Rockingham County Public Schools - Virginia

RCPS: Rockingham County Public Schools will be closed today (Tuesday, January 9, 2024).

Wishing you a joyful winter break... From our family to yours!

Character Counts in RCPS! Congratulations to Macy Neese and Deacon Blosser, who were recognized as the 2023 Brittany Lam - Kelly Coggsdale Character Counts Award winners from Peak View Elementary School!

During the school board on Monday, December 11, 2023, outgoing school board member, Lowell Fulk had some very special words to share. "Fifty years ago, on the first day at Broadway High School, I walked into my newly assigned classroom, and came face to face, with someone who would influence the arc of my entire life. As my last official act as a school board member of Rockingham County Public Schools, I am very honored and humbled to have the opportunity to recognize Janet Hadley with this Inspire Award." The RCPS Inspire Award aims to recognize RCPS employees who go above and beyond in their classrooms and buildings. More information can be found at https://www.rcps.net/page/rcps-inspire-award

How does RCPS help students prepare for their next steps after high school? In this special episode of RCPS Community Partner Cafe, student host Leo Johnson talks with two RCPS seniors about their plans after high school. Leo, Clayton, and James reflect on their time in RCPS, share what helped them along their current paths, and provide tips for students and parents looking to get more involved. https://www.rcps.net/page/rcps-community-partner-cafe

Character Counts in RCPS! Congratulations to Jocelyn Alvarez and Aidan Cahill who were recognized as the 2023 Brittany Lam - Kelly Coggsdale Character Counts Award winners from Spotswood High School!

Spotswood High School will be closed today, Monday, October 23. They are without power this morning due to a blown transformer.

The fourth of the Six Pillars is "Fairness". Play by the rules. Take turns and share. Be open-minded. Listen to others. Congratulations to Vianny Perez and Lillian Gainer from Lacey Spring Elementary School, nominated for the Brittany Lam - Kelly Coggsdale Character Counts Award winners. #CharacterCountsWeek

The third of the Six Pillars is "Responsibility". Do what you are supposed to do. Try your best. Persevere. Keep on trying. Be accountable for your words, actions, and attitudes. We show responsibility when we arrive at school each day ready to learn, make friends, and be kind. Congratulations to Herschel Hoffeditz and Asia Dang from Broadway High School, nominated for the Brittany Lam - Kelly Coggsdale Character Counts Award winners. #CharacterCountsWeek

The second of the Six Pillars is "Respect". Follow the Golden Rule. Be accepting of differences. Be courteous to others. Deal peacefully with anger, insults, and disagreements. When we show respect to others, it helps them feel valued and important. Congratulations to Anna Paradise and Garret Moyers from Mountain View Elementary School, nominated for the Brittany Lam - Kelly Coggsdale Character Counts Award winners. #CharacterCountsWeek

Rockingham County Public Schools high school students from the 12th grade U.S. Government, as well as the members of the “Youth in Government Clubs” are hosting school board debates for the District 2 and District 4 races during October. The District 2 debate between Ashley Burgoyne, Larry Chico, and Amber Ham will be coordinated by students from Broadway High School, and it will be this evening, October 17th at J. Frank Hillyard Middle School at 7 PM. This type of civic engagement illustrates the authentic and hands-on learning that Rockingham County Public Schools strives to bring into the social studies classroom. The event will be live-streamed at https://live.myvrspot.com/player?udi=cm9ja2luZ2hhbQ%3D%3D&c=cmNwczI%3D for those unable to attend in person.

The first of the Six Pillars of Character is "Trustworthiness": Be honest. Don’t deceive, cheat, or steal. Have integrity. Do what you say you’ll do. Keep your promises. Be loyal. Stand by your values. Our actions show others that they can trust us. Congratulations to Wyatt Harman and Madelyn Morgan from Ottobine Elementary School, nominated for the Brittany Lam - Kelly Coggsdale Character Counts Award winners. #CharacterCountsWeek

Character Counts Week is October 15-21, 2023. Each day, we will highlight the students who have been nominated for the Brittany Lam - Kelly Coggsdale Character Counts Award so far this year. We recognize the value of good character and its essential role in building strong communities that value positive, healthy relationships and respectful behavior. #CharacterCountsWeek Congratulations to Brice Driver and Emma Foster for being selected from Wilbur S. Pence Middle School

🎉 We would like to congratulate Mrs. Carlene Lantz, from Lacey Spring Elementary School who was selected by the Virginia Association of Soil & Water Conservation District Education Foundation's Elementary State Conservation Education as the Teacher of the Year! This prestigious award recognized the work that Mrs. Lantz does to bring learning to life through authentic lessons centered around the school's garden. 🍎🥗

We would like to recognize two of our art teachers, Emily Quesenberry from Turner Ashby High School Activities and Chris Michael from East Rockingham High School, who were commissioned to use doors as canvases for celebrating inclusion. This exhibit was presented by the Arts Council of the Valley and The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham. The door submitted by Mrs. Quensenberry was created with the Applied Arts class, which is geared toward Special Education students. Please enjoy the talent of each artist! https://www.valleyarts.org/openingdoorsharrisonburg

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Beginning at approximately 2:20 pm EST this Wednesday, October 4, 2023, it is expected that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will conduct a nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System and Wireless Emergency Alerts. The test will send emergency alert messages and/or sounds to radios, televisions, and consumer cell phones across the county. We share this simply as an FYI.

This week, RCPS Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) will be celebrating Farm to School Week by featuring local meats, fruits and vegetables on our menus. Our menu will include: locally raised ground beef from GlenDor Farms in Harrisonburg, freshly harvested potatoes from Valley Farming in Dayton, bibb-style lettuce from Portwood Gardens in Dayton, apples from Showalter's Orchard in Timberville, and sweet potatoes from Hanover, VA. Our high schools will also be featuring pork bratwurst this month from Bakers Pork in Mount Jackson. Additionally, RCPS FNS is participating in the Crunch Heard 'Round the Commonwealth on Thursday, October 5, 2023. This is a Virginia-wide initiative to increase awareness of Virginia's Farm to School programs. Join us in your school's cafeteria to take a "crunch" out of a Virginia grown apple to make some noise for farm to school!

Turner Ashby High School students from Ms. Cornwell's Government class picked up trash along the roads behind TA as part of their community service. It's so great to see these students taking initiative to care for our environment. 🌱🌎

Join us for Episode 7 of RCPS Community Partners Cafe podcast! 🎧 Are you a parent or caregiver navigating the new school year with an elementary school child? Lindsey Bateman, an RCPS elementary guidance counselor, has some fantastic tips and tricks to share! 🌟 Learn how to help your child handle school transitions, emotions, and socialization. Lindsey's insights on identifying and addressing emotions can make a world of difference during these times of change.  Remember, families are the first teachers, and we can empower our children throughout the school year. 🏆 Tune in for practical advice that you can start using today!  https://www.rcps.net/page/rcps-community-partner-cafe #RCPSCommunityPartnersCafe #ElementarySchool #ParentingTips

RCPS teachers and students, in collaboration with JMU and the Simms Center, recently developed a new oral history section of the Celebrating Simms website. Check out the link and listen to the hours of oral history interviews they compiled! https://omeka.lib.jmu.edu/simms/simms-school-oral-histories