Dear RPS Community,
When I was appointed as RPS Superintendent of Schools five years ago, I had one child in elementary school, one in middle school, and one in high school. Tomorrow, my second daughter, Isabela, will graduate from high school. She will continue her athletic and academic career at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Gabriela (my oldest) is coming home this evening from her second year of college and will head abroad shortly thereafter, and my son André will soon be a junior. I say all of this to remind the parents of our youngest children to capture and savor every moment– you can’t get the time back, and it all happens so fast. Tears.
I hope to see our RHS seniors around town for early prom pictures this evening. I have loved getting to know this senior class—they are an incredible group and very special. Yesterday, I reminded our high school senior leaders at the Government Against Drunk Driving (GRADD) ceremony that while we trust them and their peers to make good decisions, we recognize that they may make mistakes, and we are here for them, now and always.
At the May 27th BOE meeting, Dr. Hannaway and Ms. Gillette presented a proposal that further enhances our student wellness approaches at RHS. We are fortunate to have resources across our schools, and most certainly a devoted faculty and staff, PK-12. The team aims to further engage student voice and peer-to-peer support to promote healthy daily habits. The plan includes inviting families into the conversation–as we know, with everything that happens here at school, we are only successful if we have your support. Thank you in advance for working alongside us.
Warmly,
Susie
Susie Da Silva, Ed.D
It was a week of firsts for the Ridgefield Tiger Talk podcast! We welcomed our first-ever RPS Communications intern, RHS senior Murphy Everdell. She discusses her internship, which is covering her fellow senior interns—in the office, in the schools, or on the farm. In the second part of the show, Murphy takes her turn as our first student co-host, interviewing her school counselor, Lori Bran, about the first intern service trip to Panama. Interns packed a lifetime into a five-day trip. Thanks for listening!
See more photos in our special Senior Internship section below!
REGISTRATION REMINDER: If you have a child entering kindergarten next year, are moving to a different RPS school, or have a graduating senior planning to participate in the elementary school graduation walks, please register so that we can plan accordingly. Remember to check your school calendar for art shows, concerts, field days, and other end-of-the-year events!
RHS Theater is offering a Cabaret this Saturday and Sunday. Tickets at the door.
Elementary principals recently sent a letter to RHS seniors and their parents about the Graduation Walks—a tradition when seniors put on their caps and gowns and march along the halls of their elementary schools. Grad walks are an opportunity for each school to celebrate its students in its own way and for graduates to thank their teachers. Please read the full letter here to learn about registration, parking, and other security protocols. Tell your friends!
Dates, times, and schools below
Editor's Note: Last week's RPS Update had an incomplete list of our building Teachers of the Year. Please see the full list below! Thank you to the parents who brought this mistake to our attention.
Barlow Mountain Elementary—Patricia Cerniglia
Branchville Elementary—Betsy Anderson
Farmingville Elementary—Amanda Cody
Ridgebury Elementary—Karen Van Vliet
Scotland Elementary—Danielle Donovan
Veterans Park Elementary—Jeffrey Lovelace (selected RPS Teacher of the Year!)
East Ridge Middle School—Daniela Silvestri
Scotts Ridge Middle School—Christie Judge
Ridgefield High School—Julie Henderson
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.
On Wednesday night, Ridgefield High School seniors Caroline Baker, heading to Tufts University next year, and Julia Knispel, off to Northwestern University, were recognized at a Fairfield County Scholar Leader Banquet in New Canaan.
Shown in the photo with RHS Assistant Principal Christine Hopkinson.
May's RHS Student of the Month is Peter Karloutsos! He is also the FCIAC Exemplary Student-Athlete and a valued intern at East Ridge Middle School. Read more about Peter in this Hamlet Hub article and in the internship column below. Congratulations, Peter!
Owen Dulecki
Owen achieved a 3.9 unweighted GPA and has consistently been a member of the High Honor Roll, mainly taking AP and honors classes. She is a member of the RHS National Honor Society. Owen has played on the girls’ varsity tennis team for all four years, and she has served as co-captain for the Tigers in both her junior and senior seasons. Last spring, Owen and her doubles partner, Ava Treat, teamed up to have a very successful season, earning 2024 All-FCIAC Girls Tennis Second Team Doubles recognition. Outside of athletics, she is the president of the RHS Interact Club and vice president of the Molly Ann Tango Memorial Foundation. Owen is also a nationally certified EMT, and she works at Sammy and Nat on the weekends. She will be attending Syracuse University as a Biology major on a pre-med track.
Peter Karloutsos
Peter has achieved a 4.1 weighted GPA and maintained High Honors while taking AP and honors-level courses. He has played on the varsity baseball team for the past three years and was named captain in both his junior and senior seasons. Peter received All-FCIAC Honorable Mention recognition in his sophomore and junior seasons. Peter is also very involved in the RHS choir, where he has performed at many prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall. See his May Musician of the Month write-up above. Peter has accepted an appointment to the United States Coast Guard Academy, where he will continue his academic journey and compete as a member of the baseball team.
This internship visit was especially personal, as I reunited with some of my FES teachers. They remembered me fondly as this goofy, outgoing kid with glasses and a bob. But, once they recognized my changed appearance, I was immediately met with hugs and proud faces. As I lap the building, I'm overwhelmed by the nostalgic smell of crayons and the familiar street signs that mark the hallways, which have somehow shrunk. What hasn't quite changed is the warmth I feel here. I might tower over her as I embrace my beloved first-grade teacher, Ms. Carroll, but I still remember the joy and comfort I felt in her class. As we look through the yearbook together, I laugh at my younger self, but I also appreciate her and recognize we're not so different. I'm still the same extroverted kid, I still love to write, I still need glasses (though they've now been substituted with contacts), and I still have a deep fondness for my Farmingville family. I know I'll always have a place here.
Architecture and Design at BassamFellows
Tucked behind the A.C.T. Theatre is Ridgefield's lesser-known gem: BassamFellows Furniture & Design House. The building isn't just any high-end furniture store — it holds significant historical value. It was renowned architect Philip Johnson's first commercial building (built in 1952) and has since been restored with most of the original materials kept intact. Even on a cloudy day, light streams in, highlighting BassamFellows' mid-century Modern-inspired furniture. Senior intern River Trotter, who plans to study product design at Drexel University, has been helping out at BassamFellows, taking inventory, quality checking, managing the price and sourcebooks, and helping organize showcase events and photoshoots to advertise the products. River has also gained a better understanding of the design process itself, with the opportunity to speak with the company's Italian designer over Zoom and learn how he utilizes computer-aided design technology to bring ideas to life.
