School Calendar Events:
- All SPS schools will remain closed through the end of the school year.
- Mr. Laskowski will provide updates as he receives information.
- Stay tuned for virtual graduation time and details from Mr. Laskowski. In addition to t-shirts that we are giving to our 8th graders as gifts, we also have a few other surprises!
- Date TBD: Light Up the Night in honor of the Class of 2020 - We will be sending 8th grade parents an email soon to confirm details regarding a special drive by/virtual event with date + time
- June 12: Virtual 8th Moving Up Ceremony, time TBD
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Class of 2020 Lawn Signs
The Class of 2020 lawn signs look great around town!
If you ordered a Class of 2020 lawn sign but have not picked it up yet, please make an appointment for pick up following school's appointment protocol. To make an appointment you may call or email one of the 3 office staff:
Visitor Hours - Appointments can only be on the following days/times:
Mon, Wed or Fri 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
The PTO ordered a few extra signs so you can reply to this email if you would like to purchase one. $13 per sign at cost.
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Weekly Update from Mr. Laskowski
You can view Mr. Laskowski's updates from this week at the below links and also on the
PTO Facebook page
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Virtual 8th Grade Moving Up Ceremony
Based on the conversations that we have had with our public health and safety departments, and the number of COVID-19 cases in Stamford, a Virtual Moving Up Ceremony for this year is our safest and most equitable option. As you know, this year has been different from any year before and we had to find a workable solution for all middle schools that is in line with the guidelines from the Governor’s Executive Orders, Connecticut State Department of Education and our own public health and safety officials. With that being said we will be hosting our Virtual Moving Up Ceremony for our 8th grade students on June 12, 2020.
Now that a decision has been made as to the format of our moving up ceremony, we will be sharing specifics including links to access and the time the ceremony will be posted in the near future.
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YEARBOOKS
Hello Rippowam Families!
Yearbooks will be arriving in less than a month. I want to answer some questions that I have received.
1. If you ordered a yearbook you will get it!
2. If you didn’t order a yearbook- You can still order one! Price is still $40. There are only 54 extra yearbooks. Once they are sold out no more can be ordered.
3. Two ways to order. Click this link to be brought to the Josten’s website to order:
4. OR- use Venmo! The Rippowam PTO has set up a Venmo account for easy transactions. If you use this option please include the following information in the notes section: mention YEARBOOK, student’s first and last name AND grade. The Venmo handle is: @rippowampto
5. There are no gaps in the yearbook due to school being shut down. All photos needed were taken before we left school in March. The yearbook is designed online so everything was finished and submitted to Josten’s on time.
6. Mr. Laskowski and I will design a plan for pickup. More info to come!
7. There will be a virtual yearbook signing. More info to come!
Thank you! Ms. Chymbor
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Digital Learning
If you know of someone who does not have access to the internet please have them contact the main office at (203)977-5255.
For those who missed Mr. Laskowski's updates, you can find them posted to the
PTO FB page.
Mr. Laskowski emailed them to all parents and the PTO also emailed them.
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Westhill "Meet the Coaches" Night
Westhill High School's annual "Meet the Coaches" night will be held on Thursday June 4 at 6:00 p.m. Due to the current school closure, this event will be held online. The link for the meeting is below. During this meeting all incoming 9th grade students who are interested in our athletic program and their parents/guardians will learn about the different sports and levels we offer, academic eligibility policies, sports registration, our facilities, and have an opportunity to ask questions regarding any aspect of our program. If you need any further information or would like to submit a question/questions prior to the meeting you can email me directly at
rcerone@stamfordct.gov
. I look forward to your joining us next Thursday.
Meeting link and information:
Freshman "Meet the Coaches" Night
Thu, Jun 4, 2020 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (EDT)
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
You can also dial in using your phone.
United States: +1 (646) 749-3122
Access Code: 491-391-749
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts:
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Food Items to Donate
As more time passes during the pandemic more and more of our Rippowam families are falling into troubling times. Some have reached out to assist them with food and hygiene products therefore we are starting a donation drive for them. Please help out your fellow student families. Maybe you can buy a couple of extra items when you go shopping for your own family or maybe you might be cleaning out your pantry or making space in your fridge. Anything helps!
For drop off location or if you would like to help, please text Szilvia Smyth at (203)658-4129 or email
szilviasmyth@yahoo.com
.
Donation items:
Flour, maseca, sugar, cooking oil, rice, dried and canned beans, pasta, pasta sauce, canned vegetables, canned soups, chicken, beef or vegetable broth, cereal, oatmeal, coffee, apple sauce pouches, kid snacks like goldfish, crackers, fruit cups, chips, pretzels, chocolate, fruit gummies, power bars, juices, milk, butter, eggs, hot dogs and buns, yogurt, meats, apples, oranges, potatoes, onions and any vegetables, fruits, toothpaste, kids toothpaste, kids and adult toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, soap, men and women deodorant, feminine pads.
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Voice Your Matters to the BOF
Due to the impact of Covid-19 the city is making budget cuts that will affect the Stamford Public School district. A working document currently proposes eliminating various positions. Some of those positions are but not limited to paras, literacy and grade level staff. One consideration is freezing salaries for two years.
There were a few meetings that took place this week but p
arents and teachers can still write their thoughts to the BOF members if they would like to do so. You have until the end of May and the voting will happen next week.
E
mail Cynthia Winterle at
cwinterle@stamfordct.gov.
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Google Classroom: Directions to Submit Work
School has received a few reports from students and teachers that there was an issue with work gone 'missing' - one explanation might be that it is not being submitted correctly.
To view directions how to submit correctly
CLICK HERE
.
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Mrs. Kousidis' Virtual Office Hours for Students
Greetings Rippowam Community!
Starting on Monday, 4/20, I will be hosting daily office hours twice each day for students and/or parents. These 30-minute time slots are designated for technical support but please feel free to drop in just to say a quick hello, also :)
*Please note the slight adjustment to the time for Session 1.
Take good care and looking forward to seeing you! - Ellie Kousidis
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Note from Ellie about Resources for Family Engagement from the Library of Congress: Whether for your classroom or for downtime at home, the "
Resources for Family Engagement from the Library of Congress
" promote engagement, curiosity, and hands on learning. This series is complete with read alouds, newsletters, and activity kits for the whole class or family.
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Wide Open School
Common Sense Media is a trusted resource for parents and teachers. Read below to find out how they are supporting our schools and our families with new resources as we all transition to distance learning.
Common Sense company is launching a brand-new, free online resource to support families and educators who are transitioning to remote learning as a result of the coronavirus: Wide Open School. Why? There are so many online resources to support kids' educational, emotional, and physical development that Common Sense editors are noticing yet another challenge for parents and educators: How can you find high-quality resources quickly, easily, and in one place?
Curated and coordinated by the experts at Common Sense, Wide Open School is the result of a collaboration among leading publishers, nonprofits, and education and technology companies. Wide Open School features a free collection of the best learning experiences and activities for kids, organized by grade band and subject. You will also find daily schedules with creative breaks and recommendations to keep kids engaged and exploring, one day (or one hour) at a time.
Wide Open School can only fulfill its mission if all kids and families can access it; Common Sense is committed to ensuring connectivity now. They will continue to offer guidance and support as you navigate privacy and safety in all you do online.
You can visit Wide Open School to take advantage of the best resources available for kids right now. Go to Wide Open School
HERE
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Ferguson Library eBooks
The Ferguson Library has given our students access to all eBooks in their library! The directions for accessing this amazing resource are found
HERE
Huge thank you to Aemir Lopez for adding the Spanish translation!
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Virtual Art Exhibit
LiveGirl will again partner with the Carriage Barn Arts Center for its third annual arts exhibit. This year’s curated exhibit,
She Is Rising
, is a celebration of women of various ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities – some captured from life, and others imagined – who represent female power in a myriad of manifestations. The exhibit features artwork by pop artist phenomenon Ashley Longshore, artist activist TL Duryea, and contemporary artist Michele Voight and will run May 27 – June 7 with a virtual gallery and in-person viewings by appointment.
LiveGirl’s annual benefit will be held virtually on Sunday, May 31st from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and available at
https://golivegirl.org/2020-arts-showcase
. The first 50 registrants will receive a free copy of “
The Myth
of
the Nice Girl,”
courtesy of New Canaan Youth and Family Services. This event is also proudly sponsored by Bankwell and JPM Private Bank. All artwork is available for sale at
https://carriagebarn.org/she-is-rising/
with proceeds benefiting the artists, the Carriage Barn, and LiveGirl.
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PTO News
Thank you to everyone for your donations that helped us fund important events and mini-grants for this school year!
Looking Ahead:
Stay safe and be well!
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Our 5th Bin has Arrived!
There are now 3 bins in the front of school and 2 bins in the back of school by Loveland Road. Our bins have been overflowing and we are happy that many families are using the Rippowam textile bins. Our 5th bin will hopefully solve the overflow.
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Amazon has a wonderful program called Amazon Smile where it donates .5% of purchases made to local charities and non-profits. Rippowam PTO is a designated non-profit on Amazon Smile. Please use the below link for your purchases and help support Rippowam PTO.
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