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.
skills learned on the field translate in fast delivery
December 13,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, It seems that Amazon has nothing on the efficiency that is the Ridgewood Poinsettia Sale.#TakeThatBezos
“Some of the secrets behind Amazon’s phenomenal success as an online retailer can be discovered inside a million-square-foot warehouse that sits amid bucolic scenery in the town of Robbinsville, New Jersey. The building is one of Amazon’s most advanced fulfillment centers, and it houses technologies that allow the company to deliver products to customers at amazing speed. Goods are identified, sorted, and packaged with computer-assisted precision, while employees work in tight collaboration with the plant’s automated systems in shifts that run around the clock.” https://www.technologyreview.com/photoessay/539511/inside-amazon/
It is all very similar to the Ridgewood High School Band drilling on the practice field.
It is has been well documented the Jeff Bezos’ Chairmen of Amazon has an obsessive focus on the customer.So when the Ridgewood High School Marching band thru down the challenge the #TakesThatBezos and you can bet Bezos took it seriously .
While the total numbers are still being complied the Ridgewood Marching band moved out the entire order of Poinsettias and Amaryllis in a matter of hours .
All and all it was a well orchestrated effort, with years or drilling on the practice field being put to good use.
Bezos remarked , “that perhaps Amazon can use the band practice idea to script its time new motion studies.” While sources at Ridgewood High School suggested that band practice was instrumental in the ability to compose , direct and coordinate a large group in a course of action.
Bezos again said “band practice for Amazon employees could create an on key composition for on time delivery”
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno today visited Ridgewood High School to launch a “Rock Your Socks” competition to benefit the Covenant House, an organization that provides food, shelter, and other services to homeless, runaway and trafficked youth between the ages of 18 and 21. Socks are often overlooked during donation drives, so Lt. Governor Guadagno asked three area high schools to engage in a friendly contest to raise awareness for the charity and get involved in their community.
“Part of being a good citizen means participating in your community or your country as a whole to make it a better place,” said Lt. Governor Guadagno. “Volunteer at a food bank, at a library, at a soup kitchen. You’d be amazed how good it feels to give back to the community and you have no idea just how much people appreciate the help.”
The “Rock Your Socks” initiative is part of the Christie Administration’s annual “Season of Service” program. The goal of “Rock Your Socks” is to collect as many pairs of new socks as possible for the Covenant House. Students are encouraged to use social media to take pictures of interesting or unique socks to spread awareness of the campaign and challenge others to join.
DECEMBER 11, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Teachers deserve praise; taxpayers deserve a break
To the Editor:
We will try this again as what one hears cannot be generalized due to individualization. Here is my rebuttal to Michael Yannone’s letter in last week’s Ridgewood News:
1. Ridgewood teachers are paid in the upper percentile/s in the U.S. The starter salary accelerates due to various degree/s, and additional credits, etc. Fine; they are appreciated for a job well done and deserved. My point is: this is an expensive benefit paid for by the taxpayer.
2. About 10 to 15 percent of private company employees receive a traditional pension as the teachers. Calculated individually (as all pension), it “significantly exceeds” the corporate-sector pension. Fine, it is earned so enjoy. My point is: this is an expensive benefit paid for by the taxpayer.
3. U.S. companies offer lower-cost healthcare provider plans than the state teacher’s plan/s. Their “premium” plan/s have always been more generous so private company employees married to NJ teachers use the NJ state plan as their primary provider for themselves and their families both before Medicare or with Medicare as their secondary provider. Fine; my point is: this is an expensive benefit paid for by the taxpayer.
4. NJ teachers receive two paid days in November for a teacher convention whether they attend or not. Fine; this is built into their compensation/time calendar. A minimal amount of teachers attend the state convention repeatedly and not the majority. My point is: this was not the intention when this was originated.
5. U.S. companies are diligently saving money by eliminating employee benefits by contracting out work, outsourcing, mergers and down-sizing. Employees in the private sector pay for their annual escalating healthcare costs as do retirees before and with Medicare. My point is: teachers are not getting slighted by having to pay higher healthcare costs; this is the new norm due to Obamacare, designer drugs, and an aging population. This is not a one-time deal.
6. Companies get rid of older workers when they become too expensive unlike education. Fine; thank you for your continued, dedication. It is appreciated due to number of years worked. My point is: this is an expensive benefit paid for by the taxpayer.
7. The NJ taxpayer cannot afford to pay teachers their annual percentage raises along with their escalating healthcare costs as a benefit as was done in the past. Teachers are significantly more highly compensated with their benefit package than non-state, non-unionized workers.
8. NJ is going bankrupt due to pension and other obligations. People are leaving this state and purchasing out-of-state properties and claiming those places as their primary residence so they can eliminate the “choking” taxes of NJ. They then move to those second homes to retire.
9. The New Jersey Education Association and some (not all) of its members have been very vociferous about their hatred for Gov. Christie. I am not his fan but I do feel he did what was a long overdue necessity. He did a “reality check.”
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 7,, 2015 Regular Public Meeting.
Click here to view the minutes of the November 16, 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
We were excited that our football team made it to the final round of competition at Met Life Stadium on December 5. It was great to see so many people from our community support our team, band, and cheerleaders for this final event. The high school even ran student fan buses for close to 90 students. Although the final score did not go our way, we are extremely proud of our coaches and players.
Unfortunately, despite previous warnings and pleas for assistance, Ridgewood High School was not portrayed in the best light in the stands or in the parking lot. Administrators and faculty members spent much of the game dealing with students that were under the influence and/or involved in disruptive behavior. In addition, the parking lot in the Ridgewood section was left in a very poor state with trash and broken bottles.
As we move forward, we hope this event will be a learning experience for all. The incidents referenced above are not unique to this one weekend and come on the heels of the most recent issues at RHS regarding students and postings on social media sites, i.e., Yik Yak, Finstagram, Instagram, etc. Many of these negative behaviors we have been experiencing are illegal, disruptive, and/or dangerous. These incidents give us a chance to pause, reflect, and engage in meaningful discussions about character and decision-making. We do not want to have these conversations after a tragic or permanently harmful event occurs.
Students, parents, and educators are continually being challenged to set limits in children’s lives that effectively support growth and healthy behavior. Although initially frustrated, children thrive and are grateful in the long run when parents and educators set parameters and limits. These concerns are not unique to Ridgewood but must be shared as a community.
At RHS, we will continue to have educational discussions with our students about the effects of drugs and alcohol; assist in the emotional, psychological, and physical development of our teenagers; and teach about character and decision-making through class lessons, athletics, and the arts.
In the weeks and months to come, we will be engaging in conversations with students and parents throughout the community. We encourage you to do the same. If you have any suggestions or feedback you wish to share, please reach out to any teacher, coach, or administrator as we work on determining the best course of action to help our youth reach their fullest potential.
