Bergen County High School Environments (Ridgewood, Ramsey: house, middle school, gated)

[EZONDI]

Hi All!

I'm looking for some inside scoop on the environments of some of the high schools in Bergen County. Specifically, we have been house hunting in Ridgewood and some of the neighboring towns (Ramsey, Glen Rock) and can see that all of the high schools have outstanding academics. What we would love to get a better picture of is the social environment and general feel of each school, in terms of amount of academic pressure on the students (hours of homework each night?, high competition?, etc.), peer pressure (are you "out" if you're not wearing the right labels?, attending the right summer programs?, is it welcoming to a new-comer? etc.) and drug/alcohol use pressure (I know all high schools deal with this to one degree or another-just trying to avoid a school where it's to a great degree!)

We loved the Village of Ridgewood, but would happily live within close driving distance, if it meant a less pressured and more welcoming/supportive high school experience for our daughter.

Thanks in advance for any advice/ suggestions!

[LynW676]

Well... I will try to be helpful here. I have three kids who graduated from Ridgewood High School but not all that recently (1998, 1999 and 2003). I graduated from RHS myself in the mid-1970s.

In my experience, the academic pressure is somewhat high, but manageable. You (and your daughter) can control the weight of this by registering for (or not registering for) higher track classes and academic activities. The amount of homework varies widely depending on the class and on the teacher. My own children, while bright and successful students, were not hugely academically competitive, and neither was I as a high school student. None of us felt overwhelming pressure at RHS.... and yet, I have heard of other students who did. So one's personality, and the ability to withstand the pressure, may factor in here.

As far as the social experience, I found it much worse at the middle school level than at the high school level. By grade 9, I found most students were maturing, thinking about their futures, and joining activities to find friends who shared their interests. My sons were very involved with sports and my daughter was in the band/color guard, so most of their friends were in those groups.
Drinking and drug use are big problems and all I can say there is be very clear about your expectations with your child. My kids did feel some peer pressure in this area but were generally able to make good decisions. I am not naive enough to believe they never drank or tried drugs in high school, but they have all become responsible and wonderful adults (and one of them is now a police officer) so we must have navigated those difficult years somewhat successfully.
My kids had many friends in surrounding towns and the drug/drinking pressure was just as strong in those high schools.
In recent years, because of some high profile tragedies, there have been some new anti-bullying programs implemented at Ridgewood and area schools, and I think this is wonderful. I really hope these programs are successful and I think it can only make school a more welcoming place for all students, new and otherwise.

Finally, I just wanted to say that I think it is wonderful that you are putting so much thought into how life will be for your child before finalizing your moving plans. I know that many choose their town because of its school's academic reputation, but I am not sure that many parents would be so sensitive to the emotional needs of their children.

[EZONDI]

Thank you so much for your reply and kind words!

This was very helpful. My daughter is also a bright, but low key student. I just want to make sure she will be able to find a group with whom she can be herself.

Your comment about middle school got me to thinking that I felt similarly growing up! Middle school was so much worse!! In that regard, do you think there is much difference between Franklin and Washington. I've got a littler one who will be hitting middle school in a few short years....

[Lilycharm]

You might want to check out Northern Highlands Highlands Regional High School also. It is along the same lines as Ridgewood in terms of quality of education. The for towns that feed into it are Allendale (where the school is located), Ho Ho Kus, Upper Saddle River and Saddle River.

[EZONDI]

Thanks so much, Liliycharm. Just took a quick peek on Great Schools and the comments were great, which is often not the case!! I will definitely check it out. Do you like any of those towns better in terms of friendliness or a greater sense of community?