RPS Update

What a gorgeous weather week; and great to see so many students outside and enjoying everything spring has to offer. Field Days abound!

This morning the PTA introduced new council members while also recognizing outgoing officers for all
of their contributions. Thank you to our PTAs for all you do for each and every one of our schools!

We are preparing for the closing of the year with celebrations in the schools; and in addition, providing opportunities to collect feedback from staff, students, and parents. We had two “Access RPS” meetings this week where families could comment on what RPS is doing well, while also sharing hopes and dreams for the future.

Tonight our RHS seniors will meet again (amidst their senior internship) to dance the night away at their Senior Prom. Once again, it appears that my invitation was lost in the email.

My daughter, Gabriela, will graduate from her high school tomorrow morning. Tears. Where does the time go… we feel incredibly blessed to celebrate Gabriela alongside both sets of grandparents.

Hope you have a great weekend,

Susie

Dr. Susie Da Silva

Photo Caption: RHS seniors and staff raise the Government of Ridgefield Against Drunk Driving (GRADD) flag at Ridgefield Town Hall today to remind the community of the importance of staying safe and alcohol and drug-free during this celebratory season.

The full district calendar can be found here.

The Fourth Annual Ridgefield Pride in the Park Celebration is this Saturday, June 3 from noon -3:00 pm at Ballard Park. (Yanity Gym if rain). Pride in the Park is an opportunity to celebrate with the LGBTQ+ community. There will be lawn games, live music, DJ, crafts, Adam Broderick Hair flair station, and so much more. Join at 1:00 as some RPS Gay Straight Alliance Club members lead the parade through the park. Many resources—events, support, and information—for local LGBTQ+ families can be found on the Ridgefield CT Pride website.

Please see flyer below.

It’s Ridgefield Tiger Talk's season finale! On today’s show, we welcome our two Assistant Superintendents, Cory Gillette (Curriculum and Instruction) and Dr. Elizabeth Hannaway (Special Services). As we close out the school year, we talk about all the exciting things that are happening at RPS during the summer time. We discuss the Bridge program, Extended School Year, building updates, and a few things we are looking forward to for the beginning of next school year. Thanks for listening and we wish everyone a fun and safe summer break and we will see you next fall.

The RHS Post Grad party is an annual town-wide tradition that keeps our teens safe and is a lot of fun. The committee needs a lot of community volunteers to provide this festive shindig on June 21. Because graduation takes place on a Wednesday this year, they are particularly short-staffed. Please consider taking a shift to keep this wonderful tradition going. No experience needed.

Volunteer and donate here.

Some powerful background information from the Post-Grad Party website:

"Through a tragic event that occurred in 1983, the RHS Post Graduation Party was born. Designed to be the most spectacular party in each student’s school history, the Post Grad party is intended to provide a celebratory safe environment for our RHS Grads. Held the night of graduation, this event gets the grads off the roads and into a safe place, while also allowing them to party the night away. Drug and alcohol-free, this senior-centered event has annually proven to be an awesome experience for all."

NOTE: ALL GROUPS WILL MEET AT THE BOE CONFERENCE ROOM AT 90 EAST RIDGE RD.

Mini-kindergartens at the schools are starting next week. Please make sure that you have registered your kindergarten-eligible kids and help RPS spread the word to your neighbors, friends, and community. Thank you!

Please help us in our effort to go green by checking students' e-Backpacks! Organizations that meet the RPS policy may submit their request for inclusion to cmelagrano@ridgefieldps.net. Thank you!

RHS Principal Dr. Jacob Greenwood attended an awards banquet at New Canaan High School with seniors Samantha Verdejo and Corrie Vakil, who earned Fairfield County Scholar Leaders recognition. Sam and Corrie earned the award for each being, "a unique student who has a great personality, has some accomplishments and leadership qualities, but may not always get a lot of attention. A solid academic record is important, but not the main factor." Both candidates introduced each other at the award ceremony with 1-minute speeches that can be read here. Congratulations, Sam and Corrie!

This week, Ridgefield High School presented the Junior Book Prizes to outstanding students in the Class of 2024. A committee of teachers, counselors, and administrators select the winners of the Junior Book Prize based on criteria identified by a college or university—academics, service, and leadership. Please click here to see the recipients of this honor. Congratulations!

Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) Releases 2023 Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge, themed “Find Your Voice”.

The CSDE is pleased to release a new and improved Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge (GSRC) aligned to the national iRead summer challenge theme - “Find your Voice.” This important summer enrichment initiative motivates students of all ages to participate in literacy and reading activities over the summer months. The GSRC this year will incorporate two new metrics which focus less on the number of books read and more on partaking in reading activities; these metrics include tracking local public library visits over the summer months, as well as visits to state and local StoryWalk® locations. More information about the program can be found on the Governor’s Summer Reading Challenge Landing Page.

Caption: Farmingville Elementary fifth graders share the joy of books with FES kindergarten.

The Scottish historian Walter Scott wrote, "Teach your children poetry; it opens the mind, lends grace to wisdom and makes the heroic virtues hereditary." This week, the RHS Creative Writing Class invited former Ridgefield Poet Laureate, Barb Jennes, to teach poetry to Andy Maccabe's Creative Writing students. Ms. Jennes engaged students with multiple poetic forms: list poems, persona poems, black-out poems, and more!. Students got the chance to read from a variety of poets like Langston Hughes, Sharon Olds, Kate Daniels, and Tracy K. Smith. Finally, students ended the week by drafting some of their own amazing poetry. Thank you, Ms. Jennes, for continuing to spread the love of poetry across RPS!

This month, the East Ridge LLC was abuzz with the sounds of haggling and bartering in French as Mme Earle's Grade 8 French students took part in an exciting, authentic learning experience by creating their own Senegalese market! First, students learned about the history and culture of Senegal, a French-speaking African country. Next, students examined authentic Senegalese crafts that ERMS media specialist, Tanya Anderson, brought in from her own trip to Senegal for students to draw inspiration from. Then, students created items to sell using materials in the ERMS maker space. Finally, market day arrived and students decorated and set up their booths and took turns selling their items and buying items from their fellow students, conversing only in French. ERMS French students from all grade levels were also invited to the market to practice their French and shop. It was an educational and engaging experience for all, and students took home some very authentic and creative souvenirs!

Governor Lamont declared May 26 Get Outside and Play for Children’s Mental Health Day. The Scotts Ridge Middle School Health and PE classes collaborated to do just that! PE teachers Shaun Gallagher and Carrie Torpey, and health teacher Kelly Zurzola joined their classes on the field to participate in a variety of activities. Students played spikeball, soccer, wiffle ball, volleyball, frisbee, and blew bubbles.

RHS students took home some major hardware at this year's Halo Awards. Congratulations to all those involved in the 2023 Spring Musical - Into the Woods, which won Best Contemporary Musical. As a parent pointed out, this is like winning a State Championship in theater!

Congratulations to all the twenty-one nominees (see last week's RPS Update for full list) and the following prize-winners:

Best Comic Female Performance in a Musical: Abigail Black for Little Red Riding Hood

Best Sound Design and/or Execution: Caroline Del Giudice , Lauren Ciuffetelli, Katie Estabrook, Kayla Jacobowitz, Lachlan Maloney, Angelina McCue

Best Contemporary Musical, Into the Woods

And a special award from RPS Update:

Best Theater Club Parents: Ridgefield Theatre Boosters

Thank you!

No animals were killed for these fun paper-mache wall mounts by East Ridge eighth graders. Thank you to ERMS art teacher Hillary Lewis for sharing her students' charming creations. Fellow literature lovers or those looking to understand "Nevermore" in the second set of work might appreciate this link to The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe.

Caption:

Top Row: Rashi G., Masha D.

Second Row: Adrian M., Annabell W., Katie B.

Bottom Row: Avelynn X., Kalli K., Varshitha. Y., Patrick K.

Clockwise from top left: Lizzy W., Alivia S., Andrew C., Sam S., Hudson G., Scarlet S., Teddy W.,

Last Friday, the East Ridge select ensembles—Chamber Singers, Jazz Band, Symphonic Orchestra, and Wind Ensemble—showed off their talent and commitment. See photos and captions below to learn the repertoires the ensembles performed.

Caption: The ERMS Chamber Singers led by Rebecca Merrick performed "Yo Le Canto Todo El Dia" by David Brunner and "Can You Hear" by Jim Papoulis.

Caption: Shane Peters conducts the Symphonic Orchestra who played "Allegro in D Major" by Vivaldi and "Andante from Symphony No. 6" by Tchaikovsky.

Caption: The Jazz Band under the direction of Hilary Brown presented "Caravan" by Duke Ellington and "Chameleon" by Herbie Hancock.

Caption: The Wind Ensemble played "Highlights from Harry Potter" (John Williams) and "Celtic Air" & "Dance #3" (traditional melodies, arranged by Michael Sweeney)

Recently, senior Aditi Gupta attended the awards banquet for the 2023 Connecticut Junior Science and Humanities Symposium with her RHS science research advisor Kara Mia Colon and family. Aditi won third place in the prestigious competition, earning the RHS science department a plaque and a $500 donation from the organization. Ms. Colon writes, "Aditi did an amazing job presenting her work. Dr. Laura Kent from Yale Medical School commented that Aditi’s work 'was certainly impressive'."

RPS 6-12 Math and Science Supervisor Jeffrey Corbishley complimented Aditi on her outstanding research and Ms. Colon on her mentorship. The archival Tiger Talk podcast about the Science Research program with Aditi and others can be found here and is highly recommended.

RHS Business Department Leader Jesse Peterkin reports that senior interns: Sebastian Beaver, Kruz Meier, Matt Ciminiello, and Juan Pablo Bicharo Guzman are having an enriching internship with one of the RHS Business Symposium partners, Jeff Sansone, who is a managing director at Piper Sandler.

Mr. Sansone organized a tour of NASDAQ and established an exciting guest speaker series for RPS students. Last Friday, he invited his cousin Tony Sansone, who has a background as a former Special Forces Green Beret, went on four combat deployments, and now is a Special Agent/Criminal Investigator for the Department of Homeland Security.

During the tour of NASDAQ, Mr. Sansone arranged for a welcome message on their building in Times Square as seen in the photo above.

Branchville Elementary's PTA DEIB Committee organized its first-ever Family History Fair. Fourth and fifth-grade students and families researched their family histories, documented traditions, shared recipes and heirlooms, and interviewed family members. BES students in grades 3-5 got to view the student's work. Participants were able to share their storyboards and answer questions about what makes them who they are.

More photos below!

Ridgefield High School sophomores recently helped out at Cornerstone Gardens as part of their Lion's Heart Service organization. Lion's Heart Group 2025BB leader Kristin Boylan reports that Cornerstone was created as a non-profit to give teens and young adults with autism and other related disabilities a chance to do meaningful work. "We try to help out in the garden a few times during the summer," says Boylan. "It's a big garden! Once fully grown, the fruits and vegetables are harvested and donated locally to families in need."

Looking good, doing good, Tigers!

Tomorrow, Saturday, June 3, RPS can support the Logan Project by tuning into The Logan Bowl, A Madden Tournament. Find out all the information here. Logan Hale was an East Ridge student who passed away after a courageous battle against leukemia. His dream was to provide gaming opportunities for kids in hospitals as gaming was an important way for him to stay in touch with friends during treatment. The Logan Project aims to fulfill his dream.

RPS District Communications Manager Alison Pratt will introduce novelist Eliza Minot at the Ridgefield Library on Tuesday, June 6 at 7 pm. Minot, a mother of four, will read from her new book, In the Orchard, which is a novel about womanhood, modern family, and the interior landscape of maternal life, as seen through the life of a young wife and mother on a single day. Free. Please register here.

The Connecticut Special Olympics Games kicked off this week with the torch making its way through Ridgefield. East Ridge staff with the Ridgefield Police participated in this exciting annual tradition and brought the torch by Veterans Park Elementary and ERMS for school-wide recognition of these athletes and the games.

Your family roots, that is. Here are some more photos from Branchville Elementary's Family History Fair organized by the BES PTA DEIB committee. Great work, everyone!

You know it's June when it's Field Day! Barlow Mountain, Ridgebury, and Scotland elementary schools hosted this timeless favorite with a few new twists.

Scotland Elementary Principal Jill Katkocin is all smiles from the dunk tank during the school's field day. Ms. Katkocin reports that the Scotty students' cheers, chants, and enthusiasm made getting dunked nine times worth it. Looking dry, Tim!:) A question for RPS Update readers: Is being an elementary principal the hardest job in the District? Or a parent of a goalie? Or the RHS dismissal coordinator? Submit your thoughts here.

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.