Open Announcements
September 20, 2020
Dear Open High Family
Thank you all--students, teachers, parents, and staff--for joining together on this journey into virtual learning. We continue to learn and tweak our practices, so do not hesitate to provide us with feedback. We will listen.
Students at Friday's Town Meeting said that classes were long, lunch was short, breakout rooms were awkward, and too many web platforms caused confusion. Students also expressed a desire to have virtual clubs or electives, and they wanted to meet the new students. We are examining all our options to address these and other concerns. As was evident, student voice remains central to what we do at Open, and this will not change.
Read further for important information. We're building the bridge as we're walking across it; by working together, we'll get to a better side.
Be well,
Clary
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In Families, students were given an opportunity to develop norms for virtual learning. Here are the Open High norms for all virtual spaces:
Virtual Classroom Norms
- Students will mute mic when entering a class or meeting.
- Students will not engage in other activities while in class.
- The chat feature should be used, but students must be appropriate at all times.
- If a student needs to use the restroom, they will leave a message in the chat, i.e., BRB
- Teachers will provide a clear, consistent system for assignment due dates that is communicated often with students
- Teachers will call directly on students if they want them to participate.
- Students and teachers will be patient, kind, and open-minded.
Back to School Night is Wednesday, September 23 at 6:00 p.m. We are doing things a little differently this year. A link will be posted on our website homepage for this virtual event.
Attendance and Contacting the School
Students are expected to be in their classes, on time, and throughout the duration of synchronous instruction. We know there continue to be tech issues, so clear communication is essential. If a student is sick, parents should call Ryan on her work cell at (804) 629-4528 and send her an excused note at reldridg@rvaschools.net. Clary can be reached either at the school (804) 780-4661, her work cell (804) 229-9961, or at cwashing@rvaschools.net. Micah can be reached at mdavis7@rvaschools.net. All teacher emails are available in the packet received at the last distribution or on our website.
Open High Announcements on YouTube. Subscribe to our channel for weekly, student announcements shared in Family. Thanks to Griffin and last week's announcer, Casey!
SAT/PSAT
Our juniors missed SAT School Day in the spring. And in a typical year we also provide PSAT/NMSQT exams for 9-11th graders in October. RPS is in the process of determining if we will host in-person SAT for seniors and PSAT/NMSQT for juniors. Stay tuned. Please contact Emily (ebetts@rvaschools.net) if you are interested in access to Method Prep to prepare for the SAT.
Teacher Office Hours
Students: Please alert teachers if you plan on coming to office hours prior to your appearance. This is an opportunity to get one-on-one support. See below for other tutoring opportunities.
Media Opt Out Forms & School Health and Allergy Information can be returned by email to Ryan at reldridg@rvaschools.net or mailed to the school at 600 S. Pine St. RVA 23220.
Remind App
If you have not already, please subscribe to Remind text-messaging. Download the mobile app on your phone and visit the links below to sign up. These messages are for both students and parents.
Class of 2021 rmd.at/hhba88a
Class of 2022 rmd.at/g8fcbe
Class of 2023 rmd.at/4ckdhd
Class of 2024 rmd.at/a37age
Student Code of Responsible Ethics (SCORE)
This document still applies in the virtual world. We had an unwelcome guest in Town Meeting on Friday who was mistakenly let in to our meeting. This should never happen. Do not invite individuals from other schools to any class or meeting at Open. Please use your RPS email for school-related activities, and make sure all content is appropriate.
Student Reps
Lorah's Family: Laila, Minx, (Grace L.)
Emily & Cesar's Family: Naja, Greta Go (Ada)
Mike & Mary's Family: Merika, Sam Sh (Griffin)
Lucy's Family: Kai and Casey
Richard's Family: Jacob Di, Gabe (Reagan)
Brigette's Family: Naomi S, Devin (Madison)
Vic's Family: Miracle, Alexander K (Gabi K)
Chad's Family: Willow, Genesis
Caroline's Family: Wilber, Sydney (Jordan, Carter, Anaaya)
Micah's Family: Jada, Andrea (Delaney)
This is a fantastic group of student leaders who will represent the interests of their Families. Remember that any student can attend Reps but only Student Reps have voting rights. Speaking of voting...
One Person, No Vote
Friday began Early Voting In-Person and Absentee Voting. Other important dates are here, so mark your calendar:
- September 22, 2020: National Voter Registration Day
- October 13, 2020: Deadline to register to vote, or update existing voter registration
- October 20, 2020: Recommended deadline for mailing your absentee ballot
- October 27, 2020 by 5:00 pm: Deadline to request an absentee ballot (Note: Requesting and mailing your ballot well ahead of this due date is recommended to ensure it is received in time and counted.)
- November 3, 2020: Election day (Note: Polls in Virginia are open from 6:00 am - 7:00 pm. Check your polling location here.)
Open Honors Connect
We are thrilled to continue our partnership with the VCU Honors College which, through Open-Honors Connect, provides after-school tutoring as well as PECS (Personalized Exploration for College Success). Please see the flyers below to sign up. This is a great opportunity to get extra help or start your exploration of what comes after high school. These exceptional students are ready and eager to help! If you have questions, contact Clary (cwashing@rvaschools.net) or communicate directly with the tutors listed below.
International Travel at Open
Vic, our multi-talented International Travel Coordinator, has announced plans for Belize June 2022! Join Open for an adventure in Belize with snorkeling, hiking, zip lining, and cave tubing! All costs are included (airfare, meals, adventures, tour guides). Total price: $3135 which is a great deal, but may require some creative fundraising ideas. But there is time! Talk to Vic (mschnett@rvaschools.net) about ways to make this trip a reality. Learn more here and sign up www.eftours.com/2401458TY
There are also still slots available for the Greece/Italy Trip rescheduled for the summer 2021. If interested please go to :https://www.eftours.com/tour-website/2384806TR
Join AP Class Sections
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