2601 Durham Street, Richmond, VA 23220 804 968 1820 info@coderva.org

August 28, 2025

Sep 4, 2025 | Raptor Rundown

Good afternoon, CodeRVA Families-

This week’s Raptor Rundown is packed with information, so no time for introductory chit chat!

First up this week, if you have been wanting some new CodeRVA merch, now is your chance!  We have partnered with a new vendor to offer our CodeRVA logo spirit wear.  Please note this is not a fundraiser for our school, and you are being charged the lowest possible price by the vendor.  Don’t wait to shop though!  The store closes on Wednesday, September 9 at 3:30 PM.

Next, Save the Date for our annual Back to School Night!  Last year we only had about 60 families attend, so please do not worry if your family cannot make this event.  Every teacher will record a video that you can watch via the 9.19.25 Raptor Rundown.  Below are all the details you need to know!

  • September 16, 2025; 6-7:30 PM

  • We will not have printed schedules available.  We encourage families to take a picture of their student’s schedule on Canvas or write down their courses.  Use your student’s schedule to visit classes in any order you choose.

  • Dr. Harmon, Ms. Heath (our new Testing Coordinator), Mr. Winn, and Mrs. C. Whitaker will be in Room 116 to answer any School Counseling or JSRCC DE-related questions.

  • Mr. Jones, Ms. S. Dowe, Mr. Hilterbrant, Ms. Mitchell, Ms. L. Dowe and Mr. A. Whitaker will be in the 400s to answer any questions related to Raptor Rotation, Special Education, or the Internship.

  • Teachers will be waiting in classrooms to receive families.  There will not be a formal presentation.  This event is just a chance for you to meet your student’s teacher.

  • The PTSA will have a membership table in the 100s.

  • Families who have questions about HPE9, HPE10 or EPF can watch those asynchronous teachers’ videos.

  • Dual Enrollment teachers who are on CodeRVA’s staff (Jernigan, Samuels, Wenberg) will record videos, but JSRCC DE teachers will not.  They will also not be present on Back to School Night.

  • You will be provided with this handout when you enter.

  • Families can access Back to School Night recordings using this link starting on 9.19.25.

Can’t make Back to School Night but want to join the PTSA?  Please see the information below.

  • Did you receive the Monthly Newsletter from the PTSA this week? If not, join the PTSA today!

    • Stay Informed: Receive updates on school events and important news.

    • Make an Impact: Student events such as dances and Teacher Appreciation.

    • Connect: Engage with other parents and school staff in a meaningful way.

    • Volunteer Opportunities: Have the opportunity to get involved in events and activities.

  • Click here to donate and/or join: https://coderva.givebacks.com/shop

Here is an item we sent previously that we reminded students about this week in case your Raptor is interested:

  • Since 2013, U.S. Representatives have sponsored an annual Congressional App Challenge for middle and high school students. This year, Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan in the 4th District is looking for a record number of apps for the challenge. In order to participate, students must be in middle or high school, and students can register as individuals or as a team with up to four members.  Creating a team is CodeRVA’s preferred method of entering this contest!  Since our students attend school in the 4th Congressional District, all CodeRVA students are eligible for the App Challenge. Apps can be written in any programming language (such as C, C++, JavaScript, Python, Ruby, “block code”, etc.) and on any platform (such as PC, web tablet, robot, mobile, etc.). There are no limits on application themes or topics, but for obvious reasons they should be school-appropriate, and we have found in the past that winning apps typically serve a greater good for society.

  • Challenge winners are invited to attend a #HouseOfCode event in Washington, D.C., where their app will be on display and will remain on display at the US Capitol Building for at least a year. If students form a team, please let Dr. Goranson (kume.goranson@coderva.org) know by September 12, 2025. CodeRVA staff would like to help students register and find time to work together on their project. For more information about the Congressional App Challenge, check their website here.

For those families who can’t wait to see their student’s grades, please remember you can see their real time grade at any time by asking them to open up Canvas.  We will send printed paper report cards home with students at the end of Marking Period 1 and each subsequent marking period except for MP6 when we will mail them.  This is a change from previous practice.  In the past we mailed home report cards, but cutting back on postage costs is part of our budget for future years.  We will remind you when we send home your student’s paper report card, and we will rely on them to deliver it to you.

Here is a message from last week we don’t want you to miss!

  • 2026 Yearbook Orders!  Order your 2026 yearbook online now at yearbookordercenter.com (school code: 17686). 

  • Yearbooks are $30.

  • All orders will be distributed to students at CodeRVA in May.

  • Seniors only! While ordering your yearbook online at yearbookordercenter.com (school code: 17686), families and friends can design a Senior Pride Ad. Personalize your ad with your favorite photos and an encouraging message to your graduate.

  • Please direct questions to scott.ludlow@coderva.org

Attention all Families of 11th and 12th Grade Students Taking Dual Enrollment Classes!  Mr. Winn and Mrs. Whitaker, our School Counselors, visited DE classrooms this week to review the CRVA DE Handbook_ 2025-2026.pdf . Here is another reminder of the information shared on this topic last week:

  • School Counselors will be presenting Dual Enrollment Course Expectations with students on Wednesday, August 27. An expectations form will be sent home with your student. Please review this form with your student. Sign and have your student return the form to their School Counselor no later than Friday, September 5.

  • Important dates and deadlines to note:

    • To drop a DE course without penalty or charge (to the school): August 31, 2025

    • To drop a DE course with a “W” (withdrawal) on your transcript: October 10, 2025

    • Parents/guardians must contact the School Counselor by 3:00 PM by the dates listed giving permission to withdraw from the course.

  • If you have any questions or concerns. Please contact your student’s School Counselor.

Attention all Families of the Class of 2026!  For those students who may be interested in an early release or late arrival option as a Senior, check out this form.  We have excerpted the information from the form below so you know whether or not you even need to click it.

  • Seniors in good academic standing (which includes being on track for graduation) have the option to request an early release or late arrival if their schedule allows.

  • Students considering this option should discuss possible implications for college admissions and Virginia High School League (VHSL) eligibility with their School Counselor prior to reducing their schedule.  If your family is interested in removing courses not required for graduation and leaving early or arriving late on a daily basis, please complete this form.  Please note the requirements below.

    • Students may not drop more than two courses.

    • Students may submit this form at any time, but no requests will be granted until the end of Marking Period 1 when the student has demonstrated good academic standing.

    • Students must have their own reliable transportation to receive approval to leave early/arrive late.

    • This option can be revoked by administration at any time, especially if the student is no longer in good academic standing.

    • Students may not choose to stay at school unless given permission by administration.

  • Upon approval, your School Counselor will contact you to discuss your student’s revised schedule.

  • Once families select this option, students must follow their revised schedule and leave on a daily basis at the scheduled time or arrive on a daily basis at the scheduled time.

Last but not least today, check out this information from the Boys & Girls Club – Register Today! | Details Page if you are interested in your student joining.

That is quite enough for one week, Raptors!  Need more to read though?  Please check out the Reminders section below to make sure you didn’t miss anything from last week!

Have a great long weekend, everyone, and stay safe!

#WeAreCodeRVA

***25-26 CodeRVA: Raptor Scholarship Sheet

Need a transcript?  Create a self-service Parchment account here: Ordering a Transcript from Parchment

Previous Raptor Rundown Reminders

Here is our CodeRVA Student Code of Conduct 2025-26 BOARD APPROVED FINAL VERSION.pdf for your reference.  We encourage all families to review this information if they are new to CodeRVA.  For returning families, there were no major changes.

On the first day of school we met with all grade levels for brief assemblies to review our behavior expectations for the year.  You can find a summary of the points we reviewed below.

  • CodeRVA is different from any other school students have attended.

  • We are a community, and our school works because we all make positive contributions.

  • Most of the things students have seen in previous school settings are not appropriate in this community.

  • We keep our school clean and neat without being asked.

  • We touch only our belongings and turn in any unattended items we find.

  • We report anything that puts others in danger or breaks the law, which includes horseplay, tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and weapons immediately.

  • We provide emotional and mental safety for others by focusing on kindness, courtesy, and including all students.

  • We follow Virginia’s new law about having cell phone free schools, and we keep our phones off and out of sight between 8:50 AM-2:56 PM.

  • CodeRVA is a school of choice, and attending here means choosing to adapt to our community’s expectations.

  • CodeRVA teachers and staff all chose to come here too, and we care about every student and want what is best for them.

  • We want our community to be drama and conflict free as much as possible, and students should seek out help from Drs. Goranson and Harmon or other staff if they need assistance.

  • There is an expectation of 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students at CodeRVA that they model appropriate behaviors and choices and have a welcoming attitude to new students.  As students move through the grade levels, expectations for them increase.

At our assemblies we had several questions asked about procedures around phones and other personal devices (such as iPads, video gaming devices, etc.) on Flex Days, and after careful consideration, we have decided to rely on the rationale that our Flex afternoons are not instructional time and the activities being conducted would typically be held after school at most other schools so that students can access their personal devices during Flex afternoons.  PLEASE NOTE: devices will not be permitted to be visible until 12:48 PM when Flex activities begin.  If students have any items out before that time they will be taken and our regular procedures followed (families contacted; items returned in the Main Office at the end of the school day) and students will not have access to those items during Flex time, which I assume would be absolute torture for them.  Our first Flex day is on September 17, and students should ask any clarifying questions they have well before that date.  Thank you!

If your student is planning to drive to school, please note families will need to complete this form.  (We will also have paper copies available in the main office if needed.)  No students may drive to school without a completed form, and there is no parking fee associated with this form.  Even if a student has a completed form on file from last year, we must have a new form completed for this school year.  As a reminder, CodeRVA students should park their vehicles in the parking lot at CodeRVA only. Students should not park at FeedMore or at any other restricted locations as they may be towed and CodeRVA will not be held responsible for any vehicles that are towed from the areas surrounding our school.

Did you know we have our own CodeRVA Clothes Closet filled with new and gently used casual, professional, and semi-formal items?  With autumn and Homecoming just around the corner you may want to browse!  If so, please contact your School Counselor!

Attention all 9th and 10th grade families with students in Health/Physical Education 9 and 10!  We have not yet received confirmation that the YMCA will again sponsor free memberships for our students.  As soon as we hear an update, it will be shared here.