From the Superintendent of Schools ...

Dear School Community Member:

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and found time to spend with family and friends. It looks like the beginning of 2025 is going to be cold, with a few chances for accumulating snow. Please review the information below regarding school closings or schedule changes to our regular school day.

Please take a minute to review the pictures of the new weight room/fitness center and trainer's room included in this newsletter. We started to receive furniture and equipment before the holidays and will continue to do so for the next few weeks. The branding on the equipment looks great and truly promotes our Owl pride. We are still waiting for the cardio equipment, which should arrive by the end of the month. If all goes well, this space should be open to students and staff by February 1st.

In February, the district is scheduled to be monitored by the Bergen QSAC Team. This triennial evaluation is a mandatory requirement of the NJDOE. In the past, the PRSD has been designated as a high performing district, and I expect the same result this year. I will provide a QSAC update to the school community in future newsletters.

Currently, the BOE and administration are in the process of evaluating our 1:1 laptop program and will be making recommendations for a refresh this spring. As some of you are aware, we experienced a high volume of broken screens with the current batch of deployed MacBook Airs. Hopefully, this problem has been resolved, and we will experience more durability with the next set of laptops from Apple.

Lastly, it is time to register the PRHS Class of 2038! Park Ridge children who will be 5 years old on or before October 1, 2025, will be eligible for full day Kindergarten for the 2025-2026 school year. Children living west of Pascack Road will attend West Ridge Elementary School. Children living on or east of Pascack Road will attend East Brook School. The West Ridge Kindergarten Orientation will be held on January 29th at 6:30 PM. East Brook will hold theirs on March 6th at 6 PM. In-person and online registration will follow.

On behalf of the Board of Education, I want to wish you and your family all the best in 2025. Go Owls!

Owls Together,

Robert M. Gamper, Ed.D.

Superintendent of Schools

From the Desk of Steve Kopelman ...

Supervisor of Mathematics & Business

The Park Ridge Mathematics students are having a very busy and successful year. The range of activities and programs in place is impressive, from middle school competitions to high school AP prep and everything in between.

The MOEMS contests for our Middle School students is under way, moderated by Ms. Mullen. This is a great opportunity for building critical thinking and creativity skills in mathematics. Monthly competitions and bi-weekly meetups provide consistent challenges that really help the students develop problem-solving skills.

Ms. Mullen is also leading the Math Club and Math Team, providing a competitive outlet for students who thrive on challenges. It's exciting that the team will be attending an in-person competition in Tenafly, which will be a great opportunity to test their skills in a more social, real-world setting.

It's great that juniors have access to a dedicated SAT review class taught by Mr. Awais and Ms. Dow, starting in January. Juniors will also be sitting for the NJGPA in March. This support is key to helping students tackle these significant assessments.

As the AP exams approach in May, it’s clear that students are being well-prepared by Mr. Awais, Ms. Schulien, and Ms. Melen, with plenty of practice and strategies to help them succeed. AP exams are a major milestone, so this instruction is invaluable.

For our Business teachers and students, there's a lot of exciting things happening in the classroom and in competitions.

Mr. DiLisi and Mr. Meisner both have students competing in the Stock Market Game on a national level. This is an ongoing competition, so all eyes are on the buyers and sellers as we move through the school year.

The Mock Trial Competition sounds like it will be an exciting challenge for this year’s team. With some key players graduated, rebuilding might be tough, but it’s great that there’s fresh talent coming in, including some younger students and even an 8th grader! It sounds like this group is eager and ready to take on the challenge, and with Mr. DiLisi’s mentorship and training, they could be in a strong position moving forward.

The DECA Club at PRHS is thriving under the leadership of Mr. Meisner. Educating both the community and student body about the twelve core ethical principles related to business is a valuable initiative. A letter to the Mayor of Park Ridge, coordinating video submissions for the Ethical Leadership Challenge, and gathering student perspectives are all excellent ways to get people engaged and thinking critically about business ethics. These are the kinds of leadership activities that help foster a strong sense of civic responsibility and ethical decision-making in future leaders.



All in all, it’s clear that PRHS DECA is providing students with some incredible opportunities for growth and learning, and they’re making a positive impact on their community. 

Winter Weather Reminder

The Park Ridge School District has contracted the services of Blackboard (reverse 911) to notify the school community about school closings, early dismissals, delayed openings or other emergencies. Depending on the contact information you have provided, the system will send out a voice message, text and/or email to all parents/guardians. If warranted, this notification will be sent out in the evening, prior to the impacted school day. If not, the notification will be sent at 5:45AM on the morning of the impacted school day.

In addition to the Blackboard notification system, you can find school closing, early dismissal and delayed opening information in the following locations:

District Website: www.parkridgeschools.org

District X (Twitter): @parkridgesupt

Channel 7 – ABC7NY

Early Dismissal Schedule

• West Ridge: 8:35 AM - 1:00 PM
• East Brook: 8:35 AM - 1:00 PM
• Jr-Sr High School: 7:50 AM - 12:13 PM
• Owl House: 8:35 AM - 1:00 PM

Pre-School Early Dismissal Schedule

• Morning Session: 8:35 - 10:40 AM
• Afternoon Session: 11:00 - 1:00 PM

Delayed Opening Schedule

• West Ridge: 10:05 AM – 3:20 PM
• East Brook: 10:05 AM – 3:20 PM
• Jr-Sr High School: 9:15 AM – 2:44 PM
• Owl House: 10:05 AM - 3:20 PM

Pre-School Schedule for Delayed Opening

• Morning Session: 10:05 AM - 12:30 PM
• Afternoon Session: 1:00 PM - 3:20 PM

Once again Park Ridge High School is offering an SAT Review course to prepare students for the March 8, 2025, SAT I exam. The course will meet on the following Thursdays from January 9, 2025, to March 7, 2025, from 5:30 to 8 pm.   

January 9, 2025

January 16, 2025

January 30, 2025

February 6, 2025

February 13, 2025

February 27, 2025

March 6, 2025

PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS NO CLASS ON JANUARY 23, 2025 (midterms) and FEBRUARY 20, 2025 (February Break).

The course is open to all juniors; any sophomore who is in Algebra II or Algebra II Honors may also enroll. We will limit class size to 40 students, so register early to secure a spot. We will need a minimum of 20 students for the course to run; juniors who register on time will have precedence over sophomores.

There will be simultaneous English and math sessions lasting 1 hour and 15 minutes each. The cost for the course will be $540; this fee includes the cost of the prep book. Please register by Friday, January 3, 2025, for the book order and delivery to be completed. There will be no refunds issued after January 3, 2025. Late registration (after January 3, 2025) will necessitate that the student independently purchase their own copy of the review book: The Princeton Review: Digital SAT Premium Prep, 2025 edition.

To sign up for the course, please go to the Park Ridge District Website and under the Community tab, click on Community Pass. If you don’t already have a Community Pass account, you will have to create one first, and from there you should be able to register for the course. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to either Muhammad Awais (muhammadawais@parkridge.k12.nj.us) or Christine Dow (christinedow@parkridge.k12.nj.us).

New HS Graduation Requirement - Class of 2025 through 2027

For PRHS graduating classes of 2025 through 2027, each graduating high school senior is required by law, as part of New Jersey’s new graduation requirement P.L. 2023, c.295, to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application (NJAFAA) in order to receive a diploma.

The FAFSA gives students access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for college or vocational school. Through completing the FAFSA, students can be considered for federal financial aid, including Pell grants, work-study programs, and loans. In addition, many states and colleges, as well as some private financial aid providers, use FAFSA information to determine students’ eligibility for aid.

The FAFSA is an opportunity to have access to the resources that are needed to consider and enter postsecondary education – whether it be 2-year, 4-year, or technical school. In addition, students who are NJ residents but do not meet the requirements for FAFSA may consider the NJAFAA as an option. The NJAFAA enables students to receive state financial assistance to support their post-secondary college and career goals.

If you do not qualify for the FAFSA/the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application or you wish to request that your student be waived from this graduation requirement, parents/guardians should complete the FAFSA/NJAFAA Waiver Form.   The form must be submitted to the Guidance Office by May 1st of your student’s senior year.

FAFSA completion benefits ALL students:

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid provides more than $120 billion in grants, loans, and work-study funds each year to help pay for college or career school. Visit StudentAid.gov today to learn how to pay for your higher education. The FAFSA must be completed to apply for grants, loans, and work-study. All financial information is kept confidential. Many students are eligible to receive financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college or career school. Age, race, or field of study will not affect eligibility for federal student aid.

Many college/university websites and fafsa.gov provide a financial aid estimator to estimate how much financial assistance students may receive. Financial need increases with college cost and some colleges can cost more than $65,000 a year. Many of these colleges, state agencies, and scholarship foundations require the FAFSA to award scholarships and grants to middle- and upper-middle-class students attending expensive schools. The most generous private colleges, for example, award need-based aid to some students from families earning more than $200,000 a year. FAFSA is a prerequisite for Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Grad PLUS Loans, and Parent PLUS. These loans are available without regard to demonstrated financial need and have lower interest rates than private loans.

NJAFAA may be an option for some students:

Complete the NJAFAA application if you are not a United States citizen or eligible noncitizen and meet all of the following criteria:

• Attended a New Jersey high school for at least three (3) years
• Graduated from a New Jersey high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma in New Jersey
• Registered for Selective Service (male students only)
• Are able to file an affidavit stating that you have filed an application to legalize your immigration status or will file an application as soon as you are eligible to do so

Important Links:

General FAFSA information: https://studentaid.gov/

FAFSA filing and eligibility requirements: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/eligibility/ requirements

FAFSA Application: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

NJAFAA Application: https://www.hesaa.org/Pages/NJAlternativeApplication.aspx

Higher Education Student Assistance Authority: https://www.hesaa.org

If you do not qualify for the FAFSA/the NJ Alternative Financial Aid Application or you wish to request that your student be waived from this graduation requirement, parents/guardians should complete the FAFSA/NJAFAA Waiver Form.   The form must be submitted to the Guidance Office by May 1st of your student’s senior year.

PRHS Locker Rooms & Fitness Center Update

Construction of the new locker rooms and fitness center is complete. The work to repair the main gym floor finished on schedule, the furniture for the offices has been installed and the locker rooms were open to students on December 2nd. It is important to note that the equipment for the weight room and fitness center continues to be delivered. We hope to open this space by the end of January.

Click here to view Design Schematic

PRHS Online Cashless Payment Options for Lunch

Attention PRHS Parents/Guardians: 

Parents now have the option to prepay for cafeteria meals online, via credit card or ACH Electronic Checking, using Pay Schools Central. For more information click on the link below:

Cashless Payment

PRSD School Calendar

On November 20, 2023, the BOE approved the 2024-25 school calendar. The calendar is available at the link below:

2024-25 School Calendar

On November 18, 2024, the BOE approved the 2025-26 school calendar. Please be advised that school will open for students after Labor Day. The calendar is available at the link below:

2025-26 School Calendar