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RPS Direct Update - June 3, 2020
Dear #RPSStrong Family, We're blessed with another powerful reflection this evening – this one from Gueringe' Richardson, our Secondary English/Language Arts Instructional Specialist. Enormous gratitude to Ms. Richardson for sharing this deeply moving letter with the RPS Family. Quick reminder that Rodney Robinson, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year, will be my guest this evening on RPS Live! at 7 pm on our Facebook page. Hope you can join! With great appreciation, Jason
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RPS Direct Update - June 2, 2020
Dear #RPSStrong Family, This evening, we are blessed with a powerful essay from Mr. Rodney Robinson, the 2019 National Teacher of the Year. On behalf of RPS, I want to publicly thank Mr. Robinson for carving out the time and head space to draft this, and for joining me on RPS Live! tomorrow evening at 7 pm on our Facebook page. Please make sure to tune in and please follow Mr. Robinson on Twitter @RodRobinsonRVA to stay abreast of his latest insights and reflections. Click the link above to continue reading Rodney Robinson on How Educators Can Turn Grief Into Action.
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RPS Direct Update - June 1, 2020
Dear #RPSStrong Family, This evening, I find myself at a loss for words to adequately convey my anguish over the current state of our nation. And so I offer those of someone far more eloquent: Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Below is his column from this weekend's LA Times in its entirety. I urge you to read it. With great appreciation, Jason Click above to continue reading.
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RPS Direct Update - May 29, 2020
Dear #RPSStrong Family, A number of you asked that I re-share the resources from the Center for Racial Justice in Education. Here they are. I also wanted to address the growing criticism of those who have registered their outrage about the injustice of Mr. Floyd's death through protest riots. Now, more than ever, the words of Dr. King – particularly the challenging ones – resonate. "In the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard. And what is it that America has failed to hear?" That's the question we must all confront. Let's make sure that we continue to do so long after the camera crews leave Minneapolis – not only as a country, but also as a school division. What more can we all do to hear – and be responsive to – the voices of those in our community who are most in pain?
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RPS Direct Update - May 28, 2020
Dear #RPSStrong Family, Before diving into today's updates, I want to acknowledge the additional pain that is coursing through our community right now as a result of George Floyd's harrowing death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer. The similarity to the Eric Garner case, down to both men's cries – "I can't breath" – is chilling, to say the very least. Nearly 35% of RPS students are African-American young men. The America that they will experience over the course of their lives is fraught with racist prejudices – held consciously or not – that dehumanize them and make deaths like Mr. Floyd's not just possible, but common. We must change that. Our responsibility as educators is so much more than just teaching reading and math. It's about preparing our young people with the knowledge, skills, and social capital they'll need to construct a better, more just world – and doing whatever we can as adults to pave the way for them. Towards that end, I'd like to make a request of my fellow white members of the RPS community: If you haven't already done so, please discuss Mr. Floyd's death – and the long history of racialized violence that precedes it – with your children. Yes, it may be difficult. But families of color don't have much choice when it comes to "the talk" – it's literally a matter of life and death for them. For the entire RPS Family, here's a set of resources for talking with young people about race, racism, and racialized violence from the Center for Racial Justice in Education. Finally, to everyone who is processing this tragedy with great pain, please know that your RPS family stands with you – and always will. With great appreciation, Jason
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RPS Direct Update - May 27, 2020 (PM)
Dear #RPSStrong Family, Please join me at 7 pm tonight for the latest episode of RPS Live! I'll be interviewing several of our 2020 Valedictorians. "See" you soon on our Facebook page! Today's Updates: Senior Spotlights – Over the next month, please join us as we celebrate the Class of 2020 on our social media platforms. Starting tomorrow at 7:50 am (the normal start time of the high school day) and 2:45 pm (the normal dismissal time), we'll post a Senior Spotlight highlighting one of the top 5 seniors from each of our high schools. Please join the celebration by liking and sharing the posts, and offering words of congratulations to these amazing seniors! Click above to read more!
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RPS Direct Update - May 27, 2020 (AM)
Dear #RPSStrong Family, We recently learned that an RPS employee who was present at multiple events at Mary Munford Elementary School over the last two weeks has tested positive for COVID-19. The employee was asymptomatic at the time and is currently in isolation at home, per CDC guidelines. For health privacy reasons, we cannot release the name of the staff member, but please keep this individual and their family in your thoughts and prayers.
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RPS Direct Update - May 26, 2020
Dear #RPSStrong Family, I hope you all had a peaceful Memorial Day Weekend. I was blessed to spend some quality time with my family, including bike rides, impromptu backyard "tennis" matches (I've yet to win), and a couple of movie nights! Today's Updates: Computer Distribution – This coming Thursday and Friday are the distribution days for preschool students. See below for all the details. RPSLive! – Several of our 2020 Valedictorians will be joining me tomorrow. Make sure to check it out at 7 pm on our Facebook page!
