opportunity to review your benefits and make changes – if you'd like – to your medical, dental, flexible spending, and voluntary accounts. Changes made during open enrollment will become effective January 1, 2022. We have three ways for you to participate in the open enrollment process:
- Online – Click here to access the online benefits system 24/7. Your pin is a six digit number, consisting of the last four of your SSN, followed by the last two digits of your birth year.
- Phone – Call our Benefits Service Center at (844) 379-0069, M-F, 7 am to 7 pm.
- Appointment – Click here to schedule an appointment with a benefits counselor.
Additionally, the Talent Office will hold daily virtual Q&A sessions, M-F, throughout the open enrollment window. Drop in via Google Meet to ask your questions, drop out when you've received answers, and then continue on with your day.
- 8 am to 9 am – Join Google Meet here.
- Noon to 1 pm – Join Google Meet here.
- 5 pm to 6 pm – Join Google Meet here.
For access to a benefits information portal, click here. Enter "RPSbenefits" as the username. The portal will provide you with up-to-date information, educational videos, and enrollment instructions. Finally, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact our Benefit Service Center at (844) 379-0069 or our Benefits and Compensation Department at (804) 780-1880 or benefits@rvaschools.net.
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| R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership – Nominations for the R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership are now open! Don't miss this opportunity to recognize an amazing RPS principal who demonstrates every day what it means to #LeadWithLove. The winning leader will receive a $10,000 award and an additional $20,000 for their school. Submit your nominations here by November 4.
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| Bus Driver Incentives – As a reminder, we now have a $4,000 signing bonus for bus drivers with a CDL. New hires without a CDL will receive $2,000. Check out the flyer below for more details and apply at www.rvaschools.net/talent.
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| Important Links – Last updated on September 8, 2021.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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