RPS Update
June 12, 2026
Dear RPS Community,
There are many moments throughout the year that make us proud to be part of the Ridgefield Public Schools, but this week brought a particularly special recognition. Ridgefield High School was honored as a National Blue Ribbon School—the only high school selected from approximately 230 public high schools in Connecticut. Governor Lamont and Lieutenant Governor Bysiewicz joined the Commissioner of Education, Charlene Russell-Tucker, in recognizing this achievement and congratulating our RHS community.
Any award received by Ridgefield High School is shared among all of our schools. This recognition reflects years of dedication by students, staff, families, and the entire Ridgefield community. It is a testament to the strength of our educational program from kindergarten through graduation. In his remarks, RHS Principal Dr. Greenwood said our students represent the very best and give us hope for the future. He shared how a leap of faith in 2021 to reconsider the high school schedule around the word “belonging” led to improved attendance and made time for intervention, enrichment, and connection for students and staff. View Dr. Greenwood’s speech here (approx 47 min 25 sec mark).
Screen time was the subject of several emails over the weekend. Reading those messages reinforced the importance of communicating clearly and frequently about our approach to technology in schools. The Ridgefield Public Schools believes that teachers are the educators–screens are not. We believe that technology use should be limited and purposeful, particularly at the elementary level. At the same time, as a public school district, we are required to meet state standards and mandates, including computer science instruction, state assessments, and universal screening requirements. The technology used in our classrooms is intentional, measured, and directly connected to instructional goals. I encourage families to review our technology website, where you can find information about technology use across the district, including actual usage data from our elementary schools. We monitor actual technology use (see website) carefully and are committed to maintaining a thoughtful balance between digital tools and the human interactions that are at the heart of teaching and learning.
Our school and district-based teams have been deeply engaged in the hiring process for new RPS team members. Hiring is one of our most important responsibilities. The people we bring into our schools shape the experiences of our students, support our families, and contribute to the culture of RPS. I am grateful for the thoughtful work of our administrators, teachers, and staff who participate in these processes with such care and professionalism. There is always something energizing about welcoming new colleagues. Each new team member brings unique talents, experiences, and perspectives, and we look forward to introducing them to our community. Of course, this also means we are in that season when calendars are packed, interviews are underway, reference checks are being completed, and everyone is trying to remember which meeting is in which building. It is organized chaos—which, in education, is sometimes simply called "June."
As a reminder, schools are closed on Friday, June 19, in recognition of Juneteenth. I hope that our students and families have the opportunity to reflect on the significance of this federal holiday.
Warmly,
Susie, Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva
RPS learned yesterday that Dr. Susie Da Silva has been nominated for the prestigious Connecticut Superintendent of the Year Award, an honor that recognizes exceptional educational leadership and achievement among school superintendents across the state.
Please read the press release here.
RPS Promotes Liz Van Duyne to Barlow Mountain Assistant Principal
RPS announced this week the appointment of Liz Van Duyne as the new Barlow Mountain Assistant Principal. Ms. Van Duyne has worked at RPS since 2019, first as a teacher at Farmingville Elementary, and currently as Math Specialist at East Ridge Middle School and Director of Elementary Summer Bridge and Jumpstart Middle School. Prior to RPS, Ms. Van Duyne taught in the public schools in Bethel and Danbury. Colleagues describe her as “especially caring,” “knowledgeable,” and “committed to students' well-being and success.” In addition to extensive experience working with RPS students, staff, and families, she holds a Master's in Educational Leadership from Seton Hall and a six-year certificate in Social, Emotional & Academic Learning Leadership from Sacred Heart University. Ms. Van Duyne writes, “I am thrilled to join the Barlow Mountain Elementary School community and begin this next chapter as Assistant Principal. Having served students, families, and staff across Ridgefield Public Schools since 2019, I have developed a deep appreciation for the district’s commitment to relationships, belonging, and supporting the whole child. I look forward to partnering with Principal Becky Laus, staff, students, and families to build on the strong culture already in place and ensure every student feels known, valued, and supported.”
Middle School Supervisor Returns to RHS to Lead Special Education Department
Kate Collins, the current Middle School Special Education Supervisor, will return to the RHS Special Education Department to replace Dr. Angela King. Ms. Collins began teaching special education at RHS in 2016 and served as the Coordinator at the Alternative High School. Ms. Collins is respected and revered for her steadfast commitment to RPS students. Please read some of the praise in this press release from last year.
Veteran Educator Brings Experience to RPS
Suzanne Coyne, who has worked in the Greenwich Public Schools for over 30 years, will be the new Middle School Special Education Supervisor, replacing Kate Collins. In her application for the position, Ms. Coyne writes, “I started as a paraeducator at the alternative high school in Greenwich and later taught special education at both the high school and middle school levels. I taught self-contained and co-taught classes, conducted evaluations, developed IEPs, and collaborated closely with colleagues and families to meet the needs of diverse learners. These early experiences continue to shape my perspective, informing my leadership and grounding my decisions in student-centered practices.” She was Connecticut’s 2023 Middle School Assistant Principal of the Year. Welcome to RPS!!!
We know you will be amazing, Aiden!
Please help RPS go green by checking your students' e-Backpack weekly for important information.
The Great Ellen Tuckner Reading Challenge—a three-month-long competition in honor of a dedicated literacy advocate—culminated last week with a spirited and moving awards ceremony in the Veterans Park Elementary School auditorium. The challenge asked students to respond to the question—"What Lit the Fire to Ignite Your Love for Reading?"
Ellen Tuckner, who passed last year, was the Veterans Park principal for five years and an avid reader and joyful advocate for children and learning. “We didn’t want to ask students to just read another book,” said Jim Alkon, Ms. Tuckner’s husband, who spearheaded the project and attended the VP event with family and friends. “And we wanted to make the project accessible to all grade levels. So we allowed students to respond in whatever format they wanted—video, poster, essay. drawing, slideshow, etc.”
Winners were named in each grade, from Kindergarten through Grade Five, as well as one overall Grand Prize winner. Mr. Alkon and Veterans Park staff served as judges for the competition that awarded “cowbells” as a reflection of Ms. Tuckner’s love of the infamous Saturday Night Live “More Cowbell” skit with Will Ferrell.
“Choosing winners was tough,” admitted VPES principal Dr. Sheri Prendergast, who received her own commemorative cowbell. “Our students are so creative, and they really rose to the challenge.” Student Jaxon Griffin won the Grand Prize for his creative Doors of Discovery Poster, and took home a $50 gift card donated by Books on the Common, a book of his choice dedicated to the VP library, and a $250 check to a charity of his choice.
Hannah Salimbene received the fifth-grade award and shared that Ms. Tuckner ignited her love of reading with the book What Do You Do With a Chance, which inspires children to have the courage to take risks, even if the task at hand seems difficult and intimidating.
The other winners who received cowbells and Books on the Common gift cards include Stella Zhu (kindergarten), Katherine Zhang (first grade), Hannah Duca (second grade), Emme Grenert (third grade), and Christine Zhang (fourth grade), who shared that she didn’t think that she would win but was so excited when she heard her sister’s name read. Everyone who participated in the challenge received a gray commemorative t-shirt, turning the Veterans Park auditorium crowd a sea of gray.
Thank you to all the students who participated in The Great Ellen Tuckner Reading Challenge—a wonderful tribute to this inspiring educator.
A chemist without practical skill is practically useless! Chemists make things, chemists analyze things, and to do that, they utilize numerous practical and analytical skills. Chemists are tradespeople as much as they are theoretical scientists.
This year at RHS, all chemistry students have been ‘learning their trade’ by designing their own chemistry investigations to answer real-world questions. Designing these studies required research, execution, and analysis.
Some of these investigations have included:
How do different sodas affect the rate of mass loss of teeth as modeled using horse teeth?
What is the best cooking oil to convert into biofuel?
How does fruit juice pH affect spherification when making popping boba?
How does sugar molecule type affect crystal formation in rock candy?
Does digestible calorie content vary based on potato chip brand?
What is the ideal type and proportion of leavener for making cake?
The Chemistry hallways are full of our students' findings.
A Return of the Interns on Tiger Talk Podcast
Senior Intern takes over part 2! For the second week, Dr. DeSantis’s Tiger Talk Podcast has RPS Communications interns as co-hosts. Claire Burns and Kayla Jacobowitz discuss the individual projects they worked on while working with Alison Pratt, the district communications specialist. Claire dove into the specifics of building her art E-gallery and collecting photos of artwork around the district. Kayla discussed her video project, an “Insider’s Guide to RHS,” and gave us a look at how she compiled the questions and footage for the video. Check out the podcast here: Ridgefield Tiger Talk
