| I'm dedicating my entire RPS Direct this evening to a recap of last night's 2nd Annual RPS Shines event. We celebrated over 100 teachers, support staff, and administrators – and we did it in style!
Before getting to the awards, I need to thank our sponsors – the RPS Education Foundation, EdConnective, and Dominion Energy. I also need shine a huge spotlight on our lead planners, Mildred DeLoatch and Matthew Stanley, as well as the rest of the planning committee: Christie-Jo Adams, Adrienne Kern, Tamika Massie, Stefanie Ramsey, Rodney Robinson, Wanda Robinson, and Deidra Starkes!
Teachers of the Year – To kick things off, we honored the 2023 Teachers of the Year from every school, our four 2023 Division Teacher of the Year finalists – Shari Hobson from Ginter Park ES, Robert Winslow from William Fox ES, Bernita Williams from Richmond Community HS, and Tiana Addai-Mensah from Mary Scott Preschool – and our 2023 Division Teacher of the Year, Christal Corey from Franklin Military Academy. It was such a joy to celebrate them and to showcase their impact with this video tribute. Big shout-out to our videographer, Chip Jackson, for all the videos you'll see linked!
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| Lucille M. Brown Impact Award – Ty White, teacher and coach at John Marshall HS, received the Lucille M. Brown Impact Award for his unwavering commitment to JM students – in the classroom, in the community, and on the court. Watch this video to learn more about the extraordinary impact that Coach White continues to make every day!
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| Rodney A. Robinson Equity in Education Award – Kayla Wernert, teacher at Ginter Park ES, received the Rodney A. Robinson Equity in Education Award for cultivating an inclusive classroom where students acknowledge and celebrate individual differences and where literacy comes to life – with the highest reading gains in the division! Check out this video to learn more about Ms. Wernert.
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| 2023 Principal of the Year Award – Shayla Holeman, principal of Overby-Sheppard ES, received the Principal of the Year Award for truly exemplifying what it means to Lead with Love. But don't take my word for it – watch this video to hear it from the source: the students, staff, and families of Overby-Sheppard!
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| 2023 Support Staff of the Year Award – Carmen "Ms. Nellie" Alayon, administrative office associate at Cardinal ES, received the Support Staff of the Year Award for always going above and beyond to help all students and families feel welcome, included, and cared for. We're so grateful to her and the hundreds of support staff she represents. Take a look at this moving video tribute!
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| Years of Service – We also honored the remarkable employees who have dedicated 40 or more years of service to RPS! Please join me in congratulating this exceptional group of individuals who have given their entire professional lives to RPS, and who embody the very essence of what it means to Teach, Lead, and Serve with Love.
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| Student Speakers – Though we were celebrating our educators, our students were the stars of the night – truly an inspiration! Please join me in expressing our deepest appreciation to emcee Sydney Wright from Open HS, and speakers Olivia Easterling from John Marshall HS, Kelsea Bennett from Binford MS, and Deon Wright, Jr. from Richmond Community HS. Huge shout-out to Stefanie Ramsey for preparing the students for their big moments on stage!
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| Musical Performances – What's a celebration without music?! Many thanks to the RPS All-City Marching Band, RPS All-City Jazz Band under the direction of Andrew Miles, Huguenot HS Falcon Notes Choral Ensemble under the direction of Suzanne Kane, and the Franklin Military Academy Guitar Ensemble and 16 Strings Guitar Trio under the direction of Kyle Mendez. They brought down the house!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Shout-out to Joselyn Verdi for keeping our tech running like a champ during SOL Testing at Fox Elementary!
- I would like to shout-out Toshia Green for winning a Support Staff of the Year award. She is so deserving of this award. Ms. Green has gone the extra mile for our school – one of the hardest to staff – time and time again to make sure we are presented with the best possible teaching and staff candidates, for the students who need them the most.
- Maymont Preschool Center had an amazing Peacock Play (field day) day today! Way to go, students, for being safe, respectful, and responsible. Thank you to the staff, all of whom pitched in to make it a great day. Thank you to our shared resource (encore) team for being on hand to greet our kids and their parents at the activities. Last, but not least, thank you especially to our parent volunteers!
- Sending a huge shout-out to Leroy Hatcher at the help desk. Thank you for being so patient with helping Bellevue get back connected with printing. Thank you for being so helpful even after spending almost an hour on the phone with us. We really appreciated it!!!!
- Shout-out to Ms. E. Pittman, Ms. R. Donnick, and Mr. J. Rodrigues, our 7th grade 1st-year teachers at River City. Thanks for making a difference and connecting with the students.
- Huge shout-out to Vice Principal Latonya Oliver and Jennifer Eason for their organization of SOL testing at Fox Elementary. You have made SOL testing a smooth process for both faculty and students. We appreciate you! Fox is Love!
- Many thanks to Elise Boyd of Richmond Virtual Academy! Her positivity and smiles during meetings are always a bright spot in my day! She is incredibly knowledgeable and hard working and has done amazing things for RVA.
- Students at the Richmond Career Education and Employment Academy were treated to a unique field trip to the Richmond International Airport. Students experienced every step of the boarding process and even got to board a plane. While on the plane, United Airlines staff went through the safety procedures as well as provided information about the aircraft, United Airlines, and flying. Some students and staff were able to sit in the cockpit! Thank you to Gail, Johnathan, John, Nancy, and Pace of United Airlines for organizing this experience for our students.
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| Teach With Love at RPS – If you know of a great teacher who might like to join the RPS team, please tell them to apply now! We're now offering bonuses of up to $12,000 for new hires who sign their commitment letters by Thursday, June 1.
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| Decision Day Announcements – Class of 2023, please keep sharing your Decision Day news with us at outreach@rvaschools.net. Thank you!
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| 2023-24 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment Events – Join us for our upcoming preschool and kindergarten enrollment events. For more information, please email enrollrps@rvaschools.net. All children enrolled while at the event will be entered into a raffle to win a bike!
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Important Links – Last updated on April 14, 2023.
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