INSIGHTS- August 2024

Dear Richmond Community Schools Family,

On behalf of our students, teachers, staff, and stakeholders, welcome to the 2024/2025 school year. We are so excited that the students have returned. We are working with them, their parents and families, and the entire community to make the school year the best possible.

We have so many great things on the horizon for Richmond Community Schools, and our focus is always the students. Their academic and social success, safety, and happiness is the forefront of all we do at RCS.

Thank you for sending your children to the Richmond Community Schools. We are truly here for them and you, and work hard each day to make sure every student has a great school experience. Thank you for allowing me the honor and privilege of being your Superintendent.

Finally, I would like to thank all of our community-based organizations that provided amazing opportunities for students and their families throughout the summer months. It always does my heart well to see how we come together every summer to care for and support students. Here's to a great school year!

Warmly,

Dr. Curtis Wright

Superintendent, Richmond Community Schools

Each school year, your child's transportation schedule defaults to pick them up at their primary home address in the morning and return them to that same address in the afternoon.

If there's an alternative care provider's location needed, please fill out the Alternative Transportation Request Form.

Please note: A new Transportation Request Form will need to be completed each year.

Call 765-973-3449 with any questions.

To ensure the safety of our kindergarten and first-grade students, Richmond Community Schools requires our bus drivers to release kindergarteners and first graders to a trusted adult at their bus stop. Once a student reaches grade 2, no adult is required to meet them at the bus stop.

Click here for the 2024-2025 RCS School Calendar

Richmond Community Schools provides both breakfast and lunch to all students. If your child has any allergies or dietary restrictions, please contact your child's school and let us know. You can view our full monthly breakfast and lunch menus by clicking the link below:
https://rcs.nutrislice.com/menus-eula

• School Menus
• Food Allergy/Intolerance & Dietary Needs FAQs
• Special Diet Statement

If students would rather, they are allowed to bring packed lunches from home. Refrigeration and heating are not available.

Richmond High School is naming a new leader to help the girls’ varsity basketball team return to the top of the North Central Conference. RHS is pleased to announce the appointment of Gabrielle “Gabby” Smith as the new head coach for the girls’ varsity basketball team, effective August 2, 2024.

Smith brings 7 years of coaching experience to the position, including Rose Hulman Institute of Technology and Indiana State University. She most recently served as the varsity assistant coach at Park Tudor School in Indianapolis.

“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Smith to our athletic program,” said Robert Lee, Athletic Director at RHS Athletics. “Coach Smith’s passion for the game and commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the court makes her an excellent fit for our program.”

As head coach, Smith will be responsible for all aspects of the girls varsity basketball program, including practice planning, game strategy, player development, and fostering a positive team culture.

“I’m honored to join the Red Devil family and lead the girls’ varsity basketball team,” said Coach Smith. “I look forward to working with our talented student-athletes and building a competitive program that emphasizes skill development, teamwork and character.”

Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Masters of Science from Indiana State University.

The Red Devil girls’ varsity basketball team will kick off their 2024 season on October 31 with a scrimmage against Tri Jr-Sr High School in the Tiernan Center.

We are excited and proud to report that our RHS Band placed 4th at State Fair Band Day last Friday, August 2! Their show titled “The Gannett Legacy” was filled with nostalgia and hints of the Roaring 20’s. A trumpet solo opened the show that showcased a base drum solo at one point in the performance. Richmond’s “Gennett Legacy” tribute to the city’s jazz recording heritage led schools in Wayne, Randolph and Henry counties with a fourth-place finish. The Marching Red Devils wore zoot suit-styled shirts and Devilettes dressed as 1920s flappers to perform such classics as Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust,” King Oliver’s “Dippermouth Blues” and Jelly Roll Morton’s “Grandpa’s Spells.” The show even featured a trumpet solo, a brass quartet, and a bass drum solo! Richmond also won best percussion in Class AAA, for the largest bands.

The Richmond Community School District announces the completion of its administration assignments for the 2024/25 school year.

Bridget Hazelbaker has been named the Director of Student Support Services and Communications. Hazelbaker, a 1992 RHS alum, has been with the district since 2010, serving as the Communications and Marketing Coordinator.

Cassie Laudermilk and Carrie Wolfe have been named the Co-Directors of Exceptional Education Learning. Laudermilk has more than 19 years of experience in area schools, including roles in teaching, non-public education consultant and as Principal at the Hibberd Program Building. Wolfe has more than 16 years of experience in education, including roles as an RCS exceptional education teacher, educational diagnostician, Assistant Director of Special Education and Principal of Community Youth Services. Their combined wealth of experience and earned community trust underscores their commitment to advancing exceptional student education learning.

Steven Hensley will replace Cassie Laudermilk as Principal at the Hibberd Program Building. Hensley has more than 7 years of experience in area schools, including roles in teaching and as the Director of the Richmond STEAM Academy.

“This alignment of our administration team emphasizes our district’s dedication to leadership that is both visionary and grounded in a deep understanding of the needs of our students and community,” said RCS Superintendent Dr. Curtis Wright. “We are excited about the future and look forward to the positive impact these talented leaders will have on our district.”

Richmond Community Schools New Teacher Academy welcomed 27 teachers this year. We have several Richmond graduates who love RCS and are back because they had such a good experience. We also have a few Earlham graduates who have decided to stay in the area because they enjoyed their time here. We also have former paraprofessionals who have completed degrees that are either on an emergency permit and in a program to complete their licensure or completed a licensure program.

The New Teacher Academy includes introducing the teachers to our eLearning team and district curriculum coach, the co-directors of Exceptional Learning, retirement options, and getting to know the Central Office Staff. We took a tour of the city on a yellow bus, Bridget Hazelbaker gave great background on the history of the schools, the neighborhoods that feed into the schools, and places to go beyond the school day.

For all of our new teachers, we offer four additional opportunities to meet with the eLearning team, Ms. Markward, Mr. Pritchard, and Ms. Kirk for additional in-service towards working through the school year. First-year teachers will be assigned a mentor for the year, as a go-to person. We have also employed the help of two former RCS educators Mrs. Luan Spicer and Ms. Tomi Amburgery who will be available to visit classrooms and give feedback to the teachers. Welcome to RCS!

We pride ourselves on all levels of supporting our students with the most dedicated and highly qualified team members. To view current available positions and submit your application, please click here.