| Wednesday, October 27, 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 work day for RPS staff and no school for students.
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| 2022 Employee Benefits Open Enrollment – RPS employees, the open enrollment window for your 2022 benefits closes this Friday, October 29. 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.
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| Free Tickets to the Virginia Repertory Theater – The Virginia Repertory Theatre is generously offering free tickets to RPS teachers to see Pipeline, a highly acclaimed play by Dominique Morisseau that examines the intersection of race and education. If you're an RPS teacher and would like a ticket, please email Amber Martinez, VA Rep's Arts in Education Manager (and RPS parent!), at amartinez@virginiarep.org. Act now, as the play only runs through November 7!
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| Virginia Friends of Mali Visit RPS – Mariam Sissoko ("Mami") from Virginia Friends of Mali recently visited students at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School to teach them about Mali's history and culture. Mami is from Segou, Mali – a sister city to Richmond. Oak Grove-Bellmeade third-graders recently studied Mali so Mami's visit came at the perfect time. Thank you, Virginia Friends of Mali!
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| With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I want to take the time to shout out and acknowledge Kayla Aaron, a kindergarten teacher at Ginter Park Elementary School. This is Kayla’s second year as a teacher and like so many who began their teaching careers last year, her first time with a full classroom of children. Her growth as a teacher in the past few months has been remarkable and inspiring to witness. Her students come in every single day excited to learn and they are excited to be in her class. Her passion and enthusiasm for teaching inspire the rest of us to want to become better educators. She is continually striving to learn more, always open to suggestions, and soaks up knowledge so quickly because she is so eager to try out new strategies to help her students grow and learn not just academically, but as people, too. Ginter Park is truly blessed to have Kayla Aaron as a member of our team this year!
- I wanted to share an amazing collaboration that occurred this past Friday as one of the culminating events for Armstong High School's Homecoming Week. The Virginia Union University Marching Panthers performed a phenomenal field show in partnership with the Wildcat Drumline. Band Director Fayesha Cousins and her staff were extremely excited about collaborating with Armstrong. Our students were enthralled by the stellar performance of an HBCU marching band. Shout out to the entire Armstrong Counseling Department and especially our Graduation Coach, Azalea Gilbert, for coordinating the VUU Marching Panthers visit to "The Strong".
- I wanted to shout out to Mr. Johnson, our custodian at Mary Scott Preschool. He goes 100 miles an hour fixing and cleaning our building to make it look great! When he comes into my room and the kids yell out "hi" to him, Mr. Johnson always takes a minute to smile and say "hi" back and listen to whatever adventure we are on. He is an excellent role model for the kids with his kindness and work ethic. We love you, Mr. Johnson! Thanks for all you do!
- Deborah Jones has been out on leave for a few weeks and came back with a bang! She was able to handle an issue within 2 hours that we have been struggling with for weeks. Ms. Jones is one of the most responsive folks in all of RPS. Phone calls and emails always get returned and she works hard to make sure that schools get what they need. She's the best! We missed you, DJones21!!
- Shout-out to Tiana Addai-Mensah, preschool librarian, for helping to host Mayor Levar Stoney as a guest reader at Summer Hill Preschool this week!
- I just want to shout out Richelle McKoy from George W. Carver Elementary for her continued support and effort to make sure every student has the appropriate interventions and is working towards their reading goals! She has gone out of her way to make sure that every student is in the right group and fully supported, whether it’s one-on-one with her, or in the right group for their reading level! Thanks, Ms. McKoy!!
- I would like to send a big thank you to Linda Wood, who has been so thoughtful and available to all of the preschool staff, but especially to the preschool principals. She is so helpful and kind and she has a heart of solid gold! We are so thankful you are on our team!
- I want to thank Marlo Callahan for being there when I needed her the most. Her attention to detail(s) is impressive! Thanks so much!
- I would like to send kudos to the school counseling team of Thomas Jefferson High School – Willie Dupree, Rahmah Johnson, Redell Thomas, and Heather Kennedy – for an excellent PSAT Day. Thanks also go out to Tracy Brower for stepping in assisting us today.
- Shout-out to the wonderful cafeteria staff of Thomas Jefferson High School under the leadership of William Adams. They are a great bunch of people to have in our building.
- I would like to give a huge shout-out to Ms. Blaine Boaz and Mr. Myers, two supportive teachers in the English Department at George Wythe High School. These two teachers serve the students and department "Wythe love" daily. Keep supporting the students and the team!
- The Continental Societies, Inc., Richmond, Virginia Chapter Arts and Humanities and Education Committees would like to give a big shout-out to the following Richmond Public Schools students for participating in our Second Virtual Youth Showcase for Red Ribbon Week and Anti-Bullying Awareness Month. The students read poems, sang, and conducted a Bullying Table Talk. Ja'Nell McClean (George Wythe HS), Kyla Baskin (Thomas Jefferson HS), Shayla Scott (George Wythe HS), Kiana Jones (Swansboro ES), Ms. Gwendolyn Brown’s kindergarten class (Swansboro ES), Ms. Barnes' first grade class (Cary ES), counselor Ms. Cauthorne (Cary ES), parent Mrs. Timika Vincent (Cary ES), and Mrs. Diane Briggs Bacon's music students (Mary Munford Elementary School). Excellent job, students!
- I'd like to give a Shout-out to Principal Tashiana Ivy at Albert H Hill Middle School. She is truly a servant leader who does what's best for the students and staff, always working to ensure their voices are heard. At the same time, she is unrelenting in her determination to make Hill the best place to learn and work. Every student, no matter their different abilities, has access to opportunities for enrichment and growth. Mrs. Ivy's guiding principle is always Every Tiger, Every Day.
- Mrs. Kenya Massenburg is not only a great leader but also a great individual! Her compassion, thoughtfulness, and insightfulness are just three of the qualities that make up who Kenya Massenburg is. Daily (and every class transition), she walks the hall engaging with students and staff, making each one feel important and loved. Her energy and enthusiasm about Richmond Community High School are contagious; who would not want to be part of the Pharaoh Team?!
- I wanted to thank Ms. Rubinos, who works in the office at Broad Rock Elementary, for translating for me in a pinch! I truly appreciate her flexibility and willingness to help.
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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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