RAMS “e” NEWS - Ramsey School District

RAMS “e” NEWS
June 2012
From the Superintendent of Schools – June 2012
Dr. Roy Montesano, Superintendent
As the 2011-12 school year comes to a close, I would like to once again thank the Ramsey and Saddle River communities for
their continued support of our schools. The end of this school year is particularly bittersweet for me. As many of you know, I
have decided to retire from New Jersey public education after 32 wonderful years, all in Bergen County. For the past 6 ½
years, I have served as the Superintendent of the Ramsey School District. My time here has been among the most rewarding
and professionally fulfilling years I have spent in education. Ramsey truly is a wonderful place to live and work and it will
forever have a special place in my heart. When people ask what makes the Ramsey schools so great, I always respond that
it’s the people that make it special. Beginning with a caring and talented staff and moving on to terrific students and
supportive parents, I want to thank one and all for all you do. My appreciation also goes out to those parents and other
community members, who volunteer in our schools, attend our athletic, musical and dramatic events, and support us in so
many different ways. We would not be able to accomplish what we do without your help. Finally, special thanks to the
officers and members of the formal parent and community organizations that work so closely with us throughout the year.
Our five school-based parent organizations, the Athletic Association, the Band and Color Guard Parents Association, and the
Ramsey Public Education Foundation work hard to support our efforts and enrich the lives of our students. We know you
share with us our pride in continuing the tradition of excellence that has been the hallmark of the Ramsey School District.
This year has seen many challenges and changes in our schools, yet through it all, our students continue to make us proud.
On Friday, June 22 nd we will celebrate the graduation of the Ramsey class of 2012. Our heartfelt congratulations to all our
seniors! They have been a class that has established themselves academically, athletically, as well as through their talents as
artists, musicians, and actors. Our students garnered state and national recognition in academic competitions and collectively
were accepted into some of the most competitive colleges and universities. In the co-curricular arena, our student-athletes
met with tremendous success, earning state championships and numerous league, county, and state titles. Our musical
performing groups once again earned state and regional recognition for their outstanding performances. Over 90% of our
senior class will be continuing their education. We wish all our students the best as they continue their journey. May they
always take a bit of Ramsey with them wherever they go.
It is with great pride and a little sadness that we say farewell and good luck to a number of long time staff members that have
served the students and community so well. Our list of retirees this year include Mr. Richard Lio, Ramsey High School
Principal, 32 years; Mr. Anthony Kemps, Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, 38 years; Mr. Michael Gratale,
Principal Dater School, 37 years; Dr. Susan Morton, Principal Tisdale School, 18 years; Dr. Matthew Certo, Vice Principal,
Ramsey High School, 9 years; Mrs. Pam Daniels, Supervisor, World Language Department 11 years; Mrs. Maryann
Peterfriend, Ramsey High School Teacher, 30 years; Mrs. Marie McGovern, Smith School Teacher, 13 years; Mrs. Robin
Moroski, ESL Teacher, Tisdale/Hubbard Schools, 26 years; Mrs. Audrey Ruhlmann, Speech Language Specialist,
HS/Hubbard Schools, 11 years; Mrs. Elaine Piotrowski, High School Clerical Asst., 22 years. Hats off, thank you and best
wishes for a restful and productive retirement. There is no doubt we will miss these staff members who gave so much of
themselves.
As we look forward to next year, we welcome new people to lead the Ramsey Schools. Among them are Dr. Michael Thumm,
Ramsey High School Principal; Mrs. Stacie Poelstra, Smith Middle School Principal; Mr. Andrew Matteo, Dater School
Principal; and Mrs. Gina Aliano, Tisdale School Principal. A very special welcome back is in order for Mr. Bruce DeYoung
who will be returning in the role of Interim Superintendent, a position he filled for 14 years prior to his retirement in 2005.
In closing, I want to thank you all once again for allowing me to serve as Superintendent. I wish you all a very pleasant
summer. I hope that you find time to relax, travel, and visit with family and friends. We never truly say “good bye” but only
farewell, until we meet again.
Roy R. Montesano, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

From Ramsey High School, Mr. Richard Lio, Principal - June 2012
It will be a relaxing summer for seniors Dan
Zaloom and Chris Keosayian of George
Chrisafis’ Independent Study Woodworking
Class. Read how the class inspired the two
seniors to design and manufacture a double
Adirondack chair!
Their essays on this project can be found on the
web under the Latest News tab.
The Adirondack chair was first designed by Thomas
Lee in 1903 at Stony Sides, a large summer home
in Westport, New York to accommodate a shortage
of patio furniture for his 22 member family and so
Lee could find some relaxation.
The baton is passed on this month at Ramsey High School
when Mr. Richard Lio, principal for the past five years
retires and Dr. Michael Thumm, current Director of
Guidance, transitions into his role. Mr. Lio plans on
continuing to play a role supporting our community through
his involvement with Relay for Life in May 2013.
Concurrently, Dr. Richard Wiener, principal of Smith
School for the past 21 years, has accepted a position as
Ramsey’s Director of Curriculum paving the path for Mrs.
Stacie Poelstra, current Supervisor of Social Studies, to
take his place.
Congratulations
Class of 2012
Gala Walk-through
Thursday June 21 st
4:00-5:30
Graduation
Ceremony at 6:30

Ramsey High School continued
Lauren Webb, Valedictorian
co-Salutatorians Nicholas Cicciari and Matthew Long
All three students are President’s
Education Award recipients, three time
recipients of the Scholastic “R” Award,
National Honor Society, and World
Language Honor Society members.
Nicholas Cicciari, Lauren Webb, Matthew Long
Lauren has involved herself fully during her
four years at Ramsey High School through
participation in various extra-curricular and
co-curricular activities including: Art Club,
S.T.A.N.D. (Students Take Action Now-
Darfur), Student Outreach Service, Interact
Club, Math League, Leadership Camp, and
the Enrichment Program, as well as being a
member of the tennis team all four years.
Webb was named a National Merit
Commended Scholar in 2012.
Nicholas has participated in Math League, Mock Trial, Leadership Camp and is a staff member of the
Ram, the student newspaper, as well as a member of the Big Blue Marching Band, Concert Band, and
Jazz Band.
Matthew has been a class officer all four years, a yearbook staff member, participated in the
Enrichment Program, Math League, Mock Trial, Leadership Camp, Student Outreach Service, and has
been a member of the spring track team all four years.
Congratulations to The Record’s 2012
Softball Player of the Year, Lexi
KniefCh
Who wound up the season with 50
RBIs and a .562 batting average.
Link to interview

Ramsey High School continued
Chinese Summer Program
Ramsey High School students, Jacqueline
Loughran, Thomas McCabe, and Joely Alt, will
attend the 2012 CIRU Chinese Bridge Summer
Camp in China. This program is designed to
promote communication between Chinese and
American young people, deepen the understanding
of Chinese language and culture among U.S. high
school students, and stimulate their enthusiasm for
learning Chinese. Twenty New Jersey high school
students are selected each year for this tuition-free
program. They will travel to Beijing and other cities in
China from July 14 th to July 29 th .
China Institute STARTALK
Ramsey High School sophomore, Matthew Bonan, has been
admitted to the 2012 China Institute STARTALK Summer
Language Academy. Each year, 30 New York metro-area high
school students are selected to attend this six-week Chinese
language summer academy in New York City.
2nd annual Car
Show
On Saturday,
May 18 th , the
Ramsey High
School Auto Technology Program sponsored the
2nd Annual RHS Car Show. The event provides
students, under the direction of instructor Matt Eodice,
the opportunity to plan and orchestrate the show along
with learning to appreciate the technological evolution
of the automobile.
Over 40 owners brought their vehicles ranging from an antique fire truck to a Lamborghini and Ferrari
to the show for both display and discussion purposes. Car owners were willing and excited to explain
the history, restoration, and technology that was or is "state of the art" relative to their vehicles.
Special thanks go to the Crowley and Englishman Families for their
assistance and support in making the show an extremely successful and
enjoyable experience for students and the Ramsey Community.

From Eric S. Smith School , Dr. Richard Wiener, Principal – June
Award-winning author, Jordan Sonnenblick, visited Smith Middle School on March 21. He is the author of
seven books for children and young adults that include
Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie and After Ever After. The
book After Ever After earned him the Schneider Family Book
Award. The award honors “an author or illustrator for a book
that embodies
an artistic
expression of
the disability
experience for
child and
adolescent
audiences.”
Sonnenblick is
a graduate of Stuyvesant High School, where he studied creative
writing with Frank McCourt. This proved to be a life-changing
experience. He then went on to study at the University of
Pennsylvania where he majored in English. Beyond college, he taught through Teach for America and after
working with 5th graders in Houston, Texas he moved to New Jersey where he taught eighth grade English
classes. In 2002- 2003, as he unsuccessfully looked for a book to help a student cope with a sibling’s illness,
life changed yet again…he wrote Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie.
The sixth and seventh grade students participated in large group presentations and a smaller group of eighth
graders participated in a writer’s workshop in the library with the author. Book Club students and Battle of the
Books Team members had lunch with the author. We are grateful for the support of the PTO as we continue to
provide terrific authors for our budding writers.
2012 Annual Eighth Grade Convocation
Approximately 80 students from the towns of Allendale, Ramsey, Upper Saddle River, and Saddle River took
part in an inter-district Convocation at Ramapo College, New Jersey on Thursday, March 22 and Friday, March
23. The Convocation was coordinated by KPMG, Ramapo College and school based coordinators from each
of the schools. Mrs. Suzanne Wilson, the Smith School Enrichment teacher, helped to organize and run the
event.
The students were placed in collaborative cross-district teams and developed strategies to pitch a new game
show idea to a panel of hypothetical ABC judges. The title of this year’s Convocation was Deal or No Deal. The
students attended workshops with a variety of expert guest speakers. The students learned about incorporating
marketing ploys, Internet-based communication, prototype design, advertising, presentation strategies, and
stage performance development.
Mr. Truppi, the technology education cycle teacher at Smith School, was one of the presenters. The student
groups made their presentations to a panel of judges, and were given feedback and ratings on whether their
group’s game show pitch would, in fact, be the next best hit on primetime television. In this two-day problembased
learning activity, the students worked collaboratively, using “21 st century skills,” to produce a marketing
proposal in an authentic performance situation. The students learned a lot, were tremendously creative, and
received excellent feedback as the presentations were made at the conclusion of the event.

Eric Smith School continued
Students Join Forces to Help Two Local Organizations in Need
Charity Challenge Ends in Victory
Smith School would like to thank the students, staff, parents, and community for joining forces in support of two
organizations, UNICEF and the Ramsey division of Relay for Life- American Cancer Society, as part of Smith
School’s annual Charity Challenge community service event.
Charity Challenge was held on May 11, to help raise awareness for those in need. Sixth grader, Nakul
Chadha, made a moving presentation to the student body the morning of Charity Challenge on behalf
of UNICEF. Ramsey High School students Caitlin Walters and Sara Wheaton, spoke to the Smith School
students about the history of Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society.
During the afternoon, the students competed in a variety of field activities and contests, representing the two
charities. At the closing assembly, the Gold Team was named this year’s Charity Challenge champion. The
students and staff had a fantastic time, while helping many people in need. Smith School raised $4,130.00,
which was donated to UNICEF and Relay for Life.
Special thanks to the Smith School PTO for a wonderful Teacher Appreciation
Luncheon!
Best of luck to Dr. Wiener, who will be moving on from Smith School and
becoming the district’s new Curriculum Director.
A very special welcome to Mrs. Stacie Poelstra, former teacher and supervisor
of the Social Studies Department at Ramsey High School, who will be Smith’s
new principal.

Eric Smith School continued
Eighth Grade Students Tour Washington D.C.
Students See the Sights of Our Nation’s Capital
The 2012 eighth grade class spent three days touring the
historic landmarks of Washington D.C. On the first day of
the field trip, the students walked through the Arlington
National Cemetery, paying tribute at the gravestone of
one of Ramsey’s own, Michael Jankiewicz, who
perished in the Afghanistan War in 2010. Students also
witnessed the Changing of the Guard Ceremony at the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers.
Other exciting highlights that occurred on the tour of
Washington D.C. were the Kennedy Center, where the
students attended the performance, Shear Madness, a
tour of the Capital building, the Newseum, the Vietnam
and Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorials, among many
other sites. One of the most memorable and impactful
experiences was the visit to the Holocaust Museum. The
students studied the Holocaust in depth in their World
Cultures and English classes in preparation for their visit to
the Museum.

Eric Smith School continued
Students and Staff Represent Smith School at Relay for Life
Students and Staff Walk for a Cure
Smith School was proud to join the Relay for Life, hosted May 11, at Ramsey
High School. Over 135 middle school students participated. Smith School
students, staff, and community helped to raise money over the course of May in
support of Relay for Life. Many thanks to those who organized this fantastic
opportunity to support survivors, celebrate loved ones, and donate towards cancer
research and the road to recovery. Click here to learn more about the Relay for Life event.
From Dater School, Mr. James Campbell, Principal – June
Volcanos!
Fourth graders at Dater School have been studying different ways the Earth’s surface is formed. Volcanoes
make up one type of the Earth’s surface. Students have created volcanoes out of plastic bottles and cups,
homemade dough, and paint. Once the volcanoes hardened, the students were able to make them erupt by
using vinegar, baking soda, dish soap and water. Everyone was able to see how a volcano continue to increase
in size from the hardened
Dater says thank you
and farewell to Mr.
Campbell and
welcomes the arrival of
Principal Andrew
Matteo

Band Concert
The Dater 5 th Grade Band played their final concert on
May 22nd. The 120 member ensemble played
Raiders March, Cardiff Castle, Spiderman Theme,
When the Saints Go Marching In, In the Wake of
Spring, First Year Blues and America the Beautiful.
They also threw in some fun rock songs including Iron
man, Smoke On The Water, The Waffle Song, We Will
Rock You, California Girls and The Fight Song.
It’s not too late for the incoming 5 th graders to sign
up for this exciting group. Just send Mr. J an email
at ejacobsen@ramsey.k12.nj.us

Dater School continued
On June 1 st , the 5 th graders at Dater School participated in Roman Day. Dressed in togas,
The students performed traditional plays, competed in Roman games, and feasted on all kinds of Roman
food such as grapes, cheese, and Fig Newtons! The day concluded by watching and cheering on a
chariot race. Through this annual activity, the 5 th graders learned about the everyday lives of the ancient
Romans
Ramsey Alive recently went Out and About as part of their last episode of the year. For the third
year in a row, Officer Timothy Shoemaker took participants from Mr. Ramsden’s class on a
tour of the police station. He answered questions and showed them what is involved in the daily
activities of the Ramsey Police Station. As a great surprise, we were able to spend a few
minutes with Police Chief Gurney, who answered questions from some of the fifth graders in
attendance. Mr. Quinlan and Mr. Ramsden would like to thank Officer Shoemaker and Chief
Gurney for a wonderful afternoon.
The fourth graders at Dater School are learning about the solar system in science. During
the month of March, fourth grade classes visited the Northern Highlands Planetarium and
watched The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket.
In this film two children build a rocket from a cardboard box and plan to spend the night
learning about the Solar System. They are surprised when they blast off to space and are led
to each of the planets by a talking astronomy book. With each stop they learn facts about that
planet and are introduced to the wonders of the solar system.
The fourth grade classes celebrated their heritage by having an Ancestor Day on April
26 th . Ancestor Day has become an annual tradition at Dater for all fourth grade classes. The
students began their day by transforming their classrooms into museums, which displayed
artifacts and treasures representing their family heritage. Students were encouraged to bring
in items that reflect their family background, or a special family event. This activity
provided students an opportunity to share some of their own culture, and learn about the
experiences of some of their ancestors. With the whole day dedicated to this special event,
students and parents were encouraged to walk through their fellow classmates' rooms to learn
about the heritage of their peers. Many of the students’ families prepared traditional foods,
and sent them to school to be shared with all the children. There was a great variety of ethnic
foods to be sampled and enjoyed by everyone involved. The students also handed in recipes for
the foods that their family shared, so tasty treats could be replicated at home. Everyone had a
great day learning about the traditions and ancestry that makes us all unique!
See Photos on the following page of Ancestor Day

Dater School continued
Where did we originate from?
Ancestor Day at DATER

Dater School continued
5 th Grade IMAX Trip
On May 7 th , Dater School’s fifth grade took a trip to the IMAX Theatre at Palisades
Center. Students enjoyed viewing the movies Forces of Nature and Mysteries of Egypt as an
extension of their science and social studies curriculum. The fifth grade classes learned about
natural disasters that occur all over our world and how innovative scientists use technology to try and
predict these events. Students also learned about the secrets of Egypt, including the mystery of the
young king named King Tutankhamen and how his tomb was discovered. A fun time was had by all!

From Mary A. Hubbard School, Mrs. Molly Dinning, Principal – June
The Readiness Kindergarten class has had a very
exciting month of May. In the beginning of the month, the boys
were busy preparing some special gifts for our Moms for Mother’s
Day! The students have been continuing to learn with the Letter
People, and we have almost met them all! We recently met Mr. Q
and Ms. U, who are best friends! Throughout the month of
May, the students worked on a large story project. It began
with some of our students’ families coming in to share some of
our favorite stories with us. After that the boys broke into groups
and began creating their own stories together. After our writing
was completed, the final copies were typed on the computer and
final illustrations completed. As a science activity, Mrs. Crozet
and Mrs. Kelleher came to visit us and teach us about Alpacas their traits, habitats, and we made
beads out of their fur on the black top!
It has been a busy spring for Kindergarten.
We have watched our ladybugs hatch and
released them into the wild. We also prepared
for and hosted a wonderful Mother’s Day Tea. It
was so much fun spending the day with MOM!!!
The First Grade classes celebrated author’s
day by attending an assembly to meet and
greet Margie Palatini, author of Cheese, a new
favorite book in First Grade! It was fun to hear how
a published author gets her ideas for a story and
begins to write her book, just like we do in Writer’s
Workshop in class. Margie Palatini helped us to
see that our saying “I’m not done, I’ve just begun”
is true for real writers of every age. We learned
that it can take 2 to 3 years to get a book
published! In our classroom Writer’s Workshop,
we are using graphic organizers to help us
remember the details we want to include in our stories. Our first spring writing project started with
learning how to write a “how-to” book, such
as “How to Play Soccer” or “How to Make
Cupcakes”. This project gave the children a
chance to be the teacher as they explained
step-by-step how to complete an activity.
The second project the children have been
working on is an “All About” book with a
cover, table of contents, headings and
chapters. The children have chosen from
different topics, including “All About
Weather” (a great connection with our
science studies) or for some students, an
“All About Me” book. No matter the topic,
each book will be a gift that families can
keep and treasure!

Hubbard School Continued
The Second Graders had a blast visiting the Buehler Challenger Science Center! Each
class had the opportunity to study stars, constellations, and even Greek mythology in the
Star Lab. They conducted hands-on experiments to learn how astronauts use their five
senses to make observations. The students were able to filter water, just like real astronauts
do in space. They even used their new knowledge of acids and bases to create their own
rockets! Finally, the Second Graders were able to see what a space shuttle launch really is
like in the space station simulator. Everyone had a fantastic time!
Have a safe, fun
summer!

Hubbard School Continued
Ms. Glidear’s class loved planting in front of
Hubbard School for Earth Day! We spent the day
learning all about how we can help the earth. The third
graders promise to do their part in protecting the
environment. We’ve learned that every little bit counts
and that we can make a big difference in the world!

From Tisdale School, Mr. Larry Hughes, Interim Principal – June
Third graders in Mrs. Tabulov's class learned about biographies in library with Mrs. Miller. They used
their new skills to then complete a biography Book Project. Each student chose a biography that interested them
and then created a poster about what they learned. To culminate the study, each student "became" the person
they read about and gave a presentation about their life. Students even brought props and questioned the other
students.
Students in Miss Klein’s class at
Tisdale have been enjoying the
recent acquisition of an I-Pad 2.
The third grade students are
responsible for the collection of
weather data. Each class takes a
turn, and the information is displayed
on a weather bulletin board near
Tisdale’s Main Office. The students
learned to use the I-Pad to access
the Weather Channel app and
transfer the information to the bulletin
board. The students have also been
using the I-Pad to enhance their
study of math. Recent apps that the
students have been able to use
include Math Ninja, Math Evolve,
Geometry 4 Kids, and Rocket Math. These apps allow the students to practice and extend math concepts in an
engaging way. The class is looking forward to the addition of more apps as well as continuing to the
I-Pad for more 21 st century learning opportunities.
Bite into
Education!
.
The preschoolers in Miss Sullivan’s class learned the importance of water, sunlight, and soil for seeds and
plants while planting and observing their windowsill garden.

Tisdale School Continued
The first graders at Tisdale School worked cooperatively to learn about different habitats, (the Rainforest,
Desert, Underground, Ocean and Polar Regions). The children researched their habitats and wrote facts that
they learned on sentence strips. As a culminating activity, the students worked together to create a murals of
their habitats which are proudly displayed in the first grade hallway.
Tisdale School says
thank you and farewell
to Mr. Larry Hughes
and welcomes Mrs.
Gina Aliano as
principal
.

Ramsey Extended Care
Programs and Photos