JOHN Y. DATER SCHOOL

Our school safety drill was a tremendous success, and students did an outstanding job following procedures with maturity and focus. Staff members were exceptionally prepared and worked together seamlessly to ensure all students were transported efficiently from Dater to Smith in a timely manner. Thank you to the Ramsey Police Department for their partnership and support in helping make the drill run safely and smoothly, and for helping us strengthen our preparedness as a school community. 🦺🚔👏🏼

Students from 5Johnstone had an amazing day out in the sun last week on their field trip! One of the best parts of our field trip was exploring the stream as we searched for creatures to test the water quality and learn about our local ecosystem. What a fantastic way to connect with nature! 🐸☀️

Mrs. Lawley’s 5th grade lunch/recess club has been having a blast using the Chompsaw to design, build, and create together! Through hands-on creativity and problem solving, students are strengthening critical thinking skills, learning perseverance, and discovering new ways to turn ideas into reality. Teamwork has been a huge part of the experience as students collaborate, encourage one another, and combine their strengths to tackle exciting projects together.

5Modesto/Azouri had an amazing time at Field Day on Tuesday! We enjoyed all the activities and loved working together as a team. Some of our favorite events were the water balloon toss, capture the flag, and pickleball. It was such a fun and memorable day! ☀️😎

🏅 The Dater Olympics are officially underway! In just four short weeks, one homeroom will earn the crown of 2025–2026 Dater Olympics Champions, and today’s opening ceremony kicked off the excitement as we discussed sportsmanship, teamwork, and celebrating everyone’s unique strengths. 🎉🥇 The first competitive event, Dice Race 🎲, is already in the books, and several homerooms have jumped onto the scoreboard by earning gold, silver, and bronze medals in our very first challenge! Stay tuned for upcoming events!

Yesterday’s 5th Grade Field Day was full of sunshine, teamwork, and lots of laughs—especially during the water relays! Students showed great sportsmanship and energy throughout the day while making wonderful memories together, and we are so grateful to our parent volunteers for helping make the event run so smoothly. A huge thank you to Mr. C for organizing such a fantastic day and to DJs Mr. Quinlan and Ben for keeping the fun going all day long!

🇺🇸 Ramsey School District honors the brave individuals who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. We reflect on their courage, their dedication, and the legacies they left behind.

Wishing our community a day of peaceful reflection and gratitude. 💙

📢Calling all Dater Families!! Next week, snap a photo 📸 of your family participating in One School, One Book, and be entered to win a prize! You can email the photo to Mrs. Lawley at slawley@ramsey.k12.nj.us. You will win a card game (Dump the Skunk) 🦨 for a future family fun night! We hope you're enjoying A Boy Called BAT!📚

Looking for a cool beverage on a hot day? We have you covered! Ms. Doherty's 5th grade GATE students deliver drinks using semi-autonomous robots they built from scratch! 🤖🦾

It's time to clean out Dater's Lost and Found! Anything left after June 8th will be donated, so please claim your things before then.

We were thrilled to have a grandparent join us to share Picturing America with us! The painting by Childe Hassam: Allies Day, May 1917 helped us understand more about art AND history! Thank you!

Our One School One Book journey is bringing students, peers, and families together through communication and shared ideas! 4Horton loved reading *A Boy Called Bat* and sharing meaningful conversations along the way. ❤️📖

Crunching through Geometry one chip at a time! This week O'Hern's crew used Doritos to classify triangles...because learning is way more fun when it's a little cheesy!

Good things come in small packages! Our hydroponic gardens have produced fairytale eggplants! Dater students have enjoyed watching unique plants grow all year!

5Gesualdo/Thomson is investigating the effects of gravity and air resistance!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful mothers, grandmothers, and maternal figures in our Ramsey School District community! 💐

Thank you for all that you do to help our Rams shine! 🐏 💙

Thank you to our amazing PTO for making Teacher Appreciation Week so special! From breakfast and Starbucks coffee to DIY ice cream sundaes, lunch, and a candy bar, we were truly spoiled all week long. We are so grateful for all of the time, generosity, and thoughtfulness that went into making us feel celebrated. Our hearts are so full… and so are our bellies! 💙💛🍎☕🍦🍬

5Modesto/Azouri students took a deep dive into responsible decision making during their LEAD lesson. Through a "go fish" style game, they practiced weighing their options and choosing the best path forward!

What an amazing time Dater students and staff had yesterday with author Lauren Tarshis! She inspired our students with powerful lessons about perseverance, hard work, and never giving up on yourself. As an extra special treat, she even read us the first chapter of her brand-new novel coming out this September! 📚✨ A huge thank you to Lauren Tarshis, Mrs. Lawley, and our amazing PTO for making this unforgettable experience possible for our students!

🚨 Attention RSD Families: The 2026 Family Survey is now LIVE!!

To ensure we remain on target to achieve the goals of "Roadmap to 2029" and further enhance our schools, we encourage you to participate in our annual survey, which is now accessible through May 15th.

💌 It only takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Check email to get started!