
RPS Update
January 24, 2025
Dear Ridgefield Community,
The winter temperatures outside remind us that the cold and flu season is here. Our schools are seeing increased absences due to illnesses— we will continue to clean and sanitize with extra attention to touch points. Frequent hand washing, avoiding getting too close to others who aren’t feeling well, and, of course, staying home if you are sick will also help!
It’s an exciting time for our college seniors as many are receiving their anticipated college decisions. We wish our students the best and know they will find the right fit. Good luck!
Budget, budget, budget. Of course this is front of mind for the next few months. This weekend, the Board of Education will hear from each cost center on Saturday, January 25, for a full-day budget meeting. You can tune in (and out) as the meeting is held virtually; view agenda and link here. On Monday, January 27, the Board will have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions, make recommendations to the administration, or request further information. Don’t forget that you can give us feedback and ask questions using this form or speak publicly at BOE meetings or public hearings. We want to hear from you!
If you happen to be staying home and warm, it's a great opportunity to catch up on all things RPS. You can also make a quick stop at our curriculum site, engagED, where you can view all of our curriculum presentations!
Have a great weekend,
Susie
Susie Da Silva, Ed.D
Quote of the Week
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
Budget, Budget, Budget
This Saturday, January 25, the BOE will host an all-day virtual Budget Workshop. Each RPS Cost Center will present highlights from their budget lines, and BoE members will ask their questions. Next Saturday, the BOE will host a Public Hearing at 10 am at Ridgefield High School.
Podcast With Superintendent and Finance Director
It’s budget season, and on this week’s episode of Tiger Talk, we welcome back Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva and Director of Finance Jill Browne (our second attempt at doing a budget podcast). We discuss the budget-building process, some of the factors that go into creating the budget, how we arrived at this year’s number, and the upcoming presentations/meetings to bring the budget to completion. Thanks for listening!
Click here for the budget website that was mentioned on the podcast.
Click here for the Superintendent Proposed Budget presentation from 01/16/25.
January 2025 Calendar
Remember to check your school calendar for early dismissals, special events, concert schedules, and more. Review our Weather-Related Closure Protocols and discuss your family’s plan for an early dismissal with your children.
District Music Festivals Start—Tuesday, January 28!
Poetry Out Loud at RHS—January 29
This year, after a one-year break, some RHS English classes participated in the national poetry recitation program Poetry Out Loud. On Wednesday, January 29, at 6 pm in the RHS LLC, over 20 classroom champions will compete in the school finals. The finalists will recite in front of judges to see who will represent RHS at the Regional semi-finals. The public is welcome!
February Calendar
Please note: There is no school for students on February 14; it is a Professional Learning Day for teachers.
Parenting Workshop—February 4 at Library
Preschool Peer Model Screening
Kindergarten 2025-2026 Registration
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.
BOE Corner
Curriculum Meeting Covers Testing and AHS/RTP Programs
BOE Co-hosts Legislative Breakfast
On Tuesday, RPS BOE Chair Tina Malhotra co-hosted a Legislative Breakfast. Ms. Malhotra, other RPS BOE members, and administrators welcomed State Senator Julie Kushner and colleagues from local districts and CABE (Connecticut Association of Boards of Education). Attendees spoke to the Senator about their concerns—with a particular plea for elected officials' help controlling spiraling costs and adequate time for planning around legislative changes.
Growing Bookworms at RPS
Shared Reading In RPS Using New Curriculum Resource
This week, a literacy team from a neighboring district came to Scotland Elementary to observe Ridgefield’s new early elementary curriculum resource, Open-up Resources Bookworms. Visitors saw teachers modeling fluent reading, teaching vocabulary, and leading group discussions about characters, themes, and a story’s context.
The neighbors saw SES kindergarten to second-grade students engaged and participating in group and partner reading to strengthen fluency and comprehension. They watched teachers and students exploring high-quality books—some classics and some recent publications—to deepen understanding and cultivate a love for reading.
RPS chose this new curriculum resource after careful consideration and for good reasons. “Research highlights the effectiveness of shared reading in developing fluency and comprehension while encouraging learners to engage with complex ideas,” explains Linda Johnson, Director of Elementary Education. “Shared reading also builds a sense of community, where students collaborate, share perspectives, and connect with diverse characters and stories. Our teachers have embraced the components of shared reading with this new resource, adding their personal touch to make reading an enjoyable experience for our students.”
SES Literacy Coach Alaina Kakos organized the visit, which provides the opportunity to reflect on implementation across the six RPS elementary schools and share the program with the RPS Community. Next year, third-grade teachers will implement shared reading using this curricular resource.
We love growing Bookworms at RPS!
Summer Fun for Everyone!
Summer Bridge Registration to Open February 7
Elementary Summer Bridge—Rising Grades K-5
Middle School Summer Bridge—Rising Grades 6-8
High School Summer Bridge—Rising Grades 9-12
Be a Best Buddy!—Free, Full-Day Summer Program
REMINDER! RHS Prom and Graduation Dates
Junior Prom - Saturday, May 17, 2025
Senior Prom - Friday, May 30, 2025
RHS Graduation - Friday, June 13, 2025, 6pm
In the Classroom
Cupcake Wars Are Over; It Was Sweet, Salty, and Bitter
The third and final RHS Cupcake War happened this week in Chef T's Baking Class. The winner was Team Fleur de Luxe, with their simple and elegant brown butter creation. RPS Update filled in for one of the judges and can attest to the difficulty of choosing a winner. Great presentations. Creative ideas. Deliciousness.
Wednesday marked the end of RHS midterms; Thursday the beginning of the second semester. As Chef T bid farewell to students, he entreated them to visit and stay in touch. Some students pledged to enroll in another cooking class as soon as their schedules allowed. Others clutched their prize cupcakes, knowing that they had attained some mastery of baking, teamwork, and cleanup but looking forward to their next chapter. One student said, "I'm so excited for Business Law, my spring elective. Baking was fun, and I love the Business classes."
Elementary Library and Media
Just as books and media reflect our world and the infinite human imagination, so does the Elementary Library Program, going way beyond due dates and the pages of a book. RPS library and media specialists teach a wide variety of lessons that support social-emotional learning, history, writing and research, robotics and STEAM, current events, collaboration, and more. Veterans Park Library and Media Specialist Liza Bullard gave a taste of her January lessons, which exemplify the ways RPS librarians enrich the elementary curriculum and the diversity of topics covered.
Here are the recent library lessons she shared:
- Emotion trackers - after reading feeling books - we used the Duplo emotions to build people and settings to fit the emotion. We discussed MLK, Jr and how he wanted us to be kind!
- Grade 4—Amazing Race - coding with Dash, research, citations, and working together to answer challenging questions.
- Grade 5—Space Junk Integrated Studies Project and the sharing with Grade 2 buddies
- Grade 6—MLK, Jr. Escape Room.
- Keva Planks - create and write about what your group made - working on collaborating!
Thinking Locally at Farmingville
Dentist Talks Teeth and Hygiene
This week, local dentist Dr. Langberg visited Farmingville second-grade classrooms to teach about teeth and how to care for them. He taught the students all about the parts of the tooth, spoke about good dental hygiene, showed them the amount of sugar in different drinks, and had them create a diagram of a tooth. Thank you to Mr. Langberg for taking the time to visit Farmingville School and leaving students with the tools to maximize dental hygiene and hydration—toothbrushes, toothpaste, and chapstick.
Aspiring RHS Educator Teaches Civics Lesson
On Tuesday, RHS junior Catie Bell taught a lesson about Local Government to a Farmingville Elementary third-grade class. She engaged the class in discussions about how local government serves us and our regional leadership teams. Students gave Catie their full attention, actively participating in her planned activities.
Catie is an RHS Educators Rising Club member, which supports high schoolers looking to go into the teaching profession. Members of the club are preparing for an upcoming Connecticut Competition, and this class was recorded for her submission.
Observers thought she killed it. When asked how she had such a natural ability in the classroom, she commended her teachers. She had presented a draft of the class to RHS Principal Dr. Jake Greenwood and Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva. "They helped me simplify the lesson and make it more effective—age-appropriate."
With the teaching shortage, our schools need more people like Catie—best of luck to all our EdRising Club students in the March competition.
Check Your RPS eBackpack
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.
The HeART of RPS
Soft Sculpture Inspired by Kusama and Oldenburg
Ridgebury Elementary fifth-grade artists learned about pop artists Yayoi Kusama and Claus Oldenburg, who both made soft sculpture. RES artists created their own soft sculpture, inspired by pop culture.
Beyond the Classroom
Teens Can Save Lives: CERT Presents Narcan Training for High Schoolers
Do you want to learn how to save someone's life? Do you want to change from a bystander to an upstander in an emergency? In partnership with Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is introducing a series of important life skill classes geared to teens! In the first class that they're offering, you'll learn how to use Narcan, a life-saving drug that is used in the event of an opioid overdose. The only requirement is that you must be a current high school student. Scan the QR code in the attached flyer to sign up!
RHS Athletics and Beyond!
Girls + Boys Basketball Host Double-Header for KOMD
On Tuesday night, the RHS girls and boys basketball programs hosted a double-header that went beyond the court to bring the community together to support an inspiring local nonprofit, Kindness Against Muscular Dystrophy (KOMD). Entrance tickets, raffle sales, a chance to win $10,000, and more supported KOMD, which an RPS family started to find a cure for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a rare and fatal disease affecting their son Conner Curran, a Scotts Ridge eighth grader. Conner's SRMS friends and family joined a great crowd and Conner to cheer on our Tigers and pick raffle winners.
Conner's mother, Jessica Curran, a teacher in Westchester, spoke beautifully at half-time of the boys game about their son, this devastating disease, and hope for a cure. Thank you to all the families and local businesses for supporting our students. RPS is Team Conner!
The girls lost a battle in overtime. The boys came out victorious, which gave the basketball the opportunity to celebrate Coach Andrew McClellan's 200th win. Congrats, Coach!
Who Won the Fall Sports Sing-Off Challenge?
Last week's RPS Update covered the Fall Sports Sing-Off Challenge—the brainchild of RHS Choral Director Lauren Verney-Fink. Today, we announce the winners...Girls Soccer! Field Hockey was the runner-up, and Football earned an Honorable Mention for inspiring the contest in the first place and getting behind it. Athletic Director Dane Street picked the winner.
Photos from the Week
Branchville Elementary second graders shared their nonfiction this week.
Barlow Mountain fourth graders braved frigid temps to find out whether bubbles will freeze.
Happy Friday! Have a Great Weekend!
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.