Ridgewood NJ, The RHS Robotics’ team competed in the FIRST Technology Challenge at Englewood as part of the FIRST Robotics league. The RHS team came in first place in their competition in conjunction with their alliance team. Aside from building a robot meant to complete a set of tasks in the fastest time, the RHS team was also honored for their professionalism and sense of community by receiving the Connect Award. The group had to submit an engineering notebook along with goals for sustaining the program and recruiting new students to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. They also had to engage with the engineering community at large.
Survey to Gather Opinions on Full-Day K
Ridgewood NJ , The Full-day Kindergarten Exploratory Committee will seek residents’ input via an online community survey, opening January 4. All residents are invited and encouraged to participate. Click here for more information and to view the postcard that will be mailed to all residents.
The Full-day Kindergarten Exploratory Committee now has a folder on the Curriculum web page. Click here to go directly to the folder, which contains reports done by demographer Ross Haber.
The teachers union (NEA) recognizes that full-day kindergarten programs close achievement gaps between young children from minority and low-income families and their peers. By providing a solid foundation of learning to children from all backgrounds, full-day kindergarten programs ensure all students’ academic, social, and emotional success.( https://www.nea.org/home/11541.htm )
Be wary of mandating full-day kindergarten
A petition circulating throughout many school districts asks residents to support the extension of the kindergarten program from a half-day program to a full-day one. While no one disputes the advantages and positive impact of early childhood education, those supporting this endeavor are trying to pull the wool over the taxpayers’ eyes by minimizing the cost of their new program.
Efforts to make full-day kindergarten a state mandate by state law stalled because Gov. Christie understands that whatever the state mandates, the state must then pay for. Recently, he vetoed a bill that would create a task force to study issues related to the establishment of full-day kindergarten.
In his veto message, Gov. Christie stated, “Further, while the Department of Education is ready, willing, and able to assist districts in implementing a full-day program, the decision of whether to offer a full-day program should reside with local boards of education and their constituents.”
Since the decision on the extension of full-day kindergarten was not “solved” in one fell swoop, each district remains free to decide for itself what it would like to do. In this respect, a district-wide vote on a referendum of this nature represents the purest form of democracy.
Neuroscientist: U.S. High Schools Are Too Boring for Students
Lillie M. Thomas | December 29, 2015
Temple University neuroscientist Laurence Steinberg’s research has shown him that adolescent brains are primed for learning.
The problem is, he claims, that most U.S. high schools are not challenging students enough during their adolescent years.
As WQED in Pittsburgh reports, Steinberg has spent his career studying the adolescent brain’s development, and has discovered that it has an “incredible plasticity” and “is exquisitely sensitive to experience.” We tend to think of small children’s brains as sponges for information, but Steinberg basically says the same thing is true of adolescents.
However, Steinberg feels that “American high schools are by and large not taking advantage of this opportunity”:
“Our high school students are among the worst in the developed world… It’s because our high schools are so boring… When we are not challenging our kids in high school, not only are we hindering their academic development, but we also aren’t taking advantage of the plastic prefrontal cortex.”
The article also points out that, unfortunately, American high schools tend to confuse “challenging work” with “amount of work”:
DECEMBER 24, 2015 LAST UPDATED: THURSDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY HANNAN ADELY
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
The U.S. Department of Education, which has warned that it could cut, withhold or redirect federal funds where large numbers of students refuse to take standardized tests, has outlined steps to do just that in a letter sent to states this week.
Under federal law, states are required to test at least 95 percent of students, yet thousands of families refused to let their children participate in testing last spring in multiple states, including New Jersey, amid complaints that the tests were confusing, difficult and a drain on time and resources.
States that didn’t meet the mark both last year and this year could face one or more of three possible sanctions, according to the letter from Ann Whalen, acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education.
The federal government could withhold administrative funds for a Title I program, used mainly to help low-income schools; could put a specific Title I grant on “high-risk status”; or could withhold or redirect funds from the testing portion of a program called Title VI.
In New Jersey, education officials have long warned about potential federal cuts if too many students refuse to take state tests. David Saenz, a spokesman for the state Department of Education, said the most recent federal communication about testing did not state anything new.
“This letter further reiterates what they have said all along and now that they have data, there are actions they plan on taking,” he said.
Some educators and test opponents, however, have dismissed the warnings as empty threats.
The letter “is intended to coerce states into bullying parents and students into compliance,” said Julia Sass Rubin, a volunteer with Save Our Schools NJ.
The education department, she noted, did not take action when New York had opt-out rates of up to 20 percent last spring. She also said that the administrative funds are a “tiny percentage” of total federal funds.
Ridgewood NJ, Students from the RHS Bands will be selling fruit door-to-door for their annual Blitz Day, in which the goal is to reach every Ridgewood home. Through their purchases, buyers will receive luscious fruit and support the band program! Blitz Day is January 10, but orders can still be placed until January 29. Sellers offer orders for California navel oranges, red grapefruit, and a citrus sample (a combination of both). A mixed box of apples and pears is also offered. If residents are not at home on Blitz Day, they have the option to fill out order forms left at their door. Post-blitz orders go to Eileen Karanikolas (33 Lenox Ave. Ridgewood, NJ 07450). Inquiries can be made to [email protected].
If inclement weather prevents the students from visiting your home, please take the time to go to our website,rhsbands.org. Choose the Fundraising option from the top menu and the Citrus sale option on the following page. You can download the Citrus Mail Order Form and mail it to the address. All fruit will be delivered on February 27.
The band program is made up of several bands, including Marching Band, Jazz Ensembles, small ensembles, and curricular bands. Thank you for your support.
DECEMBER 18, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY GREG TARTAGLIA
SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
The Bergen County Coaches Association (BCCA) and Bergen County Women Coaches Association (BCWCA) held their fall sports awards banquets at the Fiesta in Wood-Ridge earlier this week.
Numerous Ridgewood High School athletes and coaches were honored for being named to an All-County first team or with other special awards.
Here is a look at the Maroons who were recognized:
Tuesday: BCWCA dinner
Ridgewood was named as the Large Schools Team of the Year for girls cross-country after winning the Bergen County Group B and Bergen Meet of Champions (BMOC) titles, both at Darlington Park. The Maroons honored for being on the All-Bergen first team were junior Olympia Martin and senior Sam Halvorsen, who finished 2-3 at the BMOC and 1-2 at the North 1, Group 4 sectional.
In addition, the State Group 4 race winner Martin was tabbed as one of 10 finalists for The Record Fall Athlete of the Season award, which went to Northern Valley/Old Tappan volleyball player Natalie Alechko.
Three Ridgewood girls were recognized for being chosen to the All-County gymnastics first team: junior Mika Tamura and freshmen Katherine Muccio and Victoria Purritano, all of whom scored over 36 all-around this season.
DECEMBER 19, 2015 LAST UPDATED: SATURDAY, DECEMBER 19, 2015, 1:21 AM
BY KIMBERLY REDMOND
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORDAfter nearly a year’s worth of planning, Sarah Bradley, a Ridgewood High School student and competitive dancer and cheerleader, is set to host a cheer clinic for special-needs children, a program she believes will help boost confidence in kids who may not always have the best self-esteem.
“I’m hoping it will become a fun place for them to be themselves,” said Bradley, 16, who is a cheerleader with a private club, not the high school squad. “I’m also hoping it will teach them to hold their heads high and believe in themselves, no matter what they do or where they go.”
The clinic, scheduled for four Wednesdays in January at Ridgewood High School, is part of Bradley’s efforts to achieve her Girl Scout Gold Award. To earn the award, Girl Scouts must develop and carry out an 80-hour community service project.
When it came time to think about her Gold Award, the high school junior said she wanted to merge her love of performance with helping Sharing the Arts, a non-profit organization where she taught dance as a volunteer several years ago.
The Ridgewood-based group uses performing arts programs as a way to enrich the lives of children with mild to moderate developmental delays, such as Asperger’s syndrome and genetic anomalies. It was founded in 2005 by local mothers, Karen Sheehy and Liz Grossman.
“We both have daughters with chromosome abnormalities and both girls wanted to learn ballet, but we couldn’t find an appropriate program for them so we started one,” Sheehy said.
Ridgewood NJ , Two Ridgewood High School Coaches make Coach of the Year in Bergen Record Poll.
Karen Mendez is Coach of the Year
Karen Mendez was named High School Girls Gymnastics Coach of the Year by The Record. This is the second straight season Mendez is The Record Gymnastics Coach of the Year. In eight seasons leading her alma mater, Mendez is 65-14.
Medha Kirtane is Coach of the Year
Medha Kirtane was named The Record’s High School Girls Tennis Coach of the Year. The Maroons have won three consecutive state sectional championships, including this year’s North 1, Group 4 crown. Medha starred for Coach Debbie Paul before graduating RHS in 1996.
BOE Meets on December 21 at 7:30 p.m.
The Ridgewood Board of Education will hold a Regular Public Meeting on Monday, December 21, 2015, at 7:30 p.m.
The public is invited to attend the meeting at the Ed Center, 49 Cottage Place, Floor 3. The meeting may also be viewed on FiOS channel 33, Optimum channel 77 or from computers via the “Live BOE Meeting” tab on the district website.
Click here to view the agenda for the December 21, 2015 Regular Public Meeting.
11.23.15: Board of Education Writes Letter to the Editor
Click here to read a Letter to the Editor of the Ridgewood News, which was published on November 20, 2015.
(Reuters Health) – Rule-breaking may be just as irresistible to teenagers today as it was in their parents’ day, but a new study of secret social media hashtags like #selfharmmm suggests that new technology is helping kids share dangerous behaviors more easily than ever before.
When it comes to what’s known as non-suicidal self-injury – cutting, burning and scratching done with damage rather than death in mind – teens can be quite crafty at deploying hashtags that mask their activities, evade content safeguards and advisory warnings, and make it much harder for parents to monitor their virtual lives.
“The online communities that develop around these hashtags can draw in adolescents and provide them a strong sense of belonging and support that is centered on these unhealthy behaviors,” said lead study author Dr. Megan Moreno, a specialist in adolescent medicine at the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
“This can make recovery from these behaviors more challenging,” Moreno added by email.
Moreno and colleagues used the search term #selfharmmm to identify public posts on the social media platform Instagram, a photo-sharing service popular with teens, that related to destructive habits like cutting and burning.
Then, they used the search results to identify a list of ambiguous hashtags such as #blithe, #MySecretFamily and #SecretSociety123 that were tied to the same dangerous behaviors.
Other hashtags related to mental health conditions through use of common names, such as #Deb for depression, #Annie for anxiety, and #Olive for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The number of search results for self-harm hashtags was high and grew over time.
The broad term #cat, which refers to cutting, had more than 44 million search results in 2014 and more than 56 million in 2015, the study team reports in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
Over that same period, use of #selfharmmm also grew, generating 1.7 million search results in 2014 and more than 2.4 million in 2015. In its various permutations, #SecretSociety123 grew by approximately 500,000 search results.
Ridgewood NJ, Jason Curcio, Benjamin Franklin Middle School’s Director of Bands and the Jazz Machine, reports that many BF students were selected to this year’s Bergen County Honor Band. They competed against many other seventh and eighth grade students in other Bergen County school districts. These students are part of Band 7 and Band 8 at BF: Tony An – Clarinet (8); Eunice Cha – Clarinet (7); Jiwon Park – Flute (7); Chloe Nam – Flute (7); Janice Yoon – French Horn (7); Teddy Moll – French Horn (8); Andrew Kim – Tenor Sax (8); Stefanie Haas – Trombone (8); Emma Matthews – Trumpet (8); and Andrew Song – Mallets (8).
Ridgewood NJ , Nine RHS student musicians were selected to participate in the 2016 All Bergen County High School Band that will perform on January 17 at Paramus High School. Selected RHS students with media permission granted are Stephanie Pizza, Kari Wong, Halina Maas, Helen Cho, Joshua Yang, Jonathan Negron, Teddy Trent and Darius Karoon.
Ridgewood NJ, Choral teacher Steven Bourque reports that Ridgewood High School senior Morgan Mastrangelo was recently the highest scored singer for the NJ All-State Opera Festival auditions. Morgan was awarded the C. Scripps Beebee Scholarship and the NJ Governor’s Award. Other Ridgewood High School students participating in the NJ All-State Opera Festival at Paramus High School were senior Sophia Gao (selected soloist), senior Kenny Crane-Moscowitz (selected soloist), junior Spencer Gonzalez, and sophomore Cindy Lee.
Morgan Mastrangelo was also ranked the highest tenor in the state in the NJ All-State Choir. The four other RHS students selected to participate in the NJ All-State Mixed Chorus. are senior Caitlin Crane-Moscowitz, senior Kenny Crane-Moscowitz, junior Aria Berryman and sophomore Isaac Peabody. Junior Katie Van Buskirk was selected for the NJ All-State Treble Chorus and will sing with the ensemble in February.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The nation’s second-largest school district shut down all of its campuses Tuesday after an emailed threat targeted students at many Los Angeles-area schools.
The shooting in nearby San Bernardino that left 14 people dead this month influenced the decision to close all the schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District, which 640,000 students attend, Superintendent Ramon Cortines said.
New York City officials say they received the same threat, but quickly concluded that it was a hoax. New York Police Commissioner William Bratton said he thought Los Angeles officials overreacted.
Bratton said the person who wrote the note claimed to be a jihadist, but made errors that made it clear the person was a prankster.
A law enforcement official says the threat was emailed to a school board member late Monday and appeared to come from overseas. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the investigation.
Ridgewood NJ, Find out first-hand why Super Science Saturday, the biggest science and technology exhibition in Northern New Jersey, has won a prestigious award from the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame.
Science professionals, parents, teachers and students are all welcome to play a role in making this award-winning event an even bigger success in 2016. Super Science Saturday welcomes new members for the all-volunteer Executive Committee that is planning the next exhibition, scheduled for February 27 at Ridgewood High School.
There also are a variety of other volunteer opportunities for those who are passionate about science and technology and want to be involved in a high-impact program like Super Science Saturday– from helping spread the word about this award-winning exhibition, coordinating with new adult and student presenters or just assisting on the day
The 28th annual Super Science Saturday is a particularly special event, as the New Jersey Inventors Hall of Fame (NJIOF) recently recognized Super Science Saturday for its
“Advancement of Invention & Process.” This award recognized Super Science Saturday for creating and sustaining this annual half-day exhibition, which showcases the marvels of science and technology for attendees of all ages.
NJIHOF honors inventors whose lifetime work has contributed significantly to the prosperity of New Jersey. Inaugural award winners include Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison. Over the years, NJIOF has recognized Nobel Laureates and prominent researchers in many fields, including those who have pioneered life-saving drugs, and contributed to advanced communications technology, astrophysics and NASA missions.
Super Science Saturday’s Executive Committee is proud to be recognized along with such distinguished award-winners.
