| Tuesday, February 6, 2024
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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
My apologies for skipping last night's Direct. I came down with COVID over the weekend and have been out of commission for the last couple of days. Fortunately, I'm on the mend. Many thanks to Shareyna Chang, RPS Chief of Staff, for sitting in for me at the Board meeting last night!
Tonight's updates:
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| 2024 RPS Division-Wide Spelling Bee – Come out and support our school spelling bee champions at the 2024 RPS Division-Wide Spelling Bee! Spellers will take the stage tonight at 6 pm at Mary Munford ES. Hope you can attend!
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| BHM Spotlight – Andrea Seward, a 9th grade student at Armstrong HS, is breaking barriers in the athletics program at her school. Not only is she the first young woman to play football for the Wildcats, she is also one of two female wrestlers stepping onto the mat in what has traditionally been a male-dominated sport. When asked how she is creating Black History, Andrea said: "I go out of my way as a young Black woman not only for myself, but also for my family and every Black and Brown girl in the world, by pushing myself and showing people that anything is possible. Here at Armstrong High School, I play what some would call 'male sports' such as football and wrestling. I hope to make a big name for myself and inspire people, especially women all over the world, to do whatever they set their mind to."
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| February Student Representative – Many thanks to our February student representative to the School Board, Najmudeen Ouerhani, a senior at Richmond Community HS, for sharing his thoughts with us during last night's meeting. Najmudeen serves on my Superintendent’s Student Advisory Council and is a member of Partnership for the Future, Drama Club, Book Club, National Society for Black Engineers, International Thespians Society, and Future Business Leaders of America. His many awards and recognitions include: National Honor Society, National English Honor Society, National Workplace Readiness Skills Certification, Perfect Attendance, President of International Thespians Society, and so much more!
Najmudeen remains active in his community through his participation in the Eagle Scouts, ICNA Relief Muslims for Humanity Project, and the Richmond Community High School Garden. In his spare time, Najmudeen enjoys photography, theater, filmmaking, and video editing. Upon graduation, Najmudeen plans to attend Old Dominion University or Virginia Tech with a double major in cinema and economics. After college, he hopes to pursue a career with Virginia Public Media. Thanks again, Najmudeen!
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| School Board Recognitions – So many recognitions and proclamations at last night's Board meeting! Please join me in celebrating the following: 2024 RPS Teacher of the Year Ms. Tranelle Pollard, lead school counselor at Dogwood MS, and 39 amazing RPS educators who have reached the ultimate rank of National Board Certified Teacher!
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| National School Counseling Week – Let's celebrate National School Counseling Week by recognizing our life-chaning school counselors with tons of shout-outs. Send them to shoutouts@rvaschools.net!
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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!
- Special shout-out to our counselors at Cardinal Elementary: Mrs. Henderson, Ms.Tillman, and Mr. Sneed. Your presence is greatly appreciated. Thank you for all that you do for the students!
- This week is National School Counseling Week, and we want to celebrate our amazing counselors: Mrs. Atkins, Mrs. Hayes, and Ms. Johnson. I would like to thank Mrs. Atkins for serving as Boushall’s administrative aide; she goes beyond the call of duty to ensure that our campus operates in excellence. Furthermore, I want to say thank you to Mrs. Hayes for always speaking life into our students and staff. Moreover, I want to say thank you to Ms. Johnson for always moving with grace and patience throughout the campus. Our counselors are absolutely remarkable and exceptional; they never hesitate to support our students and staff. Also, our counseling team always puts the needs of others before their own. We are truly blessed to have such an amazing counseling team. We truly appreciate our Boushall counseling team!
- I want to shout-out Ms. London, the school counselor at William Fox Elementary School. She has planned so many amazing activities to celebrate Black History Month here at Fox. We start with a Black History Month kick-off assembly, a special Black history spirit week, and a Black history experience at the end of the month. Thank you for all you do for the students and staff at William Fox!
- Huge shout-out to the Conexus folks for sending Swansboro Elementary School one of the very best children's optometrists I've ever seen and the kindest and most patient eyewear technician! They professionally checked out every student's eyes to see if they needed glasses; then they professionally advised/fitted students with an eyeglass frame that met the needs of each student. Having current eyeglasses is invaluable to the education of all RPS students – #leadingwithlove and I'm so very grateful.
- Shout-out to Ms. Taylor and Ms. Whitaker, TDT case managers with RBHA. Thank you for all that you do with the students to aid in emotion regulation and behavioral modification.
- Shout-out to Mrs. Broomell, the librarian at George Washington Carver Elementary School. Thank you for organizing an author visit for our fifth graders! Author Nashae Jones was a treat as she discussed her new book, "Courtesy of Cupid." What a wonderful Q&A with our scholars!
- I would like to give Ms. Juila Logan, Mr. Jamar Mitchell, and Ms. Roslyn Anderson, nutrition manager at Lucille Brown Middle School, a warm heartfelt shout-out for their hard work and dedication in preparing a wholesome and nutritious meal for the students at Brown middle. They come to work every day and do whatever has to be done. Ms. Anderson's motto is: "We can't wait for help, we have to feed the students no matter what!"
- I would like to shout-out Ms. Kayla Aaron at McClenney Elementary. She is so dedicated to helping all of her students succeed. Her kindergarten classroom is a beautiful balance of rotations and music, manipulatives, and practice with social skills. She is a truly talented educator!
- A huge hug to the preschool teachers at Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary. On February 3, 2020 your fast actions saved my life.
- A big thank you to Damien Underdue in Tech Services. Every one of the bajillion emails I sent over the last week were answered quickly and provided all the information I needed. I appreciate the work!
- Monica Murray is a rock star! The pride and enthusiasm she has for RPS and the John Marshall community is unmatched. Thank you for being a wonderful ambassador!
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| RPS Love Store – Check out the new Black history designs in the RPS Love Store! All proceeds will support the Richmond Black History Museum.
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| Road to Licensure Fair – Join us on the RPS Road to Licensure on Saturday, February 10, from 9 am - 2 pm at River City MS. Learn about the requirements for teacher licensure, participate in onsite interviews, and speak with representatives from RPS and local universities. To sign up for this wonderful opportunity, scan the QR code below with your phone's camera. Also, if you know of a great teacher who might like to join the RPS team, please tell them to apply now. We have positions available in several content areas. Help spread the word!
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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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| Mental Health Support – I want to remind everyone – students, staff, and families – that your mental health continues to be a top priority. Please note the resources below and remember that we love you here and you are not alone.
- Students who need emergency mental health support should call the Richmond Behavioral Health Authority at (804) 819-4100 or the ChildSavers Immediate Response line at (804) 305-2420 (or send a text to 741741).
- RPS employees in need of emergency support should contact the Cigna 24/7 Crisis Line at (833) ME-CIGNA, or (833) 632-4462. Additional counseling and support services are also available through the Cigna Employee Assistance (EAP) program by calling (800) 544-6931.
- Latinos in Virginia Empowerment Center provides education, advocacy, and support to Spanish-speaking individuals affected by violence. The 24/7 hotline in Spanish is (888) 969-1825.
- The Trauma Healing Response Network is a coalition of grassroots, community-based organizations and mental health partners that provide support services to families and communities impacted by gun violence. The network can also facilitate the distribution of emergency relief funds to help those in crisis. For more information, email traumahealingresponsenetwork@gmail.com.
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| RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
Health and Wellness Links
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