Principal's Message
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Greetings Falcon Family,
Welcome to Huguenot High School, home of the Mighty, Mighty Falcons. Huguenot is the largest school in Richmond Public Schools; our comprehensive high school supports over 1200 students. HHS supports one of the largest ESL programs south of the James River. We are a thriving and welcoming community of learners and there has been a strong attraction to the quality programs and newly constructed campus over the past few years.
Five years ago, I brought my family from Oklahoma to provide them a greater opportunity educationally and a superior cultural environment. As a former high school English teacher, my passion for students has always centered around enhanced communication skills and strong cognitive development. In my time as the principal of Huguenot, I have always looked to hire teachers and staff with personal grit to be able to fight through the challenges of the career and passion for individual student relationships.
The past five years have centered on the ideals behind the following themes. All students are groomed, through an environment of reinforcement and tenacity within a culture of autonomy, to successfully complete college or excel in a trade to ultimately flourish in a 21st-century society. Our learners have a proud history and a bright future beyond high school. Daily we celebrate our beauty inside and out to remind us of the value in all people. Our Falcons are eager to make their mark upon this school, city, and state. We are determined to extend our influence and reputation beyond our campus walls. With unprecedented change comes opportunity which gives us virtually limitless boundaries for growth.
This year will be the first in the history of the school to start virtually. We are all struggling to adjust to life during a pandemic. We will continue to strive towards the Dreams4RPS five pillars: Exciting and Rigorous Teaching and Learning, Skilled and Supported Staff, Safe and Loving School Cultures, Deep Partnership with Families and Community, and a Modern Systems and Infrastructure. We will start the year with an abundance of patience and grace towards students and staff. Our learning curve as we transition to a one to one school will set us apart among our peer schools.
My ask of you as a parent, guardian, community partner, student or staff is to be attentive to your child’s and or your own progress. Do not assume that everything is going well. Please check and check often. Please stay in touch with us via our multiple platforms and social media outlets. We will push out information to your email, phone, address, and through technology. Mostly develop communication loops with the school. This could be the teachers that serve your student, counselors that guide, social workers that support, and principals that lead. Email me directly when you cannot get the help you need at rgilstra@rvaschools.net.
Please partner with us in making this school year the most impactful and meaningful year in all our students’ lives. Reach out to us if we can assist you or your child. We aim to have meaningful relationships with all our students and families.
Huguenot High School receives 2020 Board of Education Continuous Improvement Award
Schools recognized for continuous improvement were rated “Accredited” or “Accredited with Conditions” for 2019-2020 and met at least one of the following four criteria based on performance during 2018-2019:
- A 10-point increase in the combined rate in reading and math, and the pass rate in science;
- A 10-point increase in the combined rate in reading and math for two or more student groups across three years;
- A decrease in the chronic absenteeism rate for three years; or
- For schools with a graduating class, an increase in the Graduation and Completion Index and a decrease in the dropout rate for three years.
Robert Gilstrap
Principal, Huguenot High School
Virtually Limitless
Announcements
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Second Semester Classes
February 5th marked the end of our first semester and the completion of the first four classes for this year. The second semester will begin with new classes. These classes are available on your Google Classroom main screen. The second semester officially begins on Tuesday, February 9th.
One change for the upcoming semester is a change with Community Circle time and homeroom. Both of these times will be absorbed into 1st block.
First block will start at 9:15 every day. The remainder of the schedule will remain the same. Please make sure to attend class on time every day and to catch up and complete all Edgenuity responsibilities from last school year.
The deadline has been extended one week to February 12th for Edgenuity and performance tasks.
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HHS Advocacy and Outreach webpage
We have added a new page just for our HHS family. It contains information to reach our parents and students and support their needs. Currently, we have added information for English Language Learners. Click HERE for more information.
- English for Speakers of Other Languages: Citizenship Preparatory Class - Prepares students for components of the citizenship exam. Registration Fee: FREE
- Customer Service Certification & Advanced English Training - Prepares students to interact with customers and co-workers. Registration Fee: FREE
- English As A Second Language Classes - Adult classes provide a variety of skills to non-English speakers. Includes grammar, reading, comprehension, writing, and vocabulary Registration Fee: $25
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Guidance Department Updates
Graduation requirements: Click HERE
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Chromebook & Device Care Information
For general care and tutorials regarding your RPS devices, click HERE
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Need to contact someone in the Huguenot High School building. Click HERE for a list of staff.
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Virtual College Visits, HBCU Festivals, Scholarships, and more can be found on our Career Pathways page.
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YouTube Tutorial on Google Classroom for Students and Parents CLICK HERE
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Suicide Prevention: A Public Service Announcement from the Students of Huguenot High School.
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December 2020 - Seniors, Click on the title to get updates for the senior class.
District Announcements
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RPS Staff First Dose COVID-19 Vaccination - Please complete this form if you are seeking an appointment for your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination. We will contact you as soon as we have information about the next vaccination event.
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School Calendar Survey - RPS would like your feedback on the 2021-22 calendar and year-round school options as we consider new approaches to post-COVID instruction. Parents and caregivers should fill out this survey and RPS staff should fill out this survey.
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#ReopenWithLove - For the latest information and resources for families, visit the #ReopenWithLove section of our website. It includes the most current information about meal distribution and other critical information.
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Family Support Helpline - Questions about reopening? Call the RPS Family Support Helpline at (804) 780-6195 and learn more about other resources available to families.
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Support RPS - There are many ways to support RPS and #ServeWithLove! Please consider volunteering, donating, or partnering with us, and for new and existing partners, don't forget to add your organization to our new searchable partnership database!
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Who is my Guidance Counselor?
HHS School Counseling Request Form: Click Here
Mr. Craig Christmas cchristm@rvaschools.net Grade 12 Ms. Andrea Reed areed2@rvaschools.net Grade 11 Ms. Monique Harris mharris@rvaschools.net Grade 10 Ms. Zamora Scott zscott@rvaschools.net Grade 9 Ms. Kirsten Buist kbuist@rvaschools.net ESL/ELL Ms. Lisa Harrison lharriso@rvaschools.net Exceptional Education
"RPS Direct" Emails from Superintendent Kamras
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RPS Direct Update - February 26, 2021
Dear #RPSStrong Family, Happy Friday! Today was especially joyous for me, as I had the privilege of presiding over our first-ever Mid-Year Graduation for students from the 2020, 2019, and 2018 classes who have returned to earn their diplomas. These 25 young people have redefined what it means to persevere and we are immensely proud of them! The ceremony today is a result of more than a year's worth of work to find students who left RPS, re-engage them through new programs like Con Ganas (With Determination), and support them through every last obstacle. Please join me in thanking the RPS teachers, counselors, administrators, and support staff – along with the students' families! – for making today possible.
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RPS Direct Update - February 25, 2021
Dear #RPSStrong Family, I'm thrilled to share that we have a new Chief Operating Officer joining RPS on March 1! Alana Gonzalez has spent her entire career helping government agencies work more efficiently and more equitably. She's coming to us from New York, where she served as Executive Director of Community Reconstruction and Infrastructure for the Governor’s Office of Storm Recovery. In this role, she led over 300 recovery and resiliency projects for NY communities affected by Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene, and Hurricane Lee. Ms. Gonzalez also held various roles, including Chief of Staff to the General Manager, at the New York City Housing Authority, which provides affordable housing to more than 400,000 low- to moderate-income New Yorkers.