Monarch Caregiver Memo Week of October 19th - October 23rd, 2026

Posted Date: 10/18/26 (02:19 PM)

Caregiver & Scholar Newsletter

From the Desk of Principal Cornelius B. Smith, Ed.S.

Monarch Caregiver Memo Week of October 19th - October 23rd, 2026

Dear Caregivers,

I hope this communication finds you well. The seasons are changing, so hopefully you will find some time over the next few weeks to get outside with your scholars and family. I want to thank all who supported our School Wide celebrations last week. We honored our scholars who have had Perfect attendance for the months of August and September. We will continue to have various attendance incentives for our scholars to encourage daily attendance. We understand when things occur in life that may cause your scholar to miss school, other than that we expect them present.

We also took the entire school day to celebrate and acknowledge the HISTORY that we made as we have been improving each year with our State assessments and last year our proficiency/pass rate was high enough to change our School Identification Category. Previously Henry Marsh has always been in the lower 5% of schools as it relates to Proficiency level on State Assessments. Due to that we were under Comprehensive School Improvement. There is a lot more that goes with it, and if you are interested in discussing it, please feel free to reach out to me. We no longer have that distinction. For the first time in School History, we are not in CSI. This is a huge accomplishment, but it is still not where we want to be. We will continue to score higher, raise our proficiency level, and reach the designation of Distinguished. We are not too far off, and I truly believe if we continue to work hard, we will be there in the near future. When I addressed the staff and scholars on Friday to Kick Off the celebration, I told the staff that this is their celebration as well. Just like it is theirs, you are apart of our success. Caregivers are a crucial part of supporting our scholars, so we appreciate you, and ask that you continue to do so.

We understand that illness, family travel, and appointments will occasionally cause absences. However, consistent attendance is critical. Here are a few helpful tips:

Partial attendance is better than no attendance. If possible, bring your child late after an appointment or pick them up early instead of missing the entire day.
Communicate with teachers in advance. If you know your child must be out, notify their teacher so they can prepare work ahead of time. Even with last-minute illnesses, please contact the school so we can support your child in making up for lost learning time.
Know the chronic absenteeism threshold. The district defines chronic absenteeism as 18 or more absences in a school year (10% of the year). Missing this much school—whether excused or unexcused—places students at serious academic risk, including possible retention.

A yellow school bus with the words 'Richmond City Public Schools' on its side.

Transportation & Safety

As a part of our Safety plans and practices we will practice drills with our scholars so in the event that we need to respond to a situation, everyone will know what to do. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Principal Smith

Transportation Notes:

In the morning it is “Kiss and Ride” style. Likewise, in the evening please stay in your car. When picking up your scholar, unless you are truly walking from the school to your doorstep, please stay in the car. It is inconsiderate of those who arrive and have a place in line. We do not start dismissal until 2:45 pm and the line is clear and empty by 2:55 pm. At 3:00 pm we relocate to the front of the school. We thank you for your cooperation and adherence to this procedure as moving forward we will be asking Caregivers to return to their car and when the cars in front of them have been served, we will serve you in an orderly fashion.

Bus Transportation:

In an effort to support our efforts, please make sure you are placing your scholar on the assigned bus in the morning, and that you are at the stop to receive them in the evening. Scholars in grades K-2 must either have an adult present at the bus stop in the evening to receive them, or an older sibling that is in or above 3rd grade that they can be escorted by.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact our main office at (804) 780-4401.

If your concern is specifically related to transportation, try calling (804) 674 -1234, first as they are the best option for a transportation need.

As we look to "Level Up" (our theme for the year) we want to make sure that we continue to provide a safe, encouraging, and inclusive learning experience for all of our scholars. For those that do not know, I have an open door policy, so any time you need my attention or would like to speak with me do not hesitate. I may get to you right away, or it may be a slight wait depending on what is going on. Each scholar is important to me. My email address and cell phone number are at the bottom of this communication.

Celebrating Birthdays

We love to celebrate our Monarch Scholars! Families may continue to recognize birthdays this year, but we ask that you:

Contact your scholar’s teacher before sending in any items.
Only provide Smart Snacks-approved items to classrooms. (Non-compliant items will not be permitted for safety reasons.)
Remember that we will remain sensitive to allergies and dietary needs.

For details, please see the Smart Snack Parent Information on our school website.

Arrival & Dismissal Reminders

Change in Transportation: For a change in transportation for the day, please call the front office and notify your scholars teacher on Parent Square prior to 1:00 pm that day. Please also provide a written note of the change when possible so that we can keep a record of the change in case there are any questions. This is the expectation for a daily or permanent/Long Term change.
Morning Drop-Off: Please use the “Kiss and Ride” style drop-off. Caregivers should remain in vehicles to keep traffic flowing. If you wish to walk your scholar in, please park in a designated parking spot.
Instruction starts at 7:45 am, so arriving after that means you are tardy. We transition from utilizing the back of the school for entrance, and students arriving after 7:45 am must enter the front office and receive a tardy pass.
Afternoon Pick-Up: Caregivers should remain in cars with their assigned pick-up number displayed. Staff will escort scholars to vehicles. Please do not come to the gym doors, as this creates safety concerns and slows dismissal.
Dismissal begins at 2:45 p.m. and is usually complete by 3:00 p.m. For scholars that classify as a “walker”, you may enter the back of the school or the front entrance designated as door #13 at arrival and dismissal. It is to the right of the front office if you are facing the school.

Thank you for your cooperation as we work to keep every child safe and dismissal efficient.

Upcoming Events

Looking ahead:

No school - October 28th

Trunk or Treat Thursday October 29th

Monday 10/19//26 -
Tuesday 10/20/26 - RPS Professional Development Principal Smith out of Building 7:30 am - 1:00 pm
Wednesday 10/21//26 - Happy Birthday Ms. Zinskie - Occupational Therapist
Thursday 10/22/26 -
Friday 10/23/26 -

Henry L. Marsh, III ES Website

Caregiver & Scholar Handbook

Closing

Caregivers, thank you for your continued trust and partnership. Together, we will ensure that every Monarch Scholar feels valued, supported, and prepared to succeed. I am excited about what this year holds and cannot wait to greet our scholars Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m.

Here’s to a fantastic week ahead!

With warm regards and high expectations,

Cornelius B. Smith, Ed.S.

Principal

Henry L. Marsh, III Elementary School

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us.

(804) 780-4401 Office
(804) 718- 1639 Cell
csmith9@rvaschools.net
813 N 28th St, Richmond, VA 23223
hmes.rvaschools.net