Spring 2020 Edition
A Message from Dr. Ben-Dov
Dear River Edge Parents,
As I write my final note for the conclusion of the 2019-20 school year I am keenly aware that today would have been the day we all excitedly share our “Happy Summer” wishes…It would have been the time we send students off with a warm smile and a big hug, their arms loaded with projects and belongings, so ready to embark on summer adventures…It would have been the day staff members hug each other and excitedly share summer plans. The day the principals and I watch parents gather on the blacktop, collecting their children and eagerly wishing each other a wonderful summer! While the warmest wishes remain the physical congratulatory gestures and hugs are absent from this special day…
The silver lining of the closing of schools was the very personal, socially distant graduation visits we made to our 6th graders homes (or the front yards or exteriors of these homes). The teachers, principals, photographers, counselor, and on occasion aides, visited every graduate and we presented them with their graduation diplomas and awards. This process was accompanied by laughs, tears, and the greatest wave of warmth I have ever experienced in the River Edge Community! Congratulations to our River Edge Graduates!
As schools close for the summer I want to thank our entire River Edge Community for pulling together to make the pandemic period manageable and as successful as we could for our students. The River Edge Board of Education, The River Edge Municipality and Police, Staff, parents, and students are all to be thanked and commended on their cooperation towards one mutual goal: Helping educate our students under these unusual circumstances… It was team work that paid off!
Today your children concluded their formal virtual learning for the 2019-20 school year and I want share with you a few final thoughts. Regardless of whether your child is part of summer school we feel that it is important to maintain academic skills or enrich them. To this end, the RE School District developed and is sharing in the link below enrichment resources that are available for you to use with your children this summer. Please know that using these resources is optional. Students will not be held responsible for their completion in September but it will be nice to have and use them if you so desire. We believe that as important as it is to continue an academic connection it is also of utmost importance to relax, to engage in outdoor activities, and to refresh our minds and bodies. This is true of our young students and adults alike!
Optional Summer Materials for Students
https://sites.google.com/riveredgeschools.org/recurriculum/virtual-learning-updates/summer-2020-materials?authuser=0
Over the summer our staff will be working on a variety of curriculum development and on proper ways to assess students as they reenter. In addition to our pursuit of improvements in the core curriculum areas we also plan to work on our students’ social emotional needs when they return in September. Another area of learning and professional development that we’ll pursue will be a diversity curriculum that will also address racism and biases.
Finally, The Reopening Task Force has been meeting, researching, and planning with health and safety in mind. Next week we expect to hear guidance from the Governor that will inform the direction of our work. We’ll keep parents posted as our plans progress and solidify.
Wishing Our River Edge Families a Relaxing and Safe Summer,
Tova Ben-Dov
River Edge Superintendent of Schools
As I write my final note for the conclusion of the 2019-20 school year I am keenly aware that today would have been the day we all excitedly share our “Happy Summer” wishes…It would have been the time we send students off with a warm smile and a big hug, their arms loaded with projects and belongings, so ready to embark on summer adventures…It would have been the day staff members hug each other and excitedly share summer plans. The day the principals and I watch parents gather on the blacktop, collecting their children and eagerly wishing each other a wonderful summer! While the warmest wishes remain the physical congratulatory gestures and hugs are absent from this special day…
The silver lining of the closing of schools was the very personal, socially distant graduation visits we made to our 6th graders homes (or the front yards or exteriors of these homes). The teachers, principals, photographers, counselor, and on occasion aides, visited every graduate and we presented them with their graduation diplomas and awards. This process was accompanied by laughs, tears, and the greatest wave of warmth I have ever experienced in the River Edge Community! Congratulations to our River Edge Graduates!
As schools close for the summer I want to thank our entire River Edge Community for pulling together to make the pandemic period manageable and as successful as we could for our students. The River Edge Board of Education, The River Edge Municipality and Police, Staff, parents, and students are all to be thanked and commended on their cooperation towards one mutual goal: Helping educate our students under these unusual circumstances… It was team work that paid off!
Today your children concluded their formal virtual learning for the 2019-20 school year and I want share with you a few final thoughts. Regardless of whether your child is part of summer school we feel that it is important to maintain academic skills or enrich them. To this end, the RE School District developed and is sharing in the link below enrichment resources that are available for you to use with your children this summer. Please know that using these resources is optional. Students will not be held responsible for their completion in September but it will be nice to have and use them if you so desire. We believe that as important as it is to continue an academic connection it is also of utmost importance to relax, to engage in outdoor activities, and to refresh our minds and bodies. This is true of our young students and adults alike!
Optional Summer Materials for Students
https://sites.google.com/riveredgeschools.org/recurriculum/virtual-learning-updates/summer-2020-materials?authuser=0
Over the summer our staff will be working on a variety of curriculum development and on proper ways to assess students as they reenter. In addition to our pursuit of improvements in the core curriculum areas we also plan to work on our students’ social emotional needs when they return in September. Another area of learning and professional development that we’ll pursue will be a diversity curriculum that will also address racism and biases.
Finally, The Reopening Task Force has been meeting, researching, and planning with health and safety in mind. Next week we expect to hear guidance from the Governor that will inform the direction of our work. We’ll keep parents posted as our plans progress and solidify.
Wishing Our River Edge Families a Relaxing and Safe Summer,
Tova Ben-Dov
River Edge Superintendent of Schools
A Message from the President of the
Board of Education
Dear River Edge Community,
Schools play an active role in shaping the values of future generations. Elementary schools help to lay the foundation for the development of those values. As such, we must recognize that we have an obligation to combat all forms of bias and prejudice, both explicit and implicit, in our school system.
To quote Angela Davis, “it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” In the River Edge School District, we have an unquestionable and unwavering responsibility to be actively anti-racist in our education of students, professional development of staff, and collaboration with the greater community. This includes recognizing and tackling racism inherent in our schools. The process of introspection is currently being undertaken, and in the coming days, the River Edge Board of Education curriculum committee will meet to assess how we can better foster tolerance, inclusivity, acceptance, and respect in our schools.
A major portion of the mission statement of the River Edge School District reads, “We are dedicated to providing a supportive environment in which all students can reach their maximum academic potential, while developing as responsible citizens who respect individuality.” Now, more than ever, we reaffirm our commitment to a supportive environment for our students. We reaffirm our commitment to equity and equal educational opportunities for our students. We reaffirm our commitment to being actively anti-racist for our students. Our mission demands no less.
In solidarity,
Caleb Herbst
President, River Edge Board of Education
Schools play an active role in shaping the values of future generations. Elementary schools help to lay the foundation for the development of those values. As such, we must recognize that we have an obligation to combat all forms of bias and prejudice, both explicit and implicit, in our school system.
To quote Angela Davis, “it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” In the River Edge School District, we have an unquestionable and unwavering responsibility to be actively anti-racist in our education of students, professional development of staff, and collaboration with the greater community. This includes recognizing and tackling racism inherent in our schools. The process of introspection is currently being undertaken, and in the coming days, the River Edge Board of Education curriculum committee will meet to assess how we can better foster tolerance, inclusivity, acceptance, and respect in our schools.
A major portion of the mission statement of the River Edge School District reads, “We are dedicated to providing a supportive environment in which all students can reach their maximum academic potential, while developing as responsible citizens who respect individuality.” Now, more than ever, we reaffirm our commitment to a supportive environment for our students. We reaffirm our commitment to equity and equal educational opportunities for our students. We reaffirm our commitment to being actively anti-racist for our students. Our mission demands no less.
In solidarity,
Caleb Herbst
President, River Edge Board of Education
