Ridgewood High School (New Jersey)
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Ridgewood High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school serving students from Ridgewood, in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, as part of the Ridgewood Public Schools.
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[edit] Awards and recognition
During the 1986-87 school year, Ridgewood High School was awarded the Blue Ribbon School Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education[1], the highest award an American school can receive.[2][3]
The school was ranked 472 in Newsweek's May 8, 2006, issue, listing the Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States.[4] Ridgewood High School was ranked 323 in Newsweek's 2005 survey.[5]
Ridgewood High School was the 24th-ranked public high school in New Jersey out of 316 schools statewide, in New Jersey Monthly magazine's September 2006 cover story on the state's Top Public High Schools.[6]
[edit] Athletics
Ridgewood High School's sports teams are nicknamed the Maroons. On December 7, 1991, Ridgewood, under coach Chuck Johnson, defeated North Bergen High School in football to win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North I Group IV State Championship, the first ever for the Maroons. In 2003, the football team defeated Morristown High School 35-6 in the NJSIAA North I Group IV Championship game at Giants Stadium. In 2004, the football team repeated the feat by defeating Hackensack High School 27-20, again at Giants Stadium. Ridgewood High School is one of twenty public and private high schools from Bergen, Essex and Passaic Counties that are members of the Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League. The Maroons are routinely ranked as one of the top men's lacrosse programs in New Jersey. Ridgewood Softball, coached by Debbie Paul and Patti Auger, won the 2005 Bergen County Championship and 2006 North I Group IV State Sectional Championship, defeating Bloomfield High School by 3-0. [7]
[edit] Campus
Composed of one central building, which was completed in 1919, the building features brick walls, a slate roof and other stone features. The newest part of the school, the state of the art Science wing, was completed in 2001 and contains 15 laboratory classrooms, three computer labs and a new industrial arts center. A new fitness center, gymnasium, and multi-purpose room, the Campus Center, were also included in the renovation. Due to their proximity to the Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, the school's fields often flood during heavy rains and spring runoff.
[edit] Music
Aside from the school's Academic and Athletic notoriety, Ridgewood High School also has an extensive Music program. The Music department boasts two orchestras, three choirs, three concert bands, a marching band, two jazz ensembles, and numerous small ensembles. Ridgewood High school was named a Grammy Arts School in 2005.
The three Curricular Bands are the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Wind Ensemble. Henry Heyzer conducts the Symphonic Band. The Symphonic Band is a entry-level band where students focus on sharpening their skills in rhythm, pitch, and balance. The use of method books and exercises is supplemented by appropriate concert selections (Level 2.5 to 3), and these skills are developed in an enjoyable environment.
In Concert Band, a mid-range ensemble, there is emphasis on building knowledge of phrasing and characteristic tonality. There is also a greater emphasis on technical ability. Jeffrey Haas conducts both this ensemble and the Wind Ensemble. The Concert Band performs exciting, symphonic literature to supplement this philosophy, and selections are normally from Levels 3 to 4.5. Students in Concert Band have the opportunity to play traditional orchestral literature in Symphonic Orchestra.
The Wind Ensemble plays on a college/professional level. There is great emphasis on developing a sense of musical maturity appropriate to college/professional literature (Levels 5 and 6), so technical ability is a prerequisite for admission. Students have the opportunity to play in Chamber Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble's orchestral equivalent. Members of Wind Ensemble are regularly selected for Bergen County Band. Ridgewood High sends the largest number of students to County Band each year out of all Bergen County high schools. Members of Wind Ensemble are also regularly selected for Region I Band, which encompasses all of North Jersey. Over the years, Ridgewood High School has sent band students to All-State and All-Eastern Ensembles.
The two jazz ensembles, the Big Band and Jazz Lab, perform throughout the year and compete in IAJE-sanctioned competitions. The jazz ensembles also frequently perform with guest artists. Past guests include jazz greats such as Chris Vadalla and Conrad Herwig. Members of the RHS jazz ensembles are regularly selected for the Region I Jazz Ensemble and All-State Jazz Ensemble.
The RHS Marching Band, a cornerstone of the school, has been acclaimed as one of the best in the state of New Jersey and recently won second place at the USSBA NJ State Championships in 2005. The band has also won USSBA All-States Championship titles in 1992 and 1997. The uniforms are similar to The Cadets.
[edit] Administration
- Principal - John “Jack” Lorenz
- Director of Guidance - Margaret Loonam
[edit] Noted alumni
- Andrew Daly - actor/comedian
- Robert Sean Leonard - actor
- Mike Cribier - professional poker player
- Kim Ng - Major League Baseball official
- James "Buddy" Nielsen - musician Senses Fail
- Willie Geist - Senior Producer, The Situation with Tucker Carlson
[edit] References
- ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), accessed May 11, 2006
- ^ CIBA cited as one of the best by Education Department, Journal Inquirer, November 16, 2006. "The Blue Ribbon award is given only to schools that reach the top 10 percent of their state's testing scores over several years or show significant gains in student achievement. It is considered the highest honor a school can achieve."
- ^ Viers Mill School Wins Blue Ribbon; School Scored High on Statewide Test; The Washington Post. September 29, 2005 "For their accomplishments, all three schools this month earned the status of Blue Ribbon School, the highest honor the U.S. Education Department can bestow upon a school."
- ^ Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States, Newsweek May 8, 2006
- ^ America's Best High Schools, Newsweek, August 5, 2005
- ^ Top Public High Schools in New Jersey, New Jersey Monthly, September 2006
- ^ 2006 Softball - North I, Group IV, accessed August 26, 2006
