RPS Update

This week we culminated our school tours with members of the Board of Education, Board of Finance, Board of Selectpersons, and PTA Co-Presidents. These tours are intended to highlight the transformation of approved budget dollars and their impact on students, while also identifying the continuing needs. Trends across the schools were the need for space, facility upgrades, and changes in the educational landscape. Despite continued opportunities for growth, the importance of transparency and partnership cannot be overstated.

The holiday season is evidenced by the festive lights, performances, and the colors of the season. It is certainly a time of celebration and joy for many of us, but not for all of us. Let us remind ourselves, and our students, that the people around us may need a smile, gesture, or kind words. The season of giving doesn't need to be limited to material things; as we know, the greatest gifts don’t usually come wrapped or with a bow.

On Wednesday, December 18 at 7:30 p.m., the community will have the opportunity to once again have their voices heard concerning a new site for the Alternative High School (AHS) and Ridgefield Transition Program (RTP). While the goal and outcomes are still the same, the path to getting there is different. You can click here to read the community update sent out earlier today. Any parent or community member that has questions regarding any of our programs, can reach out to us directly.

Next week will be the last update for the 2024 year. Have a wonderful weekend, and hope you can avoid the malls.

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Wherever you go, go with your educator heart. Whenever you create, create for collective wellness. Whatever you build, build it with joy and justice. Juliana Urtubey- 2021 National Teacher of the Year

George Beratis conducts the Band during the RHS Winter Concert. See more below!

In this week’s episode of Ridgefield Tiger Talk, we welcome back to the show the Director of Safety and Security, Josh Zabin. We discuss how the new school security officer (SSO) model is working, the benefits/community impact of having these SSO’s at each building, the continuing work in making our buildings secure, and Sandy Hook Promise our anonymous reporting system. Thanks for listening!

Please review our Weather-Related Closure Protocols and discuss your family’s plan for an early dismissal with your children.

Check your school calendar for early dismissals, concert schedules, and more.

It's time for families to register for the Kindergarten 2025-26 School Year. Sign up and learn all about our Kindergarten Enrollment Process. Read more about the Kindergarten Waiver Process.

January is the official kick-off of Budget Season.

Recently, members of the Boards of Education, Finance, Selectpersons, and PTA Council have joined the RPS administration for school tours. These tours afford a first-hand look at RPS facilities in anticipation of budget season and the opportunity for connection and collaboration.

Literacy developer Alissa Reicherter was in the District this week working with Elementary schools on reading—specifically elevating Read Alouds and rethinking Small Group Work to develop readers’ vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension.

On Monday, Ms.Reicherter taught Barlow Mountain fourth graders a lesson to model how reading a favorite book aloud, in this case, Kaia and the Bees, can be an entree into vocabulary building, figurative language, and story arc. Ms. Reicherter has a great rapport with the students who actively participate in tracing the story arc, untangling metaphoric language and new vocabulary, discussing what actions reveal about the protagonist, and predicting the ending.

Classroom teachers, literacy coaches, and administrators met with Reicherter before and after the lesson to discuss challenges and observations. One teacher observed, “I loved how you paused at a part to question what the author meant.” A literacy coach said, “I liked how you made students say the full sentence, ‘this reveals that the character…” Ms. Reicherter responds, “Exactly! Sometimes, you need to put the vocabulary words into the kids’ mouths so they understand how to respond to a question.”

During this professional development, teachers learn strategies to build on what they learned in August and make daily classroom lessons—read-alouds and small group work—more effective. “This professional development,” Reicherter said afterward, “is part of your district’s commitment to the Science of Reading and implementation of curriculum resources and instruction to meet RPS students where they are.”

This model of professional learning took place at Scotland Elementary School last month and will continue at all elementary schools throughout the school year. “This is one example of high-quality professional learning that can ensure instructional practices and materials lead to excellent teaching and learning happening in RPS,” shared Linda Johnson, Director of Elementary Education. "It’s so important to have professional learning that impacts student learning in our schools.”

RPS PTAs are one of the District's most vital partnerships—adding substantive enrichment, celebration, fun, and support to our schools. The PTA Special Services Committee is one of these active partnerships. Each school has a designated representative, and the committee regularly meets with Assistant Superintendent Dr. Liz Hannaway and Assistant Director of Special Education Dr. Tony Showah to share resources and discuss inclusivity and serving special needs students and families. Thank you to PTA Special Services representatives for all you do!

Please see the Committee's Fall and Winter Issue of Special Services Spotlight: A Resource Guide for Parents of Students With Special Needs for an incredible community resource.

RPS regularly posts presentations for families on its Curriculum Channel, RPS EngagED. Please tune in for a recent discussion about the new Elementary World Language program. Math Placement coming up in January.

Thanks for tuning in and getting EngagED, RPS.

Photo Caption: Elementary Spanish teacher Jill Quattrocchi, Elementary Director Linda Johnson, and World Language Chair Allyson Power at the Board of Education meeting

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.

Please see the November 22 RPS Update for a profile on John Wilson, RPS's wonderful van driver, to learn more about this rewarding position.

Thank you to eighth graders and their social studies teachers for presenting their experiences with the Witness Stones Project at this week's Board of Education meeting. Please view the video and full agenda on the Board of Education website.

Recently, sophomores in Julie Henderson's English classes recited soliloquies from The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare. While some students reported feeling nervous, they did an outstanding job delivering these time-honored monologues and listening to their classmates. Ms. Henderson's notes for the class provide insight into the lesson's value, memorization tips, a brief analysis of Macbeth's flawed character, and the seven soliloquies.

She writes, "For generations, memorizing poems and speeches was an important part of English classes. While this practice is less common nowadays, there are still many benefits to exercising this mental muscle.

• The ability to memorize and recite text can make you a better public speaker;

• The practice of memorizing text causes you to analyze text and understand its patterns and structure carefully;

• The practice of memorizing improves your ability to remember: despite the interweb being constantly at our fingertips, there will always be a need to remember information.

• You will be well-prepared for Poetry Out Loud next month!"

Finally, she notes that this exercise could be considered a capstone project, eligible to fulfill Student Mastery Diploma requirements. Maybe some will even remember their chosen soliloquies years after graduation.

Before Thanksgiving, RHS students in Matthew Goetz's English classes celebrated poetry by memorizing and reciting a poem of their choice--and writing some as well! They enjoyed hot drinks and fresh takes during the Poetry Cafe. Please read some of their compositions below.

By Katherine

When Christmas rolls around,
my immediate thought
is to buy a tree.
Started from the ground,
the tree sought
to be the biggest it could be.
And though it grew all year round,
the tree was taught
it would only be bought
if a girl had a thought to buy a tree.

By Michael

Light and fluffy so full of life
Colors so bright in a plain of strife
Rarely notices and barely heard
we see them all across the world
an innocent creature that means no harm
Although they are quite good as chicken parm
All sizes, all shapes they are full of wonder
their quantity far surpasses any number
next time you are bored and find yourself outside
look for a bird, they're up there all the time!

by Sofia

Flames that burn so bright
Lighting up the darkened room
Smelling nice and new

Blowing out is quick
Just one big blow to finish
Smoke begins to pour

The smoke continues
Smelling like my birthday cake
Then the smoke was gone

By Tim

Mr. Goetz told me to write
But I don't know what to write about
He said ten lines or more
But I'm only on line four
I'm looking out the window
I'm looking at the trees
I'm looking at my classmates
They're in the same boat as me
I'm looking at bread crumbs on the table
But there's no bread crumbs in the trees

The RHS Music Department presented its Winter Concert this past Wednesday evening, and it was a huge success! From start to finish, our Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, Madrigals, Concert Orchestra, and Symphonic Orchestra all did a fantastic job. They played and sang with great precision and unity, and their passion for music-making was palpable. The concert ended with a combined band, choir, and orchestra performance of the Wailin' Jenny's song "One Voice" after which the audience jumped to its feet in applause. RHS Music Directors George Beratis, Michael McNamara, and Lauren Verney-Fink are all incredibly proud of their students and thankful for the support from so many school, parent, and community members. It was definitely a night to remember!

Bravo to all the participants!!! See the full repertoire, soloists, and participants in the Winter Concert Program.

Recently, the RHS Chess Club won their match against King School (Stamford, CT) in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Chess League (FCICL) with a 6-2 final score.

Congratulations!

Club Captain Isaac Weng (Grade 12)

James Britton (Grade 10)

Marco Garcia Duran (Grade 9)

Adam Robson (Grade 11)

On Saturday, the RHS Debate Team attended the Connecticut Debate Association (CDA) Tournament at King School in Stamford, CT. During this tournament, students representing RHS competed in 4 (40-minute) rounds of debate with teams from other Connecticut schools as they argued whether or not Google should be broken up.

In the end, RHS won 4 rounds of debate.

These students earned each win as a result of their efforts to enhance their critical thinking skills and master the art of public speaking.

Novice Division

Gabriel Fincham & Avelynn Xu (2 Wins)

Akshay Pertab & Adolfo Sanz Perez (2 Wins)

Ridgefield Mock Trial’s White team advanced to the State Sweet 16 in February. Congratulations to: Lucas Alexander, Arthur Brown, Max Fixler, Taylor Hunt, Claire Kim, Sydney Kinford, Will Knispel, Lily Lepanto, Madeline Lindsay-Jones, Stephanie Quadros Carvalho, Julia Salomone, and Sherry Wu.

Red team defense also beat Xavier: Congratulations to: Aidan Aframe, Hannah Agwu, Micah Cohen, Julia Knispel, Cobie Mischenko, and Catherine Thompson.

The team is led by captains Hannah Agwu, Anna Kiefaber, Julia Knispel, Lloyd Mills, Zoe Munoz Rojas, Natalie Shartouni, and Catherine Thompson.

The RHS Athletics Department's newsletter comes out every other week and includes interesting information about RHS athletics. This week's issue includes the Winter Home Opening schedule, a profile of Boys Hockey Coach Shaun Gallagher, and more Fall sports Regional and League honors. Read it all, here.

RHS alum and Olympic medal-winning swimmer Kieran Smith set a World Record in the Men's 4x100 Relay. Congratulations, Kieran!

Barlow Mountain first graders love reading to Holly, a ROAR Therapy Dog.

Veterans Park Elementary held its No Place For Hate assembly this week. This anti-bullying Anti-Defamation League program gives students leadership opportunities. Fifth graders lead the assemblies and provide age-appropriate lessons on kindness and inclusion.

Barlow Mountain and Scotland elementary students made cards and ornaments for Meals on Wheels.

For the fourth consecutive year, Farmingville Elementary supported Connecticut Children’s PJ Day for the Kids. This statewide initiative raises funds, lifts spirits, and brings awareness to children who spend long periods of time in their pajamas while undergoing treatment. Students and staff raised over $1500 and showed off some great jammies. Ridgebury got cozy with slippers, onesies, matched sets, and a good book to raise funds for a great cause!

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.