To the members of the Ridgewood Board of Education,
I am writing to implore you to change the decision you made last night, authorizing the installation of crumb rubber on Stevens Field.
I am completely supportive of the remediation of this heavily used field. I do not object to using artificial materials for this field (although in a perfect world I would prefer grass). But I am asking you to please use a product that is safer for the health of the children and the environment.
Ridgewood NJ, The Village of Ridgewood is suing the Bergen County Board of Elections for rejecting 710 ballots from May’s vote-by-mail election, demanding the county review the tossed votes, which could have substantially changed the election results. Ridgewood residents cast around 5,400 ballots last month. The Village claims that voters were not notified if their ballots were rejected, and village authorities were not informed about the disqualifications until June 5, three weeks after the election.
Wayne NJ, Senator Kristin Corrado slammed Governor Phil Murphy for taking legal action to cancel Wayne Township graduation ceremonies that were scheduled for June 18th and June 19th with social distancing practices in place.
Ridgewood NJ, Stephen Kalish, former Army Officer and a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, presented the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Award on behalf of the West Point Society of New Jersey, an organization of graduates and friends of West Point who live in New Jersey. Each year, the West Point Society of New Jersey sponsors the Dwight D. Eisenhower Leadership Awarded at approximately 100 high schools throughout New Jersey. The purpose of this award is to recognize an exceptional high school junior who excels in the areas of academics, athletics, community service, good citizenship, and leadership. The awardee is selected by the principal and staff of the school. The award includes a portfolio with a formal certificate of recognition for the student and a display plaque for the school. Mr. Kalish read through the previous awardees before announcing this year’s recipient, Bryan Chan. Bryan has been on the honor roll every semester of his tenure at Ridgewood High School. He is a member of the National Honor Society and the Spanish National Honor Society. He was the class president for both his sophomore and junior years. He was the captain of his freshman and junior varsity soccer team. He is president of the DECA club and is a peer counselor. Outside of school, Bryan volunteers with the Our Lady of Mount Carmel youth group and the YMCA. He has also been a shamrock soccer coach. Congratulations, Bryan.
Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein gave a presentation on Mercury in Gym 3 Synthetic Flooring – Ridgewood High School. News reports indicated that there were possible concerns about the presence of mercury in rubberized gym floors. Dr. Fishbein, Ms. Kelly, and the facilities manager met proactively and arranged to have our floor tested. The only school with this type of flooring is Ridgewood High School. Dr. Fishbein informed the community about the test results in a letter that was sent on February 14, 2020.
The Ridgewood Board of Education is proposing more artificial turf for Stevens Field,a district owned field, despite mounting evidence that it presents significant health and safety concerns for those using the fields and to the environment. A recent article in the NJEA Review Magazine ,” Use it? Ban it? quotes the following statements from Dr. Philip Landrigan, a Public Health and Pediatrics Professor at Mount Sinai :“ The companies that are marketing the fields don’t talk about the heat hazards, they don’t talk about the chemical hazards, they don’t talk about the costs that are going to be associated with dismantling the fields when they reach the end of their natural life span, when they must be treated as hazardous waste ….. a better solution is to build fields that are properly drained and are planted with tough species of grass that do not require pesticides.”
Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein presented the Ridgewood High School Stevens Field Synthetic Turf Replacement Proposal. The field is used seven days a week, during the school day for physical education, as well as by RHS athletics, youth sports, and adult community programs. Dr. Fishbein provided background on the field, explaining that Stevens Field was first completed during the 2009 referendum.
Ridgewood NJ, The Dumbest Generation is a dire report on the intellectual life of young adults and a timely warning of its impact on American democracy and culture. While this came out in 2009 it could not be more current . The recent unrest continues to point to a failure of public education .
For decades, concern has been brewing about the dumbed-down popular culture available to young people and the impact it has on their futures. But at the dawn of the digital age, many thought they saw an answer: the internet, email, blogs, and interactive and hyper-realistic video games promised to yield a generation of sharper, more aware, and intellectually sophisticated children. The terms “information superhighway” and “knowledge economy” entered the lexicon, and we assumed that teens would use their knowledge and understanding of technology to set themselves apart as the vanguards of this new digital era.
Ridgewood NJ, Due to the Governor’s Executive Order 104 citing the CDC’s recommendation for cancellation or postponement of gatherings of fifty or more people, the Regular meeting will be held utilizing videoconferencing.
Trenton NJ, Recognizing the educational and social-emotional value to students of resuming in-person instruction, the New Jersey Department of Education today released guidance for school districts to conduct summer educational programming in-person, including Extended School Year (ESY).
“This is a crucial step that allows schools to plan summer learning programs and special education services that will provide assistance to those students who need it the most,” said Education Commissioner Lamont O. Repollet. “We’ve heard from countless parents and educators about the importance of summer learning and ESY, especially now that so many students and families have faced unexpected obstacles with remote learning over the past three months. We believe schools can provide the necessary summer instruction while ensuring the safety of students and teachers, and their families.”
Dear Members of the Class of 2020, Parents, and Guardians:
The Wayne Board of Education met in executive session on June 8th to discuss our legal challenges regarding graduation. We know you have been through much and we hope this letter will provide clarity with regard to the intent of the Wayne Township Public Schools and plans for a graduation ceremony to be held in your honor on July 30th. The Wayne Board of Education wants nothing more than to give all our seniors the graduation they deserve on the field at their home schools with all our staff and principals in attendance.
Ridgewood NJ, RHS sophomore Ani Martirossian created an essential “nurse purse” for local nurses who are serving on the front lines. Each nurse purse contains crucial health and beauty products that can be used on the go. To date, they have delivered over 500 bags to four local hospitals: The Valley Hospital, Holy Name Medical Center, Englewood Hospital, and Hackensack University Medical Center.
Ridgewood NJ, The National Honor Society is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most prestigious student recognition program. Our chapter is proud to have been inducting new members since 1965, and Ridgewood High School inducted 77 new members this spring. Throughout the year, members of our chapter serve as role models and leaders for their peers. In addition to their strong academic records which established eligibility for membership, our chapter members have been leaders in many student organizations and serve and give back routinely to Ridgewood High School and the community of Ridgewood.
Ridgewood NJ, We have now received all the state, county, and local permits required to move forward with the soil remediation project at the Orchard School. The only reason for not moving forward earlier was the failed budget. The project was included in the 2020-2021 budget, but we were not permitted to send the purchase order for the project to the contractor until the budget was approved. We now have a budget and can move forward. I anticipate seeing progress on the project no later than July 1, 2020. The Orchard Remediation website has been updated to include all permits and pertinent documentation.
