RPS Update

Ms. Cory Gillette, our Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, began a very special tradition here at RPS on or around Valentine’s Day—“We Love RPS!” This tradition recognizes our faculty and staff for their teamwork and dedication to the District in support of students and learning. In that spirit, I would like to extend my gratitude to every member of our community for your hard work, and above all, for your commitment to our students and the culture that makes RPS unique.

Our next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for February 23. In addition to policy work and an update on our Academically Intellectually Gifted (AIG) program, the Board of Education will adopt a FY27 budget. If you have not had an opportunity to watch the budget presentation from last week, you can view it here. The Board of Education encourages your feedback and insights via email to boardofed@ridgefieldps.net or use our budget website to make your opinions heard.

Schools will be closed beginning today for winter break and Presidents' Day. We hope the week brings you time to rest and enjoy your family and friends. The next update will be on February 27.

Happy Valentine’s Day, and have a great break.

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Photo above: We HEART RPS by art teacher Jennifer Zeyer and Branchville grade 5.

Photo below, Alison Anderson and Barlow Mountain students show their RPS love.

February recess is the perfect time to start planning for summer. Visit the Summer Bridge website to get a taste of the fun activities our RPS teachers will be offering this summer, along with dates. Sign up soon to secure your first choice.

Ridgefield Public Schools announced this week that School Facilities Director Joe Morits will retire effective June 30, 2026. Mr. Morits started at RPS in August 2009 and has been a valued member of the RPS leadership team ever since.

Among his numerous contributions to RPS are the creation of a five-year capital plan, facilities stewardship, groundbreaking and construction at Prospect Ridge, construction of security vestibules and RHS guardhouse, new elementary playgrounds, productive relationships with town, police, and fire, sustainability projects to install solar panels, and continual upkeep of nine schools.

Please read the full press release here.

The College Fair includes RHS Counselor-Hosted Workshops

The program starts at 6:00 p.m. with workshop options hosted by our school counselors. Sessions include Applying to Highly Selective Schools, NCAA Information, and The College Visit.

College Admissions Representatives

Close to 90 (and counting!) college representatives, including technical schools and the military, are committed to attending. Students and parents/guardians will have the opportunity to chat with a wide variety of colleges to learn more information about the school and the admissions process. The gymnasium will be open for exploration from 6:00 p.m - 7:30 p.m.

New This Year!

RHS has partnered with Strivescan to help create connections between college representatives and families. Please register for a barcode before the event at www.StriveFair.com. During the fair, representatives will scan your barcode to connect with you further. The day after the fair, you will receive a report with information on the institutions with which you scanned.

RHS Seniors have learned about the following important dates in their Advisory. Senior families, please remind your students! Find more information on the RHS Counseling page.

1) Internship Application for interning at RPS schools is due by 2/27

2) Internship Application for interning at a non-RPS location is due by 3/27

3) Local Scholarship Questionnaire due by 3/23

Photo caption: Senior intern Finn Baudistel with Scotland Students. Credit: Murphy Everdell, RHS 2025

Save the Date for the RHS Spring Musical: March 20, 21, 27, 28!

Please help RPS go green by checking your students' e-Backpack weekly for important information.

Please find the Quarter 2 RHS Honor Roll for the School Year 2025-26 here.

The 2026 Scotts Ridge Spelling Bee was one for the history books! 24 of SRMS's most determined students from grades 6, 7, and 8 went head-to-head in a serious battle of the brains. A huge shoutout to our moderator, Grade 6 English teacher Brendan Leslie, and eagle-eyed judges, Jennifer Bray and Shane Luery, for keeping everyone on their toes.

The competition was so intense that it lasted two full periods! By Round 5, they were down to a final two: Winter Falconetti and Audrey Wang. Both are 8th-grade powerhouse readers, so those in the know knew it would be a close one. Fun fact: Winter actually made history back in 2024 as our first-ever 6th-grade champion!

After 15 rounds of back-and-forth, ‘ballistics’ finally tripped things up. That gave Audrey the opening she needed—she nailed ‘dreidel’ to become the new reigning champion!" Congratulations to all our competitors, and a massive good luck to Audrey! She’s moving on to represent SRMS at the Noah Webster House in Hartford on Sunday, March 8.

The 24 qualifiers were: Colleen Austin, Sam Bearse, Namya Chouhan, Ava DiBene, Eleora Ebenezer, Winter Falconetti, Dash Fomin, Sam Gell, Rose Glidden, Josephine Gu, Maxfield Hawken, Oliver Homan, Reilly Hulber, Gavin Klugman, Danika Konczarek, Leonardo Li, Charlotte Luzzi, Gray McCartan, Kasey McCartan, Simon Rand, Vivi Rhodebeck, Audrey Wang, Kieran Ward, and Monica Wu

The Trifold Lives! Last Friday, Scotts Ridge eighth graders celebrated CT History Day by presenting their research to staff and students. The presentations this year were impressive, with a wide variety of topics—from the history of Celiac disease to the first service dog to the bombing of Hiroshima. The majority of students chose to present their research on trifolds, but there were excellent videos on Snowboarding, the Medicine of Leonardo Da Vinci, and more. Seventh graders visited the Fair and completed a Scavenger Hunt that directed them to look carefully and ask questions. One seventh grader said the trifold, “How the Arts Reformed People’s Views of AIDS,” was her favorite. This team’s impressive research looked at how three artists, Keith Haring, Elton John, and Madonna, changed the global perspective of AIDS by humanizing the epidemic. Students can elect to compete in the CT History Fair in Hartford.

Despite every effort, RPS Update knows that we miss magic happening in our schools every hour, every day. For example, last month, local adventurer, orthodontist Dr. Blaine Langberg visited East Ridge to share his experiences hiking Mt. Whitney, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the trek to Mt. Everest Base Camp–a visit that RPS Update learned about in the ERMS newsletter.

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Dr. Langberg had the sixth graders and staff rapt with his stunning photos and stories about training and exploration. His message, “Embrace the uncomfortable,” was only one of the important takeaways as teachers connected his visit to the curriculum.

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His discussion of the language, religion, and some cultural practices of the people was a social studies lesson. Students learned that Sherpas are an ethnic group, not just the name of the people who carry hikers’ equipment. The presentation connected to Chinese Cinderella, a memoir written by Adeline Yen Mah, which students are reading in English.

In math, they explored how to prepare to climb the world's tallest mountain. Using the new Imagine Learning Illustrative Math curriculum, students connected biology with data analysis. After measuring their own heart rates post-exercise, students learned how Everest climbers must maintain an optimal zone of 60%–80% of their maximum heart rate to succeed. Photos of the dramatic Himalayan peaks, formed by plate tectonics, showed Earth science in action.

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Thank you to Dr. Langberg, social studies teacher Maureen Tyra, and team teachers for bringing this in-school experience with global reach to Team Andes and Team Denali.

Author Lauren Tarshis visited Veterans Park Elementary this week to talk about her popular graphic historical novel series, I Survived. Her message of resilience and perseverance captivated students and staff alike. She shared that she didn’t think she had a “gift” for writing, and was 44 years old when her first book was published after a bunch of failures. She shared her writing process—from traveling and interviewing actual survivors to the 5 am writing session where she might read what she’s written to her dog. Thank you to the VPES PTA for sponsoring this wonderful presentation.

This week, Barlow Mountain fifth graders had the opportunity to talk to Isabella and Olivia Flores, members of Team USA skating and aspiring Olympic figure skaters. Bella and Liv are BMES PE teacher Shirley Hughes’ nieces. Ms. Hughes, who arranged for the sisters to Zoom meet from France and Colorado, respectively, will go to Italy to catch some of the Olympics with her nieces over the February recess.

Both girls skate with a partner. Bella is a Rhythm Dance figure skater, which is more artistic, and Liv competes in the Pairs Free Skate, which is a more athletic event. They were very excited to share that their teammates won the Olympic Gold medal in Team Competition on Sunday!

BMES fifth graders are currently researching the Winter Olympics, reports Library Media Specialist Martha Hegley. Working in pairs or alone, each student picked a topic—athlete, sport, or Olympic history—and is creating posters, videos using the app WeVideo!, or Google Slides to share their research. Talking to the Flores sisters helped students make real-life connections to the sacrifices and schedules of Olympic hopefuls. Ms. Hegley and Ms. Hughes knew that giving students the opportunity to ask questions and get first-hand accounts could both enrich the research experience and inspire students.

The sisters reported getting into skating at a young age, and that their family members were their inspiration. Skating had taken them across the world; Taiwan was cited as a favorite spot for its beauty. Bella advised students to “practice with a positive attitude. Get curious about ways that you can improve.” Liv, who just graduated from high school last year, counseled students not to be afraid to fail. “The first thing you learn to do in this sport is to fall,” said Liv. “Always have fun.”

Go, USA! Thank you, Bella, Liv, and Ms. Hughes!

The Olympic-themed bulletin board outside the Barlow Mountain gym.

Jane Grassi's RHS art students got in on the love with these hearts.

The RHS Boys Hockey team hosted its inaugural Anthem Buddies Game! They invited mite players from the RAHA program to join during the starting lineup announcement and the National Anthem. Fun was had by all. Congratulations to Timmy Gallagher for being the CHSA Player of the Week!

If you missed photos from the Girls Anthem Buddies Game, please see last week's RPS Update.

On Saturday, RHS hosted the Ridgefield VEX Robotics tournament, which attracted more than 60 teams. For the first time, every RHS team made it to the Elimination round, and team 877K ranked sixth, advancing to the quarterfinals. To learn more about RHS Robotics, please tune into last week's episode of Ridgefield Tiger Talk. Dr. DeSantis welcomed back Michael Murphy, Physics and Robotics teacher at Ridgefield High School, and three RHS students: Connor Graves, Robotics Club Vice President; Brian Murphy, Co-Student Event Manager for the tournament; and Ayan Bhowmik, Robotics Club Co-President.

Last Saturday, the RHS Science Olympiad team braved the bitter cold and winds to compete at Yale University. Of the 53 teams and 23 events, RHS placed:

• 6th: Astronomy- Jayin Palicha (12) & Asher Pereyra (11)
• 6th: Designer Genes- Water Treat (12)
• 5th: Circuit Lab- Sebastian Utomo (12) & Henry Frates (12)
• 4th: Machines- Sebastian Utomo (12) & Clarabelle Sutjito (12)
• 2nd: Entomology- Astrid Kropas (12) & Grace Smith (11)

Next up: State competition at the University of Connecticut.

BSA Troop 19 announced its newest Eagle Scout, RHS student Cathryn Mills! Cathryn’s Eagle Project created two Chatty Benches in collaboration with SOAR Together to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Redding and Georgetown's Main Street. Great work, Cathryn!

A chance encounter during a vacation inspired Scotts Ridge eighth grader Claire Aharon to launch Rock Bottom Rescue, a nonprofit that has already found homes for almost 40 stray animals. Watch the inspiring story of how Claire befriended an emaciated Puerto Rican street dog she named Milo in the video below. To learn more about how you can help, visit the Rock Bottom Rescue website.

SRMS hosted a Valentine's Day "candygram" fundraiser to support this sweet cause.

Last month, Leah Schmeidel (Farmingville Green Team chair) and Sarah Kaplan (Garden chair) submitted a proposal for Project Green Schools’ Outdoor Classroom Challenge. Since 2022, Project Green Schools has awarded nearly $60,000 to schools nationwide, empowering educators to create dynamic outdoor spaces that support experiential learning and environmental stewardship across their curriculum.

The FES dream team crafted a proposal, design, and budget with the support of Principal Nancy Caron and PTA president Annie Dosdall. The nationwide competition was highly competitive, and FES's proposal was one of five selected to move forward to the pitch phase for a chance to win $10,000 to bring their outdoor classroom vision to life.

Thank you, Leah, Sarah, and the FES PTA for your commitment to creating a usable and beautiful outdoor learning space for students and staff that honors the historic farming roots of our area and diverse Connecticut plant species. LGF! Let's go, FES!

Barlow Mountain Elementary's "On Tap Gala" was on point! Organized by a team of PTA beauties—Amber Vandekerkhoff, Jenna Clay, Tiffany Barrett, Kari Polcari, and Christine Barresi (photo top left)—this low-key, high-fun event at the Redding Roadhouse raised funds to support BMES. Parents danced the night away to the sounds of the talented faculty band, "Those Who Can't" (photo second row right), while DJ Miles Lawrence of Bach to Rock kept the party going upstairs. Thank you to all the businesses and families that supported this event and RPS throughout the year. RPS is Better Together, all day and all night!

Last week, Veterans Park students brought in non-perishables in a fun "Souper Bowl Challenge." They placed their contributions on tables to "vote" on which team they thought would win: the Patriots or the Seahawks. The winner? Hillside Food Rescue who received the generous donations.

Last Friday was the 100th Day of School. Our youngest students have learned so much and aged rapidly:) The cutest!

ROAR therapy dogs helped the RHS Student Council and Student Life Office celebrate Valentine's Day a little early. Snuggles, the three-month-old puppy, joined Holly and Hope in the Black Box Theater for this fun annual Puppy Love tradition. Three-month old Snuggles might even have found her forever home in the hearts of RHS students and staff. What an adorable and good pup!

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.