A Busy But Exciting Fall

You’ve heard by now that Ramsey School District will hold a bond referendum Tuesday, Dec. 11 to seek voter permission for a range of improvements. Between now and then, there are other important dates that will help voters learn about the projects that would improve our schools with safety, modernization and efficiency. Click headline for more detail.

8th Grade World Challenge - American Southwest Experience

The Eric S. Smith Middle School trip to the American Southwest was a success! A group of ten students, along with staff member Fran Kahn and myself, piloted the first World Challenge trip for graduated 8th graders. For ten days, the group hiked and camped in National Parks in southern Utah and northern Arizona. Challengers held leadership roles and were responsible for implementing the plan for the day. Click headline for more detail.

K-5 Literacy Parent Academy

On Thursday, October 25 the district hosted its latest Parent Academy on ways to support K-5 literacy at home with literacy consultant and author Dr. Gravity Goldberg. Dr. Goldberg and her team have been working with the Ramsey School District over the past five years to foster a love of reading, writing, and thinking deeply about the world in our students. Her team has had a huge impact on how our educators view reading and writing instruction, and this night served as a great way to reinforce the importance of making reading and writing a part of our daily lives. Click headline for more detail.

State OKs referendum with more than $10M in state aid

At long last, we have documentation from the state’s Department of Education that verifies the school district’s plan to pursue bond funding to make building and safety improvements. Following the state approval, the Ramsey Board of Education voted on October 16 to put the proposal on the Dec. 11 ballot for voter consideration. Click headline for more detail.

Youth Mental Health First Aid Training Course - January 12, 2019

In cooperation with the Ramsey Municipal Alliance we are proud to present another unique opportunity to Ramsey. “Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers, and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Click headline for more detail.

Curriculum Related Parent Academies

This year the District is offering two Parent Academies focused on curriculum. The first was held on Thursday, October 11 at Smith School. The focus of this night was the Connected Mathematics program, which is being implemented in Grade 6 and 7 this year. Click headline for more detail.

More Funding for Schools, But Only Some of Them

The news has been flooded with feel-good reports about the State of New Jersey’s supposed boost in funding for schools. On the whole, it sounds like great news. Dig into the details, though, and the truth comes out: More money isn’t as much a reality as more money for some. And the boost for some was made possible by a ding for others. The short version is: Ramsey was awarded a slight increase in state funding in early spring, but saw no additional benefit when new Governor Phil Murphy kicked off summer with a much-touted announcement about even more school funding. Click headline for more detail.

Referendum Update - #InvestInRamsey

Bond Proposal Shifts Second Question to 2019 In addition to hiring staff, deep-cleaning buildings, and planning curriculum, the leadership of the Ramsey School District spent summer months fine-tuning the bond proposal that voters will consider on December 11. Click headline for more detail.

Profile of a Ramsey Graduate

At the June 26th Board of Education meeting, I made a presentation to the Board of Education about the Profile of a Ramsey Graduate. Later in the meeting they officially adopted the Profile of a Ramsey Graduate through a formal resolution. You can see the Profile of a Ramsey Graduate below and here is a link to a PDF version with definitions of each competency. Click headline for more detail.

A Student's Perspective on World Challenge Trip to Bolivia

Please enjoy Abby Greenberg, a Ramsey High School student's perspective on her World Challenge trip to Bolivia this past summer. Click headline for more detail.

Standardized Testing

As required by the New Jersey Department of Education, the results of the statewide standardized assessments were reported to the Board of Education at the meeting held on Monday, September 24. Individual Student Reports for the Spring 2018 PARCC are being mailed home from each district school on Friday, September 28. Click headline for more detail.

Safety and Security Update

The safety and security of our students and staff continues to be one of our top priorities. While we can’t disclose all the details for security reasons, there are significant safety and security upgrades that we would like to share with you. Click headline for more detail.

The Ramsey School District is a Common Sense District

The Ramsey School District has just been approved as a Common Sense District, an honor that recognizes our efforts in teaching digital citizenship to young people and engaging the entire community in this important discussion and supporting educators using technology for learning. The recognition acknowledges our district's’ commitment creating a culture of digital learning and citizenship...Click headline for more detail.

Stomping Out the Stigma - A Teacher's Perspective

The effects of mental illness are felt by so many adults and children, no matter where they may live or what they may do. As a teacher, there have been times when the effects of mental illness march right into the classroom. Over the years, some of my students have been able to articulate their thoughts about how this disease affects them, while other students have not been able to express their feelings with the same exactness. In any of those cases, the need for encouragement, love, and support have always been necessary. Click headline for more detail.