Tag: Ridgewood High School

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Event Parking at RHS continues to Cause Concern

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file photo by Boyd Loving

Adding to parking woes at RHS

JANUARY 29, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 29, 2016, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Adding to parking woes at RHS

to the editor:

Adding further to the letter from Adriana Blauvelt regarding the limited parking at RHS (“Trouble finding parking at RHS,” Jan. 22, page A6) ,we also “attended” the 8th grade parent orientation. We had the same problem that Adriana had finding a space, and we succumbed to parking illegally near the football field after circling for at least 20 minutes and missing part of the presentation. (Brookfield was also totally full of cars.)

To our surprise, though, the orientation was not particularly well attended. The source of the parking issue was the overlapping events of a basketball game, a New Player’s production and adult education in addition to the parent orientation.

On the one hand, we can feel gratified that our high school is being so well utilized as a resource for both the students and the community. On the other hand, there must be a way to better schedule the events so as not to create the “perfect storm.”

The school principal said there are so many activities ongoing that it is impossible to find a night that is available. If that is truly the case, we as a community need to be addressing not only the parking issues for the downtown shopping area, but also the needs of our schools.

Melanie Stern

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/ridgewood-news-letter-adding-to-parking-woes-at-rhs-1.1501706

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Ridgewood High School English Students Excel in New York Times Learning Network’s Review Contest

RHS

January 31,2016

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, This past fall, RHS juniors Catherine Keating and Emily Holmquist received honorable mentions in the New York Times Learning Network’s Review Contest.

All students of Lynn Moore and Colleen Contreras’ English 11 class participated in the contest, which asked them to write about experiencing works of culture new to their daily life. Out of over 1600 entries, there were only nine winners, nine runners-up, and 23 honorable mentions.

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Ridgewood High School Wrestling star reaches 100 wins

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JANUARY 22, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016, 12:31 AM
BY MATTHEW BIRCHENOUGH
ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

RIDGEWOOD — Several years of hard work manifested itself in just 6 minutes and 10 seconds on the wrestling mat last Saturday for Ridgewood High School star Kyle Inlander.

On the cusp of securing his 100th career victory, the senior 182-pounder needed to win all three of his matches in the Maroons’ quad against Wayne Hills, Toms River North and Toms River South. Inlander didn’t waste much time, recording pins in all three of his matches, the last coming against Toms River South in 1:48 to reach the milestone victory.

“I sacrifice a lot of my time to get where I am today,” he said. “I’m just happy it worked out and I just want to keep the ball rolling.”

Inlander, who improved to 17-1 this season, became the fifth Ridgewood wrestler to reach the century mark, joining Nick Saglimbeni (Class of 2015), Joe Oliva (2014), Brandon Giovanetti (2012) and Mark Romeo (2002).

“I never thought I’d make it as far as I did coming into high school, but as time passes, you kind of see how far you go,” Inlander said.

Ridgewood head coach Torre Watson, on the other hand, knew a special wrestler had joined the program back in the 2012-13 season.

“One of Kyle’s goals as a freshman was getting into the varsity lineup,” Watson recalled. “That was the reason that Kyle came in at 170 pounds and wrestled at 182 and didn’t think twice about it.

https://www.northjersey.com/sports/high-school-sports/wrestling/senior-pins-down-100th-career-win-1.1497125

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Trouble finding parking at Ridgewood HIgh School

RHS Student parking ban theridgewoodblog.net

file photo by Boyd Loving

JANUARY 22, 2016    LAST UPDATED: FRIDAY, JANUARY 22, 2016, 12:31 AM
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Trouble finding parking at RHS

to the editor:

On Jan. 14, I received a reminder from a fellow parent regarding a pre-high school orientation at RHS at 7.30 p.m. My son attends GW Middle School (eighth grade). After receiving this reminder, and realizing it was 6.45 p.m., I quickly put a jacket on even though I was still in my gym clothes and with a sore throat. I had to make it.

Once I arrived, I made a left turn into the second parking lot (where the RHS marching band truck is parked). It was no later than 7.15 p.m. when I started circling this first lot, then I was excited to see that a car close to the door was going to pull out; actually it was just a parent who probably rushed and left her lights on. I continued circling, then exited this parking lot and turned into the one-way parking lot which was completely full and where parents were parking in the “No Parking Any Time” zone. I decided that’s not going to be me and continued to the original lot; of course at this point lots of parents were probably going around in circles like me, or were just running out of time.

At 7.44 p.m. I received a text from another concerned parent: “Where are you? ”

I stopped and answered: “Driving around trying to find parking, cannot park, not feeling well.”

Parent response: “You have to try.”

So try I did; all of a sudden the arrows were completely confusing. I even had a parent yell at the top of her lungs as in the Mr. Mom movie: “You are doing it wrong.”

At this point it was close to 8. I never give up, but after dealing with tiger moms, helicopter parents and other moms waving their hands in the air in frustration — “We are leaving there is no parking anywhere” — I too exited and did not end up attending the meeting.

I moved to Ridgewood as a single parent of one (widow) in 2007. I want my son to excel; however, is this what we look forward to? How early should one arrive to a meeting? Since there are two middle schools attending this meeting (GW and BF parents), why not split them up? I announced to my family (elderly mother, son and cat) after almost having a panic attack that I would put my for sale sign up the next day. I pay way too much in property taxes to not have a parking place and I refuse to park illegally just to find out I have a ticket or get towed.

My son is adamant about staying in Ridgewood; now I completely understand why outsiders or even locals have to drive around in circles and their frustration. I live two blocks from downtown, so I never had that problem. RHS needs to have a separate orientation just to address and explain the two parking lots to all mom and dads so we don’t “do it wrong.”

Adriana Blauvelt

Ridgewood

https://www.northjersey.com/opinion/opinion-letters-to-the-editor/letter-trouble-finding-parking-at-ridgewood-high-school-1.1497083

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11th Annual Ridgewood Alumni Art show Starts tonight

11th Annual Ridgewood Alumni Art show

 

January 7,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, This is just a sneak peak of our 11th Annual Alumni Art show. The photos don’t do it justice…come see the show in person. There’s so much more to see and so much talent! Our reception is this Thursday, 1/7 at 7:00 pm.

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Neuroscience tells Us Something we Have Long Suspected : U.S. High Schools Are Too Boring for Students

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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”:

https://www.intellectualtakeout.org/blog/neuroscientist-us-high-schools-are-too-boring-students

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Lt. Governor Guadagno Promotes “Rock Your Socks” at Ridgewood High School

MURRAY

By Paul Nichols
Friday, Dec 11, 2015

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.

https://bergendispatch.com/articles/37681102/Lt-Governor-Guadagno-Promotes-Rock-Your-Socks-at-Ridgewood-High-School.aspx

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Ridgewood High School was not portrayed in the best light in the stands or in the parking lot at MetLife Stadium

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High School Problems

Dear Parents/Guardians and Students:

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.

Sincerely,

Thomas A. Gorman, Ed.D.

Principal
A Tradition of Excellence

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Ridgewood High School Learning Commons unveils grand addition

'Jerry Lee Lewis

Jerry Lee Lewis photo by Graham Barker from the ‘Jerry Lee Lewis Classic Collection’

DECEMBER 8, 2015    LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2015, 11:05 AM
BY MATTHEW SCHNEIDER
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Through the fundraising efforts of several organizations, the Ridgewood High School (RHS) Learning Commons has been outfitted with a baby grand piano, which was unveiled to the public during a Maroon and White performance last month.

Fundraising groups such as the RHS Home and School Association (HSA); the Friends of Music, which raises money for all of the music programs of the schools in the district; a parent organization for the RHS band; a parent organization for the RHS strings playing group; and a parent organization for the RHS choir, raised a total of $12,000 for the piano.

“It was a whole community effort,” said Chris McCullough, district supervisor for fine and practical arts at RHS. “To me, it was really nice that all of those groups came together to support the Maroon and White program.”

According to RHS Assistant Principal Basil Pizzuto, the piano was purchased from a Ridgewood family, which agreed to sell the musical instrument to the school for a discounted dollar amount.

“They agreed to drop their price, so that way we could have the HSA purchase it without further fundraising,” Pizzuto said.

The addition of the baby grand piano, school officials believe, will enhance the Learning Commons as a performance venue.

“We’re going to take advantage of this new, gorgeous space and show the talent of our students and the dedication that they put into their craft,” McCullough said. “Having the piano permanently in the Learning Commons makes this much more possible.”

The Learning Commons, located in the library, was not originally intended to be a place for performances, but McCullough said that the adaptability of its furniture makes it the perfect spot for whatever the shows may need.

“The room was designed to be flexible,” he said. “The tables have wheels, so we are able to transform it into this intimate performing space.”

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/rhs-learning-commons-unveils-a-grand-addition-1.1469720

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America’s top SAT tutor explains why no one should take the SAT in 2016

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Mar. 4, 2015,
Caroline Moss

Over the summer, we profiled Anthony Green, the SAT and ACT tutor to the 1%. Green tutors the offspring of some of the country’s wealthiest folk, and all of his sessions are conducted over Skype for a whopping $1,000 an hour.

In 2016, the SAT returns to a 1600-point test, combining the current 800-point Reading and Writing sections back into the single 800-point “verbal” section that characterized the old exam.

In a recent interview, Green told Business Insider no one should take the new SAT in 2016, which he’s also argued on his site.

“I’m recommending that none of my students take the first three rounds of the new SAT (March, May, and June of 2016),” Green said. “Why let students be guinea pigs for the College Board’s marketing machine?

https://www.businessinsider.com/sat-tutor-says-dont-take-the-new-sat-2015-3

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Ridgewood High School Ranked 28th best in the State

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2016 Best Public High Schools Ranking

November 24,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Niche put out its 2016 Best Public High Schools ranking providing a comprehensive assessment of the overall experience of a public high school. This grade takes into account key factors such as the strength of academics, quality of teachers, school resources, the quality of student life, as well as student and parent reviews, in an attempt to measure the overall excellence of the school.

Factors considered were, Academics Grade, Health & Safety Grade, Parent/Student Surveys on Overall Experience , Student Culture & Diversity Grade, Teachers Grade, Resources & Facilities Grade , Extracurriculars & Activities Grade, Sports & Fitness Grade.

Ridgewood Placed 28th in the state of New Jersey and some of our neighbors ; Tenafly High School came in 33rd, Pascack Valley High School 36th, Cresskill High School 42nd,Glen Rock High School 43, Ramapo High School 54 and River Dell Regional High School 67th .

the List : https://k12.niche.com/rankings/public-high-schools/best-overall/s/new-jersey/

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College Board Names 134 RHS Students AP Scholars

RHS_theridgewoodblog
October 14,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Congratulations to all the students fgor all their hard work. One hundred thirty-four students at Ridgewood High School have been named AP Scholars by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college level Advanced Placement Examinations.

Nine students qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4.0 or higher on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

These students are Benjamin Bechtold, Akash Chaurasia, Yunseok Choi, Caroline Gonzalez, Maximilian Jerdee, Warren Li, Nikhil Mendiratta, Jaesung Son and Donald Zheng.

Fifty-two students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

Thirty-five students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.

Forty-seven students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher.

About 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million high school students worldwide who took AP Examinations in May 2015 performed at a sufficiently high level to merit such recognition.

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RHS Class of 1980 organizers would like to open up their 35th Reunion to anyone that would like to come to an awesome party…

RHS_BEST_theridgewoodblog

Hello Ridgewood HS Alumni, family and friends…

The Class of 1980 organizers would like to open up their 35th Reunion to anyone that would like to come to an awesome party…
When: Saturday, October 24th
Where: Mahwah Sheraton from 7p-11p
Cost: $99 + processing fee (link below) – No tickets at the door and ticket window closes Saturday, Oct 17th

I know this is a last minute invite, but unfortunately we don’t have enough people from our own class at this time attending, so if you didn’t go to your last reunion, or just want an excuse to take your honey out for a good time, then come and join us.

https://www.payit2.com/collect-page/65097

 

SHERATON MAHWAH HOTEL
1 International Boulevard
Mahwah, New Jersey 07495
Good, good group with the best intentions….my favorite version of modern day Ridgewood.
Please visit: https://RHSAlumniassociation.org
and sign up!
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Ridgewood High School artificial turf Vandalized

Ridgewood High School artificial turf Vandalized

photos courtesy of Boyd Loving’s Facebook page

September 30,2015
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ , Ridgewood PD Patrol Officer Steven Shortway and Ridgewood High School Athletic Director Keith Cook examine damage to an athletic field at Ridgewood High School caused by vandals who burned two (2) separate large images of male genitalia into the artificial turf. No exact dollar estimate of the damage was immediately available, but reports are that it could cost several thousand dollars to repair.

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Students learn to be leaders at Ridgewood High School summit

RHS_theridgewoodblog

JUNE 10, 2015    LAST UPDATED: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2015, 10:21 AM
BY MARK KRULISH
STAFF WRITER |
THE RIDGEWOOD NEWS

Students were asked to put themselves in unfamiliar shoes as they attempted to help fictional Ridgewood High School (RHS) peers in coping with their issues at the school’s 2015 leadership summit.

After tackling the issue of social media last year, the group of ninth, 10th and 11th grade students were assigned this year with the task of helping their peers with problems they face in everyday life.

Students were split into nine groups, each one receiving a faculty advisor, and given a fictional character with certain demographics, strengths and weaknesses. Each character had a problem to solve and the students had to find a way to help that person deal with his or her troubles.

Teachers and administrators in attendance included Sean McCullough, the district’s director of Fine and Applied Arts, social studies teacher Medha Kirtane, RHS Principal Thomas Gorman and Superintendent Daniel Fishbein.

The obstacles assigned to the characters included divorce, gender issues, social anxiety, insecurity, financial struggles and both learning and physical disabilities.

The exercise taught students to solve a problem through someone else’s eyes, a person who may be very different from them, since a true leader must be able to lead people of all backgrounds and abilities.

“Even if a problem doesn’t necessarily apply to you, you still have to be understanding and be able to cope with it, because that’s what really makes a good leader,” said RHS junior Tyler Porfido.

https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ridgewood-students-learn-to-be-leaders-1.1352679