Weekly Announcements
November 7, 2019
Thank You!
Thanks to everybody for welcoming my upcoming move across the hallway! We will miss Candace but will continue to work with her when she moves downtown, sharing some of what has worked at Open with other RPS schools. Please wish her the best in her final days with us! There is a card in the office to sign.
As your new Interim Principal I want your high school experience to be exceptional, and I am always open to new ideas. Please do not hesitate to stop by or contact me directly at cwashing@rvaschools.net if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
Announcements
- Thanks to everybody for a great Spirit Week at Open High! Let's make every week a celebration of our learning community.
- Congrats to Door Decorating Contest Winners! Brigette is now in the lead for the Family Cup with Vic and Mike close behind.
- Congrats to Zora B! She is participating in the the VA Museum of Fine Arts "Museum Leaders in Training Program."
- Saturday, November 9 is an AP Study Session for English and Social Studies. Please see your teacher and attached flyer to register for this event.
- If you have not yet nominated Community Court judges in your family, please do so today and return form to Mike.
- Remember the light installation from last year? The community was so impressed by our representation of children who have been separated from their parents at the US/Mexico border, that we have been asked to install it at the Legal Aid Justice Center for December 4th - it will be a part of First Friday's Gallery Walk. Since our May installation, the number of children detained HAS DOUBLED! So, we need to make a lot more lanterns and FAST! Attached is the video to learn how to do it. Vic will have origami paper in her room at all times. We also need a ton of Christmas Lights. If you know anyone willing to donate them or let us borrow them, that would be great! The installation will be up over Xmas though, so they would have to be ok with not having them for the holidays. Vic is looking for a crew to volunteer after school to work on the project. This includes making paintings, recasting arms and counting lanterns. Let Vic know if you can help! Video Link: https://youtu.be/Ev1OTU4rkkM
Family Discussion
Graffiti has recently been found in the boy's bathroom. Not only is this a violation of SCORE, but it is unacceptable for a school that prides itself on the independence and maturity of its students. Destruction of school property can result in suspension, and it is not the kind of behavior we expect to see at Open High.
There are also concerns about students arriving late to class or taking long bathroom breaks during class that could amount to class cutting. This is especially true on Thursdays. And if you are not signing out in the front office with prior parental approval, you are skipping class. Please be reminded: If we can't trust our students, our program will need to change. Don't let this happen!
Within your family, please discuss the following:
- How can we better foster mutual respect between adults and students at Open?
- What can we do to become better stewards of the building?
- What can we do to become living examples of integrity and responsibility?
- How can we harness the power of positive peer pressure?
Family Heads, please provide a summary of your discussions and suggestions to Clary.
Opportunities
New!
- Are you a future woman scientist? Become a Science Ambassador and win A full–tuition scholarship in science, technology, engineering, or math. Applications close December 9th.
"Beyond Jamestown: Why 1619 Matters in African and Atlantic World Contexts" by Dr. Robert Trent Vinson of The College of William & Mary. The lecture will center around the first arrival of enslaved Africans to the English colony of Jamestown exactly 400 years ago, and how this event shaped the identity of America. This free and open to the public lecture will take place at 4:30pm on Wednesday, November 13th in the SGA Senate Chambers of the VCU Student Commons. (see attached flyer).
- Check out the Speaking for Success class flyer attached to this newsletter.
Old But Good!
- Interested in film, social media, and public relations? Please see Clary about a great internship opportunity.
- Are you a cuber? See Cheryl, the Media Specialist about a Rubiks Cube Competition. Put together a team from Open. A great way to spark critical thinking and launch the concept of algorithms.
- Applications are now open for Comcast Leaders and Achievers Scholarship ($2500) and due by 12/6.
- Interested in finance, industrial research, statistics, or software development? Visit math.vcu.edu to explore the many different areas of mathematics available for study at VCU.
- Urban Trauma & Restorative Practices: A community dialogue on equity and justice in educaiton will take place on Nov. 7, 6-8 p.m. at MLK Middle School. Register here.
The Virginia Council on Women will provide one merit-based and one need-based scholarship to high school seniors in each of the five geographic regions across the Commonwealth through a STEM essay contest. This year, merit-based scholarships will be awarded based on the quality of the essay submitted, and the need-based scholarships will be awarded based on the quality of the essay and the individual's self-identified financial need. Award amounts may vary and are determined by the Council annually.
Contest launches: Friday, October 18, 2019
Contest ends: Friday, January 10, 2020
- Check out the Big List of Senior Opportunities (file attached) for College Open House info, scholarships, and other opportunities for graduating seniors.
- VA Delegate Betsy Carr has opportunities in her office for student volunteers. Contact her here and let her know you're an Open student.
- SPARC's New Voices for the Theater is a two week intensive playwriting residency. Selected students will develop plays with nationally-recognized playwrights to create one-act plays. The residency is June 27-July 11, 2020. Play submission deadline is February 7, 2020.
- The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards are on! December 12th is the deadline. Please see Lorah or Brigette for more information.
- So many great things are happening at the Richmond Public Library. Everything from A Stranger Things Escape Room to Zine Workshop. Check out their programming here.
- The 2020 Governor's Summer Residential Program is an amazing opportunity for intensive study in academics, language, mentorships, and visual and performing arts. See Clary for details on applying.
- The Research and Mentoring (RAM) Opportunity is a 2-3 week experiential learning program for juniors and seniors led by graduate students across disciplines. It is tentatively scheduled from July 13-31, 2020. Please see Clary for details on applying.
- Partnership for the Future's College Preparation Seminar is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 2. Register by Oct. 28. See attached flyer.
- Creative Clothing Construction Workshop for teens in grades 6 – 12. Create a wearable piece of art that explores cultural trends, nontraditional materials, and fine art processes similar to the Project Runway design style.The workshop gives a snapshot of the annual Teen Stylin’ runway show held each year in December and open to all teens living in Virginia.A pizza lunch will be provided.Registration is required. Visit rvalibrary.org/events/ to register.* (see attached flyer).
FREE upcoming Virginia Commonwealth University Health Sciences Pipeline Programs:
Next Summer (Applications open Oct. 15th, 2019), Allied Health Career Exploration where students can get hands-on interactive experiences with the 9 professions in the College of Health Professions. This two-week non residential program is hosted each day within the New College of Health Professions building. Lunch is provided daily.Project ACEe (Applications open Oct. 15th, 2019) is through the School of Medicine and students meet Fridays for 90 minutes to have interactive experiences and lectures about the various specialties in Medicine. We have many more High School Programs that are all free for your students. High School Heart Day (Registration open now) is through the Pauley Heart Center here with VCU Health. It is a one day event where students learn about and see many specialties within the field of Cardiology. This event will take place from 8am to 3pm on December 14th, 2019. Lunch is provided. See flyers below.
Open High
Email: cwashing@rvaschools.net
Website: https://www.rvaschools.net/OHS
Location: 600 S Pine St, Richmond, VA, USA
Phone: 804 7804661
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialopenhighschoolpage/
Twitter: @openhighrva