Last week, the Ridgewood High School HSA President, Arlene Sarappo, reported that this year’s annual appeal and phone-a-thon raised more than $53,000. (More info click here.) Congratulations to the HSA and Development Committee leadership on a job well done! The money will be used to fund academic and classroom needs, including 24 state-of-the-art digital microscopes and 30 student laptops with charging cart. Thank you to all the parents who worked on the fundraiser and also to all those who pledged funds (including the Ridgewood Education Foundation, which donated a $6,000 challenge grant).
In a blog post on March 30, I hoped to explain to Ridgewood residents who were not familiar with the high school and its budget, why the HSA parents chose to fundraise. I expressed a personal opinion about the challenges of fundraising during the District’s “budget season.” My well-intentioned comments were misunderstood by a few of the very people I had hoped to help, and while I’ve already apologized to them directly, I’d like to do so again now. I am sorry that my comment caused anyone concern or disappointment.
Mostly, I want to acknowledge the immense work, sacrifice, personal commitment and dedication exhibited by the Development Committee and the HSA as a whole. As a parent, taxpayer, former HSA president and Board member, I appreciate everything that they do for our schools and for our children.
Once again, thank you and congratulations to the HSA for this successful effort!
Showing posts with label hsa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hsa. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Resident Gerry Clark has withdrawn from BOE race.
It has been reported by Patch.com that Gerry Clark, one of the challenges in the Board of Education election to be held on April 27, has withdrawn from the race. Click here for the full story.
In the meantime, the remaining candidates will be at the RHS Home & School meeting tonight to introduce ourselves and answer questions. Dr. Fishbein will also be there to present the 2011-12 budget which is up for vote.
The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and takes place in the RHS Library (Media Center) on the 2nd floor.
In the meantime, the remaining candidates will be at the RHS Home & School meeting tonight to introduce ourselves and answer questions. Dr. Fishbein will also be there to present the 2011-12 budget which is up for vote.
The meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. and takes place in the RHS Library (Media Center) on the 2nd floor.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Fundraising vs. Funding.
I have to say, while I applaud the energetic and well-meaning parents of the RHS Home & School Association, I do wish their Phone-a-thon fundraiser had been scheduled for a time that didn't coincide with the school budget presentations, discussions and upcoming vote. It's potentially confusing for parents, and I think it dilutes both of our messages and efforts. The fact is, our school budget is limited by the state's 2% cap on taxes. Once we factored in the expected increase in our health insurance premiums, that didn't leave much room for anything but the basics. Priorities are developed by the principals and the administration, and only essential items are budgeted. Yes, the District replaces equipment such as microscopes and computers as much as it can, but we have to be very choosy from year to year in order to allocate funds for maximum impact. At all our schools, we are extremely lucky and appreciative of the parent efforts to fund items which are not able to be included in the budget.
Just to be crystal clear: the fundraising drive was conceived, planned and carried out by the HSA -- the parents of Ridgewood High School. I appreciate their hard work, I appreciate those who choose to donate and I respect those who choose not to donate.
Just to be crystal clear: the fundraising drive was conceived, planned and carried out by the HSA -- the parents of Ridgewood High School. I appreciate their hard work, I appreciate those who choose to donate and I respect those who choose not to donate.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Date set for Race to Nowhere film screening.
Ridgewood High School Home and School Association is pleased to present a private screening of the critically acclaimed documentary film, Race to Nowhere.
Monday, December 6, 2010
GW Middle School Auditorium at 7:00 pm
Discussion to follow the screening.
All Ridgewood Parents are invited to view this important film!
From the press release:
Filmmaker, Vicki Abeles, aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children’s lives. This remarkable new film shines a light on the price young people pay for this “race to nowhere.” High-stakes testing has replaced meaningful teaching and learning. Cheating is commonplace. Stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant. Many young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. Attend the screening and become part of the grassroots phenomenon that is feeding a groundswell for change. www.RaceToNowhere.com
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Mother-Daughter evening with Queen Bees author Rosalind Wiseman at GW this Wednesday.
Ridgewood mothers and teen daughters are invited to a very special evening with author Rosalind Wiseman, author of Queen Bees & Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World, on Wednesday 11/17 at 7:00 p.m. at GW Middle School. The evening will feature an interactive discussion about "confidence, friendships, sweat-inducing moments and common mother-daughter challenges." A Q&A session and book signing will follow.
Tickets are $40 per mother/daughter pair and includes two books: mothers will receive a copy of Queen Bees & Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World and daughters will receive Wiseman’s debut young adult novel, Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials. Additional tickets are $20 each.
If you haven’t read Wiseman’s Queen Bees book, I highly recommend it. And if you have read it, and you have a teen daughter, I know you’ll want to attend this event.
For tickets or more info, contact GW HSA President Kim Lucky, 447-3923 or kplucky@yahoo.com.
Tickets are $40 per mother/daughter pair and includes two books: mothers will receive a copy of Queen Bees & Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and the New Realities of Girl World and daughters will receive Wiseman’s debut young adult novel, Boys, Girls, and Other Hazardous Materials. Additional tickets are $20 each.
If you haven’t read Wiseman’s Queen Bees book, I highly recommend it. And if you have read it, and you have a teen daughter, I know you’ll want to attend this event.
For tickets or more info, contact GW HSA President Kim Lucky, 447-3923 or kplucky@yahoo.com.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Feeling the pressure.
The HSA meeting at the high school Tuesday night included a frank and open discussion about the pressures that Ridgewood students feel –as well as where the pressure comes from, what are the effects, and what can/should we, as a community, do about it?
The discussion was sparked by a report from the Global Classroom Conference, which took place at Ridgewood High School last year. A group of students from around the world came to Ridgewood and conducted a research project. The theme they chose for Ridgewood, after speaking with students, faculty and their host families, was pressure. Specifically, the tremendous pressure students are under to achieve and excel. The Global Classroom participants created a video and a written report – the video was shown at the HSA meeting (and hopefully will be available on YouTube or on the RHS website soon).
The video was enlightening, interesting, and somewhat depressing, featuring RHS kids speaking quite honestly about the reality of growing up in Ridgewood and the enormous expectations for college and future success.
RHS Director of Guidance, Jeff Nyhuis, has been working with Dr. Anne Robinson, a Ridgewood parent and pediatrician, to bring the issue of our pressured students to the forefront. The conversation at Tuesday’s HSA meeting was great. Two students spoke about pressures to participate in extracurricular activities regardless of their interest or enjoyment, pressure for grades, cheating, lack of sleep, and the difficulty of meeting parent expectations for grades and college acceptances. Parents complained about teachers who give way too much homework, and children spending too many hours on homework and sports or afterschool activities, leaving little time for relaxation, socializing with friends and SLEEP.
Parents also talked about our own role in creating this pressure. Not only do our children feel how much we want them to succeed, teachers know that parents expect our schools to be “successful,” with higher test scores or better rankings in New Jersey Monthly magazine. This undoubtedly fuels the teachers’ decisions to add more homework, more grades, more tests. Parents in Ridgewood often get nervous when they feel their children aren’t being kept busy enough. Free time, with absolutely nothing scheduled and nothing due, can seem odd or undesirable to many Ridgewood parents. So even if the school were to lessen the load, many parents would fill the space created with more activities, more sports, more drama classes, more volunteering, more scouts...
As the next step in this process, the RHS HSA will be screening a very important and critically acclaimed documentary film, Race to Nowhere. According to the movie’s website, Race to Nowhere’s director “ignites a national conversation in her new documentary about the pressures faced by American schoolchildren and their teachers in a system and culture obsessed with the illusion of achievement, competition and the pressure to perform. Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired….Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.”
The film will be screened at BF middle school, sometime during the first week of December, and all Ridgewood parents will be invited. When the date is set I’ll post it here.
The discussion was sparked by a report from the Global Classroom Conference, which took place at Ridgewood High School last year. A group of students from around the world came to Ridgewood and conducted a research project. The theme they chose for Ridgewood, after speaking with students, faculty and their host families, was pressure. Specifically, the tremendous pressure students are under to achieve and excel. The Global Classroom participants created a video and a written report – the video was shown at the HSA meeting (and hopefully will be available on YouTube or on the RHS website soon).
The video was enlightening, interesting, and somewhat depressing, featuring RHS kids speaking quite honestly about the reality of growing up in Ridgewood and the enormous expectations for college and future success.
RHS Director of Guidance, Jeff Nyhuis, has been working with Dr. Anne Robinson, a Ridgewood parent and pediatrician, to bring the issue of our pressured students to the forefront. The conversation at Tuesday’s HSA meeting was great. Two students spoke about pressures to participate in extracurricular activities regardless of their interest or enjoyment, pressure for grades, cheating, lack of sleep, and the difficulty of meeting parent expectations for grades and college acceptances. Parents complained about teachers who give way too much homework, and children spending too many hours on homework and sports or afterschool activities, leaving little time for relaxation, socializing with friends and SLEEP.
Parents also talked about our own role in creating this pressure. Not only do our children feel how much we want them to succeed, teachers know that parents expect our schools to be “successful,” with higher test scores or better rankings in New Jersey Monthly magazine. This undoubtedly fuels the teachers’ decisions to add more homework, more grades, more tests. Parents in Ridgewood often get nervous when they feel their children aren’t being kept busy enough. Free time, with absolutely nothing scheduled and nothing due, can seem odd or undesirable to many Ridgewood parents. So even if the school were to lessen the load, many parents would fill the space created with more activities, more sports, more drama classes, more volunteering, more scouts...
As the next step in this process, the RHS HSA will be screening a very important and critically acclaimed documentary film, Race to Nowhere. According to the movie’s website, Race to Nowhere’s director “ignites a national conversation in her new documentary about the pressures faced by American schoolchildren and their teachers in a system and culture obsessed with the illusion of achievement, competition and the pressure to perform. Featuring the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired….Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.”
The film will be screened at BF middle school, sometime during the first week of December, and all Ridgewood parents will be invited. When the date is set I’ll post it here.
Monday, September 20, 2010
The Federated HSA-Valley Hospital meeting. What gives?
You may have heard that the members of the Federated Home & School Association (made up of the presidents of each school’s HSA, plus an executive board and member-at-large) will be meeting with representatives of Valley Hospital on Wednesday 9/22. It seems there are some community members who have misinterpreted this meeting, and are up in arms.
As one of the Board of Ed liaisons to Federated (and a former Secretary/Treasurer of the group and former member as Somerville HSA president), I hope I can shed some light on the facts of the situation, and help tone down some of the anxiety.
Wednesday’s meeting was conceived and scheduled by Federated following a brainstorming session in June. They decided to hold a "special" Federated meeting in September, to address the Valley Hospital Renewal project. Federated invited representatives from Valley Hospital, along with reps of the Village Council and the Board of Ed, to address questions and concerns regarding the health, safety and well being of our students should a hospital expansion project go forward. The purpose is simply to learn, listen and gather facts as they exist at this point in time, just as Federated has done in the past at their meetings on all important issues facing our educational community.
Federated’s President, Elizabeth Resnick, has stated that she sees Wednesday’s meeting is a beginning for these HSA presidents (don’t forget, they only started in their positions in June) to “get a grasp of the current status so they can be ready to decide how to best involve their parent communities moving forward.” The only motivation for Federated is to try and keep communication open and work together as a school community.
Some residents refer to Wednesday’s meeting as “the closed Valley meeting,” implying that there is something to hide or something untoward going on. The only reason it was scheduled as a special meeting was so that there would be enough time – those Federated meetings are long! And it’s not “open” or “closed.” It’s just a Federated HSA meeting. A meeting of the members of the Federated HSA. I guess in that sense it’s closed.
Others have questioned why Valley is being presented with questions in advance. Mrs. Resnick is trying to plan for an efficient meeting. Remember, the purpose is to get information, that’s it.
Some have asserted that “the other side,” the Concerned Ridgewood Residents, should have their opportunity to present “their side” to Federated. This isn’t about “sides.” It’s not about whether the master plan should be amended. It’s not about the decision that the Planning Board made, and it’s not about the decision that the Village Council will be making. It is about this: IF the project, in its current form, goes forward, these HSA presidents (and their constituent parents) have questions about how it will work and how their kids will be protected from harm.
Some residents have expressed their belief that Valley will simply present “slick powerpoints” or that they will lie or bamboozle the Federated members. That’s fairly insulting to these Home & School volunteers. They may not represent every single parent in town, but in attempting to do the right thing for their communities, why can’t they be trusted to ask the questions they feel are important and, likewise, to judge the answers they are given?
I find it particularly sad that our Village has degenerated to such a state of mistrust. How in the world are we going to face the challenges that we need to face, if no one trusts each other?
Any resident of this town has the right to pick up the phone or send an email to Valley and ask whatever questions they want. This group of residents, members of Federated HSA, has that same right. And by limiting their focus to health and safety around the proposed project, they are also exercising their responsibility to not get caught up in the politics.
Did I mention that the minutes of Wednesday’s meeting (taken by a professional court reporter, so no worries about accuracy) will be posted on the Federated HSA website? They will be.
As one of the Board of Ed liaisons to Federated (and a former Secretary/Treasurer of the group and former member as Somerville HSA president), I hope I can shed some light on the facts of the situation, and help tone down some of the anxiety.
Wednesday’s meeting was conceived and scheduled by Federated following a brainstorming session in June. They decided to hold a "special" Federated meeting in September, to address the Valley Hospital Renewal project. Federated invited representatives from Valley Hospital, along with reps of the Village Council and the Board of Ed, to address questions and concerns regarding the health, safety and well being of our students should a hospital expansion project go forward. The purpose is simply to learn, listen and gather facts as they exist at this point in time, just as Federated has done in the past at their meetings on all important issues facing our educational community.
Federated’s President, Elizabeth Resnick, has stated that she sees Wednesday’s meeting is a beginning for these HSA presidents (don’t forget, they only started in their positions in June) to “get a grasp of the current status so they can be ready to decide how to best involve their parent communities moving forward.” The only motivation for Federated is to try and keep communication open and work together as a school community.
Some residents refer to Wednesday’s meeting as “the closed Valley meeting,” implying that there is something to hide or something untoward going on. The only reason it was scheduled as a special meeting was so that there would be enough time – those Federated meetings are long! And it’s not “open” or “closed.” It’s just a Federated HSA meeting. A meeting of the members of the Federated HSA. I guess in that sense it’s closed.
Others have questioned why Valley is being presented with questions in advance. Mrs. Resnick is trying to plan for an efficient meeting. Remember, the purpose is to get information, that’s it.
Some have asserted that “the other side,” the Concerned Ridgewood Residents, should have their opportunity to present “their side” to Federated. This isn’t about “sides.” It’s not about whether the master plan should be amended. It’s not about the decision that the Planning Board made, and it’s not about the decision that the Village Council will be making. It is about this: IF the project, in its current form, goes forward, these HSA presidents (and their constituent parents) have questions about how it will work and how their kids will be protected from harm.
Some residents have expressed their belief that Valley will simply present “slick powerpoints” or that they will lie or bamboozle the Federated members. That’s fairly insulting to these Home & School volunteers. They may not represent every single parent in town, but in attempting to do the right thing for their communities, why can’t they be trusted to ask the questions they feel are important and, likewise, to judge the answers they are given?
I find it particularly sad that our Village has degenerated to such a state of mistrust. How in the world are we going to face the challenges that we need to face, if no one trusts each other?
Any resident of this town has the right to pick up the phone or send an email to Valley and ask whatever questions they want. This group of residents, members of Federated HSA, has that same right. And by limiting their focus to health and safety around the proposed project, they are also exercising their responsibility to not get caught up in the politics.
Did I mention that the minutes of Wednesday’s meeting (taken by a professional court reporter, so no worries about accuracy) will be posted on the Federated HSA website? They will be.
Monday, July 12, 2010
They are busy in Trenton.
As if creating a budget and dealing with the state's deficit weren't enough, you'll be happy to know that our state legislators are also busy crafting other vital legislation. Here's a sample of recent bills:
A-3140 Spencer (D-29); Wagner (D-38) Requires boards of education to calculate body mass index for students in first, fourth, seventh, and tenth grades.
Oh, boy, for all those parents who feel schools intrude too far into the personal lives or home lives of students, how is this? Under this bill, we'd be calculating weight and body fat and, presumably, tracking this info over time.
A-444/S-295 Spencer (D-29), Caputo (D-28), Quijano (D-20), Rodriguez (D-33) Requires school board members to undergo criminal history background checks, and it would disqualify members convicted of any crime that would disqualify a person from working in a public school.
OK, this isn't so bad, I suppose. The NJ School Boards Association already supports disclosure of past criminal convictions by current and prospective school board members. I think it's a little annoying that the school board member would be required to pay the cost of the background check...and I certainly agree with critics who wonder why background checks wouldn't be required of charter school trustees -- or all elected officials?
A-1019/S-438 Spencer (D-29), Caputo (D-28), Quijano (D-20), Rodriguez (D-33) (passed the Assembly on June 28 by a 74-2-1 vote, and now in the Senate Education Committee) would require background checks of all school volunteers.
Yikes, can you imagine? Mandatory background checks for everyone who works at an HSA book fair, who serves cupcakes at the faculty breakfast, who checks-in books at the library, or who reads a story to kindergartners? And, of course, the cost of the fingerprinting, etc., would be borne by the volunteer! This would be difficult to implement, at best, and the hassle factor alone would definitely keep people from volunteering. Silly, if you ask me.
A-3140 Spencer (D-29); Wagner (D-38) Requires boards of education to calculate body mass index for students in first, fourth, seventh, and tenth grades.
Oh, boy, for all those parents who feel schools intrude too far into the personal lives or home lives of students, how is this? Under this bill, we'd be calculating weight and body fat and, presumably, tracking this info over time.
A-444/S-295 Spencer (D-29), Caputo (D-28), Quijano (D-20), Rodriguez (D-33) Requires school board members to undergo criminal history background checks, and it would disqualify members convicted of any crime that would disqualify a person from working in a public school.
OK, this isn't so bad, I suppose. The NJ School Boards Association already supports disclosure of past criminal convictions by current and prospective school board members. I think it's a little annoying that the school board member would be required to pay the cost of the background check...and I certainly agree with critics who wonder why background checks wouldn't be required of charter school trustees -- or all elected officials?
A-1019/S-438 Spencer (D-29), Caputo (D-28), Quijano (D-20), Rodriguez (D-33) (passed the Assembly on June 28 by a 74-2-1 vote, and now in the Senate Education Committee) would require background checks of all school volunteers.
Yikes, can you imagine? Mandatory background checks for everyone who works at an HSA book fair, who serves cupcakes at the faculty breakfast, who checks-in books at the library, or who reads a story to kindergartners? And, of course, the cost of the fingerprinting, etc., would be borne by the volunteer! This would be difficult to implement, at best, and the hassle factor alone would definitely keep people from volunteering. Silly, if you ask me.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Somerville HSA meeting today.
I'll be heading over to the Somerville HSA meeting today at 1:30. (Sorry I don't know what room it's in -- probably the library?) Dr. Fishbein will also be there, too. I try to attend as many Somerville HSA meetings throughout the year as I can, and this one I felt was especially good to attend due to the recent questions about the BOE's response to Valley Hospital and the proposed Master Plan amendment. If you have questions, I hope to see you there.
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