RPS Update
September 22, 2023
Dear Families, Faculty, and Staff,
The fall weather arrived quickly, with crisp mornings and sweatshirts needed for evening games. Soon, we will enjoy the changes in nature across our beautiful Ridgefield.
Ms. Gillette, Dr. Hannaway, and I have begun our goal-setting meetings with school leadership teams. Our schools have focused on “leveling up.” A window into these meetings would show you the care, devotion, and thoughtfulness that our schools have for your children. It is clear that we have the right people doing the right work in schools.
This morning, our National Honors Society students were recognized on the RHS stage—congratulations to our students and their teachers. Bravo!
On Monday, schools will be closed in observance of Yom Kippur, “Yom Tov.”
Have a wonderful weekend,
Susie
Susie Da Silva, Ed.D
Instagram: rpssuper
Photo above: Members of the RHS community—staff, students, and families—came together on Sunday to finish the Nia Simpson Memorial Garden. See more photos and read the full story in "Beyond the Classroom" below.
Quote of the Week
I never lose, I either win or learn.
—Nelson Mandela.
BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
Please note, next week's BOE meeting is on Tuesday, September 26 because of Yom Kippur. Agenda and link to livestream can be found here. Public comment at beginning and end of each meeting.
Board of Education
90 East Ridge Road
Important District News and Reminders
Seniors Inducted into National Honor Society
RHS inducted 112 seniors into the National Honors Society this morning in a student-led ceremony that spoke to the Leadership, Scholarship, Character, and Service of NHS membership. NHS members serve the Ridgefield Community throughout the year through peer tutoring, a Senior to Senior Prom, various food and clothing drives, and more. Please see the event program, which includes the inductees, here.
The NHS Class of 2024 Leadership
Sofia Ganal—President
Katherine Burns—Vice President
Gabriella Freeman—Secretary
Molly Coakley—Tutoring Chair
Teacher Advisors
Amy Cristofer
Elizabeth Karlan
Lunch Payment News
RPS switched to My School Bucks (MSB) for lunch payments this year. MSB is a highly-rated lunch software program that many school districts across the country use. Please use the links on the Food Services website to learn how to set up an account and more information.
Families can also pay for lunch with cash or by check made out to Ridgefield School Lunch.
Please Check the eBackpack
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!
Hispanic Heritage Month—September 15-October 15
RPS is celebrating the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans on the history, culture, and achievements of the United States during Hispanic Heritage Month. Bulletin boards, library displays, and lessons in art, social studies, and World Language are some of the ways RPS students learn more about our Hispanic heritage.
Social and Emotional Learning Spotlight—NEW!
Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is integral to RPS, where we prioritize supporting mental wellness for our students, staff, and school communities. Each month, Branchville Elementary School psychologists Katie Greges and Lindsay Kline will share a different mental health topic that is affecting students. We aim to share useful information surrounding mental health topics and connect to families so they feel comfortable talking to school personnel about their children's social and emotional development. This month, we consider anxiety and recommend resources to improve understanding, start conversations, and provide help.
RPS Transition Program Makes News
RPS Teachers Lead—Vámonos!
RHS Spanish teacher and World Language Department leader Allyson Power was selected to work on the CT State Department of Education World Language Standards Revision Team. This team is representative of various roles, grade levels, languages, and geographical areas around Connecticut. They have the goal of revising the current World Language standards and writing a model curriculum for the State of Connecticut this year. Ms. Power will share her expertise and be able to bring innovations back to the District.
New Teacher Feature—Gena Stillson, Fourth Grade
High Expectations and Fun
The new Scotland Elementary fourth-grade teacher Gena (short e) Stillson has been on her toes for a long time. A competitive Irish dancer and Irish dance teacher kept Stillson literally on her toes. Dancing and teaching dance are also how she realized she would like a career in education. “Growing up in Danbury, I grew up surrounded by different languages and cultures and loved that,” she explains. “I majored in cultural anthropology, and asked, how can I combine my love of other cultures and teaching dance? It made sense to go into elementary education.” Stillson earned a master's in Elementary Education and a second master's in Teaching English Learners.
Most recently, she taught in the Danbury Public Schools for five years—three years as a third-grade teacher and two as a fifth-grade teacher. “I’m very familiar with where my fourth-grade students are coming from and where they need to be. I did my student teaching in fourth grade so I am excited to be back there,” she says. On Monday, students are gathered on the rug to hear about a math lesson in rounding. “We’ll do five digits today; tomorrow, we’ll do six. Spoiler alert,” she confides in her students. “Both have the same strategy. No matter how many places a number has, the strategy is the same.”
Her insight into Ridgefield is heartening. “I knew RPS was a good fit for me because its message—high expectations and fun—are exactly what I think is important,” she says. “There are high expectations for RPS staff and for students, and they like to have fun meeting those expectations. Those are the foundations for my classroom culture.”
Everyone has been so welcoming,” Ms. Stillson continues. “From the whole interview process, the principals were helpful and communicated clearly. At New Teacher Orientation, the Superintendent remembered my first name from our interview. At Back-to-School, families from other classrooms stopped in to welcome me to the school.”
Her Scotland co-workers are thrilled to have Stillson join their team. “She’s a gem,” says fellow Scotland fourth-grade teacher Meg Dougan as we pass in the hallway. “My new partner.”
Welcome to RPS, Gena. Maybe we need to add an Irish Dance component to Convocation!
In the Classroom
Branchville Builds!
The HeART of RPS
Grade K-12 Art Show
It's Time to Celebrate Art!
For the first time, the district will host a K-12 Art Gallery showcasing student artwork from the 2022-23 school year. Hillary Lewis, an art teacher at East Ridge Middle School, conceived of the idea. After discussions with VPA Department Chair Michael McNamara and art consultant Cindy Parsons, the concept was presented to the administration, whose enthusiasm for this opportunity was palpable. The Gallery will feature multiple works in 2D and 3D media from a selective group of students who represent great enthusiasm for art from all the schools.
"We have accomplished so much in advancing the visual art strand of our VPA Department that we have decided to celebrate! Hats off to all the art teachers and students for their dedication to the arts!" said Michael McNamara, Department Chair.
“The pieces selected to be showcased in the Gallery truly represent the learning progressions students experience through the Visual Arts pathways. It is very exciting to see this come together,” shared Linda Johnson, Director of Elementary Education.
The Joy of Ceramics
RHS Ceramics teacher Jane Grassi reports that her students began the year with press mold trays and are working on a project called, "Fill My Plate." She challenges them to fill their plate two or three-dimensionally. Students have learned two hand-building techniques and how to throw a plate on the potter's wheel with great success.
Overheard in the classroom:
"I'm really enjoying this class."
"The last time I touched clay was when I was five and used Playdough."
Photos above: Plates by Samuel T., Class of 2027
Beyond the Classroom
News from the RHS Athletic Department
Please visit the Ridgefield High School Athletic Department website for game schedules, student passes, and tickets.
Football Game for Logan Hale
The RHS Varsity Football Game on Friday, September 29 will honor Logan Preston Hale and raise funds for The Logan Project, which provides gaming consoles to hospitals so kids can keep in touch with friends and families while undergoing treatment. Find more information about Logan's legacy by scanning the QR above or here.
No Regrets! Join the PTA
In last weekend's New York Times, world-renowned cartoonist, Roz Chast (photo above from her gallery's website) shared some of her experiences as a local parent. While she might not have felt natural in her role as field day ice breaker or snack mom, she does admit to meeting friends. Please lend your talents to RPS by joining the PTA. You never know who you might meet—Pulitzer-prize winners, nice people, novelists, outstanding teachers, business owners, and other rock stars. Please click here to support our schools!
Ms. Chast's next book I Must Be Dreaming will be published in late October.
RHS Comes Together for Nia Simpson Memorial Garden
On Sunday, Ridgefield High School students, staff, and parent volunteers brought their shovels and rakes, their vision and leadership, their brains and their brawn to finish the Nia Simpson Memorial Courtyard. Nia (photo right) was a beloved student leader, athlete, and member of the Class of 2024, who passed away last October after a mysterious illness.
RHS student government advisor and social studies teacher, Jennifer DeJulio was there on Sunday to meet volunteers and work with Student Body President Hannah Yu, Senior Class President Abby Seal, Community Outreach Officer Eliza Forrest, and Student Government Advisors Cassie Fowler and Dr. Jaclyn Aaron, to direct the Herculean effort of creativity, heart, and muscle. While no one had time to count, estimates put the number of volunteers between 75 to 100—working for hours on a variety of projects that needed to be completed before the September 28 opening.
One of the tasks the group assembled to accomplish was the installation of a Native Plant Garden to attract butterflies and provide beauty. RHS dad and Vice President for Horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, Todd Forrest, led the garden team, stripping sod, amending soil, and planting trees and perennials—offering a crash course in garden design, plant identification, and grit. He credited his friends, the Garden of Ideas owners Joe Keller and Ilsa Svendsen, for helping acquire and deliver the native plants at cost. “We couldn’t have done it without them,” Forrest said. He also called out seniors Abby Seal, Rebecca Avelar, and Henry Sullivan as particular student standouts in terms of their stamina, overall enthusiasm, and effort.
Nia’s mother Safiya Simpson took her turn with a rake, arriving directly from an overnight nursing shift. Families loved seeing Ms. Simpson and sharing their plans for the Courtyard’s September 28 opening. Over the course of the year, the Simpson family has worked closely with Ms. DeJulio and student leaders and inspired all of RHS with their grace, generosity, and compassion.
It was not just the Class of 2024, however, who rolled up their sleeves on Sunday. Ninth-graders Leah Smuckler and Kate Sullivan were among the first to arrive. Junior Rose Idone and her mother Tauna were among the last to leave—digging deep, alongside Mr. Forrest, Jenn DeJulio’s mother, and Dr. Aaron, to move a large mulch pile after hours of gardening.
Students also got their hands dirty in other ways—painting kindness rocks, washing windows in the student center, and adding stickers to donated books for the reading nook. Throughout the day, everyone remarked on the stunning “Create a Life of Purpose” mural that students Lexi Barriola, Chloe McKinstry, and Donnelly Rodgers finished in late August.
Artistic talent, teamwork, thoughtfulness, generosity, and quality kids and adults who care and take time for each other, are just some of the aspects that make our RPS Community special. Sunday was a great showcase of this wonderful community—the Nia Simpson Memorial Courtyard is a lasting testament to Nia and to our community’s strength, beauty, and unity.
Ridgefield Responds: Seeking Supplies for Ukraine
Ridgefield Responds: Hope for Ukraine seeks relief and essential school supplies to send to the children in Ridgefield’s sister city, Druzhkivka, Ukraine. Many families reached out for clarification on Rechargeable or Solar lanterns requested. Ridgefield Responds offered the following guidelines.
- LED for longer lasting lights
- Rechargeable: solar and/or power bank or 220 v source
- if rechargeable, should include USB cable so that it can be charged at a power bank.
Here are some links they provided to possible options.
Thank you for your help supporting their remote learning environment!
Children are in need of school supplies at all ages.
To focus our efforts, we ask that each grade collect donations as assigned in the attached outline.
We will collect items at each school throughout the month of September.
Race to End Duchenne
On October 1, RPS will race to end Duchenne at Barlow Mountain Elementary. This is a family-friendly event with an art station for kids along with the run/walk. RPS art teachers Megan Kounnas and Alison Anderson will be assisting with the art project. Find more information about Team Teddy, the event, and registration here.
Sixth Grader Addresses 9/11 Tragedy
Photos from the Week
RHS Counselors Attend College Counseling Conference
RHS Counseling staff attended the National Association for College Admissions Counselors (NACAC) Annual Conference in Baltimore this week! Over 6,000 college counseling professionals attended sessions to educate themselves on practices regarding College Admissions Counselors. Keynote speakers included Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as well as motivational speaker Jay Shetty. Pictured here are Joy Squitieri, Stephanie Cheung, Katelyn Foran, and Diane Schirizzo.
Counseling Seminars Allow for Small Group Learning
One of many counseling seminars taking place this month at RHS! Seniors working in the School Counseling Glass Classroom on their Common Application with Mrs. Barbino (pictured) and Mrs. Lowney (off camera). Counseling Seminars run throughout the year are an opportunity for students to work in small groups with their school counselor to learn important topics related to College & Career, Academics, and Social/Emotional Learning.
East Ridge Gives Peace a Chance
On Thursday, East Ridge Middle School celebrated International Day of Peace by forming an all-school peace sign, captured in the photo below by a drone. No Place for Hate Student ambassadors read the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which, according to Wikipedia, was originally published in 1948.
Dunkin' ERMS
To be dunked or not to be dunked? That was the question at the East Ridge Middle School Back-to-School Carnival on Wednesday. The brave group of East Ridge Middle School administrators and teachers below dared to get in the dunk tank and received t-shirts to prove it.
ERMS PTA Goes Above and Beyond!
So much planning must have gone into pulling off the amazing Carnival at ERMS on Wednesday! Congrats to the ERMS PTA for the successful second annual Back-to-School Carnival.
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.