Ridgewood High School (New Jersey)

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Ridgewood High School
Location
627 East Ridgewood Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07451
Information
School district Ridgewood Public Schools
Principal John Lorenz
Enrollment

1,665 (as of 2005-06)[1]
Faculty 118.8 (on FTE basis)[1]
Student:teacher ratio 14.0[1]
Type Public high school
Grades 9 - 12
Athletics conference Northern New Jersey Interscholastic League
Nickname Maroons
Established 1919
Information 201-670-2800
Homepage School website
Ridgewood High School.
Ridgewood High School.

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.

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,665 students and 118.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 14.0.[1]

Contents

[edit] Architecture

Composed of one central building, which, along with the original gym, was completed in 1919 at a total cost of $285,000, the building features brick walls, a slate roof and other stone features.[2] The building was designed by the noted architectural firm of Tracy and Swarthout, who also designed the Missouri State Capitol building.

[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[3], the highest award an American school can receive.[4][5]

In Newsweek's May 22, 2007 issue, ranking the country's top high schools, Ridgewood High School was listed in 549th place, the tenth-highest ranked school in New Jersey.[6] The school was ranked 472 in Newsweek's May 8, 2006, issue, listing the Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States,[7] and was ranked 323 in Newsweek's 2005 survey.[8]

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.[9]

[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 the 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, won the 2005 Bergen County Championship and 2006 North I Group IV State Sectional Championship, defeating Bloomfield High School by 3-0. [10]

In 2007, the Boy's Tennis Team won their second State Sectionals title in three years, defeating Livingston High School 3-2 to win the North I, Group IV championship.[11] The 2008 Boys Tennis Team won their third consecutive North I, Group I state sectional championship with a 4-1 win in the tournament final over Livingston High School.[12]

Ridgewood High School was awarded the Shop-Rite Cup in 2006 for exhibiting all-around talent in its athletic programs.[citation needed]

[edit] Campus

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 Signature School in 2004.[13]

The three Curricular Bands are the Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and Wind Ensemble. Henry Heyzer conducts the Symphonic Band. The Symphonic Band is an 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 places a 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, with Ridgewood High among those sending the largest number of students to County Band each year. 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 International Association for Jazz Education (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.

The Orchestras, Chamber Orchestra and Symphonic Orchestra, are both conducted by Amanda Zlotkin. Chamber Orchestra consistently plays professional literature at a very high level, and many of its students are accepted into Region and All-State Orchestra. The Symphonic Orchestra is an entry-level orchestra that performs medium-level literature. Many RHS string students attend pre-college programs in New York City at places such as the Manhattan School of Music and the Juilliard School.

Keith Sattely serves as the choral director. There are a total of three curricular and two extra-curricular vocal ensembles at Ridgewood High. The Chamber Choir is a high-level choir that focuses on mastery of musical ability. It regularly wins accolades for the choral program, preforming challenging SATB and SAB literature. The Concert Choir is the entry-level SATB/SAB choir, performing exciting works and focusing on improving musical ability. The Chorale is an entry-level all-women's choir, performing two-part (SA) literature. There are also extra-curricular vocal ensembles: the Madrigals and the Vocal Jazz Ensemble.

[edit] Administration

  • Principal - John Lorenz
  • Director of Guidance - Margaret Loonam
  • Assistant Principal: Administration and Student Services - Basil Pizzuto

[edit] Noted alumni

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Ridgewood High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed March 18, 2008.
  2. ^ Hanley, Robert. "The $25 Million Defeat", The New York Times, December 21, 1997. Accessed March 18, 2008. "The high school, built in 1919 for $285,000 (after one bond issue failed), sits on a little bluff and is one of Ridgewood's most imposing buildings."
  3. ^ Blue Ribbon Schools Program: Schools Recognized 1982-1983 through 1999-2002 (PDF), accessed May 11, 2006.
  4. ^ 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."
  5. ^ 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."
  6. ^ "The Top of the Class: The complete list of the 1,200 top U.S. schools", Newsweek, May 22, 2007. Accessed May 24, 2007.
  7. ^ Top 1,200 High Schools in The United States, Newsweek May 8, 2006.
  8. ^ America's Best High Schools, Newsweek, August 5, 2005,
  9. ^ "Top Public High Schools in New Jersey", New Jersey Monthly, September 2006, backed up by Internet Archive as of April 29, 2007. Accessed March 5, 2008.
  10. ^ 2006 Softball - North I, Group IV, accessed August 26, 2006.
  11. ^ "Palisades Park wins sectional", The Record (Bergen County), May 22, 2007. "Quentin Sengun and Walter Green rallied to win what proved the be the winning match as top-seeded Ridgewood defeated third-seeded Livingston, 3-2, at Montclair Kimberley to win its second sectional title in three years."
  12. ^ 2008 Boys Team Tennis - North I, Group IV, NJSIAA. Accessed June 2, 2008.
  13. ^ GRAMMY� Foundation Announces 2004 Signature Schools, National Association for Music Education press release dated April 28, 2004.
  14. ^ Klein, Alvin. "FOR STAGE NOVICE, 'ACTING IS IT", The New York Times, January 5, 1986. Accessed October 29, 2007. "He's not only having an awful day, he's having an awful time, as the actor, Robert Leonard of Ridgewood, puts it.... A junior at Ridgewood High School, Robert is enrolled in a work study program under which he gets credit for his theater experience."
  15. ^ Gene Andrew Maguire biography, United States Congress. Accessed June 10, 2007.
  16. ^ Coutros, Evonne. "Ridgewood grad strikes it rich on 'Jeopardy!'", The Record (Bergen County), September 23, 2005. Accessed June 10, 2007. "Former Ridgewood resident David Madden hit the jackpot this month, but it wasn't in the lottery. Madden, a 1999 graduate of Ridgewood High, had a 19-day winning streak on "Jeopardy!" and walked away from the game show with more than $430,000 in cash."
  17. ^ September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle, accessed April 22, 2007. "Riddle was born in Oradell, New Jersey. His father played trombone and piano and encouraged his son to take music lessons at an early age. Already a six footer in his teens, he attended Ridgewood High School and was encouraged by his school music teacher to continue his musical studies, which he would ultimately do most of his life."
  18. ^ Confessions of a Backyard Submarine Builder National Geographic Magazine, November 2002. Accessed December 11, 2007.
  19. ^ RHS Athletic Hall of Fame: Kazbek Tambi - Class of 1979, Ridgewood High School. Accessed July 30, 2007.

[edit] External links