Maroons Online Vol. 1… No. 36
Acta non verba
Observer: “Dare To Be Good”
Macky’s New York: The Steps Of The MET And Bingo The Cloud.
William Peay: Tales From The Wood…
Novy Family: Farewell to 225 North Monroe Street + 528 Russell Ave
Vaccinations: Are You +14?
New RHS Tradition: Hanging Banners To Honor Graduates
New RHS Principal: Jeff Nyhuis
Later School Start Time Movement (LSST): Background and Current Status
LSST Video: Everything You Need To Know About Teen Sleep In Six Minutes
Observer:
“Dare To Be Good”
I’m not alone in wondering why people volunteer to do certain activities and support specific causes. Take our RHS Alumni Association as an example. On the surface you see a well-run, well-funded school system in an idyllic suburban village. Why might they need any additional assistance from volunteers and why not direct these efforts somewhere else instead?
Good questions to ask yourself.
Let me give three reasons why being involved with former classmates and your alma mater is worthwhile.
Firstly, these are the people who knew you when you were young and impressionable. This happened before Life could drain any of your enthusiasm with a dead end job or an endless set of monthly bills. Your memories might be cringe worthy when examined in hindsight, though in any case they do contain elements of truth which helped shape the person you have become. It’s good to be self aware if only to be able to avoid making the same mistakes.
Secondly, the public school system in Ridgewood produces society’s leaders. Yes, they were born lucky but they are taught to appreciate their advantages and to give back to their communities. We saw this week RHS Alumni hanging banners around town with the names of every 2021 graduate. This small gesture would have meant plenty to me in my day, even more now to students after a year of online education and Covid distress. This new RHS tradition began last year when it appeared that graduation would be cancelled. It was exhilarating to see people hadn’t forgotten this year’s graduates and once again woke up early on a Saturday morning to hang over 400 banners. This example of leadership is something best seen in action and not just talked about in a classroom or a Zoom meeting.
Lastly, we are all in this Covid drama together. Who better to lean on than people who can remind of you of your youth? They can revel in your successes. They can remind you of your better self. They can even make a date with you to zip tie the 2022 graduate’s banners to fences next year. But only if we dare.
One of my favorite RHS teachers and Cross Country coach, Larry Coyle, once told us to “Dare To Be Good.” He was addressing the team just before leaving on a Sabbatical to England with his family. He summed up his philosophy of life in four words. With just four words he left us with the impression we could do great things if we gave it all our effort. He did this without screaming or yelling, just his own quiet and compassionate way of speaking. We should all be so lucky to have been there that day. Though even better is to remind ourselves of what he meant, and what we can all do if we strive together.
Macky’s New York:
Matthew Cortellesi Photography
May 9, 2021 - Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Steps Of The MET And Bingo The Cloud.
With the recent legalization of marijuana in the New York state...it looks (and smells) like every one (including the clouds) are getting high.
Shot into the wet granite of the south fountain looking north.
Time 1pm.
#mackysnewyork
William Peay:
Tales From The Wood…
New Series: Updates On Village Construction Projects
New apartments replacing the inspection station behind the YMCA
Novy Family
Farewell to 225 North Monroe Street + 528 Russell Ave
Vaccinations
Are You +14?
+14 is slang for whether or not 14 days have passed since you received your complete complement of Covid shots. It takes 14 days to become fully inoculated.
New RHS Tradition
Hanging Banners To Honor Graduates
It began last year when it appeared that no graduation would be possible. It is very heartening to see the enthusiasm carried over to this year’s graduates, who spent the entire year with Covid concerns.
RHS 1991, Siobhan Crann Winograd and her husband Mike Winograd.
New RHS Principal:
Jeff Nyhuis
Mr. Jeff Nyhuis will become Principal of RHS effective 1 July 2021.
Mr. Nyhuis is well known to the school community, and we expect a smooth transition in leadership. For more than a decade, Mr. Nyhuis has been an invaluable part of the Smart Balance team of Ridgewood and has put the best interests of the students at the forefront of every decision, policy, and practice at RHS.
Start School Later Movement
Background and Current Status
In at least 44 states, including Princeton and Tenafly in NJ, school districts have successfully implemented later start times for middle and/or high schools. California became the first U.S. state to make later start times mandatory in most public schools. The CA law’s timeline will prohibit middle schools from starting before 8:00 a.m. and high schools from starting before 8:30 a.m. The State of NJ is also exploring later high school start times. The NJ Dept of Education developed a four-year pilot program to implement a later school start time in five NJ high schools. NJ Senators involved in the legislation said the purpose of the pilot program is not to confirm what we already know, that later school start times benefit all adolescent students, but rather to move us closer to a state mandate similar to the one in CA. NJ Pilot Program
The Smart Balance team of Ridgewood, in conjunction with high school administrators and community stakeholders, has been studying the issue of a Later School Start Time (LSST) at Ridgewood High School for eight years. Although we are happy that the broader district has joined the conversation about shifting school start times, we feel a greater sense of urgency for the high school. A later school start at Ridgewood High School should be integral to, not separate from, the plan to bring students back to school full time in September. The national discussion about reopening schools is centered around supporting students and families through the transition and focusing on their health and well-being. U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona recently said that schools should be prepared to provide social-emotional support to students when they return to school in the fall. According to Cardona, returning to school is “not just about turning on the lights and providing face masks, but providing social-emotional support.” As high school students transition back to school in September, a later start time is an essential, proactive measure that will help support their mental and physical health and ease the transition from remote to full-time learning.
Everything You Need To Know About Teen Sleep In Six Minutes
Adolescents need 9 to 10 hours of nightly sleep and tend to fall asleep well after 11:00 p.m. due to biological changes. In addition, early school start times are causing teens to lose REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which helps regulate mood, health, and overall well-being. Given this compelling research, school start times for middle and high school students should be delayed to 8:30 a.m. or later to accommodate teenagers’ most basic health requirements.
Peace