Rowayton Elementary School
May 10, 2026
High Tide
At Rowayton Elementary, we believe in the idea that a rising tide lifts all boats. When we support one another, everyone grows and succeeds. We are excited to announce our new High Tide program that is designed to bring this belief to life by connecting students and staff through shared interests.
High Tide is a series of courses that are small, interest-based groups where students and staff come together to explore a topic, skill, or hobby. The goal is to build meaningful connections, create new companions, and strengthen our sense of belonging within the school community. The activities within each course will be student-driven, allowing participants to shape their experience together. Each group will work toward a final product or outcome that reflects their shared learning and collaboration.
Students will be able to review the available course descriptions during school and select three to five choices that interest them most. Every effort will be made to place students in one of their top selections. To keep the focus on discovering new connections, students will not know which staff member is leading each course or which classmates have selected it before assignments are made.
Because these courses are designed specifically to encourage student choice and new relationships through shared interests, course placements will be final and requests for changes will not be honored.
High Tide will begin in June and will meet six times for one hour during the school day. We have adjusted the schedule on these dates so that core classes and other lessons can still take place.
We look forward to seeing our students and staff explore their interests, build friendships, and help our entire school community rise together.
Early Dismissal of Students
The entire school day is valuable. Please try to have students remain in school for the entirety of the school day. Help us maintain a safe and orderly dismissal by following the procedure below when picking up students before dismissal time.
Students may not be picked up after 3:25pm. At this time we have initiated the dismissal process. Parents will have to wait until dismissal begins at 3:35pm.
Please note your child’s schedule especially with special events at the end of the year. Retrieval at certain times of the day will be delayed. We appreciate your patience and flexibility in advance.
Continued Assessments
Rowayton students will be participating in either the NWEA MAP Growth assessment or Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) state assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics in May.
The NWEA MAP Growth assessment is a nationally standardized test that measures what students are ready to learn by using a computer-adaptive test that adjusts to each individual learner. Your child's teacher will use the results of the NWEA MAP Growth assessments to better understand your child's needs and help promote continued progress.
Students in Grades 3–5 will participate in the SBAC assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics. These assessments provide an opportunity for students to demonstrate their learning and help inform instruction at both the classroom and school levels.
Teachers will share more specific information about the testing schedule as the dates approach. If your child must be absent during a testing window, a make-up date will be arranged.
Teachers work to create positive and calm testing environments, and we discuss testing strategies and goal setting during Community Builder Meetings. Please join us in ensuring that our students are both mentally and physically prepared. We encourage a good night’s rest before testing days, and breakfast will be available at school if needed. Thank you for your continued support!
Save the Date
May 11: Early Release / Movie Day
May 12: Incoming Kindergarten and New Student Open House
May 20: PTA Meeting at 9:15
May 21: Stars and Stripes Concert 10:00am
May 25: No School Memorial Day
May 27: Band & Strings Concert 2:15pm
May 29: Math Olympiads Assembly 2:30
June 3: PTA Meeting 9:15
June 4: Field Day
June 19: No School Juneteenth