Waldwick High School Principal's Blog

Everyone needs validation. A good way to spread good vibes and positive thoughts is through Random Acts of Kindness. These days we are exposed to a lot of negativity and our academic community is affected by it. In an effort to change this negativity we are encouraging our students and staff to participate in Random Acts of Kindness.   There is a bulletin board set up in the senior wing for students to choose a Random Act of Kindness.  The board will be up all year; each class will be assigned a specific marking period, starting with the seniors, to keep it updated and keep the envelopes filled.   If you receive a random act of kindness, share with us who and what the act was by using the hashtag #kindnessWHS and post a picture on social media.  Our hope is to help students strengthen relationships between grade levels and also, each other in general.  It is a great feeling to have when someone takes the time out of their day to do something nice when you least expe

The following activities will take place at WHS during our Week of Respect: Monday, October 3:  World Day of Bullying Prevention - Students and staff will wear blue. Tuesday, October 4:  9th and 10th grade students will be attending a presentation by the Ganley Foundation.  This heartfelt and empowering presentation offers educational basics and insights into the world of youth depression and suicide through real life stories and expert input.  The shared perspectives of a mental health expert and suicide attempt survivor encourage a dialogue with the audience which carries forward their message about the importance of mental health, depression awareness, suicide prevention and how to obtain help. Wednesday, October 5:  the 11th and 12th grade students will be attending a presentation by Gian Paul Gonzalez. Mr. Gonzalez has traveled across the nation as a motivational speaker for many corporate, athletic, government and educational institutions.  His message of being &qu

This year at WHS we started a peer mentoring program for the freshmen class. Our National Honor Society students have taken ownership of the program and have a lot of great activities planed for the year. Senior and National Honor Society President, Sarah Armstrong, wrote this guest blog post to summarize the program. Peer Mentoring Program Objective: To provide freshmen students with a senior peer mentor in the National Honor Society as a guide throughout high school. The transition from middle school into high school is no easy task. Senior NHS members aim to help freshmen tackle the challenges of adjusting to high school, as it is an environment that requires time to get used to. This program provides an opportunity for freshman students to hear truth and advice from those with experience, which will lighten the load by letting them know they have someone to turn to. Freshmen have been sorted into groups of eight or nine classmates and have been assigned

PARCC results for the 15-16 school year were mailed home on Friday, which have some ramifications related to graduation requirements.  Over the last two years, the NJ Department of Education has made changes and updates related to high school graduation requirements.  Last year,  the New Jersey Department of Education approved the threshold score points (‘cut points’) to define the performance levels on the PARCC assessments. On August 3, 2016, the State Board of Education approved updated state regulations for the high school graduation  assessments requirements in both English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics for the Classes of 2017 through 2021 and beyond. NJDOE memo regarding Graduation requirements August 2016 Students graduating as members of the classes of  2017 through 2019  (Current Sophomores, Juniors & Seniors)   can meet graduation assessment requirements through a variety of ways, including: (1) Achieving passing scores on certain PARCC assess

For the parents who could not make it to this year's Back to School Night, here is the my video for the night.   HUGE Thank You to Danny Rinaldi, Sergio Scardigno & Jake Schwencke! This video is all them and they did an amazing job!!!  Thank you Mr. Meltzer for creating a TV Production program that creates pieces like this.  #OwnitWHS

Great message form the NJSIAA (New Jersey Interscholastic Athletic Association) that all fans, parents, coaches and athletes should read!  (The below write up came directly from the NJSIAA press release)  NJSIAA op-ed highlights true purpose of high school athletics  Exec. Director Timko says many have lost sight of connection to education, benefits  ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (September 6, 2016) – With the 2016 school year beginning this week, NJSIAA Executive Director Steve Timko has released an opinion piece reminding fans, parents, and players of the purpose of scholastic athletics. The op-ed,  “ The True Meaning of High School Sports” , attempts to reemphasize the crucial educational component of sports and athletic extracurriculars students engage in.  “The true reason we have athletic competition for high school students is to further extend the reach of classroom education,” wrote Timko. “That’s the reason scholastic sports developed in the first place, more than a centu

This year our Back-to-School Night will be held on Wednesday, September 14. The evening will begin at 7pm with all parents reporting to their child's Homeroom .  Here are a few items to help you get through the night: All Physical Education and Health classes will meet in the Little Theater Science "labs" do not meet You skip your child's lunch period All study halls will meet in Media Center Below is the schedule for the evening: Homeroom 7:00 - 7:15 Period 1 7:19 - 7:27 Period 2 7:31 - 7:39 Period 3 7:43 - 7:51 Period 4 7:55 - 8:03 Period 5 or 6 8:07 - 8:15 Period 6B or 7 8:19 - 8:27 Period 8 8:31 - 8:39 Period 9 8:43 - 8:51 1-1 Learning @ WHS  For 9th grade parents and transfer students, there will be an informational meeting to discuss the 1-1 learning environment at WHS prior to Back-to-School Night starting at 6:30pm in the Media Center.

As a reminder, safety protocols, which will be enforced by the Waldwick Police Department, have been put in place to ensure the safety of students and staff at Waldwick High School.  Please keep the following in mind: There is no left turn out of the upper parking lot from 7:45 - 8:15 AM and again from 2:30 - 3:30 PM. Students should not be dropped off on Wyckoff Avenue heading Eastbound or Westbound in the morning or at pick up in the afternoon. The speed limit on Wyckoff Avenue is 30 mph and 25 mph in the School Zone during school hours. Students should only cross Wyckoff Avenue utilizing the designated crosswalks. There is no parking permitted in the church lot across the street from the turf field.  Parents and students should not park their vehicle on church property during the school day or for any after-school activities. Additional parking is permitted on John Dow Avenue and the pool parking lot.

It is my pleasure to introduce Rachel Dillon to the Waldwick community.  Mrs. Dillon will be a great addition to our Language Arts Department. This year she will be teaching English 10 and Blueprint at the high school and will also have one class in the middle school.   We are very excited to have her as part of WHS. Can you tell us a little bit about your background?  I grew up in Mahwah, about 3 miles from WHS in a family of five. I commuted to William Paterson University while working at the local Wyckoff Stop & Shop. I married my high school sweetheart one year after graduating college, during my first year of teaching. About three years ago, we moved to Allendale, from New Milford. I am a mother to six year old James and one year old Elizabeth. What made you choose education as a career? I always knew that I wanted to become a teacher as a result of watching my mother in the classroom. When I was four, my father gave me his old briefcase that I filled