Tribute to the Flechtners at Glen School Blog

     A very nice tribute to co-blogger Kurt's parents appears over at the Glen School Class of 1967 blog. I don't know how many teachers and staff live in Ridgewood currently but it would be interesting to make a comparison between now and the 1970s. I will point out the obvious and state that a parent with a short commute will spend more quality time raising their children than one stuck on a train, bus, or in a car. Having parents close to home and in our schools also made it harder to get away with things like cutting school. I've heard more than one story about a school secretary spotting a forged excuse note and calling the home to verify. It truly made kids think twice before pulling such a stunt.

The Ridgewood News

     According to Rick Flannery of the Glen School Class of 1967 blog, The Ridgewood News will be publishing an article about Glen School today. I'll post about when I see it. They contacted me regarding the idea I floated for a database of former teachers and wondered how it was coming along. I had to confess that the project was too daunting to consider without the full cooperation of the Ridgewood Public Schools. They have all the information and it comes down to whether or not they want to take the time to share it. I'm sure there are privacy issues involved so I don't want to criticize them too much. I just wish they had a greater sense of history and wanted to credit the former teachers for all their hard work. I also think it would be an excellent way to create interest in the Ridgewood School system. It might even lead to increased contributions from alumni for scholarships, supplies, and equipment. This is how private schools do it and I see no reason why a Public School System couldn't market itself in the same manner. In addition, The Ridgewood News has been very supportive of Rick's quest to find out what happened to the teachers he had while growing up. He told me yesterday that he located his 1st and 2nd grade teachers, as well as his Gym Teacher. Keep up the good work! 

     This longing, I'm slowly finding out, to ascertain the whereabouts of former teachers is a fairly common one. I received a piece of email from Jim Schoneman, class of 1974, who had been trying to find references to Gene Ricci on the Internet. His search turned up an old post of mine regarding this Willard School teacher from the 1960s and 1970s, and he was moved to write me. He also reminded me of the "Love Taps" on the top of the head he used to give students with the ring he wore. I don't think any teacher would try that today for fear of a law suit. Though in the 1960s and 1970s Gene Ricci used it to great effect to endear himself to students and parents alike.

Fates of Our Former Teachers

     It came to my attention from Rick Flannery over at Glen School Class of 1967 that somebody besides me was interested in what happened to all our old teachers. I propose to collect this information from all the schools and include teachers, custodians, administrators,and secretaries of the post WWII era. I am still mulling how this could be presented on the web and what sort of privacy issues I will come across. Some people who are still alive may not want anyone to know their whereabouts. We will deal with these sort of issues on an individual basis and respect people's wishes. As a start maybe we could just find out how long and what years they taught at particular schools. If anyone has a legal and methodical way to do this sort of searching please let me know. More information on this subject to come.

Glen School 1967

We have a new link for 2009. I guess my hope has been answered in the very best sense of the term. The new site is for the Glen School Class of 1967. It might be a little before my time, but time and space are transcended on the Internet, so who cares? After reading the following post I will certainly be an avid reader.

I was thrilled to learn over the past year that I was not alone in this weird craving for memories of Glen School. The Class of 1969 (Margaret Silvers, Doug Terhune, Scott Yates and so many other familiar names) definitely gave me the inspiration. The HoHokus Class of 71 (K-8th grade) actually found out the fates of their custodians, teachers and most of the kids. Even though every one of us was different - together we were quite a group. Even if we did go our separate ways after 1967, the affection I have for everybody - particularly my Class of 1967, has never left. So many of us have had wonderful experiences and great careers and wonderful families but the simplicity of our life at Glen School really rings true. It doesn't matter if its 1967 or 2007, the innocence - if you're lucky to experience it - is priceless. You obviously can't go back - there have been too many other worthy experiences in our lives but its fun to peek at the past - and hopefully it makes you feel good. While I realize some classmates don't want to bother, and others don't want to be found, I do hope you at least sneak some peeks at the blog and remember something that was special.

This is spot on! Thanks for reaching out and hope that more people will do the same. We are all in this together.

Ho-Ho-Kus Kids

      The kids from Ho-Ho-Kus were no longer bussed to Ridgewood High School after I graduated in 1977. Rumor had it that the Real Estate professionals working in Ho-Ho-Kus were telling prospective buyers they could live in Ho-Ho-Kus and pay Ho-Ho-Kus taxes, which were less than in Ridgewood, and yet receive a Ridgewood education. This rumor, true or not, caused an uproar in Ridgewood and eventually led to denying all Ho-Ho-Kus children a Ridgewood education.

       This was too bad on so many levels. The kids from Ho-Ho-Kus were good kids, whose parents shared the same commuter trains and buses into New York City with the Ridgewood parents. From my experience they were well educated by the long Ho-Ho-Kus school and were a true addition to the educational experience of us all. They participated in sports and all the social organization at RHS. What more could people ask of them? Oh yeah, the tax dollars their parents paid were lower than in Ridgewood. Though last time I looked Ho-Ho-Kus wasn't Ridgewood in terms of tranquility and space. Ho-Ho-Kus has always been ringed and intersected by highways and main thoroughfares like Franklin Turnpike. Ridgewood is quite bucolic in comparison.

       My point being that after all these years what was really accomplished? Not much as far as I can tell. The town of Ridgewood became more provincial after the Ho-Ho-Kus kids were sent to other local high schools. These kids had a charm from their being educated all together in the lone school K-8. Ridgewood was probably the only town in the area with the sophistication to see it and appreciate it for what it was: some precious which these kids will always share and remember. I wonder now if the people in Allendate who host students from all over at Northern Highlands High School know what I am referring to. Sadly, I don't think they do.

Three Hopes for 2009

      To maintain a blog one has to be an optimist. You have to be comfortable with the idea that something you might write could inform or inspire, and that people might be drawn to you again after just one such moment of clarity. The more pessimistic blogs may well be correct in their outlook but who wants to read them on a regular basis? My three hopes for 2009 are these: 1. Be optimistic. This is easier said than done but one which pays off in terms of your health and I believe your pocketbook, too. A negative attitude grinds people down and repels people from you. It is hard for a decision maker to give a raise or a promotion to somebody they don't want to be near, to name one example. 2. Consider all the various forms of social networking, no matter how immature they are at the present. By this I mean, look at how you use your phone, computer, and television set to see how they are converging and how they might help you to stay in touch with friends, family, and the community at large. Look at how children are using their cell phones and their MySpace pages to interact and wonder if there might be some way you could do the same, to either make money or to further the efforts of a church or school organization. 3. Let me know if I can be of help. Again, this is easier said than done but don't let it stop you from reaching out to me or some other optimistic soul. This could be as simple as searching on LinkedIn or picking up the phone and calling. In this Internet age it's easier than you know to find people. What's more, once you find someone you both might be pleasantly surprised by the responses.