The Richey Weekly
September 21-25, 2026| Staff Edition
Another Great Week at Richey
Good afternoon, Richey Family!
Thank you for another great week of supporting our Richey Rabbits! A special shout-out to everyone for doing an excellent job during our first fire drill. Staff and students responded quickly, calmly, and safely, helping the drill run smoothly.
As we begin Cycle 1, we have another exciting week ahead, including Open House, our Faculty Meeting, Richey Rabbit Day, and Buddy Classrooms. Please take a few minutes to review this week’s important updates, reminders, and upcoming events. Thank you for your continued teamwork, flexibility, and commitment to our students!
💙💛 OUR WHY: RICHEY MISSION & VISION
Mission
Our mission is to deliver quality education in a safe and secure learning environment while nurturing the needs of the whole child.
Vision
The Richey Community nurtures the whole child through diverse learning experiences, academic excellence, and continuous collaborative efforts.
As we settle into our routines, let’s continue ensuring that our mission and vision are reflected in how we teach, support, and respond to every child.
⏰ BUILDING HOURS THIS WEEK
Regular School Day Staff Hours:
8:45 a.m.–4:15 p.m.
Please arrive on time and report promptly to all assigned arrival, dismissal, lunch, recess, and hallway duties.
📆 CALENDAR NEWS
📆 CALENDAR NEWS
What’s happening at Richey?
September 21: Schools closed; offices open
September 22: Cycle 1 begins
September 23: Open House at 6:00 p.m.
September 24: Faculty Meeting at 7:45 a.m.
September 25: Richey Rabbit Day and Buddy Classrooms
Looking Ahead!
September 28: Lockdown Drill
September 29: Fall Picture Day and PTO Meeting at 6:00 p.m.
September 30: Safety Team Meeting
October 2: Custodian Appreciation Day
October 5: SAEBRS testing window opens
Please refer to the Richey Master Calendar for additional information and updates.
REQUIRED TEST SECURITY TRAINING
All school staff must complete the appropriate Test Security Training for the 2026–2027 school year.
Staff Serving as Test Administrators or Proctors
Staff members who will administer or proctor IAB, Smarter Balanced ELA/Math, or DeSSA Science/Social Studies assessments must:
Register for PDMS Course #24246. The PDMS portion is used for clock-hour recording and includes the training assurance.
Complete the actual Test Administrator Training through:
ClassLink → DeSSA Resources → Training → Test Administrator (TA) Training CourseComplete all three training modules to administer assessments and access the Assessment Viewing Application (AVA).
Staff Not Serving as Test Administrators or Proctors
Staff members who will not administer or proctor an assessment must complete PDMS Course #26402.
Important Deadlines
All staff must complete and submit the DeSSA Test Security Non-Disclosure Agreement to Ms. Irving by October 30, 2026.
All required Test Security Training must be completed by October 30, 2026.
📣 Need to Know
Quaver Check-In
Now that we have completed our first week of Quaver implementation, please reach out to Mr. Bank or Ms. Irving with any questions, concerns, or support needs. We appreciate everyone’s flexibility and commitment as we become more familiar with the new curriculum.
Behavior Referral and Parent Contact Reminder
Please remember that every behavior referral submitted in DSC requires a parent or guardian phone call. All contact attempts and conversation notes must also be documented in the DSC i-Tracker.
If the listed telephone number is disconnected, not working, or you are unable to reach the parent or guardian, please document that information in the i-Tracker as well.
PLC Meeting Agendas
The Red Clay and RCEA negotiated agreement describes a Professional Learning Community as an ongoing process in which educators work collaboratively to achieve better results for students. PLCs are intended to be teacher-driven and are expected to meet for 45 minutes each week.
The agreement states that “PLCs are required to have an agenda, but no minutes shall be submitted.”
To provide teams with a central location for maintaining their required agendas, team leads should add each PLC agenda to the PLC Agenda Shared Folder Drive. Meeting minutes are not required.
Final Reminder: Emergency Substitute Plans
Three-day emergency substitute plans were due on September 15, 2026. If you have not yet submitted your plans, please do so as soon as possible using one of the following options:
- Place a printed copy in Ms. Irving’s mailbox, or
- Upload a digital copy to the shared Google Drive folder
DTGSS Goal-Setting Conferences
Fall DTGSS Goal-Setting Conferences are beginning. Thank you to those who have already scheduled or completed their meeting. As you prepare, please begin thinking about your professional growth goal and student improvement goal. When you are ready to meet, you may select a convenient time using the sign-up link provided by your assigned evaluator.
Instructional Walkthroughs
Instructional walkthroughs will begin during the first week of October using the district’s new 2026–27 Walkthrough Tool.
The tool is aligned with the RCCSD Instructional Framework and focuses on curriculum implementation and pacing, equitable practices, student engagement, academic discourse, rigorous instruction, and checks for understanding. These brief visits are intended to celebrate effective practices and help administration identify ways to support teachers and students, not to serve as “gotcha” moments. Please take a few moments to review the tool and become familiar with the areas of focus.
Recess Safety Reminder
Please continue to actively supervise students during recess and remain in your designated supervision zones. Active supervision includes moving throughout your area, scanning, interacting with students, and responding quickly when support is needed. Thank you for helping us keep recess safe and enjoyable for all students!
Staff Absences & Coverage
Please continue to enter all absences in DSC and Frontline as soon as possible. If an unexpected absence or late arrival occurs after 8:00 a.m., please contact administration directly so that coverage can be arranged. Remember to check the Daily Staff Coverage Assignments document each morning for the most up-to-date coverage information.
Dr. Kelly McCormick: 302-757-4877
LaToya Irving: 484-368-2768
Nurse Donna's Lunch Reminder
Nurse Donna's office will be closed daily from 1:00–1:30 p.m. while she takes her lunch and walks outside the building. During this time, please contact the main office for any emergencies.
Picture Day Reminder—September 29
Picture Day is Tuesday, September 29! Please review the Picture Day schedule and be mindful of your class’s assigned time to help the day run smoothly. Picture Day order forms have already been placed in staff mailboxes. If you have not already done so, please send the forms home with students by the end of the day on Tuesday, September 22. On Picture Day, please have students ready and arrive at the gym at your scheduled time. If you need to request a schedule change, please contact Ms. Irving.
Family STEM Night
Please consider volunteering for Family STEM Night on Thursday, October 15!
Your support will help make this a fun and engaging evening for our Richey students and families and something delicious will be provided for our volunteers! If you are interested in helping, please reach out to Angela Morrow.
Mandatory Non-Academic Training
Please complete your assigned 2026–2027 NAMT course by September 30:
New Employees: PDMS Course #43731
Returning Employees: PDMS Course #44572
Administrators, School Nurses, and School Counselors: PDMS Course #43734
After completing your training, please place a copy of your certificate in Ms. Irving’s mailbox.
ELEMENTARY ELA
Contributed by Kelly Harkins
Arts & Letters Learning Labs
Great Minds is offering free, virtual Arts & Letters Learning Labs. These 60-minute, after-school sessions provide practical tools and strategies to support instructional planning and curriculum implementation.
Available session times:
4:00–5:00 p.m. | 5:15–6:15 p.m. | 7:00–8:00 p.m.
Teachers may earn Professional Learning and Buyback Hours by registering in DSC.
Year 1 Arts & Letters Implementation
Listen to the Implementation Overview
Deep Dive into Module 1
Select your grade level to access the Module 1 deep dive:
Kindergarten | First Grade | Second Grade | Third Grade | Fourth Grade | Fifth Grade
Elementary Mathematics MTSS-A User Friendly Guide
A User-Friendly Elementary Math MTSS Guidebook is available as a resource to support staff with understanding and implementing the MTSS process for mathematics. Please take some time to review the guidebook and use it as a reference when identifying student needs, planning supports, and navigating the Math MTSS process.
Progress Book Training for K–3 Teachers
New Date: Monday, September 28, from 4:30–5:30 p.m.
This follow-up training is designed for new educators and teachers who have changed grade levels or would like additional support using Progress Book. The session will cover entering grades and accessing available reports.
DSC Registration: Course #136862
Google Meet: Join the training
Contributed by Stephanie Fleetwood
🔗Useful Links
🎂 Staff Birthdays
Help us celebrate our Richey family!
Help us celebrate our Richey family!
- September 25: Jaclyn Durant
- October 26: JeanMarie Jordan
- October 29: Amber Merritt
- October 31: Amy O'Neill
🌿 Mindful Moment
Notice the Good
Before leaving each day this week, take a moment to identify one thing that went well, no matter how small. It could be a student’s smile, a successful lesson, a helpful colleague, or a challenging moment that you handled with patience.
The difficult moments often demand our attention, but the good moments deserve to be noticed too.
