Commissioner Hespe Talks PARCC Testing to Senate Education Committee
Given the debate swirling around the new PARCC assessments — not to mention the muted roar over the testing itself — state Education Commissioner David Hespe should have plenty to say when he goes before the State Senate education committee this morning to answer questions from legislators.
The discussion is sure to get another jolt from the two pending bills that could significantly affect the testing going forward: one to put a moratorium on using the new tests for evaluating students, teachers, and schools and another setting a statewide policy for families who want their kids to sit out the tests. (Mooney/NJSpotlight)
WOW : Ridgewood BOE gives preliminary OK to $101M budget
MARCH 11, 2015, 6:47 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015, 6:48 PM
BY CHRIS HARRIS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
RIDGEWOOD — The Board of Education has preliminarily approved a $101 million budget for next school year that would raise taxes for the average village homeowner by nearly $200.
The proposed spending plan, which Ridgewood’s school board will submit to the county for review, includes a 2 percent local school tax levy increase.
Those who owned a home with the village’s average assessed value of $690,662 will pay $194.65 more in school taxes next year.
Readers say Tragic Window Jumper give cause for Concern ,but does over protection of kids do more harm than good ?
Is added safety just a distraction from real threats to our childern?Here’s an idea. Let’s have all kids just stay at home in their protective cocoons. The Village will provide private tutors for all of them. That way, they are completely safe. No more snow days. No threat of abduction by pedophiles. Yes, let’s continue to bubble-wrap our kids. I didn’t make the “gender” comment, but I think the writer was of the opinion that it’s another example of the femininization of society, where women have this instinct to protect us.
…..An upstairs window that can easily be flung open is a hazard. Children do not understand all the risks, they see super heroes flying on TV, they are melodramatic. It is the job of adults to protect them in reasonable ways. Making windows difficult to open wide makes complete sense, and it should be done at the schools. This horrible tragedy could have been prevented. This poor child’s impulsive fatal act would never have happened. Let us learn from this . I can guarantee that if this had been a Ridgewood incident, windows would be secured immediately.
When we over-react to incidents we create unexpected harms and we create tax burdens. In fact, were it an event we should react to, it would likely not even be a news story. Suicide, obesity, drug addiction, car accidents. These events really kill kids. Falls from windows?–Not so much. Spend those precious resources where they do the most good, not where the latest news story points.
RHS Boys Basketball: Freshman team a fine fit for longtime Ridgewood coach
MARCH 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
RIDGEWOOD — The natural progression for many coaches at the high school level is to start out at the freshman or JV ranks before landing a job leading a varsity squad.
Ridgewood High School freshman boys basketball coach John Fiocchi climbed that ladder years ago, but the descent back down the rungs of the high school game has been just as a rewarding.
“This has been the most fun I’ve had: coaching the freshmen,” Fiocchi said last Friday, shortly after receiving an award from the Bergen County Coaches Association recognizing his role in staging the Bergen County Freshman Tournament the past 20 years.
For tournament director Joe DelBuono, the honor — presented to Fiocchi at halftime of the championship game at RHS — was long overdue.
“He’s dedicated himself to the tournament for over 20 years,” DelBuono said. “It’s about time that someone recognized that he does this, and it’s a good thing for the younger coaches to see too — that you dedicate yourself and you get some appreciation for it.”
Fiocchi has served on the tournament selection committee for more than 20 years and has been instrumental in coordinating the use of Ridgewood facilities every year for the tournament semifinals and finals, leading many to refer to the tournament as “The Road to Ridgewood,” according to DelBuono.
While the coach of more than 40 years is seemingly on top of everything when it comes to the freshman tournament, the recognition took him by surprise.
RHS Wrestling : Ridgewood 182-pounder has high hopes heading to states
MARCH 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
There’s just one wrestler still standing for the Ridgewood High School team that defied expectations all season long.
Junior Kyle Inlander earned a third-place finish at last weekend’s Region 2 tournament to clinch a spot in this weekend’s state tournament, which starts later today at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
“I’m really excited to compete on the big stage, and I’ve put everything I have into this moment,” Inlander, a 182-pounder, said by phone Wednesday night.
“I couldn’t be more proud of Kyle,” RHS head coach Torre Watson said in a phone interview Tuesday. “He’s focused on trying to do the best he could for this team and make it out for the tournament. Him being the one to represent our team is just a tremendous feat.”
Ten Ridgewood wrestlers competed in the region tournament held at Bergen Community College. The Maroons had 11 qualifiers — junior Julian Bangash had to drop out due to injury — after a dominant performance in the District 6 tournament held the previous weekend, in which nine RHS wrestlers reached individuals finals and four captured titles.
RHS didn’t repeat that level of success at regions, but for good reason.
Dads’ Night performances set for this weekend in Ridgewood
March 5, 2015 Last updated: Thursday, March 5, 2015, 3:10 PM
By By Tiffany Katehakis
Staff Writer |
The Ridgewood News
There aren’t many opportunities to see grown men dress up in the costumes of their children’s favorite character.
But the fathers who are a part of Somerville-Hawes Dads’ Night set the bar pretty high when it comes to doing things for their kids.
The organization, now in its 71st year, has become a brotherhood of sorts, spanning multiple generations.
The event now has more dads participating than ever before.
This year Dads’ Night returns with two performances at the Benjamin Franklin Middle School auditorium at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 6 and 3 p.m. Saturday, March 7. The free show is general admission seating.
Perhaps it is the silliness of it all that these dads embrace that becomes the element that bonds them together.
The show is written, produced, and stars Ridgewood fathers with kids in the elementary schools.
MARCH 6, 2015 LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2015, 12:31 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
Students should expect to begin classes before Labor Day this coming fall as the 2015-2016 Ridgewood Public Schools calendar, approved on Feb. 23, features an early start, among other minor tweaks.
Although opinions were varied on the individual decisions the Board of Education had to consider, trustees were ultimately able to build a general consensus and approve the new calendar by a 4-1 vote.
Board President Sheila Brogan, Vice President B. Vincent Loncto and trustees Christina Krauss and James Morgan all voted in favor of the updated calendar.
The final calendar contains a convocation date of Aug. 31, which is a Monday, for teachers and staff, followed by a professional development day and students arriving on Sept. 2.
A three-day break will take place from Feb. 15 through Feb. 17 and the last day of school for students – Ridgewood High School (RHS) graduation – will fall on June 20, 2016. The calendar also includes two built-in snow days.
As New Jersey schools began administering new online state exams on Monday, a few affluent communities reported large numbers of students opting out.
In Livingston, the suburb where Gov. Chris Christie grew up, school officials said about 1,100 students declined to take the tests, more than a quarter required to take them.
In Princeton, more than half of the high-school students who are scheduled to take them in coming days said they wouldn’t.
These districts appeared to be among the biggest pockets of resistance to the tests aligned with the Common Core, a set of expectations adopted by most states that spell out what skills children should master in each grade. (Brody/Wall Street Journal)
RIDGEWOOD SCHOOLS : DELAYED OPENING MONDAY, MARCH 2
Due to winter conditions, the Ridgewood Public Schools will have a DELAYED OPENING on Monday, March 2. Under the delayed opening plan, the school day will begin two hours later than usual. School bus schedules will operate two hours later. The morning kindergarten will be canceled; the afternoon kindergarten will follow the regular hours (12:20-3 p.m.). Children in grades 1-5 who have not ordered lunches must bring a bag lunch to school. There will not be sufficient time for children to go home for lunch when there is a delayed opening.
FEBRUARY 23, 2015 LAST UPDATED: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2015, 9:59 AM
BY DARIUS AMOS
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS
When Bergen County Protect and Rescue fell into desperate times late last summer, the general public stepped up with an overwhelming response to assist the county’s only no-kill animal shelter. Though given a crutch, the Cliffside Park-based operation is still in constant need of community support, as it barely covers the monthly $10,000 operating costs to care for some four dozen cats and dogs until they’re ready for adoption.
Ridgewood has taken notice.
The Willard School community took a different approach while planning its annual theme day, which took place earlier this month to rave reviews and overwhelming positive feedback.
A school-wide program, theme days in the past were typically geared toward student enjoyment and learning. Previous theme days incorporated events such as spelling bees or “Amazing Race” style activities that promoted cultural diversity and education.
“They were fun, but we wanted to do something that put the emphasis on the children making a difference during the day rather than another fun event,” said Pam Chmiel, this year’s theme day coordinator. “Willard has a great track record in bringing conscious programs to the school … so we presented our theme as ‘philanthropy’ – giving time, talents and treasure and taking action for the common good.”
Chmiel, together with the Willard Home and School Association, Principal Caroline Hoffman and other parents, rebranded theme day as Willard Service Day 2015, which they hosted on Feb. 4. Student activities still focused on fun and learning, but they also centered on “giving back to those less fortunate or going through a difficult time.”
BFMS Student Wins New Jersey Youth Orchestra Competition
February 27,2015
Ridgewood NJ , BFMS flutist Sean Marron is the 2015 winner of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s Youth Orchestras Concerto Competition. As the winner, Sean will perform as a featured concerto soloist in the youth orchestra’s spring concert. Sean plays in Jason Curcio’s eighth grade band.
Photo: Jeffrey Lampiasi, Jr. and Jaesung Son pose with RHS Principal Tom Gorman and guidance counselor Peter Burkhard. The other finalists were not available for the photo
Ridgewood Schools National Merit Scholarship Finalists are Announced
Ridgewood NJ, The following five of the seven semi-finalists have been named finalists in the 2015 competition for the National Merit Scholarship awards: Jeffrey Lampiasi, Jr., Warren Li, Sumita Rajpurohit, Jaesung Son and Gabriel Voorhis-Allen.
National Merit Scholarship Qualifications
If you’re a high school junior or the parent of a high school junior, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with the National Merit Scholarship qualifications, as most juniors will take the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) in October of their junior year.
National Merit Scholarship Qualifications
In order to be eligible for the National Merit Scholarship Program, a student must: 1) take the PSAT/NMSQT during his or her 3rd year (junior year) of high school 2) be in high school and plan to enroll in college full time by the fall after his or her high school graduation and 3) be a U.S. citizen or a permanent U.S. resident with the intention of becoming a U.S. citizen. If a student meets these requirements, he or she will automatically be eligible to participate in the National Merit Scholarship Program (NMSP).
Of the about 1.5 million juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT each year, approximately 50,000 juniors with the highest PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index scores (or total PSAT scores) who meet the eligibility requirements described above qualify for NMSP recognition. That is, roughly the top 3% of 11th grade testers will qualify. Note that the Selection Index qualifying scores vary from year to year and state to state, as students are selected for NMSP recognition from each of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. During the April following the PSAT/NMSQT administration, these 50,000 students are invited to select two colleges to which the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) will provide a reference.
During the September following the PSAT/NMSQT administration, approximately 2/3 of those 50,000 students will receive Letters of Commendation recognizing their academic abilities and potential. Commended students are not eligible for National Merit scholarships. The remaining 1/3 of the 50,000 students qualify as National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. For the Class of 2015, in order to qualify as a Semifinalist, students had to have earned a PSAT/NMSQT Selection Index score of at least 201 to 222 (240 is the highest possible PSAT/NMSQT score), depending on the state in which the student lives. To view a list of the qualifying scores by state for the class of 2015, visit our National Merit Scores page.
Once a student qualifies as a Semifinalist, he or she must complete the National Merit Scholarship Application and submit it to the NMSC in order to move on to the next round of qualifications (Finalist) and to be considered for a National Merit Scholarship. Additionally, if he or she has not yet taken the SAT and had those scores reported to the NMSC, he or she must do so in October, November, or December of his or her senior year.
During the February of senior year, NMSC will notify those Semifinalists who have qualified as Finalists. Of the roughly 16,000 students who qualify as Semifinalists, about 15,000 of them will qualify as Finalists. Of those 15,000 Finalists, approximately 8,200 of them will be selected for Merit Scholarships, which can be a National Merit Scholarship, a Corporate-Sponsored Merit Scholarship, or a College-Sponsored Merit Scholarship. Scholarships are awarded based on skills, abilities, and accomplishments as exhibited through a student’s application materials.
Ridgewood students skirt danger as debris from N.Y.C. building falls on waiting bus
FEBRUARY 25, 2015, 10:32 PM LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2015, 10:35 PM
BY MARY DIDUCH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
Debris from a four-story Manhattan building fell on a yellow school bus whose driver was inside, waiting for Ridgewood elementary school students to return from a field trip.
The bus driver, Daniel Campbell, 45, who was not injured, told the New York Daily News that he thought he might die when the incident occurred suddenly Wednesday afternoon. Campbell was napping when a portion of the building at 642 W. 57th St., near 11th Avenue, partly collapsed onto the vehicle, he told the News.
The students from Somerville Elementary School were on a field trip to New York City, Ridgewood Superintendent Daniel Fishbein wrote in an email. No one was injured, but the bus was damaged, so another bus from the company picked up the students, staff and chaperones, he said.
“Luckily none of our students, staff, chaperones or the bus driver were hurt,” Fishbein said
