Virtual learning means increased opportunity, advocates say
TRENTON – Proponents of virtual learning told the Joint Committee on Public Schools Tuesday that giving students the opportunity to receive their education online enables students who don’t find traditional schooling stimulating to learn at their own pace.
Minhaj Hassan – State Street Wire
https://www.politickernj.com/64092/virtual-learning-means-increased-opportunity-advocates-say
SPRING MIDDLE SCHOOL MIXER SCHEDULE
RIDGEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL MIXERS:
Sponsored by Ridgewood Recreation and the NJ Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Village teens have the opportunity to come together as both George Washington and Ben Franklin Middle Schools join to form a “mixer”. Each evening offers students a chance to get acquainted with future classmates while enjoying music and dancing with DJ Sound Illusion, refreshments, fun and games.
6th Grade – Friday, April 12th, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
7th/8th Grades – Friday, April 19th, 7:30 to 9:30 pm
(Ridgewood teens only)
The Anne Zusy Youth Center, 131 N. Maple Avenue
(NOTE: all parents must drop off and pick up youth in the rear lot
of Village Hall at the Community Center entrance.)
A donation of $8 will be requested at the door. All donations will benefit the Community Center.
Adult chaperones are always needed. Please contact the Recreation Office at 201-670-5560 if you are able to volunteer.
Anglers Unite : Trout Season Opens April 6th
TROUT STOCKING HOTLINE: 609-633-6765
We know it hard to believe with snow on the ground but yes Trout Season officially open s in New Jersey on April 16th
The stocking trucks from the Pequest Trout Hatchery will begin rolling on March 18 as the spring pre-season distribution of this year’s trout gets under way. By year’s end, approximately 600,000 trout will be stocked throughout the state, but the action really got going on Opening Day, April 6, at 8 a.m.
The “production trout” average 10.5″ but were kept company prior to opening day by some of the more than 6,000 three to eight pound breeder trout which are also being stocked. This spring, trout will be placed in 88 streams and 90 ponds and lakes throughout New Jersey. Those trout will be in addition to some of the 26,000 bruisers still in the water from stockings in the fall and winter. Fortunately for the state’s anglers, trout remain available throughout the summer in many waters.
HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2013
Trout fishing in New Jersey continues to be some of the best available on the East Coast. The average size of the trout stocked is larger than trout stocked in neighboring states, and the Bonus Broodstock Lakes and the breeder stocking programs provide plenty of trophy size fish within a short drive from anywhere in the state. Aside from some allocation changes, noted below, the 2013 season is expected to provide the normally superb trout fishing opportunities New Jersey anglers have grown to appreciate.
Driving directions to some of the state’s better know trout water access points can be found at www.njfishandwildlife.com/accesswater.htm. Anglers are reminded that access to locations along trout stocked streams may be available only through the good graces of private landowners. Please be respectful of their property and take care not to damage trees and shrubs. Leaving your fishing location cleaner than when you arrived helps maintain good angler-landowner relations and ensures continued public access to trout streams.
The in-season stocking schedule, covering the seven weeks following opening day, is available online at www.njfishandwildlife.com/trtstk13.htm and through the trout stocking hotline at 609-633-6765.
SPRING TROUT SEASON BASICS
Anglers should be aware that most trout-stocked waters are closed to fishing during the 3 weeks leading up to opening day (March 18 – April 6 at 8 a.m.). During this time most trout-stocked waters are stocked with trout to provide anglers with great fishing opportunities on Opening Day, April 6.Successful trout angler
During this pre-season period you might want to try fishing one of a handful of trout-stocked waters that remain open for fishing. Farrington Lake (Middlesex Co.), Lake Hopatcong (Morris/Sussex counties), Lake Shenandoah (Ocean Co.), Prospertown Lake (Ocean Co.), and Swartswood Lake (Sussex Co.) are open year round to fishing. Designated Trout Conservation Areas (Seasonal and Year Round) and Holdover Trout Lakes also remain open to fishing. (Note that fishing is not permitted on Seasonal Trout Conservation Areas from 12:01 a.m. to 8 a.m. on April 6, 2013). Trout caught in any of these waters during the pre-season period must be released immediately.
Those looking to fish during the pre-season period and keep their catch can cast a line in either of the state’s two Trophy Trout Lakes, Merrill Creek and Round Valley Reservoirs.
Be sure to check the trout regulations (https://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2013/trtregs13.pdf) pertaining to all the above waters.
On Opening Day and the days that follow, there are a few regulations to keep in mind. On most waters anglers may keep 6 trout per day, and the trout must be at least 9 inches long. Since the trout reared at the Pequest Trout Hatchery average 10½ inches when stocked, most of the stocked trout you catch can be harvested if you chose to. June 1 is an important date, as the daily creel limit for trout on most trout waters drops from 6 to 4 per day.
The state’s sixteen major trout streams are stocked every week after Opening Day for the next seven weeks and they are closed to fishing from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the day of stocking. This allows the trout a chance to disperse following stocking and gives anglers an equal opportunity to fish for freshly stocked trout. All other waters may be fished at any time following Opening Day, including the day they are stocked. Many are stocked at least three times after Opening Day so be sure to check the trout stocking schedule to determine the stocking dates for the waters you plan to fish. Since every county has waters that are stocked with trout, spring trout fishing opportunities are never too far away
30,000 books donated for Paterson children
Sunday March 17, 2013, 9:46 PM
BY DENISA R. SUPERVILLE
STAFF WRITER
The Record
PATERSON — The Big Book Drive, a four-week campaign that ended Sunday, has yielded more than 30,000 books — enough to give one to every school-aged child in the city.
“I think there is not a child’s book in any home anywhere in Bergen and Passaic counties because they were all sent to Paterson,” said Cindy Czesak, the director of the Paterson Free Public Library. “It’s beautiful. It’s overwhelming.”
As the drive wound down on Sunday, donors continued to drop off books. The lobby of The Record and the Herald News — the drive’s sponsors along with the library — had boxes and plastic bags of books, including a leather-bound series of Encyclopedia Britannica and children’s books from the Lizzie McGuire series.
https://www.northjersey.com/allendale/30000_books_donated_for_Paterson_children.html
Valley Rendering by Z. Putnins and C. Benson
Reader says Anything that the Valley Ridgewood location can’t fit should be done in Paramus
Parking Garages, Apartment Buildings, Turf Fields, Sports Fees, Rental and Garage Sale permits, $700 Dangerous Dog Licenses, Obscene Field Lighting, Insane Town Raises…All mean NOTHING compared to what VALLEY will cause!
Wake up Ridgewood and believe that Valley will eventually get what they want. This is really what this town doesn’t need and everything else is a minor distraction. The size and scope of this over expansion is the tip of the iceberg. Yes, we will allow them to overbuild. The only question now is to what extent??
This is not new news.: Valley, will raise your taxes (way more than 2% a year)! Valley, will cause major traffic issues (throughout the town, not just surrounding areas). Valley, will increase such a strain on the existing infrastructure that this affluent town will never recover.
Some believe this issue is between Valley and the people who live around Valley. If you are one of those then you are part of the problem. I only ask that you educate yourselves and understand the harm for the entire town.
Valley, can expand and should expand at their Paramus location. They should upgrade their Valley location to single rooms. The amount of rooms they will reduce to should be in line for today now that Pascack Valley has reopened. Please save our town and save Valley from over building. Yes, i said it. Please save Valley from over expanding based on Pascack Valley. Logical Sense has to prevail!
Times have changed drastically now due to Pascack Valley. I am amazed that Valley continues to ask for more than they ever deserved. Valley, is now saying, we won’t do as much underground because this ground water foundation issue is the problem why we can’t get approval? So we’ll just add another level of above ground parking…problem solved. Can we get our H Zone and Permits now? NO, should still be NO…should always be NO!
I’m sick and tired, of being sick and tired over Valley! I don’t think someone will save us. WE MUST ALL SAVE US. Please wake up and get the facts. Decades of NO should now not be okay. The H Zone and the existing building limits should apply to all, including Valley. These rules and laws we’re put in place to protect all of us. It was sad to hear a sitting planning board member stating that Valley needs to expand. Very sad to hear that the very people voting on this issue don’t really understand the long term issues. Since Valley pays NO TAXES, ask yourself who do you think is going to pay for the additional services? RIDGEWOOD WILL, we have no other option.
So what should Valley do? Yes, we all want a State-of-The-Art-Hospital; so they renew within their existing Ridgewood walls. Anything that the Ridgewood location can’t fit should be done in Paramus. This should have been started by Valley years ago before Pascack Valley. Valley, you shouldn’t get what you are currently asking for…End of Discussion!
41% Will Wear Green to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Many Americans will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today by wearing green or having a drink even though they don’t consider it an important holiday.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 41% of American Adults plan to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, but nearly as many (39%) don’t intend to do so. One-in-five (20%) aren’t sure yet.
https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/lifestyle/holidays/march_2013/41_will_wear_green_to_celebrate_st_patrick_s_day
Urbanization: I went into the discussion unbiased, and came out furious with the idea of rezoning the town.
I spent the morning in a Ridgewood resident’s home at a “coffee” with the Mayor to discuss the multi-family development projects with a group of residents. I went into the discussion unbiased, and came out furious with the idea of rezoning the town. I now believe the high density projects will ruin the town on so many levels, but most importantly our school system, parking and safety.
His claim is that changing the zoning laws for the developers (btw anyone can build a high rise once it is changed) will benefit businesses and a few mysterious “empty nesters” and retirees. I find it hard to believe that people downsizing are willing to pay $3000 a month for a luxury one bedroom (that’s what they are asking for). I also find it hard to believe that an Applebees (proposed at the Brogan site) will help businesses like Daily Treat, Raymonds and East Coast Burger. I don’t know why the planning board would permanently change the master plan to appease a few developers and disregard the burden on our schools and infrastructure. Let them build, but they should work within existing zoning restrictions.
People should attend Tuesday nights 3/19/13 Planning Board Meeting for more information. This is the last public hearing until closed discussions begin in September, and the agenda is solely on the development projects. (Valley is going to take over planning meetings through June). Supposedly, at the last planning meeting on the subject, they almost put it to a vote right then and there. There is a feeling that they are trying to slip this through.
Parents, Experts Blast New State Database of Private Student Info
Thursday, Mar 14, 2013 | Updated 12:02 PM EDT
Parents and privacy experts are blasting a new national database that compiles personal student information for educational companies that contract with public schools.
New York State officials, working with the city, have already uploaded students’ names, addresses, test scores, learning disabilities, attendance and disciplinary records into the inBloom database, according to the Daily News.
Educational companies can use the data to create teaching tools for students.
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/Student-Information-Database-New-York-City-Education-Contract-197983051.html
10 Bergen County schools on list of highest performing in state
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
The Record
Ten Bergen County schools are among 57 that New Jersey has deemed to be “Reward Schools,” meaning they were among the highest performing in the state last year, or saw the greatest student gains in passing state tests.
Most of the schools winning the new designation — which the state Department of Education posted online last week with little fanfare — are in affluent communities or are selective magnet schools, such as the Bergen County Academies in Hackensack and Bergen County Technical High School in Teterboro.
The others in the high-performance category include Alpine Elementary School, Lyncrest Elementary School in Fair Lawn, Richard E. Byrd School and Central School in Glen Rock, Charles DeWolf Middle School in Old Tappan and Sicomac Elementary School in Wyckoff. The state said these schools had the highest rates of proficiency on state tests last spring — schoolwide and in various racial and ethnic groups.
Two Bergen schools, Hillside Elementary in Closter and Orchard Elementary in Ridgewood, were deemed to have shown especially high growth for three years.
Non-Teaching School Staff Costing Taxpayers Money
Lindsey Burke
March 4, 2013 at 5:01 pm
https://tinyurl.com/al5supg
The U.S. public education system has seen an enormous increase in staff over the past few decades. But unlike private companies, which base staffing decisions on product demand, the number of school staff positions has increased rapidly without a commensurate increase in the number of students served by the system.
A new report by the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice highlights just how bad the school staffing surge has become:
Public schools grew staffing at a rate four times faster than the increase in students [from 1950 to 2009]. Of those personnel, teachers’ numbers increased 252 percent, while administrators and other non-teaching staff experienced growth of 702 percent, more than seven times the increase in students.
The Friedman report points out that there are 21 “top-heavy states” that employ more non-teaching personnel in the school system than teaching personnel. Benjamin Scafidi, the report’s author, writes that “Virginia ‘leads the way’ with 60,737 more administrators and other non-teaching staff than teachers in its public schools.” In another example, the report points out that the state of Maine experienced an 11 percent decline in students from 1992 to 2009, yet it increased the number of administrators and other non-teaching personnel in its public schools by 76 percent.
That’s the type of staffing surge that, if reversed, could save some $24 billion annually, Friedman estimates.
The Friedman Foundation’s research mirrors Heritage findings on the dramatic increases in education staff over the decades. Since 2000, the percentage of teachers as a portion of school staff has decreased by nearly 3 percent; since 1970, that percentage has declined by 16.5 percent. Notably, the percentage of teachers as a portion of school staff has decreased more than 28 percent since 1950. Today, teachers comprise just half of all education jobs.
Not surprisingly, academic achievement and graduation rates have shown little to no improvement over the same time period.
States should consider cutting costs in areas that are long overdue for reform and should refrain from continuing to increase the number of non-teaching staff in public schools. As the Friedman report concludes: “The policy of increasing public school staffing does not appear to improve student achievement—despite its massive and on-going cost to taxpayers.”
https://tinyurl.com/al5supg
Allendale moving on water privatization contract
Monday, March 11, 2013
BY ALLISON PRIES
STAFF WRITER
The Record
ALLENDALE — The council plans to vote today on a draft contract that would privatize the operation of its water system. The contract, if approved at today’s special meeting, would go before the public at the council’s March 28 meeting.
The contract awards the job of managing the water system to United Water, the low bidder for the job, at a rate of $590,000 per year for five years. The payment to the utility could increase annually based upon the average of two commonly used inflation indices, Mayor Vince Barra said.
The special meeting was called because the draft contract was not ready for the council’s Feb. 28 meeting. A vote is needed in time for the council to issue a public notice 14 days before its March 28 meeting, when the public hearing on the contract would be held, he said.
The privatization is expected to save the borough about $193,000 per year, which will be used to stabilize water rates, Barra said.
https://www.northjersey.com/news/196805431_Allendale_moving_on_water_contract.html
Ridgewood High School Field ?
Readers debate value of a “Super Bowl ” ready Ridgewood
March 9,2013
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ , a 20-member village committee headed by John Saracin has been devised with a singular mission in mind: make Ridgewood a draw for tourists coming to the area for 2014′s big game.
Some readers remained skeptical , Mr. Saracino is the Head of the Library Board, member of the parking garage committee. applicant in front of the planning board for a large apartment development ( old Selfons building) and a donator to Mayor Paul Aronsohn campaign.Leads one reader to how many things are be done behind the scenes.
Another reader chastised commentators saying the negativity on this blog never ceases to amaze me. The thought behind Ridgewood being a hub destination during Super Bowl week is to attract folks from nearby communities into Ridgewood’s downtown to enjoy a fun, family experience.
There are many Ridgewood residents that are working on this committee with the good intent of introducing or reintroducing nearby residents to our downtown with the expectation that they will become return shoppers, diners, etc. ….and yes there are issues that need to be addressed, e.g. parking, traffic, etc….
ah wait did you say parking… ?
Ridgewood’s tentative $91 million school budget contains tax hike
Thursday March 7, 2013, 1:48 PM
BY LAURA HERZOG
STAFF WRITER
The Ridgewood News
The school district’s preliminary $91 million general fund budget for the next school year, which was unanimously approved Monday for submission to the executive county superintendent, would require a roughly 2 percent tax increase over last year’s spending plan.
The averaged assessed Ridgewood home, priced at about $690,000, would pay about $203 more in taxes if the tentative budget is approved by voters in April. The major cost driver for this year’s budget, according to Board of Education (BOE) members speaking at Wednesday night’s meeting, is an increase in the cost of special education needs.
March is Youth Art Month at the Education Center
YOU “ART” INVITED: March is Youth Art Month and the district is displaying artwork at the Education Center representing every school building. Please stop in.
The public is also invited to join the artists and their families at the Youth Art Month Reception on Thursday, March 7 from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at the Education Center, Floor 3. Don’t miss this great opportunity to see our students’ talent showcased.
Super Science Saturday – Fun and Learning for the Whole Family on March 9
Whether your interests range from robotics, to auto-guided planes or hatching baby chicks, Super Science Saturday features interesting exhibits for everyone. This celebration of science and technology, now in its 25th year, will be from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9 at Ridgewood High School, 627 East Ridgewood Avenue.Admission is free.
New exhibits this year include how solar energy works, demonstrations on polymer chemistry, rockets powered by Alka Seltzer, displays of gliders from the Bergen County Academy of Model Aeronautics and the Ridgewood High School orchestra showcasing the science behind musical instruments. Other highlights include a Franklin Institute show on “Life in Space,” hundreds of exhibits and demonstrations, the “Great Paper Airplane Contest,” the Bergen Community College solar telescope and model rocket launches on the high school football field.
A special guest this year will be Amy Freeze, meteorologist with WABC-TV in New York. She will demonstrate how scientists measure atmospheric pressure, wind currents and other factors to make weather predictions.
To celebrate its 25th anniversary, Super Science Saturday has a special activity this year: attendees are invited to participate in a 25-foot egg drop contest. Attendees of all ages will be supplied with kits, which they can use to protect their eggs from breaking on
impact.
Each year, Super Science Saturday attracts hundreds of student exhibitors, and interactive demonstrations from dozens of amateur and professional scientists. Students from any school system, as well as adult hobbyists and professional scientists, are invited to share their love of science with the community.
Started by a Ridgewood science teacher and a handful of students and parents in 1987,Super Science Saturday is a non-competitive event designed for fun, understanding and appreciation of science and technology in our daily lives.
Super Science Saturday is funded by The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood’s not-for-profit hospital, and Ridgewood Education Foundation, which provides grants to enhance and support the quality of education in Ridgewood public schools.
