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?
__________
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 .
Where should a Ridgewood public schools student go to receive instruction at that time rather than engage in sixties-radical-type freak-flag-flying no-account vapid politically-motivated brainless-community-organizer-inspired hooliganism (probably with practically the entire tenured faculty, the whole school board, and our sainted district superintendent)?
Ridgewood NJ, Ridgewood Recycling congratulates Willard Elementary School for their outstanding efforts in connection with the 2018 Reusable Clothing Collection contest. In two short days, students, parents, and faculty gathered 1800 pounds of textiles. The contest had the enthusiastic backing of school principal, Caroline Hoffman, and two Willard teachers made a fun, educational video, which was aired to all Willard students to build interest in the clothing drive. Please take a moment to enjoy their creative video (https://youtu.be/66rP8SvAU5g). The students will now receive a professional, environmental education school assembly, sponsored by Ridgewood Recycling. Congratulations Willard!!!
Ridgewood Recycling says ,”Many people would be surprised to find out that clothing and textile waste takes up around 5 % of our municipal waste stream. Of these items 95% can be re-used in one way or another. This clothing was brought to a facility where it is sorted into different categories and reused as second hand clothing, turned into wiping rags, or recycled into low grade fiber products.”
Ridgewood NJ, Nice to see the $105,000,000 school budget not go to waste and of coarse its always a please seeing adults use children for political purposes . The #NationalSchoolWalkout initiative is promoted by Women’s March Youth Empower. The national walkout is to take place March 14 at 10 a.m. for 17 minutes—one for each person who killed on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas campus on Valentine’s Day. Per the group’s web page, other participating high schools in Bergen County include Hackensack High School, Paramus High School, Lyndhurst High School, Fusion Academy in Englewood, Paramus Catholic High School, Ridgewood High School, Emerson Junior/Senior High School, Tenafly High School, Cresskill High School, Pascack Hills High School in Montvale, Northern Highlands Regional High School in Allendale, and Mahwah High School.
Ridgewood NJ, it is being reported by several news outlets that Hawes Elementary School reported and intruder sometime last week .The incident happened around 8pm last Wednesday evening. The man was not inside the school but was on school property and walked up Stevens.
The intruder or trespasser was described as a 26 year old from Newark who appeared drugged out or under the influence of something. It has been reported that the man in question asked directions , was given them , left and the police were immediately called.
The Ridgewood Police responded ,noticed incoherent behavior and the 26-year-old Newark man was taken into custody and charged with being under the influence of a controlled dangerous substance and then transported to New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus for treatment.
The original reports omitted the incident happened at night after school hours . The incident has many on edge over school safety ,but appears to be nothing more than another drug related incident.
Ridgewood NJ, Hooray: The Ridgewood Public Schools will be open at the regular time on Friday, March 9. Please be very careful when driving or walking around the Village.
UPDATE Due to several power outages throughout the district and hazardous road conditions caused by the storm, all Ridgewood schools will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, March 8, 2018.
March 8,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, Delayed School Opening – Thursday – March 8, 2018. Due to the hazardous road conditions from the winter storm, all Ridgewood Schools will operate under the delayed opening schedule, Thursday, March 8, 2018. Under the delayed opening schedule, the school day will begin two hours later than usual. School bus schedules will operate two hours later. Elementary school children who have not ordered lunch must bring a bag lunch to school as there will not be sufficient time for children to go home for lunch when there is a delayed opening. In the event that conditions change and we would require schools to be closed, you will receive another notification.
Ridgewood NJ, The next Regular Public Meeting of the Ridgewood Board of Education will be held on Monday, March 5, 2018 at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3 at 7:30 p.m. The meeting will be aired live on television, FiOS channel 33 and Optimum channel 77, and streamed via the “Link in Live” tab on the district website at www.ridgewood.k12.nj.us. Meeting webcasts are generally posted to the district website within 48 hours.
Calendar update: Due to the snow day used on January 4, Ridgewood Public Schools will be open on Friday, May 25.
March 5 2018 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM
Location Board Room, 3rd Floor, Education Center
Ridgewood NJ, Several Ridgewood High School students heading home at the end of school on Friday afternoon, 03/02, found their cars had been damaged by a tree that fell while they were attending classes. Ridgewood PD officers responded to take property damage reports. The vehicles were all parked in a privately owned lot; no word was available from the lot’s owner as to how long it would take to have the tree removed in order for cars to be driven or towed away. Fortunately no one was injured .
At Ridgewood High School, we believe that students should create bonds through their teams and clubs. We host many events to create opportunities for students to come together throughout the school year and all of these events are monitored by school professionals in a safe environment.
However, students sometimes take it upon themselves to create their own opportunities, such as dart wars, scavenger hunts, or other similar activities. Ridgewood High School does not condone these unsanctioned events.
Because of the heightened awareness of shootings, we strongly urge students to not participate in “dart wars.” Although students use nerf guns during these games, the strategies employed by students to target other teams may be misinterpreted in today’s climate. The Ridgewood Police Department has been informed of the school’s concerns.
To ensure the safety and well-being of all students, legitimate team and club events will always be approved and monitored by a coach, advisor, or administrator. Parents should counsel their children that students should not participate in unsanctioned activities where there is no apparent supervision.
Ridgewood NJ, Dr. Fishbein outlines RPS security measures.Please take a moment to read a March 1 letter to the Ridgewood community on RPS security protocols and practices:
March 1, 2018 Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff and Members of the Ridgewood Community: As the recent Parkland shooting has raised a number of worthy questions from our community members about school safety, I am writing today to address this important topic. Across the district a highly developed safety plan and security protocols are in place at each of our buildings that are designed for both the prevention of, and response to, a variety of security breaches, including, but not limited to lone shooter incidents. Individualized to each school and regularly reviewed for effectiveness, the plan ranges from specific technology-based and mechanical installations like locked doors and web cams, to ongoing practice drills for our students and staff, and professional development. Regular training, evaluation and dialogue with Village of Ridgewood safety officials is another key component of the plan.
This closely coordinated effort is further buttressed by a safety curriculum that works in tandem with our goals for academic excellence and focuses on avoiding dangerous situations. We strive in the Ridgewood Public Schools to build a trusting environment in each building so that our students and staff feel comfortable coming forward with any concerns or knowledge that might impact school safety. We encourage open dialogue and consider the practice of “see something, say something” to be a valuable aspect of our safety plan.
The answer to the question, “Is my child safe?” is yes. Ridgewood schools are very safe. We work hard to provide a secure environment and continuously look to add precautionary measures and other enhancements that will bolster our safety standards and practices. We have a great relationship with Village emergency services professionals, whom we welcome at our practice drills and depend upon for feedback. Parents and guardians, staff and students can be reassured that children and staff are out of harm’s way when they enter our buildings each and every day. Safety is the foundation upon which our mission of excellence is built. Without it, our children cannot be free to fully engage in the learning process, nor are our teachers and staff able to do their jobs.
Of course, there is always room for improvement. In the wake of Parkland, we are again reviewing our protocols with our administrators, staff and students, as well as with the police department and other safety professionals. We will try to learn from that tragedy and implement any adjustments or measures that will further strengthen our security plan.
It is a good time to ask everyone to also look to improve their personal approach to safety. In order to maximize the effectiveness of our security measures and minimize human error, everyone must also do their part by respecting the rules, approaching our drills seriously, and also reporting any safety deficiencies — like open doors — to the building principal or my office. And, while our students and staff are very kind and considerate, opening doors for strangers entering our buildings greatly diminishes security and weakens our ability to enforce the requirement that all visitors report to the Main Office or sign-in area. Posting sensitive information on social media can also weaken our safety and potentially create danger.
The above measures constitute the broad strokes of a carefully created, deep-level plan for assuring the safety of our students and staff in the event of a school shooting, even as we know that events of this type are unlikely to occur and somewhat random. A list of more detailed ways the district seeks to provide a safe environment is also provided at the end of this letter.
I hope I have succeeded in allaying concerns about our district’s safety protocols and practices. It is also my hope that I need not address this issue ever again, while recognizing that a lot must happen before my hope becomes reality.
I look forward to further dialogue on this important topic and welcome suggestions on how we can optimize our partnership to make our schools as safe as possible while also continuing to be welcoming and supportive learning environments.
Thank you for your continued support of the Ridgewood Public Schools. Sincerely, Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Elements of the Ridgewood Public Schools Safety Plan While a tragedy like Parkland is unlikely to happen in Ridgewood, we must be prepared as best we can. The Ridgewood Public Schools safety plan includes: • A strong partnership with the Ridgewood Police Department, the Ridgewood Fire Department and Office of Emergency Management and other first responders up to the county level and beyond. The Ridgewood Board of Education, the Ridgewood Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office sign an annual Memorandum of Agreement that ensures partnerships, coordinates tactics and shares information. The Ridgewood Police Department partners with surrounding municipal police departments to practice “live fire” entrees in our schools several times a year, which have been proven effective during occasional false alarm incidents. • Twice monthly training (one fire drill and one safety drill) for all students, faculty and staff. The value of these drills cannot be overemphasized; as seen in the Parkland shooting, they are effective in maintaining calm order and minimizing harm. • Secure exterior entries: Locked exterior doors that are visibly numbered to aid swift emergency response; ID swipe card entry systems; exterior and interior police-accessible video surveillance cameras. • Secure classrooms that are locked at all times and equipped with Voice over IP phone systems enabling calls for assistance and/or 911; exterior-facing classrooms numbered to aid swift emergency response; room signage and markings to aid students and staff during drills and emergencies. • Share 911 software installed on staff cell phones for drills and emergency communication. • Safety professionals: Recently established position of Safety/Security Director and recent hire of a school safety officer. • Community partnerships: Formal reciprocal evacuation agreements with local houses of worship, schools and secondary sites; outreach to extend our lockdown software to local preschools; security guards posted at school voting sites on Election Day, in partnership with the Village of Ridgewood. Planned improvements include: • One-button lockdown solution with notification out at our fields and playgrounds, as well as signal strobe lights on exterior of buildings. • Visitor “kiosk” software/badge systems for our schools, which will require 100% visitor sign-in at our offices. • Re-establishment of the School Resource Officer positon with the Village.
