Are well-meaning teachers unintentionally producing moral nihilism in their students?
Richard Cocks
One thing I’ve learned in my years of teaching in the U.S. is that many young Americans are moral relativists. As students in elementary and secondary schools, they were taught that there is no moral fact of the matter. Thus, when people disagree about moral issues, their different perspectives are equally valid. It would be wrong to criticize anyone from another culture who sees things differently.
For example, my son’s high school English teacher wanted her students to say that child slavery in Ghana is morally permissible, the unstated premise being that there are no absolute moral principles that apply to all cultures at all times and places. In my college teaching, I often encounter the results of such thinking.
If I leave students’ relativism unchallenged and ask “Was the Holocaust evil and immoral?” many students will say “No.” “Was slavery evil and immoral?” I ask. Students often respond, “No. At the time people thought it was moral; society said it was moral, so it was moral.”
I often describe female genital mutilation, practiced in places like rural Sudan and argue that it is immoral because it is painful, involuntary, can lead to infection and death and removes the possibility of feeling sexual pleasure. Thus, this practice is immoral. But my students frequently respond, “That’s just your perspective. The Sudanese would be unlikely to agree with you.”
Ridgewood NJ, RHS delivers results of “social norms” poll with some surprising results .According a letter sent out by Principal Thomas A Gorman out of the 400 students who participated over 90% say they never have used tobacco, 61% have not used alcohol in the last 60 days ,76% do not consume alcohol in an average week, 78% never use marijuana , 90% never use marijuana in the average week .
84% of students say they do not go to parties where alcohol is served and 84% say their parents never let them drink alcohol.
Not sure what to make of this , but apparently the huge house party last week that was broken up by Police from Ridgewood , Fair Lawn and Paramus was a one off unusual circumstance ?
Is de-nile more than a river in Eqypt? Or are our kids just way more responsible than we were ?
Tuesday, February 28, 2017 05:51PM
EWING, N.J. (WPVI) —
A New Jersey college gave students a new way to learn about the world around them, but it was not for those with a weak appetite.
Aleena Andrews was among hundreds of students and staff at the College of New Jersey who tasted crickets for the first time Tuesday.
“Kind of crunchy and I think that one was sour cream flavored, so, yeah, like potato chips,” Andrews said.
Students’ opinions were mixed.
“You could like feel the legs and the head as you crunch it so it wasn’t very pleasant for me,” student Eric Beyer said.
“The flavor is not off-putting, I must admit. It’s actually pretty good. It’s like eating popcorn,” student Claudio Bizaro said.
The crickets were part of the college’s “Tasting the Tree of Life” event, a fun and filling way to understand biodiversity and how it relates to food.
“We eat everything from animals to plants to fungi,” Plant Evolutionary Biologist Wendy Clement said.
And each of the 149 different items on the menu reflected that.
Ridgewood NJ, It is being reported that during swimming lessons weeknights from 6:30 to 8:30 a,t the Ridgewood Y kids were told to urinate in the pool and not get out of the water. This is disgusting and uncalled for. Frankly, if you don’t want to instruct, and not get off your phones also, than find s new job! Are these people getting paid for this! It has happened several time. Who’s in charge!
The Ridgewood Public Schools are committed to providing a safe environment for personal growth and learning, which is why we are sending you this letter. While alcohol abuse, primarily in the form of binge drinking, tops the list of substance abuse problems seen in students, the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs, those same drugs found in medicine cabinets across our country, is a growing and serious problem. This behavior is not only dangerous; it is also illegal.
In Ridgewood, we have seen a significant increase in prescription drug abuse, especially Xanax. This rise has been brought to our attention through reported incidents of “under the influence” behavior, as well as an increase in students’ self-reporting of their own misuse of prescription drugs.
Most often, these prescription drugs come in the form of: • Stimulants (Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin) that are used by students to “get in the zone” to stay awake to study or party.
• Pain Relievers (OxyContin, Percocet, Vicodin) and Tranquilizers and sedatives (Valium, Xanax) that are used by students recreationally to get high, or to cope with the stress of academics, social pressures or family crises.
We work closely with the Ridgewood Police Department on these issues and strive in our schools to promote awareness about the risks associated with the abuse of prescription medications, but our parents are on the front line to educate and protect their children from the dangers of substance abuse. Unfortunately, when confronted with the issue of substance abuse, many parents are quick to say “not my child.” We need, however, to accept the reality that our children may be engaging in substance abuse.
The reasons vary as to why high school age students experiment and abuse prescription drugs. All students are susceptible to feeling pressure to fit in socially and excel academically. Many may not even know that they are doing something wrong when they pop a “friend’s” Percocet to relieve a headache or take Adderall to cram all night for an exam. Students are also more likely to engage in risky behaviors like binge drinking, marijuana, cocaine, other prescription drugs, and even heroin and methamphetamines. Mixing prescription drugs with alcohol or illicit drugs, or crushing and snorting pills, maximizes their effects. These behaviors can lead to permanent organ damage, stroke, heart attack, overdose or even death.
Regardless of the reasons, studies consistently show that teens think prescription medications are a safer alternative to illicit street drugs like cocaine or heroin. Taking any medications without a prescription or medical oversight, or using them in a manner or at a dosage not advised by a healthcare provider, is a risk to a student’s health.
Below are some simple practices you can do to help your child:
1. Stay engaged with your child. Find ways to talk to your child about his/her emotional wellbeing. This dialogue can go a long way to help boost their confidence to “do the best they can” when juggling academic, co-curricular and social demands. Suggest healthy ways to handle stress.
2. Take precautions. If you or someone in the family takes one of these type of prescription medications for legitimate medical reasons:
• Keep medications locked in a safe place.
• Pick a few times a year to properly dispose of any unneeded or expired medications. Don’t save them for a rainy day.
• If you notice that pills or bottles are missing, take steps to talk with your child and provide supportive counsel.
• Look for warning signs and symptoms of drug abuse and take action. Contact your pediatrician or family physician, your school’s Crisis Intervention Counselor at 201-670- 2700 (Kevin Feeley, GW and RHS, ext. 20573; Lauren DePinto, BF and RHS, ext. 20574), or 800-662-4357.
Attached is a summary of warning signs and symptoms of prescription drug abuse, along with some resources for further inquiry.
On Monday, February 13, 2017, at 7 p.m. in the Campus Center at Ridgewood High School, Dr. Tim Silvestri will present “The New Social Norms at Ridgewood High School.” In addition to Dr. Silvestri’s presentation, we will be discussing the contents of this letter. We urge you to please join us at this important meeting, which is open to all high school and 8th grade parents.
We will be sending out further information on this important topic over the next few weeks.
Sincerely yours, Daniel Fishbein, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools
Thomas Gorman,Ed.D Principal,
Ridgewood High School Katherine Kashmanian, Ed.D.
Principal, George Washington M.S Anthony Orsini Principal,
Benjamin Franklin M.S. C:
Ridgewood Board of Education Chief J. Luthcke, Ridgewood Police Department Ridgewood Public School Staff Members Note: The majority of the content of this letter was taken from the Educate Before You Medicate National Council on Patient Information Education.Ridge
Ridgewood NJ, Students today grow up in a technological society. Social platforms have replaced in person or on phone conversations andthe thought of traveling is on almost everyone’s mind. So, a commonplace or what is better know as ‘An Innovation Lab’ was developed to share their stories and journeys while collaborating on projects.
The Zonopact Innovation Lab (https://www.zonopact.com/zlab/) provides education, sparks inspiration, and enables kids across the globe to follow their aspirations.
Mayur Ramgir, President & CEO Zonopact, Inc. is the creator of the Zonopact Innovation Lab (ZIL). It provides a social platform like Facebook for students to mingle with other like-minded people, work on real world projects, share ideas and see the impact, it creates an opportunity to travel worldwide and make a real impact in someone else’s life. ZIL also provides an opportunity to work on industry sponsored projects so students can earn money as well. Colleges can even partner with ZIL to extend these benefits to their students without investing too much money on setting up their own platform.
Amid growing recognition that some students are going hungry, Rutgers-New Brunswick is the latest university in New Jersey to open a food pantry
Ramen noodles. Priced around 13 cents a bag, they’ve been a staple of college life for decades, helping the archetypal “starving student” afford tuition, housing, books, and the occasional beer. But the typical shrug in reaction to this paradigm is giving way to real concern as institutions of higher learning realize that hunger on campus is a serious problem that’s hurting students’ ability to learn.
This summer, Rutgers University-New Brunswick became the latest of at least five New Jersey colleges and universities — and more than 300 nationally — to install a free food pantry on campus. So far, about 30 students have taken advantage of Rutgers’ non-perishable goods. But the need is far greater.
In today’s standards-based education system, the main focus is on teaching skills rather than content. There’s a prevalent idea that it matters less what students read just so long as they are reading.
But according to E.D. Hirsch, professor emeritus of education and humanities at the University of Virginia, that’s bull.
Some of you may know Hirsch through his famous advocacy of “cultural literacy”—the idea that some amount of “shared, canonical knowledge is inherently necessary to a literate democracy,” and that students in a particular culture should have common exposure to certain texts and concepts.
DUBAI (Reuters) – Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have warned the public that “criminal groups propagating radical ideologies” could spread violent ideas and rebellious behaviour among young people through video gaming.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) issued the warning in a statement carried by the state news agency WAM late on Saturday. It urged parents to prevent teenagers from establishing relations with strangers through chat channels in games.
Criminal groups “are trying to recruit young people and adolescents through some electronic games”, WAM quoted Mohammed al-Zarooni, the TRA’s director for policy and programmes, as saying.
Ridgewood NJ, The tuition cost was haunting. The dorm bill was daunting. The laptop your favorite college freshman just had to have cost more than your first car.
Now all she has left to do is hit the college bookstore with her list of required textbooks. Don’t be surprised if she comes out crying.
A recent study by the United States Government Accountability office showed that the average prices for textbooks have risen 82 percent in just 10 years.
Many expected that internet access would help bring costs down, but the college textbook industry appears to be keeping students from saving money by using such tactics as college specific books, book bundling and eTextbooks, all of which raise prices.
Luckily there is something you can do about it. You just need to do a little homework before classes start. “There are many ways you can save when buying textbooks that the college textbook industry doesn’t want you to know about,” says Chris Manns of the price comparison websites CheapestTextbooks.com andTextbookRentals.com. Both free services help students locate the cheapest prices for millions of books.
Here’s his list of the ways the college textbook industry gets you to pay more, and some tips for paying less:
• College Specific Books: Colleges have started asking students to buy college specific books. They take a commonly used textbook and have it printed with the college name and course number on the cover. This gives the book a new ISBN (International Standard Book Number) that is typically only available at the college it was made for. The workaround: Ask the professor if it’s OK to use the book’s common version. “The common version will be available online and, in almost all cases, be much cheaper and apart from the cover, it’ll be the exact same. When you rent or buy it online, you’ll be able to rent or buy it used from anybody,” Manns says. • Book Bundling: Students are sometimes required to buy a “book bundle” with extra class materials that add to the cost. “These bundles often include items the professors aren’t even using,” Manns says. The workaround: Email the professor or wait until the class starts and ask if the professor will be using the supplemental material. “If the answer is no, then buy just the textbook online,” Manns says. • New Editions: “This problem has been around a long time,” Manns says. Publishers release new versions of books every few years, even though little changes. Usually, buying an older edition gives you the information you need. Older editions often cost less than $25. • eTextbooks: eTextbooks are usually more expensive than buying a book used or renting it, and they typically expire after six months or a year. The workaround: Shop around. Most eTextbooks are available from multiple sellers. If you have the option, go old-school and buy the hard cover or paperback, which will typically be much cheaper. “That way you can keep it if you want, or you can sell it later,” he says. • Timing: Sometimes students don’t learn what textbooks they need until a couple of weeks before classes start, giving them little time to shop around.
The workaround: Don’t worry too much about getting your books before classes start. If you don’t mind a little inconvenience, then wait until you’re a couple of days into the school year before buying. “The professor might even tell you that you don’t need the book,” Manns says. If it’s required, you can shop online and still have the book within a couple of days.
About Chris Manns
Chris Manns is the managing director of the price-comparison websites CheapestTextbooks.com and TextbookRentals.com.He’s been in the business of helping students find the cheapest prices for their textbooks since 2001.
Ridgewood High School Students Excel National German Exam
April 6,2016
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The American Association of Teachers of German’s National German Exam is administered every year to 22,000 high school students. The results have recently been published, and Ridgewood High School would like to congratulate the following students: Gold Medal Winners: Olivia Rau (level 2), Max Horkenbach (level 2) and Emily Kopec (level 3) Silver Medal Winners: Kenneth Marshall (level 4), Gayeong Song (level 3) and DJ Pfeiffer (level 2) Bronze Medal Winner: Michael Muldoon (level 2) Achievement Medals: Calder Martin, Matt Rhee, Dan Christie, Kevin Moran (level 2), Tara Moore (level 3), Amaya Del Castillo (level 4) and Santiago Del Castillo (level 4).
Ridgewood Nj, Two George Washington Middle School students, Marin Kim and Susannah Taylor, were selected as finalists for the Protect Me With 3+ contest.
The Protect Me With 3+ poster and video contest is aimed at broadening awareness for the importance of adolescent immunization among pre-teens, teenagers, and their parents. It is a collaboration between The Partnership for Maternal and Child Health of Northern New Jersey and the New Jersey Department of Health.
In its fourth year, the Protect Me With 3+ contest aims to raise awareness about the importance of adolescent immunizations among pre-teens, teenagers and their parents. The contest focuses on increasing vaccination rates for four adolescent vaccines: tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis (Tdap), human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal conjugate and influenza (flu).
Entries this year represented middle schools and high schools from all over New Jersey. “We are delighted with the volume and diversity of entries this year,” stated Ilise Zimmerman, Executive Director of the Partnership. “We’ve received over 200 entries, a new record for Protect Me With 3+.”
Many teachers used the contest as an opportunity to teach their students about the importance of adolescent vaccines. “It is excellent to see teachers getting their students involved and to see New Jersey’s youth excited about raising awareness of vaccination,” said Dr. Tina Tan, State Epidemiologist and Assistant Commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Health.
The contest offers prizes to the top three entries in the poster and video categories and the chance for winning entries to be used in statewide immunization awareness activities.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony Sunday and placed online Monday.
A Letter from Dr. Fishbein Click here to read a letter from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Fishbein regarding the safety protocols in place for emergency incidents
Ridgewood NJ, A Honda CR-V SUV slammed into an occupied tour bus that was returning students and their chaperons back to the Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood on Friday, 02/05 from a trip to Quebec. The incident occurred at 3:17 PM on Franklin Turnpike in Ridgewood, near the entrance/exit to Route 17 southbound.
Neither of the drivers, nor any of the 44 bus passengers, were injured in the collision, however the SUV was heavily damaged and had to be removed from the scene by a flatbed tow truck. Ridgewood PD investigated the incident and issued a summons to the SUV driver. After a delay of almost one (1) hour, the virtually undamaged bus continued on its way to drop off students and chaperones at the school. The driver of the SUV is reportedly a public safety officer at nearby Bergen Community College.
NYACK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Students suspected of being drunk may soon have to take a breath test in one Rockland County community.
The Nyack Board of Education has been discussing the proposal for months, and it’s on the agenda for Tuesday night’s board meeting.
Under the policy, any student who appears intoxicated would be administered two breath tests within 10 minutes, WCBS 880’s Sean Adams reported. It would apply to students in school and at school-sponsored events, including dances, CBS2 reported.
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