CHATHAM, NJ – Chatham Middle School parents questioned the emphasis being put on the teaching of the religion of Islam in a 7th grade social studies class on Monday night during the public portion of the Chatham Board of Education meeting.
Nancy Gayer, one of the parents to address the board, told a story about how her son had been prohibited from presenting a power-point to the class years earlier because the teacher objected to one panel shown for “three seconds,” which gave his own religious view.
Gayer said her son was not allowed to show his power-point to the class because it was “proselytizing.” She compared it to the “World Cultures and Geography Class” her son is taking at the middle school (see video below), which Gayer believes is outright “proselytizing” in violation of district policy No 2270.
Ridgewood NJ, So, you’re a smart, imaginative, persuasive millennial and – contrary to the bad rap your generation usually gets – you’re willing to work REALLY hard. You’re just waiting for all those boomers and Xers to get the heck out of the way so you can have your turn at the brass ring.
But why wait?
You and your well-educated and connected friends are in a great position to create your own success – by creating your own business. Survey after survey finds that millennials have a true entrepreneurial mindset; you like flexibility and independence, and you’re determined to pursue your passions. And, thanks to the accomplishments of others before you (the young founders of Airbnb and Uber, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg), you’re likely to get more support and less eye-rolling should you strike out on your own.
“With more resources available to start-up founders, and a new respect for what innovative thinkers can do, there’s no need to wait around for your corner office and executive title,” says Matt Stewart, an entrepreneur and co-founder of College Works Painting (www.collegeworks.com/about), an internship program that provides practical business experience for college students. “Why sit and dream about climbing the ladder at someone else’s business when you can create your own?”
The idea of building something from nothing is daunting but doable, says Stewart, who started his company with just four employees in 1993 and now operates nationwide. Here are some of his tips for getting started:
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Create opportunity by finding a business model that delivers solutions to an urgent need that customers have. Your customers should already understand your product or service and believe in its necessity, not just think that it would be “nice to have.” • Define what makes you unique. Once you’ve picked a service or product to focus on, find out what makes you different. Research competitors to determine their customers’ likes and dislikes. How can you pair your individual experience with a solution that addresses what’s missing in the marketplace? • Understand that competition is good. Try to avoid starting a business that doesn’t already exist. If there are similar products or services to yours, it means there’s a demand. Now it’s up to you to figure out how you can deliver something that’s different and better. • You don’t need to start the next Facebook. Don’t worry about entering the market with a huge company. Instead, focus on providing a great solution for a niche group of customers ¬and then over-deliver. You can’t service 1 million customers if you don’t know how to service 10. Focus on your first 10 customers. • Ready, shoot, aim. Don’t wait to get started. You won’t know if you’re onto something unless you start making sales. Your idea isn’t validated until you have paying customers. Don’t spend too much time planning; start engaging with potential customers as soon as you can.
If the fear of failing is holding you back, Stewart says, remember that there’s no better time to take a risk than when you’re first starting out.
“Meanwhile, you’re gaining work experience, learning to be a leader, and doing it on your own terms,” he says.
About Matt Stewart
Matt Stewart is co-founder of College Works Painting (www.collegeworks.com/about), which provides business experience for thousands of college students each year. The award-winning program also offers high-quality house-painting services for homeowners.
Michael W. Curley, Jr. , Staff Writer, @MCurleyGannettPublished 11:35 p.m. ET Feb. 16, 2017 | Updated 1 hour ago
ENGLEWOOD — The Dwight Morrow High School principal and nine other high-level district employees were suspended with pay Thursday night after a review by an independent consultant turned up more than 3,000 graduation credit and grade changes in the previous year.
Superintendent Robert Kravitz read a letter from the Department of Education at Thursday’s meeting saying the Office of Fiscal Accountability and Compliance will conduct a review of the district’s high school transcript records with respect to allocation of credit hours. Later in the meeting, he said the 3,000 credit and grade changes were considered “extremely high” by the state.
Ridgewood NJ, tomorrow is the last day left to order for the RHS Band Program Citrus Sale. Sale runs through 2/16. Citrus will be delivered straight to your door on 3/4 by one of the awesome band members.
You can still choose from navel oranges, red grapefruits, a medley of apples, pears and navel oranges, or a sampler of navel oranges and red grapefruits.
To order or make a donation, please contact a band member, send in your mail order forms, or go online.
In February, citrus and mixed fruit packages are offered for sale. The sale begins with the students participating in a door-to-door campaign. On the designated blitz day, each four-student team with one parent driver is assigned a specific area of Ridgewood. The team canvases all of the houses in their assigned area and takes orders for the fruit, leaving mail order forms on the doorknob if nobody answers. The sale continues with the processing of mail orders and online orders over the following week. On the designated delivery day, students gather to distribute the fruit to homes where they were purchased.
Ridgewood NJ, we read daily that drugs and alcohol have become a pervasive problem in New Jersey’s cities and suburban areas.
In a recently released New Jersey Department of Education list of substance abuse cases reported by each school district every year, the Ridgewood School district came in 137th in 2015-16 with an increase of 6 cases over last period 2014-15.
The state Department of Education cautioned that while districts are required by law to report them these numbers are reported by each district, so each district is responsible for reporting its results fairly and accurately.
Ridgewood NJ, BFMS Orchestra Director Ms. Carol Sharar reports that six BF string players have won placement into the prestigious Region I Intermediate Orchestra for 2017. They are: Catherine Park (8th grade Violin) ; William Stewart (8th grade Bass); Ashley Kim (7th grade Violin); Isabella Harelick (7th grade Violin); Ludia Kim (7th grade Viola) and Karis Han (7th grade Viola).
By Adam Clark and Erin Petenko | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 13, 2017 at 5:26 PM, updated February 13, 2017 at 11:18 PM
TRENTON — New Jersey schools reported fewer bullying incidents for the fourth straight year in 2015-16, but violence in schools climbed to a five-year high, according to new state data.
The state Department of Education on Monday released its annual look at incidents in schools involving bullying, violence, vandalism, weapons and substances, which includes drugs and alcohol, a comprehensive report based on data submitted by school districts.
Confirmed incidents of harassment, intimidation and bullying dropped to 5,995 in 2015-16, down from 6,214 in 2014-15, continuing a decline that’s happened every year since New Jersey implemented a strict new anti-bullying law in 2011.
New Jersey lawmakers took a first step toward blocking the state Department of Education from requiring high-school students to pass the PARCC test in order to earn a diploma.
The Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers is currently among an array of graduation requirements, but qualifying scores on alternative exams such as the SAT or ACT are being phased out. Starting with the Class of 2021 — currently in the eighth grade — students will have to pass the PARCC’s Algebra 1 and 10th-grade English tests.
Only about half of students are doing that so far in the PARCC’s first two years of use.
“I do not believe it was ever the intent of this Legislature to make PARCC a graduation requirement,” said Assemblywoman Mila Jasey, D-Essex.
“Most states have stopped using it altogether. The decision of state Board of Ed to make PARCC a graduation requirement was, in my view, designed to thwart the opt-out movement,” Jasey said.
Read More: Putting PARCC in reverse, NJ lawmakers look to block graduation requirement | https://nj1015.com/putting-parcc-in-reverse-nj-lawmakers-look-to-block-graduation-requirement/?trackback=tsmclip
Ridgewood NJ, The Ridgewood Ski Team competed in the Ridgewood Alpine Ski Team against Ridge, Morristown-Beard, Highpoint, West Milford, Jefferson, Newton and DePaul. The girls’ team finished in first place: Individual results (top 10): Meg Devir (1st), Kaitlin Devir (2nd), Jane McKinley (4th), Vanessa D’Angelo (8th) and Sarah Pilson (9th). Girls are now 17-3 and have qualified for States. Boys’ team finished in 2nd place: Individual results (top 10): Sloan Ruhl (2nd) and PJ McKenna (5th). Congratulations to all the skiers.
Ridgewood NJ, the RHS Jamboree 2017 has wrapped up and in a statement released the 2017 Jamboree producers;
“A Big THANK YOU to everyone who supported the 2017 RHS Jamboree “World Tour”. Through Ads, donations, tickets and sales a whopping $141,500.00 was raised for the Jamboree Scholarship Fund for scholarships for the Class of 2017. This is an incredible achievement and one that could not have been accomplished without YOUR continued support.”
Mayor Susan Knudsen came up on stage to read the Proclamation!!!
THANK YOU !!!
Finally we wish to thank our amazing 2017 RHS Jamboree producers, Linda Aktar, Gail McCarthy, Vivienne & Mike Muldoon who’s continued believe in us took Jamboree to new heights, thank you guys !!! But as per tradition the Jamboree baton must be passed on and it’s our pleasure to welcome and congratulate our 2018 RHS Jamboree Producers Meghan Bracken, Tony Cambria, Carrie Johnson & James Sharo.
The truth will out. Teachers’ unions are 100 percent motivated to advance the interests of their tenutred members. When push comes to shove, the unions ALWAYS reveal their contempt for public school students. New laws are needed to stop this nonsense in its tracks. Teachers’ unions, bulletproof tenure, and foolish “last in first out” teacher hiring/firing rules HAVE TO GO. Take what the municipality chooses to give you or quit.
Hackensack NJ, Ridgewood teachers joined the “Bergen County Unity March and Rally” on Sunday, February 12th, at the Bergen County Courthouse in Hackensack . It was promoted by the NJEA , REA and its bought and paid for Democrat allies and claimed,”as we come together to celebrate and reaffirm our American values of freedom, diversity, and inclusively, and to push back against hateful, divisive rhetoric. With one voice, we will send a clear message to those around the country who seek to drive us apart: We will not be divided, and we will not be silenced.”
Very high-minded words but in reality, the rally was another attempt by teachers unions to suppress school choice and charter schools. There is nothing high-minded about repressing a child’s education and forcing kids into failed schools.
The rally commenced in the snow at 2:00 PM at the municipal parking lot near Foschini Park before marching to the Courthouse where we will hold our rally.
Anti-Choice Sponsor Organizations were:
Communication Workers of America
Bergen County Education Association
Bergen County NAACP
Bergen County LGBTQ Advisory Committee
Mount Olive Baptist Church, Hackensack
Central Unitarian Church, Paramus
The Latino Coalition
Women for Progress
WEDO of Bergen County
Democratic Women of Bergen County
Bergen County Brady Campaign Chapter
Women Lawyers of Bergen County
Garden State Equality
Smile for Charity
Northern NJ Chapter, NOW
Latino American Democratic Association
Council of the Unitarian Society, Ridgewood
Korean American Civic Empowerment (KACE)
Indivisible NJ 5th
Darulislah Mosque, Teaneck
Young Democrats of Bergen County.
By Fausto Giovanny Pinto | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on February 11, 2017 at 1:22 PM, updated February 11, 2017 at 1:23 PM
LITTLE FERRY — An outbreak of the flu among students throughout the district prompted the closure of schools Friday, officials said.
“Due to the amount of flu and flu like symptoms that have gripped the district in the last two weeks, I am closing school on Friday, February 10, 2017,” Superintendent Frank R. Scarafile told parents.
Custodial staff spent Friday disinfecting both Memorial Middle School and Washington/Memorial Elementary School to “eradicate the facility of any lingering germs,” Scarafile said. As a result, all afterschool and weekend activities were also canceled.
Maybe it’s time to stop drugging our children. A new study from the Medical Journal of Australia has found that the youngest kids in any given class are twice as likely to be receiving medication for behavioral disorders as the older kids in the class. And the proportion of boys receiving such medication was three times as high as it was for girls.
The Australian researchers looked at data for more than 300,000 students, of whom almost 6,000 received at least one government-subsidized ADHD prescription in 2013. (The actual rate of use might have been higher given that some people presumably bought the medication without government assistance). As the study found:
“The proportion of boys receiving medication (2.9%) was much higher than that of girls (0.8%). Among children aged 6–10 years, those born in June (the last month of the recommended school-year intake) were about twice as likely (boys 1.93 times, girls 2.11 times) to have received ADHD medication as those born in the first intake month (the previous July). “
Ridgewood NJ, Join us on Monday, February 13th for REALITY CHECK: THE NEW SOCIAL NORMS AT RIDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL Presented by Dr. Tim Silvestri Dr. Tim Silvestri, Professor of Social Science at Lafayette University, will address the results of last year’s social norms survey at RHS and the topic of teenage stress with the goal of helping high school and middle school parents better understand the reality of their students’ experiences while giving them tools on how to approach discussion of these topics at home.
