RPS Update

We have been described as a “District of Choice” and we carry this description as a badge of honor- even more so because it is felt by those who matter most, those who work and live in our community. During a visit to RHS this week, one of the newest members of our staff, School Safety Officer Larry Bray, shared, “it is true what they told me about Ridgefield; it is different. It is so great here- the kids, the faculty….thank you for giving me this opportunity.” Truth is, we hire the best!

This week we celebrate our 100th episode of the Ridgefield Tiger Talk podcast. On this show, you can listen to members of our faculty share what makes RPS a great place to work- don’t miss it! When thinking about the many reasons why RPS is special, without a doubt our clear focus is on our students and our partnerships, energy, and our eagerness to always get better and grow.

A few of us from Central Office joined 8th graders from ERMS and SRMS at the high school to see the musical Little Women. The cast and crew are outstanding! Thank you to Ms. Gillette and Mr. McNamara for coordinating this viewing for our middle school students. Don’t miss it! Purchase a ticket fast; this is the last weekend!

Today, March 15, the Curriculum Committee of the Board of Education met to highlight our website, as well as provide additional curriculum updates. You can view the meeting on our BOE Channel.

Have a wonderful weekend. I’m looking forward to the continuing signs of spring!

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Please check your school's calendar for important dates.

Little Women

March 15 & 16
7 PM

RHS Auditorium

Tickets here

Tonight is Senior Night!

NOTE: Early dismissal this Thursday for students. The Board of Finance Public Hearing on Monday, March 25, is at East Ridge Middle School at 7 pm so the Board of Education meeting has been moved to Tuesday, March 26 at 7 pm. All BOE regular and committee meetings, meeting agendas and minutes can be accessed on the Board of Education page.

RPS knows that each high school student's approach to summer is different. Whatever your family's plans, please look at the offerings on the Summer Bridge website for an array of opportunities offered by RPS teachers.

From full course credits that will complete Connecticut State Department of Education-required American government, health, or personal finance classes to a Crash Course in Cross Country running (taught by the RHS coach and team members) to an RHS orientation for rising ninth-graders to Spanish and French language intensives to screenwriting and cooking classes to a jump start on summer work with AP US History teachers to engaging social justice initiatives to substantive volunteer programs, there are so many AMAZING opportunities on the website.

Space is limited! Please take a look and register ASAP so you and RHS can plan for a great Summer 2024.

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.

Wow, we made it to 100 episodes! On this very special episode of Ridgefield Tiger Talk we reach out to some of our teachers and administrators to tell us why RPS is such an amazing place! Joining us is Elizabeth Van Duyne, Jennifer DeJulio, Michael Murphy, Sarah Kehoe, Jamie Palladino, Tom Grace, Cory Gillette, and Dr. Susie Da Silva. We are so proud and fortunate to have the remarkable staff that we do. Thanks for getting us to 100 episodes, and thanks for listening!

The Ridgefield Police Department announced that Officer Fernando Luis retired this week after 27 years of devoted service to the RFD. Many RPS families will recognize Officer Luis for his dedication to our students as a member of the Police department, a DARE instructor, School Resource Officer, coach, and more. Best wishes on your retirement and thank you for all you did for RPS, Officer Luis!

You will be missed!

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.

On March 28, RPS collaborator Dr. Ben Powers will present on the Science of Reading on the Curriculum RPS Curriculum YouTube channel. Link to login and submit questions here.

In a striking display of interdepartmental synergy, Michael Murphy's Product Design class students have teamed up with the high school librarian Laura Kosky to bring an inventive project to life—a portable mini golf course designed for use within the library and beyond.

This initiative not only showcases the incredible talent and creativity of RHS students but also underscores the project's primary goal—to create an engaging, educational experience that can easily be transported and shared within our community. By incorporating design principles and leveraging literature for thematic inspiration, such as obstacles from The Hungry Caterpillar and Clifford, this project extends learning beyond the classroom, offering a unique blend of fun, educational, and practical design solutions. This collaborative effort reflects our commitment to fostering interdisciplinary connections and enhancing the educational landscape in dynamic, inclusive, and accessible ways.

A little more background on the project: In the Product Design I class, students create a product for their final Client Design Project. Three groups asked if they could create something for the library. Kosky thought of a mini-golf course designed to be easily set up in the library and easily transported to share with the community.

The photos above show students golfing in the RHS hallways and library.

Emily Yee, a senior at RHS, has been a part of the Science Research program since sophomore year. Read a Q&A below to find out about the program, her research, and recent success at the CT Science and Engineering Fair.

What is special about Science Research?

The Science Research course allows you to conduct professional, original, research on any topic under the sun. I am a vegetarian of eight years and entered the program knowing I wanted to research a trait important to mental health.

What is your research?

I chose to research The Efficacy of Plant Based Protein vs. Animal Based Protein on Sleep Quantity. Choosing this topic and understanding the science behind it took my first year and a half in the program.

I have heard that Science Research students choose mentors outside of RHS. Who is your mentor and how did she support you?

With the help of my mentor, Dr. Marie St. Onge (Director of Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia University) I wrote my methodology and gained approval from the IRB in spring of junior year. I used flies as my model organism to measure sleep, and handmade each of my independent variables with agar, either soy or beef protein isolate, and water. I recorded flies in a lab for a 24 hour period for three trials for my data. I conducted my experiment and analyzed the data over the course of the summer and fall of senior year.

What happened after you completed your research?

With completed research and results, I am able to take part in more competitive fairs. Typically, it involves sending my abstract, forms, and other necessary materials along with a presentation (ranging from 3-6 minutes) in front of a panel of judges.

How are the fairs going?

Recently, I won 4th place in my division for CT STEM, and was selected to be a finalist at CSEF (Connecticut Science and Engineering Fair) after initial virtual judging. Science Research at RHS has provided me with the amazing opportunity to learn how to do real, scientific research, communicate and form relationships with scientists across the country, and present my research I am passionate about!

Jennifer DeJulio's RHS juniors helped make this slide show, which has been shown on hallway TVs during Women's History Month. This year's theme is Women Who Advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. March 8 was International Women's Day. RPS salutes the women making a difference in our schools and our students' lives every day!

This week, Branchville Elementary third graders visited the Peter Parley Schoolhouse in town, where they learned about what it was like to be a student in 18th-century Ridgefield and how boys and girls were taught and treated differently. Local experts from the Ridgefield Historical Society shared stories about people across Ridgefield's history and beyond who helped support equity in education, work, and government. This program is organized and subsidized by the BES PTA DEIB (Diversity Equity Inclusion Belonging) Committee.

Artist and art educator Jeff Hopkins spent two days at Ridgebury Elementary this week in an engaging artist-in-residence program called “Pictures Come to Life” that got kids thinking, drawing, collaborating, making up stories, and performing. Some of the students had heard about Hopkins before he arrived during a PTA PACE art appreciation lesson so when they saw him in person it was like they were meeting someone famous.

On Monday, Hopkins engaged students with an animated folklore story he wrote to explain why the sea is rough and salty. Mr. Hopkins’ magic marker moved fast as he sketched the story on large format paper. Teachers and students were thrilled by Mr. Hopkins' presentation. “He was awesome,” declared a veteran teacher. “He had us all gripped.”

Hopkins also worked with third graders to help them create a “Pictures Come to Life” sketch, which they performed for kindergarten, first, and second graders. In Hopkins’ lessons, students were on their toes, thinking on their feet, laughing, stretching, and working together.

RPS art teacher Rachael Penney met Mr. Hopkins at a professional development workshop hosted by the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum years ago and hosted him at Farmingville Elementary. So when the Ridgebury PTA consulted Ms. Penney in search of an art-based enrichment to support, she didn’t hesitate to recommend him. Here is a video of Mr. Hopkins’ presentation on the Guggenheim Museum and its architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

Thank you to the Ridgebury PTA for its generous support of this creative program. It was awesome.

Photo above: Pictures Come to Life, Day 1

Below: Pictures Come to Life, Day 2

Recent weekends, early mornings, afternoons, and evenings have been filled with the sound of music...the March women...Little Orphan Annie...and Willie Wonka. It's unofficial Theater Season at RPS with shows last week and continuing into April. The RHS musical, "Little Women" opened last weekend with two performances this weekend. Tickets here. DO NOT MISS!

Last weekend, Barlow Mountain Elementary put on three sold-out shows of "Willie Wonka". To see all involved in this production, please view the Willie Wonka Playbill. This week, Farmingville presented their talents and hope for the sun to come out with "Annie, Jr"—playbill here. Branchville and Ridgebury Elementary and the two middle schools are in rehearsals. Please see a video of some of these amazing performances and behind the scenes takes below.

Thank you to the amazing PTAs, theater parents, and RPS staff. Without you, our kids wouldn't have these amazing experiences. Next week, we plan to feature Amanda Cody, director of "Annie, Jr."

Violet Beauregarde Photo Credit: Rebecca Avallone

Video by John Mansfield

March showers bring...March flowers? That's definitely true at Ridgebury Elementary. In art with Rachael Penney, second graders learned about color relationships and how artists use them in their work. The students looked at the work of female artist Berthe Morisot and other Impressionists to consider how they used white and black with their color combinations to create different values within their pieces. Please see a selection of the second-graders beautiful bouquets below.

Scan the QR code below for tickets for the Scotts Ridge Middle School musical

Ticckets for East Ridge Middle School’s GREASE are now on sale!

Performance Dates

Friday April 5 at 6:00 PM

Saturday April 6 at 1:00 PM

Tickets will be $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students/children (under age 14). They will also be selling tickets at the door through cash or QR code/credit card. There will not be assigned seating.

Click link below to purchase tickets beforehand:

https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/82324

Congratulations to RHS Educators Rising club students on their stellar performance at the state competition at Central Connecticut State University on Friday, March 8. Shelby Lewis took first place in the EdRising Moment category where she highlighted why she wants to become a teacher, Isabella Klugman came in third place in Children’s Literature with her self-authored and illustrated children's book, and the team of Katherine Burns, Isabella Klugman, and Shelby Lewis won first place in the Inside our Schools category with a presentation that focused on RHS' innovative flex program. We are so proud of our future teachers!

Photo above left- Shelby Lewis and Isabella Klugman

Photo above right- RHS attendees - Shelby Lewis, Jake Levi, Isabella Klugman, Clara Padilla

RHS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) advisor Kelly Ann Predham writes, "I am excited to share and beyond proud of the incredible achievements of our students at yesterday's State Conference. Five years ago, Our FBLA club had just 12 members. Today, we have a thriving club of 140 paid members making us the largest Chapter in the State of Connecticut. At yesterday’s Conference, RHS was a force to be reckoned with. 110 of our students actively participated and I am thrilled to report that 65 of them placed in the top five in the state! This earns them coveted spots to compete at the National level."

The breakout results were as follows:

Placement # Of Students

First Place 16

Second Place 14

Third Place 9

Fourth Place 10

Fifth Place 16

The success of these students did not happen by chance. It was the result of months of intense preparation, collaboration, and determination. Each student invested significant time preparing/refining presentations, studying for tests, and tackling impromptu case studies. Good luck at Nationals, RHS!

The RHS DECA team competed against over 900 students in the CT State DECA Conference last Wednesday, March 6. Three of our students took home top-five finishes in their respective Categories. Addis Engel in Retail Merchandising, Carolina Bergagnini, and Hannah Gilland in Travel and Tourism Team Decision Making. Club advisor Tricia Andrews writes, "It was a great day by all competitors and I am so proud of all of their dedication and efforts. Thank you all for your continued support of DECA and all of our students."

The RHS girls long-distance relay team of Ava Malagisi, Nora Foley, Ally Olsen, and Lainey Matthews set a new school record this weekend at the New Balance Indoor Nationals. The RHS boys distance medley relay team captured their fourth National title —All Americans! This RHS dynasty, led by Steven Hergenrother (top left) and great times contributed by Charles Lovett, Aidan Nelson, and Magnus Manley, was crowned at Nationals last weekend.

On Monday, RHS Unified Sports tipped off at a fun tournament at Fairfield Ludlowe High School. Let's go, Tigers!!!

RHS senior swimmer Jack Clancy set a new Class L record in the 200 Freestyle and won both that and the 500 Free at the Class L Championship this week. Jack, a Penn State University commit, also won FCIAC Outstanding Swimmer 2023-24. Hard work pays off! Congratulations, Jack!

Photo below: The RHS Boys Swim Team come in third at a recent FCIAC meet.

East Ridge Assistant Principal Tom Grace and Principal Jennifer Phostole are green with Irish pride.

Scotland music teacher Jim Tornatore and strings teacher Josh Sette join third-grader Iris Wang and fourth-grader Raymond Song to start the mornin' right.

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.