Mayor Stoney Kicks off the “LEVEL UP! Challenge” for Incoming 6th graders

Mayor Levar M. Stoney, Richmond Public Schools and the Richmond City Health District announce “Mayor Stoney’s LEVEL UP! Challenge,” a campaign aimed at helping 5th grade students “level up” to the 6th grade by getting their required Tdap vaccination.

Mayor Stoney is encouraging Richmond parents to participate in his Level Up! Challenge and return signed permission forms to allow their fifth grader to receive a free Tdap vaccination at their current school before the beginning of summer vacation. Forms will be sent home with students.

The goal of the challenge is to promote Tdap vaccination (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis), which is required by state law for all children turning age 11 and entering the 6th grade. There is no grace period for students without vaccination documentation on the first day of school. Therefore, to help prevent absenteeism that occurs each year, Mayor Stoney, Richmond Public Schools and the Richmond City Health District have teamed up to proactively build awareness of this vaccination requirement and incentivize return of parental consent forms to allow their child to receive the free Tdap vaccination and be entered into the contest.

The Level Up! Challenge contest will be held at all 25 elementary schools between March 27 and April 7, with a chance for one student at each school to win a $50 gift card. There’s also a $100 gift card prize for school supplies that goes to the top four schools with the most parent permission forms returned before the contest end date of June 2.

There are 1,105 Richmond Public Schools students who will be age 11 by the time they reach 6th grade in the next school year (Fall 2017). The goal of this challenge is to have a minimum of 80% of the consent forms returned to schools.

More information can be obtained by calling RPS elementary schools, or by visiting the websites of Richmond Public Schools and the Richmond City Health District.

To see the Mayor's promotional message in English, click here.

To see the the message with Spanish translation, click here.