Ridgewood School District embraces differences
Friday September 6, 2013, 3:00 PM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
Ridgewood school teachers renewed their pledge to educate the village’s children and vowed the continued celebration of differences each student and staff member offers the district, the latter promise marking the theme of this year’s All-Staff Convocation.
PHOTO/TAV JINIVIZIAN
Buy or license this photo
The Ridgewood High School Maroon Men kicked off the school district’s annual All-Staff Convocation at Benjamin Franklin Middle School on Tuesday. The theme of this year’s convocation was ‘Celebrating Our Differences.’
Held Tuesday morning at Benjamin Franklin Middle School, the annual district-wide assembly brought together all Ridgewood’s instructors, among them many new teachers, under the umbrella of “Celebrating Our Differences.” But while administrators and faculty preached the theme, many teachers believe Trenton’s attitudes toward education and the state’s testing policies create added and unfair pressure on students and staff.
After enduring a separatist age during the early 1900s, the Ridgewood school district underwent a transformation highlighted by the community’s acceptance of and willingness to embrace its own diversity, said Sheila Brogan, president of the Board of Education. In her address, Brogan spoke of the village’s diversity, revealing that Ridgewood “has ancestry from 50 different countries” and is served by approximately 18 religious institutions.
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/222712551_Ridgewood_School_District_embraces_differences.html#sthash.cyLnFwS1.dpuf
The Village Council’s “Newcomers” meeting this morning looked like a good success. Many families were there with very young children and some with middle school age kids. Of course I was the oldest 1948 new comer there answering as many questions as I could. Not one camera there to take a few photo of the event.
Lots of questions were asked of the Mayor and other Council members…. No press were there ….. I guess not as important as the usual daily fender story.
Usual refreshments served for every one there.
The press was there, but the mayor is so transparent that no one could see him in the photos.
Not all the comments fit to print are fit to read…
Dom – That is true. But many are entertaining, regardless.
Diversity as long as every student learns in the “lecture and yawn” classes. There is no imagination and no attempt to engage the students. I know that teachers claim to be swamped with paperwork or whatever it is that they do with Skyward.
Tey embrace other cultures. We have Asian Festival but do not even think about Christmas. RPS want nothing to do with the traditions of families who identify as Americans. My family celebrates the birth of Christ and the secular arrival of Santa on
December 25. We sing religious and non religious Christmas songs. We buy presents for families in the area who need gifts for themselves and their children. To avoid the dreaded Christmas celebrations several years ago Somerville school had a 4th of july party on the last day of school before Christmas break. I think that the Fourth of July celebration in December ended quickly because it confused everyone. It was just another “holiday” to prepare for in an already busy holiday season.