Open Announcements
May 30, 2021
Dear Open High Family,
Hope everyone is enjoying the long, rainy weekend! While we only have a few weeks left of the 2020-2021 school year, we want to end this historic year strong. We know staying engaged can be a challenge, but we ask students to make every effort to attend all their classes and keep preparing for end of year assessments. There is also a lot going on, and we don't want you to miss anything! Here are important upcoming dates to keep in mind.
- Memorial Day Holiday: Monday, May 31 NO SCHOOL
- Art Expo and Auction: Monday, May 31-June 5
- Fall Virtual Option Deadline, Tuesday, June 1: Click here for English and here for Spanish.
- AP English Literature Exam, Tuesday June 1, 11:30 am check-in
- Senior Gift Pick Up: Wednesday, June 2 and June 9, 1-5 pm (Get your Class of 2021 Yard Sign courtesy of the PTSA, your Memory Books, and other goodies to celebrate your time at OHS!)
- AP US Government Exam (SM2), Wednesday, June 3, 11:30 a.m. check-in
- Virtual Awards Ceremony: Thursday, June 3, 6:00 pm for students and families. See link above.
- SOL Makeups/Expedited Retakes: Saturday, June 5, RCHS, 8:30 am
- Open Volunteer Day: Saturday, June 5, 9:30 am-1:30 pm
- PTSA Meeting, Tuesday, June 8, 6 pm at Open
- Seniors Last Day and Farewell Event, Friday, June 11, 7:30-9:00 pm at Open
ECA Junior Drop off/Pick Up Event, Friday, June 11, 12-4 pm by appointment
- Last Day of School and Farewell Event, Thursday, June 17, staggered bt. 9-1 at Open
- 2021 Commencement Ceremony, Monday, June 21, 4 pm, 2021
- Summer School Registration Deadline, Wednesday, June 23
Tutors from VCU Honors College are making themselves available the next two Wednesdays from 3:45-4:45 pm at the following link: https://vcu.zoom.us/j/99361696279. It is never too late to get help on your school work or test preparation!
Vision Screenings: Conexus provides vision screenings (not eye examinations) for students in kindergarten, 2nd, 5th, 7th, and 10th grades. See below for times and locations:
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School - Tuesday, June 1, and Friday, June 4, 2 pm - 4:30 pm (Gymnasium)
- Henry L. Marsh III Elementary School - Monday, June 7, 2 pm - 4:30 pm (Gymnasium)
- Mary Munford Elementary School - Tuesday, June 8, 2 pm - 4:30 pm (Cafeteria)
Please continue to read for details on these events as well as our fall ReOPENing plans which will be continually updated throughout the summer. If you have any questions, never hesitate to contact me at cwashing@rvaschools.net or at 804.229.9961. As always, be well, stay safe, and keep celebrating Open minds!
Clary Carleton
Principal
AP Testing
ALL AP STUDENTS MUST:
- Install the digital testing app
- Practice sample questions in the app
- Complete exam setup 1-3 days before the test FOR EACH EXAM
- Check in 30 minutes before the exam
Watch this presentation if you need help downloading the App. Reach out to Micah (your AP Coordinator), your teacher, or Clary if you are having any difficulty.
AP GUIDELINES
- All students are expected to take AP exams.
- Students will take AP tests digitally at home with the exception of *AP Spanish Language.
- Students enrolled in the fall semester will take their AP exam in Administration 2. The exceptions are AP Calculus and AP Statistics.
- Students enrolled in the spring semester will take their AP exam in Administration 3.
- Portfolio submission (AP CSP and AP Studio Art) deadlines are May 20, 11:59 pm (with earlier student deadlines).
NEW! SOL Testing Updates
The final SOL administration dates for the school year are Saturday, June 5 and Saturday, June 12. Students who wish to make up a test or take an Expedited Retake on one or both dates, must complete this form to confirm their intent and request transportation if needed. This information has been sent by email to both students and parents, but if you are unsure what tests your student needs (if any), please reach out to Clary at cwashing@rvaschoosl.net or 804-229-9961.
Here are a few general explanations:
- An Expedited Retake is limited to students who previously failed an SOL this spring, but received a score of 375 or higher. Teachers have already informed students if they qualify for a retake. Teachers will provide remediation for these students if they choose to retest on one of the testing dates.
- The Writing WorkKeys is an alternate assessment for the Writing SOL, and all AP English Language/ECA students are eligible to take.
- World History I and certain World History II students who received a score below 2 on the in-class, Project Based Assessment can choose to take the traditional SOL assessment in-person OR they can resubmit their PBA during the retake testing window.Teachers have informed students if they are eligible for this. All 9th graders and some 10th graders need a verified credit in History for graduation.
- Students can also sign up for summer remediation and testing through Path 4: SOL Academy in summer school. See below for details.
All tests for Open High students will take place at Richmond Community High School at 8:30 a.m. Students who register to test should bring their charged RPS-issued Chromebook and charger. Masks are required. A light breakfast and a snack will be provided, but students may also bring their own water and snacks. Students requesting transportation will be routed to the test center closest to their homes and will receive pick-up times and locations in a separate email at least 24 hours prior to the test date. Because the test is untimed, returning buses will run at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. Students with their own transportation will be able to contact their parents for a ride when they finish their assessment. Here is the the survey and link in Spanish.
Any student who does not wish to test this year due to concerns about COVID-19 may refuse testing or defer testing until the summer or fall testing windows. If there are no health concerns, we encourage students to test now rather than later. If you have already refused testing, you need not do anything further. As a reminder, federal and state education departments have not waived state testing as they did last year. Virginia high school students must pass approved tests to earn verified credits for graduation in math, science, history, and English.
Class of 2021: A Year to Remember
Detailed directions for the 2021 Open Commencement Ceremony are here! The event will take place on June 21 at 4:00 p.m. at the Diamond. If you have questions, please ask. We hope to see all our graduates, but if for some reason you are unable to attend, please be courteous and let us know. You can contact Ryan at reldridg@rvaschools.net with this information.
PLEASE take this Senior Exit Survey so we can learn from your experience at Open High.
Wednesday, June 2 and June 9: Senior Gift Pick Up Come get your Class of 2021 Yard Sign (courtesy of the PTSA), Memory Books, Caps and Gowns, and other goodies to remind you of your experience at Open! Items will also be available on Wednesday, June 9 after school.
Senior Last Day and Farewell: Friday, June 11, 7:30-9 pm at Open
It's Open After Hours! AP testing ends this evening, so this is the best opportunity to drop off your text books/laptops/Chromebooks; say goodbye to your teachers; and share some pizza in celebration of your time at Open.
Decision Day Announcements – Please share your Decision Day news with RPS at outreach@rvaschools.net and copy cwashing@rvaschools.net. We all want to celebrate your achievements!
Open High Debate Team and Forensics, 2021-2022
Summer School
NEW! ReOPENing Fall 2021
If you couldn't make it to our ReOPENing Town Hall on Wednesday, May 26, enjoy the recorded version here. We will continue to update the community throughout the summer as plans solidify and guidance changes.
OPTIONS FOR 2021-2022: DEADLINE JUNE 1
- Five-day/week in-person learning option OR
- Five-day/week virtual option through Virtual Virginia.
We hope all of our students will choose to come back in person. If you choose to attend Virtual Virginia for health reasons, you must complete the 2021-22 Virtual Enrollment Form (Formulario de intención de instrucción virtual) by June 1, 2021. Please read more about the virtual options here and reach out to Clary (cwashing@rvaschools.net) or Micah (mdavis7@rvaschools.net) with questions. Online classes with Virtual Virginia begin on August 24.
NEW VACCINE REQUIREMENTS FOR RISING SENIORS!
Effective July 1, rising seniors will be required to have the Meningococcal Conjugate (MENACWY). See flyer below.
HELP MAKE OPEN BEAUTIFUL!
Sign up for our final Open Volunteer Day of the school year on Saturday, June 5 to help us beautify our learning environment! We will be continuing to work on our building throughout the summer, so stay tuned for more volunteer opportunities.
THURSDAY ELECTIVES
We will return to our popular Thursday Elective program and want to hear from you! Please complete this survey so we know what you are interested in and so we can plan accordingly.
LUNCH
As most of you know, we don't have a cafeteria, but we are lucky to be close to downtown where there are lots of lunch options. RPS also provides free, grab-and-go breakfast and lunch for everybody. In addition, we are exploring the possibility of partnering with Yay Lunch! which is a food delivery service. See the attached flyer for more info and complete this interest survey so we know if we should pursue this option for our students.
ZONE SPORTS & ACTIVITIES
We encourage our students to take part in activities available at their zoned schools. If you live in the Huguenot HS zone and are interested in football, complete this form today. If you live in the Armstrong HS zone, tryouts for cheerleading begin soon. There is a mandatory interest meeting on June 2nd at 6:30 pm in which a parent must attend. Student can fill out the Try Out form and will receive additional information.
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Read about Health and Safety protocols for next year. Open will also have a full time nurse and clinic for the very first time!
Please read Superintendent Kamras' Family Letter and Checklist. RPS is also hosting Community Conversations to ensure families are prepared, informed, and excited to #ReopenWithLove2.0! For all the latest information from the district, subscribe to RPSDirect.
Open High School
Email: cwashing@rvaschools.net
Website: https://www.rvaschools.net/OHS
Location: 600 South Pine Street, Richmond, VA, USA
Phone: 8047804661
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialopenhighschoolpage/
Twitter: @openhighrva