| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Happy Pi Day! Y'all know I can't help myself...
- What does a math teacher eat for dinner on March 14? Chicken pot pi!
- What do you call a math teacher who becomes a private investigator? Magnum pi!
- Why should you never start an argument with pi? It won't ever end!
- What do you call it when someone gets a huge tattoo of pi on their face? An irrational decision!
- What did pi say to its sweetheart? You look radian today!
Tonight's updates:
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Perfect Attendance – As an incentive for perfect class attendance, and in observance of Pi Day, Principal Cornelius Smith promised students at Henry Marsh ES that classes with at least one day of perfect attendance would be able to watch their teacher "serve" a pie to his face. For any students who may have missed out this time, don't worry...a little birdie told me that he will be going into the dunking booth next. Stay tuned!
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RTC Open House – Last night, the Richmond Technical Center hosted its spring open house for prospective students. In advance of course selection, families were able to learn more about our many CTE courses and talk with teachers. If you weren't able to make it, please be sure to check out the 2023-24 Career Pathways Handbook.
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Arts in Our Schools Spotlight – For years, John Marshall HS senior Gaeda Echols has been creating beautiful art to express herself and share her unique experiences. She does it all – from abstract painting to clay work. Aiming for a career in product design, Gaeda was recently accepted into the top-ranked School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University! She encourages students who may be hesitant to explore art to give a go. "Art doesn’t have to be perfect or follow any rules. It’s about having fun and expressing yourself. Don’t compare your work to others – do your own thing!"
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Valentine Teacher Fellowship – RPS teachers are encouraged to apply for the Valentine Teacher Fellowship. Participants will develop educational resources based on the museum's collections and support summer teacher workshops. The deadline to submit applications is Friday, March 29.
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Spring Break Camp – Applications are now open for the Oakwood Arts annual spring break camp happening April 1 - 5. Middle and high school students will learn the basics of photography, covering everything from pinhole cameras to modern digital ones. Register today to reserve your child's spot!
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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 Southampton Elementary School's own superstar sped teacher, Kim Wright! She is an amazing woman with a heart of gold. She goes above and beyond to help her students excel as she gives selflessly of herself to help them to succeed. She's a wonderful teammate who's always there with strategies and a limitless supply of wisdom given in a moment's notice. I have seen her not just give support to her student but be there for their entire family. We are so blessed to have her at Southampton and we would be lost without her! Keep on being your stupendously awesome self, Ms. Wright! We love and appreciate you oh so very much!
- The book fair at Westover Hills Elementary School wrapped up last week, and I'd like to shout-out the family and community members who volunteered to help students shop at the fair, the "Beaver Boosters" who provided breakfast for staff preview day on March 5, community members who contributed to a school-wide eWallet so every student could get a book from the book fair, and WHES staff who celebrated the books students selected and graciously tolerated a plethora of spy pens and fuzzy journals. I'm appreciative of the many hearts and hands it took to make this year's book fair a success!
- I wanted to give a loud shout-out to our wonderful preschool school social worker, Elisabeth Stanley, who recently started this role and has been incredible at supporting all five of our preschool sites. We appreciate you so much!
- Huge shout-out to Mrs. Santiago in the front office at PHSSA for running spring picture day! It was very chaotic but Mrs. Santiago did a great job of organizing and helping things run as smoothly as possible.
- Ms. Tiffany Pierce is the pharmacy technician teacher at Richmond Technical Center. She puts a tremendous amount of effort into the success of her students and the program. ASHP has identified the program as being in full compliance and granted RTC's Pharmacy Technician program six-year accreditation without a remediation plan! Keep up the great work, Ms. Pierce!
- Thank you so much to School Board Representative Cheryl Burke for sharing so many resources with 7th District principals. She is a wealth of knowledge and support to the folks she serves!
- I wanted to give a shout-out to Dr. Basseches from Lucille Brown Middle School. Her art displays at the fine arts festival showcasing student work were top notch and all of her hard work and dedication to the students and school community are greatly appreciated!
- I would love to give a huge shout-out to Ms. Logan at Henry L Marsh III Elementary. It is so evident that her students love her so very much. She leads with patience and love all while delivering instruction. She is a model of letting the small stuff go so that the most important thing remains the most important thing, and that is the development of our amazing scholars. Thank you, Ms. Logan!
- I would like to give a shout-out to the Maymont Preschool Read Across America committee: Ms. Watts, Ms. Parker, Ms. Riddick, Nurse Richards, Ms. Dodson, and Principal Hampton. Special thanks to Ms. West, Ms. Baird, and Mr. Barnett for helping out in a crunch. The students had a great time and we couldn't have pulled it off without the help of everyone present. Thanks, team!
- Shout-out to Mrs. Wilkins and Mrs. Hutchinson’s classes at Swansboro ES on their awesome rainforest habitat project.
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| 2024-25 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment – Preschool and kindergarten enrollment will begin on Monday, March 18! We're thrilled to offer preschool for eligible 3 and 4-year olds, and kindergarten for all 5-year-olds living in Richmond. Please note: if your student is currently enrolled at an RPS preschool, they will still need to register for kindergarten. For more information, please email enrollrps@rvaschools.net.
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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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