Innovative special ed is the Ridgewood way.

Innovative special education? It's just how we do things in Ridgewood, at least as long as I've been here and clearly since before then. The mission statement of our school district is the real thing, especially the part about "enabling students to maximize their unique potentials." In some school districts, special education is seen as somehow other...separate...different...well, special. But in Ridgewood, special ed is just part of how we educate and care for every student and his or her unique potential, whatever that may be, from overachievers to underachievers, from superstars to kids who struggle with basic everyday survival. Most Ridgewood residents have no idea the range of needs and challenges faced by Ridgewood youth, and are unaware of the lengths our educators go to educate students of all aptitudes and developmental levels. The very fact that our special ed programs operate somewhat "under the radar" is a testament to how these programs are part of the very fabric of our school system. The recent referendum and construction projects to add/change spaces at our schools and better accommodate special programs is further confirmation. Financially smart, yes, but also simply the right thing to do.

That's why it's truly great when a Ridgewood program is recognized outside on the larger stage. You may have read recently that RHS principal Jack Lorenz was recognized by Bergen County for his leadership in developing the S.A.I.L. (Strategic Actions & Innovations for Learning) program at the high school, and kudos to Mr. Lorenz. According to the story on Ridgewood Patch, the S.A.I.L. program "houses special needs students in-house, focusing on providing lessons of independence." The program consists of a curriculum that combines academic lessons with internships, job training, counseling and technology. S.A.I.L. also saves the district money, since the students remain in RHS instead of being sent out of district where we would have to pay tuition for their education. It's a win-win for the students, their families and the district (not to mention the other RHS students who have the benefit of working with and getting to know these students, too).

I think it's important to mention that many people created, and currently give life everyday to, the S.A.I.L. program at RHS. In particular, Kerry Huntington, Director of Special Services, and Pat Staab, Supervisor of Special Education, were architects of the program along with Mr. Lorenz. And, seriously, I save my strongest praise and respect for the teachers with, as they say, the "boots on the ground," who work with the S.A.I.L. students day in and day out. Yes, it certainly takes leadership to get a program such as S.A.I.L. off the ground (thank you Board of Ed, too, for funding it). But it takes a District with an overall commitment at all levels to create an environment where such a program could be theorized, designed and implemented pretty much in the background, business as usual. Thank you Ridgewood, and thank you to all the educators involved, for making it a reality.

Losing some school safety.

Yesterday’s Bergen Record had a story about budget cuts forcing school districts to lose their School Resource Officers. Ridgewood lost its SRO and it’s definitely a loss for our students.

It may surprise some people that I am a fan of police officers in schools for any reason, but the SRO is not simply an armed-guard. Rather than intimidating students, frisking kids, searching lockers or chasing down youthful offenders, the SRO’s benefits are more subtle and long term. In Ridgewood, our SRO formed relationships with students in the high school and middle schools. Actually, elementary school students became acquainted with him as he would occasionally talk to their classes, then when they got to middle school they’d see him more often and perhaps get to know him one on one. And then by high school they were comfortable enough to share information about activities and interests of kids in Ridgewood – things that might happen in school or outside of school. The SRO got to know many students by name, he had his ear to the ground, and heard stories about parties or incidents. He knew who had bad home situations. He helped get assistance for kids with substance problems. And the kids felt he genuinely cared about them. Students could come to him for advice. If he heard about an issue that was in the principal’s purview, he’s share that info. And vice versa. Without a doubt, the SRO prevented some crimes from happening and when there were incidents, he was able to follow-up with more precision and success.

It’s nice to read that some towns, such as New Milford, stepped in with funding from the town budget, to keep SROs in place. Our BOE was unsuccessful in getting the Village of Ridgewood to fund our SRO when grant funding ran out. So the Ridgewood SRO was reassigned to “regular” police work.

Does my opinion of the SRO program conflict with my opinion of extracurricular codes that punish kids for activities that take place outside of school? Absolutely not. I still am not comfortable with a school imposing sanctions – such as barring a student from sports or clubs – because of something they may have done on a Saturday night. But the SRO program was different. It was about communication and rapport and the “it takes a village” mentality, not simply a shortcut to official police reports.

It’s too bad we lost it.

Lunch point-of-sale system confusion.

Received this email from the Ridgewood Public Schools tonight:

Hello Parents of Ridgewood Middle Schools and High School,

As you may know, we have implemented a Point-of-Sales system in the cafeterias at the Middle Schools and High School.  In order to make the lunch period run quickly and efficiently, we ask that you remind your students that they will require a Key Pad number for purchasing items from the cafeterias, either on account or in cash.  Your students key pad number can be found in Skyward Family or Student Access under Food Service.  If you need assistance, please email skywardhelp@ridgewood.k12.nj.us.Thank you for your patience during this transition period.

I do encourage everyone to be patient (and nice) during the transition, but I have to agree with some of my friends who find it utterly baffling that students must enter a PIN number in order to purchase something with cash. Makes no sense to me. (Not to mention -- if you don't use Skyward to pay for lunch in advance, then you don't have a PIN...or you don't know you have a PIN.) I'm hoping this is something that can be tweaked and corrected. I don't understand why a Point of Sale system needs to track cash purchases. 

I'll let you know if I hear about anything changing.

First day of school 2011!

So here we are again, back to school. This time it’s strange for me for a couple of reasons. My son, who is my youngest child, is starting his senior year at Ridgewood High School. It’s hard to believe we’re already here. Hard to believe his college applications will be done in a couple of months. And hardest to believe he’ll be going off to college in one year. He is such a different person than my daughter, that the college app and senior process will be much different this time around. Let’s just say things aren’t quite so buttoned up. At the same time, things don't feel so stressful, either.

We did manage to get a few things done this summer. We researched and visited several schools. At the beginning of the summer, his list of potential colleges was around 40. It is now a manageable 11 schools – and that’s how many he will apply to. I think he’s got 2 reach, 3 target/reach, 4 target and 2 safety. Part of the challenge is that he is completely undecided in terms of what he wants to study or what he wants to do with his life. And that’s OK with me – in fact I think it’s great because I don’t think 16 or 17 year olds have the experience or knowledge of themselves or the world to be “deciding” on their careers. So while I’m glad he’s open to a lot of possibilities, it changes the college search process from one focused on finding the school with the perfect program to finding a school with a wide variety of options, where the important thing is he feels comfortable enough to explore.

I appreciate the fact that college is a priority among Ridgewood students – as my daughter used to say, it’s actually cool to be smart at RHS – but I don’t like the constant comparison and “where are you applying” and “what are your SAT scores” that can reach a fever pitch among some/many of the students (and parents). My number one goal with my son (and my daughter in 2007) was to get them to keep their heads down, focus on themselves and what’s right for them, and don’t listen to what everyone else is doing.

As a parent, it can be helpful to hear what others are doing as a way to get ideas, hear advice from those who’ve lived it before and to relieve stress (whew, glad to know all the boys are procrastinators!). But for the students, I think the constant talk and comparison is not helpful. So I try to be a counterbalance to that.

Anyway, the beginning of senior year is an exciting time. Even though I know that at the very end of the process there will be a letting go, I’m looking forward to the experience – the one I’ll be sharing with my son and husband and the one I’ll be sharing with my fellow RHS Class of 2012 parents.

Have a great year, everyone. Here we go!

Project Graduation 2011 -- another winner!

Project Graduation 2011 was another successful event in this 50+ year Ridgewood tradition. As I think I've mentioned in the past, Iam a huge huge fan of Project Graduation. I co-chaired it in 2007 with Tracy Autera (whose mother, Barbara Dittrick, chaired it in the 80s). Next year, Tracy's sister Lindsey Barclay will co-chair with Kelly Coakley for 2012. As my son is a member of that class, I'm excited to be involved again.

The theme of PG11 was Ice Hotel. The BF gym, hallway and cafeteria were transformed into an icy winter wonderland. The gym was cooled with temporary air conditioning, adding to the effect. As usual, the kids all had a great time, as mentioned in a letter in today's Ridgewood News (click here).

Project Graduation 2012 parents are brainstorming ideas for a theme. If you have a good idea, send it to ProjectGrad2012@gmail.com.

Here are the past few Project Graduation themes:

1997 - Honey I Shrunk the Kids
1998 - Western
1999 - Wizard of Oz
2000 - Cruise
2001 - NYC
2002 - Rock and Roll
2003 - Down at the Shore
2004 - Pirates of the Caribbean
2005 - Survivor
2006 - Harry Potter
2007 - Midnight at the Oasis
2008 - Beijing Olympics
2009 - Batman
2010 - Alice in Wonderland
2011 - Ice Hotel

RHS students gain new perspectives at global classroom conference in Sweden.

There's a story in today's Ridgewood News about a group of eight Ridgewood High School students who traveled to Sweden recently to participate in the annual Global Classroom Conference. They spent 10 days working with students from around the world on issues of sustainability, meeting in small groups, making presentations on research tasks and sharing ideas from different perspectives.

It's great to see the opportunities that RHS students have to expand their high school experience. As the story in the Ridgewood News mentions, this type of trip is more like the things you do in college. Great program for Ridgewood. Previously our students traveled to the Shetland Islands for the conference and one year students from around the world came to Ridgewood as the conference was held here.

Click here for the full story.

White dresses and red roses.

The Ridgewood High School Class of 2011 graduates tomorrow and once again I got choked up seeing the Stadium Field set-up for the occasion. I truly have never seen a graduation ceremony anywhere that's as beautiful as Ridgewood's. The white dresses, the white dinner jackets, the red roses...such a great tradition!

Graduation starts at 5:00 tomorrow. I'm sad that I won't have the honor and privilege of walking with the graduates as part of the Board of Education. I did love that part of the job -- the view of the ceremony is great from the dais. Instead, tomorrow at 5:00 I'll be at BF Middle School heading up the Project Graduation "watch dogs" -- parents of the RHS class of 2012 who are keeping an eye on the BF party decorations while the parents who created the scene are watching their children receive their diplomas. I also have the important job of sending the buses to RHS to pick up the kids and take them to the first stage of Project Graduation, the Dinner Dance at the "secret, undisclosed location," (where the Dinner Dance has been held for at least the last 30 years...ssshhhh!).

Graduation is a great day in Ridgewood. Congratulations, Class of 2011!

'Neon Safari' -- no idea what it means, but it sounds like a good time for Ridgewood teens.

Tomorrow night (Friday, June 10), the Ridgewood Guild and the recently formed Junior Guild will host their first teen dance under the stars at Van Neste Square from 8:30 to11:00 PM. Admission for RHS students is $5.00. The "buzz" that I've heard is that Ridgewood teens are looking forward to the dance. I hope the rain stays away -- I'm not sure if there is a rain plan or alternate rain date.

According to an email sent to RHS parents, "It is the goal of the Ridgewood Guild and Junior Guild to bring teens to downtown Ridgewood for safe and substance-free weekend events. Guild events are not school-sponsored and therefore are dependent on community volunteers and hired off-duty policers to insure the safety of the attendees."

Parent chaperones are needed. Please contact David Zrike if you are able to assist: dzrike@zrike.com

The theme of the dance is "Neon Safari." Your guess is as good as mine as to what that means...makes me feel old and out of touch. But when I asked my 17-year-old son, he said "It doesn't mean anything, Mom, it's just a dance."

RHS Class of 2011 College Destinations.

As an RHS parent, I recently received the annual “Senior Survey” from the Guidance Department. It’s a report on post-graduate plans for the Class of 2011. According to the survey of 412 graduating seniors:

90.8% are attending a 4-year college (Last year, it was 88.8%)
4.6% are attending a 2-year college (Last year, it was 4.5%)
42.3% are attending a Public/State college (Last year, it was 40.7%)
57.7% are attending a Private college (Last year, it was 59.3%)
18.4% are attending a college in New Jersey (Last year, it was 21.4%)
9 seniors are attending an Ivy League College (Last year, it was 16 seniors)

College destinations for the top 20% of the Class of 2011:
Amherst College
Bates College
Bentley University
Binghamton University
Boston College
Boston University (2)
Bowdoin College
Brandeis University (2)
Brown University (2)
Bucknell University (2)
Colgate University
College of the Holy Cross
College of William and Mary (3)
Columbia University
Cornell University (4)
Duke University
Emerson College
Fordham University
Georgetown University
Hamilton College (3)
Johns Hopkins University (2)
Lehigh University
Middlebury College (3)
Muhlenberg College
New York University (3)
Northeastern University
Northwestern University
Oberlin College
Penn State
Providence College
Rutgers University (2)
Stevens Institute of Technology
The College of New Jersey (2)
The George Washington University
Tufts University
Tulane University
Universidad Interamericana de Costa Rica
University of California at Los Angeles
University of Chicago
University of Illinois at Urbano-Champaign
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Michigan (5)
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (2)
University of Notre Dame (3)
University of Richmond
University of Southern California
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University
Vassar College (3)
Washington and Lee University (2)
Wesleyan University (2)
Williams College

A crisis in civics education.

Did you see the NY Times story last week about American eighth graders’ failing grade in learning civics? (Click here for the article.) The story began:

Fewer than half of American eighth graders knew the purpose of the Bill of Rights on the most recent national civics examination, and only one in 10 demonstrated acceptable knowledge of the checks and balances among the legislative, executive and judicial branches, according to test results released on Wednesday.

At the same time, three-quarters of high school seniors who took the test, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, were unable to demonstrate skills like identifying the effect of United States foreign policy on other nations or naming a power granted to Congress by the Constitution.

“Today’s NAEP results confirm that we have a crisis on our hands when it comes to civics education,” said Sandra Day O’Connor, the former Supreme Court justice, who last year founded icivics.org, a nonprofit group that teaches students civics through Web-based games and other tools.

I remember Civics being one of the mandatory classes I took in high school. It was a whole semester of learning about how our government works, holding class debates on various issues of the day. Our teacher was dynamic and really encouraged us to understand government so that we could question it, live within it and change it, if necessary.

I assume that Civics is covered in social studies or history classes today. Ridgewood High School does have two courses – American Government & Politics and Introduction to the Fundamentals of American Government – but these are electives for students in grades 11 and 12. I don’t know if an entire course on Civics or Government was ever required in New Jersey.

What I do know is that this truly is a crisis. Some people might argue that Civics is an “old fashioned” class. On the contrary, I think it’s even more necessary today. In olden times (when I was a teen), government was something that took place in Washington, D.C., or Sacramento and we regular folks could participate by….hmmm…well, we could write letters to the editor, we could write our Congressmen, we could talk amongst ourselves. Not much of a conversation and not much potential for real impact. Today, with the proliferation of blogs and online magazines and sites devoted to social issues, politics, government, ideas, etc., everybody has the opportunity to participate. There are debates going on everywhere. Everybody’s got an opinion. Unfortunately, not everyone knows what they’re talking about. They don’t understand how our government works. They read posts -- often anonymous -- and have no basis for evaluating the credibility or veracity of what they read.

I think we need civics education now more than ever.

Click here to read the full story in the New York Times.

Click here to check out icivics.org, the website founded by former Supreme Court justice Sandra Day O’Connor, with the purpose of teaching students about civics.

RHS fundraising success…and an apology.

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!

RHS New Players presents The Arabian Nights.

Ridgewood High School's excellent theater program, New Players, will present The Arabian Nights next weekend. All are welcome to attend and see what talented students we have.

Showtimes are:

Friday 5/13 at 8:00 PM
Saturday May 14 at 2:00 PM
Saturday May 14 at 8:00 PM

In The Little Theater at RHS.

Tickets are $10 for Students/Staff/Senior Citizens and $15 for Adults. For advance purchase, click here.

I'm in awe of these students. The time and effort they give to the theater program, on top of their classes, is amazing. Of course, theater isn't part of the "core curriculum" or the 3 R's, so I worry about the state of the arts in New Jersey schools in general and Ridgewood in particular. For some of these students -- as with athletes, or artists, or TV club members or ___ -- these so-called extracurriculars are the way they connect with school. The arts (and sports, too, for that matter) aren't "extras." They are vital to the Ridgewood education, contributing to our students' overall success, scores, identities, achievement and happiness.

Anyway, looking for something new to do in town on a Friday or Saturday night? Why not take in a show at our own high school Little Theater. You can have some fun and support some talented kids doing what they love.

More NJ districts are charging activity fees.

A recent survey by the New Jersey School Boards Association showed that approximately 40% of districts charge activity fees for students involved in extracurricular activities. Of those districts that charge activity fees, half charge a flat fee, and 34.6 percent charge a per-activity fee. (Ridgewood charges a flat fee for students in the middle schools and high school.)

Click here to see more detailed results on the survey.

A few selected comments from the survey results:

Our district has charged for activities for the past 10 years or so. We instituted them after several budget defeats and thought it would have a positive effect on parent/voter turnout … but so far, it hasn't seemed to work out. We have had surprisingly little reaction to the fees.

We discussed this for last year but decided that, although we could have used the money, we had to make sure that we had a policy in place and we were not going down the path of poor implementation like so many districts have.

I don't understand why everyone thinks when they get to high school, sports and other activities should be free. If they want the extras and the district does not have the money, they must be willing to pay. It's better than cutting the program!

I am not in favor of charging for activities/sports that are run through the schools. It is important that we encourage participation in activities/sports for many reasons. It's proven that kids who participate are better students.

It is an unfortunate necessity. Co-curriculars are a critical part of a student's education, but the state's failure to make good on its constitutional obligation to fund schools according to its own formula leads us down the slippery slope of having parents pay for "extras" that aren't really extra at all. Sad times for education in New Jersey

With 2 percent cap, activity fees may be the only way to protect extra curricular & co-curricular programs.

It is an unfortunate requirement in today's economic climate.

We have looked at this in the past, and will probably look at it in the future. At the moment we prefer not to impose this type of fee.

Extracurricular activities should be considered part of the essential educational experience and should be fully funded through the existing revenue streams.

We have raised the required number of participating students for clubs and activities, which has reduced the number of clubs and activities, and hence reduced some of our costs. Also, we have secured grants from the freeholder board to fund our after-school tutoring/homework club and our girls' and boys' running clubs.

We are introducing activity fees starting in the 2011-2012 school year. We felt it was time to take a small step into this area, especially when presenting a balanced budget is increasingly difficult.

Watch RHS Girls’ Lacrosse beat Yorktown on Cablevision.

The RHS girls’ lacrosse team had a great game vs. Yorktown on Saturday, winning 19-13 at RHS Stadium. It was/is the only girls’ lax game to be broadcast live in the tri-state area on Cablevision, and they will be replaying it on CableVision IO TV Channels 14 and 614: tomorrow, Wednesday 4/27, at 3:00 p.m.

Apparently the half time presentation includes some overview of RHS, an interview with Principal Jack Lorenz, and more.

If I had Cablevision, I’d love to watch!

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.

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.

Ridgewood students & parents take note: relax on the college angst!

Love, loved this column from Mitch Albom, which ran in today's Bergen Record.

Favorite part: "[Today] Gandhi would be put on a waiting list."

Most scary part: "A New York City woman who [is] suing a private preschool academy for putting her 4-year-old daughter with younger kids and therefore affecting her chances at an Ivy League education. Never mind that all 4-year-olds should be covered in orange paint. This mom is already thinking about the day you seniors are about to face. And she's terrified."

Please read and take heart. As the mother of an RHS junior, I appreciate the reminder:

Dear High School Seniors,

I know you weren't expecting a commencement address. It's still March, and you haven't even gotten to throw up at the prom yet.

But you are at a crossroads. In a matter of days, you will get letters from colleges you applied to. Some will be thick. You will like those. Some will be thin. You won't like those so much.

I am here to say: Don't fret if that letter is thin. You will survive. You may even prosper.

It seems incredibly hard to get into colleges these days. You wouldn't think so, given what they charge. You can run an airport on their room and board bills.

Yet last year, places like Princeton and Brown had nearly 20% increases in applicants from the year before. The University of Chicago jumped 42%. You'd think they were giving away diplomas, instead of asking for your house, your keys and your firstborn.

But even worse than the financial burden on your parents is the implied standards they are setting for you kids. Today, excellence isn't enough. Gandhi would be put on a waiting list.

When we were applying to college, you needed good grades, a decent test score and one teacher willing to forget the time you pulled the fire alarm and write you a recommendation.

Today, you need to cure cancer.

Preferably before your junior year.

The mythical cream of the crop?

As an uncle to 15 nieces and nephews, I have been seeing my share of these applications. I have to say, I don't know how you do it.

First of all, when do you have the time? Your nightly homework is as much as we got the entire ninth grade.

And the application itself? Some universities use the "common app," which permits millions of kids to stuff their credentials into the same essay question.

But let's talk about those questions. They ask you to write about an experience that changed or influenced you. And instead of writing what really comes to mind (a first kiss after soccer practice), you feel compelled to write about saving manatees from extinction off the gulf coast. Even if you never did save manatees. Because you heard about some kid who actually did save manatees, and he also carried 100 pairs of pajamas to victims of Hurricane Katrina, and he also plays jazz bass (upright) and in his spare time finished a sequel to "Catcher in the Rye."

Oh, and he scored 36 on his ACT.

I'm not sure such über-students really exist. But people talk about them. You hear about them getting in to Harvard, Princeton, Stanford. So much so, that good, intelligent, ambitious kids don't even want to apply to those places, because they don't feel "special" enough. It's as if schools today put out a vibe: "What, you don't know how to reconstruct a hydraulics system? You should have studied harder - in grade school."

Never too young for the fast track?

So it was no surprise this past week to read of a New York City woman who is suing a private preschool academy for putting her 4-year-old daughter with younger kids and therefore affecting her chances at an Ivy League education. Never mind that all 4-year-olds should be covered in orange paint. This mom is already thinking about the day you seniors are about to face. And she's terrified.

Well, relax. Because here's the thing: When you get older, you realize college doesn't make you, you make college. Many an Ivy Leaguer is now lying on a couch, and many a community college grad is running a profitable company.

Ironically, just as elite universities have become so precious in their selection, they are being debunked as the only way to success. The Internet has changed everything about information flow.

Remember Matt Damon's character in "Good Will Hunting" who taunts a Harvard student by saying in 50 years he'll realize he "dropped a hundred and fifty grand on a (bleeping) education you coulda got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library"?

Of course, you don't remember. You were 4 years old. But there was truth in those words, more today than ever.

So believe in yourself. You can springboard from any decent school. Open those mailboxes. And if choice No.1 doesn't come through, just remember, even Michael Jordan watched two players picked ahead of him in the NBA draft.

What's that? ... Who's Michael Jordan?

Thank you, and good day.

Youth art all around us.

Every year, I love the Board meeting that takes place on the Monday before the Youth Art Reception at the Ed Center. Since there is so much art to be displayed, they start setting up in the days before the event. Monday night, as we discussed the budget, staffing, and other (dry, somewhat unexciting) business, we could look around and see just a ton of beautiful and amazing pieces all around us. There are paintings and drawings, of course, and ceramic pieces and other sculptures. And there are always a few unusual things. This year my favorite (so far) is the Totem Pole made by some of the students in the SAIL program at RHS. It's made from painted and decorated student backpacks, which have been stacked on top of each other to create a totem pole in the style of poles found in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. It's about seven feet tall and it's awesome!

Then, yesterday, at the BF HSA meeting, Ms. Hyer, an art teacher, gave a presentation to the parents about some of the different types of art being created in her classes. It was fascinating to see the students' skills changing and developing as they grow from 6th grade to 8th grade.

I hope you'll consider attending the Youth Arts Reception at the Ed Center tomorrow night. It begins at 6:30 p.m. on the 3rd floor. The room will be filled with children leading their parents around, showing off what they made, mingling with their art teachers...one of my favorite events at the Ed Center.

Also, March is National Youth Art Month. Click here to find out more about Youth Art Month and the Council for Art Education.

Race to Nowhere to be shown again Feb. 28; Producer will lead post-screening discussion

Nearly 600 Ridgewood parents turned out in December to view and discuss the educational documentary film, RACE TO NOWHERE. Additionally, the film was shown to the entire faculty at Ridgewood High School. The film’s producer, Vicki Abeles, followed the strong response from our community and has planned a visit to Ridgewood to continue the dialog. On February 28th at 7:00 PM at the Benjamin Franklin Auditorium, Vicki Abeles will host a screening of RACE TO NOWHERE and lead a discussion. All members of the community are invited, but according to a recent email from the RHS HSA, Ms. Abeles is most interested in hearing from RHS students. Parents are asked to encourage their teen children to attend.

Personally, I think the parents who most need to attend the screening are parents of elementary school children. The attitudes and practices that are criticized or questioned by the film are attitudes and practices that begin when children are in elementary school. By the time our kids are in high school, frankly, the damage has been done. (That's not to say certain aspects can't be "undone." It's never too late to chill out!)

Following is additional background on the film, from promotional materials:

Vicki Abeles, a concerned mother turned filmmaker, in RACE TO NOWHERE, aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded schools and the lives of children, creating unhealthy, disengaged and stressed-out youth. Featuring the stories of young people in all types of communities 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 is a call to action to challenge current assumptions on how best to prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, and contributing citizens.

RACE TO NOWHERE examines what is happening to students as a result of current policies and practices that focus on testing, performance and competition rather than meaningful teaching and learning. The film gives voice to those who are most affected by education policies – the students and teachers themselves. The film empowers everyone to get involved and take ownership of what’s happening in our schools and communities.

Admission is free of charge.

RHS student scientists.

I’m back! Actually, I wasn’t really gone, at least not physically. But I was seriously underwater on way too many projects for my clients. As a long-time freelancer, I learned long ago that there is really no such thing as saying “no” to one’s clients. In this competitive marketplace and slow economy, I can’t afford to lose any work, so…when it rains it pours and all I can do is hang on and focus. This week, I'm done with a couple of projects, soI can breathe a bit more. I’ve got some catching up to do on blog posts.

First up: science! At last week’s Board of Ed meeting, we heard about an amazing program happening at the high school. Last year, students working in partnership with Stevens Institute of Technology under a grant from the National Science Foundation created solar cells using the juice from blueberries and the powder from powdered donuts. They showed the working solar cells at Super Science Saturday last March. This year, approximately 50 students in several teams are creating a water splitter. The naturally-created solar cells will power the water splitter, which will create hydrogen gas (the cleanest form of energy in existence).

This is real science, people. I love that this project is so popular at RHS, with all 50 students participating after school and during lunch – on their own time. What a great project and a testament to the RHS teachers who are inspiring them. Can’t wait to see this new project (creating hydrogen energy, really) on display at this year’s Super Science Saturday on March 12. (More info click here.)