Tuesday, October 26, 2021
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| Calendar Reminder – All RPS schools and offices will be closed Monday, November 1, through Thursday, November 4, 2021. Virtual (video or phone) parent/teacher conferences will take place on Friday, November 5, which will be a fully remote day for all RPS staff and no school for students.
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| Celebrate RVA Week of Joy – Our incredible partners at Celebrate RVA are offering a free "Week of Joy" day camp for K-5 students next week in response to our calendar changes. If you're interested, please register today and note that priority will be given to single-parent households, as space is limited. Huge thanks to Celebrate RVA for exemplifying what it means to #ServeWithLove!
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| RPS Live! – Tomorrow at 7 pm, I'll be joined by Luke Hostetter, our Direct of Strategic Planning, and Raqiyah Cooper, RPS parent, to discuss 2022-23 School Applications! The window to apply for Open Enrollment, Specialty Schools, and Governor's Schools is open now, so this is the perfect time to learn more about these opportunities. See you tomorrow on our Facebook page!
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| 2022 Employee Benefits Open Enrollment – RPS employees, the open enrollment window for your 2022 benefits closes this Friday, October 29. 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.
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- Thank you to First Lady Northam for coming to Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School to read to our students for Read Aloud Week! We enjoyed your visit and positive spirit!
- Shout out to Principal Murphy-Braxton at River City Middle School for leading with love. She goes above and beyond for our River City Red Tails.
- Shout-Out to the awesome and most amazing Principal Mrs. Inett Dabney at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School. We appreciate your leadership and dedication to the craft. Thank you for leading the charge of change at MLK!!!! Happy Principal's Month!!!
- Shout-out to Assistant Principal Deonta Gail! His leadership supports a positive work environment for his secondary RVA staff. He encourages and fosters collaboration within our virtual team. Working with Mr. Gail has been an enlightening experience. His positivity is contagious and keeps us working hard in good spirits. He always asks if we're "good" and if he can help. Our school year looks very bright because of his presence. Go, Owls! Hooty-hoo!
- I would like to give a huge shout-out to Sonya Shaw, principal of Miles Jones Elementary School. Mrs. Shaw is a true example of what it means to lead with love. She greets each student every morning with a warm smile and kind words to get them ready for their day. She maintains this positive energy throughout the school day as she checks on teachers/staff and encourages students to do their absolute best. Mrs. Shaw has made the transition back to in-person instruction feel much more manageable. With her diligence in following new health protocols and ensuring that her staff is able to do the same, she has made this school year feel safe and comfortable. Mrs. Shaw is passionate about the success of her students, staff, and families and it shows as she continues to lead the Miles Jones Elementary School community to greatness
- I would like to give a super-sized shout-out to my principal, Mrs. Monica Murray. She continually pushes us to do and be our best for our students. She leads by example and fosters leadership in each of us. I'm grateful to be a member of her staff. She loves us, and there's nothing we can do about it!
- We would like to give a shout-out to Ms. Washington, a first grade teacher at Henry Marsh Elementary! Her self-reflection along with her willingness to try new things is what makes her an amazing teacher and person! Keep up the great work and growth mindset – you can do it!
- I would like to shout out 5th grade teacher Mr. Canady with Fairfield Court Elementary School for setting a high standard for all students. His planning and preparation is evident each day. He sets a standard of excellence for all students and staff at the school.
- Shout out to the following VPI teachers who completed their Gold checklist before the deadline, a huge accomplishment!!!! At Mary Scott: Ms. Hicks, Ms. Brown, Ms. Tutwiler, and Ms. Wynn; and Ms. President at Summer Hill. This checkpoint has been a lot of work and we thank you for your dedication to helping gather useful data on our preschoolers!
- I would like to give a shout-out to our SRO at Boushall Middle School, Officer Foster. He was so willing to collaborate with me and my exceptional education students during our test review escape room activity. He was actively involved and took the time to build a relationship with my students. My students were excited to have a classroom visitor and even more excited to see that other staff members wanted to come into our class to help them learn. It is so awesome to see him being active in our building and wanting to make a lasting impact on our students.
- Extending a heartfelt and loud shout-out to the amazing Rochelle Wilkins for doing a phenomenal job with STC training, and coordinating all the ground logistics for a successful SOL testing. Mrs. Wilkins stops at nothing to make sure the STC is not only well-trained, but also well-supported on the days of testing. We can't thank her enough or love her enough for literally (not figuratively or metaphorically) being readily available round-the-clock supporting the STCs and the examiner teams. She is a true walking example of working with love, leading with love!
- I love the synergy in this school. We are growing, one student at a time! Our first monthly data meeting yesterday told a story of Fairfield Court Elementary in post-COVID. Yesterday, F.I.T. (Fairfield Impact Team) – Natasha Henderson, Nsombi Morrison, Joanne Grandison, Toy Parrish, Tiffany Woods, Tiffany Sneed, Darlene Mills, and Stephanie McAdams – presented and were able to speak to the "work" taking place at Fairfield. They told the story today of the "why". We are now laser-focused on the "how" through research-based strategies, small-group instruction, intervention/enrichment, monitoring the progress of our Tier 3 students, and celebrating the small victories! Most importantly, I want to recognize all of the staff for going above & beyond to meet the needs of each and every student! Big shout out to the FCES Trio – Marques Davis, Shy Hicks, and Suzie Blevins – for keeping us focused on attendance and making sure our students are here...every day, all day! We are FCES! #MissionPossible #ReachingeachandeveryStudent
- I'd like to give a shout-out to Mr. Rhem at Amelia Street School. Mr. Rhem always makes sure I have everything that I need in the art room, and that I am good to go for the day. I appreciate you and thank you for all of your help with getting the art room ready for our students!
- I would like to give a big shout-out to Ms. Francina Simmons in the Exceptional Education Department. She has helped me to the fullest extent in extending her expertise so that I may log into VA IEP online. Thank you so much, Ms. Simmons, for your support and dedication (even calling me back after hours). You are a gem. I want you to know how thankful I am to you! Please stay safe!!!
- Ms. Franzel at Westover Hills Elementary does a great job really seeing her kids and addressing their educational and emotional needs. She works every day to make sure that her kids can be their best.
- A big shout out to Ms. Bridges from Westover Hills for being an amazing communicator for our kindergartener’s class. She sends out a weekly email to parents so we know what they have been working on in class and what is coming up. It is so helpful to know what we can do at home to reinforce what they are learning. Wonderful to hear her praise the kids' behavior. Thank you for letting us be a part of their week.
- Mrs. Harris, 5th grade teacher at Westover Hills – Thank you so much for being active, responsive, and proactive on Class Dojo. Due to virtual last year and being unable to come and go in the buildings this year, parents can feel somewhat more detached from the school and our kids' school day than before COVID. Your updates and replies on Dojo help bring us back into the mix. Thank you for your communication and taking the time for the parents on top of all you do for our kids. You are much appreciated!
- I'd like to give a shout-out to Rochelle Wilkins in the Testing Department. She is always helpful and ready to assist when needed. We appreciate her support and willingness to help troubleshoot.
- Kudos to Mr. Charles White, exceptional education teacher and case manager at the Richmond City Jail!!! Mr. White was recently recognized by VDOE for his outstanding service to his students. We are so proud to have Mr. White as an integral member of our exceptional education team. His kindness and generosity of spirit, coupled with his dedication to his students, make Mr. White an extremely valued member of the RPS family. Congratulations, Mr. White!
- A big thank you to Karen Young, exceptional education transition mentor teacher at George Wythe High School, for her willingness to help a teacher in need. Ms. Young went out of her way and took time out of her workday to assist a teacher from another school. Ms. Young's support and kindness are greatly appreciated!
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| Non-COVID Student Immunizations – Per the Virginia Department of Health, students need a number of non-COVID vaccinations to enroll in school this year. If your student is still in need of immunizations, please call one of the numbers below and schedule an appointment ASAP. Make sure to get written confirmation of your appointment.
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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 is now open. Via the Enroll RPS Portal, 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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| 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 October 18, 2021.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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