RPS Update

Across the many communications and public speeches I have made over the past five years, I often reflect on how the Ridgefield Public Schools is a special place: precious and unique. I speak about the people, individually and collectively, and the difference they make each and every day in our schools and our District as a whole. Late Wednesday afternoon, we learned of the tragic and sad news that a member of our RPS community, Nicole Weintraub, a 5th-grade teacher at Farmingville Elementary, had a sudden medical emergency and has passed on.

I frequently reach out to staff to share feedback that supervisors or others have expressed about their teaching. I thought I would take a moment to share with you some of the highlights that I wrote to Nicole over the past two years:

• Kids love you, so do parents.

• You are a strong teacher- clear.

• You are full of potential- you ask good questions, study, and are open.

• You connect really well with students.

• Your teaching is phenomenal.

• You volunteer.

• You're teaching- not for show; kids are doing an amazing job.

• Kids are learning so much, and,

• You learn- and continue to grow.

Nicole’s impact on the entire FES community is inspiring, and her loss is immeasurable. We stand alongside the students, faculty, and families of FES as they grieve and cope with the loss of this cherished member of RPS.

With deep sadness,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

“Joy and pain, like sunshine and rain.”

— Rob Base, quoted from Cory Gillette

This week, RPS students and administrators joined members of the Board of Education and town leaders to break ground on the new Alternative High School and Ridgefield Transition Program site. Work on the site, which is adjacent to the Dog Park on Prospect Ridge, has already begun.

Editor's Note: RPS issued a corrected Update last week, after getting the start date for Teacher Appreciation wrong. Our apologies to the PTA and parents for any confusion. Teacher Appreciation Week starts this Monday. Look for communications from your PTA about ways to celebrate our great RPS teachers and staff.

Longtime friend of RPS and Holocaust survivor, Judith Altmann, passed away this week at the age of 100 (The Quintessential Survivor Has Died at 100 ). RHS Principal Jake Greenwood writes, "Judith Altmann dedicated years of her life to educating generations of Ridgefield students about the horrors of the Holocaust and the resilience of the human spirit. Her strength, compassion, and unwavering commitment to truth have left an indelible mark on our community. We are forever grateful for the lessons she shared."

On this week’s episode of Ridgefield Tiger Talk, we welcome back Assistant Principal for RHS Mike Yagid and Science Teacher JR Condosta. We discuss the University of Connecticut’s Early College Experience Program (or ECE for short), how it differs from a traditional AP course, the robust experiences our students have to choose from, and some impressive accolades for Ridgefield High School. Thanks for listening!

Remember to check your school calendar for for art shows, concerts, field days, and other end-of-the-year events!

The Annual Town Meeting is scheduled for Monday, May 5, 2025, at 7:30 p.m. at the Ridgefield Playhouse. At this meeting, residents will have the opportunity to vote on budget items under $100,000. The Budget Referendum, which includes all other budget items, will be held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, from 6:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Yanity Gym. As it gets closer, a sample ballot will be made public so that residents can familiarize themselves with the budget questions before voting day. The sample ballot will be available on the Town website and in the Town Clerk's Office.

RPS knows that the following six months are some of the busiest times for moving. Please let your building leaders know if you are planning a move that will change your children's school. Ask any new neighbors with school-age children if they've registered. We love our RPS Village!

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. Pride in the Park organizers are looking for volunteers. Please look in the e-Backpack or visit their website for more information on LGBTQ+ events and ways to get involved.

The Housatonic Resources Recovery Authority (HRRA) hosted its annual award banquet this week, and RPS students took home some hardware, warm hearts from doing good, and cold, hard cash. This year, the HRRA Billboard Contest asked participants to create a billboard advertisement to teach residents that batteries don’t belong in their trash or household recycling and promote how to dispose of them properly. Students' billboards were judged against entries at their grade level from all 14 HRRA Towns (thousands of entries!). The students earned prize money for themselves. And, grand-prize winner Skyler R. won $250 for Branchville Elementary as well! Skyler's poster is above.

Congratulations to our winners: Skyler R., Branchville, Grade 5, Grand Prize, Hannah P., Farmingville, Grade 4, Oliver C., Ridgebury, Grade 3, Shira L., East Ridge, Grade 7, Alanna C., RHS, Grade 9

Light pours into the Ridgebury Occupational and Physical Therapy classroom. Yes, it's a beautiful spring day, but it's also the light that OT Ginette Howard exudes when she talks about her work and the light her students reflect when they see her. Pure joy! Ms. Howard, who has been at RPS for 26 years, is one of six OTs in the district.

"The role of occupational therapist," Ms. Howard explains, "is to help students with disabilities learn in a least restrictive and natural environment while accessing the educational program." RPS OTs work with general and special education teachers to provide services in the classroom and pull students out for evaluations and one-on-one instruction. Every student has different goals, and the OTs provide technology, skills, and strategies to promote independence and foster growth.

Ms. Howard currently works at Ridgebury, East Ridge Middle School, the Alternative High School and the 18-22 year-old Transition Program. She cites the IEP process as integral to understanding each student and creating an educational plan. Some students need OT's help with fine motor skills, while others have sensory difficulties, are working on hygiene or feeding themselves, or exhibit social and emotional challenges. Students with attention deficits, for example, might benefit from movement breaks, access to fidgets or even sitting on a ball or a different chair. Students on the autism spectrum might exhibit sensory difficulties (like sound or touch) and have behavioral challenges as a result. OTs can help evaluate the source of a student's needs and employ a raft of strategies, from an iPad app to a breathing ball to yoga to games to help teach regulation and life skills.

This summer, the OT team will work on a curriculum that will help students get in touch with an awareness of internal sensations including breathing, abdominal, tactile, and temperature in various parts of their body.

Assistant Superintendent of Special Service Dr. Liz Hannaway writes, “Ginette is a deeply committed member of our district community whose creativity and clinical insight have helped countless students make meaningful progress. Her colleagues continually turn to her as a trusted thought partner, valuing both her expertise and her generous spirit.”

RPS is fortunate to have skilled, knowledgeable, and caring educators like Ginette Howard on our team!

The annual East Ridge Geography Bee took place on Wednesday. East Ridge students took a written test in February, and students with the top twenty-five scores on that test qualified to take the ERMS stage. The geography questions were tough, and all the students did great in front of a supportive and engaged audience of their peers and teachers. These students know their capitals, bodies of water, and mountain ranges! Way to go! Qualifiers: Matheo Albis, Sammy Bahna, Kartikeya Beeram, Owen Broderick, Grayson Brodsky, Noah Cullen, Maxim Curt, Lydia Dodd, Nick Forgione, Stella Kowalski, Tobey Lieberman, Ben Marceau, Owen McAuley, Liam Mendoza, Kathryn Purdue, Suchetha Rao, Jackson Ray, Qeas Suleman, Richard Z., Theodore Voytovych, Charlie Westcott, and Kevin Ye

First place: Suchetha Rao, Second place: Tobey Lieberman, Third place: Maxim Curt.

On Tuesday, Scotts Ridge welcomed students from Ponus Ridge Steam Academy (PRSA) in Norwalk as the finale of the 1 Book, 2 Schools 2025 Program. This library-led book club is voluntary and includes students from all middle school grades from both schools. This year, the SRMS and PRSA students read Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me, an insightful and moving novel that explores themes of friendship, social justice, and identity. It follows six students who are put together in the ARTT room (A Room to Talk) and, despite their differences, grow to have a special bond fused by their shared struggles. SRMS and Ponus Ridge students have met after school and virtually for the past year to discuss sections of the book. This week, they came together in person for further discussions about the book, moments of connection and joy, and pizza.

Scotts Ridge students reflect on the day:

“I liked connecting with kids from PRSA. It was refreshing to meet new people. I don’t get to do that too often.” ~ Elianna A.

“The books bring us together. They connect us and show us that even though we are all different, we are actually very similar.” ~ Sophia K.

“This is my 3rd year doing 1B2S. The book discussions make me stop and think about real-world connections. And then when we meet the students from the other school, we discover all the things we have in common, even though we come from different backgrounds.” ~Ella C.

RHS was a buzz last night with the annual Art Show and Orchestra Concert. The Chamber, Concert, and Symphonic orchestras, directed by Michael McNamara, put on a thrilling night featuring the music of Tchaikovsky. Read the full program here. They celebrated RHS seniors, some of whom will pursue music after graduation and some who won't, but have all contributed to the RHS music program and school climate. At the RHS Art Show, RPS Update caught up with four student artists to learn about their art. Thank you to art teachers Jane Grassi and Dana Phelan for all the work to install the show, and to seniors Maddie Padilla and Yuval Sagi, junior Sara Hill, and sophomore Lizzy Bishop for sharing your work with us. We love celebrating our students and staff. Thank you to families for all you do to support the arts at RPS. It's a lot!

For senior Maddie Padilla, art has been her focus at RHS—her passion, her "sport," her "club." She participated in the Aldrich Teen Fellow Program, and her exhibit at last night's Art Show reveals her humor, confidence, and sensibility. Her work pops! Maddie plans to study business communication and art education in college.

Senior Yuval Sagi uses photography and other media in his Advanced Art Projects coursework. His large-scale photos of the beach in Haifa, Israel, are exemplary. His work is inspired by his grandfather and family. Yuval will study Computer Science at the University of Connecticut next year and will always make art.

Sara Hill's AP Art inquiry is about Movement. She works in acrylic and watercolor to consider movement—the movement of fish, jellyfish, and time—to mark resilience and flow. Her grandmother, who is also an artist, accompanied her to the exhibition.

Sophomore Lizzy Bishop shared her work from the Studio Art 2 class. "What makes it fun is the challenge," she says of the self-portrait in red and pink, which conveys her positive energy and warmth. Lizzy also participated in the Aldrich Teen Fellow program.

Even Dory couldn't forget Barlow Mountain's exceptional performance of the musical Finding Nemo. We love seeing our students performing on stage and behind the scenes. Please see the full cast and crew here. Just keep swimming!

Branchville Elementary entered the fantastic world of Alice and the Mad Hatter this week. Please see Disney's Alice in Wonderland Playbill for all involved in this outstanding production. Thank you to our staff and parents for all they do to make these invaluable musical experiences available to our students.

Ridgefield Odyssey of the Mind program (sponsored by Ridgefield Library) had three teams compete at the Connecticut Odyssey of Mind State Tournament in Bethel - two elementary teams from Branchville and one middle school team from Scotts Ridge and East Ridge Middle Schools. All teams did extremely well, with the Middle School team, coached by parent Abhilasha Kelkar, taking second place and the opportunity to compete in the National Tournament at Michigan State later in May! To learn more about Odyssey of the Mind, visit www.ctom.org or reach out to rlodysseyofthemind@gmail.com. Wishing all the best to Suchetha Rao, Claire Demas, Meenakshi Praveen from East Ridge, and Caroline Brown, Haresh Karthikeya, and Kimaya Desai from Scotts Ridge, who will be competing at the Odyssey of Mind World Finals at MSU.

RHS Athletics sent out its newsletter last Friday. Among other useful information was dates for Fast Times at Ridgefield High—a fun annual track meet taking place tomorrow. Read the full newsletter here and see the RHS Athletics website for more information and schedules.

This week, Girls Lacrosse goalie, Hannah Gilliand, hit the 100 save mark. Hannah has committed to play lacrosse at Bucknell University.

Just before April break, Scotts Ridge seventh graders on Team Orion stayed gold by going to see The Outsiders on Broadway. The students' reviews were very positive, as they enjoyed seeing the story of Tulsa, Oklahoma teens fighting for social acceptance brought to life. Overall, it was a wonderful day, and there were no rumbles, reports SRMS English teacher Marc Perry.

On Wednesday night, Ridgefield hit the Ridgefield Playhouse runway for Ann's Place, a local nonprofit that supports cancer patients and their families. Many in the RPS community contributed to the evening's success—either behind the scenes, on stage, or in the audience. Scotts Ridge Principal Tim Salem showed off his classic style, good sportsmanship, and strut in honor of two of his cousins. Below, Mr. Salem (with friend Christine Cordeiro), BOE Chair and one of the event organizers Tina Malhotra, SRMS Assistant Principal Lisa Frese, and the Ann's Place Junior Committee.

All In means everyone, and the second annual Inclusion Expo this week highlighted the many ways the Ridgefield Community embraces inclusivity—in the classroom and beyond. See photos below and the full range of amazing offerings at the Inclusion Expo here. Thank you to our student volunteers, supportive community members, dedicated staff, and incredible families for being All In on inclusion.

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.