News from Ridgewood Public Schools
December 2023
So Much to Celebrate
I hope this month's issue of We are Maroon finds you healthy and well. Throughout the month of December, I have enjoyed many musical performances and special events with our schools.
Throughout this newsletter, you will find many exciting and important announcements. Please take a few minutes to read them, paying particular attention to the following key items:
The cold and flu season is among us and our nurses are seeing a variety of illnesses. Please see the important Nurses Notes below to help us keep our students, families, and staff as healthy as possible.
Schools will have a minimum day on December 22nd and be closed December 25th through January 1st, reopening on January 2nd. We wish everyone a happy and healthy holiday season. For our complete 2023-2024 calendar, visit the Calendar section of the RPS website.
- The Superintendent Coffee for December will be on December 14th, starting at 7:00pm. Please join us via Zoom.
May the final weeks of 2023 bring you joy and peace.
Tickets are on sale now for RHS New Players Co. performance of Amadeus! Ths show shares the tale of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a rowdy young musical prodigy, who arrives in Vienna determined to make a splash. Awestruck by his genius, court composer Antonio Salieri has the power to promote Mozart's talent or destroy it. Seized by obsessive jealousy, Salieri begins a war with Mozart, with music, and - ultimately - with God. Tickets are on sale now.
College Admission Expert Visits RHS
College admission process expert Peter VanBuskirk presented a powerful program to students and parents. VanBuskirk is an acclaimed author and motivational speaker who excels at simplifying and demystifying what is often perceived as a complex and mysterious process — college admission. Peter spent more than 25 years in selective college admission including 12 as Dean of Admission at Franklin & Marshall College.
Leading the Way
RHS, Special Programs PREP students, and our Unified Admins travelled to Mt. Olive HS, where the students attended a Youth Leadership Summit sponsored by Unified Sports and Special Olympics. Students took part in a conference and panel discussion that addressed inclusion and how to provide leadership within schools to promote inclusion. Way to go Ridgewood! We are Maroon Proud! #TeamRidgewood #MaroonPride #Unifed #Inclusion #DEI
Disney Student Leadership Institute 2023
RHS Maroon Awards
Seventeen RHS Students were nominated by staff and received the first Maroon Awards of the 2023-2024 school year. Maroon Awards recognize students who naturally do positive things for peers, staff, and the school without the intent of recognition and make the school a better place.
Congratulations to:
Grade 9: Alejandro Meneses, Isabella Recchiuti, Caroline Kiernan
Grade 10: Ryan Mincey, Samuel Kashmanian
Grade 11: Riley Burke, Julia Vizanko, Iva Malwal, Bryan Khoury, Ardem Sarajian
Grade 12: River Goldman, Peter McHugh, Joseph Ross, Reina Trivedi, Eliana Gluck, Anna O'Connor, Tate Cunningham, Nick Bradbury, Kendall McTigue
GWMS You Make a Difference Awards
Twelve GWMS students were nominated by the school's faculty and recognized for making positive contributions to the school community. Bravo!
Gr. 6: Theo Papageorge, Collin Weitz, James Loonam
Gr. 7: Jack Pietragallo, Sorai Patil, Sloane Casey, Joey Finucane, Caroline Amorosa, Amanda Breines
Gr. 8: David Mousa, Natalie vanKempen, Lilliana Massenzio
Turkey Trots and Food Drives Emphasize Community
Ridgewood Schools Participated in Food Drives and Turkey Trots
All ten of our Ridgewood Schools participated in food drives and Turkey Trots last month, raising funds and food for those in need throughout the community. Students at our elementary and middle schools walked and ran laps to raise funds for the SSA and food items were collected at each of the schools for the annual SSA food collection. Our RHS National Honor Society members then helped to transport food from each location and assisted with sorting the items for distribution. The collections were an incredible success. Thank you to all who participated!
Orchard Elementary more than tripled their Turkey Trot donations from last year.
Ridgewood High School
Benjamin Franklin MS
Willard Elementary
Holiday Collections Support Local Families in Need
Making Music and Bringing Joy
Somerville Raises Funds for Social Service Association of Ridgewood while Chimes Club Shares Their Sweet Sounds
Orchard Collects Coins
Orchard Elementary students collected, sorted, and counted spare change, raising more than $1,200 in coins for the Social Service Association. Monies raised will go toward holiday gifts for local families in need.
Ridge Makes Wishes Come True
Ridge Elementary students fulfilled a host of holiday wishes this season, selecting wishes from their wish tree and making those wishes come true!
Glen Students Give Back
Glen students chipped in, donating to the annual food collection and helping local families have a happy holiday season.
Sweet Sounds from Ridgewood High School
Ridgewood High School Carolers and ASL2 clubs shared their talents and brought joy to the Ed Center and the Hobbyists and pre-school students at the First Presbyterian Church this week, sharing songs of the season. Bravo!
Students Supporting Students
These Carts Bring So Much More than Snacks
Hawes SAIL Snack Cart
Hawes SAIL students develop and practice communication, money management, and team building. The snack cart, which started rolling through the Ridge hallways last month, was donated to the class.
STEPSS Snack Cart
Our STEPSS students travel to the Ed Center each week to offer snacks and beverages to the staff, handling inventory and sales, while improving social skills and everyday math skills.
Ridge RISe Snack Cart
Students in the Ridge RISe program focus on socialization and math skills through their snack cart program, offering snacks and beverages to staff throughout the building.
GWMS 7th & 8th Grade Band Members Share Music Experiences
On December 5th, the GWMS 7th and 8th grade band students performed, introducing each piece and sharing their music-learning experiences. Encore! Encore!
A Conversation on Inclusion in the Classroom
Michelle Lockwood of the NJ Coalition for Inclusive Education presents at the SEPAG Information Meeting on academic inclusion in our district to a full house. A comprehensive informational presentation on inclusion.
Superintendent Coffees - Next Coffee is December 14th
Maroon Clubs and Athletics
Let's Hear it for the Band
Congratulations to our RHS students who auditioned and were selected to perform as a member of the 2024 NJ All-Bergen County Band! RHS had the highest number of students selected from any one school to participate in the ensemble.
Students accepted to the 2024 All Bergen County Band: Avery Welcome, principal oboe; Lee Fox, clarinet; Seojin Kevin Kim, clarinet; Edward Liu, clarinet; Elliott Yi, clarinet; Kai Koyama, trumpet; Bryan Park, trumpet; Danielle Haas, principal French horn; Kira Fox, trombone.
Pictured (L to R): RHS Band Director Jeffrey Haas, Tiffany Chang, Kira Fox, Danielle Haas, Seojin Kevin Kim, Elliott Yi, Avery Welcome, Edward Liu, Lee Fox, Kai Koyama, Bryan Park, and RHS Band Director John Luckenbill.
Tiffany Chang, clarinet, was a winner in the 2024 National Young Arts Competition in the area of Solo Classical Music.
The All County Band will perform Sunday, January 14th at 3:00pm, Bergenfield High School.
17 RHS Seniors Commit to Play at the College Level
Congratulations to our Class of 2024 athletic commits! Seventeen seniors celebrated their commitment to playing their sport at the collegiate level.
Our State Sectional Champs
Our RHS Girls Varsity Soccer team defeated Livingston High School to win another North 1 Group 4 State Sectional Championship! Way to go #SoccerMaroons! We are Maroon Proud!
Crew Maroons for the Win
Our #CrewMaroons took home a gold medal to finish out the 2023 fall regatta season in a 4,150-meter head course race on the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. The meet attracted 217 entries from 28 clubs. Junior Lucas Evers, freshman Tristan Riedel, and sophomore Sam Scharfenberg led the team with two top-three finishes each. Lucas Evers, Tristan Riedel, Sam Scharfenberg, and Will Nasr took home the gold in the Boys 1st Junior 4x race.
Nurse Notes
The influenza and cold season have arrived along with an increase in upper respiratory infections, coughs, sore throats, and runny noses. Please remind your student of these simple precautions to avoid getting or spreading flu, flu-like symptoms, symptoms of the common cold, and possibly COVID.
Cover mouth with inner elbow (not hands) when sneezing or coughing
Wash hands frequently with soap and water
Dispose tissues in the trash and avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth.
Have questions about COVID-19 or the District's COVID protocols? Visit the RPS Website.
The cold and flu season also brings the stomach virus. Recently, there has been an increased number of students with the stomach virus. Please keep your student home if they have vomiting and/or diarrhea within 24 hours of coming to school. Also, please keep your student home from school if they have a temperature of 100 degrees or higher. If you must give your student Tylenol, Motrin, Ibuprofen or Advil for a low grade fever, keep them home from school until they are fever-free for at least 24 hours. Giving these medications just masks the infection and if the student comes to school, they can spread the infection to other students. This will help reduce the spread of infection in our school and your home.
Thank you for your continued cooperation in keeping our schools healthy.
Monica Algor, RN, BSN - Glen School
Jeanne Gao, RN, BSN, CSN - Hawes
Jaime Caruso, RN, CSN, MSN - Orchard Elementary
Colleen Manke, MS, BSN, RN, CSN - Ridge Elementary
Moira Correll, RN, BSN, CSN - Somerville Elementary
Alexis Gillio, RN BSN - Travell Elementary
Bonnie Lowicki, RN BSN NJ-CSN MHS - Willard Elementary
Kerri Reilly, RN CSN - Benjamin Franklin Middle School
Julie Stadulis, M.Ed., RN, NJ-CSN - George Washington Middle School
Maureen Morgan MCH BSN RN NJ-CSN and Suzanne Donovan RN BSN - Ridgewood HS
Some Friendly Reminders
Please read these important safety reminders. Thank you for partnering with us to keep our children safe!
Dogs are not permitted on school property during the school day. This includes arrival and dismissal. If your pet accompanies you on your walk to and from school, they must remain on a leash across the street from school property.
Playgrounds are closed to the public before school and during the school day. Please do not allow children to play on equipment before or during normal school hours.
Please be mindful that after 3:00PM, there is no supervision on school grounds.
Questions/Concerns
Do you have questions or concerns related to your student? Please check the school/teacher websites for helpful information. Not finding what you need? Contact your building principal. They are here to help you and can be reached at:
- Hawes Elementary School - sstovell@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- Orchard Elementary School - mkferreri@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- Ridge Elementary School - mpiacenza@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- Somerville Elementary School - loates@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- Travell Elementary School - bross@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- Willard Elementary School - choffman@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- Benjamin Franklin Middle School - swisniewski@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- George Washington Middle School - kkashmanian@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
- Ridgewood High School - jnyhuis@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
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District News
Get your RHS Band Holiday Ornaments! There’s something for everyone!
Four ornaments from which to choose:
(1) RHSMB Patch Logo - (2) 2023 Full RHS Marching Band Picture
(3) RHS Band Program Logo - (4) 2023 Marching Band Show Logo