| Dear #RPSStrong Family,
Tonight's updates:
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School Board Recognitions – Enormous gratitude to the fourth and fifth grade students from J.B. Fisher ES who performed "Living in Harmony" by Bryson Finney during last night's Board meeting. The song, featuring student soloist Casimir Vassar, was the ensemble's favorite from their Black History Month performance. They were phenomenal!
We also recognized John Marshall HS Principal Monica Murray, recipient of the 2024 R.E.B. Award for Distinguished Educational Leadership, and William Fox ES Principal Daniela Jacobs, finalist for the award! Honorees will receive $20,000 to be used for school initiatives as well as an unrestricted $10,000 cash grant. Ms. Murray plans to use her award to visit Angola with four John Marshall students who plan to pursue a career in education. Thank you, Principals Murray and Jacobs, for your outstanding leadership!
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Special Education Advisory Committee – The RPS Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) will hold a public meeting tomorrow, March 20, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm at the Ginter Park Library (1200 Westbrook Ave). All are welcome to attend, especially families of students with disabilities. For more information, please visit our website.
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Open Space Ceramics – On Thursday, March 21, from 5 - 9:30 pm, Open Space Education will feature the ceramic works of students from Chimborazo ES, Westover Hills ES, and MLK MS. The exhibit is free and open to everyone!
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STAY RVA Chat – Join STAY RVA this Thursday, March 21, from 6 - 8 pm at Ellwood Thompson's (4 N. Thompson St), for their next chat: "Mindful Consumption: How do we prioritize healthy consumption in a society of excess?" All are welcome to attend!
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History Fair Award Recipients – Please join me in congratulating all of our students who placed in the RPS History Fair last week. As keynote speaker Justice Cleo Powell noted, one day, future RPS students will be doing history fair projects about YOU!
Elementary
- 3-Dimensionals – (1st) Takarri Daniels; (2nd) Darby Mason; (3rd) Griffin Noland and Tyler Rauschenberg
- Exhibits – (1st) Mr. Stallings’ Class; (2nd) Alijah Wilkes; (3rd) Michaela Fisher
- Quilting – (1st) Jack Kelly, Jocelyn Lennon, Summer Lumen, Elena Nixon and Jameson Pena; (2nd) Ellie Phillips; (3rd) Ms. Simmons’ Class
Middle
- 3-Dimensionals – (1st) Tatyana Johnson; (2nd) Emma Darling; (3rd) Reeves Boschen and Charles Boyles
- Exhibits – (1st) Julia Jones; (2nd) Sydney Carlos; (3rd) Hena Mohammad
- Performances – (1st) Nahjahlee Garcia and Treasure Daily; (2nd) Mialon Pitchford and Samara Thomas; (3rd) Cherish Johnson
High
- 3-Dimensionals – (1st) Angeli Flores-Medrano; (2nd) Arelius Pi and Elliot Jackson
- Exhibits – (1st) Calliope Coffey and Keonya Brown-Knight; (2nd) Terriel Williams-Ford; (3rd) Shiane Taylor
- Performances – (1st) Maya Altug, Lasavior Jones, Sierra Partenope and Hazel Spivey
- Documentary – (1st) Ashanti Wallace, Elouise Cordova and Antonio Woodruff
- Research Papers – (1st) Luke Thomas; (2nd) Hannah Gallagher; (3rd) Olivia Irwin
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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!
- I would like to shout-out the new math coach at Dogwood Middle School, Mrs. Electa Barr, for crafting and implementing a wonderful Pi-Day family night event. It was a great turnout and fun was had by all. Thanks, Mrs. Barr, for all that you do!
- Shout-out to Rachel Arrowsmith, our CIS site coordinator at Broad Rock! You are the hardest working and most determined student/parent advocate around. Thank you for your kindness and the love you show our students every day.
- I want to thank Ms. Anby and the exceptional education team at PHSSA for going above and beyond with helping my son. It's reassuring knowing your child's teachers care about the whole child, both academically and socially.
- Shout-out to the 3rd-5th grade teachers here at George W. Carver. You all have done an amazing job prepping your students for the mock SOLs. We can see all the amazing work you have done with ensuring they are prepped and ready to take the real ones. We appreciate you here at Carver nation.
- I would like to shout-out Ms. Selina Wilson, transition mentor teacher for JMHS and TJHS. Her passion and dedication to seeing her students succeed in life after high school is evident to all. She continues to work to support ontime graduation as well as to ensure all our students are meeting their CCCRI standard. We are grateful for all she does!
- I would like to shout-out Brooks Johnson, Tracy Bishop, and William Urquheart from our Transportation Maintenance department. They came to rescue the Lit Limo at Overby-Sheppard ES yesterday evening and replaced the air brake release valve right in the bus loop so that we could get back on the road. Their expertise and diligence to serve is greatly appreciated! Great job!
- I would love to shout-out the RPS Teacher Store. The wonders of the store always blow me away. Having the opportunity to decorate our rooms and provide these experiences for our students is breathtaking. Thank you, Dr. Ramsey and team, for all of your hard work and dedication to the Teacher Store and our students. We all (teachers) want you to know how much we love and appreciate it!
- Bravo to the J.B. Fisher Elementary 4th and 5th grade choirs for singing at last evening's School Board meeting! Thank you to Ms. Beekman for preparing them so well and thanks to Principal Samuels for showing up to support and help out. Thanks to everyone for making the kids feel so welcome and appreciated. Getting those city views from the 17th floor of City Hall was a bonus for us all!
- Ms. Sabree has been an excellent support here at HLMES. She serves as our annual sub, while doing so with a positive attitude, smile on her face, high level of professionalism, and a willingness to serve in whatever capacity she is asked. We are very fortunate to have her.
- This a long overdue shout-out to the fantastic ROTC leaders at Huguenot High School. Thank you, Col Stinnie, SGM Branch, and SSG Rosier. Students with disabilities have always participated in our ROTC program, graduated, and joined the military after leaving high school. Over the years, I have watched several of your former students come back to thank you for what was instilled in them. Several have moved up in the ranks in their selected branch of service. From a wheelchair bound student wheeling his way into formation, to a hearing-impaired student making rank amongst her peers. To have students on the spectrum taking on leadership roles and reciting the cadet creed, only gives testament to your dedication. Each of you has served our country with pride and dignity and it is reflected on what you give back each and every day to our students. Veterans Day is a special day when we honor past and present Veterans, but I wanted to honor the three of you by giving you your flowers now. Thank you!
- I want to send a shout-out to Anne Dunn, the 5th grade math teacher at William Fox Elementary. She has developed so many fun ways to keep students motivated and they have seen such great gains!
- Shout-out to Ms. Thompson at Westover Hills for her amazing work on the Square 1 art fundraiser! Thanks to Ms. Thompson, my child created an original artwork that I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to purchase as fun keepsakes for my family! The art that comes out of her classroom is truly exceptional! Thank you for bringing your creative vibe and talent to the students of Westover Hills! Also, huge shout-out to Ms. Franzel for keeping her students engaged and making learning fun! I had the pleasure of sitting in on one of her morning meetings with her classroom and it made me excited to start my day! My child has not only learned to read in her classroom this year, but has shown big growth in math as well! She is the crème de la creme and Westover Hills is lucky to have her!
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| Reminders from Previous RPS Directs
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| Calendar Reminder – All RPS schools will be released two hours early on Friday, March 22, for caregiver/teacher conferences. View the 2023-24 calendar to see all upcoming holidays.
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| Kindergarten Enrollment & Health Fair – We've partnered with the VCU School of Nursing to provide a one-stop-shop for families of students entering kindergarten this fall! Join us on Friday, March 22, from 12:30 - 4 pm at Martin Luther King, Jr. MS, for the kindergarten and enrollment health fair. Students and families will have the opportunity to register for kindergarten, receive a physical, make appointments to receive immunizations, and more. Appointments for physicals are limited so scan the QR code below to reserve your child's spot today! For questions, please email enrollrps@rvaschools.net.
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| 2024-25 Preschool & Kindergarten Enrollment – Preschool and kindergarten enrollment is now open! 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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| RPS Links
Crisis Support Links
Health and Wellness Links
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