RPS Update

Just after a Scotts Ridge Middle School contingent stocked Ruby’s Pantry at Ballard Green on Monday night, our PTA Council Co-Presidents, Mary Salgado and Lorraine Catalano elected to forego their traditional monthly PTA update to the Board of Education on all the exciting events happening across our schools, to instead focus on supporting RPS families at a time of need, specifically with some of the basic resources such as food and clothing. We recognize asking for help and sharing the need for these resources can be sensitive and challenging. You may reach out directly to ridgefieldptacouncil@gmail.com, or to your school principal with complete confidence your discussions will be kept confidential. Thank you to our school community for supporting our families in different ways, always!

Our schools have begun sharing their exceptional talents across our RPS stages! Willy Wonka at VPES- wow, wow, wow! And, you are just in luck. For a small fee, $10, you can catch a top-notch performance at RHS this weekend- Puffs: Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years At A Certain School of Magic & Magic by Matt Cox; a Potter parody from the Hufflepuff perspective. Ticket information, photos from the show, and a link to the fun student promo video are available below.

On Tuesday, November 18, all three Town boards (Board of Education, Board of Selectpersons, and Board of Finance) will come together to briefly discuss the current landscape, as well as future needs. We recognize how important these partnerships are for the continued steady growth of Ridgefield.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

“The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.”

—Paul Coelho

Photos above, left to right: Scotts Ridge family stocks the Ballard Green Food Pantry with Ruby Weiner and friends. Veterans Park sells out Willie Wonka Kids. The Dance Team unveils its Tiger Tree for Ann's Place Festival of Trees. The RHS fall play Puffs opened last night.

The RHS Visual and Performing Arts Department has a treat for all of the Harry Potter fans out there! The opening production of the 2025-2026 season is Puffs: Or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years At A Certain School of Magic & Magic by Matt Cox—a Potter parody from the Hufflepuff perspective. The play opened last night and continues tonight and tomorrow at 7:00 p.m., with a special sensory-friendly family matinee on Saturday, November 15, at 1:00 p.m. All tickets are $10. This performance is suggested for ages 8 and up. Performances take place in the Ridgefield High School Theatre. Tickets on sale now at www.rhsperformingarts.info/.

Watch a Tiger TV Promo with cast and crew made by Dr. Steven Anton's Media Production Class, which shares what is special about the show and why even the Harry Potter adverse will find something to love in this show, here. View the Puffs Playbill to see full cast and crew here. See photos from the "soft opening" below. Mostly, just see the show!!!!

RHS Principal Dr. Jake Greenwood announced at the BOE meeting on Monday that Graduation for the RHS Class of 2026 is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, rain or shine. If the weather permits, the ceremony will be at Tiger Hollow.

Senior families can expect to hear more about tickets and time. Organizers of the annual Post-Grad party will need the community's help pulling off this fun, safe, late-night tradition for our students on a weeknight. Stay tuned!

RPS is a caring and compassionate community that recognizes that some of our families are facing challenging times and experiencing food insecurity. Please reach out to your principal or the PTA Council for help, with complete confidence that your discussions will be kept confidential. The RHS PTSA put together this list of resources for RPS families, neighbors, and friends.

The RPS November Food Drive is in full swing this week, with collection boxes at every school, and creative ideas to engage our generous school communities. RPS families are putting their heads and hearts together to fill the local food pantries. Please read about some of their efforts below and how you can help in the accompanying flyer. Ruby's recommendations for donations (meals, check expiration dates, and look for cans with tabs) can be found here.

On Monday, two large SUVs packed with Scotts Ridge eighth-grader Luke Queenan, possibly more friends than seats, and over 180 non-perishable food items pulled up at the Pantry at Ballard Green to meet 16-year-old Ruby Weiner, who stocks the pantry and is RPS' partner in the November Food Drive.

Despite the dark evening and dreary weather, spirits were high as Luke and friends followed Ruby into the Ballard Green community building, arms loaded with bags of food, which the Queenan family had collected during a Halloween get-together. Students helped Ruby sort the collection by category—checking expiration dates and filling tables in the Community room. They enjoyed meeting Ballard Green resident Ms. Helen, who cheerfully posed for the group photo above and admired the bountiful donations.

When all the goods are counted, Luke's efforts will provide at least 230 items for Ballard Green residents, as well as a great experience for all involved. As the group is leaving, Luke turns to his mother, Linda, to ask, "Mom, can we do this again next year?" Thank you to Luke and Linda Queenan, Ruby and Patty Labozzo, Lorelei and Janelle Black, and all the SRMS eighth graders and their families for this generous gift of time, thought, and non-perishables.

This week, the RHS Student Government dropped off more than 2000 non-perishable food items—four carloads of food—collected during the school's Spirit Week at Family and Children's Aid of Danbury.

Way to go, Tigers!!!

Ryan Hochkeppel and Wells Kennedy, third graders at Veterans Park and Branchville Elementary Schools, respectively, spent the Veterans Day holiday volunteering with Community Food Rescue in Danbury. They helped restock fresh produce on the mobile food pantry to hand out to low-income seniors at Kimberly Place. Cristina Hochkeppel writes, "Community Food Rescue is a wonderful non-profit that welcomes kid volunteers!"

Ridgefield Director of Public Works & Facilities Jake Muller and RPS Director of Facilities Joe Morits report that construction of the Prospect Ridge campus, which will house the Alternative High School and the Ridgefield 18-22 Transition Program, is progressing. There have been some challenges with material deliveries and weather, but the exterior and interior framing went on this month. This morning, Technology Director Wes DeSantis visited the site to assist in locating the areas where technology will be roughed in. Please see some of his photos below. RPS is grateful to our town partners and to our community for their support.

NOTE: RPS holds parent-teacher conferences in November. Please check your school calendar for school-specific Early Dismissals and other events.

The RHS Madrigals have been singing their hearts out in preparation for Radio City Music Hall next weekend...Sat. November 22, 4:00 pm show! They are singing around 3:40 pm that day, in the minutes leading up to when the Rockettes take the stage for their Christmas Spectacular Show. All audience members are encouraged to arrive at the theater at 3:00 to ensure they're in their seats in time for the Madrigals performance!

The Madrigals will also share a "mock performance" at 5:00 pm on Tuesday, November 18, in the RHS Auditorium. Family, friends, and community members are invited. Madrigals Director Lauren Verney-Fink will ask the audience members to be deliberately disruptive and do everything they can to distract the performers. "It'll be good practice for the actual show," she writes.

Get tickets to Radio City Music Hall here.

The RHS Athletic Department sent out its newsletter last week. Winter Sports registration is open, and students planning to participate in a winter sport are encouraged to attend the Winter Sport Kick-Off Meeting with their parents/guardians. At the meeting, the RHS Athletic Department will share important information about all winter sports, then each program will have its own breakout session to share sport-specific information.

RHS, do you have a free period B day Tuesday, December 2? The National Honor Society will be putting on their blood drive open to all high school students and staff, 17 years and up. Sign up using the QR code here. Snacks and Pac-Man socks will be available to all those who donate blood. If you have any questions, please feel free to email Kylie Lassow at kylielassow@ridgefieldps.net or Eva Figlar at evafiglar@ridgefieldps.net. Hope to see you there!

Photo above shows the 2025 NHS Blood Drive.

Please help RPS go green by checking your students' e-Backpack weekly for important information. Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net.

Recently, twenty-two students from Mr. Jonathan MacIsaac’s RHS Business Technology class successfully completed a vital component of their Career Portfolio Project, thanks to the generous support of guest interviewers (RPS Director of Personnel Karen Dewing; Assistant Principals Christine Hopkinson, Jarret Pepe, and Michael Yagid; Scotts Ridge Principal Tim Salem, RHS Business Lead Jesse Peterkin, librarian Mitch Peterson, and Counseling Supervisor Joy Squitieri). The capstone event, held in the RHS Library's Toni Morrison Room, provided an invaluable, real-world experience as students practiced their professional interviewing skills. Volunteers stepped into the role of prospective employers, conducting professional interviews with students across various grade levels.

Interviewers received a comprehensive folder containing student resumes, cover letters, common interview questions, and evaluation forms, allowing them to thoroughly assess the students’ preparation and readiness. This setup ensured a practical and immersive experience, mirroring a genuine hiring process. The student group, which included everyone from freshmen on their first mock interview to seniors preparing for post-graduation opportunities, all benefited immensely.

The constructive feedback provided by the volunteer team was an essential part of this "safe-to-fail" learning environment, designed to help students build confidence and career readiness. Students reported feeling significantly more confident about their ability to present themselves and their skills and accomplishments after the session.

A reporter from The Ridgefield Press came to RHS this week to interview students, Choral Director Lauren Verney Fink, and the RHS Chorus about the upcoming performance of "Songs for the People," an original composition by RHS senior Leigh Kovalsky. Chorus members gave mature and thoughtful reflections on the challenges and rewards of singing their classmate's composition. Mark your calendar for the concert, including this world premiere, on Wednesday, December 17 at 7:00 pm.

It's the end of Quarter One, and Alternative High School students are wrapping up their units on Chemistry, Personal Finance, Physics, American Sign Language, discussions of utopias and dystopias in English, and so much more. Some of the highlights of the AHS Quarter include participating in RHS Spirit Week festivities, such as the Pep Rally and the school-wide game of Rock, Paper, Scissors; students selecting new books for the School Library, funded by a grant; a field trip to the Keeler Tavern, and creating photo books about U.S. History. Some AHS students also work towards making progress on specific skills, such as self-advocacy and creating post-secondary goals through research and the Naviance platform.

The RHS Unified Soccer headed to Fairfield Ludlowe High School to attend a Unified Soccer Tournament last week. This team prioritizes fitness, friendship, and fun—good sports and good times. See some photos from the inclusive program below.

Puffs, the RHS fall play, opened last night. Below are some photos from the dress rehearsal on Wednesday night. They called it a "soft" opening because they performed in front of the cast and crew's beloved stuffed animals (photo lower right corner)—a perfectly behaved audience, who loved every second. Harry Potter fans, do not miss this hilarious play! Recommended for Ages 8+.

There were no bad nuts in Veterans Park Elementary's charming production of the musical Willie Wonka Kids this week. Hats off to the incredible students, directors and producers, and VPES families. Please see the playbill for all involved in pulling off this wonderful show.

Today, students shopped for their annual Friendsgiving celebration, planned for next Friday. Students from the Ridgefield Transition Program and RHS assiduously checked their lists and shared their enthusiasm for fellowship, turkey, and more.

School counselors were on the road during the Election Day Professional Learning Day. They visited some of the RHS students' favorite choices to provide valuable firsthand experience and maybe consider what path they would take if they were back in high school. Don't change a thing, RHS counselors!

Every school celebrated veterans in its own way this week. From letters to speeches, songs, PTA breakfast spreads, and opportunities for connection, the RPS community honored those who serve this week. Please hear more about East Ridge's 24-year celebration in last week's Tiger Talk Podcast, Ridgefield Tiger Talk.

Scotland Principal Jill Katkocin tapped a student helper on World Kindness Day to deliver reminders to the SES staff and a grateful RPS Update editor of what a kind community we have. Quite simply, the best!!!

Secretaries, the lifeblood of RPS, got together last night at Acapulco Mexican Restaurant. What would we do without this fantastic group of District all-stars? It's scary to contemplate. From all of your devoted fans, thank you, RPS secretaries!!!!!

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.