August 2026

Take a look back at some of the recent highlights at Rappahannock County Public Schools!

The RCES Panther Bash was a hit with families as local organizations welcomed everyone back during Meet the Teacher Day. Thank you to everyone who participated in this celebration.

Photo by Holly Jenkins

The RCHS House Pep Rally was filled with camaraderie, high-fives, smiles, and plenty of Panther pride! The RCHS House System is an evidence-based structure designed to strengthen connectedness, belonging, and relationships among students and staff. Through the House System, students build meaningful connections and a stronger sense of community. Four houses. One village. We are Rappahannock!
To learn more about the RCHS House System, visit https://www.rappahannockschools.us/hottopics

Photos by Holly Jenkins

Sixth grade students started a unit on exponents. For the first activity, the students circulated to find their group - students with the same number represented in different ways (word form, exponential form, or expanded form). In the second activity, the students used magnetic blocks to justify whether numbers were perfect squares or not. The students had a blast engaging in this fun learning activity.
Photos by Bethany Bostic

RCES students enjoyed potatoes that were planted, cared for, and harvested by our Active Learning in Outdoor Spaces (ALIOS) classes! In total, students harvested 32.2 pounds of potatoes, including several varieties: Yukon Gold, Pontiac Red, and Cherokee Purple. The RCES cafe team prepared the potatoes and incorporated the student-grown harvest into the school menu. What started in the courtyard made its way to the cafeteria and onto students’ trays!

Photos by Holly Jenkins

RCHS students, along with Mrs. Feldmeyer and Ms. Jenkins, rolled up their sleeves and made their own personal pizzas! From mixing and shaping the dough to adding their favorite toppings and enjoying the very last bite, students embraced every step of the experience. Along the way, they worked together, followed directions, practiced independence, and had fun making their own tasty treat.

Photo by Samantha Jenkins

To wrap up their place value unit, Ms. Cruzan’s math students put their skills to work comparing and ordering numbers into the millions! Each group was assigned an apple orchard and compared their harvest with other groups and classes. It was a fun way to bring big numbers to life!
Photo by Eliza Cruzan

Collaboration at its best! Ms. Hill’s Chemistry students teamed up to prepare for their first unit test on atomic structure.

Photo by Christine Hill

RCES celebrated their first Junior Panther of the Month Luncheon for August! Students showed exemplary behavior in the first month of school exhibiting positive attitudes and leadership amongst their peers.
Congratulations RCES Junior Panthers!

Read more about this month's HOT TOPICS!

• A New Question on Your Ballot
• RCHS Houses
• New Communications Guide

The RCPS Community Listening Tour is coming to a fire hall near you to hear community feedback. Rappahannock County Public Schools is building its comprehensive plan for 2027- 2032, the document that sets our priorities for the next five years. We want to know what matters most to our community. Additionally, a referendum on a 1% local sales tax for school capital needs will appear on the November 3rd ballot. We will walk through what the referendum asks, what it would and would not fund, and how the revenue would work. Please see the flyer for the dates and locations. No sign-up is required. All sessions are open to everyone, regardless of where you live. There will also be a virtual option. To register for the online session, visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/MB48yBLBReW8-I5wAGHQxA

New Virtual Office Hours with the Superintendent! Dr. Grimsley will share a short update on what's happening across RCPS, the the rest of the time is for attendees to ask questions. Sign-up at https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/YxeAKoQcToeGP2w479gHeA#/registration to register. You'll receive a confirmation email with the join link and a calendar invite. Questions can be submitted ahead of time or asked live. Join us for one hour, each month, for this virtual chat!

Join our HCAT and help us shape our garden-based learning programs at RCES. For more information, contact Holly at hjenkins@rappahannockschools.us.

Community Reminder- Rappahannock County Public Schools wants to remind our community that the RCPS School Social Worker is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist anyone in need of support. Whether you are facing a crisis or just need someone to talk to, help is always available at 540-683-0437.

To view the list of helpful mental health and wellness resources for students and families, CLICK HERE.

As a friendly reminder, free and reduced meals are available. To see if you qualify, complete the application HERE.

Learn more about the Panther Meal Bridge Fund at https://www.rappahannockschools.us/nutrition

Website: www.rappahannockschools.us
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rappahannockcountypublicschools
Instagram: www.instagram.com/_rcps_

Email: info@rappahannockschools.us

To view a helpful list of our communications channels, CLICK HERE.