May 11, 2020
Dear Ridgewood School Community,
This weekend, all school districts in New Jersey were notified by the Department of Education, with a follow-up letter from the State Director of Emergency Management, that as per Executive Order No. 107, all high school graduations and other ceremonies, promotions, and events must be conducted virtually until the restrictions outlined in the order have been lifted. According to the directives we received on the evening of Friday, May 8, in-person activities are not permitted. The State Director of Emergency Management, Colonel Patrick J. Callahan, stated, “In light of the components of Executive Order No. 107, and in the best interest of the health and safety of the public, in-person ceremonies, including graduations, all parades, including “wave parades,” that invite people to gather at a certain location, proms, and other similar celebrations violate the enumerated conditions of the order, and should, therefore, be canceled or postponed until such time as these restrictions are lifted. Until such time, virtual celebrations and other remote forms of recognition should take the place of any in-person or public ceremonies.” Consequently, our plan for the Ridgewood High School graduation video, which involved individual students walking in front of RHS to be filmed for our virtual graduation video, is canceled. This is extremely disappointing, and I know how difficult this news will be for our seniors and their families. Our school administrators will do whatever they can within these rules to make our graduation and promotion ceremonies as special as possible under these unfortunate circumstances.
Continue reading Ridgewood Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fishbein Gets the Word , No “Wave Parades”
