
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, back up plans were made but the weather held and the Ridgewood High School class of 2019 graduated style .
A reader explained ,” At the RHS Class of 2019 graduation ceremony this evening, the Ridgewood school district superintendent was waxing rhapsodic during his speech, referencing the anniversary of the Greenwich Village Stonewall riots that occurred 50 years ago this month.
He’s in full progressive peacock mode, shamelessly virtue signalling about how far we’ve come as a society. By this time, though, it’s raining pretty steadily, and people are getting pretty impatient with him. Mercifully, his microphone cuts out and he is electronically struck dumb. The assembled audience then starts oohing and aahhing, gaping in awe at an enormous rainbow that has appeared over the entire High School building”
RHS Graduation – Important Information
June 20, 2019
Dear Parents/Guardians/Staff:
In Case of Inclement Weather
Please be assured that every effort will be made to hold the ceremony outdoors to permit the widest possible audience for this important occasion. The administration will closely monitor the weather forecast and make a decision on an outdoor or indoor ceremony as soon as possible. Even if the weather is clear, there is a chance for the lightening detection system to sound the siren if lightening is detected in the area. The ceremony must be delayed at least thirty (30) minutes after the last detection.
If it is necessary to move the ceremony indoors to the gymnasium, an announcement will be placed on the District website and an automated call will be placed to all homes in regard to the new arrangements.
Internet Streaming of Graduation
The Little Theatre, Cafeteria, and Learning Commons (2nd floor) will be open and streaming the graduation live, for those who wish to watch the event in an air conditioned space starting at 4:00 P.M. No tickets are needed to watch the live streaming from these three (3) areas.
For friends and family that wish to watch the graduation from the privacy of their own home, the ceremony can be viewed from the following link:
https://rhs.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/our_school/…/rhs_live_stream
Actually, the superintendent was taking about the Normandy invasion when the microphone cut out, but I guess that’s just progressive semantics
The weather didn’t exactly “hold” last night, but you’re not really wrong either.
It rained intermittently during the ceremony. Immediately afterwards though, things really began to go south. It began raining, worse and worse until it was like cats and dogs.
A lightening detection warning finally scattered the assembled multitudes away from the field.
But there is no doubt that the big show, RHS’s annual graduation ceremony, with all its great traditions, did go on. So great credit is certainly due to the teachers, the band director, the RHS and district administrators and advisors, the intrepid A/V crew, the custodians, the police and other first responders, etc.
The remarkably accomplished graduates of the class of 2019 were honored appropriately, and, for their part, really acquitted themselves magnificently, particularly the senior class president and the student government president, and the seniors who sang so beautifully. Younger student band members and choral singers also performed brilliantly, often in the rain, in honor of the appreciative poncho-covered graduating Seniors.
Everyone kept their sense of humor about the poor weather and the unfortunate sound system glitches. Ultimately everything worked out fine, and during a long break in the rain, each of the 430 or so graduates had his/her moment to be recognized individually and by name.
Quite a memorable event, even moreso than usual! Thanks for posting this PJ.