Branchville Bulletin

Dear Branchville Community,

BIG week ahead.

By popular demand, we are bringing back a presentation we haven't had in a few years on how we teach social-emotional awareness. Branchville school psychologist Dr. Matt Annunziata and district evaluator, psychologist, and lead facilitator Katie Greges will share strategies to help children manage BIG feelings. This takes place during the PTA meeting on Friday in the Branchville cafeteria.

All, do a good weather dance and send good vibes that Friday's weather will be sunny and dry so we can hold the student favorite, Beaver Boogie. Please update SDM for Friday.

Finally, for Halloween, please review the Halloween guidelines. We don't want a child to arrive at school disappointed that their costume doesn't meet the guidelines.

Thank you for your partnership,

Keith L. Margolus

Principal

*IMPORTANT* - Along with registering your child, you must also fill out School Dismissal Manager (SDM) for Oct.23rd, similar to every other day. Please do this as soon as possible.

In SDM, you will be able to choose "Beaver Boogie" - in addition to the regular dismissal options. There is also an option if your child is leaving halfway through the event: "Beaver Boogie - Leaving Early From Event/Pick-up on Lower Field."

If your child is participating, the only two options for Beaver Boogie dismissal are staying for the whole event, "Beaver Boogie," or "Beaver Boogie - Leaving Early From Event/Pick-up on Lower Field." Picking up at other times is not possible.

Kindergarten Halloween Parade Timing

As teachers communicated, kindergarten parents are welcome to join us on the back playground.

• Students in grades 1-5 sit along the perimeter of the parking lot.
• Kindergarteners parade around the back parking lot.
• Parents gather at the gate and fence line.
• As the parade is outdoors, and parents gather at the fence, there is no need to check in with security.
• While we will not turn away parents from other grades, typically, only kindergarten parents attend.
• Students gather around 9:00 with the parade starting at approximately 9:15. The parade lasts about 15 minutes.

Weather-Related Adjustments

An indoor parade is a school-only event. If we need to hold the parade indoors because of the weather, inviting a large crowd of parents into the building to view is not logistically feasible and would impact our security response. As of now, the rain is supposed to cease by around sunrise, so fingers crossed, we hold an outdoor parade!

Parking

If you do plan to join us (not every parent can make the event), parking on the road is permitted only on one side— the NON-school side (we cannot park on both sides, as traffic will not be able to pass). Other options include parking at the CVS parking lot and walking to Branchville.

Connecticut State Statute § 10-214 mandates that students be screened for potential barriers to education in the schools. The school nurse is responsible for conducting and overseeing these screenings. The Connecticut State Department of Education requires that schools conduct the following health screenings for students in grades K–5 and grades 7 and 8:

If desired, please complete the Medical Permissions section of PowerSchool (shown below) granting permission for your child(ren) to receive acetaminophen (Tylenol) and/or ibuprofen (Motrin / Advil) if needed at school. Please note: This is an annual election and must be renewed each year, for each child individually.

Please contact our school nurse Katie Rohrer krohrer@ridgefieldps.net or call the main office at 203-894-5853 if you have any questions about medication.

Please ensure that your contact and emergency contact information in PowerSchool is complete, accurate, and up to date. It will be used to contact you in the event of an emergency, illness or injury at school.

Each November, we honor the veterans who have touched our lives with an assembly.

Branchville will hold a Veterans Day ceremony in the cafeteria on November 10th at 9:00 a.m. Students in kindergarten and first grade will sing to our veterans as they parade out of the library. Students in grades 2-5 will participate in a ceremony lasting approximately one hour.

If you have a family member (or even a family friend) who is a veteran, we would love to meet them!

Veterans will have an opportunity to come to the school, meet other veterans, and take part in our assembly. Before the assembly, veterans can enjoy some refreshments in the library. Space is limited, so we ask that no more than two family members and the veteran attend. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate other spectators. Also, typically, veterans who attend are a family or friend of students in grades 2-5, as kindergartners and first graders do not participate in the ceremony. That being said, we won't turn away a veteran, and on occasion, a kindergartner or first grader has joined the ceremony (without their class). This is a parent's decision.

Complete this form by October 26th if your family has a veteran who will attend.

The BES student associated with each veteran will read the information in the form during the assembly. If more than one veteran is attending, please complete this form more than once. If you have questions, please get in touch with me at kmargolus@ridgefieldps.net .

Branchville school psychologist Dr. Matt Annunziata and district evaluator, psychologist, and lead facilitator Katie Greges will share strategies to help children manage BIG feelings.

Dr. Matthew Annunziata is our new school psychologist. Dr. Annunziata earned his Bachelor of Arts in psychology and early childhood/childhood education at Hofstra University. He holds a Master of Science in Therapeutic Interventions, an advanced certificate in school psychology, and a Doctorate in School Psychology, all from Fordham University. Dr. Annunziata has completed several internships and field experiences, including serving as a school psychologist intern for the 2023 - 2024 school year at Commack Middle School in Commack, NY. During the 2024 - 2025 school year, he served as a school psychology intern at Wood Park Primary School in Commack, NY. This past school year, he served as the psychology intern for the Rye City School District in Rye, NY.

Katie Greges, Mrs. Greges earned her Bachelor of Science in Developmental Psychology from Suffolk University, a Master of Science in Educational Psychology and a Professional Diploma in School Psychology both from Fordham University. She is currently completing her Doctorate in Special Education at Nova Southeastern University. Mrs.Greges was a school psychologist at Branchville beginning at the start of the 2014-15 school year before taking on the role of district evaluator and lead psychologist facilitator in the fall of 2024. Prior to joining RPS, she worked at a therapeutic special education middle and high school.

RPS distribution flyers for outside groups via a Digital Backpack.

Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion in the digital backpack. Please help us in our effort to go green by checking students' Digital Backpacks Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net. Thank you!

Visiting BES

If you are visiting BES, one way to expedite the entry process is to fill out this form or use the QR code in advance of your planned visit (e.g., teacher meeting, PTA meeting, mystery reader, library, or art volunteer). Your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive. If you have something to drop off for your child during the school day, such as a forgotten lunch or instrument, please place the item on the table located outside the entrance.

• When you arrive to enter the building, we ask that you press the video doorbell button and identify yourself. You will then be granted access to the vestibule.
• Once in the vestibule, please do NOT hold the door open for a different guest entering the building. We cannot open the second set of doors until you are inside the vestibule. While this may be inconvenient and feel impolite, we are standardizing access to the buildings across the district so that everyone knows what to expect.

For visits to BES during the school day, I recommend arriving early, as it takes some time to process your visitor badge. For a visit that is not arranged in advance, calling the main office ahead of time is a helpful practice.

For a comprehensive list of upcoming events, please see the calendars below.

RPS Events Calendar

Rotational Calendar

PTA Events Calendar

To withhold directory and media publications (including Instagram) please follow this path when you are logged in to PowerSchool.

• On the left-hand side please click on "Demographic Change."

• A number of tabs will appear. Click on "Directory & Media OptOut.

Keith L Margolus

Principal

kmargolus@ridgefieldps.net

Website: https://bes.ridgefield.org/Home
Location: 40 Florida Road, Ridgefield, CT, USA
Phone: 203.894.5850