Ranney Lifers Take Philadelphia

Transcription

Volume 5—Winter 2008
The Alumni Magazine of Ranney School
Ranney Lifers Take Philadelphia
Publisher
Lawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.
Managing Editor
Kristin Geisler
Contributing Writers
Kathleen Deeken
Kristin Geisler
Emily Leonard
Carol Martin
Tracy Mutchiga
Contributing Photographers
Lawrence Sykoff Ed.D. (cover)
Nick Kelsh
Mike McLaughlin
Joe Sharp
Jenifer Rutherford
Gary Gellman
David Vickery
Dan Moller
Kristin Geisler
Photo Editor
Dan Moller
Creative Consultant
Heather Rudisi
Special Thanks
Melanie Litzinger
Table of Contents
From Head of School
2
Lifelong Learners at Ranney School
Teacher Testimonials
4
Nurturing the Heart and the Mind
8
Catching up with Daren Tedeschi
9
The Evolving Landscape
of College Admissions
10
Moments, Memories and Milestones
in 2007
14
Faculty Award Winners
16
Athletics
18
Distinguished Lifers
at Ranney School
20
RSPA — A Year in Pictures
22
Life in the Ranney Lane
24
In the Middle
30
Class Notes
32
Ranney Round-Up
36
A Glimpse of Progress
38
New Board Member
40
School Days
41
4
18
22
20
24
Pictured on Cover: Ranney Lifers 2008
(see their profiles on page 24)
Columns is published annually for the
alumni, parents and friends of Ranney
School by the Ranney School
Publications Office.
38
COLUMNS
1
Publisher
Managing Editor
Kristin Geisler
Contributing Writers
Kathleen Deeken
Kristin Geisler
Emily Leonard
Carol Martin
Tracy Mutchiga
Contributing Photographers
Lawrence Sykoff Ed.D. (cover)
Nick Kelsh
Mike McLaughlin
Joe Sharp
Jenifer Rutherford
Gary Gellman
David Vickery
Dan Moller
Kristin Geisler
Photo Editor
Dan Moller
Creative Consultant
Heather Rudisi
Special Thanks
Melanie Litzinger
Table of Contents
From Head of School
2
Lifelong Learners at Ranney School
Teacher Testimonials
4
Nurturing the Heart and the Mind
8
Catching up with Daren Tedeschi
9
The Evolving Landscape
of College Admissions
10
Moments, Memories and Milestones
in 2007
14
Faculty Award Winners
16
Athletics
18
Distinguished Lifers
at Ranney School
20
RSPA — A Year in Pictures
22
Life in the Ranney Lane
24
In the Middle
30
Class Notes
32
Ranney Round-Up
36
A Glimpse of Progress
38
New Board Member
40
School Days
41
4
18
22
20
24
Pictured on Cover: Ranney Lifers 2008
(see their profiles on page 24)
Columns is published annually for the
alumni, parents and friends of Ranney
School by the Ranney School
Publications Office.
38
COLUMNS
1
From Head of School
The Ranney Perspective…Leadership, Innovation and Contribution
The 21st century has brought about what New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink (A Whole New Mind) refers to as
the “Conceptual Age”— one that prizes the ability to be adept at both creative and critical thinking. Mr. Pink refers to a
greater demand in today’s marketplace for creativity and innovation, empathy and understanding. Indeed, a broad perspective
is needed in today’s world: one that bridges cultural gaps and
facilitates flexibility, problem-solving and invention. We
remain committed to creating an environment that will
prepare our children to thrive in a world that is increasingly
competitive with each passing year. In our classrooms, our
children learn how to become leaders, to be innovative and to
contribute to humanity.
A broad perspective has value in that it comes from an
understanding of the varied viewpoints of many. In this issue, we
hear the unique perspectives of many different members of the
Ranney intellectual community: Board members, Lifer students,
faculty members and a senior administrator. Ranney Trustee
and parent Carol Martin offers her unique perspective on the
intangible qualities that distinguish a Ranney student; you will
see how her profile of the Ranney student mirrors, in many ways,
the qualities so vital to success in today’s global economy. Faculty
members offer their perspectives on the various meanings of
From left: Farah Mossavi ’17, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff and Anna Csiky ’17
success in today’s classrooms. Our Head of Middle School
Kathleen Deeken discusses her experience with taking an individualized approach to education to motivate and inspire all
students, speaking to their own unique aptitudes, learning styles and developmental stage. Ranney School has always valued
professional development and the priority placed on lifelong learning is reflected in the numerous summer study courses our
faculty members attend each year. This issue of Columns highlights where our lifelong learners went last summer to address
educational issues in the modern classroom.
On the global scale, we have no doubt seen significant change, as increasingly complex and far-reaching technologies
transform the landscape offering greater opportunities than we had ever imagined and, with them, greater challenges.
On a smaller scale, we have seen the landscape of our campus change, with remarkable results. Our students are enjoying
modernized, state-of-the-art athletic facilities with our new Karagianakis Field, Guidone Track and Kelly Tennis Center. We
are watching our school’s future literally take shape in the construction of our new Lower School and RSPA Panther Hall.
With these new facilities come new opportunities for our children and it is no wonder we take pride celebrating these special
milestones in our school’s recent progress. Dr. Daniel Goldberg, our Board President, offers his perspective of our advancement
in “Groundbreakings and Celebrations: A Glimpse of Progress.”
Ranney School looks toward the future with great confidence in the innovations that are constantly improving education,
while remaining true to a heritage steeped in time honored values and traditions. As our students grow and learn, they mature
into talented and principled young adults; but even as they change, they hold true to the values instilled in them by their
parents and cultivated here at Ranney. We see this constancy amidst growth and change in our “Lifer” students — those
students who have been with us for ten years or more. Having grown up on campus, we see the same curiosity, candor and
compassion in the faces of these seniors that we did when they entered our doors for the first time in Lower School. Within
these pages, you will meet our sixteen Lifers in the Class of 2008.
When asked what it has meant to be a Ranney Lifer, Jennifer Tendler, who has been at Ranney for twelve years responded,
“To be a Lifer is to be a student fortunate enough to have gone through a life-defining educational experience. I have been
given the gift of individual attention, which has helped me to learn about myself both as a scholar and as a person.” To me,
Jennifer’s comment beautifully illustrates that, in the end, it’s all about the relationship between children and their teachers.
With every good wish,
2
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
3
From Head of School
The Ranney Perspective…Leadership, Innovation and Contribution
The 21st century has brought about what New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink (A Whole New Mind) refers to as
the “Conceptual Age”— one that prizes the ability to be adept at both creative and critical thinking. Mr. Pink refers to a
greater demand in today’s marketplace for creativity and innovation, empathy and understanding. Indeed, a broad perspective
is needed in today’s world: one that bridges cultural gaps and
facilitates flexibility, problem-solving and invention. We
remain committed to creating an environment that will
prepare our children to thrive in a world that is increasingly
competitive with each passing year. In our classrooms, our
children learn how to become leaders, to be innovative and to
contribute to humanity.
A broad perspective has value in that it comes from an
understanding of the varied viewpoints of many. In this issue, we
hear the unique perspectives of many different members of the
Ranney intellectual community: Board members, Lifer students,
faculty members and a senior administrator. Ranney Trustee
and parent Carol Martin offers her unique perspective on the
intangible qualities that distinguish a Ranney student; you will
see how her profile of the Ranney student mirrors, in many ways,
the qualities so vital to success in today’s global economy. Faculty
members offer their perspectives on the various meanings of
From left: Farah Mossavi ’17, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff and Anna Csiky ’17
success in today’s classrooms. Our Head of Middle School
Kathleen Deeken discusses her experience with taking an individualized approach to education to motivate and inspire all
students, speaking to their own unique aptitudes, learning styles and developmental stage. Ranney School has always valued
professional development and the priority placed on lifelong learning is reflected in the numerous summer study courses our
faculty members attend each year. This issue of Columns highlights where our lifelong learners went last summer to address
educational issues in the modern classroom.
On the global scale, we have no doubt seen significant change, as increasingly complex and far-reaching technologies
transform the landscape offering greater opportunities than we had ever imagined and, with them, greater challenges.
On a smaller scale, we have seen the landscape of our campus change, with remarkable results. Our students are enjoying
modernized, state-of-the-art athletic facilities with our new Karagianakis Field, Guidone Track and Kelly Tennis Center. We
are watching our school’s future literally take shape in the construction of our new Lower School and RSPA Panther Hall.
With these new facilities come new opportunities for our children and it is no wonder we take pride celebrating these special
milestones in our school’s recent progress. Dr. Daniel Goldberg, our Board President, offers his perspective of our advancement
in “Groundbreakings and Celebrations: A Glimpse of Progress.”
Ranney School looks toward the future with great confidence in the innovations that are constantly improving education,
while remaining true to a heritage steeped in time honored values and traditions. As our students grow and learn, they mature
into talented and principled young adults; but even as they change, they hold true to the values instilled in them by their
parents and cultivated here at Ranney. We see this constancy amidst growth and change in our “Lifer” students — those
students who have been with us for ten years or more. Having grown up on campus, we see the same curiosity, candor and
compassion in the faces of these seniors that we did when they entered our doors for the first time in Lower School. Within
these pages, you will meet our sixteen Lifers in the Class of 2008.
When asked what it has meant to be a Ranney Lifer, Jennifer Tendler, who has been at Ranney for twelve years responded,
“To be a Lifer is to be a student fortunate enough to have gone through a life-defining educational experience. I have been
given the gift of individual attention, which has helped me to learn about myself both as a scholar and as a person.” To me,
Jennifer’s comment beautifully illustrates that, in the end, it’s all about the relationship between children and their teachers.
With every good wish,
2
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
3
RANNEY SCHOOL is committed to instilling a love of
learning, and this core value also holds true for Ranney teachers. Each
summer, our lifelong learners embark on individual journeys of educational
inquiry as related to their scholarly interest. These inquiries range from how
WENDY MARTINEZ
Lower School
best to interpret Shakespearean drama to teens and tweens to understanding
why it can be incredibly challenging for five-year-olds to stay in their chairs!
Attended:
Where:
Responsive Classroom Workshop
New York City
This week-long workshop geared towards kindergarten through eighth grade
classrooms emphasizes the importance of modeling behavior and physically
showing students what you expect of them in a cooperative and responsive
classroom community.
“The way we look at and speak to children is of
the utmost importance because how we react to
them contributes to their self-concept and affects
how they treat others. Generating ideas from the
class encourages students to think creatively
when approaching curriculum areas such as
writing, drawing and building. In turn, students
become confident enough to show what they are
learning that complements their individual style
of learning.”
LESLIE MILDENBERG
Lower School
Attended:
Where:
This three-day workshop trained educators to use Gesell observation
techniques and to expand a teacher’s ability to identify key stages in
development to differentiate instruction for Ranney’s youngest learners.
“Knowing the behaviors directly associated with
different developmental stages has allowed me to
better understand my four-year-old students as
individuals and plan developmentally appropriate
and challenging learning experiences for them.”
JOHN DOYLE
NOEL DELGADO
Middle and Upper School Performing Arts
Upper School
Attended:
Where:
Digital Media Conference
Montclair, New Jersey
New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative and Montclair University
hosted a series of workshops on the newest multimedia applications and
other software to enhance modern education.
“I was especially awed and inspired by the
presentation on enhanced Podcasts, new media
that is capable of giving an encapsulated
presentation to an audience of billions! Together
with my students, we are learning how to use audio
and video to create multimedia presentations with
attached files and internet links.”
4
COLUMNS
Gesell Developmental Observation
Holmdel Preschool Center, New Jersey
Attended:
Where:
ShakeFest 2007 Summer Institute
for Teachers
Drew University, Madison, New Jersey
Hosted by the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, this two-week program
is designed to offer more active and engaging methods for teaching
Shakespeare, specifically through performance. A popular form of
entertainment in early 19th century London, Shakespeare created his
plays as scripts to be performed rather than texts to be read.
“The best way for students to enjoy Shakespeare, to
learn about the plots, understand the characters
and experience the language, is not by reading the
plays, but by bringing the plays to life. Performing
Shakespeare helps the student to notice subtle yet
complex elements to these works of theatrical art.”
COLUMNS
5
RANNEY SCHOOL is committed to instilling a love of
learning, and this core value also holds true for Ranney teachers. Each
summer, our lifelong learners embark on individual journeys of educational
inquiry as related to their scholarly interest. These inquiries range from how
WENDY MARTINEZ
Lower School
best to interpret Shakespearean drama to teens and tweens to understanding
why it can be incredibly challenging for five-year-olds to stay in their chairs!
Attended:
Where:
Responsive Classroom Workshop
New York City
This week-long workshop geared towards kindergarten through eighth grade
classrooms emphasizes the importance of modeling behavior and physically
showing students what you expect of them in a cooperative and responsive
classroom community.
“The way we look at and speak to children is of
the utmost importance because how we react to
them contributes to their self-concept and affects
how they treat others. Generating ideas from the
class encourages students to think creatively
when approaching curriculum areas such as
writing, drawing and building. In turn, students
become confident enough to show what they are
learning that complements their individual style
of learning.”
LESLIE MILDENBERG
Lower School
Attended:
Where:
This three-day workshop trained educators to use Gesell observation
techniques and to expand a teacher’s ability to identify key stages in
development to differentiate instruction for Ranney’s youngest learners.
“Knowing the behaviors directly associated with
different developmental stages has allowed me to
better understand my four-year-old students as
individuals and plan developmentally appropriate
and challenging learning experiences for them.”
JOHN DOYLE
NOEL DELGADO
Middle and Upper School Performing Arts
Upper School
Attended:
Where:
Digital Media Conference
Montclair, New Jersey
New Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative and Montclair University
hosted a series of workshops on the newest multimedia applications and
other software to enhance modern education.
“I was especially awed and inspired by the
presentation on enhanced Podcasts, new media
that is capable of giving an encapsulated
presentation to an audience of billions! Together
with my students, we are learning how to use audio
and video to create multimedia presentations with
attached files and internet links.”
4
COLUMNS
Gesell Developmental Observation
Holmdel Preschool Center, New Jersey
Attended:
Where:
ShakeFest 2007 Summer Institute
for Teachers
Drew University, Madison, New Jersey
Hosted by the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, this two-week program
is designed to offer more active and engaging methods for teaching
Shakespeare, specifically through performance. A popular form of
entertainment in early 19th century London, Shakespeare created his
plays as scripts to be performed rather than texts to be read.
“The best way for students to enjoy Shakespeare, to
learn about the plots, understand the characters
and experience the language, is not by reading the
plays, but by bringing the plays to life. Performing
Shakespeare helps the student to notice subtle yet
complex elements to these works of theatrical art.”
COLUMNS
5
Attended:
Where:
MICHELLE ANDREWS
TESS NIELSEN
Lower School
Chair, Performing Arts
The Adult Ethics Institute
Whidbey Island, Washington
Attended:
Where:
Sponsored by the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE), this
conference examines moral education and the moral life of schools, using
literature and case studies from ethical situations in schools across the
country to stimulate conversation among participants.
RENATA KLEIN
Upper School
Attended:
Where:
“I gained a new perspective on the importance of a
moral education and hope to guide my students in
service to the school and greater community. The
overall goal is to ensure that Ranney is a school
that is known for not only its bright students, but
its compassionate and ethical students, as well.
I am excited that Ranney will be hosting Dan
Heishmann, former director of CSEE, as a guest
speaker in April.”
Chairing Your Department:
The First Five Years
Salt Lake City, Utah
This workshop provides participants with an understanding of their leadership
style and how it connects to their role as Department Head, offering effective
strategies for departmental management, curricular design and communication.
“Taking on the responsibility of chairing the Foreign
Language Department this year was both exciting
and challenging. This seminar helped me to
understand the responsibilities and demands of
this position. I worked with an incredible group of
talented teachers and administrators to discover
team-building strategies, leadership and
mentoring styles, as well as goal-setting and
curriculum development processes. This seminar
provided me with a support network that reaches
far beyond New Jersey. I returned to Ranney full of
renewed energy and ready to start my new
duties.”
6
COLUMNS
TAMMY MILLS
Middle School
Attended:
Where:
Seamless Transitions
Orono, Maine
Sponsored by the University of Maine, this Literacy Conference featured a
cadre of keynote speakers who are professionals in the area of literacy
education and offered sessions focused on the theme, “Meeting the Needs
of All Learners K-12.”
“I was fascinated with some of the most recent
research on educational literacy. Experts are
recommending longer, uninterrupted reading time
for Middle School students. This year, I will make
reading more personal for my students, by finding
quality books that will suit their specific interests.
I also explored instruction in prompt writing, which
requires explicit instruction and is often a required
skill as part of high stakes testing.”
Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training
Boston, Massachusetts
This training program familiarizes music educators with the work of
German composer Carl Orff who, in the 1920s and 1930s, was known for
unconventional teaching methods that allowed children to improvise with
drums, tambourines, xylophones and free-form movement.
“Young people explore sound using their voices
and their bodies, as well as with instruments;
movement and dance are integral to the learning
process. This training helped me incorporate a
child-centered approach using improvisation. The
emphasis is on students as creative performers in
this approach to teaching music.”
BEVERLY SIRIANNI
JERI ROBINSON
Middle School Fine Arts
Lower School
Attended:
Where:
Folk Art Traditions
Santa Fe, New Mexico
This summer seminar focused on the fifth annual Folk Art Festival at the
Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, with emphasis on Georgia
O’Keeffe’s life and art in New Mexico and Hispanic and Native American
cultural traditions.
“To be able to visit the home of Georgia O’Keeffe —
to stand on the very patio where she painted her
famous “Patio Door” — really gave me an intimate
perspective of a most influential artist. Now, I can
teach my 7th graders with a much more profound
understanding of her works and the inspirations
behind them. I took all the photos I collected
during the trip and created a slide show of her
home and museum so that I can share this
experience with my classes.”
Attended:
Where:
CATHY AND RICH PICCIRILLO
Middle and Upper Schools
Attended:
Where:
Advanced Placement Annual Conference
Las Vegas, Nevada
The College Board’s annual conference features sessions containing
information on best practices and resources for new and experienced
AP teachers, Middle School teachers, AP coordinators, administrators
and counselors.
Learning and the Brain Conference
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Sponsored by Harvard University, Yale University and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, the conference explored how current brain research
enhances cognitive abilities and achievement.
“The most valuable idea from the conference that
I have incorporated into my classroom is that
teaching creativity raises performance levels in all
academic areas. Creative and critical thinking can
be taught and are essential skills for students to
cultivate for problem solving in the 21st century.”
“We have already started to expose the Middle and
Upper School math students to terminology that is
relevant to more abstract thinking, allowing these
students to make an easier transition to more
advanced topics.”
COLUMNS
7
Attended:
Where:
MICHELLE ANDREWS
TESS NIELSEN
Lower School
Chair, Performing Arts
The Adult Ethics Institute
Whidbey Island, Washington
Attended:
Where:
Sponsored by the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE), this
conference examines moral education and the moral life of schools, using
literature and case studies from ethical situations in schools across the
country to stimulate conversation among participants.
RENATA KLEIN
Upper School
Attended:
Where:
“I gained a new perspective on the importance of a
moral education and hope to guide my students in
service to the school and greater community. The
overall goal is to ensure that Ranney is a school
that is known for not only its bright students, but
its compassionate and ethical students, as well.
I am excited that Ranney will be hosting Dan
Heishmann, former director of CSEE, as a guest
speaker in April.”
Chairing Your Department:
The First Five Years
Salt Lake City, Utah
This workshop provides participants with an understanding of their leadership
style and how it connects to their role as Department Head, offering effective
strategies for departmental management, curricular design and communication.
“Taking on the responsibility of chairing the Foreign
Language Department this year was both exciting
and challenging. This seminar helped me to
understand the responsibilities and demands of
this position. I worked with an incredible group of
talented teachers and administrators to discover
team-building strategies, leadership and
mentoring styles, as well as goal-setting and
curriculum development processes. This seminar
provided me with a support network that reaches
far beyond New Jersey. I returned to Ranney full of
renewed energy and ready to start my new
duties.”
6
COLUMNS
TAMMY MILLS
Middle School
Attended:
Where:
Seamless Transitions
Orono, Maine
Sponsored by the University of Maine, this Literacy Conference featured a
cadre of keynote speakers who are professionals in the area of literacy
education and offered sessions focused on the theme, “Meeting the Needs
of All Learners K-12.”
“I was fascinated with some of the most recent
research on educational literacy. Experts are
recommending longer, uninterrupted reading time
for Middle School students. This year, I will make
reading more personal for my students, by finding
quality books that will suit their specific interests.
I also explored instruction in prompt writing, which
requires explicit instruction and is often a required
skill as part of high stakes testing.”
Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training
Boston, Massachusetts
This training program familiarizes music educators with the work of
German composer Carl Orff who, in the 1920s and 1930s, was known for
unconventional teaching methods that allowed children to improvise with
drums, tambourines, xylophones and free-form movement.
“Young people explore sound using their voices
and their bodies, as well as with instruments;
movement and dance are integral to the learning
process. This training helped me incorporate a
child-centered approach using improvisation. The
emphasis is on students as creative performers in
this approach to teaching music.”
BEVERLY SIRIANNI
JERI ROBINSON
Middle School Fine Arts
Lower School
Attended:
Where:
Folk Art Traditions
Santa Fe, New Mexico
This summer seminar focused on the fifth annual Folk Art Festival at the
Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, with emphasis on Georgia
O’Keeffe’s life and art in New Mexico and Hispanic and Native American
cultural traditions.
“To be able to visit the home of Georgia O’Keeffe —
to stand on the very patio where she painted her
famous “Patio Door” — really gave me an intimate
perspective of a most influential artist. Now, I can
teach my 7th graders with a much more profound
understanding of her works and the inspirations
behind them. I took all the photos I collected
during the trip and created a slide show of her
home and museum so that I can share this
experience with my classes.”
Attended:
Where:
CATHY AND RICH PICCIRILLO
Middle and Upper Schools
Attended:
Where:
Advanced Placement Annual Conference
Las Vegas, Nevada
The College Board’s annual conference features sessions containing
information on best practices and resources for new and experienced
AP teachers, Middle School teachers, AP coordinators, administrators
and counselors.
Learning and the Brain Conference
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Sponsored by Harvard University, Yale University and the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, the conference explored how current brain research
enhances cognitive abilities and achievement.
“The most valuable idea from the conference that
I have incorporated into my classroom is that
teaching creativity raises performance levels in all
academic areas. Creative and critical thinking can
be taught and are essential skills for students to
cultivate for problem solving in the 21st century.”
“We have already started to expose the Middle and
Upper School math students to terminology that is
relevant to more abstract thinking, allowing these
students to make an easier transition to more
advanced topics.”
COLUMNS
7
Nurturing the Heart
as well as the Mind
Daren Tedeschi ’01
delivers the
Commencement
Address at last
year’s graduation.
by Carol Martin, Ranney School Trustee
Chair, Education Committee
This year, Ranney has begun a curriculum review and evaluation process that is being led by
the Head of School and Division Heads, with associated input from the department chairs,
faculty, trustees, parents and students. As part of this dynamic process, the Education
Committee discussed the educational goals that we have for our children, paying particular
attention to what we believe are the fundamental values of a Ranney education.
The conversation soon evolved into a fascinating inquiry that
went far beyond textbooks, test scores and pedagogy: we began to
inquire, “What are the values that we want them to have?” and,
to that end, “Who do we want our children to be?” During this
discussion, it became clear: as parents, we were just as concerned
about the quality of their character as we were about their GPA.
We seek strong character development in addition to strong
intellectual development. In defining the Ranney curriculum,
we are mindful to incorporate character development along with
academic skills in the classroom and in all aspects of daily life at
Ranney School.
Carol Martin with daughter Elizabeth ’14
What character traits, in particular, do we want a Ranney
education to cultivate in our children? Personally, I would like
my daughter, Elizabeth, to possess a love of learning and take
pride in the pursuit of excellence, two attributes that naturally
yield the following positive character derivatives: self-confidence,
perseverance, courage, compassion, empathy, fairness,
honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, respect, responsibility and
understanding. I want her to know how to educate herself for
a lifetime and to take increasing responsibility for her own
learning. As she begins her formative — and formidable —
Middle School years, I can clearly see that the Ranney Lower
School has prepared her well for the increased responsibility and
independence of Middle School life. Elizabeth relishes her
newfound independence and is learning that, with it, comes
8
COLUMNS
increased responsibility and accountability. I would like her to
value and respect education because I know that learning is not
simply for the young or in the classroom; it is a life-long endeavor
at any age and in any location. Indeed, I suspect that many of us
have learned our most valuable lessons outside of the classroom.
As I try to articulate these traits, it becomes obvious that they are
not learned in the classroom or by coursework alone.
Character development is influenced by all areas of campus
life including: the choice of materials used in classes; the
literature selected for study; the way we deal with issues; and
the composition of our community. In our review process, the
Education Committee seeks to define and shape curriculum that
is much more than a sequence of academic disciplines, but one
that includes all parts of the educational experience including:
the academic program and extra-curricular activities in the arts,
athletics and community service. Most extra-curricular (I prefer
to describe them as co-curricular) programs have strong character
education components that encourage students to practice values
such as: initiative, diligence, loyalty, generosity and courage.
As parents, faculty and staff, we are the role models for all of
our Ranney children and must work together to help model
the behavior for them in all our interactions with them and
with each other. I know as a parent that nothing can be taken
for granted in the way we prepare our children for the future.
Character development is truly an interdisciplinary process,
influenced by what goes on in the classroom, but whose outcome
is of lasting value beyond the classroom. The purpose is to ensure
that these ideals remain the centerpiece of what we do, a telling
matrix of who we are and what we value.
If education is about the development of the whole child,
cognizant of both their intellectual and personal capacities,
character development is at the heart of a school’s core business.
Academic and extra-curricular activities are the true beginning
of a lifelong process of self-discovery and learning. At its core, a
Ranney School education embraces the combination of academic
and character development with service and social commitment
as fundamental aspects of the educational process and daily
campus life. Guided by the Honor Code, students not only learn
about the meanings of leadership, compassion and altruism, but
also put these noble qualities into practice. College acceptances
aside, the primary portal to a successful life beyond Ranney is
about developing the full potential of the heart and the mind.
Catching Up With
Daren Tedeschi
How is your new job?
I love my new job! I work in emerging markets research for the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York, the sort of work that I always knew I wanted
to do but didn’t know people would pay me for. I get to analyze and
write about a set of countries in South America which follows nicely
from my previous work down there. The Fed is an interesting place to
be right now, and I work with a great team so I’m enjoying myself.
How do you like being back in the United States and living
and working in NYC?
I have always loved New York. For someone who likes to travel and
gets bored seeing the same things all the time, there are very few cities
that you can really “settle” down in, and New York is one of them. It’s
also nice being a 45 minute boat ride from home as opposed to a 9
hour plane ride.
What did you learn most about living and working overseas?
The most challenging part of living and working overseas was building
a life from the bottom up. Until they are not easily accessible,
ubiquitous things like your friends, family and healthcare are very easy
to take for granted. A good friend of mine in Chile became very ill while
she was there. Her Spanish was not very good and the people she was
living with weren’t helpful, so she stayed with me and another friend in
our apartment for a few weeks. We took turns nursing her back to
health, buying her food and taking her to the doctor. It reminded me of
what my parents would have done for me. Aside from a few other
people and me, my friend had no one else she could turn to for help. It
made me realize how important community ties are and how difficult
they are to establish.
Looking back, how would you describe your experience
delivering the Commencement Address last June?
My experience delivering the Commencement Address was surreal. It
didn’t seem so long ago since I was waiting to receive my own diploma
and listening to someone else speak. In your mind you tend to think, or
at least I tend to think, that giving commencement addresses is for
adults, people with responsibilities and experiences, people who aren’t
me. I wondered what it would mean for me if I admitted that I was the
kind of person who was even eligible to give a commencement speech!
But it was an honor to have been asked and the more I thought about
it, the more sense it seemed to make to have younger commencement
speakers, people closer in age to the graduates who are still going
through the same process of sorting out their place in the world. I think
it is a great tradition.
How has your Ranney experience helped in the real world?
Did you feel well-prepared for college?
Most of my best friends are from Ranney, people that I have known for
about 20 years now. There aren’t many people who can say, at 25, that
they have a group of friends they have known since they were sixyears-old. We are all off doing interesting things, so talking and hanging
out with them gives me a different perspective on life.
As far as college goes, I think most Ranney graduates will tell you after
their first year that they were extremely well-prepared. When I arrived
at Swarthmore with all engines running, I found out that I could coast
more than I was used to. In my second year, however, things began to
ramp up and I had to get back into high gear. No matter how prepared
you are, advanced classes are always a challenge — the biggest
difference I saw was between people who had to learn the skills that
they would need as they were finding out that they needed them and
those who were already used to exercising them. Thankfully, my
previous work made me one of the latter.
COLUMNS
9
Nurturing the Heart
as well as the Mind
Daren Tedeschi ’01
delivers the
Commencement
Address at last
year’s graduation.
by Carol Martin, Ranney School Trustee
Chair, Education Committee
This year, Ranney has begun a curriculum review and evaluation process that is being led by
the Head of School and Division Heads, with associated input from the department chairs,
faculty, trustees, parents and students. As part of this dynamic process, the Education
Committee discussed the educational goals that we have for our children, paying particular
attention to what we believe are the fundamental values of a Ranney education.
The conversation soon evolved into a fascinating inquiry that
went far beyond textbooks, test scores and pedagogy: we began to
inquire, “What are the values that we want them to have?” and,
to that end, “Who do we want our children to be?” During this
discussion, it became clear: as parents, we were just as concerned
about the quality of their character as we were about their GPA.
We seek strong character development in addition to strong
intellectual development. In defining the Ranney curriculum,
we are mindful to incorporate character development along with
academic skills in the classroom and in all aspects of daily life at
Ranney School.
Carol Martin with daughter Elizabeth ’14
What character traits, in particular, do we want a Ranney
education to cultivate in our children? Personally, I would like
my daughter, Elizabeth, to possess a love of learning and take
pride in the pursuit of excellence, two attributes that naturally
yield the following positive character derivatives: self-confidence,
perseverance, courage, compassion, empathy, fairness,
honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, respect, responsibility and
understanding. I want her to know how to educate herself for
a lifetime and to take increasing responsibility for her own
learning. As she begins her formative — and formidable —
Middle School years, I can clearly see that the Ranney Lower
School has prepared her well for the increased responsibility and
independence of Middle School life. Elizabeth relishes her
newfound independence and is learning that, with it, comes
8
COLUMNS
increased responsibility and accountability. I would like her to
value and respect education because I know that learning is not
simply for the young or in the classroom; it is a life-long endeavor
at any age and in any location. Indeed, I suspect that many of us
have learned our most valuable lessons outside of the classroom.
As I try to articulate these traits, it becomes obvious that they are
not learned in the classroom or by coursework alone.
Character development is influenced by all areas of campus
life including: the choice of materials used in classes; the
literature selected for study; the way we deal with issues; and
the composition of our community. In our review process, the
Education Committee seeks to define and shape curriculum that
is much more than a sequence of academic disciplines, but one
that includes all parts of the educational experience including:
the academic program and extra-curricular activities in the arts,
athletics and community service. Most extra-curricular (I prefer
to describe them as co-curricular) programs have strong character
education components that encourage students to practice values
such as: initiative, diligence, loyalty, generosity and courage.
As parents, faculty and staff, we are the role models for all of
our Ranney children and must work together to help model
the behavior for them in all our interactions with them and
with each other. I know as a parent that nothing can be taken
for granted in the way we prepare our children for the future.
Character development is truly an interdisciplinary process,
influenced by what goes on in the classroom, but whose outcome
is of lasting value beyond the classroom. The purpose is to ensure
that these ideals remain the centerpiece of what we do, a telling
matrix of who we are and what we value.
If education is about the development of the whole child,
cognizant of both their intellectual and personal capacities,
character development is at the heart of a school’s core business.
Academic and extra-curricular activities are the true beginning
of a lifelong process of self-discovery and learning. At its core, a
Ranney School education embraces the combination of academic
and character development with service and social commitment
as fundamental aspects of the educational process and daily
campus life. Guided by the Honor Code, students not only learn
about the meanings of leadership, compassion and altruism, but
also put these noble qualities into practice. College acceptances
aside, the primary portal to a successful life beyond Ranney is
about developing the full potential of the heart and the mind.
Catching Up With
Daren Tedeschi
How is your new job?
I love my new job! I work in emerging markets research for the Federal
Reserve Bank of New York, the sort of work that I always knew I wanted
to do but didn’t know people would pay me for. I get to analyze and
write about a set of countries in South America which follows nicely
from my previous work down there. The Fed is an interesting place to
be right now, and I work with a great team so I’m enjoying myself.
How do you like being back in the United States and living
and working in NYC?
I have always loved New York. For someone who likes to travel and
gets bored seeing the same things all the time, there are very few cities
that you can really “settle” down in, and New York is one of them. It’s
also nice being a 45 minute boat ride from home as opposed to a 9
hour plane ride.
What did you learn most about living and working overseas?
The most challenging part of living and working overseas was building
a life from the bottom up. Until they are not easily accessible,
ubiquitous things like your friends, family and healthcare are very easy
to take for granted. A good friend of mine in Chile became very ill while
she was there. Her Spanish was not very good and the people she was
living with weren’t helpful, so she stayed with me and another friend in
our apartment for a few weeks. We took turns nursing her back to
health, buying her food and taking her to the doctor. It reminded me of
what my parents would have done for me. Aside from a few other
people and me, my friend had no one else she could turn to for help. It
made me realize how important community ties are and how difficult
they are to establish.
Looking back, how would you describe your experience
delivering the Commencement Address last June?
My experience delivering the Commencement Address was surreal. It
didn’t seem so long ago since I was waiting to receive my own diploma
and listening to someone else speak. In your mind you tend to think, or
at least I tend to think, that giving commencement addresses is for
adults, people with responsibilities and experiences, people who aren’t
me. I wondered what it would mean for me if I admitted that I was the
kind of person who was even eligible to give a commencement speech!
But it was an honor to have been asked and the more I thought about
it, the more sense it seemed to make to have younger commencement
speakers, people closer in age to the graduates who are still going
through the same process of sorting out their place in the world. I think
it is a great tradition.
How has your Ranney experience helped in the real world?
Did you feel well-prepared for college?
Most of my best friends are from Ranney, people that I have known for
about 20 years now. There aren’t many people who can say, at 25, that
they have a group of friends they have known since they were sixyears-old. We are all off doing interesting things, so talking and hanging
out with them gives me a different perspective on life.
As far as college goes, I think most Ranney graduates will tell you after
their first year that they were extremely well-prepared. When I arrived
at Swarthmore with all engines running, I found out that I could coast
more than I was used to. In my second year, however, things began to
ramp up and I had to get back into high gear. No matter how prepared
you are, advanced classes are always a challenge — the biggest
difference I saw was between people who had to learn the skills that
they would need as they were finding out that they needed them and
those who were already used to exercising them. Thankfully, my
previous work made me one of the latter.
COLUMNS
9
The Evolving
Landscape of
College Admissions
When Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University’s
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, came to
Ranney School last November, many may
have suspected that he would provide an
insider’s perspective on college admittance
and they would be partially correct.
What they may not have
suspected was that he
would offer some valuable
advice so obvious that
many might regrettably
overlook it; that is, the
real significance of college
admissions lies in what
happens after the long,
winding road of admissions
is over! In fact, Dr. Brenzel
offered many pearls of
From left: Co-directors of College Guidance
Myronee Simpson (at left) and Joan Liu with
Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel
advice to Ranney students that they likely won’t find
in the thousands of college admissions books available
today and put this advice in realistic context for today’s
high school students. According to Dr. Brenzel, what
matters most isn’t where you end up going to school,
but rather, what you do after you get there.
10
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
11
The Evolving
Landscape of
College Admissions
When Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University’s
Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, came to
Ranney School last November, many may
have suspected that he would provide an
insider’s perspective on college admittance
and they would be partially correct.
What they may not have
suspected was that he
would offer some valuable
advice so obvious that
many might regrettably
overlook it; that is, the
real significance of college
admissions lies in what
happens after the long,
winding road of admissions
is over! In fact, Dr. Brenzel
offered many pearls of
From left: Co-directors of College Guidance
Myronee Simpson (at left) and Joan Liu with
Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel
advice to Ranney students that they likely won’t find
in the thousands of college admissions books available
today and put this advice in realistic context for today’s
high school students. According to Dr. Brenzel, what
matters most isn’t where you end up going to school,
but rather, what you do after you get there.
10
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
11
Students at Ranney and across the country should be getting good
practice for college life in their high school careers by taking
advantage of all of the valuable resources — people and
technology included — at their disposal to learn and experience as
much as possible. He reinforced the importance of optimizing the
college experience by taking advantage of all the learning
opportunities available and praised Ranney School for the
“cultural, capital learning experience that Ranney has made
available to its students.” Dr. Brenzel urged all students, high
school and college alike, to cultivate a desire to know, to engage
and take part in the action. To the students in the audience,
Dr. Brenzel said, “If you take advantage of Ranney, then you are
putting yourself in the path of getting into a great school.” About
Ranney School’s mission and stellar educational programs,
Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff said in
his opening remarks that
“The primary portal to college
and to a successful life is about
developing your full potential.
A high quality education will
gain a student admission into
an excellent college and, more
importantly, such an experience
will lead to the arrival at
meaningful destinations in life,
work and service.”
Despite these constraints, there is good news for today’s college
applicants, according to Dr. Brenzel. “Schools are searching hard
for talented students,” he said. “They are looking for human
potential and they are finding it everywhere.” With the help of
active college guidance offices, as well the increasing ease of
sending applications online, admissions committees have more
time to carefully mull over the thousands of applications that pass
through their hands and make more informed decisions about each
candidate. Further, Dr. Brenzel stressed the importance of making
a realistic application to schools and the ease with which to do so
based on the ease with which students can get in-depth
information on the schools to which they are considering
applying. “Each one of you here will be fortunate to go to any
number of schools available to you today and make it your own,”
he addressed the audience. “You
are fortunate to have the
opportunity to go to Ranney
and to have access to all of the
wonderful resources you have
available here.”
“What matters most
isn’t where you end up
getting in to school, but
rather, what you do
after you get there.”
Offering a realistic portrayal of
today’s climate for admissions,
Dr. Brenzel highlighted five
specific constraints faced by
college admissions committees
all across the country including: the zero-sum game of admissions;
the massively conflicting priorities of those involved; the variety of
context in comparing applicants; limited information about a
student and an increasingly superb applicant pool. According to
Dr. Brenzel, the milieu of college admissions has been affected by
the enforcement of various quotas in recent years, but the process
remains a zero-sum game; consequently, a preference for those in a
particular group is logically equivalent to discrimination against
those not in the group. Additionally, every person involved with
the admissions process at virtually all schools has massively
conflicting priorities. Further confounding the admissions process
are the fact that the abundant variety of backgrounds and
experiences among today’s applicant pool makes comparing
applicant to applicant almost synonymous with comparing apples
and oranges, as well as the fact that students applying to college are
moving through one of the most developmentally volatile and
formative periods of their lives, which cannot possibly be summed
up on a college application. Add to these constraints the fact that
applicants have become increasingly competitive with each other
with regard to SAT scores and grade point averages, and one can
quickly see that admissions is anything but a straight-forward,
formulaic process.
12
COLUMNS
One particularly strong
resource available to Ranney
students is the College
Guidance department. With
two Co-directors who meet
extensively in a one-on-one
context with all of Ranney’s
Upper
Schoolers,
the
department gets to know each
student personally and gets to
work as early as freshman year
in narrowing down the college search for a perfect match for every
individual. The department goes the extra mile to help all students
during the application process with such events as regular financial
aid planning nights, college planning workshops, college
information nights, college visits and parent breakfasts.
Co-director of College Guidance Ms. Joan Liu remarked on her
favorite part of Dr. Brenzel’s visit, which also sheds light on how
Ranney students have an advantage in the process: “[Dr. Brenzel]
said that many students applying to Yale ask whether there are
research opportunities available there; he pointed out that the
more important question is ‘Can you work with a mentor?’ This
distinction is an important one,” Ms. Liu said. “At Ranney School,
students are encouraged to take advantage of research
opportunities through projects such as the Capstone, where
mentorship is fundamental to success. Students work closely with
their faculty advisors throughout their Upper School career and we
encourage them to take advantage of new academic and
extracurricular opportunities,” Ms. Liu pointed out.
“If you take advantage of Ranney, then
you are putting yourself in the path of
getting into a great school.”
– Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University Admissions Director
In light of the importance of context in today’s admissions process,
one particular tool available to Ranney students via college
guidance is Naviance, the web-based college database program that
keeps a record of the college application history of all students who
have attended Ranney. Using this tool, students can determine
average GPAs, SAT scores and other admissions criteria that a
school or university typically expects from a Ranney School
graduate. Gleaning such contextual information, students can get
a more realistic idea of where they are “within academic profile” of
a particular institution.
The college admissions process has grown to become a four billion
dollar business, according to Brenzel, resulting in a breadth of
books, services and even “application counselors,” who are paid
high stipends to help package students in favorable ways to “sell”
them to college admissions committees. If it sounds excessive, it is,
according to Brenzel, who deems such services as a waste of time
Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel
and money that results in an artificial application profile. And he
points out an ironic truth: with thousands of books available telling
students how to get into college, it seems no one has explored the
more important topic of how to make the best use of one’s college
experience. The media, according to Brenzel, is at least partly to
blame for putting the focus on the wrong aspect of college; the
hype of the college admissions process often overshadows the
importance of what happens after you arrive at your dorm as a
freshman. The truth of the matter is, “No matter where you go,
there will be more resources to take advantage of than you could
tackle in 50 lifetimes,” said Brenzel.
To close out the evening, Dr. Brenzel told a personal story that
offered valuable insight to both parents and students. His son
applied to ten schools and was accepted into nine of them; and,
during the tours of all ten colleges, Dr. Brenzel discovered there was
not one of them which he would not want to attend personally.
Hence, the first lesson of his story: most schools are wonderful and
offer so many programs and resources that it is all but impossible to
avoid settling into a school that will offer valuable opportunities
for a bright student. Like many of the country’s bright college grads,
the one school that wait listed Dr. Brenzel’s son happened to be his
number one choice. He decided on a whim to visit one of the
schools where he was accepted and fell in love with it. His son’s
concern? That he was disappointing his father in planning to go to
the school he had not originally planned on attending. Dr. Brenzel
urged parents and students not to fixate on one institution, but to
keep an open mind to a broad range of possibilities by applying to
a diverse mix of schools with different programs to offer.
It surely can not hurt to attempt to cover a vast array of potential
colleges that will be home to Ranney students after they graduate
Upper School. After all, according to Brenzel, at the end of the
day, “You make something out of the school, the school does not
make something out of you.”
Dr. Brenzel was the Executive Director of the Association of Yale Alumni before his
appointment as Dean of Admissions at the University in 2005. Founded more
than three centuries ago, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in
the United States and is a member of the Ivy League. Having produced a number
of U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state, the college is most noted for
cultivating the world’s top leaders.
COLUMNS
13
Students at Ranney and across the country should be getting good
practice for college life in their high school careers by taking
advantage of all of the valuable resources — people and
technology included — at their disposal to learn and experience as
much as possible. He reinforced the importance of optimizing the
college experience by taking advantage of all the learning
opportunities available and praised Ranney School for the
“cultural, capital learning experience that Ranney has made
available to its students.” Dr. Brenzel urged all students, high
school and college alike, to cultivate a desire to know, to engage
and take part in the action. To the students in the audience,
Dr. Brenzel said, “If you take advantage of Ranney, then you are
putting yourself in the path of getting into a great school.” About
Ranney School’s mission and stellar educational programs,
Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff said in
his opening remarks that
“The primary portal to college
and to a successful life is about
developing your full potential.
A high quality education will
gain a student admission into
an excellent college and, more
importantly, such an experience
will lead to the arrival at
meaningful destinations in life,
work and service.”
Despite these constraints, there is good news for today’s college
applicants, according to Dr. Brenzel. “Schools are searching hard
for talented students,” he said. “They are looking for human
potential and they are finding it everywhere.” With the help of
active college guidance offices, as well the increasing ease of
sending applications online, admissions committees have more
time to carefully mull over the thousands of applications that pass
through their hands and make more informed decisions about each
candidate. Further, Dr. Brenzel stressed the importance of making
a realistic application to schools and the ease with which to do so
based on the ease with which students can get in-depth
information on the schools to which they are considering
applying. “Each one of you here will be fortunate to go to any
number of schools available to you today and make it your own,”
he addressed the audience. “You
are fortunate to have the
opportunity to go to Ranney
and to have access to all of the
wonderful resources you have
available here.”
“What matters most
isn’t where you end up
getting in to school, but
rather, what you do
after you get there.”
Offering a realistic portrayal of
today’s climate for admissions,
Dr. Brenzel highlighted five
specific constraints faced by
college admissions committees
all across the country including: the zero-sum game of admissions;
the massively conflicting priorities of those involved; the variety of
context in comparing applicants; limited information about a
student and an increasingly superb applicant pool. According to
Dr. Brenzel, the milieu of college admissions has been affected by
the enforcement of various quotas in recent years, but the process
remains a zero-sum game; consequently, a preference for those in a
particular group is logically equivalent to discrimination against
those not in the group. Additionally, every person involved with
the admissions process at virtually all schools has massively
conflicting priorities. Further confounding the admissions process
are the fact that the abundant variety of backgrounds and
experiences among today’s applicant pool makes comparing
applicant to applicant almost synonymous with comparing apples
and oranges, as well as the fact that students applying to college are
moving through one of the most developmentally volatile and
formative periods of their lives, which cannot possibly be summed
up on a college application. Add to these constraints the fact that
applicants have become increasingly competitive with each other
with regard to SAT scores and grade point averages, and one can
quickly see that admissions is anything but a straight-forward,
formulaic process.
12
COLUMNS
One particularly strong
resource available to Ranney
students is the College
Guidance department. With
two Co-directors who meet
extensively in a one-on-one
context with all of Ranney’s
Upper
Schoolers,
the
department gets to know each
student personally and gets to
work as early as freshman year
in narrowing down the college search for a perfect match for every
individual. The department goes the extra mile to help all students
during the application process with such events as regular financial
aid planning nights, college planning workshops, college
information nights, college visits and parent breakfasts.
Co-director of College Guidance Ms. Joan Liu remarked on her
favorite part of Dr. Brenzel’s visit, which also sheds light on how
Ranney students have an advantage in the process: “[Dr. Brenzel]
said that many students applying to Yale ask whether there are
research opportunities available there; he pointed out that the
more important question is ‘Can you work with a mentor?’ This
distinction is an important one,” Ms. Liu said. “At Ranney School,
students are encouraged to take advantage of research
opportunities through projects such as the Capstone, where
mentorship is fundamental to success. Students work closely with
their faculty advisors throughout their Upper School career and we
encourage them to take advantage of new academic and
extracurricular opportunities,” Ms. Liu pointed out.
“If you take advantage of Ranney, then
you are putting yourself in the path of
getting into a great school.”
– Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University Admissions Director
In light of the importance of context in today’s admissions process,
one particular tool available to Ranney students via college
guidance is Naviance, the web-based college database program that
keeps a record of the college application history of all students who
have attended Ranney. Using this tool, students can determine
average GPAs, SAT scores and other admissions criteria that a
school or university typically expects from a Ranney School
graduate. Gleaning such contextual information, students can get
a more realistic idea of where they are “within academic profile” of
a particular institution.
The college admissions process has grown to become a four billion
dollar business, according to Brenzel, resulting in a breadth of
books, services and even “application counselors,” who are paid
high stipends to help package students in favorable ways to “sell”
them to college admissions committees. If it sounds excessive, it is,
according to Brenzel, who deems such services as a waste of time
Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel
and money that results in an artificial application profile. And he
points out an ironic truth: with thousands of books available telling
students how to get into college, it seems no one has explored the
more important topic of how to make the best use of one’s college
experience. The media, according to Brenzel, is at least partly to
blame for putting the focus on the wrong aspect of college; the
hype of the college admissions process often overshadows the
importance of what happens after you arrive at your dorm as a
freshman. The truth of the matter is, “No matter where you go,
there will be more resources to take advantage of than you could
tackle in 50 lifetimes,” said Brenzel.
To close out the evening, Dr. Brenzel told a personal story that
offered valuable insight to both parents and students. His son
applied to ten schools and was accepted into nine of them; and,
during the tours of all ten colleges, Dr. Brenzel discovered there was
not one of them which he would not want to attend personally.
Hence, the first lesson of his story: most schools are wonderful and
offer so many programs and resources that it is all but impossible to
avoid settling into a school that will offer valuable opportunities
for a bright student. Like many of the country’s bright college grads,
the one school that wait listed Dr. Brenzel’s son happened to be his
number one choice. He decided on a whim to visit one of the
schools where he was accepted and fell in love with it. His son’s
concern? That he was disappointing his father in planning to go to
the school he had not originally planned on attending. Dr. Brenzel
urged parents and students not to fixate on one institution, but to
keep an open mind to a broad range of possibilities by applying to
a diverse mix of schools with different programs to offer.
It surely can not hurt to attempt to cover a vast array of potential
colleges that will be home to Ranney students after they graduate
Upper School. After all, according to Brenzel, at the end of the
day, “You make something out of the school, the school does not
make something out of you.”
Dr. Brenzel was the Executive Director of the Association of Yale Alumni before his
appointment as Dean of Admissions at the University in 2005. Founded more
than three centuries ago, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education in
the United States and is a member of the Ivy League. Having produced a number
of U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state, the college is most noted for
cultivating the world’s top leaders.
COLUMNS
13
COLUMNS
M O M E N T S, M E M O R I E S A N D M I L E S T O N E S I N
JANUARY
• Lower School
French students
take a national
French exam for
the first time in
Lower School
history
• Middle School
students compete
in the Science
Olympiad and
take 6th place in
the regional
competition
14
COLUMNS
FEBRUARY
• 100% Faculty
and Administration
participation in the
Foundations for
Learning capital
campaign
• Alison Chavers ’07
becomes first
female basketball
player to score
1,000 points
MARCH
• RSPA hosts the
20th Annual
Panther Ball
2007, A Night at
the Oscars
• Ranney hosts
Middle School
Forensics
competition
and wins
unprecedented
19 awards
• Upper School
National Honor
Society hosts
Senior-Senior Prom
at Applewood
Senior Center and
is featured in a
number of local
newspapers
MAY
JUNE
SEPTEMBER
• Dedication of the
new Guidone
Track
• Largest enrollment (564 campers) in
Ranney-in-the-Summer Camp history!
This summer, we have significantly increased
camp academic and athletic offerings
• Opening Day 2007
has a record
enrollment of
815 students
• Students present their own lyrics and music
@ Songwriter’s Circle
• RSPA: Passing of the Presidential Torch from
Amy Shay to Michele Karagianakis
• Middle School
implements
Community
Standards Initiative
to positively
reinforce “model”
behavior
• Halloween Parade
• Launch of the
Great American
Country Fair
• Students in Lower
and Middle School
present Capstone
Projects (5th and
8th grade thesis)
for the first time
• Upper School
juniors begin
preparation for
their senior
Capstone Projects
in 2008
• Groundbreaking
Ceremony for
new Lower
School and RSPA
Panther Hall
• 2007 Commencement Season Begins
for Lower School, Middle School and
Upper School
• Aisha Masud ’08, Stephanie Tomasetta ’08
and Dmitry Vagner ’08 are selected to
participate in prestigious NJ Governors
School during the summer
• Mandarin Chinese
courses and
activities offered to
all divisions
• New Admissions
view book released
• Upper School
athletes recruited
for Division I, II and
III sports
OCTOBER
• Fall Festival
• Distance Learning Center (DLC) activities
begin to enhance classroom instruction
in all three divisions
• Alison Mancuso ’09 and Laura Church ’10
win State Tennis Championship at 2nd
Doubles
• National Geographic photographer Steve
McCurry is Keynote Speaker at Fall
Convocation. Middle and Upper School
students raise $2,000 for his non-profit
organization that supports educational
funding for Afghan children. In response,
Mr. McCurry sent the above photo of a
class of Afghan students who benefited
from the school supplies.
NOVEMBER
• 48 students
recognized as AP
Scholars
• Dedication of
Kelly Tennis
Center
• Middle and Upper
Schools present
Shakespeare’s
tragedy, Romeo
and Juliet. Kara
Santora ’10
receives Count
Basie nomination
for outstanding
actress in a
supporting role
• Expansion of
training facilities
into weight room
and cardio room
15
2007
DECEMBER
• Yearlong, student-driven Community
Service Initiative concludes with: Helping
Hands; Toys for Tots Book Drive; Musical
Toys for Tots; Books for Africa; Gifts from
the Heart; Family Promise, and “Save the
Music” foundation
• Middle School holds Talent Cavalcade for
the first time
• Panther Classic Basketball Tournament
2007 (Boys’ and Girls’ Teams place 2nd
in both Divisions)
• School-wide Winter Concert (vocal and
instrumental)
• Middle School’s literary magazine, The MAG,
wins Gold and its newspaper, Panther Press,
wins second place from the American
Scholastic Press Association. This nationwide
contest is juried by print-industry professionals
who grade and critique each newspaper and
magazine entry. The MAG has won an ASPA
first place medal for the last five years.
COLUMNS
15
COLUMNS
M O M E N T S, M E M O R I E S A N D M I L E S T O N E S I N
JANUARY
• Lower School
French students
take a national
French exam for
the first time in
Lower School
history
• Middle School
students compete
in the Science
Olympiad and
take 6th place in
the regional
competition
14
COLUMNS
FEBRUARY
• 100% Faculty
and Administration
participation in the
Foundations for
Learning capital
campaign
• Alison Chavers ’07
becomes first
female basketball
player to score
1,000 points
MARCH
• RSPA hosts the
20th Annual
Panther Ball
2007, A Night at
the Oscars
• Ranney hosts
Middle School
Forensics
competition
and wins
unprecedented
19 awards
• Upper School
National Honor
Society hosts
Senior-Senior Prom
at Applewood
Senior Center and
is featured in a
number of local
newspapers
MAY
JUNE
SEPTEMBER
• Dedication of the
new Guidone
Track
• Largest enrollment (564 campers) in
Ranney-in-the-Summer Camp history!
This summer, we have significantly increased
camp academic and athletic offerings
• Opening Day 2007
has a record
enrollment of
815 students
• Students present their own lyrics and music
@ Songwriter’s Circle
• RSPA: Passing of the Presidential Torch from
Amy Shay to Michele Karagianakis
• Middle School
implements
Community
Standards Initiative
to positively
reinforce “model”
behavior
• Halloween Parade
• Launch of the
Great American
Country Fair
• Students in Lower
and Middle School
present Capstone
Projects (5th and
8th grade thesis)
for the first time
• Upper School
juniors begin
preparation for
their senior
Capstone Projects
in 2008
• Groundbreaking
Ceremony for
new Lower
School and RSPA
Panther Hall
• 2007 Commencement Season Begins
for Lower School, Middle School and
Upper School
• Aisha Masud ’08, Stephanie Tomasetta ’08
and Dmitry Vagner ’08 are selected to
participate in prestigious NJ Governors
School during the summer
• Mandarin Chinese
courses and
activities offered to
all divisions
• New Admissions
view book released
• Upper School
athletes recruited
for Division I, II and
III sports
OCTOBER
• Fall Festival
• Distance Learning Center (DLC) activities
begin to enhance classroom instruction
in all three divisions
• Alison Mancuso ’09 and Laura Church ’10
win State Tennis Championship at 2nd
Doubles
• National Geographic photographer Steve
McCurry is Keynote Speaker at Fall
Convocation. Middle and Upper School
students raise $2,000 for his non-profit
organization that supports educational
funding for Afghan children. In response,
Mr. McCurry sent the above photo of a
class of Afghan students who benefited
from the school supplies.
NOVEMBER
• 48 students
recognized as AP
Scholars
• Dedication of
Kelly Tennis
Center
• Middle and Upper
Schools present
Shakespeare’s
tragedy, Romeo
and Juliet. Kara
Santora ’10
receives Count
Basie nomination
for outstanding
actress in a
supporting role
• Expansion of
training facilities
into weight room
and cardio room
15
2007
DECEMBER
• Yearlong, student-driven Community
Service Initiative concludes with: Helping
Hands; Toys for Tots Book Drive; Musical
Toys for Tots; Books for Africa; Gifts from
the Heart; Family Promise, and “Save the
Music” foundation
• Middle School holds Talent Cavalcade for
the first time
• Panther Classic Basketball Tournament
2007 (Boys’ and Girls’ Teams place 2nd
in both Divisions)
• School-wide Winter Concert (vocal and
instrumental)
• Middle School’s literary magazine, The MAG,
wins Gold and its newspaper, Panther Press,
wins second place from the American
Scholastic Press Association. This nationwide
contest is juried by print-industry professionals
who grade and critique each newspaper and
magazine entry. The MAG has won an ASPA
first place medal for the last five years.
COLUMNS
15
Ranney School’s 2007
Faculty Commencement
Award Winners
During the past 10 years at Ranney, I have grown
professionally and have watched my students mature
and develop into young adults. I am so fortunate to be a
part of the Ranney community and to work in a
profession that I so much enjoy. Teaching in collaboration
with other talented professionals, we provide students an
ideal learning environment with multifaceted activities
and opportunities for learning.
EACH YEAR AT COMMENCEMENT, FOUR DISTINGUISHED
MEMBERS OF RANNEY SCHOOL’S FACULTY ARE PRESENTED
Assigning each of my students a letter and having them
submit a paper with only that as identification.
Interestingly, our unconscious assumptions about a
student’s capabilities can creep into our subjective
grading. Grading anonymously helps to “keep it real” —
if you don’t know who the student is, you can only
grade what is actually on the paper.
WITH AWARDS TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
AMONG OUR EDUCATORS.
THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENTS OF THE
LAWRENCE S. SYKOFF FACULTY FELLOWSHIP AWARD, THE
CAROL ANN PRESLEY MEMORIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
IN TEACHING AND THE PANTHER PRIZE SHARE THEIR UNIQUE
INSIGHTS ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN EDUCATOR AT
we could enhance the curriculum simply by putting our
minds and resources together. We got creative and
enthralled even some of our harder to reach students
by developing games and activities to teach lessons.
The morale and determination of the school community
carried us through even the most difficult times.
Mrs. Doreen Fowlkes
5th grade teacher
Recipient of the Lawrence S.
Sykoff Faculty Fellowship
Award 2007
(past recipients: Emmett Walling, 2006; Tom Moriau, 2005;
Laura Gillroy, 2004 and Kate Greenberg, 2003)
One Constant Amidst Significant Change
Like all independent schools around the country,
Ranney’s progression during the late 80s and early 90s
was impacted by an economic recession. When I began
my full-time position in 1988 as a fifth grade teacher at
Ranney School, my first classroom in the Barn was quite
different than the one that I have today. Our teaching
materials included: a current set of encyclopedias, a
bookcase and two maps. My classroom materials
allowance was modest, so I raided my sons’
bookshelves, games, toys and anything else they had
that could be used to teach my class. My grade level
colleagues and I would share our materials and see how
16
COLUMNS
Mrs. Nancy Rosenthal
Lower School French instructor
RANNEY SCHOOL.
When Dr. Sykoff arrived as our third Headmaster in
1993, Ranney School was fortunate to have such a
strong faculty of forward-thinking educators who were
excited to support the growth and development of what
was a remarkably small school into one of the premier
independent schools in the state. Dr. Sykoff’s vision for
the future of Ranney was immediately evident then and
we see many of the results of his vision today
throughout the campus. Now, when we stop to look
around us, we see curious and eager students who are
benefiting from the most relevant and up-to-date
resources: SmartBoards in every classroom, universal
Internet capability, the most current texts, two expansive
libraries for our Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, a
Distance Learning Center and state-of-the-art athletic
facilities that put our students at the forefront of
scholastic and athletic endeavors. I have seen many
changes in nearly two decades, but the one constant
each year has been a supportive and close-knit group of
colleagues who work seamlessly together, and who
share and grow through their interactions with one
another. I am proud to be a part of a faculty of teachers
who truly love their job.
Studies show that when students receive graded
assessments, they immediately look at the grade and if
the grade is close to what they expected to receive, they
rarely read the teacher’s comments! In addition, most
students assume that comments written in red will be
uncomplimentary. I use a purple pen and instead of
writing the grade numerically at the top of the page, I
write it out and embed it in my comments at the end of
the assessment.
Recipient of the Carol Ann
Presley Memorial Award for
Excellence in Teaching
(past recipients: Mike Ling, 2006; Jennifer Corboy, 2005;
Barbara Bongiovanni, 2004; Wendy Allen, 2003 and
Barbara Brager, 2002)
Making Language Learning Fun!
I have always believed that language learning should be
fun so students will be excited to come to class. At
Ranney School, I am given the resources and freedom
necessary to allow the students to explore the language
through active participation and collaborative learning. I
am rewarded when I hear my kindergarteners giggle
when they first hear the new sounds of French. It is a
gift to watch these students develop and grow through
Lower School, acquiring more self-assurance as they
begin to speak more freely using many new vocabulary
words and expressions. By the time they leave Lower
School to enter Middle School, they are able to conjugate
verbs and are familiar with the gender of nouns and
adjectives. Très bien!
While field trips enhance the multicultural experience so
fundamental in the education of children today, the
technology I have seen develop at Ranney has taken
foreign language to a new dimension. Using technology
to break geographical boundaries and actively engage
learners, our students connect to the language and
culture through PowerPoint presentations, virtual tours,
online resources, interactive websites and distance
learning activities. Lower School foreign language
students, for example, have taken a tour of the Eiffel
Tower, visited a French department store, and have seen
the Louvre all through the use of the SmartBoard and
without leaving their classroom! I am delighted that
Ranney School recognizes that emerging internet
technologies have broadened the global marketplace,
making foreign language increasingly important in
today’s world, not only as a communication tool, but
as a way to understand art, culture and literature.
Mrs. Louise Dewar
Upper School history instructor and History
Department Chair
Recipient of the Carol Ann Presley
Memorial Award for Excellence
in Teaching
A Fresh Approach with Traditional Practices
Every so often, I will present a lesson that I haven’t fully
“prepped” as a way to learn the material with my
students, making sure they know that, for this lesson, I
am a student too. When they see me participate in the
learning process as a model of learning behavior, they
begin to ask better questions, make multidisciplinary
connections and work out problems.
I love working with and observing teachers who love
teaching. Discussing at length about what constitutes
“accomplished teaching” never fails to positively
influence the classroom teaching environment. By
thinking outside the box, I have discovered so much
about myself and my students in the process.
All students can excel when provided with superior
learning conditions, a powerful educational mixture of
frequent feedback, individual attention and alternative
learning strategies. It is so important to address our
children in a flexible and individual way.
During the summer months, I work as a trainer for the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
(NBPTS), an organization that certifies teachers who
meet an established set of professional standards. Every
year, teachers across the United States participate in an
intensive series of assessments, demonstrating their
accomplishments as educators. Outstanding candidates
are awarded NBPTS Certification. In my role, I work with
those teachers who score assessments and train them
to identify evidence of accomplished teaching. In doing
so, I have the opportunity to view videotaped
submissions of teacher candidates at work in the
classroom, illustrating his or her “best practices.” As a
result, I have observed the best work of thousands of
gifted teachers. This has also given me the chance to
gather ideas, techniques and activities to try in my own
classroom and share them with my Ranney colleagues.
Here are three ideas that I have recently integrated into
my own teaching, to further refine classroom instruction.
These simple yet highly effective strategies demonstrate
how accomplished teachers take a fresh approach to
some of the most traditional teaching practices. This is
what I value as an educator. While Ranney is clearly a
school with rigorous academic standards, student
assessment and timely feedback are critical, and
sometimes the best way to assess a student is to talk to
them, but there are other useful strategies as follows:
Mr. Noel Delgado
Upper School history instructor and varsity track
and cross country coach
Recipient of the Faculty
Panther Prize
track team of nine runners was formed to continue
running over the cold months — a team that has grown
to 38 runners today! This team of dedicated athletes
carefully and methodically added mile after mile to their
weekend runs, learning firsthand that running 8-10
miles is possible. Our winter team quickly grew into a
year-round running club, made up of not only track and
cross country runners, but also members of the tennis,
soccer and swim teams. We continued training on
weekends and they constantly challenged me to find
new runs in which to compete. We have taken our track
shoes all the way to Florida, where we competed in the
Disney half marathon (13.1 miles), a new annual
tradition we are proud to continue. These athletes refuse
to rest on their laurels; most recently, they have added
biking to our regime for cross-training in order to
compete in triathlons.
While I encourage my team of dedicated runners to take
each run further, they have, in turn, pushed me to grow
in new ways that have been equally motivating. These
valuable experiences have been both personally and
professionally rewarding: having the opportunity to share
the sport of running with my students and witnessing my
students’ growth, both in terms of their run times and
their ability to challenge themselves, support their fellow
teammates and work both independently and as part of
a team. Extra-curricular activities are the beginning of a
lifelong process of self-discovery and learning. At
Ranney, they are not viewed as just after-school events;
they represent a daily mindset of self-discipline and
cooperation that is integrated throughout the entire
campus. Students understand that excellence and
success, whether it is in the classroom or on the track,
results only from academic and personal integrity
combined with a developed character.
At Ranney, we encourage our students to find out what
truly excites them because children respond to being
surrounded by others who share and nurture their
interests. I welcome and appreciate the opportunity to
build a stronger bond with my students, something that
I will always cherish. The long runs we have shared
together have inspired us all and each new run is valuable.
My students have taught me that self-improvement is a
never-ending journey because we can always run further
and faster. At the end of that long journey we take
together, exhausted and sometimes shocked at how far
we have come, each one of us emerges a bit stronger
than ever before.
Inspiring Each Other to Run the Distance
Most of the accomplishments that I have had the
privilege of sharing with my students were not of my
own design; rather, they were driven primarily by
student curiosity and energy. Enhancing the running
program at Ranney School has been a student-driven
effort that continues to grow and improve. When I first
discussed running the NJ Marathon with my cross
country team, they were quite enthusiastic about it —
one student even asked if he could train with me! It did
not take long before others got the running bug and
interest grew exponentially. Soon after, a new winter
COLUMNS
17
Ranney School’s 2007
Faculty Commencement
Award Winners
During the past 10 years at Ranney, I have grown
professionally and have watched my students mature
and develop into young adults. I am so fortunate to be a
part of the Ranney community and to work in a
profession that I so much enjoy. Teaching in collaboration
with other talented professionals, we provide students an
ideal learning environment with multifaceted activities
and opportunities for learning.
EACH YEAR AT COMMENCEMENT, FOUR DISTINGUISHED
MEMBERS OF RANNEY SCHOOL’S FACULTY ARE PRESENTED
Assigning each of my students a letter and having them
submit a paper with only that as identification.
Interestingly, our unconscious assumptions about a
student’s capabilities can creep into our subjective
grading. Grading anonymously helps to “keep it real” —
if you don’t know who the student is, you can only
grade what is actually on the paper.
WITH AWARDS TO RECOGNIZE OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
AMONG OUR EDUCATORS.
THIS YEAR’S RECIPIENTS OF THE
LAWRENCE S. SYKOFF FACULTY FELLOWSHIP AWARD, THE
CAROL ANN PRESLEY MEMORIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE
IN TEACHING AND THE PANTHER PRIZE SHARE THEIR UNIQUE
INSIGHTS ON WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN EDUCATOR AT
we could enhance the curriculum simply by putting our
minds and resources together. We got creative and
enthralled even some of our harder to reach students
by developing games and activities to teach lessons.
The morale and determination of the school community
carried us through even the most difficult times.
Mrs. Doreen Fowlkes
5th grade teacher
Recipient of the Lawrence S.
Sykoff Faculty Fellowship
Award 2007
(past recipients: Emmett Walling, 2006; Tom Moriau, 2005;
Laura Gillroy, 2004 and Kate Greenberg, 2003)
One Constant Amidst Significant Change
Like all independent schools around the country,
Ranney’s progression during the late 80s and early 90s
was impacted by an economic recession. When I began
my full-time position in 1988 as a fifth grade teacher at
Ranney School, my first classroom in the Barn was quite
different than the one that I have today. Our teaching
materials included: a current set of encyclopedias, a
bookcase and two maps. My classroom materials
allowance was modest, so I raided my sons’
bookshelves, games, toys and anything else they had
that could be used to teach my class. My grade level
colleagues and I would share our materials and see how
16
COLUMNS
Mrs. Nancy Rosenthal
Lower School French instructor
RANNEY SCHOOL.
When Dr. Sykoff arrived as our third Headmaster in
1993, Ranney School was fortunate to have such a
strong faculty of forward-thinking educators who were
excited to support the growth and development of what
was a remarkably small school into one of the premier
independent schools in the state. Dr. Sykoff’s vision for
the future of Ranney was immediately evident then and
we see many of the results of his vision today
throughout the campus. Now, when we stop to look
around us, we see curious and eager students who are
benefiting from the most relevant and up-to-date
resources: SmartBoards in every classroom, universal
Internet capability, the most current texts, two expansive
libraries for our Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, a
Distance Learning Center and state-of-the-art athletic
facilities that put our students at the forefront of
scholastic and athletic endeavors. I have seen many
changes in nearly two decades, but the one constant
each year has been a supportive and close-knit group of
colleagues who work seamlessly together, and who
share and grow through their interactions with one
another. I am proud to be a part of a faculty of teachers
who truly love their job.
Studies show that when students receive graded
assessments, they immediately look at the grade and if
the grade is close to what they expected to receive, they
rarely read the teacher’s comments! In addition, most
students assume that comments written in red will be
uncomplimentary. I use a purple pen and instead of
writing the grade numerically at the top of the page, I
write it out and embed it in my comments at the end of
the assessment.
Recipient of the Carol Ann
Presley Memorial Award for
Excellence in Teaching
(past recipients: Mike Ling, 2006; Jennifer Corboy, 2005;
Barbara Bongiovanni, 2004; Wendy Allen, 2003 and
Barbara Brager, 2002)
Making Language Learning Fun!
I have always believed that language learning should be
fun so students will be excited to come to class. At
Ranney School, I am given the resources and freedom
necessary to allow the students to explore the language
through active participation and collaborative learning. I
am rewarded when I hear my kindergarteners giggle
when they first hear the new sounds of French. It is a
gift to watch these students develop and grow through
Lower School, acquiring more self-assurance as they
begin to speak more freely using many new vocabulary
words and expressions. By the time they leave Lower
School to enter Middle School, they are able to conjugate
verbs and are familiar with the gender of nouns and
adjectives. Très bien!
While field trips enhance the multicultural experience so
fundamental in the education of children today, the
technology I have seen develop at Ranney has taken
foreign language to a new dimension. Using technology
to break geographical boundaries and actively engage
learners, our students connect to the language and
culture through PowerPoint presentations, virtual tours,
online resources, interactive websites and distance
learning activities. Lower School foreign language
students, for example, have taken a tour of the Eiffel
Tower, visited a French department store, and have seen
the Louvre all through the use of the SmartBoard and
without leaving their classroom! I am delighted that
Ranney School recognizes that emerging internet
technologies have broadened the global marketplace,
making foreign language increasingly important in
today’s world, not only as a communication tool, but
as a way to understand art, culture and literature.
Mrs. Louise Dewar
Upper School history instructor and History
Department Chair
Recipient of the Carol Ann Presley
Memorial Award for Excellence
in Teaching
A Fresh Approach with Traditional Practices
Every so often, I will present a lesson that I haven’t fully
“prepped” as a way to learn the material with my
students, making sure they know that, for this lesson, I
am a student too. When they see me participate in the
learning process as a model of learning behavior, they
begin to ask better questions, make multidisciplinary
connections and work out problems.
I love working with and observing teachers who love
teaching. Discussing at length about what constitutes
“accomplished teaching” never fails to positively
influence the classroom teaching environment. By
thinking outside the box, I have discovered so much
about myself and my students in the process.
All students can excel when provided with superior
learning conditions, a powerful educational mixture of
frequent feedback, individual attention and alternative
learning strategies. It is so important to address our
children in a flexible and individual way.
During the summer months, I work as a trainer for the
National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
(NBPTS), an organization that certifies teachers who
meet an established set of professional standards. Every
year, teachers across the United States participate in an
intensive series of assessments, demonstrating their
accomplishments as educators. Outstanding candidates
are awarded NBPTS Certification. In my role, I work with
those teachers who score assessments and train them
to identify evidence of accomplished teaching. In doing
so, I have the opportunity to view videotaped
submissions of teacher candidates at work in the
classroom, illustrating his or her “best practices.” As a
result, I have observed the best work of thousands of
gifted teachers. This has also given me the chance to
gather ideas, techniques and activities to try in my own
classroom and share them with my Ranney colleagues.
Here are three ideas that I have recently integrated into
my own teaching, to further refine classroom instruction.
These simple yet highly effective strategies demonstrate
how accomplished teachers take a fresh approach to
some of the most traditional teaching practices. This is
what I value as an educator. While Ranney is clearly a
school with rigorous academic standards, student
assessment and timely feedback are critical, and
sometimes the best way to assess a student is to talk to
them, but there are other useful strategies as follows:
Mr. Noel Delgado
Upper School history instructor and varsity track
and cross country coach
Recipient of the Faculty
Panther Prize
track team of nine runners was formed to continue
running over the cold months — a team that has grown
to 38 runners today! This team of dedicated athletes
carefully and methodically added mile after mile to their
weekend runs, learning firsthand that running 8-10
miles is possible. Our winter team quickly grew into a
year-round running club, made up of not only track and
cross country runners, but also members of the tennis,
soccer and swim teams. We continued training on
weekends and they constantly challenged me to find
new runs in which to compete. We have taken our track
shoes all the way to Florida, where we competed in the
Disney half marathon (13.1 miles), a new annual
tradition we are proud to continue. These athletes refuse
to rest on their laurels; most recently, they have added
biking to our regime for cross-training in order to
compete in triathlons.
While I encourage my team of dedicated runners to take
each run further, they have, in turn, pushed me to grow
in new ways that have been equally motivating. These
valuable experiences have been both personally and
professionally rewarding: having the opportunity to share
the sport of running with my students and witnessing my
students’ growth, both in terms of their run times and
their ability to challenge themselves, support their fellow
teammates and work both independently and as part of
a team. Extra-curricular activities are the beginning of a
lifelong process of self-discovery and learning. At
Ranney, they are not viewed as just after-school events;
they represent a daily mindset of self-discipline and
cooperation that is integrated throughout the entire
campus. Students understand that excellence and
success, whether it is in the classroom or on the track,
results only from academic and personal integrity
combined with a developed character.
At Ranney, we encourage our students to find out what
truly excites them because children respond to being
surrounded by others who share and nurture their
interests. I welcome and appreciate the opportunity to
build a stronger bond with my students, something that
I will always cherish. The long runs we have shared
together have inspired us all and each new run is valuable.
My students have taught me that self-improvement is a
never-ending journey because we can always run further
and faster. At the end of that long journey we take
together, exhausted and sometimes shocked at how far
we have come, each one of us emerges a bit stronger
than ever before.
Inspiring Each Other to Run the Distance
Most of the accomplishments that I have had the
privilege of sharing with my students were not of my
own design; rather, they were driven primarily by
student curiosity and energy. Enhancing the running
program at Ranney School has been a student-driven
effort that continues to grow and improve. When I first
discussed running the NJ Marathon with my cross
country team, they were quite enthusiastic about it —
one student even asked if he could train with me! It did
not take long before others got the running bug and
interest grew exponentially. Soon after, a new winter
COLUMNS
17
18
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
19
18
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
19
David Fischer - 10 yrs.
Upper School Dean of Students
Katrin Ann Kiin -11 yrs.
Bookkeeper
Laura Gillroy -19 yrs.
Assistant Head of Lower School
Charles P Ramos -11 yrs.
Maintenance Foreman
Heather Rudisi -22 yrs.
Associate Head of School
Karen Klim -11 yrs.
Assistant to Head of School
Jennifer Corboy -13 yrs.
Upper School Math
Janet Bender -10 yrs.
Band Leader
Joan Fernandez-10 yrs.
Upper School English
Barbara Bongiovanni - 21 yrs.
Physical Education
Linda Foster - 22 yrs.
First Grade
Emmett Walling - 27 yrs.
Aquatics Director
Lawrence Sykoff , Ed. D.-15 yrs.
Head of School
Doreen Fowlkes -19 yrs.
Fifth Grade
Beverly Sirianni -19 yrs.
Middle School Art
Mario Pereira-18 yrs.
Security
Thomas Moriau -19 yrs.
Director of Athletics
Marybeth McGovern -13 yrs.
First Grade
Kristen Kapcsos -10 yrs.
Third Grade
DISTINGUISHED LIFERS
WHILE
OUR PARENTS CONSIDER
AT
Nancy Wade -13 yrs.
Assistant Head of Middle School
Michael Dunn -12 yrs.
Upper School Science
Helen Kent -10 yrs.
Upper School French
Nancy Rosenthal -10 yrs.
Lower School French
Kate Greenberg -10 yrs.
Chair, Fine Arts
William Flanagan -11 yrs.
Security
Valerie Schwake -10 yrs.
RANNEY SCHOOL
RANNEY SCHOOL
AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR
CHILDREN, OUR FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF VIEW WORKING AT
RANNEY
AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS.
TO WORK, DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH ROOTS,
RANNEY
A
COVETED PLACE
ENJOYS A HIGH
PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TURNED THE TEN YEAR CORNER,
ILLUSTRATING THEIR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THE SCHOOL.
20
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
21
David Fischer - 10 yrs.
Upper School Dean of Students
Katrin Ann Kiin -11 yrs.
Bookkeeper
Laura Gillroy -19 yrs.
Assistant Head of Lower School
Charles P Ramos -11 yrs.
Maintenance Foreman
Heather Rudisi -22 yrs.
Associate Head of School
Karen Klim -11 yrs.
Assistant to Head of School
Jennifer Corboy -13 yrs.
Upper School Math
Janet Bender -10 yrs.
Band Leader
Joan Fernandez-10 yrs.
Upper School English
Barbara Bongiovanni - 21 yrs.
Physical Education
Linda Foster - 22 yrs.
First Grade
Emmett Walling - 27 yrs.
Aquatics Director
Lawrence Sykoff , Ed. D.-15 yrs.
Head of School
Doreen Fowlkes -19 yrs.
Fifth Grade
Beverly Sirianni -19 yrs.
Middle School Art
Mario Pereira-18 yrs.
Security
Thomas Moriau -19 yrs.
Director of Athletics
Marybeth McGovern -13 yrs.
First Grade
Kristen Kapcsos -10 yrs.
Third Grade
DISTINGUISHED LIFERS
WHILE
OUR PARENTS CONSIDER
AT
Nancy Wade -13 yrs.
Assistant Head of Middle School
Michael Dunn -12 yrs.
Helen Kent -10 yrs.
Upper School French
Nancy Rosenthal -10 yrs.
Lower School French
Kate Greenberg -10 yrs.
Chair, Fine Arts
William Flanagan -11 yrs.
Security
Valerie Schwake -10 yrs.
RANNEY SCHOOL
RANNEY SCHOOL
AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR
CHILDREN, OUR FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF VIEW WORKING AT
RANNEY
AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS.
TO WORK, DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH ROOTS,
RANNEY
A
COVETED PLACE
ENJOYS A HIGH
PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TURNED THE TEN YEAR CORNER,
ILLUSTRATING THEIR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THE SCHOOL.
20
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
21
Ranney School Parents’ Association
22
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
23
Ranney School Parents’ Association
22
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
23
Not many people can say that they literally grew up with their classmates. Ranney Lifers, students
who attend Ranney for ten years or more, share memories that go back a decade or more and share
friendships that last decades into the future. This year, in the graduating Class of 2008, we have 16
students who have attended Ranney School for 10 years or more — who have experienced the
excitement of Lower School, traveled the winding road of learning and discovery in the Middle
School and grew into campus leaders in Upper School. These special students not only make
profound contributions to the Ranney community, they are civic-minded volunteers and activists in
the community-at-large. As the Lifers in the Class of 2008 enter the exciting, final stretch of their
senior year, we asked them to reflect on their experiences as a Ranney Lifer and have profiled them
here, so that you can see for yourself how these special students are leaving a legacy of leadership,
scholarship and talent that reflects the high standards of the Ranney experience.
1- Chelsea Castellano, Ranney student since 1994
2- Christos Chrysanthou, Ranney student since 1998
3- Juliet Donaghy, Ranney student since 1995
“Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing
with the heart is another,” an old saying goes, and
Chelsea has both down pat. With more than 50
first place awards in dance competitions since
2001, she has been dance captain for local
productions of Broadway musicals and plays,
and has been a competitive ballroom dancer
all through Upper School! Her winning ways,
however, transcend the dance hall. A true
philanthropist, Chelsea volunteers her time to the
community. Her service to the community is vast
and far-reaching; locally, she volunteers at the
ARC, where she is a physical education instructor
for the disabled and she has helped to organize
drop-offs at the local food banks and the Ronald
McDonald House. Globally, Chelsea is a major
force in efforts to save the environment as the
Events Coordinator for Environmental Students
Take Action and, quite impressively, volunteers for
Save Darfur, an organization dedicated to aiding
the people of Sudan who are threatened by
genocide. From the slopes of Utah to the streets of
Barcelona, this avid skier and snowboarder enjoys
discovering new places and experiencing culture.
She is a member of the National Spanish Honor
Society who has studied abroad in Spain at the
university level.
A Lifer with initiative, Christos is not only a
member of organizations, but also a leader. At
Ranney, he has demonstrated this initiative and
leadership as Founder and Head Intern in the
College Guidance intern program. He was also
a co-organizer of the Lower School Internship
program. Outside of Ranney, Christos’ leadership
is apparent in his offices as treasurer and vice
president of the Greek Orthodox Youth
Organization (GOYA) and founder and president
of the Toms River Chapter of the Sons of Pericles
and treasurer of the Tri-State Area organization, a
philanthropic group fostering Greek heritage.
Christos is also an academic stand-out as a
member of the Model United Nations, the Model
Congress, the A Team of the Academic Team and
is captain of the Chess Team. In addition, he
competed in the New Jersey Science League. He
received the second highest score from Ranney in
the American Mathematics Competition and has
consistently placed in the Top 10 contestants in
the National Science League. Proud of his
heritage, Christos won the Best Actor in a Greek
Production Award in a GOYA competition and the
Three Hierarchs Award for Excellence in the Greek
Language; he was among the top 15 ranked
students in New Jersey. Christos also plays on the
Ranney varsity tennis and squash teams. Notably,
he is also a state ranked table tennis player by the
United States Association of Table Tennis.
Hollywood-bound may be one way to describe
this Lifer. Juliet traveled to Los Angeles last
summer to participate in the acclaimed New York
Film Academy program, where she learned about
the various aspects of the film industry and
produced three films of her own using actors from
the school. Fittingly, she is enrolled in the new
Digital Media course at Ranney and she played
Dodo, the Five of Spades in Ranney’s production of
Alice in Wonderland last year and was a member
of the crew for Romeo and Juliet this year. This
Lifer is also musically inclined, having taken guitar
and drum lessons for the duration of her Upper
School career. She has also been a member of
Live Playing Workshops, where she forms bands
and selects music to play in concerts. As a
sophomore, Juliet participated in the CPI: Soccer
and Spanish in Costa Rica program, where she
honed her skills in both the sport and the
language. Juliet is also a member of the squash
team at Ranney School and a member of the track
team. An AP Scholar, a select member of the
Model United Nations and a member of the High
Honor Roll, Juliet is an academic powerhouse.
She also recognizes the importance of giving
back to her community, through her volunteer
work with the Special Olympics and her church
as a member of Youth Group and the Interfaith
Hospitality Network.
2
1
6
3
4
24
COLUMNS
5
8
9
7
COLUMNS
25
Not many people can say that they literally grew up with their classmates. Ranney Lifers, students
who attend Ranney for ten years or more, share memories that go back a decade or more and share
friendships that last decades into the future. This year, in the graduating Class of 2008, we have 16
students who have attended Ranney School for 10 years or more — who have experienced the
excitement of Lower School, traveled the winding road of learning and discovery in the Middle
School and grew into campus leaders in Upper School. These special students not only make
profound contributions to the Ranney community, they are civic-minded volunteers and activists in
the community-at-large. As the Lifers in the Class of 2008 enter the exciting, final stretch of their
senior year, we asked them to reflect on their experiences as a Ranney Lifer and have profiled them
here, so that you can see for yourself how these special students are leaving a legacy of leadership,
scholarship and talent that reflects the high standards of the Ranney experience.
1- Chelsea Castellano, Ranney student since 1994
2- Christos Chrysanthou, Ranney student since 1998
3- Juliet Donaghy, Ranney student since 1995
“Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing
with the heart is another,” an old saying goes, and
Chelsea has both down pat. With more than 50
first place awards in dance competitions since
2001, she has been dance captain for local
productions of Broadway musicals and plays,
and has been a competitive ballroom dancer
all through Upper School! Her winning ways,
however, transcend the dance hall. A true
philanthropist, Chelsea volunteers her time to the
community. Her service to the community is vast
and far-reaching; locally, she volunteers at the
ARC, where she is a physical education instructor
for the disabled and she has helped to organize
drop-offs at the local food banks and the Ronald
McDonald House. Globally, Chelsea is a major
force in efforts to save the environment as the
Events Coordinator for Environmental Students
Take Action and, quite impressively, volunteers for
Save Darfur, an organization dedicated to aiding
the people of Sudan who are threatened by
genocide. From the slopes of Utah to the streets of
Barcelona, this avid skier and snowboarder enjoys
discovering new places and experiencing culture.
She is a member of the National Spanish Honor
Society who has studied abroad in Spain at the
university level.
A Lifer with initiative, Christos is not only a
member of organizations, but also a leader. At
Ranney, he has demonstrated this initiative and
leadership as Founder and Head Intern in the
College Guidance intern program. He was also
a co-organizer of the Lower School Internship
program. Outside of Ranney, Christos’ leadership
is apparent in his offices as treasurer and vice
president of the Greek Orthodox Youth
Organization (GOYA) and founder and president
of the Toms River Chapter of the Sons of Pericles
and treasurer of the Tri-State Area organization, a
philanthropic group fostering Greek heritage.
Christos is also an academic stand-out as a
member of the Model United Nations, the Model
Congress, the A Team of the Academic Team and
is captain of the Chess Team. In addition, he
competed in the New Jersey Science League. He
received the second highest score from Ranney in
the American Mathematics Competition and has
consistently placed in the Top 10 contestants in
the National Science League. Proud of his
heritage, Christos won the Best Actor in a Greek
Production Award in a GOYA competition and the
Three Hierarchs Award for Excellence in the Greek
Language; he was among the top 15 ranked
students in New Jersey. Christos also plays on the
Ranney varsity tennis and squash teams. Notably,
he is also a state ranked table tennis player by the
United States Association of Table Tennis.
Hollywood-bound may be one way to describe
this Lifer. Juliet traveled to Los Angeles last
summer to participate in the acclaimed New York
Film Academy program, where she learned about
the various aspects of the film industry and
produced three films of her own using actors from
the school. Fittingly, she is enrolled in the new
Digital Media course at Ranney and she played
Dodo, the Five of Spades in Ranney’s production of
Alice in Wonderland last year and was a member
of the crew for Romeo and Juliet this year. This
Lifer is also musically inclined, having taken guitar
and drum lessons for the duration of her Upper
School career. She has also been a member of
Live Playing Workshops, where she forms bands
and selects music to play in concerts. As a
sophomore, Juliet participated in the CPI: Soccer
and Spanish in Costa Rica program, where she
honed her skills in both the sport and the
language. Juliet is also a member of the squash
team at Ranney School and a member of the track
team. An AP Scholar, a select member of the
Model United Nations and a member of the High
Honor Roll, Juliet is an academic powerhouse.
She also recognizes the importance of giving
back to her community, through her volunteer
work with the Special Olympics and her church
as a member of Youth Group and the Interfaith
Hospitality Network.
2
1
6
3
4
24
COLUMNS
5
8
9
7
COLUMNS
25
4- Erika Flashburg, Ranney student since 1996
5- Paul Gale, Ranney student since 1998
6- Sandeep Gourkanti, Ranney student since 1995
7- Joey Kuskin, Ranney student since 1997
8- Suzanne Lee, Ranney student since 1994
9- Jeremy Lesser, Ranney student since 1998
The spare moments that Erika is not training dogs
as the founder of Monmouth County’s K-9 BoneDigger’s Therapy Dog Club, she is out riding
horses. An accomplished equestrian, Erika has
been riding for ten years and has been a member
of the Monmouth County Curry Combs Equestrian
Club since 2003. Her compassion, however, is not
limited to four-legged friends; true to Lifer form,
Erika is also a leader in volunteer service. She has
worked as a teacher’s assistant working with
disabled students at Ladacin (formerly known as
United Cerebral Palsy) and as a volunteer for the
past two years at Ranney School’s own Senior
Senior Prom at Applewood Estates, where she and
other members of the National Honor Society
brought the senior prom to residents of this adult
care community. She frequents nursing homes
and schools for the disabled with the therapy dogs
she has trained to help bring sunshine in the lives
of those in need. Highly intelligent and athletic,
Erika is a member of the National Spanish Honor
Society, National Honor Society and High Honor
Roll, as well as an accomplished fencer, tennis
player and rower, shining in the classroom, on
the field and in life. Erica advises her younger
classmates: “Work hard, stay focused and set
goals for yourself. At Ranney, I have learned to
overcome obstacles and have developed friends
for a lifetime.”
Paul Gale shines both in front of the camera and
behind it. A stand-out member in the new Digital
Media course at Ranney, Paul has produced
thirteen films and documentaries, with topics
ranging from sports to travel to the “Cookie
Monster.” As a past treasurer, current president,
actor and a member of the stage crew for the
Ranney School Chapter of the International
Thespian Society, Paul proves that his talents run
the gamut in acting and production. “For me,
Ranney has been a fabulous social and intellectual
environment to spend my most formative years.”
This Lifer ranked 12th out of nearly 100
competitors in the region in the Academic
Decathlon and participated in the prestigious
Model Congress. A member of the varsity lacrosse
team and squash club, Paul is yet another
impressive “triple threat” among the Lifers: a
performer, athlete and scholar. When asked to give
advice to his sister, Nicole ’13, he emphasized the
importance of communicating with Ranney faculty
and administrators, “We have unforgettable
teachers. Questions and comments are always
answered, and no one is ever too busy to meet
with a student.” He also encouraged taking
advantage of the multitude of opportunities at
Ranney. “Get involved in everything because the
Ranney experience is one full of extracurricular
activities, and to miss those would be to miss
what it is to be a Ranney student.”
This future Pulitzer Prize winner is such a talented
author that he was nominated for the New Jersey
Governor’s School for Creative Writing last year. An
editor/writer for both the RSVP literary magazine
and The Torch, Sandeep has honed his skills
through the years. “As a layout editor for the
newspaper and a member of The Torch, I have
learned to take responsibility for my performance.
It has also helped me to appreciate the people
around me for their contributions.” An all-around
scholar and athlete, this AP Scholar also finds time
to play varsity basketball, tennis and squash.
“I have enjoyed the small classes and attention
that I received from my teachers. These
relationships have allowed me to step out of my
comfort zone to transcend failures and move on
to the next test, class discussion or homework
assignment.” Like many of his fellow Lifers,
Sandeep is also generous with his time in
assisting both his school and his community,
as an active member of Student Council, serving
as a Class Representative last year, as well as a
regular volunteer at Riverview Medical Center.
When asked to give advice to a new Ranney
student, Sandeep replied, “Speak up in class
discussions, join new activity clubs and develop
friendships with teachers. I would also tell my
younger brother, Mayur ’09, to take risks and
challenge himself because when we are
challenged, we reveal our true character.”
Joey Kuskin has found her passion and has used
it to help others. A member of competitive dance
teams for the past 10 years, Joey has an
impressive record of both accomplishment and
philanthropy in dance. She has been a co-captain
at the Movement Dance Company and the NJ
Dance Center, and a captain and member of the
Dance Team at Tyler Hill Camp. Joey has
competed against several nationwide dance teams
at the Starbound Regional Competition for the
Performing Arts, where she placed 3rd in the
senior duet/trio category; the Starquest National
Talent Competition, where she placed first overall.
“Throughout my years at Ranney, I have learned to
appreciate each and every day. I feel so lucky to
have had the opportunity to go to an excellent
school that has so much pride in what they do.”
She has also performed to help raise money for
such charities as Dancers Responding to AIDS, the
Make a Wish Foundation, Walk for Lupus, The
Joseph Questore Benefit and breast cancer
awareness. Serving as a former Vice President of
the Community Service Club, Joey’s community
service has gone beyond her participation in
dance charities. She has assisted at the Arc, the
Ronald McDonald House, the Food Bank of
Monmouth and Ocean Counties and Habitat for
Humanity. An academic standout, Joey was
inducted into the Spanish National Honor Society
and achieved the third highest semester average
for pre-calculus. About her Ranney years, Joey
shared, “Ranney has given me an outstanding
education, friends that will last a lifetime and
memories that will thrive forever.”
Another of the Lifer “Triple Threats,” Suzanne Lee
sings, dances and acts. A senior member of the
American Cultural Studies selected troupe,
Suzanne has taken cultural dance, ballet, jazz,
modern and lyrical throughout Upper School. She
has spent much of her time participating in the
International Thespian Society and is a founding
member of Ranney School’s Upper School Band.
Suzanne, a flutist, has achieved a high level of
proficiency in music. A singer who composes her
own songs, Suzanne has been in chorus since her
Lower School days. She also assists with Lower
School Choral productions. “I was glad to know
that I could still assist with the Lower School
productions, watching and caring for the children
who eagerly signed up to perform. As those
children got older, it’s a warm feeling — and great
responsibility — to know that they look up to
you.” Her talents extend beyond music and
theater: she has published a collection of works
in local and school literary magazines and is a
winner of the National Amateur Writing Contest.
Leading the Ranney School Crop Walk group,
Suzanne is also an active and compassionate
volunteer. “Ranney is really a large extended
family. You can turn to anyone for help.” Reflecting
on her experience, Suzanne says, “Remember
where you are now. This is where your life begins
— at home. The world is changing so fast and it
is important to have a place that stands behind
you, preparing you for the world. You will
remember your years at Ranney forever, so
make the most of them. Make memories, and
make history.”
Jeremy is dynamic and talented writer in a
variety of genres, creating scripts and
screenplays, contributing short stories to RSVP,
Ranney’s literary magazine, and writing articles for
The Torch newspaper. He has been a member of
the Academic Team for the past two years and a
select member of both the Model United Nations
and the Model Congress. A bright and motivated
student, his academic accomplishments are
evidenced by his being on High Honor Roll for the
past four years and his selection to the National
Spanish Honor Society. Jeremy was also selected
to participate in the Columbia University Summer
Program for High School Students last summer,
where he studied Constitutional Law. A member
of the Community Service Club, Jeremy’s
philanthropic spirit is apparent both inside and
outside school, as he organizes food drives for the
local food banks, and volunteers for the Ronald
McDonald House and the Boys and Girls Club of
Asbury Park. He has also participated in the AIDS
Walk in New York City every year for the past three
years. This Lifer espouses the twin values of
strong scholarship and character, and his athletic
abilities round out his assortment of talents. He is
a member of Ranney’s varsity basketball and
squash teams and a member of the JV tennis
team. “These years have meant growth for me.
I have grown not just physically, but mentally over
the years, and many aspects of that growth I owe
to the lessons learned at Ranney. The opportunity
to being a leader at Ranney School has left me
with many experiences that I wouldn’t trade for
the world.”
10
11
13
12
“When I leave Ranney,
14
15
16
I will be leaving a
second home. There
will always be a part
of me that will stay
at Ranney, and a part
of Ranney that will
stay with me.”
— Stephanie
Tomasetta ’08
26
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
27
4- Erika Flashburg, Ranney student since 1996
5- Paul Gale, Ranney student since 1998
6- Sandeep Gourkanti, Ranney student since 1995
7- Joey Kuskin, Ranney student since 1997
8- Suzanne Lee, Ranney student since 1994
9- Jeremy Lesser, Ranney student since 1998
The spare moments that Erika is not training dogs
as the founder of Monmouth County’s K-9 BoneDigger’s Therapy Dog Club, she is out riding
horses. An accomplished equestrian, Erika has
been riding for ten years and has been a member
of the Monmouth County Curry Combs Equestrian
Club since 2003. Her compassion, however, is not
limited to four-legged friends; true to Lifer form,
Erika is also a leader in volunteer service. She has
worked as a teacher’s assistant working with
disabled students at Ladacin (formerly known as
United Cerebral Palsy) and as a volunteer for the
past two years at Ranney School’s own Senior
Senior Prom at Applewood Estates, where she and
other members of the National Honor Society
brought the senior prom to residents of this adult
care community. She frequents nursing homes
and schools for the disabled with the therapy dogs
she has trained to help bring sunshine in the lives
of those in need. Highly intelligent and athletic,
Erika is a member of the National Spanish Honor
Society, National Honor Society and High Honor
Roll, as well as an accomplished fencer, tennis
player and rower, shining in the classroom, on
the field and in life. Erica advises her younger
classmates: “Work hard, stay focused and set
goals for yourself. At Ranney, I have learned to
overcome obstacles and have developed friends
for a lifetime.”
Paul Gale shines both in front of the camera and
behind it. A stand-out member in the new Digital
Media course at Ranney, Paul has produced
thirteen films and documentaries, with topics
ranging from sports to travel to the “Cookie
Monster.” As a past treasurer, current president,
actor and a member of the stage crew for the
Ranney School Chapter of the International
Thespian Society, Paul proves that his talents run
the gamut in acting and production. “For me,
Ranney has been a fabulous social and intellectual
environment to spend my most formative years.”
This Lifer ranked 12th out of nearly 100
competitors in the region in the Academic
Decathlon and participated in the prestigious
Model Congress. A member of the varsity lacrosse
team and squash club, Paul is yet another
impressive “triple threat” among the Lifers: a
performer, athlete and scholar. When asked to give
advice to his sister, Nicole ’13, he emphasized the
importance of communicating with Ranney faculty
and administrators, “We have unforgettable
teachers. Questions and comments are always
answered, and no one is ever too busy to meet
with a student.” He also encouraged taking
advantage of the multitude of opportunities at
Ranney. “Get involved in everything because the
Ranney experience is one full of extracurricular
activities, and to miss those would be to miss
what it is to be a Ranney student.”
This future Pulitzer Prize winner is such a talented
author that he was nominated for the New Jersey
Governor’s School for Creative Writing last year. An
editor/writer for both the RSVP literary magazine
and The Torch, Sandeep has honed his skills
through the years. “As a layout editor for the
newspaper and a member of The Torch, I have
learned to take responsibility for my performance.
It has also helped me to appreciate the people
around me for their contributions.” An all-around
scholar and athlete, this AP Scholar also finds time
to play varsity basketball, tennis and squash.
“I have enjoyed the small classes and attention
that I received from my teachers. These
relationships have allowed me to step out of my
comfort zone to transcend failures and move on
to the next test, class discussion or homework
assignment.” Like many of his fellow Lifers,
Sandeep is also generous with his time in
assisting both his school and his community,
as an active member of Student Council, serving
as a Class Representative last year, as well as a
regular volunteer at Riverview Medical Center.
When asked to give advice to a new Ranney
student, Sandeep replied, “Speak up in class
discussions, join new activity clubs and develop
friendships with teachers. I would also tell my
younger brother, Mayur ’09, to take risks and
challenge himself because when we are
challenged, we reveal our true character.”
Joey Kuskin has found her passion and has used
it to help others. A member of competitive dance
teams for the past 10 years, Joey has an
impressive record of both accomplishment and
philanthropy in dance. She has been a co-captain
at the Movement Dance Company and the NJ
Dance Center, and a captain and member of the
Dance Team at Tyler Hill Camp. Joey has
competed against several nationwide dance teams
at the Starbound Regional Competition for the
Performing Arts, where she placed 3rd in the
senior duet/trio category; the Starquest National
Talent Competition, where she placed first overall.
“Throughout my years at Ranney, I have learned to
appreciate each and every day. I feel so lucky to
have had the opportunity to go to an excellent
school that has so much pride in what they do.”
She has also performed to help raise money for
such charities as Dancers Responding to AIDS, the
Make a Wish Foundation, Walk for Lupus, The
Joseph Questore Benefit and breast cancer
awareness. Serving as a former Vice President of
the Community Service Club, Joey’s community
service has gone beyond her participation in
dance charities. She has assisted at the Arc, the
Ronald McDonald House, the Food Bank of
Monmouth and Ocean Counties and Habitat for
Humanity. An academic standout, Joey was
inducted into the Spanish National Honor Society
and achieved the third highest semester average
for pre-calculus. About her Ranney years, Joey
shared, “Ranney has given me an outstanding
education, friends that will last a lifetime and
memories that will thrive forever.”
Another of the Lifer “Triple Threats,” Suzanne Lee
sings, dances and acts. A senior member of the
American Cultural Studies selected troupe,
Suzanne has taken cultural dance, ballet, jazz,
modern and lyrical throughout Upper School. She
has spent much of her time participating in the
International Thespian Society and is a founding
member of Ranney School’s Upper School Band.
Suzanne, a flutist, has achieved a high level of
proficiency in music. A singer who composes her
own songs, Suzanne has been in chorus since her
Lower School days. She also assists with Lower
School Choral productions. “I was glad to know
that I could still assist with the Lower School
productions, watching and caring for the children
who eagerly signed up to perform. As those
children got older, it’s a warm feeling — and great
responsibility — to know that they look up to
you.” Her talents extend beyond music and
theater: she has published a collection of works
in local and school literary magazines and is a
winner of the National Amateur Writing Contest.
Leading the Ranney School Crop Walk group,
Suzanne is also an active and compassionate
volunteer. “Ranney is really a large extended
family. You can turn to anyone for help.” Reflecting
on her experience, Suzanne says, “Remember
where you are now. This is where your life begins
— at home. The world is changing so fast and it
is important to have a place that stands behind
you, preparing you for the world. You will
remember your years at Ranney forever, so
make the most of them. Make memories, and
make history.”
Jeremy is dynamic and talented writer in a
variety of genres, creating scripts and
screenplays, contributing short stories to RSVP,
Ranney’s literary magazine, and writing articles for
The Torch newspaper. He has been a member of
the Academic Team for the past two years and a
select member of both the Model United Nations
and the Model Congress. A bright and motivated
student, his academic accomplishments are
evidenced by his being on High Honor Roll for the
past four years and his selection to the National
Spanish Honor Society. Jeremy was also selected
to participate in the Columbia University Summer
Program for High School Students last summer,
where he studied Constitutional Law. A member
of the Community Service Club, Jeremy’s
philanthropic spirit is apparent both inside and
outside school, as he organizes food drives for the
local food banks, and volunteers for the Ronald
McDonald House and the Boys and Girls Club of
Asbury Park. He has also participated in the AIDS
Walk in New York City every year for the past three
years. This Lifer espouses the twin values of
strong scholarship and character, and his athletic
abilities round out his assortment of talents. He is
a member of Ranney’s varsity basketball and
squash teams and a member of the JV tennis
team. “These years have meant growth for me.
I have grown not just physically, but mentally over
the years, and many aspects of that growth I owe
to the lessons learned at Ranney. The opportunity
to being a leader at Ranney School has left me
with many experiences that I wouldn’t trade for
the world.”
10
11
13
12
“When I leave Ranney,
14
15
16
I will be leaving a
second home. There
will always be a part
of me that will stay
at Ranney, and a part
of Ranney that will
stay with me.”
— Stephanie
Tomasetta ’08
26
COLUMNS
COLUMNS
27
Class of 2008 Lifers
The former captain of Ranney’s varsity swimming
team, Dustin has received several awards in
the sport, including 8th place in the NJISAA
Swimming Championships in the 50 yard
freestyle, two Most Valuable Player awards and
the Coach’s Award. Dustin also fares well in
academic competition as a member of the Junior
Engineering Technical Society, the Science
League, Spanish National Honor Society, National
Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National
Mathematics Honor Society. Artistically inclined
as well, Dustin plays the bass guitar and is a
member of the Contemporary Music Group and
Ranney Orchestra Band. A recipient of the AP
Scholar Award and consistently on the High Honor
Roll for his entire Upper School career, Dustin
attributes part of his outstanding success to a
comment made by his older brother, Michael ’03,
many years ago. “Before I entered the Upper
School, my brother said, ‘Dustin, don’t be stupid.’
This is all I can recall of my brother’s words about
succeeding at Ranney, but it altered the course of
my high school career. Should I watch a little T.V.
or study for tomorrow’s final? I would think of that
quote and head to my room to study! That simple
phrase has guided me through many complex
decisions and I am the better for it.” Dustin is
proud of his school and appreciates the close-knit
nature of the Ranney School community. “In my
mind, the term Lifer means ‘to feel at home.’ The
next phase of my life will involve finding a place
that makes me feel as much at home as
Ranney School.”
11- Kristine Rodriguez, Ranney student since 1993
Gichin Funakoshi, one of the original karate
masters who brought the art to the Japanese
mainland, once said, “The ultimate aim of Karate
lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection
of the character of its participants.” Kristine, who
is a karate black belt, has certainly demonstrated
strength of character across a wide range of
accomplishments and activities. She is one of
Ranney’s Admission Ambassadors, taking
prospective families on tours of campus. She has
also been secretary of her class for the past three
years. “I have held several leadership positions
during my fifteen years at Ranney and all have
been positive experiences,” she said. A gifted
artist, Kristine is the co-founder of the Studio Art
Club, where she and her peers help one another
improve their own work. Kristine’s strong artistic
skills were used for the greater good at the Crop
Walk this year, where she designed a poster and
walked seven miles to benefit the people of Africa.
Kristine is also a volunteer karate instructor,
where she shares her own passion for the
marshal art with local children. Kristine’s strong
28
COLUMNS
character is also apparent on the field, where
she received the Most Improved Award in both
varsity soccer and varsity swimming, and the
Sportsmanship Award in varsity soccer. Kristine
is the captain of the soccer team and has also
won second place in the 100 Backstroke at the
Patriot Conference Championship meet in 2005-06.
She is also a member various honor societies
including: National Spanish Honor Society, National
Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National Honor
Society. “The term Lifer isn’t so much about the
years you put into Ranney, as it is the lessons you
learn, both in and out of the classroom. Regardless
of where life takes me next, I will always have the
friendships that I have forged at Ranney to take
with me.”
12- Meera Sahni, Ranney student since 1996
Meera’s community service efforts literally span
the globe. This Lifer traveled last summer to India
where she taught English to students ages four to
20. Locally, Meera volunteers with Ten Thousand
Villages in Red Bank. “My years at Ranney have
taught me a great deal about good character
because when you attend school with kids who
have strong family upbringings, your value system
becomes richer. The different ways other students
exercised manners in the Lower School, respect
for elders during Grandparents’ Day and even
time management was imprinted in my mind at
a young age. With each passing year, you begin to
develop these traits derived from your surrounding
peers.” Editor-in-Chief of the RSVP Literary
Magazine, bass clarinetist in the Upper School
Band and a fierce — but friendly — competitor
in the New Jersey Science League, Meera is the
definition of a well-rounded student. She was one
of three students nominated for participation in
the prestigious New Jersey Scholars Program at
The Lawrenceville School. Talented in writing,
music, dance and math, Meera is also a trusted
Ranney leader and role model: she received
sportsmanship awards in both cheerleading
and golf and is captain of the varsity cheerleading
squad. “My sisters, Gargi ’00 and Sheila ’02, were
always enthusiastic about giving me advice as
I grew up in Ranney School. They said that
success depended on how well you could
discipline yourself and always reminded me
that self-discipline would allow me to take on
personal challenges.”
13- Jennifer Tendler, Ranney student since 1996
A member of the K-9 Bone-Diggers Club with
fellow Lifer Erika, Jennifer is also a therapy dog
trainer and serves as treasurer and secretary for
the horse and dog clubs of the Monmouth County
4-H Club. She is a member of the United States
Equestrian Federation and is on the Heimbold
Show Team. Combining her love of horses with her
interest in giving back to the community, Jennifer
has also assisted with youth introductory lessons
and summer camp programs for the Sunny Side
Equestrian Area of the Monmouth County Park
System where she has also given many hours of
community service. A National AP Scholar with
Honors, Jennifer serves as Editor-in-Chief of
The Torch newspaper and enjoys being a leader:
“Leadership at Ranney is a unique experience
because of the small community. If I am leading
a group or activity, I know every participant
personally and this connection leads to greater
efficiency and enjoyment because decisions and
delegations are made with everyone’s needs in
mind.” Placing in the Lehigh University High
School Math Contest last year, Jennifer also
earned first place at Ranney School in Chemistry
on the National Science Exam. About her
academic experience at Ranney, Jennifer shares,
“I have been inspired by the minds of my
teachers and peers every day. Because I have
been continuously captivated by their brilliance,
I will continue to seek out environments similar
to Ranney School as I enter the next chapter of
my life.” Jennifer is a member of the New Jersey
Science League, National Honor Society, National
Spanish Honor Society and received Dale Carnegie’s
Breakthrough Award for passionate oration.
14- Stephanie Tomasetta, Ranney student since 1997
Stephanie has been a model representative of her
school and her class in a variety of activities as
evidenced by her recipient of the Best Newcomer
Award for Class Council in her junior year. A
strong leader, she served as Vice President of her
junior class and publicity chair for her freshman
and sophomore classes. Her receipt of the RSPA’s
Panther Pride Award speaks volumes about her
support of Ranney School, which she has
demonstrated through her volunteer work. “We
are encouraged to participate and take on
responsibilities. Everyone has become a leader in
some way at Ranney, but for me, leading has
meant helping my school in the same way that
they have helped me during these past eleven
years.” Her service efforts reach further than
campus, through her work with the Ranney
chapter of Habitat for Humanity, as well as cofounding Monmouth County’s Cinderella’s Closet.
An academic stand-out, Stephanie has also made
Ranney proud at various scholastic competitions
including: New Jersey Science League and
National Science League. This AP Scholar with
Distinction also was also a Finalist in the 2007-08
National Hispanic Recognition Program. Medaling
in the Patriot Conference during her swimming
career five times, and winning the Athlete of the
Month Award and the Coaches Award in varsity
swimming, Stephanie is also a dynamo in the
pool. About her Ranney experience, Stephanie
shared, “I have made lifelong friends and have
been encouraged to challenge myself. It is
important to take advantage and appreciate all
that Ranney has to offer and you will not find a
warmer or friendlier environment.”
15- Katie Vitale, Ranney student since 1995
Ranney School has been an important part of
Katie’s life. “For me, being a Lifer has meant that I
have had a second home. In fact, over the last 13
years, I have probably been at Ranney more than
my home!” Indeed, Katie has been a mainstay on
the B Team of the Academic Decathlon, where she
has served as captain for all four years of her
Upper School career. This academically gifted Lifer
is also a selected member of the Harvard Model
Congress, Model United Nations at Georgetown,
Spanish Club and a selected member of the
Biology team in the New Jersey Science League.
As a freshman, she attended the Center for
Talented Youth. Last summer, Katie attended
Cornell Summer College, where she took
Philosophy 101 and a freshman level English
class. She was an active participant in The Crop
Walk and, like many of her fellow Lifers,
volunteers regularly for Ronald McDonald House
and the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean
Counties. Her talents are as varied and diverse as
her academic knowledge. The Editor of the
Horizons yearbook, Katie is also a member of the
Drama Club. She played Martha Corey in the 2004
production of The Crucible, was a member of the
chorus in Antigone (2005) and led the stage crew
in last year’s production of Alice in Wonderland.
She is treasurer of the International Thespian
Society. “Being a Lifer has given me a strong,
stable education for the rest of my life.”
Can you match the school photo below with the Lifers from the
Class of 2008?
A. Chelsea Castellano
I. Jeremy Lesser
B. Christos Chrysanthou
J. Dustin Molina
C. Juliet Donaghy
K. Kristine Rodriguez
D. Erika Flashburg
L. Meera Sahni
E. Paul Gale
M. Jennifer Tendler
F. Sandeep Gourkanti
N. Stephanie Tomasetta
G. Joey Kuskin
O. Katie Vitale
H. Suzanne Lee
P. Jeffrey Wyckoff
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
16- Jeffrey Wyckoff, Ranney student since 1998
This athletic stand-out is a member of the varsity
soccer, baseball and swimming teams, a yearround athlete who has also spent a few summers
as a counselor at the Ranney-in-the-Summer
camp, sharing his sports knowledge with campgoers. Having served as a lifeguard, as well, for the
camp, Jeffrey is a physical and mental
powerhouse. Highly respected by his peers and
teachers alike for his strength in the community, on
the field and in the classroom, this Lifer has served
as a leader in many ways; he was Vice President of
the Spanish Club and is a member of the National
Spanish Honor Society with many of his fellow
Lifers. His dedication to the noble cause of cancer
research is evidenced by his hard work over the
years as a volunteer with the Cancer Institute and
the yellow “Live Strong” bracelet Jeffrey wears
regularly. Jeffrey also has made regular trips to the
Ronald McDonald House and the Food Banks of
Monmouth and Ocean Counties with many of the
other Lifers to ensure that those in need in the
greater community are provided for throughout
the year.
Key to photos: 1-L; 2-K; 3-E; 4-B; 5-M; 6-P; 7-F; 8-J; 9-D; 10-I; 11-A; 12-H; 13-O; 14-N; 15-C; 16-G
10- Dustin Molina, Ranney student since 1996
COLUMNS
29
Class of 2008 Lifers
The former captain of Ranney’s varsity swimming
team, Dustin has received several awards in
the sport, including 8th place in the NJISAA
Swimming Championships in the 50 yard
freestyle, two Most Valuable Player awards and
the Coach’s Award. Dustin also fares well in
academic competition as a member of the Junior
Engineering Technical Society, the Science
League, Spanish National Honor Society, National
Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National
Mathematics Honor Society. Artistically inclined
as well, Dustin plays the bass guitar and is a
member of the Contemporary Music Group and
Ranney Orchestra Band. A recipient of the AP
Scholar Award and consistently on the High Honor
Roll for his entire Upper School career, Dustin
attributes part of his outstanding success to a
comment made by his older brother, Michael ’03,
many years ago. “Before I entered the Upper
School, my brother said, ‘Dustin, don’t be stupid.’
This is all I can recall of my brother’s words about
succeeding at Ranney, but it altered the course of
my high school career. Should I watch a little T.V.
or study for tomorrow’s final? I would think of that
quote and head to my room to study! That simple
phrase has guided me through many complex
decisions and I am the better for it.” Dustin is
proud of his school and appreciates the close-knit
nature of the Ranney School community. “In my
mind, the term Lifer means ‘to feel at home.’ The
next phase of my life will involve finding a place
that makes me feel as much at home as
Ranney School.”
11- Kristine Rodriguez, Ranney student since 1993
Gichin Funakoshi, one of the original karate
masters who brought the art to the Japanese
mainland, once said, “The ultimate aim of Karate
lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection
of the character of its participants.” Kristine, who
is a karate black belt, has certainly demonstrated
strength of character across a wide range of
accomplishments and activities. She is one of
Ranney’s Admission Ambassadors, taking
prospective families on tours of campus. She has
also been secretary of her class for the past three
years. “I have held several leadership positions
during my fifteen years at Ranney and all have
been positive experiences,” she said. A gifted
artist, Kristine is the co-founder of the Studio Art
Club, where she and her peers help one another
improve their own work. Kristine’s strong artistic
skills were used for the greater good at the Crop
Walk this year, where she designed a poster and
walked seven miles to benefit the people of Africa.
Kristine is also a volunteer karate instructor,
where she shares her own passion for the
marshal art with local children. Kristine’s strong
28
COLUMNS
character is also apparent on the field, where
she received the Most Improved Award in both
varsity soccer and varsity swimming, and the
Sportsmanship Award in varsity soccer. Kristine
is the captain of the soccer team and has also
won second place in the 100 Backstroke at the
Patriot Conference Championship meet in 2005-06.
She is also a member various honor societies
including: National Spanish Honor Society, National
Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National Honor
Society. “The term Lifer isn’t so much about the
years you put into Ranney, as it is the lessons you
learn, both in and out of the classroom. Regardless
of where life takes me next, I will always have the
friendships that I have forged at Ranney to take
with me.”
12- Meera Sahni, Ranney student since 1996
Meera’s community service efforts literally span
the globe. This Lifer traveled last summer to India
where she taught English to students ages four to
20. Locally, Meera volunteers with Ten Thousand
Villages in Red Bank. “My years at Ranney have
taught me a great deal about good character
because when you attend school with kids who
have strong family upbringings, your value system
becomes richer. The different ways other students
exercised manners in the Lower School, respect
for elders during Grandparents’ Day and even
time management was imprinted in my mind at
a young age. With each passing year, you begin to
develop these traits derived from your surrounding
peers.” Editor-in-Chief of the RSVP Literary
Magazine, bass clarinetist in the Upper School
Band and a fierce — but friendly — competitor
in the New Jersey Science League, Meera is the
definition of a well-rounded student. She was one
of three students nominated for participation in
the prestigious New Jersey Scholars Program at
The Lawrenceville School. Talented in writing,
music, dance and math, Meera is also a trusted
Ranney leader and role model: she received
sportsmanship awards in both cheerleading
and golf and is captain of the varsity cheerleading
squad. “My sisters, Gargi ’00 and Sheila ’02, were
always enthusiastic about giving me advice as
I grew up in Ranney School. They said that
success depended on how well you could
discipline yourself and always reminded me
that self-discipline would allow me to take on
personal challenges.”
13- Jennifer Tendler, Ranney student since 1996
A member of the K-9 Bone-Diggers Club with
fellow Lifer Erika, Jennifer is also a therapy dog
trainer and serves as treasurer and secretary for
the horse and dog clubs of the Monmouth County
4-H Club. She is a member of the United States
Equestrian Federation and is on the Heimbold
Show Team. Combining her love of horses with her
interest in giving back to the community, Jennifer
has also assisted with youth introductory lessons
and summer camp programs for the Sunny Side
Equestrian Area of the Monmouth County Park
System where she has also given many hours of
community service. A National AP Scholar with
Honors, Jennifer serves as Editor-in-Chief of
The Torch newspaper and enjoys being a leader:
“Leadership at Ranney is a unique experience
because of the small community. If I am leading
a group or activity, I know every participant
personally and this connection leads to greater
efficiency and enjoyment because decisions and
delegations are made with everyone’s needs in
mind.” Placing in the Lehigh University High
School Math Contest last year, Jennifer also
earned first place at Ranney School in Chemistry
on the National Science Exam. About her
academic experience at Ranney, Jennifer shares,
“I have been inspired by the minds of my
teachers and peers every day. Because I have
been continuously captivated by their brilliance,
I will continue to seek out environments similar
to Ranney School as I enter the next chapter of
my life.” Jennifer is a member of the New Jersey
Science League, National Honor Society, National
Spanish Honor Society and received Dale Carnegie’s
Breakthrough Award for passionate oration.
14- Stephanie Tomasetta, Ranney student since 1997
Stephanie has been a model representative of her
school and her class in a variety of activities as
evidenced by her recipient of the Best Newcomer
Award for Class Council in her junior year. A
strong leader, she served as Vice President of her
junior class and publicity chair for her freshman
and sophomore classes. Her receipt of the RSPA’s
Panther Pride Award speaks volumes about her
support of Ranney School, which she has
demonstrated through her volunteer work. “We
are encouraged to participate and take on
responsibilities. Everyone has become a leader in
some way at Ranney, but for me, leading has
meant helping my school in the same way that
they have helped me during these past eleven
years.” Her service efforts reach further than
campus, through her work with the Ranney
chapter of Habitat for Humanity, as well as cofounding Monmouth County’s Cinderella’s Closet.
An academic stand-out, Stephanie has also made
Ranney proud at various scholastic competitions
including: New Jersey Science League and
National Science League. This AP Scholar with
Distinction also was also a Finalist in the 2007-08
National Hispanic Recognition Program. Medaling
in the Patriot Conference during her swimming
career five times, and winning the Athlete of the
Month Award and the Coaches Award in varsity
swimming, Stephanie is also a dynamo in the
pool. About her Ranney experience, Stephanie
shared, “I have made lifelong friends and have
been encouraged to challenge myself. It is
important to take advantage and appreciate all
that Ranney has to offer and you will not find a
warmer or friendlier environment.”
15- Katie Vitale, Ranney student since 1995
Ranney School has been an important part of
Katie’s life. “For me, being a Lifer has meant that I
have had a second home. In fact, over the last 13
years, I have probably been at Ranney more than
my home!” Indeed, Katie has been a mainstay on
the B Team of the Academic Decathlon, where she
has served as captain for all four years of her
Upper School career. This academically gifted Lifer
is also a selected member of the Harvard Model
Congress, Model United Nations at Georgetown,
Spanish Club and a selected member of the
Biology team in the New Jersey Science League.
As a freshman, she attended the Center for
Talented Youth. Last summer, Katie attended
Cornell Summer College, where she took
Philosophy 101 and a freshman level English
class. She was an active participant in The Crop
Walk and, like many of her fellow Lifers,
volunteers regularly for Ronald McDonald House
and the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean
Counties. Her talents are as varied and diverse as
her academic knowledge. The Editor of the
Horizons yearbook, Katie is also a member of the
Drama Club. She played Martha Corey in the 2004
production of The Crucible, was a member of the
chorus in Antigone (2005) and led the stage crew
in last year’s production of Alice in Wonderland.
She is treasurer of the International Thespian
Society. “Being a Lifer has given me a strong,
stable education for the rest of my life.”
Can you match the school photo below with the Lifers from the
Class of 2008?
A. Chelsea Castellano
I. Jeremy Lesser
B. Christos Chrysanthou
J. Dustin Molina
C. Juliet Donaghy
K. Kristine Rodriguez
D. Erika Flashburg
L. Meera Sahni
E. Paul Gale
M. Jennifer Tendler
F. Sandeep Gourkanti
N. Stephanie Tomasetta
G. Joey Kuskin
O. Katie Vitale
H. Suzanne Lee
P. Jeffrey Wyckoff
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
16- Jeffrey Wyckoff, Ranney student since 1998
This athletic stand-out is a member of the varsity
soccer, baseball and swimming teams, a yearround athlete who has also spent a few summers
as a counselor at the Ranney-in-the-Summer
camp, sharing his sports knowledge with campgoers. Having served as a lifeguard, as well, for the
camp, Jeffrey is a physical and mental
powerhouse. Highly respected by his peers and
teachers alike for his strength in the community, on
the field and in the classroom, this Lifer has served
as a leader in many ways; he was Vice President of
the Spanish Club and is a member of the National
Spanish Honor Society with many of his fellow
Lifers. His dedication to the noble cause of cancer
research is evidenced by his hard work over the
years as a volunteer with the Cancer Institute and
the yellow “Live Strong” bracelet Jeffrey wears
regularly. Jeffrey also has made regular trips to the
Ronald McDonald House and the Food Banks of
Monmouth and Ocean Counties with many of the
other Lifers to ensure that those in need in the
greater community are provided for throughout
the year.
Key to photos: 1-L; 2-K; 3-E; 4-B; 5-M; 6-P; 7-F; 8-J; 9-D; 10-I; 11-A; 12-H; 13-O; 14-N; 15-C; 16-G
10- Dustin Molina, Ranney student since 1996
COLUMNS
29
{
T
In The
Middle
}
by: Kathleen Deeken, Head of Middle School
he excitement of a new school year is a timehonored tradition for students and faculty alike;
feelings are palpable and the promise of individual
student potential is reflected in smiling faces, chatty
voices, freshly starched shirts, brand new ties, soccer
cleats, tennis rackets, hockey sticks, lip-gloss and
patterned purses…
This year, as I met returning and new students and faculty on the first day of school, I
was struck by their eagerness to get to work and begin the new school year in earnest.
I sensed their belief that anything was possible this year, and I wholeheartedly agree!
This year is a tipping point for Middle School with record enrollment — we are enjoying
a closed out division with talented students who have set their sights on being good
students and good citizens. During our first Student Council lunch, many of the newly
elected student representatives shared their pride in achieving a leadership role among
their peers. We talked about what it means to listen with your heart and think with your
mind and one student astutely remarked, “Good leaders connect with people, no matter
what their age.” And, oh, how the world needs successful people with strong personal
convictions; people who can think clearly with their heads, while being guided by a
compassionate heart!
Our dedicated teachers are life-long learners who keep their passion alive by consistently
participating in numerous professional development opportunities at Ranney School.
This renewable vigor and up-to-date curricular and pedagogical learning sets the stage
for professional success, but more important, their competence and enthusiasm for
learning strongly reflects the mission of the school and its deep conviction to provide a
quality education by skilled educators in a learning environment that is highly personal
and well-balanced. With an emphasis on self-discovery, which is nurtured within rigorous
course offerings, our students are inspired to reach their full scholastic potential, while
becoming better people: compassionate and committed. These outstanding qualities of
scholarship and citizenship define our very best Ranney School students and faculty.
At the Middle School start of year assembly, I encouraged the children to set goals for
personal and academic excellence but also to try something new — discover a talent,
develop a new friendship, nurture a passion, step up to a challenge and make a difference
in 2008. They are doing a great job and rely on their teachers and parents working in
concert to support their efforts. I like to catch up with students at the Ranney crescent:
one Friday afternoon, I listened as one student shared how a new study skill — using a
calendar and accessing homework sheets on a regular basis — had been working.
She was excited to see, firsthand, how a little adjustment can make all the difference.
30
COLUMNS
Our challenge is clear because Middle
Schoolers are unique in their
developmental stage; straining to become
grown up and independent, while
steadfastly clinging to recognizable strong
holds of familiarity and comfort. This
constant ebb and flow is a natural process
that has its own clock for each, uniquely
different child. Adolescence is certainly a
challenging time for students, parents and
teachers alike; yet, it is also a time that
signals remarkable growth, extraordinary
joy and tremendous rewards. Such a
significant and complicated process needs
to be nurtured and, indeed, honored. It
needs time to reach its end: the realization
of a child’s potential and the cultivation of
the gifts each child will offer to the world.
I encourage you to give your child the
gift of time — time to be a young person;
to discover who they want to be; to
try on new experiences and to face new
challenges, to fail and begin again. For
in the mistakes lie the opportunities for
growth, laying the invaluable — and
inevitable — groundwork for success.
How do we maximize individual student
achievement? Nature vs. nurture is a
powerful concept. Understanding genetics
may be the answer for some, but for many,
a safe learning environment provides
the key to unlocking a child’s potential.
Strengthening the building blocks of
personal and academic achievement
nurtures individual potential, while a
safe and supportive learning environment
is a hallmark of Middle School success.
Middle Schools, by nature, are dynamic
learning environments that are marked by
significant change in physical, emotional
and psychological development.
Individual social skills, maturity level,
intellectual curiosity, motivation and
multi-faceted interests, often the defining
aspects of a student’s confidence and
success also affect this wide spectrum
of development.
A sixth grader feels safe and supported
when clearly established expectations are
set forth for them. To be sure, Middle
Schoolers do not particularly enjoy
structure and rules. Some even perceive
structure as restricting their need to
stretch, push and discover how far they
can go. Ironically, that very structure
provides a foundation for skill building
and success; a Middle School paradox,
where firm boundaries allow for optimum
intellectual, artistic and athletic freedom.
In fact, our students, especially our most
creative ones, learn best when the
structure within the classroom reduces
distractions and ambiguity. With clear
and fair expectations and consistent
follow through, students build essential
organizational and time management skills
that are cornerstones for success, both
inside and outside of the classroom.
In addition, students who are supported
with individualized care and attention —
the power of one-on-one connections —
maximize their potential for achievement
and success. Middle School advisors are
instrumental in helping students create
positive connections to teachers and
peers. Middle School educators
understand the unique and frequently
changing voices of each individual
student, a challenging task that we all
undertake both joyfully and seriously.
Simply put, growing up is hard work; it
is a process of learning from your mistakes,
of pushing through fear and coming out
on the other side stronger and with
greater resolve to tackle any task; large
or small. Those of us — faculty and
administrators — who choose to become
part of an adolescent student’s journey
know that they are still evolving — a
promising work in progress — not yet
a masterpiece.
Mindful strategic planning has structured
the Middle School as a safe and caring
environment; one with high standards
and supportive structures that give
students and faculty alike the parameters
and confidence to be their very best.
This trickle down affect for students
sets the stage for clear standards and
accountability, which translate into
accomplished and confident thinkers and
do-ers in Middle School.
Kathleen Deeken (far right) poses with (from left) John Lewis, Head of Upper School, National Geographic
photographer Steve McCurry and Dr. Sykoff. Ranney students raised $2,000 to support Mr. McCurry’s non-profit
organization ImagineAsia that gives educational support to Afghan children (see photo pg. 15).
Setting the stage for student success begins
with the formulation of an Individualized
Learning Profile or ILP, a unique
educational blueprint for each student.
That comprehensive document was a
result of my many years as a gifted and
talented teacher, and provided an
expedient way to recognize, personalize
and guide the unique individual talents
and needs within the classroom. Like any
complicated puzzle, each student has
strengths and weaknesses, interests and
trepidations, hopes and dreams that, when
acknowledged and nurtured, presents a
clear picture of his or her potential. There
is no greater challenge or reward in being
part of this dynamic journey of selfdiscovery, helping them to both discover
who they are and who they would like to be.
Our proven success is reflected in national
test scores that consistently reach the
highest norms in national and
independent groupings. With many
students charting consistent gains in
testing scores within their Middle School
tenure, our efforts to affect positive change
in all of our students is a reality. Testing
scores and classroom performance are two
aspects of a student’s learning profile, and
although important, it is compassion and
commitment, integrity and perseverance
that round out a student’s education and
truly helps them to become, not only a
person who succeeds, but a person who
brings value to the world in terms of their
own unique perspective.
Middle School classrooms are alive with
the energy that a new school year brings,
but the value of the Ranney School
experience translates into a yearlong
passion for teaching and learning.
Innovative programming like Mandarin
Chinese activities, advisee time, study skill
acquisition, technological advances with
SMART Board and Distance Learning
programs, Honor Code readings and
reflective discussions, community service
and opportunities for collaborative work
inspires good students and good citizens of
their community, and, ultimately, good
citizens of the world.
This school year promises to be our best
yet with an emphasis on a community
standards program that rewards our very
best Middle School citizens — students
whose responsible and respectful behavior
provides a role model for their peers.
Guiding social-emotional growth with
high expectations for responsible and
respectful behavior speaks to the tenets of
our Honor Code and reflects our mission;
it maximizes the potential for each
individual student, but its larger value
produces citizens with personal integrity.
I take much pride in watching the timehonored evolution that our middle
schoolers undergo. Under the watchful eye
of our talented faculty, these children are
well on their way to becoming confident,
caring, multi-dimensional thinkers
who are eager to become significant
contributors, taking on the challenges and
rewards of an Upper School experience
and beyond. They are successful in every
sense of the word, and I am confident that
they will continue to be compassionate,
competent leaders who make the world a
better place.
To me, our forensics and dramatic
performances, academic and athletic
competitions and talent shows perfectly
illustrate the exuberance of students who
are “in the middle” of their Ranney
experience. The foundation for
achievement rests squarely on those who
step up to challenges and take advantage
of Ranney opportunities. As educators, we
are dedicated to providing that culture of
success for our students — your children.
COLUMNS
31
{
T
In The
Middle
}
by: Kathleen Deeken, Head of Middle School
he excitement of a new school year is a timehonored tradition for students and faculty alike;
feelings are palpable and the promise of individual
student potential is reflected in smiling faces, chatty
voices, freshly starched shirts, brand new ties, soccer
cleats, tennis rackets, hockey sticks, lip-gloss and
patterned purses…
This year, as I met returning and new students and faculty on the first day of school, I
was struck by their eagerness to get to work and begin the new school year in earnest.
I sensed their belief that anything was possible this year, and I wholeheartedly agree!
This year is a tipping point for Middle School with record enrollment — we are enjoying
a closed out division with talented students who have set their sights on being good
students and good citizens. During our first Student Council lunch, many of the newly
elected student representatives shared their pride in achieving a leadership role among
their peers. We talked about what it means to listen with your heart and think with your
mind and one student astutely remarked, “Good leaders connect with people, no matter
what their age.” And, oh, how the world needs successful people with strong personal
convictions; people who can think clearly with their heads, while being guided by a
compassionate heart!
Our dedicated teachers are life-long learners who keep their passion alive by consistently
participating in numerous professional development opportunities at Ranney School.
This renewable vigor and up-to-date curricular and pedagogical learning sets the stage
for professional success, but more important, their competence and enthusiasm for
learning strongly reflects the mission of the school and its deep conviction to provide a
quality education by skilled educators in a learning environment that is highly personal
and well-balanced. With an emphasis on self-discovery, which is nurtured within rigorous
course offerings, our students are inspired to reach their full scholastic potential, while
becoming better people: compassionate and committed. These outstanding qualities of
scholarship and citizenship define our very best Ranney School students and faculty.
At the Middle School start of year assembly, I encouraged the children to set goals for
personal and academic excellence but also to try something new — discover a talent,
develop a new friendship, nurture a passion, step up to a challenge and make a difference
in 2008. They are doing a great job and rely on their teachers and parents working in
concert to support their efforts. I like to catch up with students at the Ranney crescent:
one Friday afternoon, I listened as one student shared how a new study skill — using a
calendar and accessing homework sheets on a regular basis — had been working.
She was excited to see, firsthand, how a little adjustment can make all the difference.
30
COLUMNS
Our challenge is clear because Middle
Schoolers are unique in their
developmental stage; straining to become
grown up and independent, while
steadfastly clinging to recognizable strong
holds of familiarity and comfort. This
constant ebb and flow is a natural process
that has its own clock for each, uniquely
different child. Adolescence is certainly a
challenging time for students, parents and
teachers alike; yet, it is also a time that
signals remarkable growth, extraordinary
joy and tremendous rewards. Such a
significant and complicated process needs
to be nurtured and, indeed, honored. It
needs time to reach its end: the realization
of a child’s potential and the cultivation of
the gifts each child will offer to the world.
I encourage you to give your child the
gift of time — time to be a young person;
to discover who they want to be; to
try on new experiences and to face new
challenges, to fail and begin again. For
in the mistakes lie the opportunities for
growth, laying the invaluable — and
inevitable — groundwork for success.
How do we maximize individual student
achievement? Nature vs. nurture is a
powerful concept. Understanding genetics
may be the answer for some, but for many,
a safe learning environment provides
the key to unlocking a child’s potential.
Strengthening the building blocks of
personal and academic achievement
nurtures individual potential, while a
safe and supportive learning environment
is a hallmark of Middle School success.
Middle Schools, by nature, are dynamic
learning environments that are marked by
significant change in physical, emotional
and psychological development.
Individual social skills, maturity level,
intellectual curiosity, motivation and
multi-faceted interests, often the defining
aspects of a student’s confidence and
success also affect this wide spectrum
of development.
A sixth grader feels safe and supported
when clearly established expectations are
set forth for them. To be sure, Middle
Schoolers do not particularly enjoy
structure and rules. Some even perceive
structure as restricting their need to
stretch, push and discover how far they
can go. Ironically, that very structure
provides a foundation for skill building
and success; a Middle School paradox,
where firm boundaries allow for optimum
intellectual, artistic and athletic freedom.
In fact, our students, especially our most
creative ones, learn best when the
structure within the classroom reduces
distractions and ambiguity. With clear
and fair expectations and consistent
follow through, students build essential
organizational and time management skills
that are cornerstones for success, both
inside and outside of the classroom.
In addition, students who are supported
with individualized care and attention —
the power of one-on-one connections —
maximize their potential for achievement
and success. Middle School advisors are
instrumental in helping students create
positive connections to teachers and
peers. Middle School educators
understand the unique and frequently
changing voices of each individual
student, a challenging task that we all
undertake both joyfully and seriously.
Simply put, growing up is hard work; it
is a process of learning from your mistakes,
of pushing through fear and coming out
on the other side stronger and with
greater resolve to tackle any task; large
or small. Those of us — faculty and
administrators — who choose to become
part of an adolescent student’s journey
know that they are still evolving — a
promising work in progress — not yet
a masterpiece.
Mindful strategic planning has structured
the Middle School as a safe and caring
environment; one with high standards
and supportive structures that give
students and faculty alike the parameters
and confidence to be their very best.
This trickle down affect for students
sets the stage for clear standards and
accountability, which translate into
accomplished and confident thinkers and
do-ers in Middle School.
Kathleen Deeken (far right) poses with (from left) John Lewis, Head of Upper School, National Geographic
photographer Steve McCurry and Dr. Sykoff. Ranney students raised $2,000 to support Mr. McCurry’s non-profit
organization ImagineAsia that gives educational support to Afghan children (see photo pg. 15).
Setting the stage for student success begins
with the formulation of an Individualized
Learning Profile or ILP, a unique
educational blueprint for each student.
That comprehensive document was a
result of my many years as a gifted and
talented teacher, and provided an
expedient way to recognize, personalize
and guide the unique individual talents
and needs within the classroom. Like any
complicated puzzle, each student has
strengths and weaknesses, interests and
trepidations, hopes and dreams that, when
acknowledged and nurtured, presents a
clear picture of his or her potential. There
is no greater challenge or reward in being
part of this dynamic journey of selfdiscovery, helping them to both discover
who they are and who they would like to be.
Our proven success is reflected in national
test scores that consistently reach the
highest norms in national and
independent groupings. With many
students charting consistent gains in
testing scores within their Middle School
tenure, our efforts to affect positive change
in all of our students is a reality. Testing
scores and classroom performance are two
aspects of a student’s learning profile, and
although important, it is compassion and
commitment, integrity and perseverance
that round out a student’s education and
truly helps them to become, not only a
person who succeeds, but a person who
brings value to the world in terms of their
own unique perspective.
Middle School classrooms are alive with
the energy that a new school year brings,
but the value of the Ranney School
experience translates into a yearlong
passion for teaching and learning.
Innovative programming like Mandarin
Chinese activities, advisee time, study skill
acquisition, technological advances with
SMART Board and Distance Learning
programs, Honor Code readings and
reflective discussions, community service
and opportunities for collaborative work
inspires good students and good citizens of
their community, and, ultimately, good
citizens of the world.
This school year promises to be our best
yet with an emphasis on a community
standards program that rewards our very
best Middle School citizens — students
whose responsible and respectful behavior
provides a role model for their peers.
Guiding social-emotional growth with
high expectations for responsible and
respectful behavior speaks to the tenets of
our Honor Code and reflects our mission;
it maximizes the potential for each
individual student, but its larger value
produces citizens with personal integrity.
I take much pride in watching the timehonored evolution that our middle
schoolers undergo. Under the watchful eye
of our talented faculty, these children are
well on their way to becoming confident,
caring, multi-dimensional thinkers
who are eager to become significant
contributors, taking on the challenges and
rewards of an Upper School experience
and beyond. They are successful in every
sense of the word, and I am confident that
they will continue to be compassionate,
competent leaders who make the world a
better place.
To me, our forensics and dramatic
performances, academic and athletic
competitions and talent shows perfectly
illustrate the exuberance of students who
are “in the middle” of their Ranney
experience. The foundation for
achievement rests squarely on those who
step up to challenges and take advantage
of Ranney opportunities. As educators, we
are dedicated to providing that culture of
success for our students — your children.
COLUMNS
31
Helen Pike ’74 is approaching the deadline
of book number eight which is due out in the
second quarter of 2008. It’s a 300-year
narrative of New Jersey’s business history:
from the Dutch to the dot.coms. In her spare
time, she lectures in media history at Rutgers
University in New Brunswick.
upon. Other than that, a brief aside to Loy
Saguil ’80: Get the book The Artists Reality
by Mark Rothko, and read it. I have a theory
about Rothko’s work: he was painting the
post-atomic bomb landscape, which you may
get if you read the book. I also have some
ideas about Rockwell and Rothko that you
might be interested in.”
Class of 1977
movies. Send him one, and get your name in
the book’s acknowledgments. His long-term
writing project, however, is a book of English,
which he has tentatively titled, “How to Write
“Well” English by A.K. Quinn, as told to Steven
Lance.” Steve would very much like your help
in sharing any “Quinnisms” you may have
taken away with you. You can help teach
new writers, preserve Mr. Quinn’s teaching,
and get your name in the book, by e-mailing
your “Quinnisms” to Steve at:
[email protected]
Class of 1967
Steve Gorsuch ’67 serves as television
broadcast consultant to the United States
Tennis Association and to CBS Sports for
PGA Golf. He also writes: “I am glad that our
school has a mascot. I don’t think that we,
from the first graduating class in New
Shrewsbury (now Tinton Falls), ever imagined
that our school would be associated with such
a fierce animal! When we were in Asbury
Park, we were happy to have gym class at the
YMCA, playing basketball on our home court
in the church school. I am sorry to have
missed my 40th reunion — I often think of
my days at Ranney. When applying to college,
instead of answering the question concerning
percentile of my graduating class, I always
responded that I was sixth in my class, even
though there were only eleven of us. We could
hold our reunion in someone’s living room!”
Class of 1972
Among Steven Lance’s (Hersh) ’72 legacy
at Ranney is that he was a charter member of
“The Club” and appeared in the first stage
presentations presented by the Ranney Drama
Department. After
earning his BA in
English from Upsala
College, Steve
pursued a career in
show business
(hence his name
change) and
appeared as an alien
science officer in the
32
COLUMNS
first Star Trek feature, STAR TREK: The
Motion Picture. The role that his mother is
more apt to refer to is the Emergency Room
intern in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories.
These being the most notable film
appearances, Steve has worked on radio and
television, often as a voice over announcer
and narrator.
In the meantime, Steve went back to school
and in 2001, earned a Masters degree in
Clinical Hypnotherapy. Currently, he is
pursuing a Ph.D. in Holistic Nutrition.
Today, Steve uses his voice training as a
nationally recognized specialist in the area
of Stress Management. He is an Associate
Practitioner at the Integrated Health and
Wellness Center in Manasquan, NJ, where he
treats clients for the stress and anxiety
associated with Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia,
Panic Attacks, Fibromyalgia, Diabetes
Mellitus, and yes. . . Stage Fright. Steve
lectures on a regular basis and his topics
include Stress Management and Nutrition.
Steve is also the author of the Pop Culture
coffee-table book, Written Out of Television:
A TV Lover’s Guide to Cast Changes and
Character Replacements (Madison Books),
which was also published as a hardcover
reference book under the revised title: Written
Out of Television: The Encyclopedia of Cast
Changes and Character Replacements 19451994. When asked about his writing, he will
immediately credit his Ranney School English
training, and his writing mentor, Mr. A.K.
Quinn, who to this day Steve refers to as
“The Mighty Quinn.” Among Steve’s current
book projects is a History of Tea, for which he
is collecting tea quotes from television and
Class of 1973 –
35th Reunion
Ken Yokelson
’73 writes: “As far
as my life, my wife
Sharon and I have
been married now
for 22 years and we
have a 13 year old
son, Jonathan. I
am in Atlanta,
GA, and have my
own architectural
firm, Yokelson
Associates Architects for the last
17 years. My ‘baby’ is a 1958
Triumph TR3 British sports car
(pictured above) that Sharon and I bought in
1992 as a wedding anniversary gift to each
other. It has been a labor of love and is a
continuous restoration. When I recently
received a window sticker from Ranney, I
could not think of a better place to put it!”
Class of 1974
Kris (Cramer) Albert ’74 is still in Iowa!
She and her husband Jay sent their third child
off to college and still have one more in high
school. The oldest two have graduated and
are off on their own, although Devon is doing
more traveling than working! One of these
days Kris would like to fit travel time into her
own schedule. In the meantime, she is
keeping busy as the Aquatics Director for the
local community college and also teaches
CPR classes for the American Red Cross, but
always finds time to make it back “to the
shore” every summer.
Douglas Jacoby ’77 recently debated
agnostic Michael Shermer on the topic of
“Does God Exist?” and can be seen on
YouTube. Douglas and his family continue to
reside in the Atlanta, GA, area. To find out
exactly what Douglas is up to, visit him on
the web at www.douglasjacoby.com!
Class of 1979
Yvette Janvier ’79 reports: “The most
exciting thing I wanted to share is that I have
been appointed by the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to be a public member of
the Interagency Autism Coordinating
Council. This council is charged by the
‘Combating Autism Act’ passed by Congress
in December 2006 to address Autism as a
national health crisis.”
Karen Zaletel ’79 has been enjoying her
time traveling to
Orlando, playing the
stock market (all those
study halls spent
reading the financial
section are paying off!)
and going back to
school. In addition to
the many stockbroker
and manager licenses (and a student pilot’s
license) she holds, Karen is studying for her
real estate license and agent licensing in life
and health insurance. She’s also appeared in
the movie Jersey Girl and on television’s Law
and Order. Karen looks forward to seeing
everyone at reunion this year!
Class of 1980
Jennifer (Delgado) Arnold ’80 writes:
“I am still having nice memories of the class
reunion in 2005, especially at the brunch I
gave where I had to yell at my kids.
Everybody who knew me at high school
couldn’t believe my ‘Mom’ voice. It was really
nice to see everyone, and to see that other
than acquiring new skills, like yelling, we all
don’t change much at all. Instead of bragging
about all of my various accomplishments, I
feel like telling everybody to take CoQ 10,
Omegaman, Fucothin, and better than face
cream, exfoliate! I have been enjoying my
kids, doing photography, and have been
involved with land conservation via the
Monmouth Conservation Foundation. Open
space is something that cannot be improved
Class of 1982
Mark Kleiner ’82 will be married four years
in February and has three great step-children.
He stays in touch with a few of his Ranney
classmates, including Robert Bach ’82,
living in Montana, Rick Surgent ’82, in
New Jersey, and Scott Schedivy ’82, in
New York.
Hilary Kramer ’82 writes: “GreenTech
Research, LLC, is the largest ‘green’
(alternative energy, environmental and
cleantech) hedge fund in the United States
and we enjoyed a very strong 2007 — the
year that the world went green. Investors are
discovering that being environmentally
conscience — even in investing — can have
the added benefit of being quite profitable. I
am still appearing weekly with Paul Kangas on
the Nightly Business Report on PBS,
providing market and economic commentary.”
Class of 1983 –
25th Reunion
Dr. Ram Chandra ’83 is working in the
Emergency Room and in family medicine in
Lexington, MO.
Class of 1984
Rona (Weisburg) Gofstein ’84 lives in New
England with her husband and two sons. She
recently had her first novel published with
Ellora’s Cave (writing under a pen name). She
is currently at work on her next novel and has
a non-fiction book on pendulum divination
due out next year with The Lotus Circle.
Jonathan Rosen
’84 is not only a
proud alumnus, but
a proud Ranney
dad! He and wife,
Alyssa, brought
their infant son
Jack to see big
sister Anne
perform with her
PreK classmates
at this year’s
Grandparents’ and
Friends’ Days!
Class of 1986
Vicki Scudiery
’86 has been a full
time model since
graduating college
in 1990. She has
traveled all over
the world doing
print, runway and
television
commercials. Vicki
writes: “It has been an amazing career and I
am truly blessed. The career has helped me to
discover so much about myself through
meeting all kinds of wonderful people,
developing beautiful relationships, and
learning about different cultures. I am grateful
for my job because it has allowed me to
discover who I truly am and it has brought
spirituality into my life. Through intense
spiritual awakenings and powerful
connections with some magnificent souls, I
started writing music. I couldn’t even
understand it at first. I didn’t know where it
was coming from, but the words and melody
just flowed through me…pure magic. In 2001,
I experienced a life altering tragedy and
decided it was time for me to fulfill my heart’s
deepest desires. I am now a singer songwriter.
My very first CD was released last year and I
even have my own record label! It has been
the most incredible experience of my life and
has taught me that it is never too late to
follow your dreams!”
Read more about Vicki on her website:
www.vikimusic.com
Toya (Scott) Williams ’86 is currently
majority owner and managing partner of a
Maryland-based Security and Life Safety
installation and service business. She has
recently added an Engineering/Consulting
division based out of Florida where she now
lives. Toya lives on Merritt Island, about 15
minutes from Cape Canaveral, and gets to
watch shuttle launches from her patio. Would
love to hear from her classmates!
Class of 1987
Dorothy McCann
’87 welcomed the
birth of her first
child – Thaddeus
Joseph Curylo on
February 23, 2007.
She is lucky
enough to be able
to bring him to
work with her at
the Law Offices of
Blum and McCann.
COLUMNS
33
Helen Pike ’74 is approaching the deadline
of book number eight which is due out in the
second quarter of 2008. It’s a 300-year
narrative of New Jersey’s business history:
from the Dutch to the dot.coms. In her spare
time, she lectures in media history at Rutgers
University in New Brunswick.
upon. Other than that, a brief aside to Loy
Saguil ’80: Get the book The Artists Reality
by Mark Rothko, and read it. I have a theory
about Rothko’s work: he was painting the
post-atomic bomb landscape, which you may
get if you read the book. I also have some
ideas about Rockwell and Rothko that you
might be interested in.”
Class of 1977
movies. Send him one, and get your name in
the book’s acknowledgments. His long-term
writing project, however, is a book of English,
which he has tentatively titled, “How to Write
“Well” English by A.K. Quinn, as told to Steven
Lance.” Steve would very much like your help
in sharing any “Quinnisms” you may have
taken away with you. You can help teach
new writers, preserve Mr. Quinn’s teaching,
and get your name in the book, by e-mailing
your “Quinnisms” to Steve at:
[email protected]
Class of 1967
Steve Gorsuch ’67 serves as television
broadcast consultant to the United States
Tennis Association and to CBS Sports for
PGA Golf. He also writes: “I am glad that our
school has a mascot. I don’t think that we,
from the first graduating class in New
Shrewsbury (now Tinton Falls), ever imagined
that our school would be associated with such
a fierce animal! When we were in Asbury
Park, we were happy to have gym class at the
YMCA, playing basketball on our home court
in the church school. I am sorry to have
missed my 40th reunion — I often think of
my days at Ranney. When applying to college,
instead of answering the question concerning
percentile of my graduating class, I always
responded that I was sixth in my class, even
though there were only eleven of us. We could
hold our reunion in someone’s living room!”
Class of 1972
Among Steven Lance’s (Hersh) ’72 legacy
at Ranney is that he was a charter member of
“The Club” and appeared in the first stage
presentations presented by the Ranney Drama
Department. After
earning his BA in
English from Upsala
College, Steve
pursued a career in
show business
(hence his name
change) and
appeared as an alien
science officer in the
32
COLUMNS
first Star Trek feature, STAR TREK: The
Motion Picture. The role that his mother is
more apt to refer to is the Emergency Room
intern in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories.
These being the most notable film
appearances, Steve has worked on radio and
television, often as a voice over announcer
and narrator.
In the meantime, Steve went back to school
and in 2001, earned a Masters degree in
Clinical Hypnotherapy. Currently, he is
pursuing a Ph.D. in Holistic Nutrition.
Today, Steve uses his voice training as a
nationally recognized specialist in the area
of Stress Management. He is an Associate
Practitioner at the Integrated Health and
Wellness Center in Manasquan, NJ, where he
treats clients for the stress and anxiety
associated with Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia,
Panic Attacks, Fibromyalgia, Diabetes
Mellitus, and yes. . . Stage Fright. Steve
lectures on a regular basis and his topics
include Stress Management and Nutrition.
Steve is also the author of the Pop Culture
coffee-table book, Written Out of Television:
A TV Lover’s Guide to Cast Changes and
Character Replacements (Madison Books),
which was also published as a hardcover
reference book under the revised title: Written
Out of Television: The Encyclopedia of Cast
Changes and Character Replacements 19451994. When asked about his writing, he will
immediately credit his Ranney School English
training, and his writing mentor, Mr. A.K.
Quinn, who to this day Steve refers to as
“The Mighty Quinn.” Among Steve’s current
book projects is a History of Tea, for which he
is collecting tea quotes from television and
Class of 1973 –
35th Reunion
Ken Yokelson
’73 writes: “As far
as my life, my wife
Sharon and I have
been married now
for 22 years and we
have a 13 year old
son, Jonathan. I
am in Atlanta,
GA, and have my
own architectural
firm, Yokelson
Associates Architects for the last
17 years. My ‘baby’ is a 1958
Triumph TR3 British sports car
(pictured above) that Sharon and I bought in
1992 as a wedding anniversary gift to each
other. It has been a labor of love and is a
continuous restoration. When I recently
received a window sticker from Ranney, I
could not think of a better place to put it!”
Class of 1974
Kris (Cramer) Albert ’74 is still in Iowa!
She and her husband Jay sent their third child
off to college and still have one more in high
school. The oldest two have graduated and
are off on their own, although Devon is doing
more traveling than working! One of these
days Kris would like to fit travel time into her
own schedule. In the meantime, she is
keeping busy as the Aquatics Director for the
local community college and also teaches
CPR classes for the American Red Cross, but
always finds time to make it back “to the
shore” every summer.
Douglas Jacoby ’77 recently debated
agnostic Michael Shermer on the topic of
“Does God Exist?” and can be seen on
YouTube. Douglas and his family continue to
reside in the Atlanta, GA, area. To find out
exactly what Douglas is up to, visit him on
the web at www.douglasjacoby.com!
Class of 1979
Yvette Janvier ’79 reports: “The most
exciting thing I wanted to share is that I have
been appointed by the Secretary of Health
and Human Services to be a public member of
the Interagency Autism Coordinating
Council. This council is charged by the
‘Combating Autism Act’ passed by Congress
in December 2006 to address Autism as a
national health crisis.”
Karen Zaletel ’79 has been enjoying her
time traveling to
Orlando, playing the
stock market (all those
study halls spent
reading the financial
section are paying off!)
and going back to
school. In addition to
the many stockbroker
and manager licenses (and a student pilot’s
license) she holds, Karen is studying for her
real estate license and agent licensing in life
and health insurance. She’s also appeared in
the movie Jersey Girl and on television’s Law
and Order. Karen looks forward to seeing
everyone at reunion this year!
Class of 1980
Jennifer (Delgado) Arnold ’80 writes:
“I am still having nice memories of the class
reunion in 2005, especially at the brunch I
gave where I had to yell at my kids.
Everybody who knew me at high school
couldn’t believe my ‘Mom’ voice. It was really
nice to see everyone, and to see that other
than acquiring new skills, like yelling, we all
don’t change much at all. Instead of bragging
about all of my various accomplishments, I
feel like telling everybody to take CoQ 10,
Omegaman, Fucothin, and better than face
cream, exfoliate! I have been enjoying my
kids, doing photography, and have been
involved with land conservation via the
Monmouth Conservation Foundation. Open
space is something that cannot be improved
Class of 1982
Mark Kleiner ’82 will be married four years
in February and has three great step-children.
He stays in touch with a few of his Ranney
classmates, including Robert Bach ’82,
living in Montana, Rick Surgent ’82, in
New Jersey, and Scott Schedivy ’82, in
New York.
Hilary Kramer ’82 writes: “GreenTech
Research, LLC, is the largest ‘green’
(alternative energy, environmental and
cleantech) hedge fund in the United States
and we enjoyed a very strong 2007 — the
year that the world went green. Investors are
discovering that being environmentally
conscience — even in investing — can have
the added benefit of being quite profitable. I
am still appearing weekly with Paul Kangas on
the Nightly Business Report on PBS,
providing market and economic commentary.”
Class of 1983 –
25th Reunion
Dr. Ram Chandra ’83 is working in the
Emergency Room and in family medicine in
Lexington, MO.
Class of 1984
Rona (Weisburg) Gofstein ’84 lives in New
England with her husband and two sons. She
recently had her first novel published with
Ellora’s Cave (writing under a pen name). She
is currently at work on her next novel and has
a non-fiction book on pendulum divination
due out next year with The Lotus Circle.
Jonathan Rosen
’84 is not only a
proud alumnus, but
a proud Ranney
dad! He and wife,
Alyssa, brought
their infant son
Jack to see big
sister Anne
perform with her
PreK classmates
at this year’s
Grandparents’ and
Friends’ Days!
Class of 1986
Vicki Scudiery
’86 has been a full
time model since
graduating college
in 1990. She has
traveled all over
the world doing
print, runway and
television
commercials. Vicki
writes: “It has been an amazing career and I
am truly blessed. The career has helped me to
discover so much about myself through
meeting all kinds of wonderful people,
developing beautiful relationships, and
learning about different cultures. I am grateful
for my job because it has allowed me to
discover who I truly am and it has brought
spirituality into my life. Through intense
spiritual awakenings and powerful
connections with some magnificent souls, I
started writing music. I couldn’t even
understand it at first. I didn’t know where it
was coming from, but the words and melody
just flowed through me…pure magic. In 2001,
I experienced a life altering tragedy and
decided it was time for me to fulfill my heart’s
deepest desires. I am now a singer songwriter.
My very first CD was released last year and I
even have my own record label! It has been
the most incredible experience of my life and
has taught me that it is never too late to
follow your dreams!”
Read more about Vicki on her website:
www.vikimusic.com
Toya (Scott) Williams ’86 is currently
majority owner and managing partner of a
Maryland-based Security and Life Safety
installation and service business. She has
recently added an Engineering/Consulting
division based out of Florida where she now
lives. Toya lives on Merritt Island, about 15
minutes from Cape Canaveral, and gets to
watch shuttle launches from her patio. Would
love to hear from her classmates!
Class of 1987
Dorothy McCann
’87 welcomed the
birth of her first
child – Thaddeus
Joseph Curylo on
February 23, 2007.
She is lucky
enough to be able
to bring him to
work with her at
the Law Offices of
Blum and McCann.
COLUMNS
33
Jim Seibert ’87 writes: “I am a software
architect for a firm in Northern Virginia,
where I have lived since 1991. I have two
children, Brooke and Drew, who are 6 and
9 respectively. My wife Terri and I have
been married for 11 years, and we are having
an absolute blast down here outside of D.C.
We are all involved in music and sports — it
turns out the kids are pretty good at both of
those! Also, I moonlight as the guitarist in
the band Dashfield which plays in the
D.C. area, but is looking to play in NYC
sometime soon!”
Class of 1988 –
20th Reunion
Andrew Dennis ’88 is an attending trauma
and burn surgeon at Cook County Hospital
in Chicago and serves as the Medical
Director/Team Surgeon for the Northern
Illinois Police Alarm System Emergency
Services Team (SWAT). Andrew is also the
Chair of Surgery at Midwestern University
College of Osteopathic Medicine and the
CEO of Leo Medicus, a law enforcement
education and consulting firm.
Class of 1991
Kanchan (Govil)
Patel ’91 is now
living in Somerset,
NJ, with her two
beautiful sons,
Rohan (3.5 years)
and Aryan (16
months), and
wonderful
husband, Hitesh.
She and her husband run a medical practice
in Edison, NJ, and enjoying the quiet, open
air of their new digs!
She’s been in touch
with some members of
her graduating class,
such as Marlee
Napurano ’91,
Jennifer (Banzon)
Grillo ’91 (at right),
Raissa Villanueva ’91
and Shoshana Schiff
’91. All are well and happily living their
lives, with loving spouses and/or adorable
children. My, how you’ve grown!
Class of 1994
Stacey Thermos ’94 writes that after
earning her BA from NYU and two masters
degrees (Clinical Psychology and Social
Work), she moved to Greece, which as many
of her old friends might remember, she always
wanted to do! Living in Athens, Stacey sees
clients as a psychologist and enjoys traveling,
skiing and hiking in her spare time, while also
helping the stray dog population of Greece.
Class of 1995
Nathan Ravitz ’95
writes: “In March
of 2007, I moved
to Bristol, CT, to
take a job as an
editor and on-air
talent for
ESPN.com. I
appear weekly on a
live-to-the-web Sunday football preview show
called Fantasy Football NOW as well as
appearing weekly on ESPNEWS and regularly
on ESPN.com video. Also, the podcast that I
host, Fantasy Football NOW, peaked as the
No. 2 rated podcast on all of iTunes in
September! In February, I will be getting
married in Costa Rica, the home country of
my bride, Andrea.”
Class of 1999
Adam Goldberg ’99 is toiling away in his
second year as Junior Associate at the law firm
Latham & Watkins, LLP, in New York City.
Class of 2000
Angie Gregos ’00 and Arun Swaroop ’01
were engaged last December and are busy
putting the finishing touches on their
wedding, set for May 31, 2008!
Wedding bells
rang on
September 29,
2007, for Ranney
School sweethearts
Michael Kuskin
’00 and Emily
Knopf ’01, with
a crowd of their
former classmates
there to share in
the celebration!
Class of 1992
Colleen (Raftree) Jaeger ’92 married James
P. Jaeger on May 19, 2007, in Colts Neck.
Colleen is currently a homemaker and James
is a union ironworker for Shamrock
Construction. The pair resides in Aberdeen.
Class of 2001
Scott Kaufman ’01 is working with Ernst &
Young, LLP, as a Risk Management
Consultant and living in New York City.
Charlie Kromann ’01 is pursuing a career in
golf, currently as a tour player on the Hooters
Tour. He also breeds thoroughbreds with his
family on their farm. Charlie spends his
winters in Florida and the rest of the year in
New Jersey.
34
COLUMNS
Class of 2003 –
5th Reunion
Robert McCoid ’03 spends his days at the
International Sculpture Center in Hamilton,
NJ, working with their website and posting
artist portfolios online. He also helps ISC
coordinate conferences and events.
Class of 2004
Margo Chaly ’04 graduated from Ithaca
College as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar
on December 16, 2007 — the first of her 44
classmates to earn an undergraduate degree!
Her degree is a Bachelor of Arts in
Journalism, with a minor in Latin American
Studies. She was only on the Ithaca College
campus for 2 1/2 years, spending her junior
year traveling abroad, first to Ecuador and
then to Nicaragua. Margo is very excited
about her new position with Five Towns
College in Long Island and hopes to touch
base with her classmates for the February
New York City alumni event!
Class of 2005
Vincent Gamuzza ’05 is a pre-Optometry
student at Drew University and is beginning
to search for the perfect Optometry school.
He started a barbershop quartet at Drew, and
sings the lead part. He spent the summer as
an intern with an optometrist in Eatontown,
NJ. Vincent is loving life and hopes to see his
old classmates soon!
Class of 2007
Sagar Shah ’07 writes: “I just want to say
that you will not find a better institution for
education than Ranney School. From the
teachers to the students — everyone is so
nice, well-educated and friendly. It is not a big
school, but that is what makes it better than
other schools. Our school is more of a family
and this family is just growing. I am a
freshman at Bryant University. Entering
college, I was not worried at all due to the
fantastic support I was given throughout my
high school career. I am the freshmen class
chair (president) for Student Senate of Bryant
University, a selected member of the Student
Alumni Association, and a member of Multicultural Student Union. I took my first finals
of my college career at Bryant and all I can
say is I am so ready. Thank you Ranney
School for all your knowledge!”
Courtney Siebert ’07 is
loving the college life at
Bucknell! As you can see, her
Bucknell pride is reminiscent
of this former cheerleader’s
Ranney Panther Pride!
Alum-Notes:
On Friday, November 30th, the Alumni Office
sponsored a Night at the Theater, putting
the spotlight on Ranney’s current Thespians
and their production of Shakespeare’s Romeo
and Juliet. Ranney alumni were found
throughout the audience, including Lawrence
Feldman ’05, with his mother, Jan; Michael
Molina ’03, who was there to see his brother,
Dustin ’08, assume the role of Tybalt; and
Richard Bamberger ’66, the proud Ranney
dad of Ian ’09, who played Benvolio. Please
join us for our next Alumni Night at the
Theater on Friday, March 14, as the Middle
and Upper School present their annual spring
musical, The Apple Tree.
On Thursday, January
10, the College and
Alumni Offices
partnered for the Fifth
Annual College
Alumni Panel and
Luncheon. Members
of the junior and
senior class were able
to hear first-hand from
their former schoolmates the experiences of
freshman year. This year’s panel included
Mark Bellis ’06
(Bowdoin
College), Alison
Chavers ’07
(Susquehanna
University), Kate
Fitzgerald ’07
(Princeton
University), Ross
Gale ’07 (Babson College), Tim Hearne ’07
(Muhlenberg College), Brad Mahlof ’07
(Brandeis University), Elliot Mahlof ’07
(Johns Hopkins University), Courtney
Siebert ’07 (Bucknell University), Shinequa
Watkins ’07 (Barnard College) and J.D.
Wilgucki ’07
(Lehigh
University).
Following the
panel, the Class of
2008 enjoyed a
special lunch with
the young alumni
to talk more
casually about their college experiences. Also
joining the group for lunch were Margo
Chaly ’04, Nanki Chatha ’07, Jeff
Cochran ’07, Alan Gordin ’07, Akriti
Gupta ’07, Bailey Medlin ’07, Dalia
Meleis ’07, John Pontolillo ’06, Raj
Saghal ’07, Chloe Spear ’07 and Evan
Zimmerman ’07.
Evan Zimmerman ’07 is having a great time
at Colgate, but misses his fellow Panthers! Evan
can be reached at [email protected].
COLUMNS
35
Jim Seibert ’87 writes: “I am a software
architect for a firm in Northern Virginia,
where I have lived since 1991. I have two
children, Brooke and Drew, who are 6 and
9 respectively. My wife Terri and I have
been married for 11 years, and we are having
an absolute blast down here outside of D.C.
We are all involved in music and sports — it
turns out the kids are pretty good at both of
those! Also, I moonlight as the guitarist in
the band Dashfield which plays in the
D.C. area, but is looking to play in NYC
sometime soon!”
Class of 1988 –
20th Reunion
Andrew Dennis ’88 is an attending trauma
and burn surgeon at Cook County Hospital
in Chicago and serves as the Medical
Director/Team Surgeon for the Northern
Illinois Police Alarm System Emergency
Services Team (SWAT). Andrew is also the
Chair of Surgery at Midwestern University
College of Osteopathic Medicine and the
CEO of Leo Medicus, a law enforcement
education and consulting firm.
Class of 1991
Kanchan (Govil)
Patel ’91 is now
living in Somerset,
NJ, with her two
beautiful sons,
Rohan (3.5 years)
and Aryan (16
months), and
wonderful
husband, Hitesh.
She and her husband run a medical practice
in Edison, NJ, and enjoying the quiet, open
air of their new digs!
She’s been in touch
with some members of
her graduating class,
such as Marlee
Napurano ’91,
Jennifer (Banzon)
Grillo ’91 (at right),
Raissa Villanueva ’91
and Shoshana Schiff
’91. All are well and happily living their
lives, with loving spouses and/or adorable
children. My, how you’ve grown!
Class of 1994
Stacey Thermos ’94 writes that after
earning her BA from NYU and two masters
degrees (Clinical Psychology and Social
Work), she moved to Greece, which as many
of her old friends might remember, she always
wanted to do! Living in Athens, Stacey sees
clients as a psychologist and enjoys traveling,
skiing and hiking in her spare time, while also
helping the stray dog population of Greece.
Class of 1995
Nathan Ravitz ’95
writes: “In March
of 2007, I moved
to Bristol, CT, to
take a job as an
editor and on-air
talent for
ESPN.com. I
appear weekly on a
live-to-the-web Sunday football preview show
called Fantasy Football NOW as well as
appearing weekly on ESPNEWS and regularly
on ESPN.com video. Also, the podcast that I
host, Fantasy Football NOW, peaked as the
No. 2 rated podcast on all of iTunes in
September! In February, I will be getting
married in Costa Rica, the home country of
my bride, Andrea.”
Class of 1999
Adam Goldberg ’99 is toiling away in his
second year as Junior Associate at the law firm
Latham & Watkins, LLP, in New York City.
Class of 2000
Angie Gregos ’00 and Arun Swaroop ’01
were engaged last December and are busy
putting the finishing touches on their
wedding, set for May 31, 2008!
Wedding bells
rang on
September 29,
2007, for Ranney
School sweethearts
Michael Kuskin
’00 and Emily
Knopf ’01, with
a crowd of their
former classmates
there to share in
the celebration!
Class of 1992
Colleen (Raftree) Jaeger ’92 married James
P. Jaeger on May 19, 2007, in Colts Neck.
Colleen is currently a homemaker and James
is a union ironworker for Shamrock
Construction. The pair resides in Aberdeen.
Class of 2001
Scott Kaufman ’01 is working with Ernst &
Young, LLP, as a Risk Management
Consultant and living in New York City.
Charlie Kromann ’01 is pursuing a career in
golf, currently as a tour player on the Hooters
Tour. He also breeds thoroughbreds with his
family on their farm. Charlie spends his
winters in Florida and the rest of the year in
New Jersey.
34
COLUMNS
Class of 2003 –
5th Reunion
Robert McCoid ’03 spends his days at the
International Sculpture Center in Hamilton,
NJ, working with their website and posting
artist portfolios online. He also helps ISC
coordinate conferences and events.
Class of 2004
Margo Chaly ’04 graduated from Ithaca
College as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholar
on December 16, 2007 — the first of her 44
classmates to earn an undergraduate degree!
Her degree is a Bachelor of Arts in
Journalism, with a minor in Latin American
Studies. She was only on the Ithaca College
campus for 2 1/2 years, spending her junior
year traveling abroad, first to Ecuador and
then to Nicaragua. Margo is very excited
about her new position with Five Towns
College in Long Island and hopes to touch
base with her classmates for the February
New York City alumni event!
Class of 2005
Vincent Gamuzza ’05 is a pre-Optometry
student at Drew University and is beginning
to search for the perfect Optometry school.
He started a barbershop quartet at Drew, and
sings the lead part. He spent the summer as
an intern with an optometrist in Eatontown,
NJ. Vincent is loving life and hopes to see his
old classmates soon!
Class of 2007
Sagar Shah ’07 writes: “I just want to say
that you will not find a better institution for
education than Ranney School. From the
teachers to the students — everyone is so
nice, well-educated and friendly. It is not a big
school, but that is what makes it better than
other schools. Our school is more of a family
and this family is just growing. I am a
freshman at Bryant University. Entering
college, I was not worried at all due to the
fantastic support I was given throughout my
high school career. I am the freshmen class
chair (president) for Student Senate of Bryant
University, a selected member of the Student
Alumni Association, and a member of Multicultural Student Union. I took my first finals
of my college career at Bryant and all I can
say is I am so ready. Thank you Ranney
School for all your knowledge!”
Courtney Siebert ’07 is
loving the college life at
Bucknell! As you can see, her
Bucknell pride is reminiscent
of this former cheerleader’s
Ranney Panther Pride!
Alum-Notes:
On Friday, November 30th, the Alumni Office
sponsored a Night at the Theater, putting
the spotlight on Ranney’s current Thespians
and their production of Shakespeare’s Romeo
and Juliet. Ranney alumni were found
throughout the audience, including Lawrence
Feldman ’05, with his mother, Jan; Michael
Molina ’03, who was there to see his brother,
Dustin ’08, assume the role of Tybalt; and
Richard Bamberger ’66, the proud Ranney
dad of Ian ’09, who played Benvolio. Please
join us for our next Alumni Night at the
Theater on Friday, March 14, as the Middle
and Upper School present their annual spring
musical, The Apple Tree.
On Thursday, January
10, the College and
Alumni Offices
partnered for the Fifth
Annual College
Alumni Panel and
Luncheon. Members
of the junior and
senior class were able
to hear first-hand from
their former schoolmates the experiences of
freshman year. This year’s panel included
Mark Bellis ’06
(Bowdoin
College), Alison
Chavers ’07
(Susquehanna
University), Kate
Fitzgerald ’07
(Princeton
University), Ross
Gale ’07 (Babson College), Tim Hearne ’07
(Muhlenberg College), Brad Mahlof ’07
(Brandeis University), Elliot Mahlof ’07
(Johns Hopkins University), Courtney
Siebert ’07 (Bucknell University), Shinequa
Watkins ’07 (Barnard College) and J.D.
Wilgucki ’07
(Lehigh
University).
Following the
panel, the Class of
2008 enjoyed a
special lunch with
the young alumni
to talk more
casually about their college experiences. Also
joining the group for lunch were Margo
Chaly ’04, Nanki Chatha ’07, Jeff
Cochran ’07, Alan Gordin ’07, Akriti
Gupta ’07, Bailey Medlin ’07, Dalia
Meleis ’07, John Pontolillo ’06, Raj
Saghal ’07, Chloe Spear ’07 and Evan
Zimmerman ’07.
Evan Zimmerman ’07 is having a great time
at Colgate, but misses his fellow Panthers! Evan
can be reached at [email protected].
COLUMNS
35
Mark your calendar!
Ranney Reunion ’08
May 3, 2008
Tour the campus and see how we continue to grow.
Check out the new, state-of-the-art track,
field and tennis complex.
See the amazing construction progress
of our new Lower School!
Learn about new opportunities and
programs for Ranney alumni.
Celebrate the milestone reunions for the Classes of
1968, 1973, 1978, 1983,
1988, 1993, 1998 and 2003!
All alumni are invited to attend!
Watch the website for more information!
Interested in helping with this year’s reunion?
Contact the Alumni Office at 732-542-4777 x181
or email [email protected].
Alumni Meet At The
Ranney
Round-Up!
Left: Alexandra Betesh, Class of 2006
and Rob Khristov, Class of 1988.
Below: Ron Stokes, Class of 1972.
Below Center: The Class of 1997
was out in full force, including Tristan
Tice, Tim Paulus, Michael Seto, Aroop
Sanakkayala, Denise Wahba, Anita
Rajan and Birdie Thompson.
Below: Tara Fay, Class of 1999.
On Saturday, June 23rd, more than 50 alumni and friends
joined together to celebrate Ranney's Annual Alumni
Reunion. Celebrating milestone reunions were members of
the Classes of 1972, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002, in
addition to other alumni who returned to see the Paulus
Library transformed into the Ranney Ranch, reflecting the
western theme. Amidst the flurry of yearbook page
flipping and story swapping, alumni heard about the
Foundations for Learning ~ Phase II projects, experiencing
the new track and field complex for themselves during a
tour of campus. Many alumni had not returned since their
high school graduation and were impressed by the growth
of their school. While walking the halls of their alma
mater, the alumni shared memories of the lounge in the
Annex (now a fourth grade classroom), the study hall in
the Barn (now a kindergarten classroom) and ballroom
dancing classes in the RAC Lounge.
Left: Randy Salani,
Class of 2003 and
Eric Grossman,
Class of 2000.
Left Center: Dr. Victor Kong,
Class of 1993, with his
wife Amy.
Left: Class of 2004
members Adam Metzger,
Lauren Betesh, Mike
McCabe and Chris Payne
caught up at Reunion.
Above: Dr. A’ndrea
Van Schoick, Class
of 1992, Marc Pico,
Class of 1992 and
Dr. Kyle Barr, Class
of 1991.
Left: Ilene (Kaplan) Evans, Dr.
Anand Lothe and Jennifer
(Rodgers) Dresner represent
the Class of 1987.
Right: Ilene Grossman,
Class of 2002, and Adam
Jones, Class of 2002.
36
COLUMNS
Left Center: Gary Braverman,
Class of 1983, and his mother
speak with Jonathan Rosen,
Class of 1984.
COLUMNS
37
Mark your calendar!
Ranney Reunion ’08
May 3, 2008
Tour the campus and see how we continue to grow.
Check out the new, state-of-the-art track,
field and tennis complex.
See the amazing construction progress
of our new Lower School!
Learn about new opportunities and
programs for Ranney alumni.
Celebrate the milestone reunions for the Classes of
1968, 1973, 1978, 1983,
1988, 1993, 1998 and 2003!
All alumni are invited to attend!
Watch the website for more information!
Interested in helping with this year’s reunion?
Contact the Alumni Office at 732-542-4777 x181
or email [email protected].
Alumni Meet At The
Ranney
Round-Up!
Left: Alexandra Betesh, Class of 2006
and Rob Khristov, Class of 1988.
Below: Ron Stokes, Class of 1972.
Below Center: The Class of 1997
was out in full force, including Tristan
Tice, Tim Paulus, Michael Seto, Aroop
Sanakkayala, Denise Wahba, Anita
Rajan and Birdie Thompson.
Below: Tara Fay, Class of 1999.
On Saturday, June 23rd, more than 50 alumni and friends
joined together to celebrate Ranney's Annual Alumni
Reunion. Celebrating milestone reunions were members of
the Classes of 1972, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002, in
addition to other alumni who returned to see the Paulus
Library transformed into the Ranney Ranch, reflecting the
western theme. Amidst the flurry of yearbook page
flipping and story swapping, alumni heard about the
Foundations for Learning ~ Phase II projects, experiencing
the new track and field complex for themselves during a
tour of campus. Many alumni had not returned since their
high school graduation and were impressed by the growth
of their school. While walking the halls of their alma
mater, the alumni shared memories of the lounge in the
Annex (now a fourth grade classroom), the study hall in
the Barn (now a kindergarten classroom) and ballroom
dancing classes in the RAC Lounge.
Left: Randy Salani,
Class of 2003 and
Eric Grossman,
Class of 2000.
Left Center: Dr. Victor Kong,
Class of 1993, with his
wife Amy.
Left: Class of 2004
members Adam Metzger,
Lauren Betesh, Mike
McCabe and Chris Payne
caught up at Reunion.
Above: Dr. A’ndrea
Van Schoick, Class
of 1992, Marc Pico,
Class of 1992 and
Dr. Kyle Barr, Class
of 1991.
Left: Ilene (Kaplan) Evans, Dr.
Anand Lothe and Jennifer
(Rodgers) Dresner represent
the Class of 1987.
Right: Ilene Grossman,
Class of 2002, and Adam
Jones, Class of 2002.
36
COLUMNS
Left Center: Gary Braverman,
Class of 1983, and his mother
speak with Jonathan Rosen,
Class of 1984.
COLUMNS
37
A message from the Board of Trustees
Groundbreaking Celebrations:
The beginning of the 2006-07 school year began a
period of remarkable celebration for Ranney School.
Daniel B. Goldberg, M.D.,
President, Board of Trustees
38
COLUMNS
Starting with the dedication of Karagianakis Field in October 2006,
Ranney School observed the dedication of Guidone Track, the
groundbreaking of the new Lower School and RSPA Panther Hall and
the dedication of Kelly Tennis Center, all within 15 months. These
wonderful additions to our campus have been built by the unwavering
confidence of our parents, administration, faculty, staff and friends. A
drive through campus is enough to see the scope of the project we have
been celebrating since last May’s groundbreaking. A new roof now
provides support to a brand new structure: one that will provide our
educators with the tools and environment to continue offering our
children the highest quality learning experience, and one that will see
our students realize their potential. I would like to acknowledge our
Board of Trustees, an extraordinary group of dedicated individuals who
have helped in shaping the Ranney School of today and extend sincere
gratitude for their invaluable guidance and leadership in conceiving
the Ranney School of tomorrow. We are also indebted to our strong
community of parents, faculty and administrators who work
tirelessly to ensure the best interests of our school and our students.
Our success is the result of many people working together under
the visionary leadership of Dr. Lawrence Sykoff. Ranney is at a
wonderful place in its history for reasons I could continue to
describe here, but as the familiar adage states, a picture is worth a
thousand words. In that regard, please take a moment to browse
these wonderful images that provide an exciting glimpse of
our progress.
Sincerely,
Daniel B. Goldberg, M.D.
COLUMNS
39
A message from the Board of Trustees
Groundbreaking Celebrations:
The beginning of the 2006-07 school year began a
period of remarkable celebration for Ranney School.
Daniel B. Goldberg, M.D.,
38
COLUMNS
Starting with the dedication of Karagianakis Field in October 2006,
Ranney School observed the dedication of Guidone Track, the
groundbreaking of the new Lower School and RSPA Panther Hall and
the dedication of Kelly Tennis Center, all within 15 months. These
wonderful additions to our campus have been built by the unwavering
confidence of our parents, administration, faculty, staff and friends. A
drive through campus is enough to see the scope of the project we have
been celebrating since last May’s groundbreaking. A new roof now
provides support to a brand new structure: one that will provide our
educators with the tools and environment to continue offering our
children the highest quality learning experience, and one that will see
our students realize their potential. I would like to acknowledge our
Board of Trustees, an extraordinary group of dedicated individuals who
have helped in shaping the Ranney School of today and extend sincere
gratitude for their invaluable guidance and leadership in conceiving
the Ranney School of tomorrow. We are also indebted to our strong
community of parents, faculty and administrators who work
tirelessly to ensure the best interests of our school and our students.
Our success is the result of many people working together under
the visionary leadership of Dr. Lawrence Sykoff. Ranney is at a
wonderful place in its history for reasons I could continue to
describe here, but as the familiar adage states, a picture is worth a
thousand words. In that regard, please take a moment to browse
these wonderful images that provide an exciting glimpse of
our progress.
Sincerely,
Daniel B. Goldberg, M.D.
COLUMNS
39
The Board of Trustees welcomes
PAUL C. GUIDONE, CFA
Paul Guidone is a member of the
Investment Committee. Outside of his
appointment at Ranney School, he is a
guest lecturer in economics and finance at
The Engineering School and The School of
Arts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University.
A senior business executive in the
investment management industry in the US
and abroad, Paul is the Managing Partner at
Linden Point Capital Management, LLC, a
privately owned investment company specializing in global
money management. Previously, he was the Managing
Director & Chief Investment Officer of Citigroup Global
Wealth Management, where he was responsible for the
investment activities of the Citigroup Private Bank and
Smith Barney Private Client Division. He was also a
member of the Management Committee of Citigroup, Inc.
and senior member of Citigroup’s Pension Investment
Committee. Prior to Citigroup, he was Managing Director
and Chief Investment Officer of J&W Seligman, a
privately owned investment advisory firm offering mutual
funds and investment advisory services. Previously, he
served as Deputy Chairman and Group CEO, HSBC
Asset management, Ltd. in London, England, where he
and his family lived for eight years. Paul earned a B.S. in
finance from The Pennsylvania State University and a
CFA from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts.
He is a member of the Association for Investment
Management & Research, the United Kingdom Society
of Investment Professionals (UKSIP), the New York
Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) and holds several
securities industry licenses. Paul and his wife, Diane, have
two sons, Matt ’03 and Greg ’06 and daughter Kate who
is a junior at Ranney School.
40
COLUMNS
Board of Trustees
Daniel Goldberg, M.D.
President
Marshall Knopf
First Vice President
Jamie Price
Vice President
Patricia Kurdyla
Secretary
Jack McEnery
Co-Treasurer
Albert Rodriguez
Co-Treasurer
Josephine Esquivel
Financial Advisor
Thomas Frystock
Kristen Gerhard
Paul Guidone
Thomas Karagianakis
Carol Martin
Stephen Papetti
Douglas Roberts ’79
Cynthia Sparer
Albert Tedeschi, M.D.
Brian Torpey, M.D.
Head of School
Ex Officio
School Days
A
— HERE IS A
PHOTO FROM THE RANNEY SCHOOL
ARCHIVES CIRCA 1964.
LOOK BACK IN TIME
The Board of Trustees welcomes
PAUL C. GUIDONE, CFA
Paul Guidone is a member of the
Investment Committee. Outside of his
appointment at Ranney School, he is a
guest lecturer in economics and finance at
The Engineering School and The School of
Arts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University.
A senior business executive in the
investment management industry in the US
and abroad, Paul is the Managing Partner at
Linden Point Capital Management, LLC, a
privately owned investment company specializing in global
money management. Previously, he was the Managing
Director & Chief Investment Officer of Citigroup Global
Wealth Management, where he was responsible for the
investment activities of the Citigroup Private Bank and
Smith Barney Private Client Division. He was also a
member of the Management Committee of Citigroup, Inc.
and senior member of Citigroup’s Pension Investment
Committee. Prior to Citigroup, he was Managing Director
and Chief Investment Officer of J&W Seligman, a
privately owned investment advisory firm offering mutual
funds and investment advisory services. Previously, he
served as Deputy Chairman and Group CEO, HSBC
Asset management, Ltd. in London, England, where he
and his family lived for eight years. Paul earned a B.S. in
finance from The Pennsylvania State University and a
CFA from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts.
He is a member of the Association for Investment
Management & Research, the United Kingdom Society
of Investment Professionals (UKSIP), the New York
Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA) and holds several
securities industry licenses. Paul and his wife, Diane, have
two sons, Matt ’03 and Greg ’06 and daughter Kate who
is a junior at Ranney School.
40
COLUMNS
Board of Trustees
Daniel Goldberg, M.D.
President
Marshall Knopf
First Vice President
Jamie Price
Vice President
Patricia Kurdyla
Secretary
Jack McEnery
Co-Treasurer
Albert Rodriguez
Co-Treasurer
Josephine Esquivel
Financial Advisor
Thomas Frystock
Kristen Gerhard
Paul Guidone
Thomas Karagianakis
Carol Martin
Stephen Papetti
Douglas Roberts ’79
Cynthia Sparer
Albert Tedeschi, M.D.
Brian Torpey, M.D.
Head of School
Ex Officio
School Days
A
— HERE IS A
PHOTO FROM THE RANNEY SCHOOL
ARCHIVES CIRCA 1964.
LOOK BACK IN TIME
Ranney School
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit # 13
Tinton Falls, NJ
07724
Ranney School
235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
www.ranneyschool.org

Ranney Lifers Take Philadelphia

Transcription

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