Hill Happenings
Family Edition September 13
Week 2
Excited to welcome our students today! Our school day is 8:15 a.m.- 3:15 p.m.
Every Tiger, Every Day!
Physical Education Schedule: Week of 9/13- 9/17
Bolling- Health in Classroom (Back of Cafeteria or Room 103)
Drayton- Gymnasium
Upcoming Events
September 13
3:30 p.m.- 4:30 p.m. Girls Basketball Tryouts Begin- Must have VHSL physical and transportation to participate. No spectators allowed.
September 15
Hispanic Heritage Month Begins
September 16
No School- Yom Kippur
September 17
Elements of Tiger Pride Student Sorting Ceremony
September 20
Soccer tryouts. Students must have their own transportation.
September 23
Back to School Night (tentatively scheduled in-person)
Covid-19 At Home Screening
Each day, prior to leaving home, parents should ask students/students should ask themselves the following questions:
1. Have you experienced any of the following symptoms in the past 48 hours?
fever (100.4 degrees or higher) accompanied by chills
persistent cough
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing not contributed to underlying health issues
fatigue, muscle or body aches not contributed to underlying health issues
new loss of taste or smell
sore throat
congestion or runny nose
nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
2. Have you been in physical contact with anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 14 days?
3. Are you isolating because you have tested positive for COVID-19 or are waiting on COVID-19 test results?
If a student answers yes to any of the questions, they should stay home from work/school that day, monitor their symptoms, and contact a medical professional, as appropriate. Parents should notify the principal at tmayo@rvaschools.net and provide any supporting documentation available. Mrs. Ivy will then notify staff members to provide student work via google classroom. Students may be marked present if they complete assignments through Google Classroom while Quarantined.
Students that present with COVID-like symptoms during the day will be evaluated by the school nurse and, in most cases, sent home and families will be advised to seek testing and or further medical evaluation. School nurses will use the When Should a Child Stay Home From School and/or Child Care? guide provided by the VDH for up-to-date guidance.
*All students received a thermometer in their PPE kits distributed on the first day of school.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.
The observation started in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period starting on September 15 and ending on October 15. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988, on the approval of Public Law 100-402.
The day of September 15 is significant because it is the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September18, respectively. Also, Columbus Day or Día de la Raza, which is October 12, falls within this 30 day period.
Please join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month through our calendar of activities. Parents, students, and family members are encouraged to participate. Please watch our social media accounts in the next few days for the calendar of activities.
Next-Up After School Programming
Calling all middle schoolers! If math class can be online then why not dance, art, cooking or coding? LIVE, online enrichment classes led by area program providers are now available to RPS middle school students through NextUp RVA’s online portal. Through this online portal, students can participate in live and interactive enrichment classes led by local, quality program providers.
Classes are offered at no-cost to RPS families. Please visit our online portal to get your kids started. Registration for the upcoming Fall session begins on September 13, 2021. For more information about NextUp, visit www.nextuprva.org
Middle School SOL Growth Assessments
Dear Parent or Caregiver,
Legislation passed in the 2021 Virginia General Assembly (HB2027 and SB1357) requires the implementation of “through year” growth assessments in the fall and spring in reading in mathematics for all students in grades 3-8 to measure academic growth. In response, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has developed new Growth Assessments in both math and reading to establish a baseline for student growth and to identify unfinished learning from the 2020-21 school year.
Richmond Public Schools will be administering the fall Growth Assessments to students in grades 6-8 from September 27th - October 8th. The grade and subject-specific assessment dates can be found below:
- September 27th; 8 Reading Growth Assessment
- September 28th; 7 Reading Growth Assessment
- September 29th; 6 Reading Growth Assessment
- September 30 & October 1; 6-8 Reading Growth Assessment Make-up Testing
- October 4th; 8 Math Growth Assessment
- October 5th; 7 Math Growth Assessment
- October 6th; 6 Math Growth Assessment
- October 7th & October 8th; 6-8 Math Growth Assessment Make-up Testing
To prepare for these assessments, students should:
Get a good night’s sleep
Eat a healthy breakfast the morning of testing
Arrive to school on time
Refrain from bringing personal electronic devices into SOL testing rooms
Students wishing to practice using the SOL test application prior to their tests are encouraged to use the Virginia Department of Education SOL Practice Items found here.
Questions regarding this assessment should be directed to your school’s testing coordinator, Mr. Gustavson at dgustavs@rvaschools.net or Valenta Wade, RPS Manager of Testing and Data Systems, at vwade@rvaschools.net.
Fall Play Auditions
Auditions for the Fall play will take place virtually this year. Use the QR code posted on the audition flyers around the school to access the audition link or attached to this posting. Please prepare one of the provided monologues for your audition. All auditions must be submitted by next Wednesday, September 22nd. See Mrs. Vollmer in the Auditorium if you have any questions or email her at cvollmer@rvaschools.net
Important Information
Arrival
The building opens at 7:50 a.m. Supervision is not available prior to 7:50 a.m.
All students should wear masks while waiting to enter the building and should be at least 3ft apart from peers. Students will report directly to their first period class. Breakfast will be served through grab and go kiosks placed in the hallway or cafeteria.
Student Drop Off and Pick Up
Students should be dropped off and picked up in the front of the building on Patterson Avenue. When dropping off and picking up students for school, please park on the building side of Patterson Avenue. If you are unable to park on the side closest to the building, please use the crosswalks. Please DO NOT double park.
Mask Requirements
All guests are required to wear masks regardless of vaccination status on RPS properties.
Restrooms
Universal restroom located outside of Room 105. Students will sign-out and sign-in of class when leaving for the restroom and returning from the restroom using a google form. Only 6 students will be allowed in the restroom at a time. All remaining students will wait socially distanced outside the restroom. Please remind students to hang their lanyard outside the restroom so that other students will know how many students are in the restroom.
PE
Locker rooms will not be used until further notice due to supervision and distancing. Students with physical education should come to school dressed for PE.
Dismissal
We will stagger dismissal. Walkers and pick-ups will be released first, by grade level. Bus riders will be called by bus when the bus arrives. All students will wait in their 4th period classes. Please remind students to wait in their 4th period classes until they are called for dismissal.
Bus Information
If your student rides the bus please help us by ensuring they know their bus number. If you are unsure of your child's bus number, please see Bus Stops button above or call the main office prior to dismissal time 780-6107.
Guests and Volunteers
We are limiting guests and volunteers in the building until further notice. Guests will not be permitted in classrooms. All guests and visitors must sign in in the office using the Raptor 6 system and answer the Covid screening questions. Please ensure students have lunch and other belongings as we will not be able to accommodate drop-offs and deliveries. Please call the office prior to entering the building at 780-6107.
Chromebooks
We have distributed chromebooks to most of our students. Please have your student notify their 1st period teacher if they still need a chromebook. Students should also notify teachers if their charger or chromebook is not working. Students should bring their Chromebooks to school each day, charged. Students who have not returned technology should bring it to school as soon as possible. Students who do not return previously issued chromebooks may be charged.
Schedules
If you would like to request a schedule change, please use the google form posted on the school website or QR code within the mailing.
After School Programming
NextUp RVA will offer high quality after school programs virtually beginning in October. We are hopeful that face-to-face programming will begin in January. Humphrey Calder community center has a limited number of spaces available from 3:30 p.m.- 6:00 p.m. (804) 646-1780Medication
Parents should not send students to school with medication. All medication must be brought in by a parent and given to the nurse. If you have medication to drop off, please call (804) 780-6107 for an appointment.
7th grade students who do not have required vaccinations should not be sent to school unless an exemption is on file with Nurse. Parents of students who are in school without the required vaccinations will be called to pick up students. All students should be picked up within the hour once parents are notified. If you have any questions, please contact Nurse Williams (jgrooms@rvaschools.net)
Student Lockers
Students will be issued lockers this school year after the first few weeks of school. Combination locks will be given to all students. Students should NEVER give their combination to another student. If a student needs assistance opening their lockers or if they have forgotten the locker combination, they should see their Homeroom teacher.
School Attendance
Every Tiger, Every Day! Every Day Counts!
School attendance is vital to student academic success at all levels.
The Virginia Department of Education defines “chronic absenteeism” as missing ten percent or more of the academic year for any reason (18 days). Truancy is the act of accruing one or more unexcused absences.Though the definition of absenteeism may differ from truancy, the National Center for School Engagement asserts that the outcomes of a student missing class remain constant regardless of how truancy or absenteeism is classified. Several studies suggest that chronic absences frequently lead to notable academic problems.
Parent/guardians are encouraged to call the school on the day of their child’s absence, but MUST send a written note requesting absences be considered excused upon returning to school. All written notes MUST be submitted to the school within five (5) days of the last absence.
Excused absences are typically those that have resulted from conditions beyond the control of the students or parents/guardians. The only excuses for absences that shall be deemed acceptable for consideration are:
Personal illness (if over three days, the school shall require a note from the doctor)
Personal court appearance (student)
Death in the family (mother, father, spouse, son, daughter, sister, brother, grandparent, aunt, uncle, nephew or niece)
Religious holidays regularly observed by the student
Extenuating circumstances as approved by the school administration
Fall Sports
We are excited to be able to offer Middle School Athletics again! We have missed our student athletes on the field!
Our athletic director is Mr. Dean Lee. If you have any questions regarding middle school athletics, please email him dlee3@rvaschools.net
This Fall we will offer the following sports:
Girls Basketball- Tryouts begin September 13, 2021. Coach: Michele Drayton (mdrayton@rvaschools.net) and David Yavorsky (dyavorsk@rvaschools.net).
Fall Soccer- Tryouts begin September 20, 2021. Coach: Kyle Kimbrell (kkimbrel@rvaschools.net)
Fall Outdoor Track-TBD
Cheerleading-TBD
Students must have their own transportation to participate. There will be no spectators allowed.
Please be on the look-out for announcements and information regarding tryouts. All students must have a current VHSL physical to participate. (Form below)
Please Join
Parent Teacher Association
We need you! The PTA is an integral partner in our successful school program. They generously provide us with funds and volunteers to support our educational efforts. Additionally, their input regarding our program is of great value to us. Please join them this year and support their work. Dues are $7.00. For more information, please contact our PTA president Mrs. Leigh-Emma Lion, alberthillpta@gmail.com