RPS Update

Welcome back! What a wonderful start to the year. The positive energy was palpable on Monday during our Opening Convocation, which RHS student leader Andrew described as simply “phenomenal.” Convocation gives us the rare opportunity to bring nearly every RPS faculty and staff member together in one room to remind ourselves why our work matters. Every person in our district contributes to the experience of a child.

This year, we gathered around our theme, 1RPS. A reminder that while we are many schools, departments, roles, and people, we are one community with a shared responsibility for every student. During my opening remarks, I used the image of a fingerprint because, in many ways, it captures what 1RPS is all about. A fingerprint leaves evidence that someone was there. You touch something, and you leave a mark—often invisible, but real. The same is true of our work. Each of us leaves a mark through the interactions, decisions, support, and care we provide every day. Individually, those marks may seem small, but collectively, they become 1RPS.

For those of you who are new to RPS, you can expect a communication entitled “RPS Update” almost every Friday. Its purpose is to stay connected with you while highlighting the incredible work of our students and staff across the district. While the tone of RPS news is generally positive and joyful, there will be occasions when the content is more serious—but equally important. We ask that you take a few moments each week to read the update, stay informed, and remain connected to the work happening across RPS.

We welcomed our students back this week, and there is truly no greater joy- visiting classrooms or riding the bus with some of our youngest students was pure goodness and a wonderful way to begin the year. While our first two days have gone well, we appreciate your patience as we work through bus timing, food services, and the natural scheduling bumps that come with the start of a new school year.

Thank you to everyone who has worked so hard to ensure a successful opening, and to our families for entrusting us with your children. Here’s to making this our best year yet!

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

1RPS by Jennifer Zeyer, RPS Elementary Art Teacher

Please check your school's calendar and communications for important school events and early dismissal planning.

We love sharing stories from the RPS Community every week, so please reach out! We welcome ideas of what inspires you, makes you smile, people or programs you would like to learn more about, and classroom lessons and field trips. At times, we make errors, which we correct in the next newsletter; to avoid confusion and cluttering inboxes, we resend a corrected newsletter only when necessary. You can reach out to Alison Pratt to submit stories, corrections, and feedback.

Please help RPS go green by checking your students' e-Backpack weekly for important information. This week, we have a flyer from our partners at the ECDC looking for participants for its upcoming Shark Tank event and Adolescent Parenting Circles starting this fall. Check it out!

A new chapter in Ridgefield history began last week with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Ridgefield Public Schools Prospect Ridge Campus, the new home of the Alternative High School (AHS) and the Ridgefield Transition Program (RTP). This historic occasion marks the culmination of a multi-year partnership between the Town of Ridgefield and Ridgefield Public Schools to establish a dedicated, permanent space for these vital programs just in time for the upcoming school year.

Staff, current and former Board of Education members, municipal leaders, and local families gathered to celebrate this community-wide commitment to keeping students within their hometown. First Selectperson Rudy Marconi and Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva led the event, with Dr. Da Silva expressing gratitude to the many advocates who brought the project to fruition—including student leaders. RPS graduate Brooklyn Showah, who actively advocated for future cohorts, had the honor of cutting the ribbon. Please read the full press release here and view more photos from the ribbon-cutting below and in the First Day Photo Gallery.

Earlier this month, RPS announced that the District received a $350,000 Special Education High Quality Incentives Grant from the State of Connecticut. In the press release announcing this $10.6 million program, the state outlined the Grant’s intention to “help local and regional boards of education build in-district or regional special education services that support students with disabilities and reduce reliance on out-of-district placements.

Read more about RPS’s High Quality Grant application and the RTP program here.

Last week, building leaders and administration convened for a two-day leadership summit—what a team!

One of RPS's annual rites of passage is kindergarten bus orientation at every elementary school. Our partners at First Service paired with staff to teach our youngest students school bus safety. RPS wants to remind all families and staff to use caution near school buses and bus stops, and to treat our wonderful bus drivers with respect. Please remind your teen drivers of laws and speed control in the RHS lot and around town. Safety is priority one!

The RHS Counseling Department sent out its Back to School 2026 edition last week. View that issue of Counseling Connections here to learn about programs for each grade and other news from the RHS Counseling Department.

RPS announced this summer that all RPS students will have access to free breakfast each school day through Connecticut's new Universal Free Breakfast Program. The program kicked off this week with Grab-and-Go options at every level. The Universal Free Breakfast Program applies to all Ridgefield Public Schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program. Although Ridgefield High School is not currently a participant in the National School Lunch Program, through its partnership with Aramark, the District will subsidize the cost of providing free breakfast to Ridgefield High School students during the 2026-2027 school year so all Ridgefield students can benefit equally.

While breakfast will be available free of charge, families are still encouraged to complete the annual Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application if they believe they may qualify. These applications help schools receive important state and federal funding and may also qualify families for other educational benefits. All information about these programs and menus are posted on the Food Services webpage.

PTAs and the RHS PTSA are the Ridgefield Public Schools’ most vital partners. Staff and families, please invest in your community by joining your school's PTA today. From Back-to-School picnics to book fairs, grants to in-school programs, our PTAs make RPS stronger. Join on the RPS website.

Are you or someone you know looking for employment that is local, rewarding, and works with your kids' school schedule? RPS is looking to fill vacancies in our paraeducator staff. Paraeducators play a vital role in the district, working directly with students receiving special education services, faculty, and families. We find that some of our best employees are RPS parents, and we would love to welcome you to our growing team. Please check ridgefield.org for immediate vacancies and reach out today.

Those interested in joining as Elementary Recess & Lunch Supervisors can contact the Elementary schools directly. Find connection and community at RPS! #1RPS

There's nothing better than seeing old friends and new faces—Senior Tailgate for the RHS Class of 2027 and the first day of kindergarten for the RHS Class of 2039. Some grew inches; others lost multiple teeth! Front teeth or no front teeth, we loved the smiles, hugs, hair, shoes, new glasses, backpacks, Tiger pride, "punny" t-shirts ("Chews Kind" on the BES Beaver is a highlight), and twinning outfits...Who wore it best, RPS?... Just kidding, you all look beautiful!

We would love to hear from you! Families and staff can submit stories, comments, or corrections to RPS Communications. Please follow us on Social Media with links below.