RPS Update

Yesterday evening, I presented the Superintendent’s Proposed Budget for FY26. The budget process is one of the most important responsibilities of the Superintendent and Board of Education. A budget represents the values of a community and ensures the District has the ability to provide our students with a premier educational experience.

While our budget will pass many hands before it’s finalized, we ask for your partnership through questions and feedback. You can ask your questions (and receive answers) using this QR code (seen below) beginning Friday night. I encourage you to take the time to watch the budget presentation here. On Saturday, January 25, each of our school principals and cost center leaders will present their FY26 budgets at a virtual BOE special meeting. We invite you to learn more about the FY26 proposed budget either by viewing it live, or at a later time. In addition, watch out for a FY26 Budget Podcast, set to be released early next week!

This morning, Board member Christine More led the BOE Curriculum Committee meeting with presentations from both the Curriculum and Special Education/Pupil Personnel Teams. Topics discussed include a report on Standardized Testing and an overview of Alternative High School/Ridgefield Transition (18-22 year old) programs. This important meeting is available for viewing on the BOE webpage.

A big congratulations to our students and staff who have, or are planning to perform in the many musical events happening across our schools, including the District Music Festivals coming up in the next couple of weeks. Bravo!

Lastly, this Monday, January 20, we will honor Dr. Martin Luther King, and as a result, our schools will be closed. We ask that our students reflect not only on Dr. King and his legacy but also what they can do to ensure that when we say we want a community that feels welcoming and inclusive, it is more than just words.

Have a good weekend, and stay warm.

Warmly,

Susie

Susie Da Silva, Ed.D

Photo Caption: Scotland Elementary students hosted a Little Doctors Blood Drive yesterday.

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.

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.

RPS offers high-quality summer programs for rising kindergarteners-Grade 12 staffed by RPS teachers. Please see the dates for Forever Summer Bridge below. Registration opens on February 7 at 12:30 pm.

Please contact Lori Bran at 203-894-5750 ext. 2180 or lbran@ridgefieldps.net with any questions.

Junior Prom - Saturday, May 17, 2025

Senior Prom - Friday, May 30, 2025

RHS Graduation - Friday, June 13, 2025, 6pm

Victory is sweet for students in Martha DeSantis's RHS baking classes who finished their semester with a Cupcake War. Actually, even defeat is sweet in this friendly competition of creativity, collaboration, and baking mastery. On Wednesday, the team Cupid's Confections took first prize. During Thursday's Unified Baking face-off, Bella and Luke's Animal Farm cupcakes charmed the judges with its barnyard-themed entry of red velvet scrumptiousness. Unified Baking, a new class at RHS, brings together students in an inclusive classroom setting, where everyone is valued and friendships are formed. In both classes, students gain valuable life skills, including presenting, collaboration, cooking, and cleaning up. Staff had the hard job of choosing a winner from some very tasty and beautiful options.

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.

Students moving on to the RHS final are:

Sienna Baglio, Gigi Bakle, Noah Dillon, Murphy Everdell, Tristan Farmer, Samuel Feliciano, Benjamin Kelly, Noah Lieberman, Lucy Lowman, Leena-Rose Marter, Julien Martinoli, Maria Flor Mascarenhas, Alina Mitev, Lia Munoz Rojas, Jenna Rolewicz, Natalie Shartouni, Sebastian Sosa, Alivia Steneken, Samuel Turok, Avelynn Xu, and Elayna Wright.

Sra. Dominguez 8th-grade East Ridge students worked on a unit called "Let’s Go to Spain." One of the Unit goals is “to describe a special food that is eaten in Spain.” In order to make it a hands-on experience, the students researched a dish from Spain. Then, they cooked it and recorded a video describing in Spanish the ingredients they used and the steps needed to prepare it. The day they presented their video, they brought a sample of the food they prepared to share with their peers. They also shared a brief personal reaction to their experiences.

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.

On Wednesday, rising ninth graders and their families came to RHS for an important orientation and Open House Fair. The Art Department pulled together these bulletin boards to showcase a recent Photo 1 group project.

Here is the text explaining the project:

Facets of You: Portrait Collage

"A picture is worth a thousand words." Each of us has many facets to our personalities. In this piece, each Photo 1 class took portraits of one person and modified the photo multiple times in Photoshop. We cropped the most visually exciting part of each image and assembled them, almost like a mosaic.

RHS alum (Class of 2012) artist Kody Shafer is on the cover of 068 magazine for his work with neon. Please read the full article here. https://068magazine.com/art-in-the-spotlight-lightning-in-a-tube/

Before winter break, 64 of RHS honors math students chose to participate in the highly prestigious American Mathematics Competition. Congratulations to sophomores Jacob Barrett, Kaitan Gupta, and Everett Axel for being the top scorers in the AMC10 and seniors Carter Brown, Maya Blackman, and Will McKerracher for leading the school in the AMC12. Special recognition goes to Carter Brown, who scored in the top 5% of contestants nationwide to qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam. Best of luck to Carter at the next round in February. Let's go, Tigers!

On Saturday, the RHS Debate Team participated in the Connecticut Debate Association (CDA) Tournament at New Canaan School. During this tournament, students representing RHS competed in four (40-minute) rounds of debate with teams from other Connecticut schools as they argued whether or not the United States should defend Taiwan militarily.

In the end, RHS won 5 rounds of debate and earned 3rd place in the novice division team rankings (out of 30 teams) and 3rd place among novice speakers (out of 60 speakers). These students earned each win as a result of their efforts to enhance their critical thinking skills and master the art of public speaking.

Varsity Division

Varsity Teams

William Knispel & Sherry Wu (1 Win)

Novice Division

Novice Teams

Gabriel Fincham & Avelynn Xu (3 Wins) - 3rd Place Novice Team Trophy (in Photo)

Alina Mitev (1 Win)

Novice Speakers

Avelynn Xu - 3rd Place Novice Speaker Trophy

Justin Kim, an RHS ninth grader, and Jayden Kim, a sixth grader at East Ridge Middle School, both won first place in the Elite International Music Competition for their solo performances and together won first place for their duet performance. This is the third time these talented brothers won the opportunity to play Carnegie Hall for the winners' recital, which took place on Jan 12. Congratulations!

Athletic Director Dane Street announced the winner of the Fall Sports Sing-Off Challenge this week. Choral Director Lauren Verney-Fink got the idea for the Challenge as a way to spread positivity towards singing throughout RHS. “I was setting up the microphones for the Homecoming game,” says Ms. Verney-Fink, “and heard some of the football players singing. Seniors on the football team were meeting to discuss plays and had broken into song as they walked up the steps to the press box. That’s when I got the idea. I asked Dane Street and Football Coach Jamie Reed, who gave the go-ahead, and the Challenge was on. I am thrilled so many teams agreed to participate!”

The Football team challenged the Field Hockey team, who challenged the Cheer team, who challenged the Boys Cross Country, who challenged the Girls Soccer team. Ms. Verney-Fink recorded each team singing. She says, “I think it reminded students that they can be multifaceted and supportive of each other. A lot of our singers are athletes…and vice versa! It was really fun.”

Ms. Verney-Fink noted that all the coaches—Mr. Reed, Jessica Deluca (Field Hockey), Ashley Lowney (Cheer), Bryan Kovalsky (Boys X-Country), and Iain Golding (Girls Soccer)—deserve thanks for their participation in the Fall Sports Sing-Off.

AD Dane Street, who himself has a theatre background and most recently was in the cast of SpongeBob the Musical in the summer of 2023, knows a thing or two about singing as well as sports and reviewed the music videos. Street said, “Lauren deserves all the credit for this idea, and I was happy to support it. We often tap music students to perform the National Anthem at our sporting events, but this was another way to build a connection between our departments. I think it’s great!”

What team won the Sing-Off Challenge? Stay tuned to next week’s Update or subscribe to RPS Socials to find out.

In the final seconds of a game against St. Joe's, RHS sophomore Jayson Genova buried a three-pointer from mid-court to put the Tigers up. Please see the thrilling final seconds on the rhs_boyshoops Instagram.

The RHS Girls and Boys varsity basketball teams will host a double-header for KOMD, raising awareness for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy on Tuesday, January 21, at 5:30 pm.

See the full Winter sports schedule here.

The RHS Dance Team scored the Grand Champion trophy at their first team competition of the season, "Dancin' in the Woods." Please read about their win in the Hamlet Hub.

RHS midterms started this week. Thank you to the Ridgefield Prevention Council for donating 1000 eggs of putty and ROAR (Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue) therapy dog teams for coming in to help students manage stress. Last week, the RHS chapter of the National Honors Society and Student Government hosted ninth graders for a Cocoa and Cram study session. Thirty veteran RHS students dropped study tips and midterm prep techniques and handed out cocoa and cookies. Midterms continue next week. Hug an RHS student:)

50 Scotts Ridge seventh and eighth-grade students participated in the annual SRMS ski trip to Pico Mountain this past weekend.

Food Wars at East Ridge Middle School! Students designed a menu for a food truck, presented it to the faculty judges, and cooked one item from the menu. Students submitted everything from shrimp scampi to bacon-wrapped burgers! The winners received medals for first place.

Scotland Elementary hosted Family Night on Thursday. Teachers read their favorite books, and families enjoyed Bingo.

On Thursday, Scotland Elementary fifth graders hosted the Little Doctors Blood Drive, which SES has been a part of since 2011.

Here is Martin Luther King, Jr.'s I Have a Dream Speech in its entirety.

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.