Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff,
Yesterday, RPS lost an RHS junior to a brief, devastating illness, which makes everything else I was going to say this week feel unimportant. Nia Simpson was a beloved part of our community— friend, three-season athlete, and student government member. In his letter to RHS students and families, Principal Greenwood writes, “Nia touched innumerable lives with her kind spirit, gentle personality, and curious mind.”
To Nia’s family and friends, I extend my deepest condolences. You are with RPS’ thoughts and prayers. We are reminded how fleeting time can be, Nia will forever be remembered. Dr. Greenwood shared resources with families on dealing with this unspeakable loss, and we are always here for you.
Next week will be a shortened week. On Monday, October 10, schools will be closed in observance of Columbus Day & Indigenous Peoples’ Day. As a result of our schools being closed on Monday, our regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting will take place in person on Tuesday, October 11. The Board of Education will have their annual mini-retreat from 5-7:00 p.m. on Tuesday as well. The retreat is accessible to the public, in person.
Warmly,
Susie
Susie Da Silva, Ed.D
Instagram: rpssuper
Twitter: @RPS_DaSilva
The movie Mr. Harrigan's Phone, filmed in part outside the old RPS Central Office Venus Building, is currently streaming on Netflix. The unsettling movie is based on a Stephen King short story about a lonely boy who continues to communicate with his benefactor (played by Donald Sutherland) beyond the grave. For those Netflix subscribers averse to the horror genre but still curious, the Ridgefield building can be seen in the trailer, and around the 57 and 104-minute marks (and maybe more!).
“The Superintendent Emailed Me That Night to Tell Me My Classroom Looked Great”
Farmingville Elementary fourth graders in Katelyn Root’s class sit in a circle after a math class and reflect on the lesson, “It was awesome because I liked the subtraction,” says one student. “I liked it because it was pretty easy,” says another.
Ms. Root says, “I liked it because it had multiple steps. You had to read it carefully. The problems were all about difference, subtraction, and then in problem C, you had totals, addition.”
When the students leave for music, Root elaborates on the hour-long lesson that seemed to completely engage the class. The students’ focus was impressive, with every student appearing to be on-task and immersed both in group work and independently. “They are great kids. I could see students helping each other. When they saw one of their classmate's struggle, they saw it as a teaching opportunity. This resource {think! Mathematics} encourages teachers to pair students randomly rather than by ability, which helps all students. We come together. Break up into groups. Come back together. Then, they return to their desks to complete the work independently.”
Root has come to Ridgefield after two years of teaching in Bridgeport. “I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” she says. When she was in college at Eastern Connecticut State University, she organized student volunteers. “ I always went along when the volunteer work was with students or schools. I ran groups with girls with behavioral issues.” Her classroom is particularly sweet. The bulletin boards are cheerful. There is a rocking chair that Rooted painted herself with an apron decorated like a ruler.
She has found RPS to be a district with people who care. “The amount of Professional Development from the teachers and administrators has been amazing,” Root says. “Linda Johnson (Elementary Director) has come in and said, ‘What do you need?' The Superintendent was in my classroom and then took the time to email me that night to say how great it looked. At the new teacher lunch, she sat with us and talked with us about our interviews. She knows our names. It was so personal. I love it here.”
Photo below: Katelyn Root's fourth grade class
Students in JR Condosta and Brandon Rainbeau’s Oceanography classes got out of RHS and onto a Soundwaters schooner in Stamford to conduct hands-on experiments in this crucial Connecticut estuary. Students tested the Long Island Sound’s water quality, compared bottom sediments, and completed a bottom trawl to better understand the ecosystem, migrations, and the impact of urban development.
Additionally, students visited Stamford’s Hurricane Barrier constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers to protect downtown Stamford from storm-related flooding events. The trip asked students to consider, “how can infrastructure projects like hurricane barriers be utilized to account for rising sea levels due to warming oceans?” While the RHS students enjoyed sunny September skies, Hurricane Ian was making landfall in Florida, turning this into a very timely field trip.
Oceanography is one of RHS’s longest-running and most popular science electives. This semester-long course provides a detailed survey of ocean environments and the diversity of organisms, which our oceans contain while presenting topics related to ocean conservation and sustainability.
Brody Arnold was one of the first riders on Branchville Elementary’s new swing. It was “fun," he says. "Everyone is waiting in lines to use it."
BES parent, PTA Council Co-President, and former BES PTA President, Angela Rice notes the swing’s flexibility and popularity. “Students can use it sitting or standing,” she says. “It only moves when they work together, which encourages collaborative play”
Just as the swing relies on cooperation to move, so the playground has relied on a collaboration between the BES PTA, RPS Central Office, and the Town of Ridgefield. The swing is the first part of a two-phase playground upgrade between parents, the district, and the town. Rice says, “We are so grateful for this collaboration and to those who have already donated. We are excited to have a playground that’s fully accessible, where all students can have fun.”
The BES PTA is hoping to complete the second phase of the project next summer so it will be open for Brody and all of the Branchville students. BES PTA funds will pay for new playground equipment, which will be fully ADA accessible and encourage all types of play with a mix of physical, sensory, and social activities. The Town of Ridgefield will cover the surfacing and installation.
On October 14, the Branchville Beavers will boogie to raise more funds for this inspiring project. To donate visit this link. Please email questions here.
Ridgefield CT 06877