RPS Update

On Monday, the Board of Education adopted the FY 24 Budget, it is now the Board of Education's budget and will be presented to the Board of Selectmen on Tuesday, February 28. Also, our Board of Education will meet on February 27, the agenda will be posted next week.

We celebrated all of our faculty with “We Love RPS” week, highlighting and reminding all of our staff how important each of them is and the impact they have on our school district.

Thankfully, (sorry kids), we are entering into February break without a “snow day.” We hope your week is filled with rest, relaxation, and fun! If you can believe it, the next update will be in March!

Have a wonderful week,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D.

Please remind your neighbors, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances to register their children for kindergarten ASAP so they can take full advantage of all the orientation programs and so RPS can plan to welcome all our youngest students. View all the information about dates and eligibility in the 2023 Kindergarten Press Release.

The RHS PTSA and Ridgefield Council of PTAs present, "Do You Have the Tools to Talk?," a workshop for parents about how to talk about differences in race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and ability in our modern world on February 28 at 7 pm. Please submit all questions by February 19. Register and more information here.

Join a K-12 representative team for an overview of standardized state assessments on March 1 at 11 am LIVE on our Curriculum YouTube channel. They will also cover how results are shared with families. Please submit questions here. A recording of the presentation will be available on the YouTube Channel after the live session.

The RPS Preschool Program is currently accepting Peer Model applications for the 2023-24 school year. Please go to the website for more information and click on the Peer Model Application to apply. Applications are due by March 1, 2023.

Information about the AP testing schedule and SAT/ACT can be found here https://sites.google.com/ridgefieldps.net/rhs-school-counseling/satactpsat-testing.

Juniors will take the SAT in school on Wednesday, March 22. They do not need to register for this separately.

In addition, the SATs will be administered at RHS on May 6 and June 3 this spring. Registration and payment required. All registration for the Saturday SATs @ RHS is done online through the College Board. If you have any questions about the Saturday tests, you may email MaryAnn Goldstein at mgoldstein@ridgefieldps.net.

Test Date: Saturday, May 6, 2023

Registration Deadline: April 7, 2023

Late Registration Deadline: April 25, 2023

Test Date: Saturday, June 3, 2023

Registration Deadline: May 4, 2023

Late Registration Deadline: May 23, 2023

Registration Information: https://collegereadiness.collegeboard.org/sat/register/dates-deadlines

Here are the 2023 prom dates:

Junior Prom - Portuguese Club, Danbury CT

Saturday, May 13, 2023

Senior Prom - The Loading Dock, Stamford, CT

Friday, June 2, 2023

Assistant Superintendent Cory Gillette announced proclaimed this week the second annual RPS Love Week with recommendations of cost-free ways to spread the love—write a note, invite colleague to join you at lunch, or enjoy discounts at the generous businesses and Ridgefield venues here.

Please help! PTA boards throughout RPS are in need of parents to fill board positions for next year. For example, the East Ridge PTA is currently without key board positions next year because the current leadership’s terms are expiring or they no longer have children in the school. Without these positions filled, the ERMS PTA would have to dissolve. RPS PTA leadership can be what you make it, so please consider stepping up or approaching friends or neighbors you think might be willing to get involved. Becoming involved in the PTA is an amazing way to have a direct impact on your child’s experience in school. For more information, please contact your school’s PTA leadership or the PTA council at ridgefieldptacouncil@gmail.com.

Last Friday, Superintendent Susie Da Silva, Assistant Superintendent Cory Gillette, Scotland Principal Jill Katkocin, and students presented balloons and a "prom (promotion) proposal" to Tim Luchinger to celebrate his permanent hire. Tim has been the Interim Elementary Supervisor since August. RPS Update interviewed Tim to learn more about him and his role as Elementary Supervisor.

What is your background?

I am one of three boys, all of whom are teachers. My wife is also a teacher. We have 3 children Madison 17, Drew 14, and Brett 10 and live in Bethel. I love to watch/coach my kids during all of the sports that they play throughout the year! My favorite sport to watch is lacrosse.

How did you get into education?

Growing up my dad was a teacher and I remember him talking about how much fun he had at work. He used to tell the best stories about what his students were doing and how they would come back and see him when they graduated. That really stuck with me so when I got my first job at 16 I became a camp counselor. That's when I knew that teaching was the job for me. Seeing kids' faces light up when they learned a new skill or just seeing you for the first time that day. From that day forward being a teacher was all I ever wanted to do.

What's a day in your life like?

As an Elementary Supervisor, two of my main focus areas have been MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) and Special Education. I work alongside Principal Jill Katkocin and our SES staff to create a system to help support our students that need the extra help. The staff has worked hard to make this process meaningful for students. I have focussed on creating relationships with our staff, our students, and our Scotland families. One of the most enjoyable and important parts of my responsibilities is sitting and talking with our students during their lunch and recess times. I love this time because it allows me to get to know the whole student and not just the child who sits in the classroom. One of the things that Jill and I do together is support our PTA during our monthly meetings and our afterschool activities. The SES PTA does a great job creating experiences for our students.

What are your thoughts of RPS/SES so far?

My thoughts of RPS/SES can be described in one word "AMAZING"!! I work with a group of people who are supportive, collaborative, and work so hard to make sure that our students are getting what they need to be successful. Jill is the best mentor that I could have asked for. Being able to learn from her has been the best gift that Dr. Da Silva could have given me. I am also lucky to have a staff like the one at Scotland. They are the best in the business!! They welcomed me from day one with open arms and getting to watch them work every day has made this job a lot easier.

With new variants of COVID circulating and the cold and flu season upon us, we wanted to share a few reminders with you. RPS continues to monitor and collect information about positive cases of COVID across the district. This information is updated daily, by school, on the RPS website and can be found by clicking on this link: RPS COVID-19 Data. Please note: we no longer contact trace COVID cases or send notices regarding exposure to, or level of, illness-specific by classroom. All students and staff are encouraged to observe illness prevention measures as deemed necessary due to individual and family needs. Hand washing (or sanitizing when soap and water is not available), observing proper respiratory etiquette, masking, remaining home when experiencing symptoms of illness, and updating vaccines as advised by your individual healthcare provider remain the cornerstones of illness prevention. Our current COVID practices can be found here. Please reach out to your school nurse if you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s health at school.

The State of Connecticut distributed millions of at-home COVID-19 antigen rapid test kits in 2022 to municipalities, schools, faith-based organizations, non-profits, and healthcare facilities to allow for convenient, rapid self-testing during multiple surges. On January 11, 2023, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted another three-month shelf-life extension for iHealth COVID-19 antigen rapid tests, bringing the current extension to 15 months from the date of manufacture and nine months from the date printed on the kit. iHealth test kit instructions are available from the DPH in multiple languages including Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Haitian Creole, Japanese, Khmer, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. If you have any questions about the iHealth test kits or to obtain alternative language instructions for the iHealth test kits, please submit an email to PHAD.dph@ct.gov.

Please visit the links below to view the FDA-authorized antigen rapid test kits

products, extensions, and to look up the new expiration dates.

FDA iHealth Extension:

https://www.fda.gov/media/164513/download
https://www.fda.gov/media/164551/download

Scotland Elementary fourth-grader Fiona Liu presented Lunar New Year celebrations to her class. They also celebrated Lantern Festival with fun activities like Year of the Rabbit paper cutting and Chinese calligraphy writing. Students received red envelopes with their name written in Chinese characters.

Four RHS Advanced Art Projects students painted a mural of an imaginary ocean. Donnelly Rodgers, Gabriella Freeman, Charli McLemore, and Maddie Brown spent over a month collaborating on this painting of some of their favorite marine animals. The mural has been installed in the hallway of the Gwing for the enjoyment of all.

Congratulations to RHS senior Sophie Browning for earning the distinction of being RHS Music Student of the Month for February. Read all about Sophie's quiet leadership and commitment to the music program in this Hamlet Hub article written by RHS student Jadyn Castagna.

Last week, music festivals across the district brought together students from different grades and schools to make magical music! On Monday evening, the combined East Ridge and Scotts Ridge eighth graders performed with the RHS Symphonic Orchestra. On Tuesday night, the ERMS and SRMS eighth-grade bands played with the RHS Festival Band. February 8th saw the combined Branchville, Farmingville, and Veterans Park fifth-grade orchestra, under the direction of Nate Wood, take the stage at East Ridge Middle School. On February 9, the combined Barlow Mountain, Ridgebury, and Scotland fifth-grade orchestra, under the direction of Josh Sette, performed at Scotts Ridge Middle School. The combined ERMS and SRMS chamber orchestra under the direction of Shane Peters played both evenings and also collaborated with the elementary school students for the grand finale at each concert. Students worked together, enjoyed themselves, and bonded through music (and pizza!) to further build a culture of belonging and enthusiasm as fifth and eighth grade students prepare to enter their respective schools next year. The future of music in Ridgefield is bright indeed!

RPS art teacher Megan Kounnas posted these gorgeous prints to @ridgefieldpublicschoolsk12art, the district's Instagram page. Scotland Elementary fourth graders first had a day to experiment with liquid watercolors to create the papers on which they would print. Then, they reviewed block printing and used foam blocks to make their own block to print from. Ms. Kounnas writes, "the prints turned out so beautiful and the artists got to practice 'failing' with prints that didn't turn out so they could build on 21st Century skills such as resilience and perseverance." She also noted that three of the prints below were made by RISE (Ridgefield Intensive Special Education) students. Great work!

RHS sophomore Naomi Vakil is a Student Visionary for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. These motivated student advocates commit to raising awareness and funds for the fight against cancer. Naomi has rolled up her sleeves and assembled an active team (photo below) to support her mission to raise $50,000. Through direct appeal, corporate sponsorship, and a clever variety of fundraisers Naomi and her team are approaching their goal. Basketball clinics, family fun days, and bake sales are just a few of the ways Naomi has helped spread awareness about the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and raised funds. Naomi writes, "Cancer became personal after my mom got diagnosed in 2015. She was fortunate to have been diagnosed at an early stage and receive treatment. But not everybody is as fortunate. I joined the Student Visionaries program to raise awareness and funds to support leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, and myeloma research and patient care. The younger generations are so caught up in their busy schedules and plans, that I hope to get them involved and come together to make a difference." Learn more about Naomi and how you can support her vision here. Way to go, Naomi and Team Canning Cancer!

From a cover story on the Unified Basketball program to articles on first date faux pas and the "drunken brawl of Ridgefield," a lack of snow lament, or a first year student's report on her first 100 days, the February issue of the RHS magazine, The Ridgefielder, has something for everyone and would be an entertaining part of anyone's February break. Please read the magazine here.

Mike Settani and Will Boylan's East Ridge classes sponsored the SOUP-er-bowl challenge. East Ridge collected over 600 cans for various charities in the Danbury area.

Did you know that Branchville Elementary hosted the first Invention Convention in the State of CT? Their photos from their recent event make it look like they have got some future world-changers.

Congratulations to all the participants and to the following students who will move on to the state competition.

Eden Eisner (second grade) - “Cupcake Buddy”

Sydney Almstead (third grade) - “Brushower”

Francesa Catalano (fifth grade) - “Frantastic Bottle Balance”

Veterans Park Elementary made Math sweet at its recent math night. Blocks and race cars were just some of the fun activities included in this PTA-supported event.

Groves, RHS Principal Dr. Greenwood's fish, finally gets the thumbs up in this issue of RPS Update. Rumor was that Groves felt jealous when Ms. Osimanti's fish Champa got his/her/their fifteen (or less) minutes of fame in a previous newsletter. Sending you RPS love, Groves!

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.