| Friday, February 16, 2024
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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Happy Friday! Tonight's updates:
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Calendar Reminder – All RPS schools and offices will be closed on Monday, February 19, in observance of President's Day. View the 2023-24 calendar online to see all upcoming holidays.
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| Lobby Day – Also happening on Monday, February 19, is the Fund Our Schools Coalition Lobby Day at the Virginia General Assembly. Everyone is encouraged to come out and advocate on behalf of public education. The group will meet for Lobby Day at 8:30 am at St. Paul's Episcopal Church (815 E. Grace St) and will convene for a rally at 1 pm in front of the Bell Tower (101 N. 9th St). Please be sure to register and let them know you're coming.
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| BHM Spotlight – Having experienced firsthand the transformative power of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Rufus and Kristen Johnson are on a mission to support underserved communities by providing scholarships, as well as financial literacy and workforce readiness programs, for students attending or planning to attend an HBCU. In 2020, they used their talents, knowledge, and financial resources to establish a scholarship fund through their nonprofit, KR Scholars. Since its inception, KR Scholars has assisted two RPS alumni who are now seniors at Winston Salem State University and Norfolk State University. Mr. Johnson shares the following: “We take pride in spotlighting the remarkable accomplishments of our scholars, whether it's making the dean's list or gaining admission to graduate programs. Our commitment is to contribute to a narrative of Black positivity by sharing these empowering stories across various platforms.”
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Dreams4RPS – We have two Dreams4RPS community meetings scheduled for next week. Members of the Spanish-speaking community are invited to join us on Tuesday, February 20, at River City MS for a strategic planning session that will be held entirely in Spanish. And on Thursday, February 22, join us for an 8th District community meeting at the Hull Street Branch of the Richmond Public Library (1400 Hull St). To help frame the conversations, we've put together an Outcomes Report (available in English and Spanish) about the past five years. Both meetings will be held from 6 - 7:30 pm. Hope you can make it, and remember – let's keep dreaming, RPS!
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With great appreciation,
Jason
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| Shout-Outs – Please help us continue to inspire and uplift the RPS community by submitting shout-outs to shoutouts@rvaschools.net. Entries can be submitted in Spanish or English!
- Shout-out to nutrition services at Westover Hills ES! Thank you for working together to keep the kiddos with allergies safe!
- Shout-out to Kimberly Lee, exceptional education teacher at the Richmond Alternative School! I had the opportunity to visit some of her classes today and was so impressed with the level of student engagement, the quality of the students' work, and the students' excellent behavior in her classes. Ms. Lee has established a positive culture and climate in her classes, where students are eager to learn. Kudos, Ms. Lee, and keep up the great work!
- I would like to give a shout-out to one of the best cafeteria managers on the Southside, Pamela Jackson. Ms. Jackson is the cafeteria manager at the marvelous Miles J. Jones Elementary School. She warmly greets everyone who enters the cafeteria. She makes sure all students receive nutritious and delicious meals each day. We are so thankful to have Ms. Pamela Jackson as our cafeteria manager. I would like to give a huge shout-out to one of our bus drivers, Ms. Marquita Blount. She makes two bus runs each day and the students are always well-behaved. It’s always a joy to see Ms. Blount.
- I would like to take the time to shout-out Woodville Elementary School's staff and families for an amazing time last night at the sweetheart dance. We woke up this morning in laughter about how much we enjoyed the soul train line, the amazing music, and food. We can’t wait to do it all again next year.
- I would like to give a shout-out to Ms. London at William Fox Elementary! Ms. London constantly goes above and beyond for students and staff! Her hard work during Black History Month has not gone unnoticed, and she has done an amazing job at putting together a fun sprit week, assemblies, events, etc. for her school. Her positive attitude and kind heart make everyone around her feel happy and cared for! We love you, Ms. London!
- I would like to shout-out our incredible assistant principal, Dr. Harris, at Carver Elementary School for holding down the building in the absence of both our school principal and our other assistant principal. You continue to lead with peace and grace and make all staff feel acknowledged and appreciated. If you haven't been told enough, we love you!
- Huge shout-out to Ms. Chelsie Hewlett who completely transformed a class through her expertise and devotion to our students and teachers at the marvelous Miles Jones Elementary. After Ms. Hewlett's intervention, our students performed at their highest level and were able to see someone authentically lead with love. Thank you, Ms. Hewlett! You truly make a difference!
- There is never a time I don’t enjoy watching Mr. Baber interact with his students. Whether it is seeing him encourage and support their attendance for onsite activities with Pokémon cards, or listening to him work with groups of student during our extended day program, O.A.S.I.S., he never fails to make them laugh and to give them unconditional support and love. RVA is a better place for having him on our team.
- Thank you, to Mr. Watkins and Mrs. Valentine at Chimborazo for hosting all the ICCs for our transition discussion and Q&A today! You were such gracious hosts and made sure we had all we needed, and some things we just plain wanted, for our meeting today!
- We had so much fun at the Southampton Elementary School Winter dance! Big thank you to the PTA, parent and teacher volunteers, and Principal Crews! Thank you to all the parents and students for showing up and shining bright! RRHA Senior Home residents will be receiving Valentines made by our Southampton Elementary School tigers.
- In celebration of Black History Month, the students in the intensive support class at Swansboro Elementary School honored Garrett Morgan who invented a new and improved sewing machine, a mask to protect against smoke and gas, and the modern traffic light.
- A huge thank you to Monica Thomas-Moore for all of the love and hard work she puts into her math lessons. Barack Obama Elementary and all of its teachers and students are lucky to have her.
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| Advocate for RHSA – On Wednesday, March 6, RPS will be requesting a waiver from the city Zoning Board to install light poles on the athletic grounds of the new Richmond High School for the Arts. If you can, please come out to support the RHSA community. For more information, visit our website or scan the QR code below with your phone's camera. Thanks in advance for your support!
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| Tutor Recruitment – Are you a retired teacher, college student/recent grad, or community member interested in supporting the academic success of our students? We're currently accepting applications for academic tutors to support our high-intensity tutoring program. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the RPS team, just visit our website to apply or scan the QR code below with your phone's camera. This work is going to take #AllofUs!
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| RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
Health and Wellness Links
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