Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff,
Last night, Ridgefield residents showed strong support for the move of our Alternative High School and 18-22 Transition Program to 66 Grove Street. Thank you to the hundreds of people who lined up at Scotts Ridge for the robust conversation about the lease. Earlier in the week, I sent out this press release in response to questions that were raised by neighbors of 66 Grove Street and other community members. Now, the next level of work is the renovation and naming the site! This is an exciting time for Ridgefield and the students and faculty of these two important community programs.
Art, Art, Art! Student work from all of our schools was on display at the East Ridge Middle School art gallery this week, displaying the talents of our students. This special event showcases the journey and diversity of learning and growth in grades K-12. Our curriculum team has invested time and resources in the study of our Visual (and performing) Arts programs, a district-wide exhibit is one of our special additions to our program at RPS.
There is an early dismissal for students tomorrow for professional development. Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, begins at sunset. Schools will be closed on Monday, October 14 for Columbus/Indigenous People Day. As with any day off from school, we hope that our students take the time to understand the context and historical meaning of the day.
Because of the holiday, the next Board of Education meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 15. There is a change of start time for this meeting, which will begin at 6:15 p.m. as the Board of Education will be conducting a self-evaluation.
Have a wonderful long weekend.
Warmly,
Susie
Susie Da Silva, Ed.D
On this week’s episode of Ridgefield Tiger Talk, we have an All-Star cast to talk about World Language at the Elementary level. Joining us is Cory Gillette the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Linda Johnson the Director of Elementary Education, Allyson Power World Language Department Head, and Jill Quattrocchi Elementary World Language teacher. We discuss how the program began, the benefits of learning new languages at a young age, the experience our students are having in the classroom, and what to expect next from this new program. Gracias por escuchar!
Parents of teenage drivers, please remind your students to obey speed limits and laws. We are hearing reports of excessive speeds and reckless driving around dismissal time, and we worry. Model good behavior with school buses and patience in the parking lot, no texting or other distractions while driving. Safety first!
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
The Scotts Ridge Middle School counseling department sends out a quarterly newsletter that brims with warmth and insight.
Among the many quotable nuggets is Liz Reynolds's note to seventh grade parents. She writes, "It's not uncommon for a parent to leave me a voice mail or send an email saying 'I'm not sure if I should bother you with this...' I want to assure you that I not only would like your input, I need it! After all, no one knows your child as well as you do and that knowledge can be invaluable for planning the work I do with them. I love being able to collaborate with families and parents to help each and every child strive for their goals. School Counselors can offer a variety of services such as short-term individual counseling, check-ins, skill-based Workshops, student advocacy, developmental guidance, family consultation, collaboration with teachers, case management, and restorative practices."
Please reach out to your child's teacher or school counselor with questions or concerns. RPS Cares! See the entire edition of The Counseling Chronicles for other useful information and insights.
Veterans Park Elementary students got their hands dirty this week with a visit from Kaleidoscope Gardens. This PTA-sponsored enrichment program includes four visits from the Westchester-based program that brings science, literacy, writing, life skills, nutrition, and more to the VPES garden.
On a beautiful fall day, VPES third graders harvested cucumbers, cut up vines, and turned over garden beds to prepare the soil for one more sowing of salad seeds before the frost. They picked a tomato for their goody bag and received a hardy leaf of rainbow chard from Kaleidoscope educator, Alicia Hill. "Oh chard," one student commented. "I told my mom to buy kale," a mistake that shows that the program impacts students' food literacy and choice.
Students made observations from the perspective of a plant and then wrote stories from that plant's perspective. Logan in Joy Craig's class wrote a story from the point of view of a tomato that ended with the line, "I will see you in the ketchup." There is so much creativity, observation, and learning going on.
Fourth graders examined the three sisters—corn, beans, and squash—as a lens to consider how Indigenous people preserved food over the winter. Students ground corn and realized the hard work it must have been to prepare food to survive the colder months.
Because students have multiple lessons from this program throughout the year, they come to have an understanding of plant cycles and how we get our food. Educator Hill asks Matthew Hoey's fifth graders what they remember about composting from her September visit, specifically what three food items shouldn't go in the school's bin. Students remember meat, dairy, and oil. She reminds them of the decomposers—worms, ants, millipedes, etc, and how compost can add elements like carbon and nitrogen back into their garden beds. Students rake leaves and cut up leafy greens to make the decomposers' job easier, and the compost more nutrient-rich.
Their work preparing the beds shows in the plethora of healthy plants—herbs, peppers, corn, carrots, lettuce, and more! Thank you to the VPES PTA for supporting the garden this wonderful program.
On Saturday, the RHS Football team played and paused to honor Logan Preston Hale, an RPS student who passed away after battling an aggressive form of cancer. At half-time, players and spectators watched a video about Logan, which included interviews with his family and NFL great Christian McCaffrey, honoring Logan's spirit and legacy. The Logan Project gives gaming consoles to hospitals to help kids battling cancer stay connected with friends while undergoing treatment. Logan's friends organized a raffle to raise funds for this non-profit. Bleachers were filled with Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness.
Photo Credit: Simon Mendez
