2 of 8

Dear RPS Family,

Our motto at RPS is #TeachWithLove, #LeadWithLove, and #ServeWithLove. So we thought it would only be fitting to also #ReopenWithLove. By that, we mean we will do everything humanly possible to provide an outstanding academic and social-emotional experience for all 25,000 RPS students this fall.

Now more than ever, we recognize that many of our students will need additional support in order to thrive in this unprecedented virtual learning environment. That’s why we’re working with community partners who are organizing Facilitated Learning Centers (FLCs) for RPS students.

Facilitated Learning Centers are independent programs that serve families who need child care while RPS is operating virtually. FLCs are intended to offer students a safe learning environment with a responsible adult to care for them while they are engaged in RPS virtual learning throughout the day. FLCs are both organized and staffed by non-RPS personnel, and they must follow all state regulations applicable to providing care to children.

This guide contains tips and best practices to help community organizations understand more about developing a Facilitated Learning Center. Additional questions about FLCs should be directed to Shanelle Ebanks, Out-of-School-Time Coordinator, at ostcoordinator@cfrichmond.org.

We are so grateful for the continued support of our community partners and the hundreds of ways they have stepped up for our students every day. I've often said that we can’t do this work alone and we won't even try; that’s truer today than ever before.

With great appreciation,

Jason Kamras

RPS Superintendent

#ReopenWithLove

Volunteer support continues to serve as a vital resource for students and families, for everything from food distribution and community walks to providing bilingual support!

Please visit handsonrva.org/rps for current volunteer opportunities and email Will Keenan at wkeenan.contractor@rvaschools.net if you would like to learn more about volunteering with RPS.

3 of 8

Facilitated Learning Centers are independent programs that serve families who need productive learning environments and/or child care while RPS is operating virtually. Below is an outline of the resources a community partner will need to set up a Facilitated Learning Center:

Facilitating Virtual Learning

Getting Started as a Facilitated Learning Center

⇒ To begin the process of starting a Facilitated Learning Center, contact Shanelle Ebanks, Out of School Time Coordinator, at ostcoordinator@cfrichmond.org.�⇒ Verified partners will be added to a searchable online database.�⇒ Verified partners will be offered various support from RPS, including virtual training and meals for students.

Basic Student Supplies

⇒ RPS will provide all students with a Chromebook/tablet and a Student Supply Kit. More information on supply kits can be found at www.rvaschools.net/school-supplies.

⇒ See our #ReopenWithLove website for student supply kit distribution information. Contact the school to learn how you can support these efforts.

⇒ RPS students should bring their Chromebook or tablet and supplies to the Facilitated Learning Center each day, or leave these supplies in a designated space within the FLC.�⇒ If partner organizations serving as a Facilitated Learning Center do not have the ability to provide reliable high-speed internet, students can receive a hotspot from RPS.

�

4 of 8

As we #ReopenWithLove, we know the first week of school should look and feel different than the standard instructional schedule. Students will be provided the time and space to adjust to virtual teaching and learning. This time will also allow us to work through inevitable technology glitches that may occur.

Priorities for the First Week of School:

We have the following three priorities set for our first week of school:

Building community and relationships
Developing comfort with all the technology
Establishing routines to reacclimate everyone to school

Guidelines for the First Week of School Instruction:

To facilitate our three priorities for the first week of school, we’ve set the following three guidelines for our teachers and schools as they prepare exciting learning experiences for all of our students:

There will be no graded assignments during the first week of school. (Students should practice using Google Classroom and completing assigned learning tasks; however, these tasks will not be used to count towards the student’s final course grade.)
Content specific instruction will not officially begin until Week 2. (This will provide teachers with time to build relationships with students and establish routines for their classes.)
There will be no formal assessments given during the first week of school.

Virtual Learning: Week One

5 of 8

Resources and Considerations

⇒ Language Support: The RPS Welcome Center offers an array of services to support newcomer and non-English speaking families. In addition to its primary services, it can support FLCs by connecting families to school and community resources and providing translation services and language justice resources to bridge communication between a FLC and linguistically diverse families. Visit www.rvaschools.net/family-resources or call the Welcome Center at (804) 230-2980 for support.

⇒ Technology Support: If there are technical difficulties with RPS technology like Chromebooks, please contact our Family Support Line at (804) 780-6195 or visit www.rpstech.org/parents .

⇒ Training Support: RPS will host monthly training and support meetings for partners on subjects such as working with Google Classrooms, Virtual Support Best Practices, and more. Please continue to follow RPS Direct and other RPS communications for further information. This document will be updated with website links once trainings and additional support opportunities are finalized.

⇒ Video Tutorials: Visit www.rvaschools.net/family-checklist for the RPS Family Checklist and video tutorials on a variety of virtual learning related topics!

⇒ Licensing: Providing child care services will need to be done in collaboration with, or under the approval of, the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS). FLCs will need to meet any relevant requirements on health, safety, staffing, group size, and other mandates. Child Care VA provides information including licensing, legislation, child care options and guidance.

⇒ Transportation: RPS is unable to provide transportation for students. Families will be responsible for transporting their students to and from the centers.

⇒ Cost and Fees: RPS is unable to provide funding for FLCs. If you decide to charge a fee for students, please consider using a sliding scale to ensure that families with financial limitations can still access this service.

�

6 of 8

A Day in the Life of Virtual Learning

⇒ Students will experience a full instructional day but this does not mean that students will be “on screen” all day. They will experience a mix of live instruction by their teacher, independent work on and off their Chromebook/tablet, small group or 1:1 check-ins, and with ample physical and mental breaks. View the current schedules at www.rvaschools.net/student-schedule.

⇒ Each grade band of students will have the same start /end times and a designated lunchtime.

⇒ Individual schools will have slight differences in the order in which the content is taught. These schedules will be posted to school websites as they are finalized.

⇒ FLCs should support students throughout the day while they transition in and out of synchronous learning (live, with a teacher) and asynchronous learning (independent reading/writing, recorded lessons, skills practice).

⇒ Families are responsible for communicating with their school and their student’s teachers in regards to virtual learning, student progress, and student performance. Families should share their student’s schedule with the FLC. Providers should set clear expectations and guidelines around communication with families in regards to questions of student participation while in their care.

District-Wide Start, End, and Lunch Schedules

�

* 6 period schedule schools: Binford, Lucille Brown, Albert Hill

** 4 period schedule schools: River City, Boushall, Henderson, MLK

�

	Pre-K	Elementary School K-2	Elementary School 3-5	Middle School	High School
Virtual School Day	9:15am - 4:00pm	9:15am - 3:00pm	9:15am - 3:30pm	9:15am - 4:20pm	9:15am - 4:15pm
Lunch	11:30am - 1:30pm (Recess & Nap included)	11:45am - 12:45pm (Include physical activity break)	12pm - 1pm (Include physical activity break)	11:35am - 12:05pm (6 period schedule*) 12:40- 1:10 pm (4 period schedule)	12:35pm - 1:10pm

7 of 8

Health and Safety

Daily Screening and Temperature Check

⇒ All students and staff should receive a temperature check and do a self check for any symptoms at the start of each day before entering the FLC.

⇒ Students with a temperature above 100.4F or with symptoms should not enter the FLC. ⇒Anyone (staff, students, visitors, volunteers) who begins to experience symptoms throughout the day should be asked to go home and seek medical advice.

Masks

⇒ All students, staff, and visitors should be required to wear a face mask while in the FLC, except for certain medically fragile students for whom wearing masks may not be appropriate. Face masks must fully cover both the nose and mouth.

Physical Distancing

⇒ All individuals should maintain at least six feet distance between them at all times; close contact should be avoided. Close contact is defined as being within 6 feet of another individual for more than 10-15 minutes. Please take this into account when determining how many students and staff your FLC can accommodate.

Hand Washing and Sanitizing

⇒ All individuals should wash or sanitize their hands frequently. Please ensure proper handwashing techniques (20 seconds, soap, etc.). FLCs should visit rvastrong.org to request masks, soap, hand sanitizer, and other supplies from the City of Richmond’s Help1RVA initiative.

Cleaning

⇒ Centers should take additional steps to ensure that buildings are clean and disinfected at all times, such as daily cleaning and frequent (2 hour) cleaning of high touch surfaces.

Communications

⇒ Centers should work to ensure accurate, science-based messaging about COVID-19 is shared with their students, staff, and families.