RPS Update

As one would expect, our week started off with mischief on April Fools Day! From our youngest students to our oldest, tall tales filled our schools. This day also marks my 4th year at RPS. On April 1, I was treated to kind words and well wishes, and continue to feel the gratitude that comes from being a part of a community that is joyful (funny!), caring, and smart.

On Tuesday evening, the Board of Finance voted to adopt the BOE Budget as presented. The next step is on May 14 with the Town vote. The partnership we have established and continue to foster with our Town colleagues is incredibly important to us and we appreciate the collaborative effort and the open dialogue as we design and build our budget. A big part of our budget presentations was highlighting What Makes RPS Special. We shared how much relationships matter; and about the intricacies of the student-to-teacher, teacher-to-teacher, and administrator-to-administrator connections. We did our best to articulate Ridgefield’s x-factor – that we are a District of Choice; and that our talented faculty and staff choose to bring their very best to the Ridgefield Public Schools every day. RPS is always working to level up!

This week, I enjoyed previewing Guys and Dolls and Grease during the middle school dress rehearsal. It is unbelievable to see the growth across all levels. Our faculty and parent volunteers are nothing short of outstanding, and without them, we could not keep these special opportunities available to students. We continue to need and encourage volunteers to offer the gift of your time to our schools and students. Please have your students come out and support their peers this weekend, I promise you, they will not be disappointed!

On Monday evening, we have our regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting. At that meeting, our Mathematics Team will present the new anchor resource for Mathematics at RHS. We are very excited to share this work of the Collaborative Action Team. Additionally, Jill Browne, Director of Finance, will provide a summary to the Board of Education on past studies and outcomes of RPS school start/end times.

Next week will be our last week before spring break- hard to believe! Hoping the weather starts to align to its name!

Have a nice weekend.

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Photo Caption: Dr. Da Silva with a custom Connect Four game made by Dr. Wes DeSantis to commemorate the Superintendent's four-year anniversary at RPS.

RPS has purchased safe solar viewing glasses for the solar eclipse that will take place on Monday, April 8 for all students and staff. Emails went out about dismissal protocols and educational opportunities afforded by this rare celestial event. Please check your email.

We’re Trash Talking on this week’s episode of Tiger Talk! We welcome back to the show Tiffany Carlson Ridgefield’s Recycling Coordinator. We discussed the 50th anniversary of the Ridgefield Recycling Center, how the schools are helping in the composting effort, some of the free services the recycling department offers, and ways you can help your community. Thanks for listening. For more information please email: recyclingcoordinator@ridgefieldct.gov

NOTE: Elementary Schools students have an Early Dismissal on April 11 (Spring conferences) and April 12 (Professional Development). Please check your school's calendar frequently for important dates.

Please check your school's calendar for important dates.

Don't miss these great, family-friendly performances of classic musicals. So much talent, hard-work, and fun! More photos from dress rehearsals below!

Are you considering kindergarten in the Ridgefield Public Schools for your child this fall or know someone who might be? If so, please reach out ASAP. RPS kindergarten registration numbers are significantly down this year, and the district wants to be able to plan for the best possible experience for students. Registration required to attend mini-kindergarten! Please help us spread the word about this exciting rite of passage and register today.

RPS can help clarify the State of Connecticut's new kindergarten cut-off, how and when to consider applying for a waiver, and more. All the information about registration and mini-kindergarten orientation dates are available here.

Come one come all -- to Ridgefield Public Schools' first-ever INCLUSION EXPO, highlighting the amazing work of teachers and providers across the district, who model RPS' vision of the graduate for ALL students by creatively adapting instruction for all needs and strengths. Expo booths will include Using Augmentative Communication and Gestalt Language Processing Communication Methods, Postsecondary Transition Preparation and Community Partnerships, How to Include All STudents by Becoming an Inclusion Ally, Unified Sports, Unified Art, Friends Club, How Data Opens the Door to Inclusion, and more!

RSVP here!

High school parents, are you looking for some structure this summer? Consider Summer Bridge, which offers a wide variety of courses for review, fun, and credit. Volunteering opportunities. Please register on the Summer Bridge site to ensure your student's spot.

Last year, over 50 students participated in the program to get a head start on their college to do list which alleviated stress during the first months of senior year. With feedback from students, we are making some adjustments to make the program even better. We are going beyond the Common Application and incorporating more information to help all students get a head start on their college application to do list. We are offering two one-day workshop opportunities to allow students and families have more flexibility in planning their summers.

Save the date! Students can choose between Thursday, August 1 or Wednesday, August 7. The tentative times are 9a.m - 1:30 p.m. More details and how to register will be emailed to the current junior class in the near future.

The Board of Education accepted an anonymous donation of $4251.93 to clear outstandingFood Service balances for RPS families receiving free or reduced lunch. Finance Director Jill Browne brought this donation to the Board, calling the generous philanthropist "the Lunch Angel." She explained that this same individual donated over $7000 in the past and that eligible families could incur these charges for snacks, additional lunches, water, and other expenses not covered by the program. Thank you, Lunch Angel!

Recently, RPS Grade 6-8 Special Education, ELA, and Social Studies teachers attended a professional development session on the “What, How, and Why” of the Science of Reading. Dr. Ben Powers included language and comprehension strategies to support tween, teen, and adolescent readers.

The RPS partnership with the Southport CoLab and Dr. Ben Powers began this summer and has been sustained throughout the school year. This partnership included curriculum review as part of the RPS Reading Waiver, classroom visits to our elementary schools, professional development sessions for administrators and K-8 teachers, community presentations at the BOE in January, and a live parent presentation last week.

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.

In March, RHS students visited East Ridge Middle School for the NPFH Testimonials Assembly program which is part of ERMS’ third annual Anti-Defamation League No Place for Hate (NPFH) initiative. RHS students shared their experiences being an ally, bystander, perpetrator, or target in a powerful assembly. There was a separate program for sixth-grade students and another one for both seventh and eighth-grade students to tailor testimonials for the different grade levels. Some of the first-hand experiences of RHS students dealt with race/ethnicity, social/emotional well-being, religion, and allyship behavior.

ERMS Student Ambassadors and members of the NPFH Club participated in the assembly and helped teachers facilitate classroom discussions after the assembly. In these smaller groups, students reflected on the positive messages and created actionable next steps that they could use to create a safe and inclusive space for their peers and to respect each other’s differences. Together, RPS can be no place for hate! Thank you to the RHS students who participated. A special thanks to Mike Hougasion and Maureen Tyra, NPFH Club advisors.

Scotts Ridge students will participate in a similar NPFH testimonials program soon. Families are encouraged to discuss the assembly program with their children. Please refer to resources from the National PTA - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website for support in having these conversations.

The Scotland Elementary Student Council recently sponsored the Kindness Olympics—a 10-day challenge designed to teach and spread kindness. Each class, each day presented one student with a medal for being kind. They posted a certificate on the wall for each of the medalists. The Student Council hung signs around the school to remind students of ways to be kind. We love this certificate presented to Elliot who noticed a friend sitting by herself and asked if she could join. Pure gold!

On Tuesday, Scotland Elementary fifth graders conducted a hands-on exploration of how shadows can be used to tell time. Students shined a flashlight, mimicking the sun, on a paper gnome to create a shadow. They observed how moving the light source away from the gnome stretched the shadow and conversely, how the shadow shrunk when the flashlight was close. Students moved the light source to the right and the left to cast shadows. They charted their observations about the position of their light source to an object (the gnome) and the shadow it created during the inquiry-based investigation.

Teacher Vicki Guarino explains, “This is a hands-on experience with application. It builds on material they have learned in previous lessons.” Students watched a short, engaging video about time, the sun, shadows, and why we have a 24-hour day. The video reminded them of our base-ten number system, reflective of ten fingers, and that time is somewhat arbitrarily divided into a 12-hour cycle. The video explains how Ancient Egyptians counted segments of their fingers with their thumb, which gave time a base-12 or 12-hour cycle. (Try this to see for yourself!)

Fifth-grader Annabelle made her connections. “This was particularly interesting,” she said at the end of class, “Because the eclipse is next Monday.” The lesson's perfect timing (pun intended) with the solar eclipse is a coincidence but it reflects the RPS science curriculum that is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards. The curriculum is anchored in real-world phenomena and an inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning. These approaches develop students’ understanding of science concepts and practices while making real-world connections. In this engaging unit, fifth graders will be considering the eclipse as well as, Why does the sun rise and set? And, What is gravity?

East Ridge seventh graders are building ports and trains, trading oil and gold, and testing their European trivia this week by playing the game Settlers of Europe. ERMS Library and Media Specialist Tanya Anderson invented the game—her own interpretation of the Settlers of Catan—which builds on the seventh-grade social studies curriculum. Ms. Anderson, with the help of students, made all the pieces using the Makerspace 3-D printer. The game gives players a hands-on experience to understand the European borders, transport issues, and the bodies of water. "That was so fun!," said one of the students who reached ten points first. Students offer Ms. Anderson feedback on what did and didn't work to improve the game for next time.

Last month, RHS AP Biology students headed to the Regeneron DNA Learning Center in Sleepy Hollow, New York. They extracted their DNA for sequencing in this hands-on field trip.

Recently, RHS AP/UCONN Environmental Science and UCONN GeoScience classes attended a presentation from the Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority focusing on waste management and the importance of recycling and composting. HRRA manages the waste and recycling for Ridgefield and surrounding towns. Students learned what happens to waste and recycling once it leaves the school, how it is used to create energy for the state, and current legislative bills surrounding waste management.

On April 2, the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) held the 29th Annual High School Arts Awards Banquet at Aqua Turf Club in Plantsville. The banquet was to honor Connecticut’s outstanding high school visual and performing arts students. The Connecticut High School Outstanding Arts Awards annually honor two seniors from each CAS member high school who excel in the performing or visual arts and possess qualities of scholarship and leadership. Ridgefield High School is honored to announce this year’s awards recipients: Skylar Chang (excellence in visual arts) and Enzo Galdieri (excellence in Visual arts).

Congratulations Skylar and Enzo!

Last week, RHS juniors Sofia Mongardi and River Trotter presented to the BOE on their creative experiences in high school. Both students (flanking RHS art teacher Jane Grassi in the photo) spoke passionately about their creative process. Sofia shared about her time living in the Middle East and Tanzania, Africa. Watch the video here (7:15 minute mark) to see their beautiful art.

The RHS Environmental & Sustainability Club joined forces with Tiffany Carlson, Ridgefield’s Recycling Coordinator. The goal of this project was to conduct a waste audit for both the breakfast and lunch trash at the high school. That day's lunch special of spaghetti and meatballs didn’t faze the club members, armed with tongs and strong stomachs. Students braved through over 20 trash bags to separate out recyclables, returnable bottles, compost, liquids, and trash.

Of the 105 lbs of trash the students sorted through, 49 lbs was compostable waste and 18 lbs was recyclable plastic and paper. The Environmental & Sustainability Club will be using this information to educate students about the importance of recycling and composting both at school and in their homes.

Members of the RHS Girls Lacrosse team have organized the 8th Shamrock Shootout clinic for youth where proceeds will benefit the Carey V. Depuy Scholarship. RHS junior Grace Winkler writes, "the varsity team continues to proudly wear the shamrock symbol on our pinnies in memory of Carey's leadership and kindness." Carey (RHS Class of 2015) died in a tragic private plane crash during her first year of college.

Clinic registration here.

Congratulations to Aidan Byrne, the Boys and Girls Youth of the Year! Read about Aidan and other Youth of the Year finalists in this Hamlet Hub article.

RHS freshman Arabella Lopez won the 2024 Puerto Rico Jr Golf Island Championship!

Students from Ridgebury and Veterans Park had a lot of fun working in teams to create cause-and-effect kinetic chain reactions. The Ridgebury and Veterans Park PTAs collaborated to bring Jay Mankita from Playful Engineers to Ridgefield to engage students in hands-on learning while exploring cause-and-effect relationships in science and engineering. The event proved to be an engaging and educational experience -- thanks to the support of our PTAs!

The March 22 issue of RPS Update inadvertently left out Veterans Park in its coverage of elementary school invention conventions. Here is an edited version with the addition of Veterans Park inventors! The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) is an internationally recognized educational organization started in 1983 and gives students an opportunity to create an invention and present it to a panel of judges. Thank you to our PTA partners!

Veterans Park Invention Convention was open to all third, fourth, and fifth graders. They had 23 inventors with 20 inventions (three worked as pairs). VPES Library and Media Specialist Liza Bullard, PE Teacher Mike Fraioli, and East Ridge Assistant Principal Tom Grace chose the following inventions to advance to the semi-final round—Allison Liberti's "Therm-brella," James Moore's "I Table," and Roxanne Lukanyuk's "Assistive Glove." The class was taught by VPES parent Sudeept Maharana, and organized by Laura Liberti on behalf of the VPES PTA.

Branchville State Semi-Finalists
Sydney Almstead (grade 4) - “Pack It Up”
Nathan Kim (grade 5) - “Tisket a Basket”
Gavin Levi (grade 5) - “Super Shower”

Four RES students will move on to the Connecticut Invention Convention Semi-final:

3rd Grade Evans Yaffee - The Light Locker

4th Grade Kyleigh and McKenzie Murphy (team) - The Car Wall

5th Grade Ian Klimowicz - Reel Green Tackle

5th Grade Quinn Streif - EcoDry Reusable Towels

RHS teachers grabbed Stanley cups and put on hoodies, leggings, slippers, and wigs for the Teacher-Student Swap Day. See the hilarious photos shared by teacher Jennifer DeJulio below.

RHS families got a valuable lesson in rolling with the vagaries of life—weather and other unforeseen events—with this week's RHS College Fair. They also learned of the resources available for post-secondary planning in the Counseling Department. One of the changes the Counseling Department introduced to the Fair this year was breakout sessions on topics including Introduction to College Admissions, Maximizing the College Visit, Portfolio/Auditions, Gap Year, NCAA, FAFSA/Scholarships, and Applying to Highly Selective Institutions. Counseling Supervisor Stephanie Cheung writes, "The night was fantastic. The breakout sessions in the small rooms were full and some standing room only! Everything went really well."

The East Ridge stage becomes Rydell High in a sweet version of the classic musical Grease running this weekend. See Sandy, Rizzo, Frenchie, and the T-Bird Greasers bring the story of Danny and Sandy and "We Go Together" to a new generation. SO MUCH TALENT!! Ticket info at the top of the RPS Update.

Here are some photos from the dress rehearsal of Guys and Dolls. INCREDIBLE! Break a leg, Scotts Ridge! Shows today and Saturday. Please see QR code above for tickets.

The Farmingville Elementary PTA Gala Committee launched "Be Fascinated" Wednesday Spirit Days. The torrential rain didn't dampen spirits on this Wednesday's Crazy Hair Day.

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.