The Farmingville Files

Dear Farmingville Families,

Well, we certainly started this school year with a bang (literally!) when a transformer blew and we lost power causing us to have an interesting first day. I want to take this opportunity to thank our community for their kindness, patience, and flexibility as we navigated the unexpected situation. I want to acknowledge our students who remained calm, safe, and joyful while they waited to hear what our next steps were, and our incredible staff who rode busses, played games in the gym, supervised students on the playground, and coordinated drop-offs and pick-ups. The Farmingville community is ALL IN for supporting each other and making sure our students are safe and happy!

Despite the unexpected start, this has been an incredible week! We welcomed many new students and a handful of new staff members (check out some of their bios below and look for more in future editions of the Farmingville Files!). Our third, fourth, and fifth graders had their first World Language class, and I was lucky enough to join in on some of the interactive learning. Our Kindergarten students enjoyed half days, and returned for small group activities and assessments which I also am so thankful to have been a small part of. Our morning community announcements focused on the Responsive Classroom tenants of C.A.R.E.S - Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self Control. Ask your student(s) how they showed C.A.R.E.S in the school building, classrooms, or on the bus.

We have many exciting events coming up, and I can't wait to see all of your families at our PTA Back to School Picnic on Friday, September 13th. I hope you enjoy the long weekend!

Warmly,

Nancy

I am Jill Quattrocchi, the new elementary World Language teacher in Ridgefield. All students in grades 3-5 will be learning Spanish this year. Students will engage in Spanish instruction for thirty minutes once every six days. Before joining Ridgefield Public Schools, I worked as an elementary Spanish teacher for Greenwich Public Schools, where I also served as the district elementary world language learning facilitator. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education and Spanish, a Master of Arts in Teaching, and a certificate in administration. I am thrilled to join Ridgefield Public Schools and am excited to begin the world language program! Look for more information coming soon! Ms. Quattrocchi can be reached at jquattrocchi@ridgefieldps.net.

Ms. Carley Lutheran is very excited to start her first year at Farmingville as the new school psychologist! After finding her passion in working with children and helping them succeed, she decided to attend graduate school at Teachers College, Columbia University. In Spring of 2024, she received two Master’s in School Psychology and Educational Psychology. Outside of school, Ms. Lutheran loves spending time with her family and friends. She loves to relax by reading a good book or crafting with her friends. She is also a BIG Disney fan, so you might see her wearing some Disney apparel around the school. Ms. Lutheran is eager to start the school year and meet the wonderful FES community! Ms. Lutheran can be reached at clutheran@ridgefieldps.net.

Mrs. Dworkis is so excited to begin her 8th year teaching and join the Farmingville community! She attended The University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘Em Horns!) and Teacher’s College at Columbia University where she received her Master’s Degrees. She is very passionate about being an advocate for her students. She is eager to develop relationships with her students and their families. Mrs. Dworkis is a huge sports fan! She loves the New York Yankees and cheering for her Texas Longhorns during football season! After school, Mrs. Dworkis loves to spend time with her husband, son and dog outdoors. Fun fact: she also teaches yoga!

Please find our district Weather Related Process and Expectations here.

We know how fun it is for our students to get together after school and enjoy time together! Due to safety and limited space on the buses, we are asking that students have no more than 2 guest riders with them at a time. Anytime there is a need for more than 2 additional students to ride, families will need to make arrangements for parent pick up that day. Thank you for understanding!

Please fill out the form below a day prior to visiting FES. Thank you!

If you are visiting FES, please help us to expedite the entry process by filling out this form a day prior to a planned visit (teacher meeting, PTA meeting, mystery reader, library or art volunteer, etc.) and your badge will be waiting for you when you arrive. If you have something to drop off for your child during the school day such as a forgotten lunch or instrument, there will be a table outside of the entrance to place the item.

When you arrive to enter the building, we ask that you press the video doorbell button and identify yourself. Once granted access, please do NOT hold the door open for a different guest entering the building. While this may be inconvenient and feel impolite, we are standardizing access to the buildings across the district so that everyone knows what to expect.

For visits to FES during the school day, I recommend that you arrive early as it takes some time to process your visitor badge. For a visit that is not arranged a day ahead of time, calling the main office at 203-894-5570 ahead of your visit is a helpful practice.

• No School - Monday, September 2nd
• First Full Day of School for Kindergarten - Tuesday, September 3
• Back to School Picnic - Friday, September 13
• Early Dismissal - Thursday, September 19
• Book Fair - Monday, September 23 - Wednesday, September 25
• School Picture Day - Thursday, September 26

We treat smartwatches (e.g. the Apple Watch, the Gizmo Watch, the Android Smart Watch) or other similar devices that provide a student with the ability to text, take photos or make calls in the same way we treat a cell phone and they are subject to the same practice. If a parent makes the decision to permit their child to have a cell phone, smartwatch, or similar device at school, it is expected that the cell phone or smartwatch be turned off and in the child’s backpack at all times. This includes the duration of the bus ride. As you might imagine, a cell phone or similar device in any school setting has proven to be a disruption to learning and the social environment. We have also witnessed that Fitbit and other fitness trackers can be a distraction. If these fitness devices cause a distraction, a teacher will ask the student to remove the device, and likely the teacher will contact you about the concern. E-readers, Nooks, and Kindles are only permitted to support reading in school or on the bus if a teacher determines it is helpful and has told a parent it is allowed.

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.