Ridgefield's Talk of Our Town

Saint Mary School Appoints New Principal

Mrs. Anna O’Rourke was appointed principal of Saint Mary School in 2010 by the Diocese of Bridgeport. Mrs. O’Rourke is a gifted teacher and school administrator who has dedicated the past 15 years to Saint Mary School.

Her experience includes teaching positions in preschool, third grade and full-day kindergarten. In addition, Mrs. O’Rourke has served as the Assistant Principal for Saint Mary School since 2004. In 2004-2005, Mrs. O’Rourke was honored to be inducted into the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers”, a nomination shared only by the top educators in the United States. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Central Connecticut State University, a Masters of Arts Degree …

These Mother-Daughter Pairs are Up for a Discussion

by Terri Woods Garlick

For the past three years, my daughter and I have been members of the Sunrise Girls, a mother-daughter book club that meets monthly.  Typical of tween girls on a Saturday morning, plaid pajama pants, pony tails, and steaming cups of hot chocolate can be found around the table, but not so typical, are the fresh-faced young adults expressing their own ideas, thoughts and comments, often differing from the group, or discussing an important social issue in a friendly forum.

The concept is simple:  each month one girl picks the book of her choice for all the mothers and daughters to read, and leads the monthly discussion.  Questions are asked, thoughts are told, and laughs, tears and stories are shared; and …

Ridgefielder Michelle Doak to Uganda with Bicycles Against Poverty

by Terri Woods Garlick

This summer, Ridgefielder Michelle Doak, a rising junior at Bucknell University, will be traveling outside her comfort zone to four remote and impoverished villages in the Northern Gulu Region of Uganda as part of Bicycles Against Poverty (BAP), a student-run, non-profit organization at Bucknell.   The mission of BAP is two-fold:  it distributes bicycles to villagers as a way to improve accessibility to markets and social services, and it teaches the people of the villages the skills necessary for sustainable development, as well as promoting responsible credit and money management, and bicycle repair skills.

Unlike other organizations that just distribute goods and services to impoverished nations, BAP’s philosophy is different because it is “a sustainable bicycle, …

Ridgefield High School Class of 2010 is Havin’ a Party!

by Emma Hopkinson RHS class of 2010
What will this years graduating class do after they get their diplomas? Well I Know I’ll be at the Post Grad party! The Recreation Center here in town will be holding this event from 10pm to 4am for the class of 2010. There will be games, prizes, food, and more! Designed to make the night of graduating extra special, the Post Grad party will also keep our beloved seniors out of trouble.

The later it gets the better prizes you can win, for example a Mac laptop! I can’t wait to spend all night with my classmates and closest …

Missing Carol Burnett? See a Show by The Dancing Curtain

by Terri Woods Garlick

The only sketch comedy organization in Connecticut, The Dancing Curtain LLC is a fun, high-energy comedy performance group best described as a wholesome variety show – a contemporary twist on I Love Lucy, The Carol Burnett Show, and In Living Color all rolled into one!  Each performance is designed to entertain, amuse, and inspire, and ends with up-beat music and a “dancing curtain call,” the comedy troop’s gimmick to help them stand out and be remembered by the audience.

Founded in 2009, The Dancing Curtain is the brain-child of Ridgefield native, Khristee Rich, a graduate of the University of Michigan and a stage veteran, both on and behind the scenes.  A natural comedienne …

Three High School Seniors Design their Own Internship ~ A “Haiti Relief Concert”

The Ridgefield senior internship program takes place during the last 6 weeks of the school year and affords seniors the opportunity to get a taste of “the real world”. Students have been placed in area schools as teacher assistants while others are working for local businesses, retail shops, or larger organizations. Some seniors have chosen not to got the traditional route and have created their own “independent study” to fulfill their internship requirement.

Kara Carpenter, Bella Bermudez and Caroline Hildebrand have decided to make Haiti the focus of their senior internship.”We wanted to get involved with the Haiti Relief effort because we know that projects like these …

Ridgebury School’s Variety Show Gives Hope to Haiti

Ridgebury Elementary School is holding their first annual Variety Show on Friday, June 18 at 7PM in their gymnasium. Half of the  proceeds will benefit Ridgefield Responds: Hope for Jacmel Haiti.  Isabel Chase will present a slide presentation outlining Ridgefield’s efforts to aid Haiti.

Scotts Ridge Middle School Thanks Retiring Principal, Marie Doyon

For a school to operate smoothly and the students to benefit, good lines of communication between the Principal and PTA are needed.  Scotts Ridge Middle School knows this  – eight times over!  Which is why when the current PTA board learned of the upcoming retirement of Marie Doyon, after eight years at the helm of SRMS, they banded together to throw a party to thank her.

On May 19th, at our historic Lounsbury House, the Ridgefield Community Center, on Main Street, www.lounsburyhouse.com, many past PTA board members, parents and students stopped by in-between sports practices, dance rehearsals, dinner and a multitude of other commitments, to say a huge Thank You to Mrs. Doyon.  Her …

Music Teaches More Than Notes To Our Middle Schoolers

by Terri Woods Garlick
Last night, my family had the pleasure of attending Scotts Ridge Middle School’s Eighth Annual Select Music Ensembles Concert at the Ridgefield High School Auditorium.  It was a remarkable evening worthy of the big stage at the Ridgefield High School, but more importantly, for many Ridgefield boys and girls, ages 11-14, it was a personal accomplishment – the culmination of a year of hard work.
Although part of the Middle School, each group is selected by an audition process and then is required to meet weekly outside of school hours – early mornings or after the last bell.  Both Scotts Ridge and East Ridge Middle School …

Scotts Ridge Middle School has a New Principal

Danbury High School assistant principal, Tim Salem, has been hired as the next principal of Scotts Ridge Middle School.