| Thursday (PM), April 15, 2021
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Dear #RPSStrong Family,
In honor of National Library Month, tonight I'm spotlighting the hottest ride in town – the RPS Lit Limo! Check out the schedule below and mark your calendars for a visit. Put the Chromebooks down, stretch your legs, and pick up an actual, physical book to take home. And if you'd like to donate books to the Lit Limo, please reach out to our amazing head of library services, Judy Deichman, at jdeichman@rvaschools.net. And just remember: Dinosaurs didn't read; now they're extinct.
With great appreciation,
Jason
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- I'm currently logged into our full staff meeting at Boushall Middle School, and I want to shout out our entire Boushall family for what's just happened. Before and after Spring Break, our admin team surprised our Teacher and Staff of the Year live in-person during our virtual faculty meetings. The joy and celebration that our entire staff gets to experience during these (safe) live interactions is incredible. In a year filled with grief, loss, sadness, fear and pain, this staff uplifts, celebrates, cares for and appreciates one another like no other. Congratulations to Ms. Tia Carver and Mr. Van Archer, our teacher and staff of the year, and thank you to our incredible leadership, Ms. LaTonya Waller, Mrs. Michelle Kenneth and Dr. Patricia Aldridge for modeling kindness, care, determination, community and love. Big shout-outs to the Boushall front office team, media specialist, custodial staff, teachers (!!!), flex subs and counselors. Thank you all for being such bright, warm lights to the Boushall family and beyond.
- I want to say "thank youoooooooooooooooo so much" to Mrs. Denise Monroe at Thomas Jefferson High School. In a conversation with her, she heard my need for a certain type of label and before I knew it, there she was with labels in hand. Mrs. Monroe truly went above and beyond!!! This act of kindness has not gone unnoticed.
- A big shout out to the Fisher 5th grade families who attended a last minute information session this week! We appreciate all of you!
- A huge shout out for Richmond Technical Center's media specialist, Dr. Vonita Foster. She is a tremendous resource for our staff and students. She helps to manage our webpage and school newsletter. Although this is her first year with us, we feel like she has been with us for years. Her warm and friendly attitude makes her an amazing person. We appreciate you, Dr. Foster!
- There's so much to say about Assistant Principal Tarnee Hudson at Miles Jones Elementary School. But, I guess I have to spell it out for you! Trustworthy-When she says she will do something, it gets done. Aware-She sees a need, she fills it. From substitute teaching to translation services. Rare-It's seldom to come across a more genuine person. Nutty-She's full of energy and knowledge and embraces her quirks. Experienced-From Superman to school supervision, she knows "so much" about "so much"! Essential-I don't know how the school would function without her. Harmonic-She stands on neutral ground and looks for ways to unite the masses. Upbeat-She stays positive and always takes the high road. Dedicated-To her God, her family, and the students and staff at Miles Jones. Safe-Plays by all of the rules and promotes confidentiality. Organized-Keeps a tight calendar, remembers birthdays, names, and creates a "mean" spreadsheet. Necessary-We love her enthusiasm, feed off of her energy, and she just makes working at Miles Jones a pleasure! Happy Assistant Principal Appreciation!
- Tiana Addai-Mensah has been the best librarian/media specialist I’ve worked with! She has helped me plan events, is super organized and goes above and beyond for her students. She has not only been a librarian but also a teacher, counselor, support system and team player at Miles Jones Elementary! Thank you, thank you, thank you! You are appreciated!
- I would like to shout-out our amazing assistant principals at Oak Grove, Ms. Jordan and Ms. York. They both make it easier when it comes to this virtual school year, whether it is with countless meetings, feedback, or just encouragement. They have made this school year a little more bearable. So I say, thank you, thank you!!
- I would like to shout out the wonderful librarian at River City Middle who works as my partner, Leslie Hayes. She is amazing in many ways with technology, research, knowledge and taking care of the students and staff. Red Tails have a jewel in Leslie Hayes.
- I would like to shout out the triple team of assistant principals, Mr. Murray, Mrs. Coleman, and Mr. Smith at MLK MS. Each individual shows great leadership as they support students, faculty, staff, and families. It is the "extra" in their extraordinary skills that needs to be highlighted. We are never lacking with Mr. Murray giving us a "Friday Jam" to end the week on a high note. Mrs. Coleman monitors the chatbox in our staff meetings to ensure all questions are answered. Finally, we love Mr. Smith's energy when sharing a Goggle Slide presentation, along with his "meticulous" highlights to ensure we don't miss a thing! As a collective, they make sure it's never a dull moment at the "King". Thank you, Mr. Murray, Mrs. Coleman, and Mr. Smith for making MLK a true place to raise Kings and Queens to make a difference.
- Shout out to Ms. Belcher, our AP at Redd! She is always there for the teachers when they need something. We appreciate her realness and how she is always up for a laugh and a dance to brighten our day. Ms. Belcher loves our kids and makes sure they get whatever they need to be successful. Thanks, Ms. Belcher, for all you do for the Redd Lions!
- Last week was Assistant Principals' Appreciation Week and I would like to take this opportunity to shout out the best APs in RPS: Ms. Felecia Coleman, Mr. Clifton Murray, Mr. Davell Smith, and last, but not least, Dr. Howard Hopkins. It really makes my job a lot easier knowing that I have these amazing individuals, not walking behind me, but walking with me, in an attempt to educate and change the lives of children, who deserve the best we have to offer. Ms. Coleman brings 40 plus years of educational experience that is irreplaceable, along with a nurturing spirit (elementary background). She can turn any negative situation into a positive, by just using her words. Mr. Murray is the person who makes everyone feel that it will be ok, just be true to yourself and put our students first with every decision you make. He is a true advocate for our students and families, giving his all and never expecting anything in return. Mr. Davell is our little brother, who soaks up every bit of knowledge from all of us and is holding his own. He is high energy and high spirit, especially when it comes to our students. He is doing a wonderful job, as a first-year AP with the STEM Academy. Dr. Hopkins, what can I say about Doc that hasn't already been said over his illustrious career? He is the epitome of an educator, he is what we all aspire to be. I am so grateful for having all of that wisdom at my fingertips. Thank you for all of your support as we continue on our amazing journey together as educators.
- I would like to send a shout out to the amazing Latonya Oliver, assistant principal at William Fox. She is always there for her teachers. She is an incredible professional and is always on top of her game. More importantly, she treats her staff with respect, she understands that we all have lives outside of school, and she has an open door if you ever need to talk. She will back you up 100% with behavior issues. If I have anything to fault her for, it’s for working too hard and not taking a day off! I so appreciate all of her hard work.
- Shout out to Ekaterina Travis, AP at Southampton Elementary, for all that she does for our school community. She has truly taken RTI to new heights at our school and the accountability measures have really helped our students to make gains. Not only does she balance many duties under her title, she still takes time to share her expertise and encourage others to grow in leadership roles by welcoming autonomy and creativity. She actively engages our school family during community circles and lets her enthusiasm shine through. We are thankful to have such a superstar AP who leads in an exemplary way.
- I would like to give a shout-out to Ms. Miller, the assistant principal at Mary Munford. She is always calm, organized, and supportive. All of those traits are important and much appreciated, especially in stressful situations. Ms. Miller quietly goes about her business and makes Munford a better place!
- Our Holton family wants to shout out Mrs. Hawley for her kindness, caring, and contagious enthusiasm for STEAM! Mrs. Hawley is so creative with her virtual STEAM lessons and is cultivating lots of future STEAM experts in her class. She goes above and beyond in every lesson.
- I'd like to shout out Christal Jordan, Oak Grove-Bellemeade assistant principal, who is dedicated to the staff and students at Oak Grove. She is always sharing and listening to ideas to help improve learning for our students. Ms. Jordan has kept an eye on students who are experiencing medical issues to see how she can help assist parents and be their liaison with teachers. Thanks, Ms. Jordan!
- This shoutout goes to Ms. Linda York, fabulous assistant principal at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School. Ms. York is always available to assist staff with good advice, delivered with humor! She is always positive, whether observing in the classroom or counting the textbook inventory. Ms. York makes Community Circle entertaining with her witty banter and stories. She is so understanding and supportive in this crazy virtual year. Ms. York is our rock to lean on. She always compliments teachers in front of others for doing things well, so she is deserving of her own shout out! Love you, Ms. York!
- Lucille Brown Middle School is lucky to have Ms. Layne leading the way in all things media and literacy. She is a real gem. Her dedication to our community and willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure students and staff have technology is heroic. She is humble and sometimes hidden behind a costume, dressing up for Halloween and distributing books on the Lit Limo or behind the scenes creating literacy fun with masked readers. She is also essential whenever we need her to collaborate on lessons, support MAP testing, deliver a Chromebook, and on and on. Merci, bravo, and gracias, Ms. Layne.
- I want to give a shout out to Mr. Jefferson, Principal Director of Middle Schools. He took the time to answer all of my questions about middle school scheduling and then went above and beyond by following up the next day with an email detailing what we had discussed. Thanks to Mr. Jefferson!
- Congratulations to Mr. Van Archer, the Boushall Family/Staff Member of the Year! He is truly deserving of this honor. During my years at Boushall Middle School, he has supported scholars in our RISE program with a caring heart and loving spirit. However, during this virtual year, he has extended himself to our family members without reservation. He has been supportive and selfless without hesitation. Mr. Archer has led mindfulness moments during our meetings and stressed the importance of self-care and reflection. He manned the distribution several days a week since school reopened and on Saturdays to ensure scholars had their materials. Today's announcement brought not only universal nods and cheers of agreement but also tears. Our Boushall family is amazing because of our family members like Mr. Archer!
- I want to give a huge shoutout to both Dr. Juvenal Abrego-Meneses and Mrs. Katrina Holmes for their guidance throughout the year. Both have been amazing mentors to me and have helped me grow. From day one they took me under their wings and have guided me on best practices, decision making, and how to grow into a building administrator. Thank you to both of you.
- I wanted to shout out Ms. Ianthe Linton for being so responsive and for working with me to co-teach our students. She is a great educator to work alongside. Thank you for your help, Ms. Linton!
- I wanted to share how helpful my daughter’s counselor at Open High School has been. We had some difficulties selecting courses for next school year via Schoollink. We reached out to Micah for assistance and just like Superman, he swooped in and saved the day! He helped my daughter select the correct courses, and then encouraged her participation in leadership opportunities. We truly appreciate Micah & the OHS family.
- I would like to give a much deserved and way overdue shout out to Fairfield Court Elementary's own Mrs. Natasha Henderson. Mrs. Henderson is one of the nicest and sweetest people that you could ever meet. She is very approachable, mild-mannered, and she never hesitates to go out of her way for students and their families. She has availed herself on several occasions to families and to staff after hours and on weekends. She is a true educator who cares and embodies the phrase "leading with love." Happy Assistant Principal's Week, Mrs. Henderson!!!!!! We celebrate you and thank you for all that you do.
- I would like to shout out Ms. Dungee (OGBES Title 1 Math Interventionist). She has really gone above and beyond for our teachers and students this school year. She is my go-to person and always saves the day when I need her! Thank you, Ms. Dungee!!!!
- Huge shout out to Jonathan McDearmon, Family Liaison! He is always there for every team (school) he works with! He shows up, brings great ideas, creates amazing videos for our students, families, staff and more. I am so grateful for him! His positive attitude and energy bring up all those around him! Thank you, Jonathan!
- Happy Assistant Principals Week to Dr. Hines, Mr. Olds and Ms. Oliver at Huguenot High School! You three are amazing leaders – compassionate, caring and always there for everyone (students, parents, and staff)! The Falcon Family is lucky to have you! We celebrate you this week and every week!
- The busiest most dynamic Librarian ever is Mrs. Jacqueline Breidenbach at Redd Elementary. Mrs. B loves her students and they love her. Prior to the pandemic she would greet every child by name at the front of the school with a hug and her sunny disposition. Students of all ages always gravitate around her. Now it's the same, but virtual :-) Our Librarian's lessons are fun and energetic, and she shares her love of books in a genuine way. Of course, Mrs. B's many talents extend outside the library and she takes charge of many important duties at our school: technology, media, materials distribution, textbooks, Lit Limo, resource delivery to families....you name it....she does it! We really appreciate your hard work, Mrs. B!
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SOLs – SOLs are occurring this year, and if you choose to have your children participate, per the VDOE, they must do so in person. Please complete this survey to let your school know if you would like your children to test.
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Preschool and Kindergarten Registration – Just a reminder, we're currently registering students for PreK/K for next fall. PreK is open to children who will be 3 or 4 by September 30, and kindergarten is open to children who will be 5 by September 30. For a complete list of eligibility and documentation requirements, and to enroll your child, please visit our website at rvaschools.net/enroll.
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ReopeningWithLove 2.0 Student & Family Conversations – Please see the flyers below for all the details.
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New Meal Distribution Schedule – Please see the flyers below for all the details.
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Important Links – Last updated on April 12, 2021.
RPS Links
COVID-19 Links
Crisis Support Links
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