April 1, 2020
Dear Ridgewood School Community,
So many April Fools’ jokes come to mind today…unfortunately, none are funny. I wrote this sentence first thing this morning; then, many people called, texted, and even forwarded an April Fools’ Day letter allegedly from my office saying we have no April break and are going to be in school until July 21st…not true! But, it was kind of funny and “got” me and many others. People are creative.
Today, I am including a poem by Irish Poet, Kathleen O’Meara, that was shared by a community member. It was written in 1869 after a plague devastated Ireland. As you read it, you will probably feel like it could have been written today. The road ahead may not be clear to us now, but in the end, we will heal. Thank you for sharing!
AND PEOPLE STAYED HOME
And people stayed home,
and read books and listened,
and rested and exercised,
and made art and played, and learned new ways of being,
and stopped
and listened deeper
someone meditated
someone prayed
someone danced
someone met their shadow
and the people began to think differently,
and people healed,
and in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways,
dangerous, meaningless, and heartless,
even the earth began to heal
And when the danger ended,
and people found each other,
grieved for the dead people,
and they made new choices,
and dreamed of new visions,
and created new ways of life,
and heal the earth completely,
just as they were healed themselves
Kathleen O ‘ Meara (1869)
This week is Elementary School Spirit Week! For me, I have celebrated our Elementary School Spirit Week as follows:
-
Maroon Monday: Ridgewood gear! As Superintendent of the Ridgewood Public Schools, I have plenty. Back in the good old days when my wife, Sue (she asked me not to only refer to her as my wife…. done) and I cleaned out some closets, we found 17 Ridgewood sweatshirts, dozens of t-shirts, and much more. We did not donate any. My kids participated in sports at RHS, so we had plenty of gear to go around.
-
Team up Tuesday: I am a Dallas Cowboys fan. Ok, stop rolling your eyes and muttering under your breath. For all of you Giants fans, Jason Garret is your problem now.
-
Exercise Clothes Day: If you haven’t gotten the hint, I workout daily. I am an early riser and start my day with exercise. There is a lot of research out there about exercise and brain chemistry. For me, it is therapy….probably could use the old fashioned kind of therapy, but this has worked for me for decades. I am old school…cotton t-shirt (probably says Ridgewood on it or OBX or one of the colleges my kids have gone to or go to) and running shorts. Shoes – NIKE! Swoosh!
STRINGING TOGETHER RIDGEWOOD – STUDENT LEAD FUNDRAISER
While we can’t get out and host a traditional fundraiser, some RHS students have come up with an idea that can be done remotely. They are selling friendship bracelets to raise money to be donated to Valley Hospital to help with COVID-19 relief. This will all be done online. Please see the link below.
https://forms.gle/dfCJ29WjRgksF2dt5
FEEL YOU MAY HAVE SYMPTOMS: If you feel sick with COVID-19 symptoms, you should contact your physician. The physician will be able to assist you and provide the next steps. Additionally, the NJ Department of Health (NJDOH) has set up the following to answer your questions:
-
Call: 2-1-1
-
Call (24/7): 1-800-962-1253
-
Text: NJCOVID to 898-211
-
Visit https://covid19.nj.gov/ or nj.gov/health for additional information
-
Valley Hospital: 201-447-8000 If you feel you have symptoms, Valley Hospital has set up a system to answer your questions.
SOCIAL/PHYSICAL DISTANCING: Please start thinking about how you will handle social distancing during the spring break, which is the week of April 6-10.
VIRTUAL TOURS and ACTIVITIES FOR OVER THE BREAK (DON’T DO THEM UNTIL THE BREAK):
-
Yoga – Five Parks Yoga
-
Running – Couch to 5K App
-
TV – Grey’s Anatomy (15 Season) My daughter has watched them all twice.
-
Virtual Field Trips: Help for Frazzled Parents: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/20-virtual-and-educational-field-trips-that-might-help-keep-your-kids-occupied-2020-03-30
-
28 Free Virtual Field Trips https://www.wearethemighty.com/MIGHTY-SURVIVAL/free-virtual-field-trips-quarantine
REMINDER: Use the links below for important information from the Village and the district. If you have not received a phone call from Mayor Hache, you have not signed up for the Village alerts. Please do so.
- Sign up for Village E-Notice System – https://www.ridgewoodnj.net/village-info/enotices-and-alerts-registration.
- Twitter Accounts – @RwdPub Schools and @RWDSupt
- District Facebook Page – @RidgewoodPublicSchools.
ANNUAL SCHOOL ELECTION: The Annual School and Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, May 12. All registered voters will be receiving vote-by-mail ballots, and there will be no polling places in the May 12, 2020 elections. For more information, click here to visit the website of the Bergen County Clerk’s Office. You can still register to vote if you have not already done so. Information can be found here.
