RPS Update

The Board of Education will meet on Monday evening, and while the budget is still front of mind, the next few meetings will be filled with providing updates on the 2024-25 school year and preparations for the year to come. A lighter item on the agenda for Monday night is the proposal for an “Ultimate” Club, also known as Ultimate Frisbee at RHS. One of the many values we have at RPS is that there is something for everyone.Thank you to our students and leadership teams for creating and offering access to all students across many domains. I couldn’t help but think of the importance of “something for everyone” when I tried bowling for the first time in 20+ years this past weekend. I fell twice (I know, I know), and would have preferred bumpers; and while practice makes better, it is unlikely you’ll see me sign up for a league any time soon.

On Wednesday evening, I will be joining Police Chief Jeffery Kreitz, First Selectperson Rudy Marconi and other community members to interview the Boys and Girls Club (B&GC) Youth-of-the-Year candidates. Being part of this process is a favorite of mine. Hearing from students on how they have navigated life's challenges through the support of a community-based organization like the B&GC is heartwarming and inspiring. The candidates are interviewed after having completed a comprehensive application package, including a written essay. You may be aware that, for some of these students, this is happening in the midst of their college applications and exams. Truly impressive.

We are tapping into all of our modalities of communication– don’t forget to stay tuned or catch up on our Tiger Talk podcast. Dr. DeSantis continues to host the leading podcast of Ridgefield with many special guests. Also, follow All Things RPS on social media– light and fun!

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Photos above: Scotland Elementary students with Curious Creatures, an in-school enrichment for Kindergarten and fourth-grade students, sponsored by the SES PTA. It's PTA nominating season. Please consider joining the PTA leadership at your school. Parent partnership is paramount!

On this week’s episode of Ridgefield Tiger Talk, we welcome three RHS music teachers. Michael McNamara VPA chair, Lauren Verney-Fink chorus teacher, and George Beratis Band teacher. They tell us about an amazing opportunity that our music students will be having by traveling to New Orleans later this month. They will perform live at a few venues, participate in a college-level music clinic, and learn about the rich musical history of New Orleans. Thanks for listening!

RPS Update will highlight Summer Bridge offerings at every level in the next few weeks. This week, we're focusing on the Middle School Summer Bridge Program, which offers students in rising grades 6-8 high-quality, low-tech options for every interest. Plan a week or two or three of activities that encourage fun and friendship. Baking, fishing, basketball, arts and crafts, and singing are just some of the engaging options.

RPS offers a free shuttle to the Boys and Girls Club, making this quality summer option available to working parents. Ridgefield resident families can register whether they attend RPS or not. Non-resident staff families are welcome, too. Programs are filling fast, so please visit the Website for full details, registration, and dates!

• He absolutely loved it. Everyday he came home with a positive update! So glad he got this great experience.

• It's not easy to find camps/activities that will hold the interest of kids this age. My daughter looked forward to attending class each morning. She had a lot of fun, learned some new kitchen skills, and brought home some very tasty food! Great job by the instructors.

• My daughter came home and continued to work on her story for hours every day.

• My daughter LOVED this class! Each morning, she could not wait to wake up and attend! She felt very welcomed and safe. She had a blast and looked forward to sharing the day's activity with her family. She even came home and tried to recall and write up the recipe, so that she might be able to recreate it. Thank you for making this such a positive experience for her! We will definitely be back next year!

• MY son raved about this daily and provided very high level knowledge in his learnings, plus FUN! He gave it a 9 out of 10 experience. He also said he wished it was all week long.

Jump Start Middle School—a free orientation for rising sixth graders—registration opens today! The program is on Monday, June 30, and Tuesday, July 1. During these sessions, students will explore essential middle school skills, including how to read a schedule, open a locker, navigate the building, and collaborate with peers—to name a few! The program is led by actual staff members from our schools, so students will see familiar faces when they return in the fall.

RPS strongly encourages all families to take advantage of this valuable opportunity. However, space is limited, and staffing is based on the number of registered participants. To guarantee your child’s spot, please complete registration before the deadline on Friday, April 25, at 12 pm. Jump Start directors Amanda Johnson and Shane Peters look forward to meeting your child and helping them start middle school with confidence!

This program will take place at BOTH Scotts Ridge and East Ridge.

Set your clocks forward. Replace smoke alarm batteries. 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.

Attention high school students (and their parents)! Do you know how to change a tire? Do you know how to turn on important equipment like your defroster in your car? Do you know what to keep in your car in case of an emergency? Ridgefield’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) has

recently introduced a series of important life skill classes geared specifically to teens! Each one

is a standalone class. The upcoming class is called Car Common Sense and it’s in partnership

with Ace Tire & Auto Center. Teens will learn important information and skills for life!

The only requirement is that you’re a current high school student. To sign up, scan the QR code

or email RidgefieldTeenCERT@gmail.com with your name, grade, and email address!

The class will be held at Ace Tire & Auto Center at 861 Ethan Allen Highway in Ridgefield on

Wednesday, March 12 @ 6:30 PM.

RPS is hosting its 2nd annual Transition Services Fair on March 13 at 6 pm at the Ridgefield High School Student Center! We have an awesome lineup of vendors and agencies to help families think ahead to planning for their children's adulthood futures. What is the RPS Transition Fair?

It's an opportunity for parents and caregivers of students with IEP services to learn more about the local special services available for those students and families who may require specific supports into adulthood. Please RSVP here.

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

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.

RPS middle schoolers participated in the American Math Challenge sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. The AMC Competition is the preeminent mathematics competition in the country, dating back to 1950. Our 8th-grade students competed in the competition after school at the end of January. They tackled challenging and engaging problems, many of which extend beyond the types of problems we typically see in our mathematics classrooms. For the first time, we were able to offer the competition across both middle schools. We look forward to continuing this experience for years to come.

Congratulations to our students from Scotts Ridge and East Ridge who earned recognition from the AMC program!

Scotts Ridge Middle School

• First Place - Audrey Wang
• Second Place (Tie) - Haresh Karthikeyan
• Second Place (Tie) - Leonardo Li
• Certificate of Achievement (For Grades 6 and Below) - Leonardo Li

East Ridge Middle School

• First Place - Richard Zhuang
• Second Place (Tie) - Vivienne Walsh
• Second Place (Tie) - Supriti Saravana
• Honors Roll (Top 5% Nationally) - Richard Zhuang

East Ridge teachers, administrators, parents, and students know that there is one person in the building to go to when they have a question or need help—Marie Delio.

Marie Delio is the Administrative Assistant to ERMS Principal Jennifer Phostole and Assistant Principal Tom Grace. But like many administrative assistants in the district, Ms. Delio is the go-to person for so many of us.

And she loves serving that role. “I like to be busy,” she says. “I love that every day is different, and I’m trusted to work autonomously. My main responsibility is keeping Tom and Jenn’s calendars so that they can be with students and teachers. But I’ll pitch in wherever I’m needed. My co-workers and I support each other. That’s what the Administrative Assistants in the district do.”

Delio started at Farmingville Elementary in 2006 and has been at ERMS since 2010, serving three principals and a generation of grateful families. “I’m here more than at home,” says Delio. “I love my colleagues. They are my friends.”

Assistant Principal Tom Grace writes, “Marie has, for me in my seven years here, been someone I can rely on to keep me on track on busy days. She is always quick to step in and help, makes herself available for any staff request, and goes above and beyond for the staff. She truly is a treasure!”

Principal Jenn Phostole echoes Mr. Grace, “Marie deserves to be recognized. She is awesome. She knows what we need before we do. Her ability to anticipate challenges is a real strength. Her positive impact goes beyond her job responsibilities. We wouldn’t know what to do without her.”

Hats off to Marie and all the administrative assistants in the district, who are going above and beyond to make our schools run smoothly and safely.

Scotts Ridge sixth and seventh-grade French students celebrated Mardi Gras this week by making Mardi Gras masks and parade floats. Students learned about the significance of Mardi Gras and how it is celebrated in the French-speaking world.

RPS fifth graders enjoyed a Broadway-caliber musical...in their hometown! Last Friday, fifth graders from Barlow Mountain, Scotland, and Branchville elementary schools went to A.C.T. of CT to see Fiddler on the Roof. Today, students from Farmingville, Ridgebury, and Veterans Park get their day to watch this celebrated musical.

A.C.T. of CT wrote, "[We are] beyond thrilled to partner with Ridgefield Public Schools to bring every 5th grader in Ridgefield to experience the magic of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF live on stage...—and what an incredible audience they were!...A huge thank you to Cory Gillette (Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction), Keith Margolis (Principal of Branchville Elementary), and Nancy Caron (Principal of Farmingville Elementary) for their dedication in making this partnership possible!"

Want a respite from the dreary March mud or wind bluster? Get yourself, friends, and family tickets to the RHS musical The Wizard of Oz. This classic play will delight everyone and provide the backstory for this younger generation, who may be more familiar with Wicked than the story that inspired it. There are so many wonderful musical numbers in this show from "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to "We're Off to See the Wizard." Abigail Black and Melody Jones are double cast as Dorothy and the Ozian Guard—reasons to go and go again!

RHS Auditorium

7pm performances on March 7, 8, 14 & 15
1pm Sensory Friendly Show on March 8

Reserve tickets

Last Thursday, National Honors Society advisors Mitch Peterson and Molly Helmes took seven NHS members–Caroline Baker, Andrew Pearl, Vivienne Namiot, Molly Williams, JW Mooney, Danielle DiDonna, and Haley Gilland—to the Connecticut Association of Schools National Honors Societies (CANHS) Annual Student Leadership Conference at Trinity College in Hartford.

At the conference, students listened to an opening presentation from the State NHS Executive Board, enjoyed the keynote speaker Ed Gerety, networked over lunch with over 100 other NHS members from across the state, participated in different breakout groups, and then elected next year’s State Executive Board members.

RHS National Honor Society president Caroline Baker said that the keynote speaker was inspirational, leading the students through powerful exercises to connect them to the other student leaders and their specific goals. She said he urged the students to lead themselves first—and showed them how to do that by being accountable, looking up, and making eye contact. “We want him to come to RHS,” Caroline said. “He was amazing. If he can’t, we’ll share some of his exercises here.”

Fun Fact from Ms. Helmes - "Mitch and I, who met dozens of other NHS Advisors there, learned RHS has one of the largest NHS chapters in the state!"

Please learn more about the RHS Chapter of the National Honors Society on the Student Life Webpage. Juniors who meet the eligibility criteria received notification in February. Applications due on March 28.

The RHS chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is one of the most active clubs at RHS. This week, FBLA faculty advisor Kelly Predham reports about a community service project that RHS FBLA students have been working on since the Fall in partnership with The Meeting House in Ridgefield. The goal was to transform the surrounding land into accessible hiking trails for the community to enjoy. The project was headed by three FBLA sophomores: Rashi Ghorpade, Zavia Pendergast, and Ryan Zou.

Since the land is designated as wetlands, student leaders took on the challenge of securing approvals from the Meeting House Board and the Ridgefield Town Zoning and Wetlands Commission. They conducted research, mapped out the most effective trail routes, and carefully planned the project’s execution.

This past weekend, their hard work came to life as they spent both Saturday and Sunday clearing paths, spreading wood chips, and making the trails fully navigable for the community. It was inspiring to see their dedication, teamwork, and commitment to giving back, AND they had fun doing it! Their Project will be presented at our State Leadership Conference later this month.

See before and after photos below. Saturday and Sunday crew above.

The East Ridge students in Maureen Tyra's sixth-grade classes chose to dedicate their January Kindness Project to raising funds for the fire victims in the Los Angeles area. Student Grayson B. pitched the idea for the fundraiser after learning of friends and family in the L.A. area who had been impacted. Students brought donations and were excited at each milestone. The original goal was $500. When students reached that goal they wanted to keep going through the end of the month. The end result was a check for $718 to the Red Cross LA Fire Relief Fund.

These ERMS Tigers are truly PAWSOME!:)

Branchville, Ridgebury, and Veterans Park elementary schools participate in the Invention Convention Worldwide—a program to foster creativity, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving. Students have been busy engineering their submissions and sharing their inventions. Thank you to our parent volunteers who make this opportunity available.

The Ridgebury winners are:

- Aaron Torres, E-Z Ties, 3rd grade

- Daniela Coto-Perez and Joy Huan, The DJ Laundry Ball, 4th grade

- McKenzie and Kyleigh Murphy, Seat Belt Fun, 5th grade

The 2 BES students moving onto states are:

· Connor Campbell: “Remote Tracker”

· Gabby Rendon: “Bit Blanket”

BES also has 7 “Category Winners”:

1. Best Creative Invention: Rory Seff: “The Tear Catcher”

2. Best Health Invention: Maya Spivak & Bridget White: “Comfy Case”

3. Best Makes Life Easier Invention: Alexis Kaknevicius: “Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow”

4. Best Mechanical Invention: Grace Quinn: “The Shhharpener”

5. Best Pet Invention: Stella Weber: “Solar Roller”

6. Best Sports Invention: Claire Czeterko: “Swimming At Night”

7. The Magda Fincham Innovation Award: Paityn Sommerer: “The Magic Spray Brush”

Veterans Park students shared their inventions this week. Congratulations to VPES winners Reese Griffin (Gr. 4), Madeleine Elliott (Gr. 4), William Safianoff (Gr. 3), and all our Invention Convention participants.

The Blanket Roller - William Safianoff

Therma Skate - Reese Griffin and Maddie Elliott

On Thursday, five seniors signed National Letters of Intent to commit to continuing their athletic careers in the NCAA. Families joined the Athletic Department to recognize our student-athletes. Read student bios here.

Congratulations!

Brandon Penn - Hobart College, Men's Lacrosse

Dylan Penn - Hobart College, Men's Lacrosse

Julianne (Julie) Uecker - Mount Saint Mary's University, Women's Dive

Charles Lovett - American University, Men's Cross Country/Track

Trevor Fuller - University of Tampa, Men's Cross Country/Track

Please see the November 15 RPS Update to see RHS student-athletes who signed Letters of Intent in the fall.

The East Ridge Middle School Morning Show crew—Ryleigh, Holland, Eliza, and Charley pose with ERMS Library and Media Specialist Devon Samcha and the school's new teleprompter.

Farmingville Elementary students and staff prepare for their upcoming musical, Mary Poppins. Students will run the mics and sound. FES Principal Nancy Caron is one of the play directors with math specialist Amanda Cody and help from music teacher Ian Jackson. Show opens next week!

Veterans Park students and staff dressed in hats, leis, and flowery shirts for Tropical Spirit Day.

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.