Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff,
Ridgefield is a special place. We love our students, staff, families, and community. When we lose a member of our community, we grieve together. On Monday, we lost RHS junior Tommy Bergeron. Together, we will remember him.
Our Ridgefield community is strong, compassionate, and generous with resources for families and students. Friends of Ridgefield are far and wide, and it’s clear that our community and the people in it are special. For that, we are grateful.
Attending the RHS play that opened this week, seeing photos of middle school French students
enjoying a field trip, RISE art lessons, and elementary children on the playground can lift us up with
the promise of a new day, a sunrise, a connection, or a smile.
On Tuesday, Nov 7, students are off school for Election Day. Thank you to all the candidates running for the Board of Education. We wish each of you the best of luck. To our outgoing Board of Education members, we look forward to recognizing your contributions on November 13. We will celebrate our Veterans with assemblies next week—some of the best community events in our school year. Thank you to all who serve to protect our freedoms. We also extend our gratitude to staff, students, PTAs, and families for the thought, care, and time they put into making these assemblies so special. On Friday, schools are closed for Veterans Day.
Warmly,
Susie
Susie Da Silva, Ed.D
On November 6, Sarah Schaefer, the developer of the District's new K-5 math curriculum resource will give a presentation for parents on How Students Learn Mathematics. Ms. Schaefer has spent dozens of hours in RPS classrooms over the past two years, captivating teachers, students, and administrators with her expertise and energy. Please see this incredible educator for yourself! Information below.
Who: Sarah Schaefer and the District Math Team
When: November 6 @ 5:30 pm
Where: BOE Room, 90 East Ridge Road and Live Streamed on the Curriculum YouTube Channel
How: Click link to submit questions
On last week’s episode of Ridgefield Tiger Talk host Wes DeSantis welcomed back physics and robotics teacher Michael Murphy who was joined with two RHS students Harshiv Gorakhiya and Declan Kelly. They told listeners about the RHS robotics program and after school club. This Saturday, November 4, Ridgefield High School will be hosting a huge robotics competition that will have over 60 teams from different states. If you’re interested in going, click here for the flyer. Also, here is a link to the YouTube channel if you’d like to stream it on the day of the event.
When you are checking the eBackpack this week, please note the new Cyber Security Tip sheets added. October is Cyber Security Month and the State of Connecticut has provided families important guides about Social Media Security. Please check your students' e-Backpack for this important information and other programs across the district. Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net.
"Let's get you some of your favorite colors," says Scotland Elementary art teacher Megan Kounnas to one of her students as she hands him the red and yellow paints. It's RISE art day, and a class of students receiving Ridgefield Intensive Special Education services are enjoying a print-making lesson. Students swirl watercolor paint in shaving cream with paint brushes and then press paper onto the cream, which picks up the paint.
"This couldn’t be more perfect for him," observes paraeducator Renee Janso, admiring the lesson that is tailor-made for students with disabilities. “It isn't about the product,” says Kounnas, “It’s about the process.” In this case, the product, the swirled print revealed after the student scrapes the shaving cream away, is beautiful, and the student can see it because it has colors—red and yellow—and contrast that he can see despite severe visual impairment. Before coming to RPS, Kounnas worked in a therapy center for children with special needs, and her ability with and thought for RPS students receiving services is abundantly clear. “It’s so rewarding,” she says “You can see that they truly enjoy it and are happy to be here.”
“Some of our students receiving RISE services have art with their General Education classrooms and with RISE,” explains Scotts Ridge Middle School Assistant Principal, Lisa Frese, who praises SRMS art teacher Christen Riegel for her superlative RISE Art program, “But we realize that some aren’t able to access that for a variety of reasons. Some of our students are nonverbal or they can’t tolerate a general education classroom."
Riegel teaches RISE art every day to a smaller group. Last Thursday, students were making spooky Halloween scenes with steaming cauldrons, bats, and trees. She echoes Kounnas's assertion that art is not about the product. “Sometimes, it is about putting paint on paper,” Riegel says, “And seeing it move around. They can be more independent to express themselves and feel good. That’s what this is about.”
Both Kounnas and Riegel cite the relationship of the Scotland and Scotts Ridge paras with their students as being foundational for success. Riegel writes, “The program would not run the way it does without them. “Those paras deserve so much praise,” agrees Kounnas, “They are amazing!”.
“I’m a scientist,” says one of the Scotland students, digging his hands into the shaving cream, “I love RISE art.”
Assistant Director of Special Education Dr. Anthony Showah explains, “Currently, there are RISE programs serving students in PreK (Barlow Mountain), Branchville (new starting this year!), Farmingville, Ridgebury, Scotland, Scotts Ridge, and Ridgefield High School. East Ridge will restart their program in 2024-25.” The recent All-RPS Art Show showcased RISE Art.
This spring, Ridgefield High School will offer a new course, Unified Art, which will be for both general education and special education students. Over the summer RHS art teacher Jane Grassi and Riegel collaborated to write the curriculum for this new Unified Arts program, which will ensure cohesion and a smooth transition from middle school to high school.
Ridgefield CT 06877