RPS Midsummer Letter

Dear RPS Community,

Each August, when I sit down to write this mid-summer letter, I’m reminded of how quickly time passes. It feels like we just shared our end-of-year slideshow, highlighting memorable moments from the 2024–2025 school year. And now, just a few short weeks later, we’ve turned the page and are deep into planning for the year ahead.

You may be aware that summers at RPS are anything but quiet, and this one was no different. While schools may appear quiet from the outside, the energy inside is vibrant—filled with staff collaborating, preparing, and reflecting in ways the pace of the school year doesn’t always allow. But summer also brings a welcome shift in rhythm—moments to pause, celebrate, and reconnect. For me, that included attending eight weddings; each a joyful reminder of how quickly childhood turns into adulthood. These milestones prompted me to think about how fast life moves and how important it is to honor each stage as it comes.

In my home, evidence of this transition through time is everywhere. André (16) is now driving (something I’m adjusting to daily), Gabriela (20) is preparing to study in Barcelona this fall, and Izzy (18) is beginning her journey as a Drexel Dragon. And yet, despite their growing independence, I’m still regularly greeted with “Mama, Mom, Mommy”—a comforting reminder that no matter how old we get, we never stop yearning for the presence of our parents.

Between all the weddings, my family carved out a little time to travel. As in previous summers, we spent time in Portugal. For us, time in Portugal is more than a vacation—it’s an opportunity to connect with our culture and extended family.

Like many of you, summer also allows me the chance to catch up on the ever-growing “to-do list” that accumulates during the school year. In addition to family time, I always try to set aside space for personal and professional growth. Even in my 29th year as an educator, I continue to believe in the strength of the growth mindset. This summer, I focused on how to align time with my values—including making time for both physical and mental wellness. I explored scheduling strategies that help me do my best work. I also reread the classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey and was reminded that the most effective people are not those who are dependent or even independent, but rather interdependent—underscoring the importance of relationships. Later in the summer, I watched Coach Geno Auriemma’s MasterClass and was struck by a few key points connected to feedback. He explains: Feedback = love; and that when you care deeply about someone's growth, you must be willing to be honest, even if it is uncomfortable. Mutual trust matters = feedback works best when there is a foundation of trust. Courage to tell the truth = real leadership involves saying hard things, especially to those you care about, because that’s what actually helps them.

All of this leads naturally to our collective focus this year, and our new theme, “Better Together.” Each year, we choose a theme to unite us around a common purpose. This year’s theme centers on the power of relationships. While we all recognize the importance of connection, it’s the quality of those relationships that truly matters, and that requires care, nurturing, and intention. I recently read a summary of an 85-year Harvard study that found the single most significant variable in a person’s happiness is the quality of their relationships (not the quantity). A good message for students as well. Powerful and affirming.

We look forward to bringing this theme to life in the coming weeks, including during our early Board of Education meetings of the year as we share updates and discuss our District Priorities.

Cory Gillette

There’s no such thing as a summer break for our dedicated Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction, Cory Gillette! If you’ve run into her lately, you’ve probably heard her jokingly ask, “Isn’t summer supposed to be less busy? Calmer?” At the heart of every thriving school district lies its Curriculum and Instruction Department, and Cory has been tirelessly working to strengthen that foundation, especially starting from our youngest learners in Pre-Kindergarten. This summer, she continued to support the Forever Summer Bridge program, led curriculum writing teams with precision, and ensured that all programs are aligned and ready to welcome teachers, students, and administrators.

Of course, none of it stops there. Cory has been masterfully connecting the dots for all of our upcoming Opening Days, an effort that she often compares to planning a wedding! And anyone who knows her knows just how intentional, thoughtful, and detail-oriented she is in every aspect of that preparation. One of the biggest challenges was trying to figure out a logo design for our new theme, ‘Better Together’! We hope you love what we came up with!

That said, as much as Cory’s intentionality and enthusiasm can be felt and seen all over RPS, we also know she values time with her family and friends. Not to mention- she loves to have fun! She spent every free minute connecting with family and friends, especially her daughter, Jasmine (in photo), who was home from college for the summer. Whether in Long Island Sound or on the Westport River in Massachusetts, Cory spent a lot of time on the water in boats or sitting on the beach. Her favorite books this summer were: The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, Jill is Not Happy, Implement with Impact, and The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business. She also was able to catch some great series (MobLand, The Gilded Age, The Bear, and Wimbledon Championships).

Liz Hannaway

You can find our Assistant Superintendent of Special Services, Dr. Liz Hannaway, working right alongside Cory to provide access and equity to all our students at RPS. Extended School Year (ESY) and Best Buddies are incredibly valuable programs that allow students to maintain growth during the summer months. The ESY team, including Ms. Kate Collins, Ms. Kerin Tighe, and Dr. Anthony Showah, enjoyed seeing our students hop off the bus during the summer months, enthusiastically looking forward to their days at Barlow Mountain and Farmingville elementary schools. A big thanks to all of our teachers and staff who make the summer days even brighter.

In the midst of it all, Liz found time to get to the “to-do list”. This was the summer of GETTING IT DONE! The RPS Special Services leadership team addressed long-deferred projects and dream plans for the coming school year- some for students and families, others for staff. One preview of this exciting work is our new Special Services website for the community! We’re proud to showcase our outstanding programs and services. Please peruse at your leisure, and feel free to share with neighbors and community members who wish to learn more about “what we do.”

Liz also used the summer to do her favorite thing - hang out with her boys, John (8) and Hugh (6). Swimming is always the most popular activity- at the local town pool, a lake house while vacationing in Pennsylvania, and later in August on the Jersey Shore. John especially loves being in the water - his happy place:) Hugh has recently taken to everything “racing,” including Go Karts! Liz hopes it’s a phase.

Karen Dewing

As you have gotten to know our Director of Personnel, Karen Dewing, over the many years that she has served our District, you know that summer is incredibly fast-paced in the HR department; and of course, you also know that Karen doesn’t miss a beat. While she claims she doesn’t have any fear of missing out (FOMO), we would argue she does since she was hopping on Zoom meetings from the car or beach. Despite always prioritizing RPS as a District of Choice, Karen would admit that she valued summer days at the shore in Delaware with her husband, Matt, and daughter, Kayla. While there, she spent time walking on the beach with her dogs and relaxing with friends. It’s always a treat when best friends join you at the beach, and one is a professional chef! In addition, Karen was able to visit her mother in July for her 84th birthday and her mother-in-law in August for her 96th birthday. As they do not live nearby, Karen treasures these moments.

Jill Browne

Our Director of Finance, Jill Browne, started her summer with a memorable, bucket-list trip to Alaska. She traveled with her husband, two of their three children, and her dad. An exceptional family experience they’ll never forget! Although they missed having their oldest son and his family along, this trip would have been a bit ambitious for their 3-year-old grandson!

Back home, Jill made the most of her time with her “mini-me” grandson, visiting favorite local spots like Lake Quassapaug, Rich Farms Ice Cream, and hosting a few sleepover playdates with “Lolli & Pop.” True to form, Jill has already jumped into planning for the 2026–2027 budget and is recharged for another productive year with RPS!

Joe Morits

There really isn’t a “quiet time” for the Facilities Department and the Director of Facilities, Joe Morits, but we say for certain that summer is the absolute busiest. There is a great deal of coordination during the summer between the District and the Town. Playgrounds, roofs, sidewalks, and so much more! Joe looks forward to highlighting all of the good work in September. Of course, the building of the new Alternative High School/18-22 Transition Program site at Prospect Ridge is one that we are watching closely in anticipation.

Despite the busy season, Joe snuck away to Maine for a bit of time in his new coach, where he, his wife, and pups traveled with all the conveniences of home.

RPS

While we do find great joy in sharing some of our summer highlights, we can’t wait to learn about your summertime experiences during these upcoming opening days. We became “Better Together” with our amazing student-focused summer programs. Extended School Year (ESY), Best Buddies, and Forever Summer Bridge were huge hits. See photos throughout this letter and below. Here is one piece of parent feedback!

As you can see, RPS educators are “Better Together”. We want to give a huge shout-out to our ESY leaders, as well as our Forever Summer Bridge leadership team- Martha DeSantis, Ryan Dunne, Kathleen Granger, Tim Luchsinger, Elizabeth Van Duyne, and the many teachers who supported our students with a truly rich and meaningful experience.

All of these programs promote relationships and connections, creativity and shared learning, and inclusivity. For those parents who are curious in learning more, see here for information about our summer Best Buddies program, which was another fantastic success in 2025. Best Buddies had its biggest and best summer yet! An inclusion program that pairs students who are developing social skills with applicant peers from their school, Best Buddies creates a day camp atmosphere within our Extended School Year special education program so that kids build year-long friendships while developing their skills in play-based games, arts classes, and field trips. This program began in 2020 and has grown to include all elementary and middle school grades, totaling over 100 students in enrollment this year.

As we welcome our school community back in the coming weeks, here are a few highlights:

RPS will welcome our amazing new teachers; can’t wait for you to meet them!
We officially welcome Joy Squitieri to the role of RHS Counseling Supervisor. You can find the press release here. And Kate Collins (photo) to the new position of Secondary Special Education Supervisor, press release here.
We look forward to the future RTP/ Alternative High School space. We will continue to provide updates.
Our team continues to update our RPS website, as well as the parent curriculum website. Please take advantage of viewing both before the start of school.
School hours for grades PreK-12 can be found here. The PreK will begin its half-day, extended-day, and full-day programs on September 2nd.
Ridgefield Boys and Girls Club continues to offer morning and after-school programming for each of our six elementary schools. RPS offers transportation to and from school at no additional cost. Reach out directly to the Boys and Girls Club for more information.
Help wanted! If you are interested in joining children for lunch and recess as a Supervisory Paraeducator, see flyer below or reach out to any one of our elementary schools.
We are hopeful that we won’t need this for a while, but just in case– please print and keep note of these weather procedures.
Our 2025-2026 school calendar can be found here.
Weekly RPS Updates to family, staff, and the broader RPS Community will continue to take place on Fridays beginning in September.
Bus schedules/times can be expected to be posted on PowerSchool after 8/18.
See the RHS Athletics page for registration and fall sports tryout information.
We are excited for the return of Ridgefield Tiger Talk Podcast this fall! Be sure to catch up on past episodes.

If you need anything before the start of the year, please do not hesitate to reach out to your school principal. We are all here to help! We look forward to welcoming back our students in grades K-9 on Tuesday, August 26, and our students in grades 10-12 on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

I hope your remaining weeks of summer are filled with time to relax, good health, and happiness. Best of luck to the RHS Class of 2025 and their families as they head into their next chapters.

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Happy Campers!

RHS Counseling hosted Camp Common App for RHS rising seniors this morning. Oh, the places you'll go!

That's How We Roll

Students made sushi, dream catchers, cool crafts, and lasting friendships and memories during Summer Bridge and Jump Start.

Gone Fishin'

Fishing was one of the sell-out Summer Bridge programs for Ridgefield middle schoolers.