Welcome to Our district

Please learn more about RPS current plans for the fall, which are required by the state of CT in order to access ARP ESSER funds in August (COVID relief funds). We will be reviewing this draft at the June 28 BOE meeting.

• Draft Safe to Return Plan

The Ridgefield High School Class of 2021 commencement was a joyful, in-person celebration that showed off this group of students’ creativity, intelligence, diversity, and agility. Students paraded down to Tiger Hollow Stadium capped in festive mortarboards to the welcome sound of bagpipes and strains of “Pomp and Circumstance.” Student speeches by Class President Charles DeMatteo, Valedictorian Kenneth Choi, and Class Speaker Ellie Carter revealed thought and reflection on their pandemic year and beyond. “We are more than 15 months,” Carter reminded the group. “We are our entire lives and we have a lot to look forward to.” DeMatteo spoke of community and identified the touchpoints of the past four years. Choi spoke of their development as students. This was Principal Jacob Greenwood’s first RHS Commencement and he took the opportunity to quote a Peloton trainer: “Don’t pass your time; spend it.” Superintendent Da Silva left the students with three powerful wishes. RHS School President Kate Bucci joined DeMatteo to read off the list of the graduates. When student Ryan Contreras pulled off an impressive backflip after receiving his diploma, he captured the ebullient spirit of the day. Parents admitted to blinking back tears at the momentous occasion of watching their students start the next stage of life and gratitude for RHS’s deliberate care at this event and over the last four years.

Congratulations, Class of 2021! You are loved. You will be missed. 

If you are planning on sending your children to kindergarten this fall, please register them as soon as possible to get the maximum benefit and so RPS can plan accordingly! More information about the process can be found here. We can't wait to welcome your child.

Ridgefield Schools Combined Gay-Straight Alliance will host an RHS virtual pride event on June 17 (registration required) and partner with CTPride to host Ridgefield Pride in the Park on June 26 in Ballard Park. Information about the Pride in the Park event, as well as LGBTQ support resources for students and parents, and a PridePerks Card with deep discounts at Martins Park and local businesses is available on the Ridgefield CT Pride website.

For the second time this spring, Ridgefield Public School administrators, East Ridge Middle School teachers and staff gathered for a surprise announcement of an exemplary ERMS educator. This time, RPS awarded Paraeducator of the Year to ERMS paraeducator Arlene Litt.

Director of Personnel Karen Dewing presented the award to Ms. Litt, remarking that Litt distinguished herself from the twenty-one other exceptional paraeducators nominated by families and RPS staff because her contributions went beyond the classroom to better the entire school community. Those nominating Ms. Litt commented on her relationships with students, her dedication, and her work ethic in this COVID year but also through the years she has worked at RPS. Please see our paraeducator of the year press release for additional details.

Ridgefield High School AP United States history students had a post-exam bake-off. Tyler's Teddy Bearsevelt claimed first prize in a competitive and creative field of confectionery and U.S. History mastery. To view all entries in the bake-off, including the Mayflour Cake, please see our AP U.S history bake-off presentation.

In anticipation of the 150th Annual Ridgefield High School Commencement, RHS released a slew of information about this year’s senior class and the plans for the graduation ceremony. The top ten scholars in alphabetical order are Evelyn Carr, Ellie Carter, Kenneth Choi, Aidan Flaherty, Claire Griffin, Lucas Kaye, Michael Kovacs, Rory McGrath, Harriette Thomas, and Isabel Voellmicke. Kenneth Choi is Valedictorian.

Ridgefield High School learned that it was one of eight CT high schools to earn the No Place for Hate designation! RHS Assistant Principal Jennifer Phostole, who championed this program, attributed RHS’s success to student involvement: “I continue to be impressed by the students at RHS. Achieving this designation is a direct result of the commitment of our students and their desire to make RHS a more inclusive space for all. I look forward to seeing how the program expands in the future.” Visit the RHS NPFH website to learn about the program, see photos, and read Ms. Phostole’s article.

Ridgefield Public Schools announced today the appointment of Nancy Caron as Principal of Farmingville Elementary School. Ms. Caron comes to Ridgefield from the Norwalk Public Schools, where she is currently the Curriculum and Instruction Site Director at Rowayton Elementary School. She is also a former Mathematics Professor at Western Connecticut State University. Prior to 2019, she was a Math Specialist in the Bethel School district and taught elementary school in Brookfield, New Milford, and Greenwich public schools.

RPS Superintendent Dr. Susie Da Silva cited Ms. Caron’s experience as a building leader, elementary math specialist, and teacher as important to the search committee. “Ms. Caron will be a great addition to our team of outstanding elementary principals and an excellent leader of Farmingville Elementary,” said Dr. Da Silva. “Thank you to FES Interim Principal Traci Mayette for stepping into this role this year.”

Please take a moment to read our entire press release regarding the new principal for more information.

Save the Date for the Ridgefield Public Schools new Summer Bridge Program. The District has started this program to provide a “bridge” back to the experiences that students missed this year. RPS will offer three in-person sessions to elementary and middle school students according to the following schedule.

• 5 days a week from 8:30 a.m.–Noon
  • Session 1: 6/17–6/30
  • Session 2: 7/5–7/16
  • Session 3: 7/19–7/30

These sessions will be device-free, fun, primarily outdoor opportunities to engage with peers and teachers face-to-face. The middle school program will also have a community service component.

Ridgefield High School will also offer fun 3 to 5-day mini-courses on cooking, robotics, art and design, engineering, a book club, and creativity challenges from June 17–30.

All these programs are designed to bring students back to the schools in a low-stress environment that will foster a love of learning and help ease the return to school in the fall. Please put these dates in your calendar and stay on the lookout for signup information.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Susie Da Silva announced that Dr. Wes DeSantis will be the new Director of Education Technology. Dr. DeSantis will be a familiar name to many RPS families as he is the current K-12 STEM Supervisor and before that a beloved Ridgefield High School physics teacher, coach of the electric car race team, and founding director of the annual cardboard boat race.

Of the hire, Superintendent Da Silva said, “We know he is up to the challenge. He was an important asset of our technology leadership before COVID struck and has been invaluable since March.” DeSantis has sat on the RPS Technology Committee for years and worked tirelessly this summer to secure and implement some of the technologies that have been critical to being able to reopen schools, including cameras for all the teachers, which had noise-canceling capabilities so students could hear teachers even when the heat or air conditioning was on. Visit ​Dr. DeSantis's website to see the many ways that he engaged to make technology accessible to students and departments.

Please take a moment to read the full press release regarding the new director of education technology.

Please take a moment to read this letter about schedule changes on Oct. 9 and 29 and Nov. 25. 

• Early Dismissals Asynchronous Days

Ridgefield Public Schools is transitioning into a moderate risk model. Middle and high schools will be remote, and elementary schools will be hybrid. Please read Superintendent Da Silva's October 26, 2020, letter for full information. 

Please view Nurse Aaron Crook's letter on the RPS quarantine process and recommendations. 

We will be holding one Early Dismissal day per month between January and May where students will engage in asynchronous learning in the afternoon. The purpose of this time is to allow our faculty to plan, prepare, and discuss best practices to support student learning. Each of our schools will send a reminder as we approach the dates below.

• Monday, April 26
• Monday, May 24

Parents who elect to change their children’s learning model into or out of Cohort “C” (full-time distance learning) may do so by:

• Elementary School Parents: Please directly contact the building principal via email and “cc” your child’s classroom teacher.
• Middle and High School Parents: Please directly contact your child’s school counselor via email and “cc” a building administrator.

Please mark your calendars for our upcoming spirit week! From October 26 through 30, join us as we celebrate our RHS Spirit Week. Check out our full RPS calendar for more important dates!

A Ridgebury Elementary parent posted a callout on the RES parents’ Facebook page.“In an effort to network and support each other, please post your talents below.” Bakers, bankers, tutors, IT experts, outdoor educators, insurance brokers, and artists all posted their expertise and passions in a lively exchange of community solidarity.

Each month our district leaders make presentations on a wide variety of topics to the Board of Education to keep both board members and the general public informed of the work of our district staff, building leaders, teachers, and students. Although all BOE meeting documents can be found on our dedicated BOE page, for your convenience we will provide quick links here to the most recent presentations.  

• Special Education Program Review
  
• Curriculum Priorities 2019–2020
  
• 2017–2018 Standardized Test Results (SBAC- SAT - AP)