Ridge Road Elementary is Ready, Set, Go for Back to School

It’s hard to say who will be more excited for the first day of school— Principal Peters-Durrigan or the children who attend Ridge Road Elementary School.

As far as Mrs. Peters-Durrigan sees it, the children are “the best thing” about the first day: their laughter, their excitement and the big smiles on their faces. She can’t wait.

“It’s not the same here without the kids. That’s why we’re here. That’s our purpose,” said a smiling Peters-Durrigan, commenting on the time the staff spends in the building during the summer months, well before children arrive for the new school year.

Walking through the building, it’s eerily quiet, save the sounds of bits of conversations from teachers and staff, the ringing of the office phone and subsequent answering of the phone from Mrs. Randi Scott, the school’s long-time secretary, who Principal Peters-Durrigan fondly refers to as the “school historian.”  The principal claims Mrs. Scott remembers everything having to do with the school.

Some noise has also been made from head custodian Mr. Johnson and the custodial staff. They’ve been very busy, polishing, cleaning and fixing up this summer. On a sunny day like this one, there’s a brilliant shine on the floors. The floor tiles—white, baby blue and purple— just sparkle.

And it doesn’t stop with the floors. Kudos go out, once again, to Mr. Johnson and the custodial team for the work done in the classrooms, which are impeccably clean; so much so they could pass the white glove test. The classrooms, it should be noted, are also quite kid-friendly and welcoming after the teachers put their own touch on things to decorate, stock and finish setting up their rooms.

One beautifully decorated room, this one belonging to Ms. Scasino, has colorful placards and eye-catching posters, and artwork and interest-piquing learning stations. Ms. Scasino, who also lives in North Haven, will teach first grade and is one of two new teachers at Ridge Road this year.

Second grade teacher Mr. Anderson is the other addition to the staff, although some students will recognize him from the time he spent as an intern at the school.

The new school year can be a little scary, especially for the youngest ones. In an effort to make them comfortable, an orientation session was held last spring, which included a tour of the school and story time. Children and their parents also have another chance to visit their new classrooms the week before school officially begins.

Additionally, many teachers, like Mrs. Collins, sent her incoming students letters of introduction over the summer. Mrs. Collins told them a little about herself and then asked them to tell her some things about themselves, such as their favorite books and colors. When her first-graders come in to the classroom that first day, they’ll feel like they already know her.

For the first day of school and the year ahead, Principal Peters-Durrigan looks forward to the Monday morning meetings. The popular, school-wide meeting brings everyone together and helps to establish a feeling of community. Highlights include a call to gather with African drumming, called Harambé. The event is also the time when a lucky student’s writing piece, selected from the Magic Mailbox, is read before students and their parents during the meeting.

Another popular and highly beneficial practice the school would like to continue is the Stop & Shop A+ Rewards program. Mrs. Scott is a true believer and backs the program enthusiastically. She cites the success the school has had over the years. One year, parents helped the school earn enough for playground equipment. Scott urges parents to make sure they sign-up anew each year in order to continue to designate their Stop & Shop Reward points to Ridge Road Elementary. 

Principal Peters-Durrigan also reminds parents that if they have questions, many general answers can be found by going online to the Ridge Road Elementary School website; parents can also call the school to speak with Mrs. Scott in the office or to Principal Peters-Durrigan.