Ridgewood NJ, at the Monday night school board meeting , the Ridgewood Board of Educations was once again challenged by parents on the perceived lack of action on what some parents are calling a bullying epidemic at Ridgewood schools.
The school seemed unable or unwilling to confront the issue. The Board continues to claim they are following the anti bullying policy , but recent events would fail to confirm that . The school board maintains that bullying is not an issue at Ridgewood Schools, while recent events again suggest otherwise . Parents as well as students seem to lost confidence in the BOE on this issue .
Glen Rock NJ, Glen Rock Police ask DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN ARE? The Glen Rock Police was called to a home near Coleman School on a report of numerous juveniles in a vacant house. Upon our arrival a large number of juveniles fled the home. The house was in disarray and alcohol was present. If you don’t know where your children are please contact them and have them come home. This is the second such incident Glen Rock Police have reported since the end of September.
Jennifer Jolly, Special for USA TodayPublished 9:04 a.m. ET May 21, 2017 | Updated 17 hours ago
f your teen has a smartphone, chances are they spend several hours a day on text and social media. If you ever look at what they’re actually doing on there, you’ll likely see a lot of innocent “Snapstreaking,” some funny Buzzfeed videos and a bunch of letters and numbers that look like some kind of modern-day shorthand.
When I was around 5 years old, a neighbor friend of mine had a huge, Victorian dollhouse. She never seemed all that interested in it, but I thought it was beautiful. So much so, that in the years following, I would often look longingly at similar dollhouse kits at the local craft store.
Alas, the family budget was slim, so my parents never had the opportunity to provide the Victorian dollhouse of my dreams, although they would have loved to do so.
In retrospect, however, this deprivation was a positive thing, for my sister and I created our own. We pulled books from shelves to make rooms, created doll beds with cassette tapes, made miniature bedspreads from ragbag scraps, and formed appetizing, doll-sized meals from modeling clay. True fun, I discovered, came not in having my wants fulfilled, but in putting my imagination and creative skills to fill any deficit I had in “stuff.”
Reader offers some more practical tips on how to raise a kid that won’t quit:
1. Keep Score in sports 2. Make them get a job that makes real money (from someone other than the parents) ASAP 3. Clean up after themselves 4. Earn perks – do your chores or you don’t get TV, phone, lessons, sports, to attend that party, etc… NO or very, very rare exceptions 5. Don’t buy them everything – they’ll figure out how to get it if it is really important to them 6.They must take care of/look out for/defend/protect siblings 7. Teach them to cook – they should always be able to feed themselves 8. Don’t be their friend, be their parent
Persistence is a hot topic among education researchers these days and for good reason: It’s critical for success in school and beyond. Here are 8 tips for nurturing this quality in your child.
by: Hank Pellissier | January 25, 2017
Determined, diligent, tenacious, persistent — we use these adjectives to describe Olympians, spelling bee champions, entrepreneurs, and success stories of all kinds. Do they describe your child?
Angela Duckworth, a psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania, brought this stick-to-it quality to the attention of educators and the public with her 2013 book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance. Gritty people, Duckworth’s research shows, finish what they start, overcome obstacles, and achieve their goals.
Researchers continue to examine how so-called “soft,” noncognitive skills like grit affect academic success as it becomes increasingly clear that these qualities are even more predictive of achievement than intelligence or talent. While there’s still much to learn about teaching kids to buckle down and work hard, research suggests there are lots of ways parents can support the development of this mindset. Here are eight ways to nurture grit in your child over time.
Tuesday, December 6 with New York Times money columnist Mr. Ron Lieber, who will address parents and guardians on “How, When and Why to Talk to Your Kids about Money.”
December 5,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The district’s free Wellbeing Series for parents, guardians and the general adult public continues on Tuesday, December 6 with New York Times money columnist Mr. Ron Lieber, who will address parents and guardians on “How, When and Why to Talk to Your Kids about Money.”
Mr. Lieber’s program will cover the basics of allowance, chores, clothing, phones, cars and college, with a focus on values. His talk will be given at Benjamin Franklin Middle School Auditorium from 7-9 p.m.
Mr. Lieber has written extensively on the topic of money and personal finance. He is the author of several books, including bestsellers “The Opposite of Spoiled” and “Taking Time Off: Inspiring Stories of Students Who Enjoyed Successful Breaks from College and How You Can Plan Your Own,” co-authored with Colin Hall.
Closing out the first part of the series is a program on Special Education 101 on Tuesday, December 13 by Dr. Kim Buxenbaum, district Director of Special Programs. Dr. Buxenbaum will provide an overview of the process and procedures for educational intervention with struggling students and discuss referral for special education evaluations, classification and service delivery.
This program will take place at the Education Center, 49 Cottage Place, from 7-9 p.m. Parents and guardians of children currently receiving special education and those concerned about their child’s progress in school are especially encouraged attend.
Dr. Buxenbaum currently oversees the district’s pre-K through Grade 12 programming for Special Education students, English Language learners and students at risk, while also directing the district’s crisis counseling program. Dr. Buxenbaum earned her doctorate in School Psychology from Rutgers University, where she also worked as an adjunct professor. Over the years, Dr. Buxenbaum has served as a clinical psychologist both in institutions and private practice.
Programming in the second half of the school year will begin with a meaningful interactive program on suicide from the Minding Your Mind organization on Tuesday, January 10, 2017. “Just Talk About It: A Suicide Prevention Program will take place at George Washington Middle School Auditorium from 7-9 p.m. (snow date, January 11).
On Wednesday, February 1, author, New York Times columnist and teacher Ms. Jessica Lahey will present “The Gift of Failure” at George Washington Middle School Auditorium from 7-9 p.m. The program will focus on the importance of self-motivation to success and ways that parents can support their children to stay motivated over the long term. “Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder” will follow on Tuesday, March 14 with author,
“Life Beyond Your Eating Disorder” will follow on Tuesday, March 14 with author, advocate and Founder of the Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness Ms. Johanna Kandel. This program will take place at George Washington Middle School Auditorium from 7-9 p.m. On Tuesday, April 4, district Director of Special Programs Dr. Kim Buxenbaum will return to the program schedule with a presentation on “Least Restrictive Environment/Transitions.” She will explain terminology and describe the district special education program. This presentation and panel discussion will take place from 7-9 p.m. at the Education Center. Psychologist and author Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair will cover the topic, “Protecting Children and Family Relationships in the Digital Age” on Tuesday, April 18 at the George Washington Middle School Auditorium from 7-9 p.m. The final speaker in the Wellbeing series will be Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg,
Psychologist and author Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair will cover the topic, “Protecting Children and Family Relationships in the Digital Age” on Tuesday, April 18 at the George Washington Middle School Auditorium from 7-9 p.m. The final speaker in the Wellbeing series will be Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, pediatrician,
The final speaker in the Wellbeing series will be Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, pediatrician, professor and author. Dr. Ginsberg will speak to parents and guardians on Tuesday, May 23 at 9:30 a.m. on the topic, “Fostering Resilience,” and at 7 p.m. on “Authentic Success.” The morning program will take place at the Ridgewood Public Library Auditorium, located at 125 North Maple Avenue. The evening program will take place at George Washington Middle School Auditorium.
All programs are free and open to the adult public.
Ridgewood’s Benjamin Franklin Middle School is located at 335 N. Van Dien Avenue. George Washington Middle School is located at 155 Washington Place. The Education Center is located at 49 Cottage Place.
This year’s Wellbeing Series, developed for parents, guardians and the Ridgewood adult public by the district’s Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. The ten-presentation series is a component of the Ridgewood Public Schools Community Outreach Program, which strives to help parents and guardians create balance in children’s lives and support their emotional health.
The series is co-sponsored by The Valley Hospital, with support from The (Ridgewood Education) Foundation and the district’s Home and School Associations.
For more information, please contact the office of the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment at 201-670-2700, ext. 10532 or email [email protected]
Is it time for parents to return to a position of loving but firm authority figures?
Annie Holmquist | April 14, 2016
Several months ago, Dr. Leonard Sax made headlines when he proposed that the lack of discipline we see in America today is simply the surface symptom of a greater problem: the decline of parental authority.
Dr. Sax’s theories were recently underscored by psychologist Lisa Damour in a New York Times piece on the benefits of family dinner time. Although the benefits of family dinners are regularly touted, Ms. Damour wonders how they produce such positive effects when a family often sits down exhausted to a silent and non-interactive meal together. Her answer is thought-provoking:
It’s Not #CreepyClowns that Parents Should be Worried About
There’s been a lot of talk about creepy clown sightings these days. It’s true. Recently in both North and South Carolina, there have been reported sightings of, for lack of a better term, creepy clowns prowling around neighborhoods, scaring children. Some reports claim that these clowns could be a publicity stunt while others claim that these people have a much more sinister intent, which is supported by reports of some attempting to lure kids closer with money.
Well, we know that there are a lot of good, hard-working clowns right here in Jersey. Heck, you might even work with one or two (wink). Of course, it’s probably their part-time job, unless you all work for a circus. With that being said, we’re happy to report no suspicious or creepy clown activity here in Jersey
But these recent event gives us an opportunity to talk about safety tips that you can give your kids. After all, the kids are back in school, which means many are walking to and from home. You see, a scary-looking clown beckoning children closer may be all that is needed to have your child do the right thing, which is to walk in the other direction. It’s the unassuming person, man or woman, who your child should be wary of. Here are some tips:
*Talk to your kids
*Tell them who they can expect to come and get them in an emergency (family member or close friend)
*When walking to school, there is strength in numbers—walk in a group
*Never get into a stranger’s car
*Keep a safe distance from strangers asking for directions or help
*Tell your kids to yell, scream and kick if grabbed by a stranger
*Look around, stop looking for Pokemon—be aware of your surroundings
*If a stranger claims to be a cop but is not in uniform, kids should find a trusted adult
Let’s talk about that last tip for a minute. Are your kids familiar with the faces of the local police? Don’t just rely on the cops visiting schools. Drop by a station anytime to have your kids meet the troops or local police who patrol your area! It’s a great way get to know the troops and for the troops to get to know you and your kids!
For all of the coulrophobics out there, we apologize for the pic, but it was necessary. Sadly, at the end of the day, if all of the bad people out there stuck out as much as a person dressed as a clown, we wouldn’t have write posts like this.
Ridgewood NJ, The tuition cost was haunting. The dorm bill was daunting. The laptop your favorite college freshman just had to have cost more than your first car.
Now all she has left to do is hit the college bookstore with her list of required textbooks. Don’t be surprised if she comes out crying.
A recent study by the United States Government Accountability office showed that the average prices for textbooks have risen 82 percent in just 10 years.
Many expected that internet access would help bring costs down, but the college textbook industry appears to be keeping students from saving money by using such tactics as college specific books, book bundling and eTextbooks, all of which raise prices.
Luckily there is something you can do about it. You just need to do a little homework before classes start. “There are many ways you can save when buying textbooks that the college textbook industry doesn’t want you to know about,” says Chris Manns of the price comparison websites CheapestTextbooks.com andTextbookRentals.com. Both free services help students locate the cheapest prices for millions of books.
Here’s his list of the ways the college textbook industry gets you to pay more, and some tips for paying less:
• College Specific Books: Colleges have started asking students to buy college specific books. They take a commonly used textbook and have it printed with the college name and course number on the cover. This gives the book a new ISBN (International Standard Book Number) that is typically only available at the college it was made for. The workaround: Ask the professor if it’s OK to use the book’s common version. “The common version will be available online and, in almost all cases, be much cheaper and apart from the cover, it’ll be the exact same. When you rent or buy it online, you’ll be able to rent or buy it used from anybody,” Manns says. • Book Bundling: Students are sometimes required to buy a “book bundle” with extra class materials that add to the cost. “These bundles often include items the professors aren’t even using,” Manns says. The workaround: Email the professor or wait until the class starts and ask if the professor will be using the supplemental material. “If the answer is no, then buy just the textbook online,” Manns says. • New Editions: “This problem has been around a long time,” Manns says. Publishers release new versions of books every few years, even though little changes. Usually, buying an older edition gives you the information you need. Older editions often cost less than $25. • eTextbooks: eTextbooks are usually more expensive than buying a book used or renting it, and they typically expire after six months or a year. The workaround: Shop around. Most eTextbooks are available from multiple sellers. If you have the option, go old-school and buy the hard cover or paperback, which will typically be much cheaper. “That way you can keep it if you want, or you can sell it later,” he says. • Timing: Sometimes students don’t learn what textbooks they need until a couple of weeks before classes start, giving them little time to shop around.
The workaround: Don’t worry too much about getting your books before classes start. If you don’t mind a little inconvenience, then wait until you’re a couple of days into the school year before buying. “The professor might even tell you that you don’t need the book,” Manns says. If it’s required, you can shop online and still have the book within a couple of days.
About Chris Manns
Chris Manns is the managing director of the price-comparison websites CheapestTextbooks.com and TextbookRentals.com.He’s been in the business of helping students find the cheapest prices for their textbooks since 2001.
I think it is time for the parents to speak up. Clearly there are many of us that feel the teachers have been handed a pretty sweet deal over the years. Why should they be entitled to anything more than the rest of us deserve? Just because they look after our children? The fact that they are only required to actually teach them 23 hours a week blows my mind. We have tried to speak on social media, but when we do we are shot down. We try to speak anonymously but again we are attacked. The lack of signs that around town show how little support the teachers are getting. I think at the next BOE meeting we need to show ourselves in numbers. We need to speak and let our voices be heard. We need to show them that there are fewer supporters for the teachers than they they think. It is time for the bullying by the teachers and union end and we take a stand and support our children and the BOE. The fact is that the teachers are complaining that morale is low. Just by signing a contract is not going to change anything. You have lost the respect of many of the parents in this town and the example you are setting is not the one I want to have my children live by. I think that many of us would gladly welcome new blood. As teachers I thought you would support your peers. The attitude you have is there is none better than you. Remember you were young once too. Don’t take your job for granted!..
…We can’t speak because our children would likely by personally targeted by Yannone and the REA. It is despicable what the REA is doing. Last year teachers at the high school turned out the lights at 3:14 on kids coming for extra help during period 9. They also had their coats on 3:12 just to make sure they didn’t spend an “extra” minute in the building. Several overnight field trips including those associated with special honors programs and sold as part of the curriculum were cancelled in a capricious and arbitrary manner, and despite the strenuous efforts of the classroom teachers to hold the trips. Of course this year we won’t have to worry about that since we have been told that ALL clubs and field trips will be cancelled. I imagine this will start to more directly impact the younger kids this year. Hard to feel sympathetic for the teachers and their fight against the $5 copay bump. But having seen how they operated last year – there is no way I would speak publicly at a board meeting. The REA, in my opinion, would not hesitate to harass students that are children of complainers.
1. Do parents have the right to opt their children out of the PARCC tests?
New Jersey does not have an “opt out” provision, but, as New Jersey State Board of Education President Mark Biedron pointed out at the January 7, 2015 State Board of Education meeting, “nobody can force a child” to take a test.(1)
On September 9, 2015, NJ Commissioner of Education David Hespe sent a memo to school districts on how to accommodate students whose families or guardians refuse PARCC. He said “school districts should be prepared in the event that students choose not to participate in the assessment program and adopt policies and procedures for the appropriate supervision and engagement of these students during administration of the assessment. The specific policies adopted by school districts regarding students not participating in the assessment program are entirely within the school district’s discretion, in consideration of each district’s school environment and available staffing and resources and recognizing that a statewide rule could not take into account these local circumstances. However, in developing these policies, districts should be mindful of ensuring appropriate student supervision and creating alternative options for student activity during the test period, so long as the testing environment is not disrupted and, in this regard, a sit and stare policy should be avoided.”(2)
Districts and charter schools may not require that students who refuse the PARCC tests miss school on the days that their classmates are taking PARCC.
Last spring, more than 230 districts allowed students whose families refused the tests to read or take part in an alternative activity. Please email [email protected] to let us know how your district or charter schools is handling test refusals this spring.
back
Ridgewood NJ, The other day the Washington Post ran an article entitled “The baffling reason many millennials don’t eat cereal.”
I have never been a fan of cereal myself,actually I hate it, and I thought finally something good to say about Millennials ,so I clicked on it to see if they shared my distaste in the common breakfast ,some call it “food”.
The Washington Post article goes on to describe how this trend toward convenient and quick foods is a sign of a fast-paced, two-income family society in which very few people have time to prepare and eat a meal at home. However, the article also makes another interesting observation:“But there is something different about the backlash against cereal bowls, something more fundamental about it that seems to speak to a greater truth about American households today.
Wow you would never survive in my house . That is a generational shift in how families raise their kids. This disconnection from the consequences of everyday living appears to be turning even the most mundane of responsibilities, like doing the dishes, into unthinkable nuisances and raising a generation of self entitled helpless brats .
Let’s face it: modern parents love and want the best for their children. And in an attempt to achieve that best, parents have pushed aside chore requirements because their children fussed over them or simply didn’t have time to handle them with the busyness of school, sports, and extra-curricular activities.
But have parents missed the fact that training their children to be diligent, capable, and efficient through the medium of chores might be one of the best ways to help their child become a success in the adult world?
The simple things like chores teach children discipline, confidence, persistence, and many other life skills. Skills many new to the workforce seem to be severaly lacking. In an article in Business Insider about the mid-20s girl in California that mouthed off on Yelp and fired for it. This is another example of someone that lacked discipline to have good financial habits, lack of confidence that she could turn her situation around with hard work, had no persistence in that she wanted and expected more freebies. The typical Bernie Sanders voter I might ad .
Ridgewood NJ, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute will host a free concussion awareness seminar for coaches, parents, and recreation/athletic directors on Wednesday, February 24 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the The Valley Hospital Auditorium.
Signs and symptoms of a concussion can show up right after the injury, or may not appear or be noticed until days or weeks after the injury. Concussion severity varies widely, and the number of signs and symptoms vary as well – serious injuries sometimes show few symptoms.
The event will be hosted by a panel of certified athletic trainers on staff at Valley’s Sports Institute:
· Don Tomaszewski, MS, ATC, Director, The Valley Hospital Sports Institute
· Karen Karosy, M.Ed., ATC, Athletic Trainer at Indian Hills High School
· Sarah Edge, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer, Ramapo High School
· Rich Raiani, MS, ATC, Athletic Trainer, Mahwah High School
Guest speakers will include:
· Thomas Bottiglieri, D.O. ,Family and Sports Medicine
· Stephen Kanter, ATC, PT, DPT, Director, Athcare Consulting and Education Services
Some of the topics that will be covered include the communication and roles of people in caring for an athlete with concussion, what is known about concussions today and guidelines for returning to play following a concussion. Participants will learn all about the Concussion Management Program at The Valley Hospital Sports Institute and the ImPACT Concussion Management Test. There will be a Q&A session and information and resources available on concussion awareness and management. Attendees will receive a certificate of participation.
Space is limited. To register for the free seminar, please call 1-800-VALLEY-1 (1-800-825-5391).
The Valley Hospital Sports Institute is an ImPACT testing provider. The ImPACT Concussion Management Test is an innovative computerized evaluation system that assesses the effects and severity of a concussion and helps determine when it is safe for an athlete to return to contact sports following a concussion. For more information about ImPACT testing, please call the Sports Institute at 201-447-8133.
Startling comments which go against conventional parenting tips.
Annie Holmquist | February 2, 2016
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Whoa… Doctor Links ADHD Diagnoses to Poor Parenting
Startling comments which go against conventional parenting tips.
Annie Holmquist | February 2, 2016
Dr. Leonard Sax has been making waves lately with his latest book, The Collapse of Parenting. The book’s basic premise is that American parents have failed to realize that they are their child’s authority, not their friend.
In an interview with NPR over the weekend, Dr. Sax again made some startling comments that go against conventional wisdom in today’s parenting, particularly in the realm of hyperactivity and anxiety disorders such as ADHD.
Although Dr. Sax believes that there are legitimate cases of ADHD, he also believes there are a number of false diagnoses. These diagnoses stem from:
Lack of respect for parents and over-reliance on friends.
Overindulgent parents who fail to establish appropriate limitations.
