The Tiger Tea

Happy Sunday!

Last week marked the first full week back from winter break. Highlights from the week:

• Our basketball team brought home two wins against Lucille Brown and Boushall Middle Schools.
• We had element meetings Friday and students used Incredibox with new friends made last element meeting and went on virtual field trips themed around their elements. Go Air, Water, Fire, and Earth Tigers!
• We welcomed two new staff members, Mr. McDonald, Restorative Room Coordinator, and Mr. Jones, 7th grade math teacher.
• We had our Grade level Spelling Bee. Winners announced below.

Covid-19 is impacting our students, staff, families, and community at a high rate. If your student is out, they can be marked quarantined present if they complete work through google classroom. If your student is well enough to complete assignments, please encourage them to do so. Connect directly with your child's teachers if you have any questions about assignments.

Lastly, thank you to all students, parents, staff members, families, the MDA, and other community members for all of your kind words, gifts, and gestures during Virginia School Principals Appreciation Week.

Kudos to our Grade Level Spelling Bee Winners

6th Grade--Dexter Wieman

7th Grade--Max Ketterlinus

8th Grade--Helena Damer

The schoolwide spelling bee was postponed and will occur January 18th.

January 17

RPS Closed- Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 18

Height, Weight, and Vision Screenings for 7th and 8th grade students (details below)

2:00 p.m. Schoolwide Spelling Bee

PTA &Pizza Spirit Night

January 20

International Night

January 21

PTA Teacher Appreciation Event: Soup Lunch

January 24

NextUp After School Programming Begins

January 28

2 hr. Early Dismissal/ End of 2nd Nine Weeks and 1st Semester

January 31

No school for students. Teacher Work Day

February 1

6th and 7th grade students attend 2nd Semester Electives where applicable

When: Thursday, January 20, 6 p.m.

Where: We will send Google Meet link day-of

Who: All Albert Hill students and families!

What: A demo to make traditional Caribbean corn cakes will be lead by Spanish teachers Ms. Sherlip, who is from Colombia, and Ms. Midyette, who will be making arepas for the first time!

Ingredients to buy: Maseca / corn flour, butter, salt + your favorite toppings (mozzarella cheese, beans, tomatoes, avocados, onions, etc.)

Need ingredients? Sign up here and your student can pick up an arepas kit on Thursday the 20th from Mrs. Midyette in Room 303!

Registration for the NextUp Winter Session is still open! NextUp provides opportunities for Middle School students to expand their learning through a variety of enrichment activities. These enrichment activities are provided by organizations which offer hands-on learning. The Winter Session will run from January 24th – March 24th. Students can register for classes by meeting with Ms. Hernandez or Mr. Dobson during lunch hours.

Engineering Outreach Project for Students

Engineers Week (EWeek) is February 20-26 and VSPE is organizing an Outreach Project for students in grades 3-8. It is completely free to participate. VSPE will mail a packet to each student that signs up that includes instructions and materials for an at-home engineering activity. During EWeek, we will have a "Zoom with an Engineer" to discuss the engineering concepts from the project.

Please see the attached flyer for more information. The project is free to participate and the zoom call is entirely optional.

Sign Up Here

MLWGS International Language Fair

Due to additional interest and snow days, we have extended the deadline for registration for the MLWGS International Language Fair. Registration is now open until JANUARY 21st!

Visit the link below for more information and to register!

MW Language Fair Official Website

Oratorical Contest

The Arts and Letters Committee of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., is proud to announce its 32nd Annual L. Rita Davis Oratorical Contest to be held Saturday, February 5, 2022, at 10:00 AM. This year, the contest will be held virtually and is open to students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the Richmond Metropolitan area.

Students will record their selection and submit it via email no later than January 18, 2022.

Please do not send videos from Apple products because of formatting issues.

This year’s theme: “The Magical Power of Words”

Students are encouraged to compose original selections with a focus around Black History.

Competition categories will include:

Narratives, oral and dramatic interpretation, originality, storytelling, and presentation abilities.

Parents and Students: If students wish to participate in the contest, you MUST complete the digital Registration and Use of Image Release Form (link below).

https://tinyurl.com/3u9rv9rw

Registration form AND video must be submitted NO LATER than Friday January 18th, 5:00 PM

Videos are not able to be shown without a complete registration form.

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 the nurse to begin contact tracing and 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.

Winter

Cheerleading Competition February 26, 2022 (Subject to change)

Cheerleading- Coach: Keondra Ellison-Holliday (khollida@rvaschools.net) and Kiana Bradford (kbradfor@rvaschools.net)

Boys Basketball- Coaches: Michele Drayton (mdrayton@rvaschools.net) and David Yavorsky (dyavorsk@rvaschools.net).

Spring- Coaches and Tryouts TBD

Softball April 14, 2022

Outdoor Track Meet April 27, 2022

Tennis (Coed) March 1, 2022

Flag Football (Coed) March 3, 2022

Lost or Stolen Devices:

Please complete the lost or stolen chromebook form linked for reporting lost or stolen chromebooks or hotspots.

Internet:

If you do not have internet and are in need of a hotspot, please contact Mr. Jacobs (cjacobs@rvaschools.net).

Parents,

Please help us reinforce schoolwide expectations

• Be Kind- If you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all.
• Masks- Masks should be covering your mouth and nose. When eating in the cafeteria, students should remain silent while masks are off and may talk when finished and masks
• Following Directions: Follow directions the first time asked.
• Cell Phones- Off and away during the school day. Cell phones should not be visible to teachers and staff throughout the day.

P: Prepared- I will be in school on time ready to learn.

R: Respectful- I will conduct myself in a way that honors myself, my school, and my community.

I: Integrity- I will do the right thing and make positive choices.

D: Determination- I will not give up in the face of adversity. I am resilient.

E: Exceeding Expectations with Excellence- I will do my personal best everyday.

Every Tiger, Every Day!

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