Ridgewood NJ, at Monday night Ridgewood Board of Education meeting Stacie Poelstra Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Daniel Kilday Supervisor of Wellness at Ridgewood Public Schools did their best to make the Murphy Administration new controversial sex ed Curriculum seem benign. Presenting the Ridgewood Public Schools health curriculum revisions aligned to the 2020 New Jersey Student Learning Standards for Comprehensive Health and Physical Education were reviewed. The presentation included a grade-by-grade overview of disciplinary concepts, units, and resources. The revisions were also presented at the Board Curriculum Committee last week, which is part of the district’s curriculum review process.
Ridgewood NJ, last week, Stacie Poelstra Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum presented an update on the Gifted and Talented Program to the Board Curriculum Committee, beginning with a brief overview of current trends and the evolution of pedagogy in this area. The district takes a three tier approach to gifted and talented enrichment education to meet the needs of all learners.
Ridgewood NJ, Stacie Poelstra Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum opened the presentation with the New Jersey COVID-19 Activity Level Reports at the Ridgewood Board of Education meeting, which show an increase in the case rate and percent positivity approaching the high activity level. All cases are investigated by the Village of Ridgewood Department of Health. There have been 24 cases in the district up to this point. To continue to make improvements to our plan, several things have been done since October 19. Elementary special education students were given the option to attend school in-person on a daily basis. Elementary teachers received equipment and training to begin the implementation of live streaming for students on their at-home day in the hybrid model.
Ridgewood NJ, Stacie Poelstra Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum opened her presentation on Ridgewood school districts transitioning to phase 2 by sharing COVID-19 activity level data for New Jersey, which currently has the entire state at the moderate level. The district continues to closely monitor health data as it informs our reopening plan and its various phases. Recently, the district surveyed staff, parents, and students to collect feedback on the reopening and input regarding considerations for the next phase. Additionally, our Pandemic Response Teams are meeting consistently to review our plans and progress. Department, faculty, and administrative team meetings also continue to evaluate the reopening, and Dr. Fishbein meets regularly with the Health Officer, Dr. Yankus, and other physicians.