Tag: Ridgewood

RHS administration is endorsing (enforcing?) a “17 minutes hate” (see Orwell’s 1984) dressed up as a KumBaYa moment.
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Who’s to say that, after the predetermined 17 minutes of blatant virtue signaling on the “front lawn”, they’ll obediently return to class, Gorman old boy? Stripped of responsible supervision (“We are aware…”), perhaps they will choose to adjourn to YOUR office and refuse to leave until YOU agree to resign. Will you oblige?
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No student has the right to “walk out” of class without disciplinary repercussions. You are complicit in this misbehavior as a principal who thinks he is entitled to suspend the rules as long as the “cause” is sufficiently politically correct. We will remember this outrageous surrender of adult authority
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Hey, hell, why not bring an enormous rainbow flag out to the “front lawn” protest? Just say it was meant to “display solidarity” with the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shootings.
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What’s next week’s school-endorsed walk-out “cause”, Principal Gorman? A demand for a parking garage for student parking? Where does this end?
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March 12, 2018
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Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s), Students, Faculty, and Staff:
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We are aware that many RHS students will be participating in the student-led national walkout on the one-month anniversary of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. On March 14 at 10:00 A.M., students will assemble on the front lawn of the high school to participate in speeches, songs, and a moment of silence. After 17 minutes, they will return to the building to resume class. The event is organized by Students Demand Action, a newly formed club at RHS. The students will pay tribute to the victims of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and express their desire for safer schools.
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Simultaneously, another newly formed student-led group will assemble in the Campus Center to advocate for safer schools and Second Amendment rights.
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If a student does not wish to participate in these assemblies, he or she may remain in class with the teacher or, if on a free period, in the building with designated faculty members.
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Students involved in the walkout will not be penalized for their actions provided they follow RHS school rules, act in a respectful and dignified manner, and return to class after the event is held. We ask parents to speak with their children about the walkout and the issues pertaining to school shootings.
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We are working with the Ridgewood Police and Fire Departments to ensure everyone’s safety and have security measures in place for this day. With that in mind, we want this event to solely be one by and for the students. We ask for all outside groups and parents to respect their wishes and not visit RHS during this time.
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Sincerely,
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Thomas A. Gorman, Ed.D.
Principal