RPS Summer Newsletter: We Have Been Busy—Bridging, Bonding, and Building

We hope our Ridgefield Public School families, students, and staff are enjoying a summer of rejuvenation, relaxation, reconnection, and fun. RPS has been busy for the past six weeks. Our Summer Bridge Program wrapped up last week with over 1000 students enjoying a wide variety of experiential learning options. High School Readiness and Course Recovery classes continue.

RPS hired two new exemplary leaders—veteran Ridgefield High School leader Jennifer Phostole will take the reins at East Ridge Middle School and Dr. Annie Tucci will be Grade 6-12 Humanities Supervisor.

Work has begun on replacing the turf and track at Tiger Hollow Stadium and the turf at Scotts Ridge Middle School. This much-needed upgrade should be complete by mid-September at SRMS and mid-October at Tiger Hollow. Solar panels will be installed at five schools—Barlow Mountain, Ridgebury, Scotland, and Veterans Park Elementary Schools (Farmingville already has panels), and Scotts Ridge Middle School.

Much of our planning is behind the scenes and includes making decisions about literacy programs, special services, and technology. In June, we received preliminary directives from the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health, which informed our reopening plan. We will continue to be flexible as new information and guidance emerge. Almost all our educators have elected to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and many of our 12-19-year-old students are also vaccinated.

Class assignments will be available on the portal in the first few weeks of August.