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| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Before we get to today's shout-outs, I want to draw everyone's attention to some changes I announced on Friday about how we're distributing food (see the next section). I keep repeating this because it's the most important thing we're doing right now. Please share the flyers below with everyone in your networks.
I also want our employees to note two updates in the "Information for RPS Employees" section at the end of the email.
Shout-outs!
- Shout out to Coach Cherry at John Marshall High School for leading an Instagram Live workout for staff this morning! We can’t wait for her to go live and lead a workout on the @jm_justices page!
- Shout out to Ms. Kern, AP Environmental Science teacher at John Marshall High School, for finding ways to continue making science an experience for her students during this break.
- I teach kindergarten at Oak Grove. I just wanted to give a shout out to all of our amazing cafeteria staff that have been showing up every day to help package and distribute meals for our students. Those are some of the hardest working ladies I’ve ever met…I want to give a shout out to all of my fellow Oak Grove teachers who are working incredibly hard to make sure our students are safe, well-fed, healthy AND [provided with] academic support via online read-alouds, work packets – even driving to Hillside Court to pass out school supplies. I am beyond proud to work at Oak Grove Bellemeade. Thank you!!!
- I would like to give the biggest shout out to Ms. Baughan and Mrs. Lippman. They made sure my son and daughter had the necessary packets before knowing where we were possibly headed and they continue to check in on not just my kids but all the kids in Rooms 209 and 108. Thank you, ladies, for everything you do in the classroom and now during this time outside of it! Your students miss you!!!!
- I wanted to give a special shout out to Ms. Thomas, the coordinator for Communities in Schools at Lucille Brown Middle School. Ms. Thomas has reached out to my girls offering support along with information on how they can reach out to her just to communicate, find out how they are doing, and let them know that she's available if they may need her assistance. Ms.Thomas, thanks a bunch for your phone calls, and kudos to you! Stay in Peace and Be Blessed!
- My daughter’s first grade teacher, Ms. FaJhon, is calling her students and keeping in contact with them. It’s such a wonderful thing that she is doing, taking her time and calling the kids to make them feel [that things are] more normal. My daughter smiled for the rest of the day, especially after Ms. FaJhon said she would call her the day after her birthday to find out what she got. Going above and beyond!
- Good evening! My son goes to Southampton Elementary and is in 4th grade there! This whole school year, especially during this uncertain time, his homeroom teacher, Ms.Bavin, has kept AMAZING communication via Class Dojo…She organized and sent home work for students to complete and stay caught up, made work available via Google Classroom, packed snacks for her students to have...and sent out so many resources to parents including offering any help that she could do herself! The support is REAL!
- I wanted to send a very special shout out to John "JD" Dowling--math teacher extraordinaire. After 44 years in the classroom, he's retiring at the end of the year. Does that stop him from teaching? No way! He's using Padlet and Zoom to keep his AP Statistics students engaged.
- A mammoth shout out to ALL the Open teachers working to keep students' brains active! They are online and available through Google Classroom, Flipgrid, Instagram, Padlet, and Zoom. I'm so proud to work with this committed group of educators. Just wanted to share some of my joy.
Food Distribution – UPDATE: As I shared on Friday, starting tomorrow, Monday, March 23, we are expanding our meal delivery program by utilizing our buses to bring food to 34 locations around the city. Each bus will have volunteers to help hand out the grab-and-go meals, including Spanish-speaking staff for our Southside routes. For all the details, please see the flyers below in English and Spanish.
We are also closing the 10 least utilized school distribution sites so that we can put more food on the buses. The school sites that will remain OPEN are:
- Southside: Boushall MS, Broad Rock ES, George Wythe HS, Miles Jones ES, Reid ES
- East End: Armstrong HS, MLK MS
- Northside: Ginter Park ES
- West End: Binford MS, Carver ES
As a reminder, if you'd like to volunteer to help with food distribution, you can sign up here!
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Learning at Home – As a reminder, you don't need to figure this out on your own. We have a TON of resources on our website. Big thanks to the entire academic team for pulling everything together so quickly. Check it out here!
"Mr. K's 30 Minutes of Math!"– As a reminder, I'm live-streaming math lessons every weekday, from 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm. I'm focusing on everyone's favorite subject: fractions! Don't be scared; fractions are awesome once you get to know them. PLUS, every episode has a Math Joke of the Day (major groaners) and a Riddle of the Day!
Wishtree Read-Aloud – We'll be back with our next reader on Monday. Catch Chapters 1-11 here.
And the Winner Is... – With the 36% of the votes, the winner is Vida ("life" in Spanish)! What a perfect name for the time we're in. See below for an updated picture of little Vida!
With great appreciation,
Jason
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Note: Newly added questions are in red.
Closure
- How long are we closed for? Until April 13. Keep in mind that we may need to close even longer.
- Will we need to go to school in the summer? I highly doubt it. In all likelihood, the State will waive the days we're closed, meaning we won't have to make them up. Once I know for sure, I'll let everyone know.
- Are events run by external organizations that rent space at schools (like churches for Sunday services) cancelled? Yes. ALL activities are cancelled.
Food
- Which schools have food available for pick-up? Southside: Boushall MS, Broad Rock ES, George Wythe HS, Miles Jones ES, Reid ES; East End: Armstrong HS, MLK MS; Northside: Ginter Park ES; West End: Binford MS, Carver ES
- Is RPS also delivering food directly into neighborhoods? Yes! We are using our buses to deliver food to 34 locations around the city. Click here for all the details.
- Can students pick up food without their parent/caregiver being present? Yes.
- Can parents/caregivers pick up food without their student being present? Yes.
- If I want to help in some way, what should I do? Please fill out this Google Form so we can follow up with you. Thank you!
Pay
- Who will be paid during the closure? ALL RPS employees will continue to be paid. That includes full-time, part-time, and hourly employees.
- Are long-term subs included? Yes!
Academics
- Where do I find the "Learning at Home" section of the RPS website? Just click here.
- What should I do if I want to access online learning resources, but I don't have internet? Please call Comcast at 855-846-8376 (English) or 855-765-6995 (Spanish) to get 60 days of FREE internet. In addition, Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country are now FREE. For a map of Xfinity WiFi hotspots, visit www.xfinity.com/wifi. Once at a hotspot, just select the “xfinitywifi” network name in the list of available hotspots, and then launch any browser.
- Will students receive official grades for the work they're doing while we're closed? No.
- Will students need to take SOLs? It's clear now that the SOLs will be cancelled for this year.
- What's going to happen with graduation? It's still not clear, but it seems likely that many requirements for this year's graduating seniors (and maybe underclassmen, too) will ultimately be waived. There's also the question of whether we'll have graduation ceremonies in June. Again, I'm not sure just yet. As soon as I have clarity on these issues, I'll make sure to let everyone know.
- Where do I go to find all the Wishtree read-aloud videos? Right here!
Communications
- What is the RPS website address? www.rvaschools.net
- Can anyone receive my daily RPS Direct emails? Yes. ANYONE can sign up here.
- Are these messages available in other languages? Yes. They're all posted on our website, which has an auto-translate function for dozens of languages. The translate button is on the top right of the menu bar.
- Does RPS have any guidance on how to talk about the coronavirus with children? Yes. Please click here for a number of resources.
Other
- If I want to volunteer, what should I do? Please sign-up here. Thank you!
- If I want to donate, what should I do? Click here to go to the donation page of the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation. Thank you!
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Information for RPS Employees
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Note: Newly added updates are in red.
UPDATE: As I shared yesterday, given the need for social distancing, the March 31 Transfer Fair is cancelled. We are working on a virtual solution to help teachers and other staff pursue transfers for next year. As soon as we have the details worked out, I'll share them in my RPS Direct. Thank you for your patience!
UPDATE: Though we are technically closed, you can still send in your licensure renewal paperwork to Deborah Dailey, our Licensure Specialist. Use this address: Talent Office – 15th Floor, Attention Deborah Dailey, 301 N. 9th Street, Richmond, VA 23219. You can also email Deborah at ddailey@rvaschools.net.
As a reminder, if you have questions about your benefits, please call 804-780-7859. And if you have any other concerns, please reach out to me directly at jkamras@rvaschools.net. I want to make sure you have all the information and support you need during this difficult time!
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