January 14, 2022

In the Classroom

New Year, New Fiction!

The Learning Commons is receiving new books all month! Here’s a peek at our newest fiction titles. Award-winning, critically-acclaimed, and popular fiction are all here for students and staff to check out. Mr. Dolby and Ms. Farrar’s students (pictured above) are enjoying their new library books.

Senior First Aid and Safety Class

The Wellness department would like to thank school resource officer/police officer Anthony Mormino for coming into their senior first aid and safety classes. A range of topics were discussed including the importance of providing high quality CPR and using an AED for unresponsive victims. These skills are learned by the seniors during this course and they receive a two-year certification from the American Heart Association.

Real World Engineering

Mr. Wohner's Real World Engineering class built balsa wood towers and tested them to support static weight and to survive a simulated earthquake. Teams modeled their designs using CAD and built multiple prototypes to solve the challenge. They tested them until failure and recorded the collapse in slow motion to observe how they could improve their design. Following up the next day, they were challenged to build towers only with sand and a mesh screen to engineer an effective solution for a foundation. Students enjoyed their class "at the beach" after an icy-morning start to school day.

Building and Design

In Mr. Wohner's Building and Design class, Senior, Owen Pizzuto, applied a vinyl wrap to the side of a cabinet as decoration. To smooth it out, he used a heat gun and plastic scrapers to avoid air bubbles. The Vinyl was printed using the new large-format printer in the Makerspace. Also needing the heat gun, Junior, Reese Taubin, mixed and poured a clear epoxy over a golf-themed scene he created as the top of his cabinet. To remove trapped air during the pour, he applied heat to reduce the viscosity and allow the air bubbles to rise to the surface.

Senior Owen Pizzuto

Junior Reese Taubin

Makerspace Adds New Laser Machine

Through the Duffield STEAM Initiative grant, RHS recently added an Epilog Fusion Laser machine to the Makerspace. This machine has a fast and strong laser, a camera registration system that gives users a real-time image of the engraving table so projects can be quickly and accurately positioned; and a huge cutting area (24"x24"x10"). This new laser can engrave and cut a variety of materials including wood, acrylic, fabric, cork, rubber, slate, glass, and more. The new machine also has a LED touch display that makes it easier to use and operate. With this addition to RHS, we are excited to put this machine to good use in expanding the fabrication capabilities of our RHS facilities and programs!

Club Happenings

The RHS Green Club

The RHS Green Club used grant money from the Ridgewood Green Team to assemble a hydroponics system which can be used to grow crops indoors even in the absence of soil. In the next few weeks, the club will be planting herbs, tomatoes, and other plants to grow some winter food before the school garden warms up for the spring planting season. Come by Room 391 during lunch on Wednesdays to get involved in hydroponics and other projects to promote sustainability at RHS!

Global Issues Awareness Club

In December, the Global Issues Awareness Club hosted a free henna tattooing event after school. Our goal is to promote and celebrate awareness of the diversity of cultures within our community in Ridgewood. Our club meets during unit lunch twice a month in Room 330. Email Tara Cuneo at tcuneo@ridgewood.k12.nj.us with any questions.

Applied Engineering Club and the NJSTEAM Tank Challenge

This is the third year that the Applied Engineering Club is participating in the NJSTEAM Tank Challenge. Here are some more of the community-inspired RHS team inventions. Please check them out!

Ridgewood High School DECA

145 DECA students competed in the RHS DECA District Competition this year, with 49 qualifying for the States competition. States is slated for Monday, February 28th- March 2nd at Harrah's in Atlantic City. Students who didn't qualify will still have the "States" experience by completing and presenting a 10 or 20 page paper. In total, about 93 RHS DECA students will compete at States. Congratulations to our District qualifiers!