Ridgewood Schools - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on January 30, 2022 January 30, 2022

“Buy 3 Months, Get 1 Month Free” NJ Transit Promotion Welcomes Students Back to Colleges and Universities for Spring Semester

NJ TRANSIT CONTINUES POPULAR STUDENT DISCOUNT PROGRAM

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Students heading back to class for the spring semester on NJ TRANSIT’s bus, rail or light rail systems can save some money thanks to the “Buy 3 Months, Get 1 Month Free” Student Pass promotion. This cost-saving program was popular with college students traveling back to campuses for the fall semester. The Student Pass, in partnership with participating regional colleges and universities, offers full-time students a 25-percent discount off an already discounted monthly rail, bus or light rail pass, when they buy it via the NJ TRANSIT mobile app for commuting to and from a qualifying school.

Continue reading “Buy 3 Months, Get 1 Month Free” NJ Transit Promotion Welcomes Students Back to Colleges and Universities for Spring Semester

Posted on January 3, 2020 January 2, 2020

Interested in Running for the Ridgewood School Board, Nomination Filing Deadline will be around end of January / first week of February

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, There will be a school board election in April 2020. THREE seats are up for election.

TWO seats for a three year term and
ONE seat for a one year term.

If you are interested to run for the school board, nomination filing deadline will be around end of Jan / first week of Feb.

Continue reading Interested in Running for the Ridgewood School Board, Nomination Filing Deadline will be around end of January / first week of February

Posted on January 3, 2020 January 2, 2020

Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.,Superintendent of the Ridgewood Public Schools : Our Pledge for Tomorrow

Over the course of my tenure in the Ridgewood Public Schools, school safety has been the focus of several of my columns and numerous letters to parents. In recent years, I have outlined why we conduct school security drills, what measures we have taken to increase school security, and how our police practice “live” fire drills within our schools when students are not present. My thoughts returned to this critical issue after witnessing the powerful performance of “26 Pebbles” presented by the Ridgewood High School New Players this December. The one-act play tells the tragic story of the mass murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in which a young man with mental health issues senselessly took the lives of 20 children and six educators before killing himself. The students’ portrayal of issues surrounding this horrific event was incredible and brought to light the underlying fears they silently carry every day. During the same week that we presented “26 Pebbles” and recognized the anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy, the media was flooded with news about another unfathomable shooting in Jersey City.

Continue reading Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D.,Superintendent of the Ridgewood Public Schools : Our Pledge for Tomorrow

Posted on December 18, 2019 December 17, 2019

Bond Analyst Calls Ridgewood School borrowings,“Financially irresponsible”

file photo by Boyd Loving

by Steve Kim

Ridgewood NJ, At Monday evening’s BOE meeting, a resident, who is a bond analyst, spoke in regards to the potential debt load that might result from the school referendum. “…this referendum is going to run us $8 to $10 million dollars a year. That’s before we put teacher in the classroom, pencil on the desk… It’s just too much.”

Posted on December 13, 2019 December 13, 2019

RHS New Players presents 26 Pebbles

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Ridgewood NJ, RHS New Players presents 26 Pebbles, a play about the the Sandy Hook school shooting. Thursday – Friday, December 12-13. Tickets now on sale at rhsnewplayers.com.

Posted on December 10, 2019 December 9, 2019

Reader says ,”people who oppose the PAC aren’t realizing is the massive need for this space”

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“As a former student of the music program, what people who oppose the PAC aren’t realizing is the massive need for this space. There is currently no quality performance space in Ridgewood High School that could support a full Band, Orchestra or Choir concert. Instead they use the campus center (a converted cafeteria) in the winter and West Side Pres. church in the spring. There is also currently limited rehearsal space which this plan would address. While this project requires a lot of money, this is a critical plan for the RHS music program to continue its level of success as well as staying competitive with other high schools, most of whom have a performing arts center exactly like the one proposed.. “

Posted on November 24, 2019 November 24, 2019

RHS Coach Johnson Fighting Serious Illness

State Champion RHS Maroons football team members , Coach Chuck Johnson , Recognized by Village Council

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

‘Ridgewood NJ, according to North Jersey Media, the North Jersey sports icon and Ridgewood football coach since 1984 has been in the hospital for more than a month, dealing with complications from a serious infection that had him in intensive care for five days.

Posted on November 19, 2019 November 18, 2019

RIDGEWOOD SCHOOLS FACILITY TOUR LAST CHANCE

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IMPORTANT FACILITY TOUR – Glen School Tuesday , Nov 19, at 6:30 pm and Ridgewood High School Tuesday, Nov 19, at 7:30 pm

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Last week we received reports that only 5-7 residents at each tour. There were more board members at those tours, than interested residents.

All of our schools are being assessed for capital improvement projects. Once the board decides what projects to proceed with, Ridgewood will have a town $70 million referendum to vote on. Whether you have kids in the school system or not, I would encourage everyone to attend as this will impact all of us.

Posted on November 13, 2019 November 12, 2019

Ridgewood School Board Elections: Enough of the Protests Culture Time to Get Back to Developing Students to Become Productive Citizens

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Why vote local, the next election date for seats on the Ridgewood Board of Education is in 2020. Three Board seats and the annual school budget will be on the ballot. One Board seat is a one-year term. Two Board seats are three-year terms.

Posted on November 12, 2019 November 11, 2019

Ridgewood School Board has an addiction to use private email for official business

I submitted an OPRA request to provide the last 30 days of emails, where either the board president OR the board vice president OR the longest-serving member on the board has used their PRIVATE email and copied someone/anyone within the school district. I got over 340 hits where these three board members have used their PRIVATE email accounts – and that’s just in a small 30 days period.

Posted on November 6, 2019 November 6, 2019

2018-2019 A “Great Year” for the RHS Athletic Program 2018-2019

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Supervisor of Athletics Keith Cook reported on the “great year” that the RHS athletic program had in 2018-2019 and the achievement of winning the ShopRite Cup, which named RHS the top athletic program out of 84 schools in its group category. The athletic program also received the Sportsmanship Award for achieving an entire school year without a single disqualification. RHS has 28 sports and 500 student-athletes.

Posted on November 2, 2019 November 2, 2019

Reader says, “Many of those who graduate can’t pass the entrance to a community college”

” Do you think anyone might put a premium on learning the basics? Many of those who graduate can’t pass the entrance to a community college (go on and ask the administrators at BCC, go ahead) so then the have to take the remedial coursework which they or their parents have to pay AFTER all the property taxes they paid for the town’s education which the student didn’t get. And those credits don’t apply to the degree. But no worries they’ll tell you they need and you must give them MORE money thrown at this problem which won’t do anything. Then, of course, there are all those teachers ‘aide’ individuals who add MORE cost to the bottom line..”

Posted on October 30, 2019 October 30, 2019

Ridgewood School Board Choses LAN Associates without a bid process

Saurabh Dani emailed the Ridgewood school board:

LAN Associates provided a document yesterday at the tour of Somerville school, which estimated the projected cost of the referendum FOR Somerville school to be $6,180,410.

This cost is estimated to the last dollar amount, and then during the tour, he mentioned that he is not yet certain which boiler is he going to recommend for Somerville (i.e. standard efficiency or high efficiency). How did LAN arrive at a dollar amount, without those details?

Posted on October 30, 2019 June 27, 2021

Ridgewood School Board Embraces Antiquated Technology

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Resident Saurabh Dani posted the following on the Facebook page, “It Takes a Ridgewood Village”, reminding the Ridgewood blog that many years ago (2006?) the BOE was dead set on adding fiberoptic connections through Verizon when clearly the technology existed for broadband wifi connections though out the Ridgewood School system. The better technology was rebuffed for the “done deal” with Verizon.

Posted on October 21, 2019 October 21, 2019

Ridgewood Schools 2020 Bond $70 Million Referendum

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the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, taxpayers should plan to attend these meetings, there will be snacks .Ask the architects what options they have considered at different price points to upgrade the facilities before coming up with their $70Million proposal.

There cannot be just one way to do things in the HVCA/boiler world. The architect proposing this $70Million plan was picked without a bid process and is going to get paid in commission for architecture fee, bid management fee, construction management fee, and project management fee (and since bid management is outsourced to them, they do the bidding for the contractors).