RPS Update

The weeks are flying by! As we approach the final week of school, we will soon celebrate our students’ transition to the next phase of their journey. In my role, I have the privilege of meeting students and their families at the start of their journey as well as at the culmination; and I can say with confidence- enjoy every moment, every phase, because it passes so quickly.

This past Monday evening, the Board of Education offered a second Community Outreach Session. As a reminder, you don’t need to wait for these sessions to communicate with us on what matters to you. We are always here to listen. Summer is a great time to share your ideas and thoughts…don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

From our outreach sessions and other conversations, we know our children's digital use is also on our families' minds, especially as we approach summer. Common Sense Media is a resource we use here at RPS and can be a useful tool for parents as well. Also, we have resources listed on our RPS curriculum webpage to keep learning joyful and screen-free. Parents can contact us throughout the summer months. We are here to help.

We look forward to celebrating all of the end-of-year moments with our families. Have a wonderful weekend.

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Last night, the RHS Boys Volleyball Team won the CT State title, ending Darien's three-year winning streak. Congratulations to our CIAC Class L Champions!

Barlow Mountain kindergarten teacher Lisa Whelan is the Ridgefield Public School Teacher of the Year. Personnel Director Karen Dewing, who taught with Ms. Whelan decades ago, made the announcement at a Barlow Mountain staff meeting this week with Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva, Elementary Director Linda Johnson, and Principal Becky Laus on hand with balloons, flowers, hugs, and a specially-designed All-Star Logo, inspired by Whelan’s signature Converse sneakers.

Ms. Whelan, dressed in a rainbow tie-dyed t-shirt for her students’ “R” day, brought the assembled staff to tears with her impromptu remarks. She started teaching at Veterans Park Elementary in 1986 and has taught first, second, and third grade in her 38-year career as an educator but feels like “Kindergarten” is coming home.

In the material supporting Ms. Whelan’s nomination, the Barlow Mountain committee praised her commitment to her students and their families, to professional growth, and the community. They write, “Lisa’s warm nature and kindness is described as magical by colleagues, parents, and past students…she fosters a safe and loving environment by treating her students with respect and dignity. She has high expectations for her students and they grow to their full potential while in her classroom. Her students learn to take risks and advocate for themselves even as kindergarteners….When students and families see her devotion and dedication both in school and in the community, they are inspired and a true home-school partnership develops…” The committee also highlighted Whelan’s advocacy for Safe Horizon, a non-profit organization that assists victims of abuse.

Finally, the committee concludes, “Lisa has been a member of the Teacher of the Year committee for quite some time. Had she not served on this committee, she would have been nominated year after year for Barlow! Lisa is the teacher you inspire to be in teaching or you hope your child gets in kindergarten!”

Congratulations Lisa and all the RPS TOY School Winners!

Branchville Elementary—Kristi Byrne

Farmingville Elementary—Katelyn Root

Ridgebury Elementary—Danielle Maruschak

Scotland Elementary—Cheryl Osher

Veterans Park Elementary—Kelly Feeney

East Ridge Middle School—Marla Kay

Scotts Ridge Middle School—Jennifer Bray

Ridgefield High School—Kelly Predham

On Tuesday afternoon, Scotts Ridge Middle School had its last faculty meeting, which ended with the recognition of SRMS legend Emily Shiller as the RPS Paraeducator of the Year. Personnel Director Karen Dewing was joined by Superintendent Dr. Da Silva, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Dr. Liz Hannaway, Principal Tim Salem, and Assistant Principal Lisa Frese. Ms. Shiller's devoted fans, including SRMS Librarian Janine Johnson, SRMS Teacher of the Year Jen Bray, the editor of RPS Update, and more flocked around Ms. Shiller to recognize the out-sized role she plays in the District. Ms. Shiller exemplifies the difference paraeducators across the district make. Thank you to Emily and all the district paras. We couldn't do it without you!

One of the ways that RPS has "Leveled Up" this year is in Elementary Essentials—Art, Library and Media, Music, and PE. To create a shared experience for students at all six elementary schools, RPS appointed Elementary Facilitators—leaders within each Essential. In this column, we hear from our four newly-minted Elementary Essential Facilitators—Rachael Penney (Art), Ellen Paradiso (Library and Media), Ryan Dunne (Music), and Mike Fraioli (PE)—about their area of expertise and what the role means to them.

Even at the elementary level "Art" is not the "arts and crafts" people sometimes picture when they think of an elementary art class. We use various mediums and look at artists and art of the past as well as contemporaries. We also explore concepts, build, and execute a diverse curriculum.

I am excited for the role and to be able to work collaboratively not only with my department but across disciplines, schools, and Central Office. I am looking forward to seeing the position evolve and be a part of that process.

School libraries have changed so much since we were kids! While libraries continue to be centered around celebrating literature and providing growing readers with an extensive collection of books, our programs are now designed to also teach students important lessons about information literacy, design thinking, digital citizenship, and computer science. On any given day, students might be engaged in activities like interactive read-alouds, accessing primary source material, designing solutions to hands-on challenges in the makerspace, role-playing scenarios related to online etiquette with their classmates, and developing computational thinking skills by composing algorithms. One of my favorite aspects of my job is finding new ways to collaborate with classroom teachers and administrators to deepen the connections between the material students learn in the classroom with what I teach during library sessions. This continuity encourages students to apply their learning from the classroom in authentic, meaningful ways in our libraries and makerspaces. In fact, we are in the process of launching new Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) units borne from our district’s commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration.

I see the Elementary Essentials Facilitator role as the next step in our evolution as a department and I hope it will enable us to “level up” in terms of alignment, professional development, and planning for the future. I am excited to support my team and partner with Rachael, Michael, Ryan, and the elementary administrative team to streamline departmental communication, collaboration, and the student experience across the six schools. One of the most rewarding aspects of being an Essentials teacher is that you teach every student for several years; I love leaving in June knowing we’ll pick right up where we paused upon our return in August. Our principals and elementary supervisors operate with a similar “big picture” mentality and I hope this common ground between our teams yields meaningful discoveries and collaborations in the years to come.

Here at RPS, we believe music is essential to the development of the whole child. We want our students to sing, dance, and play in a tuneful, beautfiul, and artful way! It is our mission to foster a love of music in all of our students; whether they grow up to be performers or avid listeners who enjoy music, we want them to make music a part of their everyday lives. In the primary grades, our focus is to build musical aptitude through musical experiences. This builds a fluency with the language of music. Once students can "speak" music fluently, we begin to study concepts such as music literacy, vocabulary, performance techniques & etiquette, and so much more!

I am excited to work in the role of Elementary Essential Facilitator to do just that; facilitate! Through collaboration with Music Department Colleagues, Building Administrators, Central Office Administration, and the Parent Community; it is my goal to provide an experience that is enriching, engaging, and equitable across the district to the students at RPS. In this role, I understand how crucial it is to create a solid musical foundation which will enable student students to thrive throughout their musical experiences K-12. To quote the composer Zoltán Kodály, "The characteristics of a good musician are a well-trained ear, a well-trained mind, a well-trained heart, and a well-trained hand. All four parts must develop together in constant equilibrium." I believe these are not only the characteristics of a good musician, but they are also the characteristics of a good person!

The elementary P.E. team works tirelessly to provide a well-rounded and developmentally appropriate program that is focused on creating a learning environment that is active, safe, and inclusive to all students. Each lesson is progressively structured and is carefully planned to accommodate a wide range of ability levels, incorporate student choice, and differentiated instruction. Our curriculum is aligned with state and national standards and is categorized into curricular unit themes such as: fundamental movement, invasion games, manipulatives, non-invasion & cooperative games, and physical fitness. Teaching physical education provides the unique opportunity to promote the value of physical health & wellness while fostering essential life skills like teamwork, communication & collaboration - which is a powerful combination as these skills are invaluable in any setting.

Taking on the new role as an elementary essential facilitator for physical education is an exciting opportunity. I look forward to working in collaboration with the leadership team and my department colleagues to continue the great work in ensuring that all students have equitable access to high-quality physical education across the district.

RHS seniors, you have a future in event planning! Interns at The Meetinghouse in Ridgebury spent some of their internship planning a free family movie night fundraiser for this Saturday at 7:30pm. Please read all about their event here.

RHS Seniors Hudson Podielsky and Petru Zubek have spent their senior internships working with Dr. Annie Tucci, RPS Grade 6-12 Humanities Supervisor, and Amanda Cordano of Ms President US to plan the first annual Civics Bowl. The interns have been diligently organizing this family-friendly September event, which will feature engaging activities for Grades K-8 and volunteer opportunities for high schoolers. The interns have planned a fun Civics Bowl Competition for Grades 4-5 and Grades 6-8, where teams will face off to demonstrate their Civic acuity. They created the logo and established partnerships to spread community and connection. Thank you, Hudson and Petru, and best of luck as you head off to Gettysburg and Dartmouth!

Save the Date

September 15, 2024

Registration Info to Come!

RHS Interns in the Emergency Management CERT Class received life-saving training during their internships. Town Hall and Office of Emergency Management interns learned CPR, including how to use an AED defibrillator; NARCAN training; and fire and police safety. Thank you to Sean McEvoy and Matt Hicks from Ridgefield's Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) for this important life skill training!

Please check your students' e-Backpack for important information. Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net

RPS swings into STEM! Ridgefield High School's Product Design class, under the guidance of Michael Murphy, has brought a unique and engaging mini golf course to the East Ridge Middle School library. This inventive project, featuring Arduino, coding, woodworking, soldering, and 3D printing, not only highlights the students' technical prowess but also serves to promote the high school’s classes in Product Design, Robotics, and Computer Science.

East Ridge students hit the mini-links to consider angles, force, and velocity, and have fun. With the help of RHS librarian Laura Kosky and East Ridge Middle School librarian Tanya Anderson, the mini golf course invites middle school students to explore the exciting educational opportunities as they transition to high school—sparking curiosity and excitement among students to explore the diverse and dynamic educational paths available at Ridgefield High School and tune-up their mini-golf skills in time for summer.

This week, RHS junior Ava Murdock walked RPS Update around the restored RHS Pollinator Pathway Garden to show recent improvements and changes. She explains that the RHS PTSA worked with Rob Stefanelli, a local landscape designer, and Youngs of Ridgefield to help the group realize their goals. She points out the new native plantings, designed to attract pollinators and provide a beautiful place for the RHS community to eat lunch, gather, and learn. The RHS Pollinator Pathway Garden will also serve as an outdoor classroom for the AP/UCONN Environmental Science and Biology classes to study and observe organisms and their relationship within their natural environment.

In the center of the garden, there will be an herb garden that Culinary Arts teacher Chef T will use to teach students about creating tasty and healthy dishes. Ava's dad, Blake Murdock installed birdhouses—one of which Ava made during RPS Summer Bridge three years ago. Ava's birdhouse will be painted pink to memorialize Brooke Blake, an RPS student who passed away after an extended battle with cancer. Ava notes that Brooke's friends' Tess Coakley and Lauren Uecker spearheaded the planning process and will plant pink roses for Brooke.

RHS science teacher Arlyn Kilduff has been an active member of the garden planning team as has Ava's mother RHS PTSA Co-President Kathleen Murdock. Thank you to Ava and the team for providing this wonderful curriculum and community resource.

East Ridge Middle School French teacher Madame Earle writes that her students have been making cultural connections to the theme of Free Time and Sports by learning, and getting excited about the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games, "Les Jeux Olympiques" or "Les JO", which are being held à Paris this summer!

Students chose their favorite athlète competing in the games to write about in French, highlighting their special accomplishments and why they admire them. Students watched the Olympic torch, “La flamme olympique”, arriving in Marseille from Greece on the 19th century, three-masted French ship "Le Belem", to great pomp and a French Air Force flyover with planes first drawing the five Olympic rings and then the blue-white-red colors of the nation’s flag!

Students watched the torch relay start, heading to Paris through iconic places across the country, from the world-famous Mont-Saint-Michel to D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and the Palace of Versailles. All highlighting France’s beauty and history. Over 10,000 people are taking part in the torch relay, including a 102-year-old former French resistance fighter!

It will take 68 days to complete the 3,100-mile relay with the torch arriving in Paris in time for the Opening ceremony on July 26, which will see athletes sailing down the River Seine on over 80 boats at sunset! What French flair! It promises to be a spectacular event! I’m sure parents and students alike will enjoy wearing their red, white, and blue and tuning in to this fun, cultural, global event!

Allez la France!!

Under last Friday evening's gorgeous skies, Scotland Elementary fifth graders performed original poems in the Scotland courtyard. The Poetry Cafe, organized by teacher Thomas DiMarzo, has been a Scotland tradition for 17 years. Mr. DiMarzo writes, "The Poetry Cafe is an opportunity for all students to shine. Many times, students who are theatrical or able/willing to put themselves out there in front of people get the parts for plays and other events. The Poetry Cafe is a safe forum for anyone who wants to express themselves in a positive way."

Ridgebury Elementary hosted a Matter Matters Playground Fair last week, inviting families to see the second graders' inventive playgrounds made in a hands-on district-wide STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art Math) project. Second graders across the district learned about phases of matter (gas, liquid, and solid) in their Integrated Studies classes. Then, in collaboration with classroom teachers, library and media specialists applied the content to present this challenge: "Design a playground that teaches other children about the states of matter."

Students brainstormed, combined their ideas, constructed, tested, and improved their designs. Who doesn't like to imagine their dream playground, house, or backyard? When students finished their designs, Ridgebury Elementary Library Media Specialist Ellen Paradiso and her second-grade colleagues Jessica Oliveira, Liz Crabbe, and Toni Murdock hosted a Matter Matters Playground Fair for students to share their designs with families.

On Wednesday afternoon, the RHS Unified Theater club put on a production of Heroes. Students wrote, directed, stage-managed, choreographed, and acted in this super-charged inclusive, one act. Families, friends, and staff packed the Black Box Theater. Full Playbill below.

Below Scotts Ridge art teacher Tressa Ringkamp shows some of the student artwork that will be on display. Don't miss this RPS family-friendly highlight. Food trucks so you don't need to cook.

Senior Hayden Webb is the RHS Music Department Music Student of the Month. Please read all about Hayden's outstanding contributions to the RHS music community in the Hamlet Hub. Congratulations, Hayden.

For some RPS Update readers last week, the link to the Ridgebury Elementary newsletter with the art gallery didn't work on some devices. We are including the link to RES News again here. If you still can't open it, please reach out to Alison Pratt.

Tuesday night was the Senior Awards and Scholarship recognition ceremony. Please see the awards here and scholarships here. Thank you to our local scholarships sponsors. Congratulations, Class of 2024! You are amazing. We can't wait to see all that you do after high school.

CAS and the State Student Advisory Council on Education chose the RHS Unified Sports program as a winner for its Challenge to Educational Citizenship Awards. RHS Students Nico Genna and Chana Deitsch accepted the award with coaches Kaley Kowarick and Megan Calderwood. Thank you to the Unified Program at RHS for continuing to advocate for inclusion and innovation. RHS student Aakarsh Patel also won recognition for his work, FutureScript: Empowering Students Through Technology. Let's go, Tigers!!

RHS English teacher Kathy Gabbay reports that her juniors had great success in annual JFK Profiles in Courage Essay Competition. Junior Julia Knispel was a semi-finalist and Pranati Sathyagal was selected as an honorable mention. This means that two RHS students earned top spots in this international competition. Read the full list of winners here to see the diversity of hometowns and the topics students tackled. Read Julia's submission about former Texas state representative Sarah Davis here.

Congratulations to Julia, Pranati, and all the RHS juniors listed below who placed in the top ten percent of submissions:

Caroline Baker, Carolina Bergagnini, Will Carter, Murphy Everdell, Paige Gallagher, Charlotte Hacker, Sofia Mongardi, Ava Murdock, Sophia Murphy, Charlotte Overs, Nola Peressutti, Gabriella Regalado, Natalia Schaffer, Dakota Smith, Jake Travaglini, Ben Voellmicke, Molly Williams, and Elijah Yurkowsky

Ridgefield High School proudly displays a unique sneaker sculpture in its library, gifted to Steven Hergenrother, the Class of 2024 valedictorian and accomplished track and cross country athlete. This sculpture honors Steven's exceptional achievements and his commitment to giving back to the community. Through the KICKS Public Art Event and in collaboration with Ridgefield Running Company, Steve utilized his $1,000 Gatorade Play it Forward grant to provide new running shoes to student-athletes. This charitable initiative, Kicks for Kids, reflects Steven's dedication to supporting and uplifting fellow athletes, making him a true champion both on and off the track.

Congratulations to all the finalists (Daschel S., Josh B., John R., Kai H., Haresh K., Michael M., Everett A., Griffin R., Josh B., Audrey E., Fyodor F.) who participated in the Scotts Ridge Middle School Geobee yesterday. After 1 hour and 8 minutes, Josh B. (in center) knew the answer to "Yokohama and Kobe are 2 of the busiest ports in which country?" His correct answer was Japan.

Last Friday's gorgeous weather matched our RHS seniors' spectacular style as they dressed up and got down at Prom.

Members of the RHS Gay Straight Alliance club painted the pawprints on the school's driveway rainbow colors for PRIDE month.

Last Friday, Veterans Park Elementary and East Ridge Middle schools lined their driveways to clap for the Special Olympics athletes and the torch passing through town. Many East Ridge teachers joined this exciting rite of passage and even carried the torch!

RHS business teacher Kelly Predham picked up a major donation from the Ridgefield Thrift Shop. RTS gave the Future Business Leaders (FBLA) a $3000 donation to help defray the cost of the group's trip to Nationals in Orlando. Serendipitously, RHS building substitute and Thrift Shop volunteer Anite Vallee was the RTS representative to present the grant to Ms. Predham. Thank you, RTS for your partnership with and support of RHS business students.

East Ridge Middle School partnered with the Ridgefield Running Company for its fifth annual Global Running Day. Students and staff got moving with races, games, and running! Thank you to Health and Physical Education teacher Ali Picarella for all she did to get ERMS going.

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.