Insights Newsletter - December 2024

The holiday season is upon us, bringing joy and excitement to Richmond Community Schools. While this time of year can be bustling with activities and responsibilities, it also offers wonderful opportunities to celebrate and connect.

Our upcoming RCS music performances promise to be highlights of the season. The RCS orchestra concert will occur on December 10th (6:30 p.m.), the RCS band will occur on December 12th (6 p.m.) and the RHS choir concert will follow on December 17th (7 p.m.). The concerts will be held in the Civic Hall Performing Arts Center. Our students and staff have dedicated significant time and effort to preparing these special performances, and we warmly invite everyone to attend and share the holiday cheer.

With just three weeks remaining in the first semester, we encourage you to:

• Regularly communicate with your children about their educational progress
• Ensure consistent school attendance
• Support completion of assignments
• Help maintain their overall well-being by prioritizing proper nutrition and rest
• Ensure that emergency contact information is up to date in the ParentPortal
• Remind kindergarten and first-grade families must have an adult at the bus stop to release students off the bus

As the holiday season approaches, we wish you joy, warmth, and connection with your loved ones.

Christmas Break

December 23, 2024 to January 3, 2025 NO SCHOOL

Friday, January 3, 2025 - NO SCHOOL (Teacher Work Day)

Monday, January 6, 2025 - Students return to school

Alumni Night at the RHS vs. Connersville boys basketball game on December 21, 2024 (ticket sales info to be announced soon)! This year will be extra special as it marks the 40th anniversary of the opening of the Tiernan Center, and 100 years of cheerleading at RHS! Our goal is to showcase Richmond pride by packing the house with RHS alumni; in order to do so, we need your help! Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join in the fun!

Click here for the 2024-2025 School Year Calendar

Click here for the 2025-2026 School Year Calendar

Effective for the 2023-2024 school year, the Indiana Department of Education has limited schools to three days of asynchronous instruction — defined as days when over half of instructional time is virtual and self-paced, without students spending any online time with a teacher.

Asynchronous eLearning days will occur on Snow Day #3, Snow Day #4, and Snow Day #5.

Snow Day #1 will be a built in snow day and students will be in session on January 20, 2025.

Snow Day #2 will be a built in snow day and students will be in session on February 17, 2025.

A synchronous eLearning Day is instruction that is provided in real-time, but the teacher and students are in different physical spaces. The law allows schools to use unlimited synchronous instruction, where teachers deliver lessons via video call to students who are at home. Teachers will be live on Google Meet for their direct instruction and students will complete assignments asynchronously via Canvas or other online platforms. A synchronous learning day must consist of 50% virtual synchronous instruction. If a student does not have a device to access the synchronous learning day, teachers will have recordings uploaded to Canvas with the direct instruction lessons embedded in their schedule for the day.

Any day after Snow Day #5 will be a Synchronous learning Day.

Learning objectives/instructions/assignments will be posted in the RCS Learning Management System - Canvas by 9:00 a.m. on these eLearning days.

Link to Canvas via Clever

Per administration, there will be no paper packets given to students.

Teachers' objectives and assignments will be in Canvas. Students who do not take devices home will have the opportunity to complete their assignments after school hours with a paraprofessional in the 4-day window for students grades K-8. Bus transportation will not be provided for this after-school opportunity.

Per administration there will be no paper packets given to students.

The Canvas login is the same login information for all accounts students use at school. Parents may create their own Canvas account. Link to Canvas: https://richmond.instructure.com/login/canvas

Select “Click Here for an Account”.

Grades K-8 Assignments:

The Canvas assignment window will close four (4) school days following the actual eLearning Day. Attendance should be submitted to the office on the 5th day after the eLearning Day.

Grades 9-12 Assignments:

The Canvas assignment window will close two (2) school days following the eLearning Day. Attendance should be submitted to the office on the 3rd day after the eLearning Day.

Elementary Attendance:

All students are counted present for the eLearning Day if they attempt any part of any assignment that was assigned to be done for the eLearning Day. This includes attending live, logging into Canvas, complete work or partially done work.

Secondary Attendance:

All students are counted present for the eLearning Day by individual periods. If the student attempts any part of an assignment that was assigned to be done for that period for the eLearning Day they will be considered present. This includes attending live, logging into Canvas, complete work or partially done work.

Do you need a coat, gloves, scarf, hat or socks for your child? Please be sure to speak with your Communities In Schools site coordinator, your school principal or call 765-983-2263.

Special thanks to G101.3FM, Fox Cleaners of Richmond and Golden Corral for leading Wayne County's coat drive. Thank you to the Richmond Senior Center for the socks.

As winter weather approaches, update your email and cell phone contact information in PowerSchool's ParentPortal. ParentSquare pulls contact information from PowerSchool's ParentPortal when sending notifications via phone, email, and text.

If you need Christmas assistance, please go to the Whitewater Valley Marine Corps League (200 South 9th Street) on December 14, 2024 beginning at 7 a.m.

Parents/Guardians will need to bring the following items:

-Photo ID

-Proof of address

-birth certificates & Social Security Cards for each child 0-18 years old

The Townsend Community Center's 2024 Angel Tree. Parents, sign your children up before December 6. For more questions, please contact 765-488-2042.

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.