Ridgely Middle School
Encyclopedia
Ridgely Middle School is a Blue Ribbon
-award winning middle school
that serves students in sixth through eighth grades as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools
. This school serves students coming from elementary school
s in Lutherville-Timonium
, Hampton
and Ruxton-Riderwood, Maryland.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,073 students and 62 classroom teachers (on a full-time equivalent
or "FTE" basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 15.9.
to programs for students with specific learning disabilities
.
Ridgely's Grade 8
Gifted and Talented oral history
program has been recognized in a Spotlight on Innovative Teaching by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and in authors Barry Lanman and Laura Wendling's anthology of oral history education.
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
, the highest award an American school can receive. Librarian Christine Beard won one of Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce's Annual Awards for Excellence in Education in May 2007.
activities include:
The Robotics club, formed in the 2008-09 school year, is where students selected to be technologically proficient work together to build competing robots. The students built robots out of Vex parts. In 2008, the club took home three trophies, one for Energy, one for the Runner-Up, and one for Competition Champion (there were three separate teams and robots registered).
Ridgely students elevate into the following high schools:
Since the renovation work was completed, parents have complained that air conditioning should have been included in the project scope. Responding to a large demonstration by parents at the county seat in Towson
on September 15, 2009, elected officials called for an investigation into complaints about ventilation and temperature conditions at the school, which parents attribute to the installation of the energy-efficient window system. Parents say the partially-sealed windows provide insufficient outside air ventilation in the non-air conditioned school.
Temperatures of over 105 degrees have been recorded inside the school. While administrative offices are air-conditioned, classrooms are not. As a result of the heat, students have experienced nausea, aggravated asthma, and even vomiting. In 2007, one student was taken by ambulance from Ridgely to Greater Baltimore Medical Center
after he became dehydrated in class.
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
-award winning middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
that serves students in sixth through eighth grades as part of the Baltimore County Public Schools
Baltimore County Public Schools
Baltimore County Public Schools is the school district in charge of all public schools in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The nation's 25th largest school system as of 2005, it is managed by the Board of Education, headquartered in Towson. The Superintendent is Dr. Joe A...
. This school serves students coming from elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s in Lutherville-Timonium
Lutherville-Timonium, Maryland
Lutherville-Timonium is a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland made up of the unincorporated communities of Lutherville and Timonium. The population was 15,814 as of the 2000 census. Within its borders lies the Lutherville Historic District...
, Hampton
Hampton, Maryland
Hampton is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland. The population was 5,004 at the 2000 census. Hampton is often considered a subdivision of the nearby community of Towson and is located just north of Baltimore City, Maryland, about twenty minutes...
and Ruxton-Riderwood, Maryland.
As of the 2008-09 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,073 students and 62 classroom teachers (on a full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
or "FTE" basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 15.9.
Courses
Course offerings provide a comprehensive program of general studies where all students are required to participate in specified subjects. At Ridgely, programs are offered to meet the needs of all students on a continuum ranging from Gifted and Talented EducationGifted education
Gifted education is a broad term for special practices, procedures and theories used in the education of children who have been identified as gifted or talented...
to programs for students with specific learning disabilities
Learning disability
Learning disability is a classification including several disorders in which a person has difficulty learning in a typical manner, usually caused by an unknown factor or factors...
.
Ridgely's Grade 8
Eighth grade
Eighth grade is a year of education in the United States, Canada, Australia and other nations. Students are usually 13 - 14 years old. The eighth grade is typically the final grade before high school, and the ninth grade of public and private education, following kindergarten and subsequent grades...
Gifted and Talented oral history
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
program has been recognized in a Spotlight on Innovative Teaching by the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and in authors Barry Lanman and Laura Wendling's anthology of oral history education.
Awards and recognition
During the 2006-07 school year, Ridgely Middle School was recognized with the Blue Ribbon SchoolBlue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
Award of Excellence by the United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education
The United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
, the highest award an American school can receive. Librarian Christine Beard won one of Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce's Annual Awards for Excellence in Education in May 2007.
Extracurricular activities
Ridgely's extracurricularExtracurricular activity
Extracurricular activities are activities performed by students that fall outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school or university education...
activities include:
- Physical EducationPhysical educationPhysical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
intramurals - Language clubs
- Robotics Club
- Yearbook Club
- The Inkling, a publication of students' artwork, stories, and poems
- Drama Club
The Robotics club, formed in the 2008-09 school year, is where students selected to be technologically proficient work together to build competing robots. The students built robots out of Vex parts. In 2008, the club took home three trophies, one for Energy, one for the Runner-Up, and one for Competition Champion (there were three separate teams and robots registered).
Feeder schools
Elementary schools that feed into Ridgely are:- Carroll Manor Elementary
- Cromwell Valley Magnet School
- Hampton Elementary
- Lutherville Lab Elementary
- Pinewood Elementary
- Pot Spring Elementary
- Riderwood Elementary
- Timonium Elementary
Ridgely students elevate into the following high schools:
- Dulaney High SchoolDulaney High SchoolDulaney High School is a secondary school in Timonium, Baltimore County, Maryland. The school serves a generally middle- to upper-middle class suburban community, with students from Timonium and surrounding areas in Baltimore County. Dulaney is a Blue Ribbon School and ranked #259 nationwide in...
- Loch Raven High SchoolLoch Raven High SchoolLoch Raven High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland. Its name is derived from its proximity to the Loch Raven Reservoir.-History:The school was founded in 1972 and is part of the system...
- Towson High SchoolTowson High SchoolTowson High School is a high school in Baltimore County, Maryland, founded in 1873. The school's current stone structure was built in 1949. Located in the northern Baltimore suburb of Towson and serving the surrounding communities of Towson, Lutherville, and Ruxton, it is part of the Baltimore...
- Magnet program
Building Renovation
A $14 million renovation project was substantially completed in 2008, including new energy-efficient windows, ceilings, lighting, remodeled bathrooms, and doors. In the 2008-09 school year, rooms and doors were repainted. The 19-year old roof was also replaced, and four of five temporary classroom trailers were removed, due to increased space in the building.Since the renovation work was completed, parents have complained that air conditioning should have been included in the project scope. Responding to a large demonstration by parents at the county seat in Towson
Towson, Maryland
Towson is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 55,197 at the 2010 census...
on September 15, 2009, elected officials called for an investigation into complaints about ventilation and temperature conditions at the school, which parents attribute to the installation of the energy-efficient window system. Parents say the partially-sealed windows provide insufficient outside air ventilation in the non-air conditioned school.
Temperatures of over 105 degrees have been recorded inside the school. While administrative offices are air-conditioned, classrooms are not. As a result of the heat, students have experienced nausea, aggravated asthma, and even vomiting. In 2007, one student was taken by ambulance from Ridgely to Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Greater Baltimore Medical Center
Greater Baltimore Medical Center, known to many simply as GBMC, is a hospital located in the Baltimore suburb of Towson, Maryland. GBMC serves more than 26,700 inpatient cases and approximately 60,000 emergency room visits annually. GBMC’s main campus also includes three medical office...
after he became dehydrated in class.
External links
- Official school site
- Official district site
- Ridgely Middle School profile for the Blue Ribbon Schools Program