Excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better. When a team outgrows individual performance and learns team confidence, excellence becomes a reality. Excellence is a better teacher than mediocrity. The lessons of the ordinary are everywhere, however truly profound and original insights are to be found only in studying the exemplary. We are what we repeatedly do, therefore excellence is not an act, it's a habit. When we settle in the fact that perfection is not attainable, while chasing perfection, we can catch excellence!

I'm on the chase, catch me if you can!

We will also be updating families on our new Yondr Pouch Protocols at our Dreams Session this evening! Join us 6pm in the media center.

We are looking forward to seeing you there.

I am excited to share with you that RPS is embarking on the development of the division's next Dream4RPS strategic plan! The strategic plan will cover 2024 to 2029 and build upon the successes and lessons learned from the previous plan, Dreams4RPS (2018-2023).

The first Dreams4RPS strategic plan was developed through extensive collaboration with various stakeholders, including students, teachers, administrators, support staff, families, and community members, who participated in over 170 meetings and work sessions. The plan outlined five key priorities and specific actions and goals for each of these priorities:

1. Exciting and Rigorous Teaching and Learning

2. Skilled and Supported Staff

3. Safe and Loving School Cultures

4. Deep Partnership with Families and Community

5. Modern Systems and Infrastructure

As we recover from the impacts of COVID-19, it is crucial to reset, establish new baselines, and leverage the insights from the previous plan and community feedback to design a new plan for the next five years.

To engage with us, we hope you will participate by providing us with your feedback and attending a strategic planning session. All feedback collected will be reported out to the public and used to help identify the actions, initiatives, and programming that is most important to our community.

• Dreams4RPS Online Survey - All are invited to complete our online Dreams4RPS survey. You can access the survey at https://survey.k12insight.com/r/D4R-PL or by scanning the QR code.

• Dreams4RPS Division Meetings - There are over 100 meetings happening this fall and winter around the division. You can access a full schedule of meetings to attend at www.rvaschools.net/dreams4rps.

• Dreams4RPS School Meeting - Our school will also host a meeting for our school community’s Familis & Caregivers on January 19, 2024 from 6:00-7:00pm in the media center.

We hope you will make it out to at least one meeting!

If you have any questions, please reach out to me at mglass@rvaschools.net or visit the RPS website at www.rvaschools.net/dreams4rps.

Sincerely,

Monica Murray

Principal Murray

We will be making our school a phone-free space to improve teaching and learning using a system called Yondr. Yondr has been implemented in over 2,000 schools across 16 countries to facilitate an engaged learning environment.

We believe that phones have great utility. We have also found that learning and social behavior improve drastically when students are fully engaged with their teachers and classmates.

The Yondr Program utilizes a simple, secure pouch that stores a phone. Every student will secure their phone in a personally assigned Yondr pouch when they arrive at school. Students will maintain possession of their phones and will not use them until their pouches are opened at the end of the school day. Students are required to bring their Yondr pouch to and from school each day and are responsible for their pouch at all times.

We received responses to our annual surveys from over 1,200 school partners, and after implementing the Yondr Education Program:

• 84% saw a change in student engagement
  
• 72% saw a positive change in student behavior
• 68% saw a positive change in academic performance

Of our most recent impact survey of over 370 of our school partners:

• 86% saw a positive impact in student safety and wellness

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school directly at 804-780-6052, or attend one of our upcoming meetings about the adoption of Yondr on January 19, 2023.

In an effort to best serve your child, we appreciate your full support in the adoption of the Yondr Program at our school.

Thank you,

Principal Murray

QUALIFICATIONS: Retired teachers (instructional) staff and/or college students would be ideal. Must be at least 18 years of age with a high school diploma. Tutors must possess a passion for helping students learn and have the knowledge and skills to equip students to find new ways to look at difficult skills and concepts. Tutors must have patience, as several students may need significant support with understanding certain content. Tutors must also have a positive attitude, ability to build rapport with students, and be able to initiate ways to motivate students when they become frustrated by academic material.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS: Provides students (3rd grade - 8th grade) with one-on-one or small group tutoring to support students’ attainment of core knowledge and skills. Attends on-going required training. Works with teachers, students, and individually to provide developmentally appropriate learning lessons and activities that are structured to advance students toward graduation. Works with teachers and students to support progress monitoring of student growth. Works collaboratively with the teachers and students to plan, implement, and review needed interventions for specific students. Preforms other job-related duties.

GENERAL DEFINITION AND CONDITIONS OF WORK: Works with teachers and students to develop differentiated resources that address the learning needs of all students. Duties performed typically in a school setting. Work requires frequent standing, sitting, walking, light lifting up to 10 pounds, verbal communication for expressing or exchanging ideas, hearing to perceive information at a normal spoken word level and visual acuity for preparing and analyzing written or computer data.

REPORTS TO: School Based

HOW TO APPLY: All applicants (including RPS employees) must submit an on-line application. Please access website at: www.rvaschools.net

– We hire all year long so if you know of a great teacher who might like to join the RPS team, please tell them to apply now. We're offering bonuses of up to $12,000!

• Prom: April 26, 2023
  

Dues

Package A - https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/GB305-80

Includes:

1. Picnic

2. T-Shirt

3. Yearbook

4. Prom (Package includes JMHS seniors only)

5. Senior Activity Fee

6. Cap & Gown

Total $350.00

Package B - https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/GB305-81

Includes:

1. Picnic

2. T-shirt

3. Prom (Package includes JMHS seniors only)

4. Senior Activity Fee

5. Cap & Gown

Total $275.00

Package C - https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/GB305-82

Includes:

1. Picnic

2. T-shirt

3. Senior Activity Fee

4. Cap & Gown

5. Yearbook

Total $225.00

Package D - https://osp.osmsinc.com/p/GB305-83

Includes:

1. Senior Activity Fee

2. Cap & Gown & Stole

3. Senior T-shirt

4. Senior Picnic

Total $150.00

Keep up with live updates:

• Instagram: @classof24.jm
• Remind: Text @jmjustices to 81010

Monday through Thursday from 4:00-6:30 pm, students can stay back for academic enrichment and participate with other clubs around the school. Food and transportation are provided. Click below or email Ms. Bland, dbland@rvaschools.net, for more information.

Speed Bumps: There have been two speed bumps installed in front of the school. Drivers beware. The speed limit on Old Brook Road is 25 miles per hour.

• Standardized High School Parking Pass Application (PDF) - As required by § 22.1-205.1 of the Code of Virginia, any public high school student who applies to park a vehicle on school property must provide evidence that the student possesses a valid driver’s license or driver privilege card. It also requires that each public school utilize a standard application form, developed by the Virginia Department of Education, for students to use to obtain a pass to park a vehicle on school property.

Dear Parent or Guardian

We are pleased to remind you of a new method for you to receive your child’s Virginia Assessment Program test results.

The Virginia Assessment Parent Portal, located at https://va-results.pearsonaccessnext.com, is a new web-based portal where you will create a user account and gain access to your child's test results for specific statewide assessments.

You will be able to review your child’s Student Detail by Question (SDBQ) Report for each test completed, and, in most cases, you will be able to view a personalized video that accompanies the SDBQ Report for your child. This is a customized video that provides an overview of the SDBQ report, explains specific details from your child’s SDBQ report, and directs you to resources on the Virginia Department of Education’s website (https://tinyurl.com/VAparentpage) to assist with your child's academic needs.

To access the VA Parent Portal parents must:

1. The website to the parent portal is https://va-results.pearsonaccessnext.com
2. Parents will be prompted to create a user account
3. Then to access their student's test results, they will need to enter the following information:

• Student's first name
• Student's last name
  
• Student's birthdate
  
• claim code
  

Once your account has been created and activated, you will use your child’s information and the Claim Code to add your child’s test results to your account.

• Claim codes can be found on your child’s final report card or in the Richmond Public School’s Parent Portal.

Please note, the Claim Code must be entered exactly as it appears. It is case-sensitive. This code will enable you to access your child’s test results securely.

If you have questions about accessing the Virginia Assessment Parent Portal or your child’s test results, please contact Valenta Wade at vwade@rvaschools.net or 804-780-7905.

Parent's did you know that you can have access to ASPEN to track your students? If you are interested in getting an ASPEN login, please complete the form below and Ms. Dark will get it set up for you!

It's a fact: Students who attend school regularly learn more and are more successful in school than students who do not. Parents who make regular school attendance a priority also are helping their children learn to accept responsibility, and that’s an important lesson for a successful life. Attendance patterns are formed early in life. Children who develop good attendance habits in the early grades will be more likely to continue them throughout their school career, as well as into their chosen career. Regular attendance is critically important, because students who miss school miss out on carefully planned sequences of instruction. They miss out on active learning experiences and class participation. They miss out on the opportunity to ask questions. As a result, they are more likely to fall behind, and they are more likely to drop out.

Student Attendance and Absences/Truancy

Excused Absences

• An excused absence results from conditions beyond the control of the parent/guardian and/or the student or school. Acceptable absences could include personal illness, death in the family, court appearance, religious holidays, and extenuating circumstances as approved by the school administration.
• Schools are required by state law to take specific actions if a student accumulates a certain number of unexcused absences.
• Students shall not be absent (excused or unexcused reasons, excluding suspensions) for 18 or more school days per year or 18 class periods.
• Any student who misses 18 or more days of school will not be eligible to receive course credit and/or will be subject to retention.
• A waiver for these attendance policies may be considered for medical hardships or other very unique circumstances as determined by the Division Superintendent or his designee.
• Parents and guardians are required to provide a note requesting that the days absent be considered excused absences within five (5) schools days of the last day of school missed. If a note for the day(s) absent is not provided within five (5) school days of the last day of school missed, the period of absences will be considered unexcused.

Unexcused Absences

• Early intervention with the student and parent or parents takes place for repeated unexcused absences.
• Please see School Board Policy linked below for further details about how unexcused absences are handled.

Tardies and Early Dismissals

• Students should start and remain in school for the entirety of the school day. No student shall be allowed to leave school early except in cases of sickness or for some pressing emergency. Parent/guardians are encouraged to make medical and other appointments outside of school hours.
• Students with excessive unexcused tardies or early dismissals may receive sanctions as determined by the superintendent or their designee. Tardies are defined as being more than 30 minutes late to school and early dismissals are defined as leaving more than 30 minutes early.
• Students obtaining permission to leave school during school hours due to sickness shall be required to return a special form properly signed by the parent or legal guardian. All notes of excuse or requests to leave school shall state the reason for such excuse or request. The principal shall judge the validity of all such excuses and requests.

If you see a student out of school between 7:25 am and 2:00 pm, call the RPS Attendance Support Hotline at (804) 780-4646.

What is Remind?

RPS is excited to launch the Remind Plan to provide 2-way communications with families and students!

Remind allows teachers who choose to use text messaging to communicate with parents and students. With Remind:

See instructions below on how to sign up or re-subscribe to receive Remind notifications from your school and RPS. If you need to update your contact information, please reach out to your school!

If you would like to opt out from using Remind, step by step instructions are available here.

• Parents can choose how to receive messages – text, email or app. For students, texting is available for ages 13 and over.
• It allows for safe and secure messaging that is available in multiple languages
• It has a call feature, so teachers may use it to make calls without using their personal number.

Sign-Up to Receive Text Messages!

To receive Remind text messages, text @jmjustices to 81010 (including the @) on your mobile device. You can also sign-up online by clicking here.

Check out our profile to see our current accreditation standing and academic growth.

Come out and support our Justice athletes at their various games and meets this month. Click the button below to see their schedules!

JAYEM gear and school store items are for sale

Purchase or online or in person

• I need and want your help!!! Fundraisers, community service projects, or sponsorship ideas, please share! dsmith10@rvaschools.net

• JM Face Masks fundraiser is still available for sale, $12 each. They may be purchased each Monday & Tuesday and Thursday & Friday from 9-2pm in the main office. Please email AD Smith (dsmith10@rvaschools.net) if you would like to make arrangements for pick-up.

• JMHS apparel items are now being sold at Walgreens, 2924 Chamberlayne Ave., Richmond, VA 23222 and Dollar General, 5236 Chamberlayne Rd., Richmond, VA 23227

• Michelle Andrews, Class of 2011

• Camilla Battle, Class of 2000

• Danette Bland, Class of 1997

• Milondra Coleman, Class of 1989

• Morgan Dark, Class of 2007

• Stevenson Fox Jr., Class of 1997

• Elijah Freeman, Class of 1991

• Gregory Jones, Class of 2017

We have some leftover yearbooks for sale. If you are looking for a yearbook, please email the year and quantity to Mrs. V. Thompson. She will follow up with you about inventory and cost.

Alumni, YOU DID IT!!

A new marquee - Done!

A new scoreboard - Done!

Now, we need YOUR help once again. We are working to procure a new PRESS BOX.

Either we need a construction company to donate a press box or 50K to purchase a new one.

Any and all donations are welcome. You've done it before, we know your support can help us meet our new goal.

Calling all Alumni! Want to know how you can help? Commit to honoring each year since you've left Jayem! We are asking each alum to give a one dollar ($1) for every year that you have earned your Alumni status. This is a fundraiser that alumni of all ages can participate in!

Here are some examples:

• 2022 Grads - $1
• 2021 Grads - $2

• 2020 Grads - $3

• 2019 Grads - $4

• 2015 Grads - $5

• 2010 Grads - $10

• 2000 Grads - $20

• 1990 Grads - $30

• 1980 Grads - $40

• 1970 Grads - $50

This will be a recurring donation. Each year you will add $1 to your donation. It's that simple! Your gift will help with Athletics, Academics, and Accomplishment Celebrations! Click the link and choose Jayem Forever Fundraiser.

Families,

Please take a moment to complete this short survey from Rite Aid. We have a target of 25 participants. We only need 10 more sign-ups and we will earn 2500.00!!! Help us earn these funds.

support.rxfundraising.com/JohnMarshallHighSchool

Don't forget to follow us on Instagram @jm_justices and use the hashtag #jm4225 any time you mention Jayem!

Email: mglass@rvaschools.net
Website: jmhs.rvaschools.net
Location: 4225 Old Brook Road, Richmond, VA, USA
Phone: 804-780-6052
Facebook: Facebook.com/jm4225
Twitter: @jm_justices