RPS Update

This week, we received the architectural renderings of the potential new building for the Ridgefield 18-22 Transition Program (RTP) and Alternative High School (AHS), which we’re excited to share with you! Please see the drawing below. As you likely know, finding a space for these two programs has been a multi-year priority driven foremost by educational but also legal and financial responsibilities.

The Town will host a Public Hearing on February 5, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at East Ridge Middle School to hear comments on new projects; and an all-day referendum on February 25 at Yanity Gym.

The February 25 referendum will ask voters whether to approve funds to support the schools and community through three ballot items:

• Costs Related to Construction of a New Alternative High School and Transition Program Building;

• Costs Related to Design and Construction of Roof Repairs and Replacement at Town Schools (Ridgebury, Scotland, Veterans Park, and Ridgefield High School) that are in need of repair or replacement; and,

• Costs Related to Design, Construction, And Equipping of a New Public Safety Building.

Throughout January, I’ve had the opportunity to share our District's FY26 Proposed Operating Budget with the Board of Education and the public. Our RPS team has worked to move the District forward with the expansion of Elementary Spanish to grades K-2, the introduction of an Academically and Gifted Coordinator and program, and the reduction of Pay-to-Participate fees for RHS athletics, as well as continued support for the highest quality public education for all Ridgefield students. Responsible budget planning requires careful examination of every dollar spent and ways to economize and offset additions. Budget challenges include a mid-year reduction in state funding for Special Education and an unanticipated increase in health insurance costs. Tomorrow, Saturday, February 1, is the BOE Public Hearing on the Superintendent’s FY26 Proposed Budget at 10:00 a.m. at East Ridge Middle School, but that isn’t the only opportunity to make your voice heard. Please visit the website to submit questions and learn more.

Next week, we have more RPS grades 5-12 Music Festivals. (The Choral Festival on Tuesday was amazing!) Also, mark your calendar for the Second Annual Inclusion Expo on April 30. We have so much to be proud of and are so grateful to our Town’s Tri-Board partners, PTAs, teachers, staff, and families for your shared dedication to our students.

Have a great weekend,

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Families! Please consider nominating an RPS educator for next year's Teacher of the Year using this form. The Teacher of the Year Program recognizes and honors teacher excellence. It does not attempt to select the "best" teacher; rather, it identifies among many outstanding teachers, one teacher to serve as a visible and vocal representative of what is best in the profession. The program celebrates excellence in teaching by recognizing teachers who have inspired a love of learning in their students, demonstrated fervor within their classroom, and who have distinguished themselves in the profession.

Each school will select a School Teacher of the Year to represent the school in the district's Teacher-of-the-Year selection process.

Please note: There is no school for students on February 14; it is a Professional Learning Day for teachers.

Remember to check your school calendar for early dismissals, special events, concert schedules, and more. Review our Weather-Related Closure Protocols and discuss your family’s plan for an early dismissal with your children.

Registration for Forever Summer Bridge opens this Friday, February 7 at 12:30 pm. Don't miss the window to choose the dates that work best for your family. Summer Bridge offers high-quality programs for rising kindergarten-Grade12 staffed by RPS teachers.

It's time for families to register for the Kindergarten 2025-26 School Year. Sign up and learn all about our Kindergarten Enrollment Process. Read more about the Kindergarten Waiver Process.

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

Resources for LGBTQ+ families and youth, including a monthly game night and virtual caregiver support group, are available in the eBackpack and on ridgefieldctpride.com.

The Curriculum Department posted last week's presentation on the Math Placement Process on the EngagEd website. Please visit the site for videos on a variety of curriculum-related topics.

On Wednesday, a K-12 team of Literacy Coaches, Interventionists, English Department and Special Education Leaders, and administrators participated in the first session of a two-part Professional Learning Series led by Southport CoLab School. The workshop focused on Executive Functioning—the cognitive processes needed to plan and carry out tasks—through the lens of literacy.

Last year, RPS collaborated with the Southport CoLab School to further understand The Science of Reading. This week, Elementary Director Linda Johnson and 6-12 Humanities Director Dr. Annie Tucci invited the CoLab experts back to deepen the team’s understanding of how executive functioning skills relate to literacy development. During the session, the trainers defined executive functioning skills in a classroom context and began sharing strategies to help students strengthen skills such as regulating, initiating, and self-monitoring. They also outlined their instructional approaches to foster these skills and literacy development across all grade levels.

The CoLab team will return on February 12 for the second session to continue supporting the team in enhancing students' literacy and executive functioning skills.

This week, RHS Mandarin classes celebrated the Lunar New Year with exciting activities, welcoming the Year of the Snake in 2025. Students enjoyed traditional foods like dumplings, spring rolls, and yearcakes, symbolizing good luck. They also created Spring Couplets (春联), practicing Chinese calligraphy and its cultural significance. A lively Jeopardy game tested knowledge of Lunar New Year customs, and students received red envelopes (红包) while learning lucky phrases like “新年快乐” (Happy New Year). We also watched a live Chinese New Year broadcast, experiencing festive performances.

Through food, art, and games, students deepened their cultural understanding while having fun. Wishing everyone a happy and prosperous new year! 新年快乐，万事如意！

We hate to say it, but you had to be at the RHS Choral Concert to fully appreciate the magical evening—one of the best of the school year! From the RHS Madrigals' wonderful rendition of Valerie to the full choral performance of Bridge Over Troubled Water that moved many to tears, the evening was an unmitigated success. Please see the full program here.

RHS Choir Director Lauren Verney-Fink says, “The thing I love most about our Choral Festival concert is seeing and hearing the progression of singers from elementary through high school. All ensembles do an awesome job, and it's neat to see where students can go if they stick with the chorus and keep singing! Hearing them bring their voices together on the final song is really the cherry on top of a great night!”

Eighth-grade East Ridge student Emma Carpenter commented on the value of this multi-level performance. “It was a lot of hard work," she says, "But worth it to perform with the High Schoolers and Fifth Graders.”

RPS families are so fortunate to have people like Ms. Verney-Fink and the rest of the inspiring RPS music teachers to bring music and joy into our students' lives. Please see some of the photos from the night and check the RPS Instagram feed for clips.

Band and Orchestra Festivals continue next week!

Thank you to RHS sophomore Mae Carpenter for her contributions to this article, Ms. Verney-Fink, and VPES music teacher Ryan Dunne.

RHS senior Ian Whitehurst is January's Musician of the Month. In the Hamlet Hub article, the music department writes, "Ian started playing the clarinet in sixth grade and 'never stopped', falling in love with the world of music. In only seventh grade, Ian joined the Western Connecticut Youth Orchestra and played in the Wind Ensemble for two years before moving up to playing in the Symphonic Orchestra for WCYO. Ian has also participated in Western Regionals for the entirety of his high school career and has played in All-States for two years. With various teachers assisting and encouraging him, he has become an incredible clarinet player.

Within the walls of Ridgefield High School, Ian is the Clarinet section leader and Concertmaster for the Wind Ensemble. He has enjoyed mentoring his peers and creating incredible friendships, which have molded his social life in high school. Please read the full article in The Hamlet Hub.

Ian will bring his talents to Brown University.

On Wednesday, the class finalists faced off to see who would represent RHS at the Fairfield County Poetry Out Loud Contest. Sophomore Lia Munoz Rojas claimed the Poetry Out Loud trophy and the opportunity to compete at the next level with her stirring recitation of El Ovido by Judith Ortiz Cofer. Alina Mitev was the runner-up, and Alivia Steneken took third. All three winners are sophomores. Kudos to all the finalists for their preparation and presentation. English teachers Julie Henderson and Kevin Higgins organized the event, and students from every grade participated.

Thank you to our four judges!

• Kit Dougherty, Former RHS English Teacher
• Barb Jennes, Former Scotts Ridge Middle School English Teacher and Ridgefield Poet Laureate Emerita
• Erica Redfern, Ridgefield Public Library Librarian
• Dr. Annie Tucci, Humanities Supervisor for RPS

RHS art teacher Dana Phelan reports that last Sunday, a crowd of Ridgefielders and teachers attended the exhibit of the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Teen Fellows Program. RHS students Mae Carpenter, Lizzie Bishop, Sofia Mongardi, Madeline Padilla, and Nate Davi were Aldrich Teen Fellows, working with museum educators, curators, and archivists to learn how museums operate and how contemporary artists work. The students reflected on the current exhibits and interpreted the work in their own visual language.

Senior Sofia Monardi writes, "Being an Aldrich Teen Fellow is an incredibly valuable and enriching experience. From speaking with the museum curatorial staff to visiting the museum archives and interviewing the exhibiting artists, I have had the opportunity to learn so much about the workings of the museum. I have loved getting to collaborate with the other Teen Fellows and I am so grateful to be a part of this community!"

The Teen Fellows is a grant-supported program that students do not have to pay to join.

On January 13, the Ridgefield High School Chess club hosted a chess tournament for nearby schools. The tournament consisted of three rounds, with each school playing each other once in a one-hour (max) game.

In a chess tournament, the players' opponents are chosen by chair number, which is a way of ranking players, with one being the highest-rated player and downward. Each player gets their respective chair number.

Leading Ridgefield into battle were Liam Davis (playing first chair), Carson Fincham (second chair), Walter Treat (third chair), and Ava Treat (fourth chair).

The event began at 2:45 p.m., with Ridgefield going against Newtown. The first chair, Davis vs. Hammond, ended with a win for Ridgefield. The third chair, Treat vs. Albanese, posted another win for Ridgefield, this one dominating from the first moment to the last.

The second round against Danbury provided more difficulty for the players. Ridgefield had no wins. However, players did not view that as a negative thing. “It makes us all better players,” Ava Treat says. “We can see where we made a mistake or blundered and know not to repeat it. That is definitely one of the aspects of chess that people don’t think about. Every time we lose, we get better going forward.” The third round was Danbury against Newtown, which was an opportunity for Ridgefield to view the games and play each other. It concluded rather quickly, with Danbury again winning all-set matches.

Respect and kindness were apparent among the schools throughout the tournament. Not only did the schools all play a joint game together at the conclusion of the event, but they all played each other for practice and fun before the tournament began.

For any interested student, the RHS chess club meets on Wednesdays, welcoming all levels of players.

RPS Teacher of the Year, Barlow Mountain kindergarten teacher Lisa Whelan, reports that she and former RPS Teacher of the Year, BMES first grade teacher Suzanne Meyer, took a big step (or, more accurately, lots of little steps) to accomplish their resolution. "We did it," Whelan writes. "Ran three races in three days. Now prepping for the NYC 1/2 marathon. Hoping to raise $2000 for Safe Horizon." Safe Horizon is a nonprofit that supports victims of abuse and violence.

Way to go, Lisa and Sue!

Do you want to learn how to save someone's life? Do you want to change from a bystander to an upstander in an emergency? In partnership with Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is introducing a series of important life skill classes geared to teens! In the first class that they're offering, you'll learn how to use Narcan, a life-saving drug that is used in the event of an opioid overdose. The only requirement is that you must be a current high school student. Scan the QR code in the attached flyer to sign up!

The Winners of the Ridgefield Prevention Council 2024 Anti-Vaping Poster contest are:

RHS Grand Prize Winner: 12 grader, Jake Kurtz (image above)

RHS Runner Up: 9th grader, Ava Armstrong

ERMS Grand Prize Winner: 8th grader, Keven Ye

ERMS Runner Up: 8th grader, Charley Tanana

SRMS Grand Prize Winner: 7th grader, Brianna Gemlin

SRMS Runner Up: 6th grader, Chase Kurtz, 8th grader, Gwenyth Sanderson & 6th grader, Luca Sisca

RHS Girls and Boys Basketball continue their winning streaks, pulling down rival Wilton last night. Boys Varsity Hoops is now 9-0.

Please see the RHS Athletics webpage for upcoming game schedules and tickets.

On Sunday, 30 Branchville Elementary families came out to hit the slopes at Mohawk Mountain with Bob the Beaver, Principal Margolus, and Assistant Principal Tighe for the 4th Annual BES PTA Family Ski Day!

Parents came to Scotland to celebrate Lunar New Year!

The RHS Jazz Band took their talents on the road this week on what they called the RHS Jazz Band World Tour....Around Ridgefield. This talented group of musicians led by George Beratis took the Farmingville Elementary and Scotts Ridge stages this week to the delight of students and staff. An amazing showcase of hard work and talent!

At Monday's Board of Education meeting, the Educators Rising Club members presented about their upcoming competition and ways for students interested in becoming teachers to get involved.

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.