RPS Update

Happy Spring! The weather this week was one of our first signs of spring- what a great feeling. Although it appears that next week's weather will shift a bit in a different direction.

On Thursday, I spent time with Superintendents and other leaders across CT discussing technology, more specifically, cell phones and their impact on the social and academic development of young children. Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation shared his research, as well as his thoughts on how communities can help. In addition to the discussion on technology, the importance of growing children’s independence was also highlighted as critical in students' development. This recent article written in the Journal of Pediatrics titled “Decline in Independent Activity as a Cause of Decline in Children’s Mental Wellbeing: Summary of the Evidence.” was shared.

Tonight, I will join youth members of the Boys and Girls Club Ridgefield (BGCR) for their Youth of the Year awards. In addition to meeting exceptional young people, I have come to recognize the value of this organization to the community as a whole. Most importantly, the positive impact of the connections and relationships between our young people and the adults at BGCR will last a lifetime. Further, the BGCR offers our students before and after care during the school year and free transportation to their Club from our Summer Bridge programs, linked here.

There are several important evening meetings this coming week. On Monday evening, the Board of Finance (BOF) will be holding a Public Hearing at 7:00 p.m. at East Ridge Middle School. This hearing is an important opportunity for community members to share their thoughts with members of the BOF on the Board of Education’s (BOE) adopted budget. If you are unable to attend the meeting, you may email the BOF members here. On Tuesday evening, the BOE will hold their regular meeting where BOE members will learn about the new recommended math resource for middle school students. Wednesday, the administration, alongside the BOE will present the BOE adopted budget to the BOF. Ultimately, the BOF makes the final decision on the budget to be presented to the community for a vote. For this reason, it is imperative that the RPS community share their thoughts on the operating budget. As you can see, our BOE will be busy- and we extend our gratitude to them always, especially during Board of Education Appreciation Month!

Have a wonderful weekend,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

RHS Principal Dr. Jake Greenwood announced that Will Carter is the Class of 2025 Valedictorian. In an upcoming newsletter, RPS Update will share an interview with Will—his favorite RHS classes, advice, and more. Congratulations, Will!

Graduation will be at RHS on Friday, June 13, rain or shine.

We wanted to alert RPS Update readers to a feature recently added to the newsletter, RHS Music Corner. For the past two weeks, we've included past recordings in the HeARTs of RPS section. Today, in recognition of the RHS music trip to New Orleans, we have Chuck Mingus with a very special solo by Maxwell Crook in the HeARTs of RPS section below and the following incredible performance of "One Voice" with soloists, Charlotte Gray, Charlotte Overs, and Abigail Black with a wonderful performance of the RHS Combined Ensemble. Check out the RPS Update 3.7.25 and 3.14.25 for other recent performances.

For the past three weeks, RPS Update has featured Summer Bridge offerings for incoming Grades K-12. Summer Bridge is a not-for-profit summer program run by RPS teachers, so rest assured that it is high-quality and unique to RPS. Bridge is open to Ridgefield residents who don't attend RPS and RPS staff children. Volunteer opportunities are available. Sign up soon to ensure your child's spot in our popular programs.

Remember to check your school calendar for important dates and events. Review our Weather-Related Closure Protocols and discuss your family’s plan for an early dismissal with your children.

The middle school musicals run the first weekend in April. Don't miss Legally Blonde at East Ridge and Newsies at Scotts Ridge.

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. Check the backpack for Rid Litter Days opportunities.

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.

On Tuesday, 125 RHS Future Business Leaders of America attended the State Leadership Conference at Southern Connecticut State University. FBLA advisor business teacher Kelly Predham writes, "Ridgefield High School FBLA did not disappoint! We were the most awarded school district in attendance—85 of our students placed in the top five in the state, qualifying for FBLA Nationals in Anaheim, California—25 students placed FIRST in the State of CT! This is a record-breaking achievement for our club and school! As their mentors and advisors, Bob Keyes and I could not be more proud. Many of these students were freshmen stepping up to compete for the first time. Those who did not qualify worked just as hard, demonstrating resilience and dedication. This success was not simply the result of 'showing up'—it was the culmination of months of preparation, practice, and hard work beyond their normal school day. Their commitment and effort truly paid off, and we couldn't be more excited for what’s ahead! This was a perfect example of our students being ALL IN!"

Ms. Predham gave a special shout-out to Lia Munoz Rojas, who was crowned State Champion in Public Speaking—on the heels of also being State Champion in Poetry Out Loud. Additionally, our Community Service Project (highlighted in the March 7 RPS Update), won 1st place in the State of Connecticut! Congratulations, FBLA!

Approachable! Compassionate! Selfless! These are a few of the adjectives used to describe Amanda Cody, the Farmingville Elementary Teacher of the Year. Ms. Cody's family was at FES on Thursday to join the faculty to celebrate her.

On Thursday morning, Veterans Park faculty gathered to name school psychologist Jeffrey Lovelace, VPES Teacher of the Year. Music teacher Ryan Dunne, who headed the school-based committee, noted that he often hears students and staff asking, "Have You Seen Mr. Lovelace?"—an indication of the role Mr. Lovelace plays in the life of the school. RPS knows where families can find Mr. Lovelace in July. He is offering programs for middle and high schoolers through Summer Bridge. Check out Monkey Minds on the Summer Bridge webpage.

Last Friday, the RHS Math Team sponsored a virtual Math Bee for East Ridge seventh graders on Jonathan Ellis’s team during their learning lab. Math Team member Kaitan Gupta (10th grade) organized the event with Jacob Barrett (10th), Sebastian Utomo (11th), and Will Carter (12th), as well as advisors Matthew Bearse and Mary Ellen Foley. RHS students wrote the questions—incorporating real-life applications—dividing the competition into two rounds.

Suchetha Rao took the first round, and Tobias Lieberman won the second round. Everyone had fun! Mr. Ellis expresses his delight with how the event was run: “It was a great opportunity for the middle school students to interact with the RHS students—to see the students' excitement for math. I was very happy with the event and grateful to all the members of the RHS Math Team for putting it together.”

Kaitan explains, “We are holding this competition as outreach for the Math Team and as a way to expose seventh graders to competition-style math.” Ms. Foley praises the Team’s camaraderie, saying, “The Math Team is a great group. We have all levels, from the sophomore in AP Calculus BC to students just starting geometry. The math team season begins when school does, so before the October Club Fair. We want interested incoming freshmen to know it’s available, approachable, and fun. We need students from each grade to compete, so we do some outreach throughout the year. We’ll walk over to Scotts Ridge soon. And we often have food to make it even more fun.”

The RHS Math Team will compete at States on April 1. Let’s go, Tigers!

Scotts Ridge sixth-graders celebrated Pi Day last Friday, 3/14. The sixth-grade team led by math teacher Dr. Merryl Polak was organized into a day of programming that celebrated this mathematical constant. Students moved around the building for interdisciplinary lessons that helped them get their heads around Pi—the ratio between a circle’s circumference and diameter.

In math, sixth graders cut a circle apart and rearranged the pieces to form a rectangle. This shape transformation demonstrates the relationship between finding the area of a circle and the area of a rectangle. Dr. Polak facilitated the discovery lesson with her partner Drew Hall, who wore a Pi tie and serenaded a repertoire of Pi songs (sadly, no rounds).

Dr. Polak designed a lesson for the science component, which science teacher Autumn Hoey implemented. The experience, inspired by engineering applications, allowed students to make conceptual meaning of pi. Students measured the radii and circumferences of multiple objects to identify a constant of proportionality in all circles, which is the phenomenon of pi.

Social studies teachers Marisa Thamm and Trish Dowd offered students a history of Pi dating back to Archimedes’s incredible discovery over 2000 years ago and how people have used a variation of the constant for over 4000 years. Mr. Hall developed the lesson. They also shared some Pi jokes. English teachers Jennifer Bray and Brendan Leslie challenged their students to write Pi-Ku’s. Instead of 5-7-5, the poetry length incorporated syllables of 3-1-4.

Pi Day ended sweetly with students and staff gorging themselves on beautiful and tasty math-themed pies and circular confections made by students and families. Students competed in baking contests and were awarded their “Pi-ness, Pi-spirit, Pi-artistry, and Pi-some” with a voting system developed by Mr. Hall and decided by their peers.

N.B. SRMS Pi master Dr. Merryl Polak is currently in the top three in a FaceBook Favorite Teacher competition—the winner earns a trip to Hawaii, $25,000, and more. Vote for Doc Polak here!

Last week, Branchville math specialist Prajakta Oppel and classroom teachers Laurie Bellagamba (Gr 3), Sara Pieterse (Gr. 2), and Jennifer Phippen (K) invited parents to “Come Play Math.” In this post-PTA meeting interactive workshop, parents participated in activities designed to resemble classroom experiences. A central theme of the night was number sense—relationships between numbers and strategies to increase math fluency and understanding. For example, RPS elementary students learn to make numbers “friendlier” to estimate and use strategies to solve complex word problems. The RPS elementary curricular math resource, think! Mathematics uses anchor tasks to strengthen students’ number facts, flexibility, and reasoning skills. Games and puzzles increase understanding, fluency, and problem-solving.

On Friday, Sarah Schaefer, staff developer from [Math]odology and co-developr of the think! Mathematics resource was at Branchville. She provided professional learning to teachers in grades K-2. Schaefer is providing similar professional learning in all of the elementary schools this week.

Third, fourth, and fifth-grade teachers also engaged in professional development—enriching their content knowledge in fractions and word problems. Our teachers love to teach and learn!

Exciting updates in math education! Jeff Corbishley, Math and Science Supervisor, along with Linda Johnson, Elementary Director, coordinated a professional learning community at Farmingville Elementary. This session involved fifth-grade math teachers, math specialists, and secondary department chairs. Sarah Schaefer led a workshop on enhancing math instruction through effective teacher questioning. The goal is to ensure vertical alignment of instructional practices from kindergarten through twelfth grade, enhancing student learning outcomes.

As part of this week's half-day of staff professional learning, the middle school math department engaged in a workshop with Jay Meadows, the CEO of Exemplars. Exemplars are rich mathematics tasks that allow students to problem solve, approach problems differently, collaborate with others on ideas, and ultimately develop robust solutions. Teachers could act like the students to approach mathematics in various ways. These tasks and the rich mathematics thinking required will continue to be a part of all middle school students' math experiences!

The RHS Jazz Band plays "Moanin' by Charles Mingus, arranged by Sy Johnson, in the clip below. This piece is a baritone saxophone player's dream. After listening to this video, we are sure you will understand why! Great job by Maxwell Crook and the band on this one.

This week, a group of RHS students attended the 49th-Annual UNIS-UN Conference - Beyond the Algorithm: Navigating The Future of Artificial Intelligence. Students heard from experts and various speakers who covered different aspects of AI. While some of the industry speakers focused on AI in healthcare, education, and finance, others explained what the multiple UN institutions and their home countries were undertaking regarding AI. In addition, students learned from fellow innovative students who created AI algorithms and specialists who explained various AI assistant technologies. These presentations led our students to engage in meaningful exchanges and student debate throughout the two-day conference.

RHS students Sophie Zezula (Grade 12) and Lily Zezula (Grade 9) organized and ran a six-week “Let’s Invent” workshop at Veterans Park Elementary this winter. The program culminated in a school-wide Invention Convention earlier this month. Three VPES students, Reese Griffin and Madeleine Elliott with the Therma Skate and William Safianoff with the Blanket Roller, will advance to the State Invention Convention Finals at UConn in May.

Sophie and Lily were both celebrated Invention Convention winners during elementary and middle school. Sophie went to Nationals with her Snow Straw invention, and Lily earned international recognition and over $2500 in prizes for her Turtle Tent. Lily’s newest invention, the Fungi Filter, won the National Innovator Challenge, Top Runner Up & the IP Advantage Award, the Eureka! Lemelson-MIT Award and the Locke Lord Excellence in STEM Award, for which she received assistance in getting a patent for her invention. Both girls have served to broaden support for Ridgefield’s aspiring inventors through their efforts in Girl Scouts and their role on the Connecticut Invention Convention Board of Directors. “There is a stereotype around the idea of an inventor, paralyzing students, especially girls, from thinking they can invent. Through my participation in Girl Scouts and the Invention Convention, I have tried to help change the narrative on inventing. Knowing that most students don’t see themselves as inventors, I have been committed to promoting invention education in Girl Scouts, local elementary schools, and even Pre-K children,” said Sophie Zezula. “As I always tell the young students that I work with, you are never too young to invent and solve a problem that is important to you,” said Lily Zezula.

A special thanks to VPES parent Laura Liberti for helping organize and Liza Bullard (VP Library and Media Specialist), Brian Piechowicz ("Coach P" - gym teacher), and Tom Grace (East Ridge Assistant principal) for serving as judges.

RHS students, alumni, staff, and parents recently participated in a Mug-a-thon to benefit the Ridgebury Meeting House Market Cafe. Art teacher Jane Grassi writes, "It was a wonderful day spent creating in an activity we all loved."

Last Friday, RBA House Basketball wrapped up its season with Team Feenan winning the trophy. Ten teams made up of 9-12 graders compete in this three-month tip-off. Congratulations to James Feenan, Ty Morse, Pearse McInerney, Max Corona, Mason Prezioso, Kaiyen Dave, Marcos Cid, Chris Vezos, and Luke Krsulich! This is Captain James Feenan's second RBA championship in a row—shoutout to his unofficial team manager, Jayson Genova, aka “jagoat."

Girls Basketball Captain Zoe Desmarais and Boys Swimmer Will Trotman are the RHS FCIAC Exemplary Scholar Athletes for Winter 2025. Read about these remarkable student-athletes on the FCIAC web page. Congratulations, Zoe and Will!

Students in the RHS music program left for New Orleans yesterday. We can't wait to see, hear, and share all the amazing musical experiences they'll enjoy!

East Ridge Middle School! The school showed its spirit and style during a week of fun. On Thursday, staff tipped off against students in the Annual ERMS Basketball game. Middle School March Madness at its best. Fans and players had a ball at this spirit week tradition.

Photo Credit: Amy Jonsson.

On Monday, Scotland Elementary celebrated St. Patrick's Day with kindergarten leprechaun traps and a student-teacher trio.

Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva reads to Branchville kindergarteners.

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