RPS Update

I hope everyone enjoyed the St. Patrick’s Day festivities this past weekend. Tonight I have the opportunity to be a guest at the Youth-of-the-Year ceremony sponsored by the Ridgefield
Boys and Girls Club. Earlier this month, a panel of judges and I interviewed exceptional young people from our community for this special honor. I can say with confidence that each of the individuals left a lasting impression and will make a difference in our world. I feel lucky to be able to say I have met them.

This week, my Central Office colleagues and I continued to meet with our high school seniors as they transition to the last few months of their time at RHS. Their unique insights and feedback on what we have done well, and opportunities for growth, are powerful. I encourage everyone to pull away from the digital world and give our full attention to the voices of our children- I trust that we will all learn something new.

Next week is busy. We attend a Board of Finance Public Hearing on Monday evening at 7:00 p.m. at East Ridge Middle School. At this hearing, all three Town Boards will share brief FY25 budget presentations and the public can provide feedback. On Tuesday evening, the Board of Education will hold their monthly meeting; and on Wednesday, the Board of Education presents to the Board of Finance at 7:00 p.m. at Town Hall. We promise to keep our energy high!

There will be no school next Friday in recognition of Good Friday. You can expect the next update to be Friday, April 5th.

Happy Spring!

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Photo Caption: Branchville students at Take Apart Night.

Please check your school's calendar for important dates.

NOTE: The Board of Finance Public Hearing is this Monday, March 25, is at East Ridge Middle School at 7 pm so the Board of Education meeting has been moved to Tuesday, March 26 at 7 pm. All BOE regular and committee meetings, meeting agendas and minutes can be accessed on the Board of Education page.

NOTE: Elementary Schools have an Early Dismissal on April 11 and April 12. Please check your school's calendar.

The version of RPS Update sent earlier had the wrong date for this exciting RPS event. It is April 3.

Last year, over 50 students participated in the program to get a head start on their college to do list which alleviated stress during the first months of senior year. With feedback from students, we are making some adjustments to make the program even better. We are going beyond the Common Application and incorporating more information to help all students get a head start on their college application to do list. We are offering two one-day workshop opportunities to allow students and families have more flexibility in planning their summers.

Save the date! Students can choose between Thursday, August 1 or Wednesday, August 7. The tentative times are 9a.m - 1:30 p.m. More details and how to register will be emailed to the current junior class in the near future.

Last week's RPS Update featured some of the wide variety of offerings for high schoolers this summer. Courses for review, fun, and credit. Volunteering opportunities. Please register on the Summer Bridge site to ensure your student's spot.

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.

This Thursday, March 28, RPS collaborator Dr. Ben Powers will present on the Science of Reading on the Curriculum RPS Curriculum YouTube channel. Link to login and submit questions here.

Sarah Schaefer, the dynamic creator of the District’s Elementary math resource Mathodology, returned to RPS this week. She worked with students and staff at every elementary school, and held a professional development workshop for Kindergarten through Grade 2 teachers during Thursday’s professional development. Ms. Schaefer has been RPS’s unwavering partner in the implementation of this informed, flexible approach to elementary math instruction. Teachers and students tapped into her expertise with joy and discovery. Elementary Directory Linda Johnson wrote about the powerful professional development sessions, “RPS teachers are learners, observers of learning, and reflective practitioners.”

In partnership with the Branchville Elementary PTA, BES classroom teachers, Jen Phippen and Sara Pieterse, alongside Literacy coach, Donna Walsh, provided a hands-on learning experience for parents that was similar to how primary students learn to read every day. The approach to literacy instruction has shifted over the last few years. The Branchville parents learned phonics, phonemic awareness and explored decodable texts through the programs RPS uses to teach our youngest students.

A pi-ku a poem that follows the form of a haiku, but instead of the 5-7-5 haiku pattern, the syllables in a pi-ku are 3-1-4. NOTE: If you are looking at this on phone, the photo of the Pi-ku is above.

RHS Biology teacher Pam Gooch, K-12 Technology Integrator Kim Moran, and Library Media Specialist Laura Kosky came together to create an engaging and educational experience for biology students, which bridged the realms of science and technology, . This innovative project saw students diving deep into the complexities of DNA, exploring its functions, replication processes, transcription, and translation through an interactive learning adventure. By solving a series of puzzles, students unlocked Breakout EDU boxes, each step deepening their understanding and mastery of the subject matter. This hands-on approach not only made learning about DNA dynamic and memorable but also showcased the powerful results of interdisciplinary collaboration in fostering a deeper, more engaging educational experience for students.

In 1930s New York City, little orphan Annie lives a “hard-knock life” at an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. In 2020s Ridgefield (last week!), Farmingville Elementary put on a version of “Annie,” the Tony-Award-winning Broadway classic, that captured the hearts and dreams of the attendees.

RPS Math Specialist Amanda Cody directed the play with music direction by FES music teacher Ian Jackson and produced by Principal Nancy Caron. Ms. Cody writes, “We had a shared vision of putting on a show that gave kids the opportunity to either try something new or continue to hone skills that they had previously been working on, all while having fun and gaining confidence.”

The play was inclusive. “Our FES show was open to all fourth and fifth-grade students,” Ms. Cody continues, “Anyone who auditioned received a part in the cast, and all cast members had at least one speaking line. In addition, all fifth-grade students had at least one solo singing line. We had crew members working on sets, lighting, sound, props, costumes, and "runners" who called the cast to the stage when it was their time to perform. We rehearsed before school from January through March.” The results were incredible. Tears, laughs, standing ovations!

Last year, the Board of Education budget included support for Elementary School student productions to ensure the experience at each school. That support continues in the Full-Year 2025 Proposed Budget.

After a fabulous RHS performance of “Little Women,” outstanding elementary school productions, it’s clear the state of the RPS Visual and Performing Arts program is strong with the intention and purpose to level up. Please see opportunities to attend Middle School musicals below!

Scan the QR code below for tickets for the Scotts Ridge Middle School musical

Ticckets for East Ridge Middle School’s GREASE are now on sale!

Performance Dates

Friday April 5 at 6:00 PM

Saturday April 6 at 1:00 PM

Tickets will be $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for students/children (under age 14). They will also be selling tickets at the door through cash or QR code/credit card. There will not be assigned seating.

Click link below to purchase tickets beforehand:

https://www.showtix4u.com/event-details/82324

This year Branchville Elementary had 94 entries in the Branchville Writes! Competition. Principal Keith Margolus and a committee of teachers read all of the pieces. We are so proud of ALL of our writers and we had a very hard time choosing just two for each grade level. All of our writers should consider themselves winners and you should all be so proud of yourselves for entering the contest. Good for you and keep on writing!

Here is the list of winners for Branchville Writes.

3-5 Heart Piece - Bridget White - Grade 3

This is a special piece that spoke to our hearts and we hope best exemplifies our BES students. This year we selected two heart pieces - k-2 and 3-5.

Kindergarten

Winner - Delaney Finnegan

Honorable Mention - Reilly Pariso

First Grade

Winner - Milo Evans

Honorable Mention - June Kroesser

Second Grade

Winner - Greyson Longrigan

Honorable Mention - Wyatt Patrick

Third Grade

Winner - James Korner

Honorable Mention - Finn Hartofilis

Fourth Grade

Winner - Addie DiGiovanni

Honorable Mention - Audrey Ramseyar and Hayden Brodsky

Fifth Grade

Winner - Owen Broderick

Honorable Mention - Lucian Cannella

Branchville had 24 inventions and 28 inventors across Grades 2 - 5 present their ideas to judges. BES young inventors created a physical solution to a problem of their choosing and designed and built a prototype. They also recorded their journey of the invention process in their invention logs. The competition was tough this year, but the three students listed below are moving on to semi-finals.
Branchville State Semi-Finalists
Sydney Almstead (grade 4) - “Pack It Up”
Nathan Kim (grade 5) - “Tisket a Basket”
Gavin Levi (grade 5) - “Super Shower”

Ridgebury student inventors from third-fifth grade showcased their inventions at the Ridgebury Invention Convention. Over the past few months, these students worked hard to brainstorm problems, design solutions, and finally build and test prototypes. They perfected their oral presentations, and last week they presented their creations to the school community, parents, and judges. They all did a fabulous job and learned a lot!

Thanks to Ridgebury PTA moms, Elizabeth Long and Rocio Perez, for leading the program. Congratulations to all participants for their creativity and hard work!

Four of our students will move on to the Connecticut Invention Convention Semi-final:

3rd Grade Evans Yaffee - The Light Locker

4th Grade Kyleigh and McKenzie Murphy (team) - The Car Wall

5th Grade Ian Klimowicz - Reel Green Tackle

5th Grade Quinn Streif - EcoDry Reusable Towels

Ridgefield Odyssey of the Mind program had two teams compete at the CTOM State Tournament in New Haven - one Division 1 (from Branchville) and one Division 2 (from Scotts Ridge). Both teams did extremely well with the Division 1 team taking second place and the Division 2 team winning first! They are now eligible to compete at the World Finals in May.

Scotts Ridge Middle School Science Olympiad advisor Stephen LaBounty reports that just three students yielded big results at a recent competition.

Congrats to the following students!!

Meteorology- Jay Webb (1st place in the state)

Code Busters- Jay Webb and Amra Kornusova (6th place in the state)

Fast Facts- Jay Webb and Amra Kornusova (10th Place in the state)

Flight- Morris Wu- (4th Place in the State)

Forestry- Jay Webb (9th place in the state)

A group of sophomores attended the Human Rights Institute at Iona University on Thursday, March 14, to attend seminars presented by area students on various topics related to human rights. A team of juniors, Zoe Munoz Rojas, Julia Knispel, Caroline Baker, and Hannah Gilland, gave a powerful presentation on the topic of Child Labor at the conference. Assistant Principal Christine Hopkinson writes, "We are so proud of their participation in this important event!"

This week, a group of RHS students attended the 48th-Annual UNIS-UN Conference -Equal Rights Equal Heights: Climbing the Ladder of Gender Equality in New York. Students heard from experts and various speakers and had the opportunity to engage in meaningful exchanges and student debate.

Last week was East Ridge Middle School's Spirit Week. Students and staff showed their enthusiasm by dressing up throughout the week. On Wednesday, students took on (and beat!) the faculty in a fierce and fun basketball game. ERMS also caught the spirit of giving—collecting needed goods for.Daws, the Center for Empowerment and Education, Family and Children's Aid, and the City of Danbury Emergency Center.

Barlow Mountain Elementary wrote letters to Holli and her owner Ms. Cristina to thank the team for coming to read with them. Holli and Cristina are members of the ROAR (Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue) Therapy Dog program.

Veterans Park Elementary hosted its annual Variety Show this week. Staff and students pulled out all the stops on this fun night, which showcased talent and creativity. Fifth-graders showed their dexterity and range with "Cups" by Anna Kendrick. Veterans Park staff got in on the fun with "Dance the Night Away."

Branchville families gathered recently for the beloved tradition of Take Apart Night, where participants disassemble old electronics to learn how they work! Special thanks to the Ridgefield Robotics Team, who brought along some robots to demonstrate, and Branchville students were even allowed to try them out!

Farmingville Elementary welcomed SK8 4 Life, a health and empowerment assembly. Skateboarders performed tricks while talking to students about how to nurture their mind, body, and spirit.

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.