August 10, 2020

Dear RPS Family,

We are thrilled to virtually welcome back our students on September 8 for the start of the 2020-21 school year! While this fall may look and feel a little different, one thing will be the same: our commitment to teaching, leading, and serving with love.

Earlier this week, we shared #ReopenWithLove, our reopening plan for the fall. I encourage you to read it (available at www.rvaschools.net/reopenwithlove) and follow up with any questions you may have. You can always contact me at jkamras@rvaschools.net. Here are just a few of the most important elements:

• Fall meal distribution will begin on August 31 through our bus system, with over 1,095 stops daily. Most students will be able to pick up their meals between 7 am and 9 am.
• For K-12 students, the school day will start at 9:15 am, right after our meal distribution. For Pre-K students, it will start at 9 am or 9:15 am based on the location.
• Students will experience a full instructional day, including a mix of live instruction, independent work, and small group or one-on-one check-ins.
• Each student will receive a Chromebook and a #ReopenWithLove Learning Kit that will include instructional supplies as well as subject-specific materials such as novels and workbooks.
• All assignments will be required and graded, and students will receive report cards and transcripts.
• Specialized support for English Learners and students with disabilities will be provided throughout the virtual semester.

I will continue to provide daily updates in my RPS Direct newsletter. If you are not yet receiving it, please visit www.rvaschools.net/rps-direct to subscribe. We will also be discussing reopening during our RPS Live! conversations every Wednesday at 7 pm on the RPS Facebook page, and during our RPS en Vivo conversations for Spanish-speaking families every Thursday at 5:30 pm on the RPSenEspañol Facebook page. 

Below this letter, you will find our #ReopenWithLove Family Checklist. Please review it and complete each item that applies to your family prior to September 8. 

As we approach the start of the 2020-21 school year, I want to acknowledge the anxiety that many, if not all, of you are experiencing right now. To be sure, this fall will not be easy – for either students, families, or staff. To make it through – and actually thrive – we will all need empathy and grace. I pray that we all have the strength to extend it  to each other, and the fortune to receive it. That is how we will #ReopenWithLove.

With great appreciation,

Jason Kamras
RPS Superintendent