Frequently Asked Questions about RHS from Parents

(Updated Dec 30, 2023) 

What is Flex?

Each day starts with a Flex period from 7:25 am - 7:50 am.  This period will allow for weekly Advisory lessons, intervention, remediation, enrichment, and extension.  The addition of a Flex period continues the RHS commitment as a school community to provide all students the ability to form strong relationships with our faculty, provide equitable access to resources for all learners, and be immediately responsive to our students’ needs.  

 

The first day of each week begins with a Flex Advisory meeting. Faculty advisors will administer structured Advisory lessons as well as connect individually with students to reflect on their academics and help schedule the remainder of the Flex periods for the week.  Students can schedule themselves into Flex sessions that best meet their needs. Students also can alter the sessions they scheduled themselves into, however, they are asked to contact the instructor if making changes. Teachers also can schedule students into flex sessions; these cannot be changed by the student. Once scheduled, parents and students can view the FLEX schedule in the "Adaptive Scheduler" link in the PowerSchool Portal. All RHS attendance policies apply to Advisory and scheduled Flex sessions.

2022-23 presentation

 

Where can I pay for my child's lunch online? (new payment provider for 2023-24)

RPS uses MySchoolBucks, which you can find in PowerSchool. You can not only add money to your child's account, but you can also see all the transactions. You may also send in a check (made to Ridgefield School Lunch) or cash to be given to the cafeteria staff, which will be added to the account. 

 

 

Applications for FRL, menus, prices can  be found on: Food Service

Do you know about the free tutoring available in school?

Every day extra help in Math is offered by Mr. Arcieri (Senior) and RHS teachers in A327. Mr. Arcieri is available during free blocks or study halls. The teachers rotate through on different days - you will always find a current teacher available to assist, but it may not necessarily be your child's teacher. Assistance is available for students of all levels in all subjects. In English, students can schedule an appointment with their current classroom teacher for a writing conference or extra help during lunch, flex time, or their free period. Drop-in support is also available in C207 during lunch waves with Mr. Munson.  

 

In English, the teachers can assist with essay writing related to English assignments, as well as social studies (the focus is more on essay structure and less on content). The tutoring is available on a drop-in basis - no appointments are needed. Student may also receive tutoring by appointment during free periods subject to teacher availability. And starting in the 2022-23 school year, they can schedule time during the Flex period in the morning.

New for 2023-24: How do we opt-out for bus transportation?

In an effort to run an efficient transportation system, for students who drive or whose parents drive them to/from school, you will now be able to opt-out of bus transportation. You will be able to opt back in if circumstances change. 

 

You can find the opt-out selection in the Handbook section of Power School. 

New for 2023-24: What is FirstView?

 

FirstView is an app available on the app stores which will allow parents and students to track their bus in real-time. It can be set up to notify when the bus is a chosen distance away. It can be set up for multiple students.  
 

What are the late buses? When do they run?

Late buses leave from the RHS Community Entrance at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. There are 2 buses each at 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. One bus will go to the north end of town, and one will go to the south end. Please be sure to ask the driver which direction the bus is headed. On early dismissal days, there is one "late bus" at 2:00 p.m.

 

The routes and stops are not fixed - they vary each day depending on the number of students on the bus and where they live. Students should go to the Community Entrance (see below) before departure time if they want to ride one of the buses.

Is there an after school bus to town?

To go into town at RHS dismissal for work or play, your child can hop on Shuttle #29. No pass or advanced notice is required.  It stops along Danbury Road and Main Street, Ridgefield.  This is a separate bus without regular student stops.

SLO (Student Life Office) has a lot of great information!

Bookmark the SLO Page for information on many school programs including:

  • daily announcements
  • yearbook information
    student parking
  • senior year events

New online attendance tool for 2023-24: What do I do if I need to pick up student mid-day for doctor's appointment?

Call the attendance office (203-894-5750) in the morning and let them know what time you will be picking up your child and whether/when you will be bringing them back. Your child will stop by the attendance office window and sign out and collect the pass. Pick up your child at the Flagpole Entrance (see below) - you do not need to come into the building. Your child’s pass will also be shown to the security guard at the RHS/SRMS entrance on 116 as you depart.

RHS has added an online attendance reporting tool to PowerSchool. If you use the online attendance tool, you do not need to call the attendance line. 

How to enter an absence through the attendance portal:
  • From the parent portal, select Attendance Monitor from the left navigation menu.
  • Then click the Report New Attendance button.
  • Enter the Absence Date (leaving the second date blank to report for one day only).
  • Select from the What is the reason for the absence drop-down.


For Full-Day Absences ONLY:

    • Select Yes in the Is this absence for the whole day drop-down.

 

For Early Dismissal, Late Arrival, or Partial Day Absences:

  • You will be prompted to enter the Time Range of the absence.
    • Select No in the Is this absence for the whole day drop-down.
  • Enter an explanation in the Explanation text box.
  • Click Submit.

What is the fall student sports pass?

RHS uses digital tickets for all sporting events. Students and parents can purchase single game tickets on the Athletics Web Site or directly from the Ridgefield High GoFan page and can show their digital ticket at the entry gate.

 

The Fall Season RHS Sports Pass is only available to students. This pass gives them access to all regular season competitions held at Tiger Hollow this fall without the need to pay the entrance fee. Ordinarily, RHS students would pay $6 to attend each football, boys/girls soccer, or field hockey game during the fall, so the pass has a value of over $175. So if your child attends a few events, the $30 Fall Student Sports Pass is worth it. Children aged 10 and under or who wear their youth club jersey are free at football and basketball games held at RHS.

 

RHS charges gate fees for the following home games:


Fall – Football, Boys/Girls Soccer, Field Hockey

Winter – Boys/Girls Basketball, Boys/Girls Ice Hockey (rink charges admission)

Spring – Boys/Girls Lacrosse 


 

Fall Season Passes cannot be used for any FCIAC/CIAC tournament games. RHS is not planning on offering a pass for adults at this time.

How do we order a yearbook?

The 2023-24 yearbook is now on sale, and can be purchased through www.yearbookordercenter.com. Our school code is 14197. Yearbooks are $100 each ($95 plus a $4.99 Herff Jones processing fee) until November 15, and then $110 from November 16th through April or when they sell out, whichever comes first.

How do we pay library fines?

All LLC student obligations (books and Chromebooks) are paid through the RevTrak Web Store, which can be found in the PowerSchool Parent Portal. The library does not take cash for fines. All fines must be paid to buy tickets for dances, proms, and most Senior Year events. Email reminders will be sent periodically to the student and the primary parent (as identified in PowerSchool).

Do students need to have their own laptop?

RPS provides a Chromebook for all students in grades 9-12, however students can use their own laptop if they prefer.

 

Loaner Chromebooks: The LLC has a limited emergency supply of Loaner Chromebooks that students can check out if they forget to bring their assigned 1:1 Chromebook. In order to check out any Chromebook, per district policy, students MUST present their ID (or a clear photo of their ID on their phone) to scan.

 

Damaged Chromebooks: If a Chromebook is not working properly, please bring it to the LLC to swap.

What are the hours of the Library Learning Commons?

The LLC is open Monday – Friday from 7am - 3pm. Databases and many other resources are available 24x7 on the LLC website. Students must scan their IDs when entering the LLC. Additionally, student IDs are required for checking out resources (books, Chromebooks, etc.).

How can I get something on this website or in the RHS PTSA Tiger Link blast?

If you would like to submit something for the weekly blast or PTSA website the guidelines for submissions are below. 
  1. Articles must be emailed to ridgefieldhsptsa@gmail.com by Friday morning, 12:00 pm, for inclusion in Sunday's blast.
  2. Articles should have the title in the subject of the email with date to be included. The article content should be in the body of the email.
  3. If you have multiple articles please email them separately.
  4. Please submit articles exactly as you wish them to appear in the eblast.
  5. Text articles should be typed either in Word DOC attached to the email or in the body of the email.
  6. Images should be in either .jpg, .png, or .gif format.
  7. If you wish the article to be in more then one issue, please note when you would like it to stop running.

How do snow days and shortened days impact scheduling?

At RHS, letter days (A-B-C-D) are assigned to the calendar at the beginning of the school year. Those letters can be seen RHS Letter Day Rotation 2023-24 document in the RHS Schedule Folder. Unexpected closures, delayed openings, and early dismissals impact that schedule in different ways. The school has developed the "RHS Bell Schedule document" in the RHS Schedule folder outlining the information below.
  • Snow/Storm Day - The letter day is skipped. Whenever students return to school, it will be the originally-assigned letter day for that date. For example, Monday is an A Day. It snows overnight, and school is cancelled on Tuesday (B Day). When school resumes on Wednesday, it will be an A Day.
  • Delayed Opening (2 hour or 3 hour) - The previously-assigned letter day remains, and all classes for that day are held in the usual rotation for a shortened period. Lunch is served.
  • Emergency Early Dismissal (announced prior to the start of school but not on calendar)/Professional Development Planned Early Dismissal - The previously-assigned letter day remains, and all classes for that day are held in the usual rotation for a shortened period. Lunch is not served.
  • Holiday Planned Early Dismissal (such as day before Thanksgiving day) - No letter is assigned to this day on the calendar. Every section meets for a shortened period. Lunch is not served.
  • Emergency Dismissal (power outage, water main breaks, etc.) - The previously-assigned letter day remains. The number and length of periods will depend on the nature and timing of the emergency necessitating the dismissal. In some instances, a limited number of full-length classes may be held; in some instances, shortened classes may be held; in other instances, the students may be required to remain in whatever class they are in at the time the dismissal is called. RHS usually sends an email and phone announcement of the plan.

Which entrance?

Dropping off in the morning? Use the Main Entrance (aka - "Flagpole Entrance").

 

 

Picking up at the end of the day? Make your life easy and pick up after buses at 2:30pm or use the Promenade Entrance before 2:30pm:

 

 

The Gym Entrance is also known as the "Community Entrance" or the “Tiger Entrance”: