Park Ridge School District - 2016 Winter Newsletter ... Check it out!   
Park Ridge School District
2016 Winter Newsletter
Greetings from the Park Ridge School District!  This is the second edition of the District Newsletter.  We hope you enjoy the updates, news and information about our schools.
Message from the Superintendent
As winter comes to a quiet end, and temperatures are expected to be in the 60's all next week, I am starting to get excited for my favorite time of year.

The Park Ridge School District has been very busy in recent months.  Let's take a look ...

The holiday concerts in all three schools were standing room only, with everyone wanting to enjoy the talented group of musicians in each school.  Each concert seems to be better than the last, which means you should plan on attending the Spring Concerts.

We continue to forge ahead in the area of technology.  Being one of the few districts in NJ to offer a 1:1 laptop program to students in grades 5-12 has certainly separated us from many of our counterparts.  The Virtual School Day we conducted on February 8th is another example of how we will continue to experiment and pilot programs that will provide students with new opportunities and preparation for the future.

There has been no shortage of athletic success during our winter sports season.  EPR wrestling won a Sectional Title and then moved on to become Group 2 State Champions.  No small accomplishment, as a public school from Bergen County has never won a state championship in wrestling. On the hardwood, both Owl basketball teams qualified for the state playoffs, with the Boys team competing as the #1 seed.  The PRE Bowling team won the League Championship in the last match of the season.  Also, student-athletes competing in indoor track completed another successful season, receiving several honors and awards.

Thank you to all of the teachers, support staff and administrators who shape and nurture our students on a daily basis.  Add to this fact, the support we receive from parents and community members and it is easy to see why Park Ridge has become an excellent place to learn and grow.

See you on the ball field!

Sincerely,
Robert M. Gamper, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Park Ridge Public Schools  
Park Ridge sophomores Alli Yule, left, Megan Gasnick, and Claire Perez, each participate in separate classes during the work from home day.
—Jessica Kourkounis for Education Week

Eyewitness News ABC 7 - Michelle Charlesworth -  Click to view Story/Video
Virtual School Day
As you may have heard, Park Ridge Jr./ Sr. High School conducted its first ever ‘Virtual School Day’ on February 8, 2016. 

One of the District’s goals for our 1:1 Laptop Initiative is to prepare our students for college and careers, where many will find themselves participating in blended or online courses.

The administration is still reviewing survey feedback from students, teachers and parents, to determine the future of Virtual Days in the Park Ridge School District.

Thank you to Mr. Lederman (PRHS Principal), Ms. Bacolas (Supervisor of Technology) and all the teachers who helped to make this pilot a productive day!   
DECA @ PRHS
After receiving high marks at the Regional Competition at Ramapo College in early January, Park Ridge High School DECA had 27 students compete at the State Competition February 24 – 26 in Cherry Hill, NJ. Students participated in categories ranging from Sports/Entertainment Marketing to Finance Operations Research.

After preliminary rounds, 16 Park Ridge students were named finalists in their events.  Maia Rippe placed 2nd in Sports and Entertainment Marketing Series Event, Madeline Tremblay finished 2nd in Franchise Business Plan, and Danielle Kaufman finished 3rd in Retail Merchandising Series Event. For their efforts, they have qualified to compete at the International Career Development Conference in Nashville, TN in April for a shot at the National Title in their respective events.    

Kris Conroy was also awarded the Val Scholarship, NJ DECA's highest honor during the Opening Session.  
PARCC - The 2016 testing dates are listed below. If you are interested in viewing the 2015 testing results and information about the upcoming administration, please click on the link ... 
                                 
                                     2015 PARCC Results & 2016 Testing Dates/Information
East Brook And West Ridge
Park Ridge Jr.-Sr. High School
From the Athletic Director ...

Girls Soccer – was 17-1-2 on the season with big wins over rivals Emerson, Cresskill, and New Milford in the County Tournament. The team has won the NJIC Patriot Division Championship for the fourth straight season and was named the NJIC Girls Soccer Team of the Year.

Boys Soccer – was 15-6 with wins over Cresskill, Midland Park, Emerson and a win over Wallington in the County Tournament. One of the team's biggest wins was an upset over Passaic County Champion Hawthorne Christian 1-0 on Senior Night.

Girls Volleyball – was 9-9 with wins over rival Emerson, Hawthorne Christian and Palisades Park to qualify for the State Tournament. The team played a tremendous game on Senior Night defeating Ridgefield in 3 sets.

Girls Tennis – finished the season with a record of 11-9 with wins over Midland Park, Immaculate Conception and Becton. The team advanced to the Quarterfinals of the State Tournament with an upset win over Hawthorne 3-2. 

Cross Country – the Boys and Girls Cross Country teams both had great seasons. The girls finished the regular season with a record of 8-1 and won the league championship meet to share the Patriot League title. The boys also went 8-1 in the league to finish runner-up for the league. Both teams ran at the County Invitational and the State Tournament.

Football / Cheerleading / Band – The Football team defeated Secaucus 48-20 to clinch the NJIC Meadowlands League Championship. This was the team's first league title since 2002. The Owls finished the season with a record of 8-2 and were the number 1 seed in the State Tournament.

Follow Park Ridge High School Athletics on Twitter @PRowlsathletics

Or watch live streams of PRHS Games on www.highschoolcube.com

EPR Wrestling - Group 2 State Champions!
The wrestling team had a tremendous season. After placing first in their group at the County Championship and 3rd overall – the team finished the season with a 23-2 record. The team clinched the NJIC Wrestling championship for the 7th consecutive season.

Senior Paco Robles reached the 100 win career mark vs. Paramus on Jaunary 16th and Senior Sam Schneider became the school's all-time wins leader with a first round pin in the District Tournament.

The team made a historic run claiming its first State Sectional Tournament in 13 years and then won the Group 2 State Championship in thrilling fashion over Delaware Valley.

Coach Woods and Coach Mazzeo were named the NJIC, District 8, and Region 2 Head and Assistant Coaches of the Year.  
QSAC Monitoring
On December 3rd, the Park Ridge School District was subject to the Quality Single Accountability Continuum (QSAC - NJAC 6A:30) review from the New Jersey Department of Education.

Once again, the District satisfied at least 80% of the weighted indicators in each of the five areas (Instruction & Program, Operations, Fiscal Management, Governance, Personnel) of the QSAC review process and has been designated as "high performing."

As a result, Park Ridge will not be monitored again until the 2018-2019 school year.  

Read Across America Day
On Wednesday, March 2nd, schools across the country celebrated Read Across America Day, as a way to honor the birthday of the late Dr. Seuss.  Students at East Brook enjoyed a Whole School Read, while West Ridge students hosted a number of guest readers from the school community.  Thank you to all of the participants for making this day memorable for our students.
Upcoming Dates ...
  • 3/21 BOE Meeting
  • 3/25 Schools Closed (Religious Holiday)
  • 4/18-4/22 Spring Recess
  • 4/25 BOE Meeting
  • 5/23 BOE Meeting
  • 5/30 Schools Closed (Memorial Day)

finger-keyboard.jpg
Park Ridge Board of Education

  • Joseph Bruno, President
  • Daniel Browne, Vice President
  • Barbara von Bradsky
  • Frank Church
  • Peter Montalbano
  • Patrick Moran
  • Robert Sileo

  • Robert M. Gamper, Superintendent
  • Robert Wright, Business Administrator