Sounds like the high school administrators and the soon-to-be student protest “leaders” were working hand in glove to bring Ridgewood residents a slick, smoothly produced protest event. But wait…isn’t this the same Principal Gorman who on Monday, 3/12 referred to the anticipated student walkout as a “powderkeg?” You can’t have it both ways, Principal Gorman. So which was it? Why would you characterize it as a powderkeg if you had such a significant hand in bringing it to fruition? And how does all of this square with your solemn responsibilities as the leader of one of the biggest high schools in the county?
Ridgewood NJ, Purchase Graydon Pool memberships online beginning April 1st – enjoy a 10% discount if you purchase prior to May 1st. Graydon Pool features Pool features include a shaded playground, water play fountains, shade kites, Adirondack chairs, a picnic area with charcoal grills, a sheltered pavilion, and the Water’s Edge Cafe. Additional amenities include volleyball, basketball, ping-pong, shuffleboard, four-squares, hop-scotch, backgammon, a lending library and for the little ones, “Storytime” under the Graydon pavilion.
Preseason in-person assistance at the Graydon Badge Office – Saturdays, May 12 and 19, 10 am to 12 noon.
Pool Manager’s Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7002 (in season)
Badge Office – 201-670-5500, ext 7003 (in season only)
Recreation Office at The Stable- 201-670-5560 [email protected]
Information – Graydon
GRAYDON MEMBERSHIP RATES
RESIDENT GRAYDON POOL MEMBERSHIPS
Village priced memberships are available to Ridgewood residents, non-residents who pay local property taxes to the Village of Ridgewood, and employees of the Village of Ridgewood and Board of Education. Proof is required.
ADULT – $120.00
CHILD – (ages 2-15, under 2 free) $110.00
SENIOR – $30.00 (62 and older)
PERMANENT DISABLED – $30.00
LATE SEASON ADULT MEMBERSHIP – $60.00 (available August 1st)
LATE SEASON CHILD MEMBERSHIP – $55.00 (available August 1st)
DAILY PASS – $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
NON-RESIDENT GRAYDON POOL MEMBERSHIPS
The Village Council and the Ridgewood Department of Parks and Recreation are pleased to invite all families in the surrounding area to join the Graydon Pool facility for the summer season.
ADULT (ages 16 and up) – $200.00
CHILD (ages 2-15) – $175.00
GUEST PASSES (must be accompanied by a current season member)- $10.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
TENNIS BADGES
RESIDENT ADULT – $35.00
RESIDENT CHILD – $30.00
NON-RESIDENT ADULT – $45.00
NON-RESIDENT CHILD – $40.00
DAILY PASS – $5.00
BADGE REPLACEMENT – $5.00
Tennis Rules/Regulations and Badge Memberships
Purchase all badges from the comfort of home via CommunityPass (Visa and Mastercard accepted). In person assistance is available daily at the Graydon Badge Office, on site at the pool facility. Hours vary by season dates.
Ridgewood NJ, New Jersey school districts got a first look at their state aid figures for the coming school year on Thursday, jut two days after Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled his tax gouging $37.4 billion spending plan.
Every singe school district in Bergen county will get extra aid under the plan, which boosts aid to schools state wide by $283 million, up 3.5 percent from a year earlier.
The rate of increase ranged significantly in districts, with Haworth, Paramus, Franklin Lakes getting boosts larger than 15 percent. Others, like, Leonia and Englewood got increases less than 2 percent.
In the Murphy Budget Ridgewood would get an increase of $2,586,693 a 5.4% increase , Ho-Ho-Kus $556,782 or a 7.9% increase , Midland Park $742,564 a huge 14.7% increase ,Glen Rock $1,335,305 an 11.6% and Paramus $2,542,3741 or an even larger 15.3% increase .
Ridgewood nest regular public meeting of the Board of Education will be on March 19 2018 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM at the Board Room, 3rd Floor, in Education Center on Cottage place.
There is also Coffee and Conversation on March 26 with members of the Ridgewood Board of Education and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel Fishbein will host residents for coffee and casual conversation on Wednesday, March 26 from 7-8:30 p.m. Please join them at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, Ridgewood. Residents are welcome to drop in and share their thoughts, questions, suggestions and concerns.
reads as follows:
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“Principal Gorman decided that the administration wants the walkout to continue to remain organic, so we are not able to do an announcement at 9:45am tomorrow. Because we cannot put an announcement out, we need all of you to start getting your classes going to the front lawn at 9:45.”
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With his virtuouso performance in pulling the strings necessary to make this adult-directed event appear to be “student led” and “organic”, perhaps Mr. Gorman is seeking a new career as a progressive community organizer? Part of Obama’s long term plans for a civilian corps of eager beaver progressive brownshirts? (“We cannot continue to rely on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set. We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded.”)
Rewriting history and white-washing reality, Principal Gorman is no longer referring to the just-concluded event as a “walkout”, but is now confusedly describing it as to an “assembly”, “civil disobedience”, “democracy”, and “civil debates”. Does he get paid by the word?:
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March 14, 2018
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Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s), Students, Faculty, and Staff:
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Today I write to you both as a father and a principal. In recent years, our schools and country have faced too much violence and too many innocent lives have been taken from us.
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On the one-month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, we stand with our brothers and sisters in all schools to say “enough.” We mourn the victims and send our support to the Parkland community and all the others who have suffered similar tragedies.
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At 10:00 A.M., many Ridgewood High School students joined tens of thousands of teachers and students in solidarity. Students Demand Action, a newly formed club at RHS, led an assembly on the front lawn of the high school with speeches and a moment of silence. The students paid tribute to the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and expressed their desire for safer schools. After 17 minutes, they returned to the building to resume class.
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Simultaneously, another newly formed student-led group assembled in the Campus Center to advocate for safer schools and Second Amendment rights. They also engaged in speeches and a moment of silence to pay tribute to the victims.
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Students who did not wish to participate in either assembly, remained in class with the teacher or, if on a free period, in the building with designated faculty members.
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The students of Ridgewood High School are passionate about their various causes. Today was no different. Having two differing student-led groups peacefully assemble at the school advocating for their causes was civil disobedience and democracy in action. What makes America and RHS so great is that we can have civil debates on sensitive subjects.
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Students, know that your cause does not end today. Your strength and purpose happens in what you do in the 18th minute and beyond. Your teachers have taught you how to debate issues, research subjects, and advocate for your causes. You have the skills and the power to make a difference. Many of you are eligible to vote and the rest will be of age within one to three years. I encourage you to listen to your heart and decide what you wish to do.
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Today’s solemn anniversary gives us a chance to pause and reflect upon what is truly important in life. So I offer these thoughts:
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I pray for all the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Sandy Hook Elementary School, Columbine High School, Virginia Tech, First Baptist Church, Pulse Night Club, and The Harvest Music Festival to name few of the most recent massacres. May the families and communities heal and find peace in their lives.
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I implore the lawmakers of this land to hear our plea and find the courage to create sensible gun laws to help prevent the 35,000 gun deaths and 100,000 gun wounds annually.
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I hope that all the victims of violence find peace. Too many innocent lives that have so much potential and so much to offer have been lost. There is no place in our society for sexual, racial, physical, or school violence. We owe it to all people, adults and children alike, to provide them with safety and security.
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I wish for the students and adults who need mental health support and related services to receive the care they deserve. More attention and services need to be allocated to these issues.
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And, I dream that all the teachers and students of Ridgewood High School reach their full potential, be safe and secure in this wonderful learning environment, and that upon graduation the students will take what they have learned and make a positive impact upon the world.
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Last, I want to assure you that over the past several years, Ridgewood High School has taken many steps to make the school safer and more secure. However, the best way to prevent a tragedy is to address it before it occurs. Students, if you see something, say something. It is the responsibility of all of us – teachers, staff, parents, and students – to speak up. If you are concerned about inappropriate social media postings, notify your parents, the police, or a faculty member. And if you know of a friend who is in need of some assistance, we have counselors, grade advisors, administrators, and teachers to help.
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Ridgewood High School is known for its tradition of excellence. But I want us to go beyond that motto. I want Ridgewood High School and all its students to cultivate a culture of kindness, gratitude, and love. We cannot control everything but we can control how we treat each other. Every teacher, administrator, and staff member loves you and is here for you whenever you need us. By working together, we will continue to keep RHS a safe and nurturing place.
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Sincerely,
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Thomas A. Gorman, Ed.D.
Principal
The following was posted yesterday at https://www.tipsfromtown.com/why-and-how-rhs-students-are-joining-the-walkout/:
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After the Parkland shooting, a number of students approached Dr. Thomas Gorman (Principal of Ridgewood High School) with the intent of taking action against gun violence. I had spoken to my parents about how I really wanted to be involved with making change, so I was one of the students who spoke to Dr. Gorman. There was a large meeting where we all voiced our opinions and ideas for how victims of gun violence should be honored while still pushing for change. A few days prior, I had gotten in contact with other students … we formed a club called Students Demand Action We spoke to Mr. Michael Yannone about being our faculty advisor, and he agreed.
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We had two meetings a week, where we decided on our message for the walkout. While we are passionate about gun violence and creating change, we were still mindful this is an event that would happen during school. We made a conscious effort to steer away from a strict political standpoint, so we could include as many people as possible. At the meetings, we talked about how feeling safe in schools should not be a privilege — it should be a right. We also talked about how although we are anti-gun violence, we are not anti-guns. We want school to be a place where we should be able learn and grow without worrying about whether our safety is at risk. Once we decided on our message, we divided into groups. The groups ranged from communicating via social media, hanging flyers up around school, and working with teachers to get student photographers to cover the walkout. We’ve been incredibly lucky because we’ve had the support of the administration on our side. Without their support, it would not have been possible to make the walkout as successful, organized, or safe.
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Students Demand Action acknowledges and respects the students who do not wish to participate.
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Tomorrow, we walk. At 10 am, students will gather together on the front lawn of Ridgewood High School. Student speakers will present their speeches about how they have been affected and their demands for school safety. After 17 minutes, there will be a moment of silence for victims of gun violence, this number symbolic of the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting. Although it is strictly a school event, it will be streamed via Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram for the other Ridgewood schools and the Ridgewood community to watch.
Public info: Due to the excess of snow closings, schools will be OPEN on Friday, April 13. Read Dr. Fishbein’s letter: https://tinyurl.com/DFletter31218 March 12, 2018 Dear Ridgewood Public Schools Community, Today I am writing to inform you that based on the number of emergency closing days we have used so far this year, students will have a regular school day on Friday April 13, 2018. Any additional emergency closing days will be further taken from Spring Recess week, starting with Thursday, April 12 and working backwards. By way of explanation, we have exceeded the two emergency closing days that the Ridgewood Board of Education builds into the school calendar. To date, we have had three weather-related closings. Please take a look at the 2017/2018 calendar adopted by the Ridgewood Board of Education on March 7, 2016 for the proviso stating that additional weather-related closings will be made up using Spring Recess. As we know from the recent storm, winter is not yet over. The good news is that spring is just around the corner. I can see the tulips pushing through, and the days are getting longer with a hint of warmer weather in the air. Sincerely yours, Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D Superintendent of Schools
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Mayor Susan Knudsen meet with a group of students after school on Friday. The mayor called them an “extraordinary and thoughtful group of RHS students came to Village Hall (with a chaperone) to discuss the logistics of having a smaller March 24 “March for Our Lives” type event in Ridgewood. Village Manager Heather Mailander, Police Chief Luthcke and I met with the students to better understand the best venue to accommodate RHS students who wanted to hold a more local event within our the Village community. Additionally, the students wanted to remain focused on preventing school violence without being political. ”
While they had an idea to hold an event at either a Village park or BFMS, money remained an obstacle. Significant funds are required to pay for insurance, police costs, permits, etc. Working diligently to get organized they quickly setup a GoFundMe page. My understanding is if they don’t raise the needed funds by the deadline for a 3/24 event they’ll simply regroup and reschedule. I hope they do. If not, perhaps they’ll donate to a good cause or use for future programming. Either way, they will have my full support.
The mayor said, “These young people deserve our thanks and encouragement; they were poised, respectful, polite, caring and honest! Please consider helping by donating now and sharing my post forward!”
Nice to see the kids are looking out for the taxpayers ,but are we the only one who finds this who thing very disingenuous? Or are helicopter parent funded protests the norm now? There is simple no such thing as a “Government Sanctioned Protests ” . lets see its sanctioned by the schools, , the mayor , the teachers union , and the Democrat party . Does not sound like much of a protest to me .
Real protests are not clean and neat and get out of control very fast , is there no concern the some parents may be unwittingly putting their children in danger ? This is not a protest this is promoting an agenda .
It has come to my attention that there is a news article that was posted that speaks of an incident that occurred after hours at Hawes last week. This letter explains the situation.
On Friday, February 28, at about 7:45 p.m., a man entered the lobby of Hawes while a recreational sporting event was taking place in the gym. The man seemed to be looking for directions. A parent, who also happens to be district employee, addressed the person and asked him to leave the building. The man complied. Since the man appeared in distress, the employee called the police who were on the scene immediately.
Based on reports from the police to both Dr. Fishbein and myself, there was no danger involved in this incident. The stranger did not enter the building while school was in session, nor was he on the property or vicinity during school hours. He was cooperative and followed the district employee’s directions.
As has been shared previously, we take the safety of the school, the students, and the staff very seriously. At Hawes, all of the doors are locked and closed during school hours. There is no access to the building during the school day except through buzzing the main office. As any who have come to the school in recent weeks know, before our secretaries give permission to enter the building, they ask for the person’s name and the reason for wishing to enter.
The safety and security of our students and staff are always our main priority.
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood parent group pushes financial support for “student led ” protest or walkout . According to a Facebook post , “Since the Village would rather that parents not be present to support our students, we can support them financially (so what else is new???). If you would like to stand in solidarity with our students, join them in one of the marches on March 24th.”
On the gofundme page it says, “These funds are needed for the Students Demand Action high school club. We are Ridgewood High School students from Ridgewood, NJ and are comprised of over 100 diverse students, who have come together and are determined to make a change after one of the most recent school shootings in Parkland, Florida. Although most of us are not directly related to the victims of the shooting, we, just like the students in Parkland are just that. Students. Kids. Teens. We want to be able to go to school and feel safe- we do not want to have to constantly worried that our family or our friends or even us could be gone in a heartbeat just because the wrong person has a gun. We are planning a rally for the 24th of March and need to reach our goal of $5,000 as soon as possible. These funds will be used to ensure a safe rally with police and canine presence as well as to help pay for the venue, insurances, permits, food, advertising, technology (speakers, lights, etc.), and anything else that may come up. When this money is withdrawed it will go to paying these expenses and any money left over will be either used for a future rally or donated to a Victim’s Fund. We have already received such an outstanding amount of support from our teachers, district, and town hall, and to reach our goal would help us make great strides in the school safety movement and lead to a safer tomorrow. For everyone. ”
So what exactly is this group , Students Demand Action high school club going to do with the $5,000 ? While some suggest , “Maybe they are trying to get money to pay for the cops and fireman. This march/rally has nothing to do with curriculum. Why should taxpayers pay for this? What a mess this is and the roots go back to the 3 Amigos and their politics. ”
My kid is in HS and doesn’t feel like she wants to go for the walkout. However she asked me what she should do as she is concerned that peers and teachers will look at her differently if she stays in classroom. See what happens? What am I supposed to tell her? I want her to follow her heart but I am also concerned that she may be subject to repercussions. This walkout shouldn’t happen during school hours. Either after hours or weekends. This way kids would be free to act as they wish without concerns of being watched. This administration is ruining the kids with political siding.
We are aware that many RHS students will be participating in the student-led national walkout on the one-month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. On March 14 at 10:00 A.M., students will assemble on the front lawn of the high school to participate in speeches, songs, and a moment of silence. After 17 minutes, they will return to the building to resume class. The event is organized by Students Demand Action, a newly formed club at RHS. The students will pay tribute to the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and express their desire for safer schools.
Simultaneously, another newly formed student-led group will assemble in the Campus Center to advocate for safer schools and Second Amendment rights.
If a student does not wish to participate in these assemblies, he or she may remain in class with the teacher or, if on a free period, in the building with designated faculty members.
RHS administration is endorsing (enforcing?) a “17 minutes hate” (see Orwell’s 1984) dressed up as a KumBaYa moment. . Who’s to say that, after the predetermined 17 minutes of blatant virtue signaling on the “front lawn”, they’ll obediently return to class, Gorman old boy? Stripped of responsible supervision (“We are aware…”), perhaps they will choose to adjourn to YOUR office and refuse to leave until YOU agree to resign. Will you oblige? . No student has the right to “walk out” of class without disciplinary repercussions. You are complicit in this misbehavior as a principal who thinks he is entitled to suspend the rules as long as the “cause” is sufficiently politically correct. We will remember this outrageous surrender of adult authority . Hey, hell, why not bring an enormous rainbow flag out to the “front lawn” protest? Just say it was meant to “display solidarity” with the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shootings. . What’s next week’s school-endorsed walk-out “cause”, Principal Gorman? A demand for a parking garage for student parking? Where does this end?
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March 12, 2018
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Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s), Students, Faculty, and Staff:
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We are aware that many RHS students will be participating in the student-led national walkout on the one-month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. On March 14 at 10:00 A.M., students will assemble on the front lawn of the high school to participate in speeches, songs, and a moment of silence. After 17 minutes, they will return to the building to resume class. The event is organized by Students Demand Action, a newly formed club at RHS. The students will pay tribute to the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and express their desire for safer schools.
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Simultaneously, another newly formed student-led group will assemble in the Campus Center to advocate for safer schools and Second Amendment rights.
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If a student does not wish to participate in these assemblies, he or she may remain in class with the teacher or, if on a free period, in the building with designated faculty members.
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Students involved in the walkout will not be penalized for their actions provided they follow RHS school rules, act in a respectful and dignified manner, and return to class after the event is held. We ask parents to speak with their children about the walkout and the issues pertaining to school shootings.
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We are working with the Ridgewood Police and Fire Departments to ensure everyone’s safety and have security measures in place for this day. With that in mind, we want this event to solely be one by and for the students. We ask for all outside groups and parents to respect their wishes and not visit RHS during this time.
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Sincerely,
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Thomas A. Gorman, Ed.D.
Principal
Ridgewood NJ, village council candidate Alexandra Harwin spoke at Ridgewood High School. No other candidates or councilmembers were invited , Ms Harwin spoke about running for council in Ridgewood for a full 40 minutes asking the kids for their addresses to post yard signs of her candidacy .
When questioned by angry parents superintendent of Schools Daniel Fishbein said in an email , “this is a student run organization. It appears that you may know one or more of the students who are part of the organization, based on your knowledge of their ages. I suggest that you or other village council members reach out to see if they can be invited. As I stated, this is a club activity and not an academic class. ”
Funny that no sitting council member with experience has been asked , yet a new candidate who has been to one council meeting for a total of 50 minutes is now an expert. Its also another interesting use of the taxpayer funded $105,000,000 Ridgewood School budget . And interesting to watch a Village Council candidate bully children into compliance.
All the moms who questioned the events have asked to remain anonymous and are concerned about being booted from Home & School Association membership if their names are exposed regarding this matter .
Ridgewood NJ, Adults using children to further their political aims .The Ridgewood Education Association shared an event : NEA & AFT Wear Orange to Support Women’s March & 17 Min. Walkout . March 14th – the Women’s March has announced a National School Walkout in which school communities will walk out of their schools for 17 minutes to honor the lives lost in Parkland. NEA will join with AFT in encouraging educators throughout the country to wear orange on this day.
Nice to see a $105,000,000 school budget put to good use .
![students-protest-guns-nra-1-gty-thg-180307_12x5_992[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/students-protest-guns-nra-1-gty-thg-180307_12x5_9921.jpg "Ridgewood Parents Raise Money for \"Student led Walkout\" ?")
