RPS Update

Here we are, just about a week away from the closing of school, and SURPRISE we are navigating the cancellation and rescheduling of many important year-end events due to “air quality.” I don’t think many of us could have predicted an end-of-year like this one! The good news is that most of the planned activities have been able to be modified slightly or rescheduled.

The RPS team is hard at work hiring exceptional staff to join the collective body of our amazing faculty. This week, we met with potential School Security Officers (SSOs) as well as Spanish, Italian, and English teachers. We look forward to introducing you to our new faculty members in late summer.

This weekend I hope to finalize the Class of 2023 commencement speech, and I know students and colleagues at RHS will be doing the same. I hope to that our student interns can give me constructive feedback. We have revitalized a tradition of the past by having graduation at RHS…..now, the rain and smoke need to stay away.

Soon, the 22-23 school year will be a WRAP, and our updates will be winding down.

Have a great weekend,

Susie

Dr. Susie Da Silva

Photo (above) Caption: East Ridge sixth graders on Team Andes participated in a Day of Action today, which had them collecting trash around ERMS, visiting a local senior center, making sandwiches for the Dorothy Day House, and pinwheels with Veterans Park first graders. The RHS senior interns participated so it was great to see three levels of RPS represented, working hard, being kind, and having fun.

Photo Caption: BOE Members join the RPS community at PRIDE in the Park. More information about local PRIDE events and other LGBTQ+ resources is available here. Click here to read a Ridgefield Press opinion piece about Pride in the Park '23: A message of love, inclusion, diversity, belonging and hope.

The full district calendar can be found here.

On Monday, June 12, there will be a regular Board of Education meeting at 7 pm. The agenda and a live and recorded stream will be available on the Board of Education page.

Because of cancellations, there is limited availability in the Elementary Bridge Program. Sign up here for one of these engaging, fun summer sessions.

Senior parades through their elementary schools are a fun annual rite of passage that lets RHS seniors practice pinning their mortar boards and walking in graduation robes to the cheering of young RPS fans and former teachers. This year, Elementary principals have put in every effort to streamline the Senior Grad Walk at each elementary school to ensure safety and minimize disruption to the school day. Seniors and parents please follow all the expectations and procedures here and register here today! Please remind your friends. We can't wait to celebrate with you and your families.

Because of air quality issues, we postponed the Visual Arts Festival slated for tonight. The event will move to Monday, June 12th from 6-8 pm at SRMS. All other logistics will remain the same for Monday. Of course, we will continue to examine both the air quality and weather over the course of the weekend to ensure all safety for all on Monday.

Juneteenth (Monday, June 19) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. To commemorate the occasion, the RPS Juneteenth planning team has curated a selection of materials for use in observance of Juneteenth. The planning team thought deeply about a meaningful approach to providing resources and options for all grade levels with the shortened and modified schedules that the last day of school brings. The team compiled a list of options, ideas, and materials for schools to select from that are age and developmentally-appropriate. These resources share the history of Juneteenth through stories, poetry, and music connected to themes of freedom and resilience. For the elementary level, the team selected the texts A Flag for Juneteenth, Free at Last, and Opal Lee. For the secondary level, the team co-created an RPS Observance of Juneteenth video with a small team of Senior Interns from RHS, eighth-grade students, and the vocals of our combined RHS, ERMS, and SRMS choirs singing, “Woke up this morning.” Additionally, RPS Library Learning Commons at all schools and the Ridgefield Public Library have titles available for students to learn more about Juneteenth.

The planning team also strives to connect RPS students and families to other community organizations, resources, and partners celebrating this day.

Here are some events or ways to engage locally and in the state of CT:

Ridgefield Historical Society: Visit the Witness Stones (photo) located outside by the front steps at the Historical Society to learn more about the lives of Lidia and Quash, two formerly enslaved people of Ridgefield. Click here to watch the Installation Ceremony of their Witness Stones led by Grade 8 Social Studies Students.

Ridgefield Playhouse: In honor of Juneteenth, The Board of Directors of the Ridgefield Playhouse and Discovering Amistad have joined together to present a unique, two-part cultural event.

The Amistad Center Events in Harford: Saturday, June 10 from 12 to 4 pm - Juneteenth Family Day (Free): Gather with us outdoors for festivities, live performances, drumming, crafting and more!

Saturday, June 17, 2023 - The Amistad Center’s 32nd annual Juneteenth Celebration at the Wadsworth Museum in Hartford. This event is Greater Hartford’s premier and longest running Juneteenth event commemorating emancipation, history, and culture.

Juneteenth March in New Haven: The Official Juneteenth Coalition has collaborated with Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities in conducting a parade from the old Stetson Library to the New Haven Green where there will be a Juneteenth Market, interactive activities, and live performances.

Photo Caption: Witness Stones at the Ridgefield Historical Society commemorating the lives of Lidia and Quash, two enslaved Ridgefield residents.

Last week's RPS Update reported on the Connecticut State Department of Educations's new Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge (GSRC) aligned to the national iRead summer challenge theme - “Find your Voice.” To find more information please look here: Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge Landing Page. We also wanted to call parents' attention to the Commissioner's Summer Math Challenge, which stresses the importance of maintaining math skills during the summer.

Mini-kindergartens started this week! How fun to welcome next year's kindergarten classes in this annual rite of passage. They make our seasoned kindergarteners look all grown-up. Please make sure that you have registered your kindergarten-eligible kids and help RPS spread the word to your neighbors, friends, and community. Thank you!

During the past couple of weeks, Superintendent Dr. Da Silva, BOE Chair Tina Malhotra, and BOE members met with groups of parents to hear highlights, challenges, and thoughts for the future. Parents shared concerns about class sizes, STEAM, World Language instruction, shortage of volunteers and more support in PTA leadership, anxiety through transitions, enrichment, conflict resolution, college counseling, and more. Parents expressed love for their children's teachers, PTA programs, building leaders, and RPS, and understanding about the District's request not to go to Social Media to resolve questions or with concerns about teachers, staff, or volunteers. Thank you!

Parents asked, “where should they go when they have concerns?” This simple question has a complex answer depending on the situation, the age of the student, and other mitigating factors. For high school and middle school, ideally, students are learning to be self-advocates. Even some elementary students are able to self-advocate with confidence. Self-advocacy could mean meeting with the teacher, a school counselor, or other trusted adult. However, sometimes issues are beyond a student's domain.

In this case, parents should start with the teacher or counselor whenever possible. The teacher or counselor likely knows the situation and the student best. If the issue is outside the classroom or too sensitive to approach a teacher directly, please go to the building leader—the principal, assistant principal, or elementary supervisor. Dr. Da Silva noted that confidentiality can make it appear that situations aren't being addressed even when they are. She observed that 90% of issues that arise are about conflicts between students and that students' safety, well-being, and comfort are paramount to the District—always.

Assistant Superintendent Cory Gillette is the head of Curriculum and a font of information. If the situation regards a district-wide issue or policy, please go directly to the Board of Education. There are opportunities for public comment at the beginning and end of every Board of Education meeting, and emails can be sent to the Board at boardofeducation@ridgefieldps.net or the department involved, say Curriculum or Maintenance. The door is always open, and we strive for collaboration and communication with parents, staff, and students.

A good relationship between families and schools is vital to our District. Thank you for your partnership.

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

Recently, the Ridgefield High School English Department Chair, Patricia Boutilier and Grade 9 English teachers Dr. Jackie Aaron, Kimberly Benson, Kathy Gabbay, Dr. Emily Kilbourn, Teri Kovacs, Daniel Ostasiewski, Sollito, and Jane Tulley visited Kathy Beall, Christie Hackett, Kathy Scheer, and Carly Timpson grade 8 ELA classrooms at ERMS and SRMS. During the visits, teachers observed rising ninth graders' readiness and witnessed them engaging in their learning through collaborative group work, discourse, writing, and acting! After visiting, Dr. Annie Tucci, 6-12 Humanities Supervisor and the visiting teachers debriefed about their experiences in preparation for next year. As we were leaving one classroom, a student was overheard saying, "Ok, I am not so nervous about High School anymore!" These visits, similar to sixth grade visits to grade five, will continue in the late fall welcoming our 5th and 8th grade teachers to grade 6 and 9th grade classes.

Caption: Kathy Bealls' Scotts Ridge students hold props and wear costumes to act out a scene from "Romeo and Juliet" with RHS ninth-grade and SRMS eighth-grade ELA teachers.

Last week, East Ridge Middle School Principal Jennifer Phostole and 6-12 Humanities Supervisor Dr. Annie Tucci attended The 6th annual Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Symposium. The purpose of this day of professional learning was to learn from experts across the country how to make SEL a student-centered priority.

Ms. Phostole and Dr. Tucci described the day:

The morning opened with remarks from leaders at the Urban Assembly and SEL Nation, who set the tone for a focused day of purpose by asking attendees to keep one question in mind throughout the day, “What does it look, feel, and sound like when our students have their social-emotional needs met along with their academic needs?” A student panel followed with voices and wisdom that set the tone for motivation and inspiration. During the student panel, the audience had a chance to ask questions, and there was something special in how all the panelists, regardless of age, spoke the same language, an SEL language. They spoke of themselves with characteristics and traits like being self-aware, good at building relationships, a strong communicator, and having optimistic thinking. They each shared about the connections they had to adults in their school building; an ELA teacher that was helping with self-awareness; an assistant principal who was making them a better decision maker; a statistics teacher who was helping them with having optimistic thinking, and many other stories of connection.

The morning sessions concluded with Dr. Christine Cipriano, Director of Research at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, leading a discussion about the extensive and growing body of research that SEL programs positively impact students.

The afternoon included workshops to meet all the attendees' interests. The afternoon workshops that we attended were excellent and shared how school districts engage with embedding SEL in all facets of educational programming. Leaders of local districts in CT and NY led sessions to share the purpose of their roles, and how they keep SEL at the center of their practice.

Reflecting on the day, both Ms. Phostole and Dr. Tucci agree that “there was a synergy that was palpable and reminded us that this is why we are in this work, for our students.”

Ridgebury students grades 3-5 donned spirit gear Thursday to host an exclusive virtual visit with Gordon Korman, author of over 100 books. Logging on, students were thrilled to discover Korman was wearing a Ridgebury t-shirt too! (Spirit wear secretly sent in advance!) Korman spoke about his writing process and shared the surprising story of how he wrote his first published book in seventh grade! During the Q&A, Nikki Stunkel's third grade students picked Korman's brain "in the chat" about his book Unplugged, their current class read-aloud. Two Meet squares to the left, fifth graders waved worn copies of Korman's books whenever he name-dropped their favorites. The prolific author's advice to students: "Nothing happens overnight. If you want something, you have to work for it." Thank you to the Ridgebury PTA for sponsoring this event!

Barlow Mountain kindergarteners got to go to New Pond Farm recently on a field trip of discovery, fun, and animals.

The sixth annual Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH) Great American Bake Off happened this week. Congratulations to all the juniors who provided a "taste" of history:) Looks delicious.

Fifth graders at all six RPS elementary schools went to ACT (A Contemporary Theatre of Connecticut) to see the musical A Secret Garden (book and lyrics by Marsha Norman, music by Lucy Simon, adapted from the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett). Branchville Principal Keith Margolus and Farmingville Principal Nancy Caron coordinated the grade-level trip with ACT. Principal Caron writes, "The fifth-grade trip to The Secret Garden was magical! The actors, actresses, and sets were phenomenal. It was amazing to see our students' faces in awe of the story coming to life in front of them and to hear their excitement after the show. Their imaginations were clearly sparked!"

How lucky we are to live in a town with such an incredible theater!

Scotland Elementary put on their version of the musical Beauty and the Beast JR this week. Congratulations to the cast, crew, and all involved in this adorable production. Please see a pdf of the program for Beauty and the Beast to see the stars, crew, volunteers, and staff who pulled off this heart-warming production.

On Friday, June 2, five select ensembles from both East Ridge and Scotts Ridge middle schools attended Fantastic Festivals, an adjudication festival at Hall High School in West Hartford.

The ensembles were the ERMS Wind Ensemble, the ERMS Chamber Singers, the SRMS Festival Band, the SRMS Chamber Singers, and the all-town Symphonic Orchestra.

All of the groups earned platinum ratings and received a clinic from the adjudicators on further possible improvements that may have added additional nuance and artistry to the performances. At the conclusion of the festival, they got to celebrate their accomplishments with an afternoon at Lake Compounce Amusement Park.

“The East Ridge Wind Ensemble earned a Platinum Rating, and performed: Highlights from Harry Potter, A Song for Friends, and Celtic Air & Dance #3,” commented band teacher Hilary Brown. “ Afterward, they employed various strategies for keeping cool on a hot afternoon at Lake Compounce.”

Hats off to the RPS Middle School Music Team: Hilary Brown (ERMS Wind Ensemble), Andrew Clavi (SRMS Festival Band), Rebecca Merrick (ERMS Chamber Singers), Michael LaBarre (SRMS Chamber Singers), and Shane Peters (all-town Symphonic Orchestra).

Read Mr. Mac's full Hamlet Hub article here.

An RHS Student Art Show opened this week at The Meetinghouse, 605 Ridgebury Rd., Ridgefield. RHS art teacher Dana Phelan worked with interns to curate, prepare, and install the work. Art teacher Jane Grassi writes, "It is a splendid show, G-rated suitable for all to see."

Kudos to interns, Harrison Beckenstein, Tessa Carlucci, Kevin Cunningham, and Cody Odette; art teachers; and exhibiting artists! The show will be up until June 28. Please contact the Meetinghouse for gallery hours.

Last year, Scotland Elementary students became passionate about a fundraising initiative, Walk to Water, where the school raised over $17,000 to build a well in Africa. Last week, Scotland fifth graders from last year, came back for a "Sudan Reunion." SES Principal Jill Katkocin reports that they had a presentation from Elissa Rowley, Director of Development and Communications from Water for South Sudan. Ms. Rowley showed the location where they dedicated the well to Scotland students! "It was such a fun night," said Principal Katkocin. "It was amazing to have our sixth graders back. And to see the well finished"

RHS business student and incoming investment club co-president Ignacio "Nacho" Brina placed 1st in the state and 7th in the country in the Investwrite contest. Please read his award-winning essay about what he learned about partnership and hard work as a student in Argentina. Business department leader Jesse Peterkin writes, "Nacho is our fifth state winner overall!" Liz Reidel who is National Director of the Stock Market Game Program came to RHS in a surprise presentation this morning. She's on the right in the photo below with Mr. Peterkin, Nacho's mom, and Nacho. Congratulations!

The RHS Post Grad party is an annual town-wide tradition that keeps our teens safe and is a lot of fun. The committee needs a lot of community volunteers to provide this festive shindig on June 21. Because graduation takes place on a Wednesday this year, they are particularly short-staffed. Please consider taking a shift to keep this wonderful tradition going. No experience needed.

Volunteer and donate here.

Some powerful background information from the Post-Grad Party website:

"Through a tragic event that occurred in 1983, the RHS Post Graduation Party was born. Designed to be the most spectacular party in each student’s school history, the Post Grad party is intended to provide a celebratory safe environment for our RHS Grads. Held the night of graduation, this event gets the grads off the roads and into a safe place, while also allowing them to party the night away. Drug and alcohol-free, this senior-centered event has annually proven to be an awesome experience for all."

Tuesday was the RHS Senior Awards night. We will share the full list of awards and scholarships in the end-of-the-year issue of RPS Update but wanted to share some cute photos from the night. Congratulations to all!

Scotts Ridge Middle School celebrated the school's Teacher of the Year, Marc Perry, while honoring the SRMS Senior Interns. Mr. Perry is on the left with ELA teachers (not interns) Shane Luery and Brendan Leslie. Congrats, Mr. Perry. Thank you to all the RPS interns!

Second and third graders pair up for a fun lesson and a lot of smiles.

Scotland fifth graders impressed families and staff with their original poems at the Poetry Cafe last week. The Parisian theme leant a certain je ne sais quoi to the event.

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.