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RTNJ NEWS 1

Randolph Township Schools Newsletter May 31, 2017

Upcoming Events:

June 1: NJ Biology

Competency Test

June 3: SAT Test-

ing

RHS Ramden

Dreams Perfor-

mance

June 5: RHS Op-

tion II Showcase

RHS Honors Music

Recital

June 8: RMS

Rockapalooza

RHS Senior Prom

June 9: RMS 8th

Grade Orientation

June 12: Center

Grove Fun Day

Board of Educa-

tion FFT Commit-

tee Meeting

June 15: Ran-

dolph Rock Stars

June 16: Pre-

school Graduation

June 17: REF 5K

June 20: RMS 8th

Grade Graduation

Board of Educa-

tion Business

Meeting

June 21: Last Day

of School/Early

Dismissal

RHS Graduation

Randolph Board of Education Recognizes Retirees

The Randolph Board of Education honored 23 teachers and other staff members

who retired over the past year at its April Board of Education meeting.

Board President Al Matos, Superintendent Jennifer A. Fano and several board

members thanked staff for their years of dedication and hard work. Each retiring

staff member was presented with a certificate and then staff, board members

and the public enjoyed cupcakes.

(Board of Education President Al Matos offers retiring preschool teacher Ann Marie Contino a cupcake

at the celebration, below left, and Board of

Education members and Superintendent Fano

congratulate retiring staff, right.)

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RHS Track Relay Champs

The Randolph High School Boys and Girls Track Teams had a successful day at the Morris County Relays earlier this month making school history as the girls won all four jumps.

Then on May 16, Randolph swept the Morris County Championships taking home both team titles. Go RAMS!

(Pictured right, the Randolph High School Boys and Girls track teams celebrate following the Morris County Relays.)

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MAYO Center Music Students of the Month

The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown has

recognized three Randolph musicians as Music Students of

the Month in May.

Two Randolph students have been recognized as outstanding

band members and one student as an outstanding percus-

sionist.

Randolph High School junior Michael DeMelfi, a tuba and

sousaphone player, and Randolph Middle School eighth grade

trumpet player Paul Recchia were honored as outstanding

band members while RMS eighth grade percussionist Spen-

cer Gaffney was honored as an outstanding percussionist.

(Paul Recchia is pictured above right, Spencer Gaffney below

left and Michael DeMelfi and Randolph High School Director of Bands Dawn Russo are pictured below right.)

Center Grove Second Grade Kindness Tour

Center Grove second graders spent May 5 spreading kindness around Randolph as part of their annual Kindness Tour. Students

boarded school buses to visit the Eleventh Hour Rescue to drop off items collected for the organization, stopped at the Randolph

Post Office to mail letters to those in service and visited Sunrise Senior Living in Randolph to sing songs and bring seedlings to help

seniors start their vegetable garden.

Seniors gathered in the downstairs community area as students passed out flowers made of tissue paper and then sang songs in-

cluding “Yankee Doodle Dandy” which some of the seniors sang too. (Pictured below left, second grader Siyona Mehta gives a

flower to Sunrise resident Anna Nilsen during the tour. Below right, second graders sing and wave American flags.)

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Many Randolph staff brought children to work on Take Your Child to Work Day on April 27. Children en-

joyed special activities and spent time with students and their parents. (Top left, RHS students Lauren

Madalian and Staci Muha do an art project with Brielle Holland in the commons. Top right, learning con-

sultant Megan Wechsler enjoys culinary fun at RMS with daughter Kaitlyn. Above left, children of Center

Grove staff pose for a group photo outside the school. Above right, Fernbrook teacher Sara Foulkes

watches as little brother Jeremiah plays with Fernbrook third grader Mehul Makhija in a special Mak-

erspace activity in the library.)

Scenes from Take Your Child to Work Day!

Junior Prom

Juniors danced the night away at the Skylands. They enjoyed appe-

tizers, soft drinks, dinner and dessert and spent time with friends,

creating lasting memories. (Above left, Alicen Krauze and date senior Matt

Siegel arrive at the Skylands. Above right, Stephen Zenes and Miriam Ozkaya enjoy

soft drinks and right, Douglas Smith, Jillian Zelley and Theresa Hamilton socialize at

the big event.)

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Randolph Named Best Community for Music Education

The NAMM Foundation, the National Association of Music Merchants, has named Randolph Township Schools as a Best Communities for Music Education winner for its out-standing commitment to music education for the 10th year in a row.

Randolph is one of 4 percent of districts across the nation which received this prestigious award in 2017. The Best Communities Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in ef-forts to provide music access and education to all students. “We are very proud of our long-standing reputation as being one of the most respected and strongest music programs in the state,” said Frank Perrone, Randolph’s Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts. “Receiving this designation for the 10th year continues to show the dedication our district and community has in providing our students with the best musical experience. Our music teachers continue to pro-vide our students with a top notch music education and we are grateful for their commitment to our music depart-ment.”

Register for Randolph Community

School Programs

The Community School is accepting registration for its

summer camps for children entering grades K-8 in the

fall: Camp Discovery for grades 5-8; Camp Summer

Stars for grades 2-5 and Camp Summer Kids for grades

K-1. Registration is also open for Summer Strings Piano

& Guitar offered at Randolph High School and the Sum-

mer SAT prep course on Monday and Wednesday eve-

nings at Randolph High School.

Families may also register for summer half-day Young Rembrandts drawing workshops, half-

day Super Science workshops, NEW half-day Black Rocket digital arts and creative sciences

programs and a NEW Summer Gardening Camp.

The Community School offers a new convenient online registration program. Please register at

https://register.capturepoint.com/RandolphCommunitySchool. For information, call (973) 361-

0808 ext. 8603 or visit rtnj.org and click on the Community School channel bar.

Childcare registration for the 2017-18 school year begins July 1!

RMS PTO Donates Technology Items to Improve Makerspace

The Randolph Middle School PTO has donated four robot building kits, a robotics workbench, a full game object and field element and competition field tile kit to enhance the makerspace area at RMS.

RMS Principal Dennis Copeland, thanked the PTO. “We define a makerspace as a place where students can gather to design, create, invent, and explore using a variety of tools and materials,” he said. "Our vision for our makerspace is to create a safe environment where students can begin to utilize and enhance 21st century technological skills. By providing our students with the necessary technology, we believe that our makerspace can become a positive place

for our students to meet to create, invent, and explore new ideas. In the future, we hope to continue to expand our vision and develop a productive and educational setting for our tal-ented students at RMS to continue to excel."

RMS PTO President Jennifer DeMelfi said the PTO made the do-nation to support Dr. Copeland’s vision. “The RMS PTO wanted to donate technology items that would improve the makerspac-es, help continue the development of our students’ design and creativity skills as well as ensure that students, both in class and in after school clubs, would benefit from this donation go-ing forward.”

(Pictured left, Dr. Copeland, students Jonny Sands, Sean Wohnsigl and Chris Keaney, Dr. Ned Sheehy and PTO President Jennifer DeMelfi.)

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Center Grove Lenape Museum

Center Grove third grade parents were invited to see all of the projects created by Center Grove stu-dents in a special museum showcasing their study of the Lenape Indians. Students created everything from model wigwams to dreamcatchers to model bows and arrows. Students in grades kindergarten through second grade visited the museum, which was located in the third grade classrooms. (Left, Center Grove third grader Simon Clement dis-plays the wigwam he built for the Lenape Museum.)

Shongum Learning Showcase

Shongum School families attended a special

learning showcase at the school on May 10 to in-

troduce parents to kindergarten through fifth

grade learning.

The event featured displays of projects created

by students including problem based learning,

genius hour and makerspace projects. Families

learned to program robots, walked up musical

stairs and constructed a masterpiece on a Lego

wall.

(Pictured above left, Mrs. Boucher demonstrates how to use the

pottery wheel. Above, students create music using everything from

drums to bundt cake pans.)

RMS Trout Release Day!

As part of their study of freshwater conservation, Randolph Mid-

dle School students in Mrs. Cara Gilligan’s eighth grade science

classes raised trout from eggs in their classroom. After the trout

hatched and grew to a certain size, the class, with the help of

Trout Unlimited Volunteers (pictured below with students) re-

leased the trout in the Rockaway River. The project was funded by

a grant from the Randolph Education Foundation.

Randolph Rock Stars & 5K

Registration is now open for the Randolph Rock Stars event on Thursday,

June 15 from 7-9:30 p.m. The evening will feature dinner by the Randolph

Diner, live music and a necklace raffle. Tickets are $35 or $260 for a table

of eight. To register, visit RandolphEducationFoundation.org. The founda-

tion is also accepting registrations for its annual 5K on Saturday, June 17.

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RHS Students Selected for All-State

Randolph High School juniors Laura Nolan and Regina

McElroy have been selected to participate in the New

Jersey All-State Choir. Laura will be part of the Treble

Chorus, which performs at the NJMEA Conference in

February, 2018. Regina will participate in the Mixed

Chorus in November at the NJEA Convention. The stu-

dents (who are pictured left) competed against

1,200 vocalists for these prestigious ensembles.

Ironia Pretty in Paint

About 100 Ironia mothers and daughters

spent at evening at Ironia Elementary School

creating a Japanese screen art project to-

gether. The project was organized by Ms.

Tyroler. (Left, mom Colleen Silvestri with daugh-

ters Ashley and Jacqueline and below, Christine

Sullivan with daughters Maggie and Kate.)

Tomorrow’s Leaders Raise Money

for Homeless Solutions

Students participating in the Randolph High School Tomorrow’s Leaders program, all current seniors, raised almost $2,500 through a Service Learning Pro-ject to raise awareness and funds for Homeless Solu-tions, a local charity benefitting local community members in need. (Tomorrow’s Leaders are pictured below left to right: Jake Barbiere, Matt Krinick, Robby LaPenna, Austin Naravane, Sebastian Ross, Emilio In-chappa and Jack Zimmerman.)

Mass Media Field Trip

Students in the Randolph High School mass media and TV production programs enjoyed a recent field trip to the MLB Network. (Students are pictured at the MLB Network below with Mr. Galembo, right and Mr. Finning, back left.)

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Preschool Muffins for Moms

Center Grove Preschoolers invited their moms to a spe-cial Mother's Day celebration called "Muffins for Moms" on May 12. Moms enjoyed breakfast with their children and played games with them. (Pictured below Mom Ramya Devi plays a matching game with her children Aditi and Adhirit Devi. Pictured below right, Mom MaryAnn Glinbizzi, and her twins Joseph and Michael, enjoy breakfast with teacher Anne Marie Contino and aide Laura Assante.)

Elementary Musicians Selected for String Festival

Twenty Randolph elementary school students were selected for the North Jersey Region 1 Strings Festival and performed with the most talented elementary string musicians in the northern part of the state on May 13 at South Orange Middle School. The students participated in three different level orchestras. Shongum and Fernbrook Orchestra Director Kim Chiesa con-ducted one of the groups called Capriccio Strings. Shongum students selected are pictured with Kim Chiesa, left to right, Brady Cox, Maria LaPietra, Rena Zeiger, Isabella Crosson, Made-lyn Pasuit and Kavin Chandrasenat. Not pictured, Brandan Angi-lello. Ironia Orchestra Director Ruzanna Akopjan with Ironia students, pictured, below right, left to right Pauline Youm, Avery Jacobsen and Julianna Pozzi. Center Grove Orchesta Di-rector Ruzanna Akopjan is pictured with Center Grove strings students below right, pictured left to right, Melanie Park, Lizzy Morgievich, Julian Grant and Layla Barjesteh. Fernbrook stu-dents are pictured below with Kim Chiesa, left to right Lily Uribe, Julianna Vailakis, Anika Akshantala, Patricio Santoyo and Rachel Mathai.

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Shongum Students Learn About Holocaust

Holocaust survivor Edith Farber visited Shongum

School to speak to fifth grade students about her ex-

perience growing up in Czechoslovakia during a diffi-

cult time. She spoke about wearing a yellow star and

how her father, a shoemaker, had his business taken

away. Mrs. Farber also spoke about moving to the

Jewish ghetto and how the Nazis took their money

and valuables. She said she and several family mem-

bers were moved to a concentration camp where she

worked in a crematorium.

(Teacher Bobbi Sobel holds the microphone for Holocaust

survivor Edith Farber as she speaks to students.)

RHS Dancers Perform

Randolph High School dancers traveled to the senior citi-

zen center to perform for senior citizens. (pictured

above) The dancers also performed at their annual show-

case event. (pictured below)

Staff Appreciation

The Parent Teacher Organizations at each school

honored teachers in May with special celebrations

including breakfasts, lunches, desserts and other

special events. (Two special RMS staff tributes

are pictured below.)

Elementary Ed Camp

Elementary teachers from Center Grove, Fernbrook, Ironia

and Shongum schools enjoyed a special ED Camp program

on May 15 at Center Grove. The teachers attended many

programs ranging from “Makerspace and the Curriculum” to

“Bridging the Gap Between 5th and 6th Grade

Math.” (Teachers enjoy the Ed Camp above, left to right,

Shongum teacher Kathleen Binazeski, Allison Madlinger of

Center Grove and Lisa Holmes of Shongum.)

Student-Centered Learning

Congratulations to our newest cohort of learner-active,

technology-infused classroom teachers across our elemen-

tary schools (pictured below).

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Scenes from Randolph High School Art Shows (Underclassmen art show is pictured above and Senior art show is pictured below.)