Volume 5—Winter 2008 The Alumni Magazine of Ranney School

Ranney Lifers Take Philadelphia

Table of Contents

From Head of School 2

Lifelong Learners at Ranney SchoolTeacher 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 Milestonesin 2007 14

Faculty Award Winners 16

Athletics 18

Distinguished Lifersat 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

1C O L U M N S

Volume 5—Winter 2008

The Alumni Magazine of Ranney School

PublisherLawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.

Managing EditorKristin Geisler

Contributing WritersKathleen DeekenKristin GeislerEmily LeonardCarol MartinTracy MutchigaLawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.

Contributing PhotographersLawrence Sykoff Ed.D. (cover)Nick KelshMike McLaughlinJoe SharpJenifer RutherfordGary GellmanDavid VickeryDan MollerKristin Geisler

Photo EditorDan Moller

Creative ConsultantHeather Rudisi

Special ThanksMelanie Litzinger

Columns is published annually for thealumni, parents and friends of RanneySchool by the Ranney School Publications Office.

4

38

22

24

18

20

Pictured on Cover: Ranney Lifers 2008(see their profiles on page 24)

Table of Contents

From Head of School 2

Lifelong Learners at Ranney SchoolTeacher 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 Milestonesin 2007 14

Faculty Award Winners 16

Athletics 18

Distinguished Lifersat 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

1C O L U M N S

Volume 5—Winter 2008

The Alumni Magazine of Ranney School

PublisherLawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.

Managing EditorKristin Geisler

Contributing WritersKathleen DeekenKristin GeislerEmily LeonardCarol MartinTracy MutchigaLawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.

Contributing PhotographersLawrence Sykoff Ed.D. (cover)Nick KelshMike McLaughlinJoe SharpJenifer RutherfordGary GellmanDavid VickeryDan MollerKristin Geisler

Photo EditorDan Moller

Creative ConsultantHeather Rudisi

Special ThanksMelanie Litzinger

Columns is published annually for thealumni, parents and friends of RanneySchool by the Ranney School Publications Office.

4

38

22

24

18

20

Pictured on Cover: Ranney Lifers 2008(see their profiles on page 24)

3C O L U M N S2 C O L U M N S

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 agreater 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 andfacilitates flexibility, problem-solving and invention. We remain committed to creating an environment that will prepare our children to thrive in a world that is increasinglycompetitive with each passing year. In our classrooms, ourchildren learn how to become leaders, to be innovative and tocontribute to humanity.

A broad perspective has value in that it comes from anunderstanding of the varied viewpoints of many. In this issue, wehear the unique perspectives of many different members of theRanney intellectual community: Board members, Lifer students,faculty members and a senior administrator. Ranney Trustee and parent Carol Martin offers her unique perspective on theintangible qualities that distinguish a Ranney student; you willsee how her profile of the Ranney student mirrors, in many ways,the qualities so vital to success in today’s global economy. Facultymembers offer their perspectives on the various meanings ofsuccess 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 allstudents, speaking to their own unique aptitudes, learning styles and developmental stage. Ranney School has always valuedprofessional development and the priority placed on lifelong learning is reflected in the numerous summer study courses ourfaculty members attend each year. This issue of Columns highlights where our lifelong learners went last summer to addresseducational issues in the modern classroom.

On the global scale, we have no doubt seen significant change, as increasingly complex and far-reaching technologiestransform 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 enjoyingmodernized, state-of-the-art athletic facilities with our new Karagianakis Field, Guidone Track and Kelly Tennis Center. Weare 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 specialmilestones in our school’s recent progress. Dr. Daniel Goldberg, our Board President, offers his perspective of our advancementin “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 matureinto talented and principled young adults; but even as they change, they hold true to the values instilled in them by theirparents and cultivated here at Ranney. We see this constancy amidst growth and change in our “Lifer” students — thosestudents who have been with us for ten years or more. Having grown up on campus, we see the same curiosity, candor andcompassion in the faces of these seniors that we did when they entered our doors for the first time in Lower School. Withinthese 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 beengiven 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,

From Head of SchoolThe Ranney Perspective…Leadership, Innovation and Contribution

From left: Farah Mossavi ’17, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff and Anna Csiky ’17

3C O L U M N S2 C O L U M N S

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 agreater 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 andfacilitates flexibility, problem-solving and invention. We remain committed to creating an environment that will prepare our children to thrive in a world that is increasinglycompetitive with each passing year. In our classrooms, ourchildren learn how to become leaders, to be innovative and tocontribute to humanity.

A broad perspective has value in that it comes from anunderstanding of the varied viewpoints of many. In this issue, wehear the unique perspectives of many different members of theRanney intellectual community: Board members, Lifer students,faculty members and a senior administrator. Ranney Trustee and parent Carol Martin offers her unique perspective on theintangible qualities that distinguish a Ranney student; you willsee how her profile of the Ranney student mirrors, in many ways,the qualities so vital to success in today’s global economy. Facultymembers offer their perspectives on the various meanings ofsuccess 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 allstudents, speaking to their own unique aptitudes, learning styles and developmental stage. Ranney School has always valuedprofessional development and the priority placed on lifelong learning is reflected in the numerous summer study courses ourfaculty members attend each year. This issue of Columns highlights where our lifelong learners went last summer to addresseducational issues in the modern classroom.

On the global scale, we have no doubt seen significant change, as increasingly complex and far-reaching technologiestransform 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 enjoyingmodernized, state-of-the-art athletic facilities with our new Karagianakis Field, Guidone Track and Kelly Tennis Center. Weare 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 specialmilestones in our school’s recent progress. Dr. Daniel Goldberg, our Board President, offers his perspective of our advancementin “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 matureinto talented and principled young adults; but even as they change, they hold true to the values instilled in them by theirparents and cultivated here at Ranney. We see this constancy amidst growth and change in our “Lifer” students — thosestudents who have been with us for ten years or more. Having grown up on campus, we see the same curiosity, candor andcompassion in the faces of these seniors that we did when they entered our doors for the first time in Lower School. Withinthese 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 beengiven 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,

From Head of SchoolThe Ranney Perspective…Leadership, Innovation and Contribution

From left: Farah Mossavi ’17, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff and Anna Csiky ’17

4 C O L U M N S 5C O L U M N S4

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

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: Responsive Classroom WorkshopWhere: New York CityThis week-long workshop geared towards kindergarten through eighth gradeclassrooms emphasizes the importance of modeling behavior and physicallyshowing students what you expect of them in a cooperative and responsiveclassroom community.

“The way we look at and speak to children is of the utmost importance because how we react tothem contributes to their self-concept and affectshow they treat others. Generating ideas from theclass encourages students to think creativelywhen approaching curriculum areas such aswriting, drawing and building. In turn, studentsbecome confident enough to show what they arelearning that complements their individual style of learning.”

Attended: ShakeFest 2007 Summer Institute for Teachers

Where: Drew University, Madison, New JerseyHosted by the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, this two-week program is designed to offer more active and engaging methods for teachingShakespeare, specifically through performance. A popular form ofentertainment 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, tolearn about the plots, understand the charactersand experience the language, is not by reading theplays, but by bringing the plays to life. PerformingShakespeare helps the student to notice subtle yetcomplex elements to these works of theatrical art.”

Attended: Gesell Developmental ObservationWhere: Holmdel Preschool Center, New JerseyThis three-day workshop trained educators to use Gesell observationtechniques and to expand a teacher’s ability to identify key stages indevelopment to differentiate instruction for Ranney’s youngest learners.

“Knowing the behaviors directly associated withdifferent developmental stages has allowed me tobetter understand my four-year-old students asindividuals and plan developmentally appropriateand challenging learning experiences for them.”

Attended: Digital Media ConferenceWhere: Montclair, New JerseyNew Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative and Montclair Universityhosted a series of workshops on the newest multimedia applications andother software to enhance modern education.

“I was especially awed and inspired by thepresentation on enhanced Podcasts, new mediathat is capable of giving an encapsulatedpresentation to an audience of billions! Togetherwith my students, we are learning how to use audioand video to create multimedia presentations withattached files and internet links.”

WENDY MARTINEZLower School

NOEL DELGADOUpper School

LESLIE MILDENBERGLower School

JOHN DOYLEMiddle and Upper School Performing Arts

4 C O L U M N S 5C O L U M N S4

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

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: Responsive Classroom WorkshopWhere: New York CityThis week-long workshop geared towards kindergarten through eighth gradeclassrooms emphasizes the importance of modeling behavior and physicallyshowing students what you expect of them in a cooperative and responsiveclassroom community.

“The way we look at and speak to children is of the utmost importance because how we react tothem contributes to their self-concept and affectshow they treat others. Generating ideas from theclass encourages students to think creativelywhen approaching curriculum areas such aswriting, drawing and building. In turn, studentsbecome confident enough to show what they arelearning that complements their individual style of learning.”

Attended: ShakeFest 2007 Summer Institute for Teachers

Where: Drew University, Madison, New JerseyHosted by the Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, this two-week program is designed to offer more active and engaging methods for teachingShakespeare, specifically through performance. A popular form ofentertainment 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, tolearn about the plots, understand the charactersand experience the language, is not by reading theplays, but by bringing the plays to life. PerformingShakespeare helps the student to notice subtle yetcomplex elements to these works of theatrical art.”

Attended: Gesell Developmental ObservationWhere: Holmdel Preschool Center, New JerseyThis three-day workshop trained educators to use Gesell observationtechniques and to expand a teacher’s ability to identify key stages indevelopment to differentiate instruction for Ranney’s youngest learners.

“Knowing the behaviors directly associated withdifferent developmental stages has allowed me tobetter understand my four-year-old students asindividuals and plan developmentally appropriateand challenging learning experiences for them.”

Attended: Digital Media ConferenceWhere: Montclair, New JerseyNew Jersey Educational Computing Cooperative and Montclair Universityhosted a series of workshops on the newest multimedia applications andother software to enhance modern education.

“I was especially awed and inspired by thepresentation on enhanced Podcasts, new mediathat is capable of giving an encapsulatedpresentation to an audience of billions! Togetherwith my students, we are learning how to use audioand video to create multimedia presentations withattached files and internet links.”

WENDY MARTINEZLower School

NOEL DELGADOUpper School

LESLIE MILDENBERGLower School

JOHN DOYLEMiddle and Upper School Performing Arts

7C O L U M N S6 C O L U M N S

Attended: Chairing Your Department: The First Five Years

Where: Salt Lake City, Utah This workshop provides participants with an understanding of their leadershipstyle and how it connects to their role as Department Head, offering effectivestrategies for departmental management, curricular design and communication.

“Taking on the responsibility of chairing the ForeignLanguage Department this year was both excitingand challenging. This seminar helped me tounderstand the responsibilities and demands ofthis position. I worked with an incredible group oftalented teachers and administrators to discoverteam-building strategies, leadership andmentoring styles, as well as goal-setting andcurriculum development processes. This seminarprovided me with a support network that reachesfar beyond New Jersey. I returned to Ranney full ofrenewed energy and ready to start my newduties.”

Attended: Folk Art TraditionsWhere: Santa Fe, New MexicoThis summer seminar focused on the fifth annual Folk Art Festival at theMuseum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, with emphasis on GeorgiaO’Keeffe’s life and art in New Mexico and Hispanic and Native Americancultural traditions.

“To be able to visit the home of Georgia O’Keeffe —to stand on the very patio where she painted herfamous “Patio Door” — really gave me an intimateperspective of a most influential artist. Now, I canteach my 7th graders with a much more profoundunderstanding of her works and the inspirationsbehind them. I took all the photos I collectedduring the trip and created a slide show of herhome and museum so that I can share thisexperience with my classes.”

Attended: Advanced Placement Annual ConferenceWhere: Las Vegas, NevadaThe College Board’s annual conference features sessions containinginformation on best practices and resources for new and experienced AP teachers, Middle School teachers, AP coordinators, administrators and counselors.

“We have already started to expose the Middle andUpper School math students to terminology that isrelevant to more abstract thinking, allowing thesestudents to make an easier transition to moreadvanced topics.”

Attended: Seamless TransitionsWhere: Orono, MaineSponsored by the University of Maine, this Literacy Conference featured acadre of keynote speakers who are professionals in the area of literacyeducation and offered sessions focused on the theme, “Meeting the Needs of All Learners K-12.”

“I was fascinated with some of the most recentresearch on educational literacy. Experts arerecommending longer, uninterrupted reading timefor Middle School students. This year, I will makereading more personal for my students, by findingquality books that will suit their specific interests.I also explored instruction in prompt writing, whichrequires explicit instruction and is often a requiredskill as part of high stakes testing.”

Attended: The Adult Ethics InstituteWhere: Whidbey Island, WashingtonSponsored by the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE), thisconference examines moral education and the moral life of schools, usingliterature and case studies from ethical situations in schools across thecountry to stimulate conversation among participants.

“I gained a new perspective on the importance of amoral education and hope to guide my students inservice to the school and greater community. Theoverall goal is to ensure that Ranney is a schoolthat is known for not only its bright students, butits compassionate and ethical students, as well.I am excited that Ranney will be hosting DanHeishmann, former director of CSEE, as a guestspeaker in April.”

Attended: Learning and the Brain ConferenceWhere: Cambridge, MassachusettsSponsored by Harvard University, Yale University and the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, the conference explored how current brain researchenhances cognitive abilities and achievement.

“The most valuable idea from the conference that I have incorporated into my classroom is thatteaching creativity raises performance levels in allacademic areas. Creative and critical thinking canbe taught and are essential skills for students tocultivate for problem solving in the 21st century.”

Attended: Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training Where: Boston, MassachusettsThis training program familiarizes music educators with the work of German composer Carl Orff who, in the 1920s and 1930s, was known forunconventional teaching methods that allowed children to improvise withdrums, 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 learningprocess. This training helped me incorporate achild-centered approach using improvisation. Theemphasis is on students as creative performers inthis approach to teaching music.”RENATA KLEIN

Upper School

MICHELLE ANDREWSLower School

JERI ROBINSONLower School

BEVERLY SIRIANNIMiddle School Fine Arts

TAMMY MILLSMiddle School

TESS NIELSENChair, Performing Arts

CATHY AND RICH PICCIRILLOMiddle and Upper Schools

7C O L U M N S6 C O L U M N S

Attended: Chairing Your Department: The First Five Years

Where: Salt Lake City, Utah This workshop provides participants with an understanding of their leadershipstyle and how it connects to their role as Department Head, offering effectivestrategies for departmental management, curricular design and communication.

“Taking on the responsibility of chairing the ForeignLanguage Department this year was both excitingand challenging. This seminar helped me tounderstand the responsibilities and demands ofthis position. I worked with an incredible group oftalented teachers and administrators to discoverteam-building strategies, leadership andmentoring styles, as well as goal-setting andcurriculum development processes. This seminarprovided me with a support network that reachesfar beyond New Jersey. I returned to Ranney full ofrenewed energy and ready to start my newduties.”

Attended: Folk Art TraditionsWhere: Santa Fe, New MexicoThis summer seminar focused on the fifth annual Folk Art Festival at theMuseum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, with emphasis on GeorgiaO’Keeffe’s life and art in New Mexico and Hispanic and Native Americancultural traditions.

“To be able to visit the home of Georgia O’Keeffe —to stand on the very patio where she painted herfamous “Patio Door” — really gave me an intimateperspective of a most influential artist. Now, I canteach my 7th graders with a much more profoundunderstanding of her works and the inspirationsbehind them. I took all the photos I collectedduring the trip and created a slide show of herhome and museum so that I can share thisexperience with my classes.”

Attended: Advanced Placement Annual ConferenceWhere: Las Vegas, NevadaThe College Board’s annual conference features sessions containinginformation on best practices and resources for new and experienced AP teachers, Middle School teachers, AP coordinators, administrators and counselors.

“We have already started to expose the Middle andUpper School math students to terminology that isrelevant to more abstract thinking, allowing thesestudents to make an easier transition to moreadvanced topics.”

Attended: Seamless TransitionsWhere: Orono, MaineSponsored by the University of Maine, this Literacy Conference featured acadre of keynote speakers who are professionals in the area of literacyeducation and offered sessions focused on the theme, “Meeting the Needs of All Learners K-12.”

“I was fascinated with some of the most recentresearch on educational literacy. Experts arerecommending longer, uninterrupted reading timefor Middle School students. This year, I will makereading more personal for my students, by findingquality books that will suit their specific interests.I also explored instruction in prompt writing, whichrequires explicit instruction and is often a requiredskill as part of high stakes testing.”

Attended: The Adult Ethics InstituteWhere: Whidbey Island, WashingtonSponsored by the Council for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE), thisconference examines moral education and the moral life of schools, usingliterature and case studies from ethical situations in schools across thecountry to stimulate conversation among participants.

“I gained a new perspective on the importance of amoral education and hope to guide my students inservice to the school and greater community. Theoverall goal is to ensure that Ranney is a schoolthat is known for not only its bright students, butits compassionate and ethical students, as well.I am excited that Ranney will be hosting DanHeishmann, former director of CSEE, as a guestspeaker in April.”

Attended: Learning and the Brain ConferenceWhere: Cambridge, MassachusettsSponsored by Harvard University, Yale University and the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology, the conference explored how current brain researchenhances cognitive abilities and achievement.

“The most valuable idea from the conference that I have incorporated into my classroom is thatteaching creativity raises performance levels in allacademic areas. Creative and critical thinking canbe taught and are essential skills for students tocultivate for problem solving in the 21st century.”

Attended: Orff Schulwerk Teacher Training Where: Boston, MassachusettsThis training program familiarizes music educators with the work of German composer Carl Orff who, in the 1920s and 1930s, was known forunconventional teaching methods that allowed children to improvise withdrums, 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 learningprocess. This training helped me incorporate achild-centered approach using improvisation. Theemphasis is on students as creative performers inthis approach to teaching music.”RENATA KLEIN

Upper School

MICHELLE ANDREWSLower School

JERI ROBINSONLower School

BEVERLY SIRIANNIMiddle School Fine Arts

TAMMY MILLSMiddle School

TESS NIELSENChair, Performing Arts

CATHY AND RICH PICCIRILLOMiddle and Upper Schools

The conversation soon evolved into a fascinating inquiry thatwent far beyond textbooks, test scores and pedagogy: we began toinquire, “What are the values that we want them to have?” and,to that end, “Who do we want our children to be?” During thisdiscussion, it became clear: as parents, we were just as concernedabout the quality of their character as we were about their GPA.We seek strong character development in addition to strongintellectual development. In defining the Ranney curriculum, we are mindful to incorporate character development along withacademic skills in the classroom and in all aspects of daily life atRanney School.

What character traits, in particular, do we want a Ranneyeducation to cultivate in our children? Personally, I would likemy daughter, Elizabeth, to possess a love of learning and takepride in the pursuit of excellence, two attributes that naturallyyield the following positive character derivatives: self-confidence,perseverance, courage, compassion, empathy, fairness, honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, respect, responsibility andunderstanding. I want her to know how to educate herself for a lifetime and to take increasing responsibility for her ownlearning. As she begins her formative — and formidable —Middle School years, I can clearly see that the Ranney LowerSchool has prepared her well for the increased responsibility andindependence of Middle School life. Elizabeth relishes hernewfound independence and is learning that, with it, comes

increased responsibility and accountability. I would like her tovalue and respect education because I know that learning is notsimply for the young or in the classroom; it is a life-long endeavorat any age and in any location. Indeed, I suspect that many of ushave learned our most valuable lessons outside of the classroom.As I try to articulate these traits, it becomes obvious that they arenot 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; theliterature selected for study; the way we deal with issues; andthe composition of our community. In our review process, theEducation Committee seeks to define and shape curriculum thatis much more than a sequence of academic disciplines, but onethat 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 preferto describe them as co-curricular) programs have strong charactereducation components that encourage students to practice valuessuch 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 modelthe 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 outcomeis of lasting value beyond the classroom. The purpose is to ensurethat these ideals remain the centerpiece of what we do, a tellingmatrix 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, aRanney School education embraces the combination of academicand character development with service and social commitmentas fundamental aspects of the educational process and dailycampus life. Guided by the Honor Code, students not only learnabout the meanings of leadership, compassion and altruism, butalso put these noble qualities into practice. College acceptancesaside, the primary portal to a successful life beyond Ranney isabout developing the full potential of the heart and the mind.

9C O L U M N S8 C O L U M N S

Nurturing the Heart as well as the Mind 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.

How is your new job?I love my new job! I work in emerging markets research for the FederalReserve Bank of New York, the sort of work that I always knew I wantedto do but didn’t know people would pay me for. I get to analyze andwrite about a set of countries in South America which follows nicelyfrom my previous work down there. The Fed is an interesting place tobe 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 livingand working in NYC? I have always loved New York. For someone who likes to travel andgets bored seeing the same things all the time, there are very few citiesthat you can really “settle” down in, and New York is one of them. It’salso nice being a 45 minute boat ride from home as opposed to a 9hour plane ride.

What did you learn most about living and working overseas? The most challenging part of living and working overseas was buildinga life from the bottom up. Until they are not easily accessible,ubiquitous things like your friends, family and healthcare are very easyto take for granted. A good friend of mine in Chile became very ill whileshe was there. Her Spanish was not very good and the people she wasliving with weren’t helpful, so she stayed with me and another friend inour apartment for a few weeks. We took turns nursing her back tohealth, buying her food and taking her to the doctor. It reminded me ofwhat my parents would have done for me. Aside from a few otherpeople and me, my friend had no one else she could turn to for help. Itmade me realize how important community ties are and how difficultthey are to establish.

Looking back, how would you describe your experiencedelivering the Commencement Address last June? My experience delivering the Commencement Address was surreal. Itdidn’t seem so long ago since I was waiting to receive my own diplomaand listening to someone else speak. In your mind you tend to think, orat least I tend to think, that giving commencement addresses is foradults, people with responsibilities and experiences, people who aren’tme. I wondered what it would mean for me if I admitted that I was thekind 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 aboutit, the more sense it seemed to make to have younger commencementspeakers, people closer in age to the graduates who are still goingthrough the same process of sorting out their place in the world. I thinkit 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 forabout 20 years now. There aren’t many people who can say, at 25, thatthey have a group of friends they have known since they were six-years-old. We are all off doing interesting things, so talking and hangingout with them gives me a different perspective on life.

As far as college goes, I think most Ranney graduates will tell you aftertheir first year that they were extremely well-prepared. When I arrivedat Swarthmore with all engines running, I found out that I could coastmore than I was used to. In my second year, however, things began toramp up and I had to get back into high gear. No matter how preparedyou are, advanced classes are always a challenge — the biggestdifference I saw was between people who had to learn the skills thatthey would need as they were finding out that they needed them andthose who were already used to exercising them. Thankfully, myprevious work made me one of the latter.

Catching Up WithDaren Tedeschi

Daren Tedeschi ’01delivers the

CommencementAddress at last

year’s graduation.

Carol Martin with daughter Elizabeth ’14

The conversation soon evolved into a fascinating inquiry thatwent far beyond textbooks, test scores and pedagogy: we began toinquire, “What are the values that we want them to have?” and,to that end, “Who do we want our children to be?” During thisdiscussion, it became clear: as parents, we were just as concernedabout the quality of their character as we were about their GPA.We seek strong character development in addition to strongintellectual development. In defining the Ranney curriculum, we are mindful to incorporate character development along withacademic skills in the classroom and in all aspects of daily life atRanney School.

What character traits, in particular, do we want a Ranneyeducation to cultivate in our children? Personally, I would likemy daughter, Elizabeth, to possess a love of learning and takepride in the pursuit of excellence, two attributes that naturallyyield the following positive character derivatives: self-confidence,perseverance, courage, compassion, empathy, fairness, honesty, trustworthiness, integrity, respect, responsibility andunderstanding. I want her to know how to educate herself for a lifetime and to take increasing responsibility for her ownlearning. As she begins her formative — and formidable —Middle School years, I can clearly see that the Ranney LowerSchool has prepared her well for the increased responsibility andindependence of Middle School life. Elizabeth relishes hernewfound independence and is learning that, with it, comes

increased responsibility and accountability. I would like her tovalue and respect education because I know that learning is notsimply for the young or in the classroom; it is a life-long endeavorat any age and in any location. Indeed, I suspect that many of ushave learned our most valuable lessons outside of the classroom.As I try to articulate these traits, it becomes obvious that they arenot 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; theliterature selected for study; the way we deal with issues; andthe composition of our community. In our review process, theEducation Committee seeks to define and shape curriculum thatis much more than a sequence of academic disciplines, but onethat 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 preferto describe them as co-curricular) programs have strong charactereducation components that encourage students to practice valuessuch 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 modelthe 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 outcomeis of lasting value beyond the classroom. The purpose is to ensurethat these ideals remain the centerpiece of what we do, a tellingmatrix 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, aRanney School education embraces the combination of academicand character development with service and social commitmentas fundamental aspects of the educational process and dailycampus life. Guided by the Honor Code, students not only learnabout the meanings of leadership, compassion and altruism, butalso put these noble qualities into practice. College acceptancesaside, the primary portal to a successful life beyond Ranney isabout developing the full potential of the heart and the mind.

9C O L U M N S8 C O L U M N S

Nurturing the Heart as well as the Mind 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.

How is your new job?I love my new job! I work in emerging markets research for the FederalReserve Bank of New York, the sort of work that I always knew I wantedto do but didn’t know people would pay me for. I get to analyze andwrite about a set of countries in South America which follows nicelyfrom my previous work down there. The Fed is an interesting place tobe 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 livingand working in NYC? I have always loved New York. For someone who likes to travel andgets bored seeing the same things all the time, there are very few citiesthat you can really “settle” down in, and New York is one of them. It’salso nice being a 45 minute boat ride from home as opposed to a 9hour plane ride.

What did you learn most about living and working overseas? The most challenging part of living and working overseas was buildinga life from the bottom up. Until they are not easily accessible,ubiquitous things like your friends, family and healthcare are very easyto take for granted. A good friend of mine in Chile became very ill whileshe was there. Her Spanish was not very good and the people she wasliving with weren’t helpful, so she stayed with me and another friend inour apartment for a few weeks. We took turns nursing her back tohealth, buying her food and taking her to the doctor. It reminded me ofwhat my parents would have done for me. Aside from a few otherpeople and me, my friend had no one else she could turn to for help. Itmade me realize how important community ties are and how difficultthey are to establish.

Looking back, how would you describe your experiencedelivering the Commencement Address last June? My experience delivering the Commencement Address was surreal. Itdidn’t seem so long ago since I was waiting to receive my own diplomaand listening to someone else speak. In your mind you tend to think, orat least I tend to think, that giving commencement addresses is foradults, people with responsibilities and experiences, people who aren’tme. I wondered what it would mean for me if I admitted that I was thekind 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 aboutit, the more sense it seemed to make to have younger commencementspeakers, people closer in age to the graduates who are still goingthrough the same process of sorting out their place in the world. I thinkit 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 forabout 20 years now. There aren’t many people who can say, at 25, thatthey have a group of friends they have known since they were six-years-old. We are all off doing interesting things, so talking and hangingout with them gives me a different perspective on life.

As far as college goes, I think most Ranney graduates will tell you aftertheir first year that they were extremely well-prepared. When I arrivedat Swarthmore with all engines running, I found out that I could coastmore than I was used to. In my second year, however, things began toramp up and I had to get back into high gear. No matter how preparedyou are, advanced classes are always a challenge — the biggestdifference I saw was between people who had to learn the skills thatthey would need as they were finding out that they needed them andthose who were already used to exercising them. Thankfully, myprevious work made me one of the latter.

Catching Up WithDaren Tedeschi

Daren Tedeschi ’01delivers the

CommencementAddress at last

year’s graduation.

Carol Martin with daughter Elizabeth ’14

11C O L U M N S10 C O L U M N S

When Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University’sDean of Undergraduate Admissions, came toRanney School last November, many mayhave suspected that he would provide aninsider’s perspective on college admittanceand 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

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.

The Evolving Landscape of College Admissions

From left: Co-directors of College Guidance Myronee Simpson (at left) and Joan Liu with Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel

11C O L U M N S10 C O L U M N S

When Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University’sDean of Undergraduate Admissions, came toRanney School last November, many mayhave suspected that he would provide aninsider’s perspective on college admittanceand 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

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.

The Evolving Landscape of College Admissions

From left: Co-directors of College Guidance Myronee Simpson (at left) and Joan Liu with Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel

13C O L U M N S12 C O L U M N S

Students at Ranney and across the country should be getting goodpractice for college life in their high school careers by takingadvantage of all of the valuable resources — people andtechnology included — at their disposal to learn and experience asmuch as possible. He reinforced the importance of optimizing thecollege experience by taking advantage of all the learningopportunities available and praised Ranney School for the“cultural, capital learning experience that Ranney has madeavailable to its students.” Dr. Brenzel urged all students, highschool and college alike, to cultivate a desire to know, to engageand take part in the action. To the students in the audience, Dr. Brenzel said, “If you take advantage of Ranney, then you areputting yourself in the path of getting into a great school.” AboutRanney School’s mission and stellar educational programs, Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff said in his opening remarks that “The primary portal to collegeand to a successful life is aboutdeveloping your full potential.A high quality education willgain a student admission intoan excellent college and, moreimportantly, such an experiencewill lead to the arrival atmeaningful destinations in life,work and service.”

Offering a realistic portrayal oftoday’s climate for admissions,Dr. Brenzel highlighted fivespecific constraints faced bycollege admissions committeesall across the country including: the zero-sum game of admissions;the massively conflicting priorities of those involved; the variety ofcontext in comparing applicants; limited information about astudent and an increasingly superb applicant pool. According toDr. Brenzel, the milieu of college admissions has been affected bythe enforcement of various quotas in recent years, but the processremains a zero-sum game; consequently, a preference for those in aparticular group is logically equivalent to discrimination againstthose not in the group. Additionally, every person involved withthe admissions process at virtually all schools has massivelyconflicting priorities. Further confounding the admissions processare the fact that the abundant variety of backgrounds andexperiences among today’s applicant pool makes comparingapplicant to applicant almost synonymous with comparing applesand oranges, as well as the fact that students applying to college aremoving through one of the most developmentally volatile andformative periods of their lives, which cannot possibly be summedup on a college application. Add to these constraints the fact thatapplicants have become increasingly competitive with each otherwith regard to SAT scores and grade point averages, and one canquickly see that admissions is anything but a straight-forward,formulaic process.

Despite these constraints, there is good news for today’s collegeapplicants, according to Dr. Brenzel. “Schools are searching hardfor talented students,” he said. “They are looking for humanpotential and they are finding it everywhere.” With the help ofactive college guidance offices, as well the increasing ease ofsending applications online, admissions committees have moretime to carefully mull over the thousands of applications that passthrough their hands and make more informed decisions about eachcandidate. Further, Dr. Brenzel stressed the importance of makinga realistic application to schools and the ease with which to do sobased on the ease with which students can get in-depthinformation on the schools to which they are consideringapplying. “Each one of you here will be fortunate to go to anynumber of schools available to you today and make it your own,”

he addressed the audience. “Youare fortunate to have theopportunity to go to Ranneyand to have access to all of thewonderful resources you haveavailable here.”

One particularly strongresource available to Ranneystudents is the CollegeGuidance department. Withtwo Co-directors who meetextensively in a one-on-onecontext with all of Ranney’sUpper Schoolers, thedepartment gets to know eachstudent personally and gets towork as early as freshman year

in narrowing down the college search for a perfect match for everyindividual. The department goes the extra mile to help all studentsduring the application process with such events as regular financialaid planning nights, college planning workshops, collegeinformation nights, college visits and parent breakfasts. Co-director of College Guidance Ms. Joan Liu remarked on herfavorite part of Dr. Brenzel’s visit, which also sheds light on howRanney students have an advantage in the process: “[Dr. Brenzel]said that many students applying to Yale ask whether there areresearch opportunities available there; he pointed out that themore important question is ‘Can you work with a mentor?’ Thisdistinction is an important one,” Ms. Liu said. “At Ranney School,students are encouraged to take advantage of researchopportunities through projects such as the Capstone, wherementorship is fundamental to success. Students work closely withtheir faculty advisors throughout their Upper School career and weencourage them to take advantage of new academic andextracurricular opportunities,” Ms. Liu pointed out.

In light of the importance of context in today’s admissions process,one particular tool available to Ranney students via collegeguidance is Naviance, the web-based college database program thatkeeps a record of the college application history of all students whohave attended Ranney. Using this tool, students can determineaverage GPAs, SAT scores and other admissions criteria that aschool or university typically expects from a Ranney Schoolgraduate. Gleaning such contextual information, students can geta more realistic idea of where they are “within academic profile” ofa particular institution.

The college admissions process has grown to become a four billiondollar business, according to Brenzel, resulting in a breadth ofbooks, services and even “application counselors,” who are paidhigh 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

“What matters mostisn’t where you end upgetting in to school, but

rather, what you doafter you get there.”

and money that results in an artificial application profile. And hepoints out an ironic truth: with thousands of books available tellingstudents how to get into college, it seems no one has explored themore important topic of how to make the best use of one’s collegeexperience. The media, according to Brenzel, is at least partly toblame for putting the focus on the wrong aspect of college; thehype of the college admissions process often overshadows theimportance of what happens after you arrive at your dorm as afreshman. The truth of the matter is, “No matter where you go,there will be more resources to take advantage of than you couldtackle in 50 lifetimes,” said Brenzel.

To close out the evening, Dr. Brenzel told a personal story thatoffered valuable insight to both parents and students. His sonapplied to ten schools and was accepted into nine of them; and,during the tours of all ten colleges, Dr. Brenzel discovered there wasnot one of them which he would not want to attend personally.Hence, the first lesson of his story: most schools are wonderful andoffer so many programs and resources that it is all but impossible toavoid settling into a school that will offer valuable opportunitiesfor 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 hisnumber one choice. He decided on a whim to visit one of theschools where he was accepted and fell in love with it. His son’sconcern? That he was disappointing his father in planning to go tothe school he had not originally planned on attending. Dr. Brenzelurged parents and students not to fixate on one institution, but tokeep an open mind to a broad range of possibilities by applying toa diverse mix of schools with different programs to offer.

It surely can not hurt to attempt to cover a vast array of potentialcolleges that will be home to Ranney students after they graduateUpper School. After all, according to Brenzel, at the end of theday, “You make something out of the school, the school does notmake something out of you.”

Dr. Brenzel was the Executive Director of the Association of Yale Alumni before hisappointment as Dean of Admissions at the University in 2005. Founded morethan three centuries ago, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education inthe United States and is a member of the Ivy League. Having produced a numberof U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state, the college is most noted forcultivating the world’s top leaders.

“If you take advantage of Ranney, thenyou are putting yourself in the path ofgetting into a great school.”

– Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University Admissions Director

Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel

13C O L U M N S12 C O L U M N S

Students at Ranney and across the country should be getting goodpractice for college life in their high school careers by takingadvantage of all of the valuable resources — people andtechnology included — at their disposal to learn and experience asmuch as possible. He reinforced the importance of optimizing thecollege experience by taking advantage of all the learningopportunities available and praised Ranney School for the“cultural, capital learning experience that Ranney has madeavailable to its students.” Dr. Brenzel urged all students, highschool and college alike, to cultivate a desire to know, to engageand take part in the action. To the students in the audience, Dr. Brenzel said, “If you take advantage of Ranney, then you areputting yourself in the path of getting into a great school.” AboutRanney School’s mission and stellar educational programs, Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff said in his opening remarks that “The primary portal to collegeand to a successful life is aboutdeveloping your full potential.A high quality education willgain a student admission intoan excellent college and, moreimportantly, such an experiencewill lead to the arrival atmeaningful destinations in life,work and service.”

Offering a realistic portrayal oftoday’s climate for admissions,Dr. Brenzel highlighted fivespecific constraints faced bycollege admissions committeesall across the country including: the zero-sum game of admissions;the massively conflicting priorities of those involved; the variety ofcontext in comparing applicants; limited information about astudent and an increasingly superb applicant pool. According toDr. Brenzel, the milieu of college admissions has been affected bythe enforcement of various quotas in recent years, but the processremains a zero-sum game; consequently, a preference for those in aparticular group is logically equivalent to discrimination againstthose not in the group. Additionally, every person involved withthe admissions process at virtually all schools has massivelyconflicting priorities. Further confounding the admissions processare the fact that the abundant variety of backgrounds andexperiences among today’s applicant pool makes comparingapplicant to applicant almost synonymous with comparing applesand oranges, as well as the fact that students applying to college aremoving through one of the most developmentally volatile andformative periods of their lives, which cannot possibly be summedup on a college application. Add to these constraints the fact thatapplicants have become increasingly competitive with each otherwith regard to SAT scores and grade point averages, and one canquickly see that admissions is anything but a straight-forward,formulaic process.

Despite these constraints, there is good news for today’s collegeapplicants, according to Dr. Brenzel. “Schools are searching hardfor talented students,” he said. “They are looking for humanpotential and they are finding it everywhere.” With the help ofactive college guidance offices, as well the increasing ease ofsending applications online, admissions committees have moretime to carefully mull over the thousands of applications that passthrough their hands and make more informed decisions about eachcandidate. Further, Dr. Brenzel stressed the importance of makinga realistic application to schools and the ease with which to do sobased on the ease with which students can get in-depthinformation on the schools to which they are consideringapplying. “Each one of you here will be fortunate to go to anynumber of schools available to you today and make it your own,”

he addressed the audience. “Youare fortunate to have theopportunity to go to Ranneyand to have access to all of thewonderful resources you haveavailable here.”

One particularly strongresource available to Ranneystudents is the CollegeGuidance department. Withtwo Co-directors who meetextensively in a one-on-onecontext with all of Ranney’sUpper Schoolers, thedepartment gets to know eachstudent personally and gets towork as early as freshman year

in narrowing down the college search for a perfect match for everyindividual. The department goes the extra mile to help all studentsduring the application process with such events as regular financialaid planning nights, college planning workshops, collegeinformation nights, college visits and parent breakfasts. Co-director of College Guidance Ms. Joan Liu remarked on herfavorite part of Dr. Brenzel’s visit, which also sheds light on howRanney students have an advantage in the process: “[Dr. Brenzel]said that many students applying to Yale ask whether there areresearch opportunities available there; he pointed out that themore important question is ‘Can you work with a mentor?’ Thisdistinction is an important one,” Ms. Liu said. “At Ranney School,students are encouraged to take advantage of researchopportunities through projects such as the Capstone, wherementorship is fundamental to success. Students work closely withtheir faculty advisors throughout their Upper School career and weencourage them to take advantage of new academic andextracurricular opportunities,” Ms. Liu pointed out.

In light of the importance of context in today’s admissions process,one particular tool available to Ranney students via collegeguidance is Naviance, the web-based college database program thatkeeps a record of the college application history of all students whohave attended Ranney. Using this tool, students can determineaverage GPAs, SAT scores and other admissions criteria that aschool or university typically expects from a Ranney Schoolgraduate. Gleaning such contextual information, students can geta more realistic idea of where they are “within academic profile” ofa particular institution.

The college admissions process has grown to become a four billiondollar business, according to Brenzel, resulting in a breadth ofbooks, services and even “application counselors,” who are paidhigh 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

“What matters mostisn’t where you end upgetting in to school, but

rather, what you doafter you get there.”

and money that results in an artificial application profile. And hepoints out an ironic truth: with thousands of books available tellingstudents how to get into college, it seems no one has explored themore important topic of how to make the best use of one’s collegeexperience. The media, according to Brenzel, is at least partly toblame for putting the focus on the wrong aspect of college; thehype of the college admissions process often overshadows theimportance of what happens after you arrive at your dorm as afreshman. The truth of the matter is, “No matter where you go,there will be more resources to take advantage of than you couldtackle in 50 lifetimes,” said Brenzel.

To close out the evening, Dr. Brenzel told a personal story thatoffered valuable insight to both parents and students. His sonapplied to ten schools and was accepted into nine of them; and,during the tours of all ten colleges, Dr. Brenzel discovered there wasnot one of them which he would not want to attend personally.Hence, the first lesson of his story: most schools are wonderful andoffer so many programs and resources that it is all but impossible toavoid settling into a school that will offer valuable opportunitiesfor 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 hisnumber one choice. He decided on a whim to visit one of theschools where he was accepted and fell in love with it. His son’sconcern? That he was disappointing his father in planning to go tothe school he had not originally planned on attending. Dr. Brenzelurged parents and students not to fixate on one institution, but tokeep an open mind to a broad range of possibilities by applying toa diverse mix of schools with different programs to offer.

It surely can not hurt to attempt to cover a vast array of potentialcolleges that will be home to Ranney students after they graduateUpper School. After all, according to Brenzel, at the end of theday, “You make something out of the school, the school does notmake something out of you.”

Dr. Brenzel was the Executive Director of the Association of Yale Alumni before hisappointment as Dean of Admissions at the University in 2005. Founded morethan three centuries ago, Yale is the third-oldest institution of higher education inthe United States and is a member of the Ivy League. Having produced a numberof U.S. presidents and foreign heads of state, the college is most noted forcultivating the world’s top leaders.

“If you take advantage of Ranney, thenyou are putting yourself in the path ofgetting into a great school.”

– Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel, Yale University Admissions Director

Dr. Jeffrey Brenzel

14 C O L U M N S

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH MAY

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

15C O L U M N S

SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER

2 0 0 7DECEMBEROCTOBERJUNE

• Lower SchoolFrench studentstake a nationalFrench exam forthe first time inLower School history

• Middle School students competein the ScienceOlympiad and take 6th place inthe regional competition

• 100% Faculty and Administration participation in theFoundations forLearning capital campaign

• Alison Chavers ’07becomes firstfemale basketballplayer to score1,000 points

• RSPA hosts the20th AnnualPanther Ball 2007, A Night atthe Oscars

• Ranney hostsMiddle SchoolForensics competition and wins unprecedented 19 awards

• Upper SchoolNational HonorSociety hostsSenior-Senior Promat ApplewoodSenior Center andis featured in anumber of localnewspapers

• Dedication of thenew GuidoneTrack

• Launch of the Great AmericanCountry Fair

• Students in Lowerand Middle Schoolpresent CapstoneProjects (5th and8th grade thesis)for the first time

• Upper School juniors beginpreparation fortheir seniorCapstone Projectsin 2008

• GroundbreakingCeremony fornew LowerSchool and RSPAPanther Hall

• Largest enrollment (564 campers) in Ranney-in-the-Summer Camp history!This summer, we have significantly increasedcamp academic and athletic offerings

• RSPA: Passing of the Presidential Torch fromAmy Shay to Michele Karagianakis

• 2007 Commencement Season Begins for Lower School, Middle School and Upper School

• Aisha Masud ’08, Stephanie Tomasetta ’08and Dmitry Vagner ’08 are selected to participate in prestigious NJ GovernorsSchool during the summer

• Opening Day 2007has a record enrollment of 815 students

• Middle SchoolimplementsCommunityStandards Initiativeto positively reinforce “model”behavior

• Mandarin Chinesecourses and activities offered toall divisions

• New Admissionsview book released

• Upper School athletes recruitedfor Division I, II andIII sports

• Students present their own lyrics and music@ Songwriter’s Circle

• Fall Festival

• Halloween Parade

• Distance Learning Center (DLC) activitiesbegin to enhance classroom instructionin all three divisions

• Alison Mancuso ’09 and Laura Church ’10win State Tennis Championship at 2ndDoubles

• National Geographic photographer SteveMcCurry is Keynote Speaker at FallConvocation. Middle and Upper Schoolstudents raise $2,000 for his non-profitorganization that supports educationalfunding for Afghan children. In response,Mr. McCurry sent the above photo of aclass of Afghan students who benefitedfrom the school supplies.

• 48 students recognized as APScholars

• Dedication ofKelly TennisCenter

• Middle and UpperSchools presentShakespeare’stragedy, Romeo and Juliet. KaraSantora ’10receives CountBasie nominationfor outstandingactress in a supporting role

• Expansion of training facilitiesinto weight roomand cardio room

• Yearlong, student-driven Community Service Initiative concludes with: HelpingHands; Toys for Tots Book Drive; MusicalToys for Tots; Books for Africa; Gifts from the Heart; Family Promise, and “Save theMusic” 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 AmericanScholastic Press Association. This nationwidecontest is juried by print-industry professionalswho grade and critique each newspaper andmagazine entry. The MAG has won an ASPAfirst place medal for the last five years.

15C O L U M N S

14 C O L U M N S

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH MAY

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

15C O L U M N S

SEPTEMBER NOVEMBER

2 0 0 7DECEMBEROCTOBERJUNE

• Lower SchoolFrench studentstake a nationalFrench exam forthe first time inLower School history

• Middle School students competein the ScienceOlympiad and take 6th place inthe regional competition

• 100% Faculty and Administration participation in theFoundations forLearning capital campaign

• Alison Chavers ’07becomes firstfemale basketballplayer to score1,000 points

• RSPA hosts the20th AnnualPanther Ball 2007, A Night atthe Oscars

• Ranney hostsMiddle SchoolForensics competition and wins unprecedented 19 awards

• Upper SchoolNational HonorSociety hostsSenior-Senior Promat ApplewoodSenior Center andis featured in anumber of localnewspapers

• Dedication of thenew GuidoneTrack

• Launch of the Great AmericanCountry Fair

• Students in Lowerand Middle Schoolpresent CapstoneProjects (5th and8th grade thesis)for the first time

• Upper School juniors beginpreparation fortheir seniorCapstone Projectsin 2008

• GroundbreakingCeremony fornew LowerSchool and RSPAPanther Hall

• Largest enrollment (564 campers) in Ranney-in-the-Summer Camp history!This summer, we have significantly increasedcamp academic and athletic offerings

• RSPA: Passing of the Presidential Torch fromAmy Shay to Michele Karagianakis

• 2007 Commencement Season Begins for Lower School, Middle School and Upper School

• Aisha Masud ’08, Stephanie Tomasetta ’08and Dmitry Vagner ’08 are selected to participate in prestigious NJ GovernorsSchool during the summer

• Opening Day 2007has a record enrollment of 815 students

• Middle SchoolimplementsCommunityStandards Initiativeto positively reinforce “model”behavior

• Mandarin Chinesecourses and activities offered toall divisions

• New Admissionsview book released

• Upper School athletes recruitedfor Division I, II andIII sports

• Students present their own lyrics and music@ Songwriter’s Circle

• Fall Festival

• Halloween Parade

• Distance Learning Center (DLC) activitiesbegin to enhance classroom instructionin all three divisions

• Alison Mancuso ’09 and Laura Church ’10win State Tennis Championship at 2ndDoubles

• National Geographic photographer SteveMcCurry is Keynote Speaker at FallConvocation. Middle and Upper Schoolstudents raise $2,000 for his non-profitorganization that supports educationalfunding for Afghan children. In response,Mr. McCurry sent the above photo of aclass of Afghan students who benefitedfrom the school supplies.

• 48 students recognized as APScholars

• Dedication ofKelly TennisCenter

• Middle and UpperSchools presentShakespeare’stragedy, Romeo and Juliet. KaraSantora ’10receives CountBasie nominationfor outstandingactress in a supporting role

• Expansion of training facilitiesinto weight roomand cardio room

• Yearlong, student-driven Community Service Initiative concludes with: HelpingHands; Toys for Tots Book Drive; MusicalToys for Tots; Books for Africa; Gifts from the Heart; Family Promise, and “Save theMusic” 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 AmericanScholastic Press Association. This nationwidecontest is juried by print-industry professionalswho grade and critique each newspaper andmagazine entry. The MAG has won an ASPAfirst place medal for the last five years.

15C O L U M N S

16 C O L U M N S16

we could enhance the curriculum simply by putting ourminds and resources together. We got creative andenthralled even some of our harder to reach students by developing games and activities to teach lessons.The morale and determination of the school communitycarried us through even the most difficult times.

When Dr. Sykoff arrived as our third Headmaster in1993, Ranney School was fortunate to have such astrong faculty of forward-thinking educators who wereexcited to support the growth and development of whatwas a remarkably small school into one of the premierindependent schools in the state. Dr. Sykoff’s vision forthe future of Ranney was immediately evident then andwe see many of the results of his vision todaythroughout the campus. Now, when we stop to lookaround us, we see curious and eager students who arebenefiting from the most relevant and up-to-dateresources: SmartBoards in every classroom, universalInternet capability, the most current texts, two expansivelibraries for our Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, aDistance Learning Center and state-of-the-art athleticfacilities that put our students at the forefront ofscholastic and athletic endeavors. I have seen manychanges in nearly two decades, but the one constanteach year has been a supportive and close-knit group ofcolleagues who work seamlessly together, and whoshare and grow through their interactions with oneanother. I am proud to be a part of a faculty of teacherswho truly love their job.

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 90swas impacted by an economic recession. When I beganmy full-time position in 1988 as a fifth grade teacher atRanney School, my first classroom in the Barn was quitedifferent than the one that I have today. Our teachingmaterials included: a current set of encyclopedias, abookcase and two maps. My classroom materialsallowance was modest, so I raided my sons’bookshelves, games, toys and anything else they hadthat could be used to teach my class. My grade levelcolleagues and I would share our materials and see how

EACH YEAR AT COMMENCEMENT, FOUR DISTINGUISHED

MEMBERS OF RANNEY SCHOOL’S FACULTY ARE PRESENTED

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

RANNEY SCHOOL.Mrs. Nancy RosenthalLower School French instructor

Recipient of the Carol AnnPresley Memorial Award forExcellence in Teaching(past recipients: Mike Ling, 2006; Jennifer Corboy, 2005;Barbara Bongiovanni, 2004; Wendy Allen, 2003 andBarbara Brager, 2002)

Making Language Learning Fun!

I have always believed that language learning should befun so students will be excited to come to class. AtRanney School, I am given the resources and freedomnecessary to allow the students to explore the languagethrough active participation and collaborative learning. Iam rewarded when I hear my kindergarteners gigglewhen they first hear the new sounds of French. It is agift to watch these students develop and grow throughLower School, acquiring more self-assurance as theybegin to speak more freely using many new vocabularywords and expressions. By the time they leave LowerSchool to enter Middle School, they are able to conjugateverbs and are familiar with the gender of nouns andadjectives. Très bien!

While field trips enhance the multicultural experience sofundamental in the education of children today, thetechnology I have seen develop at Ranney has takenforeign language to a new dimension. Using technologyto break geographical boundaries and actively engagelearners, our students connect to the language andculture through PowerPoint presentations, virtual tours,online resources, interactive websites and distancelearning activities. Lower School foreign languagestudents, for example, have taken a tour of the EiffelTower, visited a French department store, and have seenthe Louvre all through the use of the SmartBoard andwithout leaving their classroom! I am delighted thatRanney School recognizes that emerging internettechnologies have broadened the global marketplace,making foreign language increasingly important intoday’s world, not only as a communication tool, but as a way to understand art, culture and literature.

Ranney School’s 2007

Faculty Commencement Award Winners

17C O L U M N S 17

During the past 10 years at Ranney, I have grownprofessionally and have watched my students matureand develop into young adults. I am so fortunate to be apart of the Ranney community and to work in aprofession that I so much enjoy. Teaching in collaborationwith other talented professionals, we provide students anideal learning environment with multifaceted activitiesand opportunities for learning.

Mrs. Louise Dewar Upper School history instructor and HistoryDepartment Chair

Recipient of the Carol Ann PresleyMemorial Award for Excellence in TeachingA Fresh Approach with Traditional Practices

All students can excel when provided with superiorlearning conditions, a powerful educational mixture offrequent feedback, individual attention and alternativelearning strategies. It is so important to address ourchildren in a flexible and individual way.

During the summer months, I work as a trainer for theNational Board for Professional Teaching Standards(NBPTS), an organization that certifies teachers whomeet an established set of professional standards. Everyyear, teachers across the United States participate in anintensive series of assessments, demonstrating theiraccomplishments as educators. Outstanding candidatesare awarded NBPTS Certification. In my role, I work withthose teachers who score assessments and train themto identify evidence of accomplished teaching. In doingso, I have the opportunity to view videotapedsubmissions of teacher candidates at work in theclassroom, illustrating his or her “best practices.” As aresult, I have observed the best work of thousands ofgifted teachers. This has also given me the chance togather ideas, techniques and activities to try in my ownclassroom and share them with my Ranney colleagues.

Here are three ideas that I have recently integrated intomy own teaching, to further refine classroom instruction.These simple yet highly effective strategies demonstratehow accomplished teachers take a fresh approach tosome of the most traditional teaching practices. This iswhat I value as an educator. While Ranney is clearly aschool with rigorous academic standards, studentassessment and timely feedback are critical, andsometimes the best way to assess a student is to talk tothem, but there are other useful strategies as follows:

Studies show that when students receive gradedassessments, they immediately look at the grade and ifthe grade is close to what they expected to receive, theyrarely read the teacher’s comments! In addition, moststudents assume that comments written in red will beuncomplimentary. I use a purple pen and instead ofwriting the grade numerically at the top of the page, Iwrite it out and embed it in my comments at the end ofthe assessment.

Assigning each of my students a letter and having themsubmit a paper with only that as identification.Interestingly, our unconscious assumptions about astudent’s capabilities can creep into our subjectivegrading. 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.

Every so often, I will present a lesson that I haven’t fully“prepped” as a way to learn the material with mystudents, making sure they know that, for this lesson, Iam a student too. When they see me participate in thelearning process as a model of learning behavior, theybegin to ask better questions, make multidisciplinaryconnections and work out problems.

I love working with and observing teachers who loveteaching. Discussing at length about what constitutes“accomplished teaching” never fails to positivelyinfluence the classroom teaching environment. Bythinking outside the box, I have discovered so muchabout myself and my students in the process.

Mr. Noel DelgadoUpper School history instructor and varsity trackand cross country coach

Recipient of the Faculty Panther Prize Inspiring Each Other to Run the Distance

Most of the accomplishments that I have had theprivilege of sharing with my students were not of myown design; rather, they were driven primarily bystudent curiosity and energy. Enhancing the runningprogram at Ranney School has been a student-driveneffort that continues to grow and improve. When I firstdiscussed running the NJ Marathon with my crosscountry team, they were quite enthusiastic about it —one student even asked if he could train with me! It didnot take long before others got the running bug andinterest grew exponentially. Soon after, a new winter

track team of nine runners was formed to continuerunning over the cold months — a team that has grownto 38 runners today! This team of dedicated athletescarefully and methodically added mile after mile to theirweekend runs, learning firsthand that running 8-10miles is possible. Our winter team quickly grew into ayear-round running club, made up of not only track andcross country runners, but also members of the tennis,soccer and swim teams. We continued training onweekends and they constantly challenged me to findnew runs in which to compete. We have taken our trackshoes all the way to Florida, where we competed in theDisney half marathon (13.1 miles), a new annualtradition we are proud to continue. These athletes refuseto rest on their laurels; most recently, they have addedbiking to our regime for cross-training in order tocompete in triathlons.

While I encourage my team of dedicated runners to takeeach run further, they have, in turn, pushed me to growin new ways that have been equally motivating. Thesevaluable experiences have been both personally andprofessionally rewarding: having the opportunity to sharethe sport of running with my students and witnessing mystudents’ growth, both in terms of their run times andtheir ability to challenge themselves, support their fellowteammates and work both independently and as part ofa team. Extra-curricular activities are the beginning of alifelong process of self-discovery and learning. AtRanney, they are not viewed as just after-school events;they represent a daily mindset of self-discipline andcooperation that is integrated throughout the entirecampus. Students understand that excellence andsuccess, whether it is in the classroom or on the track,results only from academic and personal integritycombined with a developed character.

At Ranney, we encourage our students to find out whattruly excites them because children respond to beingsurrounded by others who share and nurture theirinterests. I welcome and appreciate the opportunity tobuild a stronger bond with my students, something thatI will always cherish. The long runs we have sharedtogether have inspired us all and each new run is valuable.My students have taught me that self-improvement is anever-ending journey because we can always run furtherand faster. At the end of that long journey we taketogether, exhausted and sometimes shocked at how farwe have come, each one of us emerges a bit strongerthan ever before.

16 C O L U M N S16

we could enhance the curriculum simply by putting ourminds and resources together. We got creative andenthralled even some of our harder to reach students by developing games and activities to teach lessons.The morale and determination of the school communitycarried us through even the most difficult times.

When Dr. Sykoff arrived as our third Headmaster in1993, Ranney School was fortunate to have such astrong faculty of forward-thinking educators who wereexcited to support the growth and development of whatwas a remarkably small school into one of the premierindependent schools in the state. Dr. Sykoff’s vision forthe future of Ranney was immediately evident then andwe see many of the results of his vision todaythroughout the campus. Now, when we stop to lookaround us, we see curious and eager students who arebenefiting from the most relevant and up-to-dateresources: SmartBoards in every classroom, universalInternet capability, the most current texts, two expansivelibraries for our Lower, Middle and Upper Schools, aDistance Learning Center and state-of-the-art athleticfacilities that put our students at the forefront ofscholastic and athletic endeavors. I have seen manychanges in nearly two decades, but the one constanteach year has been a supportive and close-knit group ofcolleagues who work seamlessly together, and whoshare and grow through their interactions with oneanother. I am proud to be a part of a faculty of teacherswho truly love their job.

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 90swas impacted by an economic recession. When I beganmy full-time position in 1988 as a fifth grade teacher atRanney School, my first classroom in the Barn was quitedifferent than the one that I have today. Our teachingmaterials included: a current set of encyclopedias, abookcase and two maps. My classroom materialsallowance was modest, so I raided my sons’bookshelves, games, toys and anything else they hadthat could be used to teach my class. My grade levelcolleagues and I would share our materials and see how

EACH YEAR AT COMMENCEMENT, FOUR DISTINGUISHED

MEMBERS OF RANNEY SCHOOL’S FACULTY ARE PRESENTED

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

RANNEY SCHOOL.Mrs. Nancy RosenthalLower School French instructor

Recipient of the Carol AnnPresley Memorial Award forExcellence in Teaching(past recipients: Mike Ling, 2006; Jennifer Corboy, 2005;Barbara Bongiovanni, 2004; Wendy Allen, 2003 andBarbara Brager, 2002)

Making Language Learning Fun!

I have always believed that language learning should befun so students will be excited to come to class. AtRanney School, I am given the resources and freedomnecessary to allow the students to explore the languagethrough active participation and collaborative learning. Iam rewarded when I hear my kindergarteners gigglewhen they first hear the new sounds of French. It is agift to watch these students develop and grow throughLower School, acquiring more self-assurance as theybegin to speak more freely using many new vocabularywords and expressions. By the time they leave LowerSchool to enter Middle School, they are able to conjugateverbs and are familiar with the gender of nouns andadjectives. Très bien!

While field trips enhance the multicultural experience sofundamental in the education of children today, thetechnology I have seen develop at Ranney has takenforeign language to a new dimension. Using technologyto break geographical boundaries and actively engagelearners, our students connect to the language andculture through PowerPoint presentations, virtual tours,online resources, interactive websites and distancelearning activities. Lower School foreign languagestudents, for example, have taken a tour of the EiffelTower, visited a French department store, and have seenthe Louvre all through the use of the SmartBoard andwithout leaving their classroom! I am delighted thatRanney School recognizes that emerging internettechnologies have broadened the global marketplace,making foreign language increasingly important intoday’s world, not only as a communication tool, but as a way to understand art, culture and literature.

Ranney School’s 2007

Faculty Commencement Award Winners

17C O L U M N S 17

During the past 10 years at Ranney, I have grownprofessionally and have watched my students matureand develop into young adults. I am so fortunate to be apart of the Ranney community and to work in aprofession that I so much enjoy. Teaching in collaborationwith other talented professionals, we provide students anideal learning environment with multifaceted activitiesand opportunities for learning.

Mrs. Louise Dewar Upper School history instructor and HistoryDepartment Chair

Recipient of the Carol Ann PresleyMemorial Award for Excellence in TeachingA Fresh Approach with Traditional Practices

All students can excel when provided with superiorlearning conditions, a powerful educational mixture offrequent feedback, individual attention and alternativelearning strategies. It is so important to address ourchildren in a flexible and individual way.

During the summer months, I work as a trainer for theNational Board for Professional Teaching Standards(NBPTS), an organization that certifies teachers whomeet an established set of professional standards. Everyyear, teachers across the United States participate in anintensive series of assessments, demonstrating theiraccomplishments as educators. Outstanding candidatesare awarded NBPTS Certification. In my role, I work withthose teachers who score assessments and train themto identify evidence of accomplished teaching. In doingso, I have the opportunity to view videotapedsubmissions of teacher candidates at work in theclassroom, illustrating his or her “best practices.” As aresult, I have observed the best work of thousands ofgifted teachers. This has also given me the chance togather ideas, techniques and activities to try in my ownclassroom and share them with my Ranney colleagues.

Here are three ideas that I have recently integrated intomy own teaching, to further refine classroom instruction.These simple yet highly effective strategies demonstratehow accomplished teachers take a fresh approach tosome of the most traditional teaching practices. This iswhat I value as an educator. While Ranney is clearly aschool with rigorous academic standards, studentassessment and timely feedback are critical, andsometimes the best way to assess a student is to talk tothem, but there are other useful strategies as follows:

Studies show that when students receive gradedassessments, they immediately look at the grade and ifthe grade is close to what they expected to receive, theyrarely read the teacher’s comments! In addition, moststudents assume that comments written in red will beuncomplimentary. I use a purple pen and instead ofwriting the grade numerically at the top of the page, Iwrite it out and embed it in my comments at the end ofthe assessment.

Assigning each of my students a letter and having themsubmit a paper with only that as identification.Interestingly, our unconscious assumptions about astudent’s capabilities can creep into our subjectivegrading. 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.

Every so often, I will present a lesson that I haven’t fully“prepped” as a way to learn the material with mystudents, making sure they know that, for this lesson, Iam a student too. When they see me participate in thelearning process as a model of learning behavior, theybegin to ask better questions, make multidisciplinaryconnections and work out problems.

I love working with and observing teachers who loveteaching. Discussing at length about what constitutes“accomplished teaching” never fails to positivelyinfluence the classroom teaching environment. Bythinking outside the box, I have discovered so muchabout myself and my students in the process.

Mr. Noel DelgadoUpper School history instructor and varsity trackand cross country coach

Recipient of the Faculty Panther Prize Inspiring Each Other to Run the Distance

Most of the accomplishments that I have had theprivilege of sharing with my students were not of myown design; rather, they were driven primarily bystudent curiosity and energy. Enhancing the runningprogram at Ranney School has been a student-driveneffort that continues to grow and improve. When I firstdiscussed running the NJ Marathon with my crosscountry team, they were quite enthusiastic about it —one student even asked if he could train with me! It didnot take long before others got the running bug andinterest grew exponentially. Soon after, a new winter

track team of nine runners was formed to continuerunning over the cold months — a team that has grownto 38 runners today! This team of dedicated athletescarefully and methodically added mile after mile to theirweekend runs, learning firsthand that running 8-10miles is possible. Our winter team quickly grew into ayear-round running club, made up of not only track andcross country runners, but also members of the tennis,soccer and swim teams. We continued training onweekends and they constantly challenged me to findnew runs in which to compete. We have taken our trackshoes all the way to Florida, where we competed in theDisney half marathon (13.1 miles), a new annualtradition we are proud to continue. These athletes refuseto rest on their laurels; most recently, they have addedbiking to our regime for cross-training in order tocompete in triathlons.

While I encourage my team of dedicated runners to takeeach run further, they have, in turn, pushed me to growin new ways that have been equally motivating. Thesevaluable experiences have been both personally andprofessionally rewarding: having the opportunity to sharethe sport of running with my students and witnessing mystudents’ growth, both in terms of their run times andtheir ability to challenge themselves, support their fellowteammates and work both independently and as part ofa team. Extra-curricular activities are the beginning of alifelong process of self-discovery and learning. AtRanney, they are not viewed as just after-school events;they represent a daily mindset of self-discipline andcooperation that is integrated throughout the entirecampus. Students understand that excellence andsuccess, whether it is in the classroom or on the track,results only from academic and personal integritycombined with a developed character.

At Ranney, we encourage our students to find out whattruly excites them because children respond to beingsurrounded by others who share and nurture theirinterests. I welcome and appreciate the opportunity tobuild a stronger bond with my students, something thatI will always cherish. The long runs we have sharedtogether have inspired us all and each new run is valuable.My students have taught me that self-improvement is anever-ending journey because we can always run furtherand faster. At the end of that long journey we taketogether, exhausted and sometimes shocked at how farwe have come, each one of us emerges a bit strongerthan ever before.

19C O L U M N S18 C O L U M N S

19C O L U M N S18 C O L U M N S

DISTINGUISHED LIFERS AT RANNEY SCHOOL

20 C O L U M N S

David Fischer- 10 yrs.Upper School Dean of Students

Linda Foster- 22 yrs.First Grade

Barbara Bongiovanni - 21 yrs.Physical EducationLaura Gillroy -19 yrs.

Assistant Head of Lower SchoolHeather Rudisi -22 yrs.Associate Head of School

Katrin Ann Kiin -11 yrs.Bookkeeper

Charles P Ramos -11 yrs.Maintenance Foreman

Karen Klim -11 yrs.Assistant to Head of School

Jennifer Corboy -13 yrs.Upper School Math

Doreen Fowlkes -19 yrs.Fifth Grade

Beverly Sirianni -19 yrs.Middle School Art

Lawrence Sykoff , Ed. D.-15 yrs.Head of School

Janet Bender-10 yrs.Band Leader

Joan Fernandez-10 yrs.Upper School English

WHILE OUR PARENTS CONSIDER RANNEY SCHOOL AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR

CHILDREN, OUR FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF VIEW WORKING AT

RANNEY AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS. A COVETED PLACE

TO WORK, DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH ROOTS, RANNEY ENJOYS A HIGH

PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TURNED THE TEN YEAR CORNER,ILLUSTRATING THEIR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THE SCHOOL.

21C O L U M N S

Thomas Moriau -19 yrs.Director of Athletics

Nancy Wade -13 yrs.Assistant Head of Middle School

Kate Greenberg -10 yrs.Chair, Fine Arts

Marybeth McGovern -13 yrs.First Grade

Michael Dunn -12 yrs.Upper School Science

Nancy Rosenthal -10 yrs.Lower School French

William Flanagan -11 yrs.Security

Mario Pereira-18 yrs.Security

Emmett Walling - 27 yrs.Aquatics Director

Kristen Kapcsos -10 yrs.Third Grade

Helen Kent -10 yrs.Upper School French Valerie Schwake -10 yrs.

Upper School Science

DISTINGUISHED LIFERS AT RANNEY SCHOOL

20 C O L U M N S

David Fischer- 10 yrs.Upper School Dean of Students

Linda Foster- 22 yrs.First Grade

Barbara Bongiovanni - 21 yrs.Physical EducationLaura Gillroy -19 yrs.

Assistant Head of Lower SchoolHeather Rudisi -22 yrs.Associate Head of School

Katrin Ann Kiin -11 yrs.Bookkeeper

Charles P Ramos -11 yrs.Maintenance Foreman

Karen Klim -11 yrs.Assistant to Head of School

Jennifer Corboy -13 yrs.Upper School Math

Doreen Fowlkes -19 yrs.Fifth Grade

Beverly Sirianni -19 yrs.Middle School Art

Lawrence Sykoff , Ed. D.-15 yrs.Head of School

Janet Bender-10 yrs.Band Leader

Joan Fernandez-10 yrs.Upper School English

WHILE OUR PARENTS CONSIDER RANNEY SCHOOL AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR

CHILDREN, OUR FACULTY, ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF VIEW WORKING AT

RANNEY AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR PROFESSIONAL CAREERS. A COVETED PLACE

TO WORK, DEVELOP AND ESTABLISH ROOTS, RANNEY ENJOYS A HIGH

PERCENTAGE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE TURNED THE TEN YEAR CORNER,ILLUSTRATING THEIR COMMITMENT AND DEDICATION TO THE SCHOOL.

21C O L U M N S

Thomas Moriau -19 yrs.Director of Athletics

Nancy Wade -13 yrs.Assistant Head of Middle School

Kate Greenberg -10 yrs.Chair, Fine Arts

Marybeth McGovern -13 yrs.First Grade

Michael Dunn -12 yrs.Upper School Science

Nancy Rosenthal -10 yrs.Lower School French

William Flanagan -11 yrs.Security

Mario Pereira-18 yrs.Security

Emmett Walling - 27 yrs.Aquatics Director

Kristen Kapcsos -10 yrs.Third Grade

Helen Kent -10 yrs.Upper School French Valerie Schwake -10 yrs.

Upper School Science

22 C O L U M N S

Ranney School Parents’ Association

23C O L U M N S

22 C O L U M N S

Ranney School Parents’ Association

23C O L U M N S

1- Chelsea Castellano, Ranney student since 1994

“Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancingwith the heart is another,” an old saying goes, andChelsea has both down pat. With more than 50first place awards in dance competitions since2001, she has been dance captain for localproductions 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 truephilanthropist, Chelsea volunteers her time to thecommunity. Her service to the community is vastand far-reaching; locally, she volunteers at theARC, where she is a physical education instructorfor the disabled and she has helped to organizedrop-offs at the local food banks and the RonaldMcDonald House. Globally, Chelsea is a majorforce in efforts to save the environment as theEvents Coordinator for Environmental StudentsTake Action and, quite impressively, volunteers forSave Darfur, an organization dedicated to aidingthe people of Sudan who are threatened bygenocide. From the slopes of Utah to the streets ofBarcelona, this avid skier and snowboarder enjoysdiscovering new places and experiencing culture.She is a member of the National Spanish HonorSociety who has studied abroad in Spain at theuniversity level.

2- Christos Chrysanthou, Ranney student since 1998

A Lifer with initiative, Christos is not only amember of organizations, but also a leader. AtRanney, he has demonstrated this initiative andleadership as Founder and Head Intern in theCollege Guidance intern program. He was also a co-organizer of the Lower School Internshipprogram. Outside of Ranney, Christos’ leadershipis apparent in his offices as treasurer and vicepresident of the Greek Orthodox YouthOrganization (GOYA) and founder and president of the Toms River Chapter of the Sons of Periclesand treasurer of the Tri-State Area organization, aphilanthropic group fostering Greek heritage.Christos is also an academic stand-out as amember of the Model United Nations, the ModelCongress, the A Team of the Academic Team andis captain of the Chess Team. In addition, hecompeted in the New Jersey Science League. Hereceived the second highest score from Ranney inthe American Mathematics Competition and hasconsistently placed in the Top 10 contestants inthe National Science League. Proud of hisheritage, Christos won the Best Actor in a GreekProduction Award in a GOYA competition and theThree Hierarchs Award for Excellence in the GreekLanguage; he was among the top 15 rankedstudents in New Jersey. Christos also plays on theRanney varsity tennis and squash teams. Notably,he is also a state ranked table tennis player by theUnited States Association of Table Tennis.

3- Juliet Donaghy, Ranney student since 1995

Hollywood-bound may be one way to describe this Lifer. Juliet traveled to Los Angeles lastsummer to participate in the acclaimed New YorkFilm Academy program, where she learned aboutthe various aspects of the film industry andproduced three films of her own using actors fromthe school. Fittingly, she is enrolled in the newDigital Media course at Ranney and she playedDodo, the Five of Spades in Ranney’s production ofAlice in Wonderland last year and was a memberof the crew for Romeo and Juliet this year. ThisLifer is also musically inclined, having taken guitarand drum lessons for the duration of her UpperSchool career. She has also been a member ofLive Playing Workshops, where she forms bandsand selects music to play in concerts. As asophomore, Juliet participated in the CPI: Soccerand Spanish in Costa Rica program, where shehoned her skills in both the sport and thelanguage. Juliet is also a member of the squashteam at Ranney School and a member of the trackteam. An AP Scholar, a select member of theModel United Nations and a member of the HighHonor Roll, Juliet is an academic powerhouse.She also recognizes the importance of giving back to her community, through her volunteerwork with the Special Olympics and her church as a member of Youth Group and the InterfaithHospitality Network.

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.

25C O L U M N S24 C O L U M N S

1

2

3

4 5

6

798

1- Chelsea Castellano, Ranney student since 1994

“Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancingwith the heart is another,” an old saying goes, andChelsea has both down pat. With more than 50first place awards in dance competitions since2001, she has been dance captain for localproductions 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 truephilanthropist, Chelsea volunteers her time to thecommunity. Her service to the community is vastand far-reaching; locally, she volunteers at theARC, where she is a physical education instructorfor the disabled and she has helped to organizedrop-offs at the local food banks and the RonaldMcDonald House. Globally, Chelsea is a majorforce in efforts to save the environment as theEvents Coordinator for Environmental StudentsTake Action and, quite impressively, volunteers forSave Darfur, an organization dedicated to aidingthe people of Sudan who are threatened bygenocide. From the slopes of Utah to the streets ofBarcelona, this avid skier and snowboarder enjoysdiscovering new places and experiencing culture.She is a member of the National Spanish HonorSociety who has studied abroad in Spain at theuniversity level.

2- Christos Chrysanthou, Ranney student since 1998

A Lifer with initiative, Christos is not only amember of organizations, but also a leader. AtRanney, he has demonstrated this initiative andleadership as Founder and Head Intern in theCollege Guidance intern program. He was also a co-organizer of the Lower School Internshipprogram. Outside of Ranney, Christos’ leadershipis apparent in his offices as treasurer and vicepresident of the Greek Orthodox YouthOrganization (GOYA) and founder and president of the Toms River Chapter of the Sons of Periclesand treasurer of the Tri-State Area organization, aphilanthropic group fostering Greek heritage.Christos is also an academic stand-out as amember of the Model United Nations, the ModelCongress, the A Team of the Academic Team andis captain of the Chess Team. In addition, hecompeted in the New Jersey Science League. Hereceived the second highest score from Ranney inthe American Mathematics Competition and hasconsistently placed in the Top 10 contestants inthe National Science League. Proud of hisheritage, Christos won the Best Actor in a GreekProduction Award in a GOYA competition and theThree Hierarchs Award for Excellence in the GreekLanguage; he was among the top 15 rankedstudents in New Jersey. Christos also plays on theRanney varsity tennis and squash teams. Notably,he is also a state ranked table tennis player by theUnited States Association of Table Tennis.

3- Juliet Donaghy, Ranney student since 1995

Hollywood-bound may be one way to describe this Lifer. Juliet traveled to Los Angeles lastsummer to participate in the acclaimed New YorkFilm Academy program, where she learned aboutthe various aspects of the film industry andproduced three films of her own using actors fromthe school. Fittingly, she is enrolled in the newDigital Media course at Ranney and she playedDodo, the Five of Spades in Ranney’s production ofAlice in Wonderland last year and was a memberof the crew for Romeo and Juliet this year. ThisLifer is also musically inclined, having taken guitarand drum lessons for the duration of her UpperSchool career. She has also been a member ofLive Playing Workshops, where she forms bandsand selects music to play in concerts. As asophomore, Juliet participated in the CPI: Soccerand Spanish in Costa Rica program, where shehoned her skills in both the sport and thelanguage. Juliet is also a member of the squashteam at Ranney School and a member of the trackteam. An AP Scholar, a select member of theModel United Nations and a member of the HighHonor Roll, Juliet is an academic powerhouse.She also recognizes the importance of giving back to her community, through her volunteerwork with the Special Olympics and her church as a member of Youth Group and the InterfaithHospitality Network.

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.

25C O L U M N S24 C O L U M N S

1

2

3

4 5

6

798

27C O L U M N S26 C O L U M N S

4- Erika Flashburg, Ranney student since 1996

The spare moments that Erika is not training dogsas the founder of Monmouth County’s K-9 Bone-Digger’s Therapy Dog Club, she is out ridinghorses. An accomplished equestrian, Erika hasbeen riding for ten years and has been a memberof the Monmouth County Curry Combs EquestrianClub since 2003. Her compassion, however, is notlimited to four-legged friends; true to Lifer form,Erika is also a leader in volunteer service. She hasworked as a teacher’s assistant working withdisabled students at Ladacin (formerly known asUnited Cerebral Palsy) and as a volunteer for thepast two years at Ranney School’s own SeniorSenior Prom at Applewood Estates, where she andother members of the National Honor Societybrought the senior prom to residents of this adultcare community. She frequents nursing homesand schools for the disabled with the therapy dogsshe has trained to help bring sunshine in the livesof those in need. Highly intelligent and athletic,Erika is a member of the National Spanish HonorSociety, National Honor Society and High HonorRoll, as well as an accomplished fencer, tennisplayer and rower, shining in the classroom, on the field and in life. Erica advises her youngerclassmates: “Work hard, stay focused and setgoals for yourself. At Ranney, I have learned toovercome obstacles and have developed friendsfor a lifetime.”

5- Paul Gale, Ranney student since 1998

Paul Gale shines both in front of the camera andbehind it. A stand-out member in the new DigitalMedia course at Ranney, Paul has producedthirteen films and documentaries, with topicsranging from sports to travel to the “CookieMonster.” As a past treasurer, current president,actor and a member of the stage crew for theRanney School Chapter of the InternationalThespian Society, Paul proves that his talents runthe gamut in acting and production. “For me,Ranney has been a fabulous social and intellectualenvironment to spend my most formative years.”This Lifer ranked 12th out of nearly 100competitors in the region in the AcademicDecathlon and participated in the prestigiousModel Congress. A member of the varsity lacrosseteam and squash club, Paul is yet anotherimpressive “triple threat” among the Lifers: aperformer, athlete and scholar. When asked to giveadvice to his sister, Nicole ’13, he emphasized theimportance of communicating with Ranney facultyand administrators, “We have unforgettableteachers. Questions and comments are alwaysanswered, and no one is ever too busy to meetwith a student.” He also encouraged takingadvantage of the multitude of opportunities atRanney. “Get involved in everything because theRanney experience is one full of extracurricularactivities, and to miss those would be to misswhat it is to be a Ranney student.”

6- Sandeep Gourkanti, Ranney student since 1995

This future Pulitzer Prize winner is such a talentedauthor that he was nominated for the New JerseyGovernor’s School for Creative Writing last year. Aneditor/writer for both the RSVP literary magazineand The Torch, Sandeep has honed his skillsthrough the years. “As a layout editor for thenewspaper and a member of The Torch, I havelearned to take responsibility for my performance.It has also helped me to appreciate the peoplearound me for their contributions.” An all-aroundscholar and athlete, this AP Scholar also finds timeto play varsity basketball, tennis and squash.“I have enjoyed the small classes and attentionthat I received from my teachers. Theserelationships have allowed me to step out of mycomfort zone to transcend failures and move on to the next test, class discussion or homeworkassignment.” Like many of his fellow Lifers,Sandeep is also generous with his time inassisting both his school and his community,as an active member of Student Council, servingas a Class Representative last year, as well as aregular volunteer at Riverview Medical Center.When asked to give advice to a new Ranneystudent, Sandeep replied, “Speak up in classdiscussions, join new activity clubs and developfriendships with teachers. I would also tell myyounger brother, Mayur ’09, to take risks andchallenge himself because when we arechallenged, we reveal our true character.”

7- Joey Kuskin, Ranney student since 1997

Joey Kuskin has found her passion and has used it to help others. A member of competitive danceteams for the past 10 years, Joey has animpressive record of both accomplishment andphilanthropy in dance. She has been a co-captainat the Movement Dance Company and the NJDance Center, and a captain and member of theDance Team at Tyler Hill Camp. Joey hascompeted against several nationwide dance teamsat the Starbound Regional Competition for thePerforming Arts, where she placed 3rd in thesenior duet/trio category; the Starquest NationalTalent Competition, where she placed first overall.“Throughout my years at Ranney, I have learned toappreciate each and every day. I feel so lucky tohave had the opportunity to go to an excellentschool that has so much pride in what they do.”She has also performed to help raise money forsuch charities as Dancers Responding to AIDS, theMake a Wish Foundation, Walk for Lupus, TheJoseph Questore Benefit and breast cancerawareness. Serving as a former Vice President ofthe Community Service Club, Joey’s communityservice has gone beyond her participation indance charities. She has assisted at the Arc, theRonald McDonald House, the Food Bank ofMonmouth and Ocean Counties and Habitat forHumanity. An academic standout, Joey wasinducted into the Spanish National Honor Societyand achieved the third highest semester averagefor pre-calculus. About her Ranney years, Joeyshared, “Ranney has given me an outstandingeducation, friends that will last a lifetime andmemories that will thrive forever.”

8- Suzanne Lee, Ranney student since 1994

Another of the Lifer “Triple Threats,” Suzanne Leesings, dances and acts. A senior member of theAmerican Cultural Studies selected troupe,Suzanne has taken cultural dance, ballet, jazz,modern and lyrical throughout Upper School. Shehas spent much of her time participating in theInternational Thespian Society and is a foundingmember of Ranney School’s Upper School Band.Suzanne, a flutist, has achieved a high level ofproficiency in music. A singer who composes herown songs, Suzanne has been in chorus since herLower School days. She also assists with LowerSchool Choral productions. “I was glad to knowthat I could still assist with the Lower Schoolproductions, watching and caring for the childrenwho eagerly signed up to perform. As thosechildren got older, it’s a warm feeling — and greatresponsibility — to know that they look up toyou.” Her talents extend beyond music andtheater: she has published a collection of works in local and school literary magazines and is awinner of the National Amateur Writing Contest.Leading the Ranney School Crop Walk group,Suzanne is also an active and compassionatevolunteer. “Ranney is really a large extendedfamily. You can turn to anyone for help.” Reflectingon her experience, Suzanne says, “Rememberwhere you are now. This is where your life begins— at home. The world is changing so fast and itis important to have a place that stands behindyou, preparing you for the world. You willremember your years at Ranney forever, so make the most of them. Make memories, andmake history.”

9- Jeremy Lesser, Ranney student since 1998

Jeremy is dynamic and talented writer in a variety of genres, creating scripts andscreenplays, contributing short stories to RSVP,Ranney’s literary magazine, and writing articles forThe Torch newspaper. He has been a member ofthe Academic Team for the past two years and aselect member of both the Model United Nationsand the Model Congress. A bright and motivatedstudent, his academic accomplishments areevidenced by his being on High Honor Roll for thepast four years and his selection to the NationalSpanish Honor Society. Jeremy was also selectedto participate in the Columbia University SummerProgram for High School Students last summer,where he studied Constitutional Law. A member of the Community Service Club, Jeremy’sphilanthropic spirit is apparent both inside andoutside school, as he organizes food drives for thelocal food banks, and volunteers for the RonaldMcDonald House and the Boys and Girls Club ofAsbury Park. He has also participated in the AIDSWalk in New York City every year for the past threeyears. This Lifer espouses the twin values ofstrong scholarship and character, and his athleticabilities round out his assortment of talents. He isa member of Ranney’s varsity basketball andsquash teams and a member of the JV tennisteam. “These years have meant growth for me.I have grown not just physically, but mentally overthe years, and many aspects of that growth I oweto the lessons learned at Ranney. The opportunityto being a leader at Ranney School has left mewith many experiences that I wouldn’t trade forthe world.”

“When I leave Ranney,I will be leaving asecond home. Therewill always be a part of me that will stayat Ranney, and a partof Ranney that will

stay with me.”— StephanieTomasetta ’08

10

11

12

1314

15

16

27C O L U M N S26 C O L U M N S

4- Erika Flashburg, Ranney student since 1996

The spare moments that Erika is not training dogsas the founder of Monmouth County’s K-9 Bone-Digger’s Therapy Dog Club, she is out ridinghorses. An accomplished equestrian, Erika hasbeen riding for ten years and has been a memberof the Monmouth County Curry Combs EquestrianClub since 2003. Her compassion, however, is notlimited to four-legged friends; true to Lifer form,Erika is also a leader in volunteer service. She hasworked as a teacher’s assistant working withdisabled students at Ladacin (formerly known asUnited Cerebral Palsy) and as a volunteer for thepast two years at Ranney School’s own SeniorSenior Prom at Applewood Estates, where she andother members of the National Honor Societybrought the senior prom to residents of this adultcare community. She frequents nursing homesand schools for the disabled with the therapy dogsshe has trained to help bring sunshine in the livesof those in need. Highly intelligent and athletic,Erika is a member of the National Spanish HonorSociety, National Honor Society and High HonorRoll, as well as an accomplished fencer, tennisplayer and rower, shining in the classroom, on the field and in life. Erica advises her youngerclassmates: “Work hard, stay focused and setgoals for yourself. At Ranney, I have learned toovercome obstacles and have developed friendsfor a lifetime.”

5- Paul Gale, Ranney student since 1998

Paul Gale shines both in front of the camera andbehind it. A stand-out member in the new DigitalMedia course at Ranney, Paul has producedthirteen films and documentaries, with topicsranging from sports to travel to the “CookieMonster.” As a past treasurer, current president,actor and a member of the stage crew for theRanney School Chapter of the InternationalThespian Society, Paul proves that his talents runthe gamut in acting and production. “For me,Ranney has been a fabulous social and intellectualenvironment to spend my most formative years.”This Lifer ranked 12th out of nearly 100competitors in the region in the AcademicDecathlon and participated in the prestigiousModel Congress. A member of the varsity lacrosseteam and squash club, Paul is yet anotherimpressive “triple threat” among the Lifers: aperformer, athlete and scholar. When asked to giveadvice to his sister, Nicole ’13, he emphasized theimportance of communicating with Ranney facultyand administrators, “We have unforgettableteachers. Questions and comments are alwaysanswered, and no one is ever too busy to meetwith a student.” He also encouraged takingadvantage of the multitude of opportunities atRanney. “Get involved in everything because theRanney experience is one full of extracurricularactivities, and to miss those would be to misswhat it is to be a Ranney student.”

6- Sandeep Gourkanti, Ranney student since 1995

This future Pulitzer Prize winner is such a talentedauthor that he was nominated for the New JerseyGovernor’s School for Creative Writing last year. Aneditor/writer for both the RSVP literary magazineand The Torch, Sandeep has honed his skillsthrough the years. “As a layout editor for thenewspaper and a member of The Torch, I havelearned to take responsibility for my performance.It has also helped me to appreciate the peoplearound me for their contributions.” An all-aroundscholar and athlete, this AP Scholar also finds timeto play varsity basketball, tennis and squash.“I have enjoyed the small classes and attentionthat I received from my teachers. Theserelationships have allowed me to step out of mycomfort zone to transcend failures and move on to the next test, class discussion or homeworkassignment.” Like many of his fellow Lifers,Sandeep is also generous with his time inassisting both his school and his community,as an active member of Student Council, servingas a Class Representative last year, as well as aregular volunteer at Riverview Medical Center.When asked to give advice to a new Ranneystudent, Sandeep replied, “Speak up in classdiscussions, join new activity clubs and developfriendships with teachers. I would also tell myyounger brother, Mayur ’09, to take risks andchallenge himself because when we arechallenged, we reveal our true character.”

7- Joey Kuskin, Ranney student since 1997

Joey Kuskin has found her passion and has used it to help others. A member of competitive danceteams for the past 10 years, Joey has animpressive record of both accomplishment andphilanthropy in dance. She has been a co-captainat the Movement Dance Company and the NJDance Center, and a captain and member of theDance Team at Tyler Hill Camp. Joey hascompeted against several nationwide dance teamsat the Starbound Regional Competition for thePerforming Arts, where she placed 3rd in thesenior duet/trio category; the Starquest NationalTalent Competition, where she placed first overall.“Throughout my years at Ranney, I have learned toappreciate each and every day. I feel so lucky tohave had the opportunity to go to an excellentschool that has so much pride in what they do.”She has also performed to help raise money forsuch charities as Dancers Responding to AIDS, theMake a Wish Foundation, Walk for Lupus, TheJoseph Questore Benefit and breast cancerawareness. Serving as a former Vice President ofthe Community Service Club, Joey’s communityservice has gone beyond her participation indance charities. She has assisted at the Arc, theRonald McDonald House, the Food Bank ofMonmouth and Ocean Counties and Habitat forHumanity. An academic standout, Joey wasinducted into the Spanish National Honor Societyand achieved the third highest semester averagefor pre-calculus. About her Ranney years, Joeyshared, “Ranney has given me an outstandingeducation, friends that will last a lifetime andmemories that will thrive forever.”

8- Suzanne Lee, Ranney student since 1994

Another of the Lifer “Triple Threats,” Suzanne Leesings, dances and acts. A senior member of theAmerican Cultural Studies selected troupe,Suzanne has taken cultural dance, ballet, jazz,modern and lyrical throughout Upper School. Shehas spent much of her time participating in theInternational Thespian Society and is a foundingmember of Ranney School’s Upper School Band.Suzanne, a flutist, has achieved a high level ofproficiency in music. A singer who composes herown songs, Suzanne has been in chorus since herLower School days. She also assists with LowerSchool Choral productions. “I was glad to knowthat I could still assist with the Lower Schoolproductions, watching and caring for the childrenwho eagerly signed up to perform. As thosechildren got older, it’s a warm feeling — and greatresponsibility — to know that they look up toyou.” Her talents extend beyond music andtheater: she has published a collection of works in local and school literary magazines and is awinner of the National Amateur Writing Contest.Leading the Ranney School Crop Walk group,Suzanne is also an active and compassionatevolunteer. “Ranney is really a large extendedfamily. You can turn to anyone for help.” Reflectingon her experience, Suzanne says, “Rememberwhere you are now. This is where your life begins— at home. The world is changing so fast and itis important to have a place that stands behindyou, preparing you for the world. You willremember your years at Ranney forever, so make the most of them. Make memories, andmake history.”

9- Jeremy Lesser, Ranney student since 1998

Jeremy is dynamic and talented writer in a variety of genres, creating scripts andscreenplays, contributing short stories to RSVP,Ranney’s literary magazine, and writing articles forThe Torch newspaper. He has been a member ofthe Academic Team for the past two years and aselect member of both the Model United Nationsand the Model Congress. A bright and motivatedstudent, his academic accomplishments areevidenced by his being on High Honor Roll for thepast four years and his selection to the NationalSpanish Honor Society. Jeremy was also selectedto participate in the Columbia University SummerProgram for High School Students last summer,where he studied Constitutional Law. A member of the Community Service Club, Jeremy’sphilanthropic spirit is apparent both inside andoutside school, as he organizes food drives for thelocal food banks, and volunteers for the RonaldMcDonald House and the Boys and Girls Club ofAsbury Park. He has also participated in the AIDSWalk in New York City every year for the past threeyears. This Lifer espouses the twin values ofstrong scholarship and character, and his athleticabilities round out his assortment of talents. He isa member of Ranney’s varsity basketball andsquash teams and a member of the JV tennisteam. “These years have meant growth for me.I have grown not just physically, but mentally overthe years, and many aspects of that growth I oweto the lessons learned at Ranney. The opportunityto being a leader at Ranney School has left mewith many experiences that I wouldn’t trade forthe world.”

“When I leave Ranney,I will be leaving asecond home. Therewill always be a part of me that will stayat Ranney, and a partof Ranney that will

stay with me.”— StephanieTomasetta ’08

10

11

12

1314

15

16

29C O L U M N S28 C O L U M N S

Class of 2008 LifersCan you match the school photo below with the Lifers from theClass of 2008?

A. Chelsea Castellano

B. Christos Chrysanthou

C. Juliet Donaghy

D. Erika Flashburg

E. Paul Gale

F. Sandeep Gourkanti

G. Joey Kuskin

H. Suzanne Lee

I. Jeremy Lesser

J. Dustin Molina

K. Kristine Rodriguez

L. Meera Sahni

M. Jennifer Tendler

N. Stephanie Tomasetta

O. Katie Vitale

P. Jeffrey Wyckoff

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

10- Dustin Molina, Ranney student since 1996

The former captain of Ranney’s varsity swimmingteam, Dustin has received several awards in the sport, including 8th place in the NJISAASwimming Championships in the 50 yardfreestyle, two Most Valuable Player awards andthe Coach’s Award. Dustin also fares well inacademic competition as a member of the JuniorEngineering Technical Society, the ScienceLeague, Spanish National Honor Society, NationalHonor Society and Mu Alpha Theta NationalMathematics Honor Society. Artistically inclined as well, Dustin plays the bass guitar and is amember of the Contemporary Music Group andRanney Orchestra Band. A recipient of the APScholar Award and consistently on the High HonorRoll for his entire Upper School career, Dustinattributes part of his outstanding success to acomment made by his older brother, Michael ’03,many years ago. “Before I entered the UpperSchool, my brother said, ‘Dustin, don’t be stupid.’This is all I can recall of my brother’s words aboutsucceeding at Ranney, but it altered the course ofmy high school career. Should I watch a little T.V.or study for tomorrow’s final? I would think of thatquote and head to my room to study! That simplephrase has guided me through many complexdecisions and I am the better for it.” Dustin isproud of his school and appreciates the close-knitnature of the Ranney School community. “In mymind, the term Lifer means ‘to feel at home.’ Thenext 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 karatemasters who brought the art to the Japanesemainland, once said, “The ultimate aim of Karatelies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfectionof the character of its participants.” Kristine, whois a karate black belt, has certainly demonstratedstrength of character across a wide range ofaccomplishments and activities. She is one ofRanney’s Admission Ambassadors, takingprospective families on tours of campus. She hasalso been secretary of her class for the past threeyears. “I have held several leadership positionsduring my fifteen years at Ranney and all havebeen positive experiences,” she said. A giftedartist, Kristine is the co-founder of the Studio ArtClub, where she and her peers help one anotherimprove their own work. Kristine’s strong artisticskills were used for the greater good at the CropWalk this year, where she designed a poster andwalked seven miles to benefit the people of Africa.Kristine is also a volunteer karate instructor,where she shares her own passion for themarshal art with local children. Kristine’s strong

character is also apparent on the field, where she received the Most Improved Award in both varsity soccer and varsity swimming, and theSportsmanship Award in varsity soccer. Kristine is the captain of the soccer team and has alsowon second place in the 100 Backstroke at thePatriot Conference Championship meet in 2005-06.She is also a member various honor societiesincluding: National Spanish Honor Society, NationalHonor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National HonorSociety. “The term Lifer isn’t so much about theyears you put into Ranney, as it is the lessons youlearn, both in and out of the classroom. Regardlessof where life takes me next, I will always have thefriendships that I have forged at Ranney to takewith me.”

12- Meera Sahni, Ranney student since 1996

Meera’s community service efforts literally spanthe globe. This Lifer traveled last summer to Indiawhere she taught English to students ages four to20. Locally, Meera volunteers with Ten ThousandVillages in Red Bank. “My years at Ranney havetaught me a great deal about good characterbecause when you attend school with kids whohave strong family upbringings, your value systembecomes richer. The different ways other studentsexercised manners in the Lower School, respectfor elders during Grandparents’ Day and even time management was imprinted in my mind at a young age. With each passing year, you begin todevelop these traits derived from your surroundingpeers.” Editor-in-Chief of the RSVP LiteraryMagazine, bass clarinetist in the Upper SchoolBand and a fierce — but friendly — competitor in the New Jersey Science League, Meera is thedefinition of a well-rounded student. She was oneof three students nominated for participation in the prestigious New Jersey Scholars Program atThe Lawrenceville School. Talented in writing,music, dance and math, Meera is also a trustedRanney leader and role model: she receivedsportsmanship awards in both cheerleading and golf and is captain of the varsity cheerleadingsquad. “My sisters, Gargi ’00 and Sheila ’02, were always enthusiastic about giving me advice as I grew up in Ranney School. They said thatsuccess depended on how well you coulddiscipline yourself and always reminded me that self-discipline would allow me to take onpersonal challenges.”

13- Jennifer Tendler, Ranney student since 1996

A member of the K-9 Bone-Diggers Club withfellow Lifer Erika, Jennifer is also a therapy dogtrainer and serves as treasurer and secretary forthe horse and dog clubs of the Monmouth County4-H Club. She is a member of the United StatesEquestrian Federation and is on the HeimboldShow Team. Combining her love of horses with herinterest in giving back to the community, Jenniferhas also assisted with youth introductory lessons

and summer camp programs for the Sunny SideEquestrian Area of the Monmouth County ParkSystem where she has also given many hours ofcommunity service. A National AP Scholar withHonors, Jennifer serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Torch newspaper and enjoys being a leader:“Leadership at Ranney is a unique experiencebecause of the small community. If I am leading a group or activity, I know every participantpersonally and this connection leads to greaterefficiency and enjoyment because decisions anddelegations are made with everyone’s needs inmind.” Placing in the Lehigh University HighSchool Math Contest last year, Jennifer alsoearned first place at Ranney School in Chemistryon the National Science Exam. About heracademic experience at Ranney, Jennifer shares,“I have been inspired by the minds of my teachers and peers every day. Because I havebeen continuously captivated by their brilliance,I will continue to seek out environments similar to Ranney School as I enter the next chapter ofmy life.” Jennifer is a member of the New JerseyScience League, National Honor Society, NationalSpanish Honor Society and received Dale Carnegie’sBreakthrough Award for passionate oration.

14- Stephanie Tomasetta, Ranney student since 1997

Stephanie has been a model representative of herschool and her class in a variety of activities asevidenced by her recipient of the Best NewcomerAward for Class Council in her junior year. Astrong leader, she served as Vice President of herjunior class and publicity chair for her freshmanand sophomore classes. Her receipt of the RSPA’sPanther Pride Award speaks volumes about hersupport of Ranney School, which she hasdemonstrated through her volunteer work. “Weare encouraged to participate and take on responsibilities. Everyone has become a leader insome way at Ranney, but for me, leading hasmeant helping my school in the same way thatthey have helped me during these past elevenyears.” Her service efforts reach further thancampus, through her work with the Ranneychapter of Habitat for Humanity, as well as co-founding Monmouth County’s Cinderella’s Closet.An academic stand-out, Stephanie has also madeRanney proud at various scholastic competitionsincluding: New Jersey Science League andNational Science League. This AP Scholar withDistinction also was also a Finalist in the 2007-08National Hispanic Recognition Program. Medalingin the Patriot Conference during her swimmingcareer five times, and winning the Athlete of theMonth Award and the Coaches Award in varsityswimming, Stephanie is also a dynamo in thepool. About her Ranney experience, Stephanieshared, “I have made lifelong friends and havebeen encouraged to challenge myself. It isimportant to take advantage and appreciate allthat Ranney has to offer and you will not find awarmer or friendlier environment.”

15- Katie Vitale, Ranney student since 1995

Ranney School has been an important part ofKatie’s life. “For me, being a Lifer has meant that Ihave had a second home. In fact, over the last 13years, I have probably been at Ranney more thanmy home!” Indeed, Katie has been a mainstay onthe B Team of the Academic Decathlon, where shehas served as captain for all four years of herUpper School career. This academically gifted Liferis also a selected member of the Harvard ModelCongress, Model United Nations at Georgetown,Spanish Club and a selected member of theBiology team in the New Jersey Science League.As a freshman, she attended the Center forTalented Youth. Last summer, Katie attendedCornell Summer College, where she tookPhilosophy 101 and a freshman level Englishclass. She was an active participant in The CropWalk and, like many of her fellow Lifers,volunteers regularly for Ronald McDonald Houseand the Food Bank of Monmouth and OceanCounties. Her talents are as varied and diverse asher academic knowledge. The Editor of theHorizons yearbook, Katie is also a member of theDrama Club. She played Martha Corey in the 2004production of The Crucible, was a member of thechorus in Antigone (2005) and led the stage crewin last year’s production of Alice in Wonderland.She is treasurer of the International ThespianSociety. “Being a Lifer has given me a strong,stable education for the rest of my life.”

16- Jeffrey Wyckoff, Ranney student since 1998

This athletic stand-out is a member of the varsitysoccer, baseball and swimming teams, a year-round athlete who has also spent a few summersas a counselor at the Ranney-in-the-Summercamp, sharing his sports knowledge with camp-goers. Having served as a lifeguard, as well, for thecamp, Jeffrey is a physical and mentalpowerhouse. Highly respected by his peers andteachers alike for his strength in the community, onthe field and in the classroom, this Lifer has servedas a leader in many ways; he was Vice President ofthe Spanish Club and is a member of the NationalSpanish Honor Society with many of his fellowLifers. His dedication to the noble cause of cancerresearch is evidenced by his hard work over theyears as a volunteer with the Cancer Institute andthe yellow “Live Strong” bracelet Jeffrey wearsregularly. Jeffrey also has made regular trips to theRonald McDonald House and the Food Banks ofMonmouth and Ocean Counties with many of theother Lifers to ensure that those in need in thegreater 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

29C O L U M N S28 C O L U M N S

Class of 2008 LifersCan you match the school photo below with the Lifers from theClass of 2008?

A. Chelsea Castellano

B. Christos Chrysanthou

C. Juliet Donaghy

D. Erika Flashburg

E. Paul Gale

F. Sandeep Gourkanti

G. Joey Kuskin

H. Suzanne Lee

I. Jeremy Lesser

J. Dustin Molina

K. Kristine Rodriguez

L. Meera Sahni

M. Jennifer Tendler

N. Stephanie Tomasetta

O. Katie Vitale

P. Jeffrey Wyckoff

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10. 11. 12.

13. 14. 15. 16.

10- Dustin Molina, Ranney student since 1996

The former captain of Ranney’s varsity swimmingteam, Dustin has received several awards in the sport, including 8th place in the NJISAASwimming Championships in the 50 yardfreestyle, two Most Valuable Player awards andthe Coach’s Award. Dustin also fares well inacademic competition as a member of the JuniorEngineering Technical Society, the ScienceLeague, Spanish National Honor Society, NationalHonor Society and Mu Alpha Theta NationalMathematics Honor Society. Artistically inclined as well, Dustin plays the bass guitar and is amember of the Contemporary Music Group andRanney Orchestra Band. A recipient of the APScholar Award and consistently on the High HonorRoll for his entire Upper School career, Dustinattributes part of his outstanding success to acomment made by his older brother, Michael ’03,many years ago. “Before I entered the UpperSchool, my brother said, ‘Dustin, don’t be stupid.’This is all I can recall of my brother’s words aboutsucceeding at Ranney, but it altered the course ofmy high school career. Should I watch a little T.V.or study for tomorrow’s final? I would think of thatquote and head to my room to study! That simplephrase has guided me through many complexdecisions and I am the better for it.” Dustin isproud of his school and appreciates the close-knitnature of the Ranney School community. “In mymind, the term Lifer means ‘to feel at home.’ Thenext 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 karatemasters who brought the art to the Japanesemainland, once said, “The ultimate aim of Karatelies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfectionof the character of its participants.” Kristine, whois a karate black belt, has certainly demonstratedstrength of character across a wide range ofaccomplishments and activities. She is one ofRanney’s Admission Ambassadors, takingprospective families on tours of campus. She hasalso been secretary of her class for the past threeyears. “I have held several leadership positionsduring my fifteen years at Ranney and all havebeen positive experiences,” she said. A giftedartist, Kristine is the co-founder of the Studio ArtClub, where she and her peers help one anotherimprove their own work. Kristine’s strong artisticskills were used for the greater good at the CropWalk this year, where she designed a poster andwalked seven miles to benefit the people of Africa.Kristine is also a volunteer karate instructor,where she shares her own passion for themarshal art with local children. Kristine’s strong

character is also apparent on the field, where she received the Most Improved Award in both varsity soccer and varsity swimming, and theSportsmanship Award in varsity soccer. Kristine is the captain of the soccer team and has alsowon second place in the 100 Backstroke at thePatriot Conference Championship meet in 2005-06.She is also a member various honor societiesincluding: National Spanish Honor Society, NationalHonor Society and Mu Alpha Theta National HonorSociety. “The term Lifer isn’t so much about theyears you put into Ranney, as it is the lessons youlearn, both in and out of the classroom. Regardlessof where life takes me next, I will always have thefriendships that I have forged at Ranney to takewith me.”

12- Meera Sahni, Ranney student since 1996

Meera’s community service efforts literally spanthe globe. This Lifer traveled last summer to Indiawhere she taught English to students ages four to20. Locally, Meera volunteers with Ten ThousandVillages in Red Bank. “My years at Ranney havetaught me a great deal about good characterbecause when you attend school with kids whohave strong family upbringings, your value systembecomes richer. The different ways other studentsexercised manners in the Lower School, respectfor elders during Grandparents’ Day and even time management was imprinted in my mind at a young age. With each passing year, you begin todevelop these traits derived from your surroundingpeers.” Editor-in-Chief of the RSVP LiteraryMagazine, bass clarinetist in the Upper SchoolBand and a fierce — but friendly — competitor in the New Jersey Science League, Meera is thedefinition of a well-rounded student. She was oneof three students nominated for participation in the prestigious New Jersey Scholars Program atThe Lawrenceville School. Talented in writing,music, dance and math, Meera is also a trustedRanney leader and role model: she receivedsportsmanship awards in both cheerleading and golf and is captain of the varsity cheerleadingsquad. “My sisters, Gargi ’00 and Sheila ’02, were always enthusiastic about giving me advice as I grew up in Ranney School. They said thatsuccess depended on how well you coulddiscipline yourself and always reminded me that self-discipline would allow me to take onpersonal challenges.”

13- Jennifer Tendler, Ranney student since 1996

A member of the K-9 Bone-Diggers Club withfellow Lifer Erika, Jennifer is also a therapy dogtrainer and serves as treasurer and secretary forthe horse and dog clubs of the Monmouth County4-H Club. She is a member of the United StatesEquestrian Federation and is on the HeimboldShow Team. Combining her love of horses with herinterest in giving back to the community, Jenniferhas also assisted with youth introductory lessons

and summer camp programs for the Sunny SideEquestrian Area of the Monmouth County ParkSystem where she has also given many hours ofcommunity service. A National AP Scholar withHonors, Jennifer serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Torch newspaper and enjoys being a leader:“Leadership at Ranney is a unique experiencebecause of the small community. If I am leading a group or activity, I know every participantpersonally and this connection leads to greaterefficiency and enjoyment because decisions anddelegations are made with everyone’s needs inmind.” Placing in the Lehigh University HighSchool Math Contest last year, Jennifer alsoearned first place at Ranney School in Chemistryon the National Science Exam. About heracademic experience at Ranney, Jennifer shares,“I have been inspired by the minds of my teachers and peers every day. Because I havebeen continuously captivated by their brilliance,I will continue to seek out environments similar to Ranney School as I enter the next chapter ofmy life.” Jennifer is a member of the New JerseyScience League, National Honor Society, NationalSpanish Honor Society and received Dale Carnegie’sBreakthrough Award for passionate oration.

14- Stephanie Tomasetta, Ranney student since 1997

Stephanie has been a model representative of herschool and her class in a variety of activities asevidenced by her recipient of the Best NewcomerAward for Class Council in her junior year. Astrong leader, she served as Vice President of herjunior class and publicity chair for her freshmanand sophomore classes. Her receipt of the RSPA’sPanther Pride Award speaks volumes about hersupport of Ranney School, which she hasdemonstrated through her volunteer work. “Weare encouraged to participate and take on responsibilities. Everyone has become a leader insome way at Ranney, but for me, leading hasmeant helping my school in the same way thatthey have helped me during these past elevenyears.” Her service efforts reach further thancampus, through her work with the Ranneychapter of Habitat for Humanity, as well as co-founding Monmouth County’s Cinderella’s Closet.An academic stand-out, Stephanie has also madeRanney proud at various scholastic competitionsincluding: New Jersey Science League andNational Science League. This AP Scholar withDistinction also was also a Finalist in the 2007-08National Hispanic Recognition Program. Medalingin the Patriot Conference during her swimmingcareer five times, and winning the Athlete of theMonth Award and the Coaches Award in varsityswimming, Stephanie is also a dynamo in thepool. About her Ranney experience, Stephanieshared, “I have made lifelong friends and havebeen encouraged to challenge myself. It isimportant to take advantage and appreciate allthat Ranney has to offer and you will not find awarmer or friendlier environment.”

15- Katie Vitale, Ranney student since 1995

Ranney School has been an important part ofKatie’s life. “For me, being a Lifer has meant that Ihave had a second home. In fact, over the last 13years, I have probably been at Ranney more thanmy home!” Indeed, Katie has been a mainstay onthe B Team of the Academic Decathlon, where shehas served as captain for all four years of herUpper School career. This academically gifted Liferis also a selected member of the Harvard ModelCongress, Model United Nations at Georgetown,Spanish Club and a selected member of theBiology team in the New Jersey Science League.As a freshman, she attended the Center forTalented Youth. Last summer, Katie attendedCornell Summer College, where she tookPhilosophy 101 and a freshman level Englishclass. She was an active participant in The CropWalk and, like many of her fellow Lifers,volunteers regularly for Ronald McDonald Houseand the Food Bank of Monmouth and OceanCounties. Her talents are as varied and diverse asher academic knowledge. The Editor of theHorizons yearbook, Katie is also a member of theDrama Club. She played Martha Corey in the 2004production of The Crucible, was a member of thechorus in Antigone (2005) and led the stage crewin last year’s production of Alice in Wonderland.She is treasurer of the International ThespianSociety. “Being a Lifer has given me a strong,stable education for the rest of my life.”

16- Jeffrey Wyckoff, Ranney student since 1998

This athletic stand-out is a member of the varsitysoccer, baseball and swimming teams, a year-round athlete who has also spent a few summersas a counselor at the Ranney-in-the-Summercamp, sharing his sports knowledge with camp-goers. Having served as a lifeguard, as well, for thecamp, Jeffrey is a physical and mentalpowerhouse. Highly respected by his peers andteachers alike for his strength in the community, onthe field and in the classroom, this Lifer has servedas a leader in many ways; he was Vice President ofthe Spanish Club and is a member of the NationalSpanish Honor Society with many of his fellowLifers. His dedication to the noble cause of cancerresearch is evidenced by his hard work over theyears as a volunteer with the Cancer Institute andthe yellow “Live Strong” bracelet Jeffrey wearsregularly. Jeffrey also has made regular trips to theRonald McDonald House and the Food Banks ofMonmouth and Ocean Counties with many of theother Lifers to ensure that those in need in thegreater 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

30 C O L U M N S

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 enjoyinga closed out division with talented students who have set their sights on being goodstudents and good citizens. During our first Student Council lunch, many of the newlyelected student representatives shared their pride in achieving a leadership role amongtheir peers. We talked about what it means to listen with your heart and think with yourmind and one student astutely remarked, “Good leaders connect with people, no matterwhat their age.” And, oh, how the world needs successful people with strong personalconvictions; people who can think clearly with their heads, while being guided by acompassionate heart!

Our dedicated teachers are life-long learners who keep their passion alive by consistentlyparticipating 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 forlearning strongly reflects the mission of the school and its deep conviction to provide aquality education by skilled educators in a learning environment that is highly personaland well-balanced. With an emphasis on self-discovery, which is nurtured within rigorouscourse offerings, our students are inspired to reach their full scholastic potential, whilebecoming better people: compassionate and committed. These outstanding qualities ofscholarship 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 forpersonal 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 differencein 2008. They are doing a great job and rely on their teachers and parents working inconcert 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 acalendar 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.

Our challenge is clear because MiddleSchoolers are unique in theirdevelopmental stage; straining to becomegrown up and independent, whilesteadfastly clinging to recognizable strongholds of familiarity and comfort. Thisconstant ebb and flow is a natural processthat has its own clock for each, uniquelydifferent child. Adolescence is certainly achallenging time for students, parents andteachers alike; yet, it is also a time thatsignals remarkable growth, extraordinaryjoy and tremendous rewards. Such asignificant and complicated process needsto be nurtured and, indeed, honored. Itneeds time to reach its end: the realizationof a child’s potential and the cultivation ofthe 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 newchallenges, to fail and begin again. For in the mistakes lie the opportunities forgrowth, laying the invaluable — andinevitable — groundwork for success.

How do we maximize individual studentachievement? Nature vs. nurture is apowerful concept. Understanding geneticsmay 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 ofpersonal and academic achievementnurtures individual potential, while a safe and supportive learning environmentis a hallmark of Middle School success.Middle Schools, by nature, are dynamiclearning environments that are marked bysignificant change in physical, emotionaland psychological development.Individual social skills, maturity level,intellectual curiosity, motivation andmulti-faceted interests, often the definingaspects of a student’s confidence andsuccess also affect this wide spectrum of development.

A sixth grader feels safe and supportedwhen clearly established expectations areset forth for them. To be sure, MiddleSchoolers do not particularly enjoystructure and rules. Some even perceivestructure as restricting their need tostretch, push and discover how far theycan go. Ironically, that very structureprovides a foundation for skill buildingand success; a Middle School paradox,where firm boundaries allow for optimumintellectual, artistic and athletic freedom.

The excitement of a new school year is a time-honored tradition for students and faculty alike; feelings are palpable and the promise of individualstudent potential is reflected in smiling faces, chattyvoices, freshly starched shirts, brand new ties, soccercleats, tennis rackets, hockey sticks, lip-gloss andpatterned purses…

In TheMiddle

by: Kathleen Deeken, Head of Middle School

{ }

31C O L U M N S

In fact, our students, especially our mostcreative ones, learn best when thestructure within the classroom reducesdistractions and ambiguity. With clear and fair expectations and consistent follow through, students build essentialorganizational and time management skillsthat are cornerstones for success, bothinside and outside of the classroom.

In addition, students who are supportedwith individualized care and attention —the power of one-on-one connections —maximize their potential for achievementand success. Middle School advisors areinstrumental in helping students createpositive connections to teachers and peers. Middle School educatorsunderstand the unique and frequentlychanging voices of each individualstudent, a challenging task that we allundertake both joyfully and seriously.

Setting the stage for student success beginswith the formulation of an IndividualizedLearning Profile or ILP, a uniqueeducational blueprint for each student.That comprehensive document was aresult of my many years as a gifted andtalented teacher, and provided anexpedient way to recognize, personalizeand guide the unique individual talentsand needs within the classroom. Like anycomplicated puzzle, each student hasstrengths and weaknesses, interests andtrepidations, hopes and dreams that, whenacknowledged and nurtured, presents aclear picture of his or her potential. Thereis no greater challenge or reward in beingpart of this dynamic journey of self-discovery, helping them to both discoverwho they are and who they would like to be.

Simply put, growing up is hard work; it is a process of learning from your mistakes,of pushing through fear and coming outon the other side stronger and with greater resolve to tackle any task; large or small. Those of us — faculty andadministrators — who choose to becomepart of an adolescent student’s journeyknow that they are still evolving — apromising work in progress — not yet a masterpiece.

Mindful strategic planning has structuredthe Middle School as a safe and caringenvironment; one with high standards and supportive structures that givestudents and faculty alike the parametersand confidence to be their very best. This trickle down affect for students sets the stage for clear standards andaccountability, which translate intoaccomplished and confident thinkers anddo-ers in Middle School.

Our proven success is reflected in nationaltest scores that consistently reach thehighest norms in national andindependent groupings. With manystudents charting consistent gains intesting scores within their Middle Schooltenure, our efforts to affect positive changein all of our students is a reality. Testingscores and classroom performance are twoaspects of a student’s learning profile, andalthough important, it is compassion andcommitment, integrity and perseverancethat round out a student’s education andtruly helps them to become, not only aperson who succeeds, but a person whobrings value to the world in terms of theirown unique perspective.

Middle School classrooms are alive withthe energy that a new school year brings,but the value of the Ranney Schoolexperience translates into a yearlongpassion for teaching and learning.Innovative programming like MandarinChinese activities, advisee time, study skillacquisition, technological advances withSMART Board and Distance Learningprograms, Honor Code readings andreflective discussions, community serviceand opportunities for collaborative workinspires good students and good citizens oftheir community, and, ultimately, goodcitizens of the world.

This school year promises to be our bestyet with an emphasis on a communitystandards program that rewards our verybest Middle School citizens — studentswhose responsible and respectful behaviorprovides a role model for their peers.Guiding social-emotional growth withhigh expectations for responsible andrespectful behavior speaks to the tenets ofour Honor Code and reflects our mission;it maximizes the potential for eachindividual student, but its larger valueproduces citizens with personal integrity.

I take much pride in watching the time-honored evolution that our middleschoolers undergo. Under the watchful eyeof our talented faculty, these children arewell on their way to becoming confident,caring, multi-dimensional thinkers who are eager to become significantcontributors, taking on the challenges andrewards of an Upper School experienceand beyond. They are successful in everysense of the word, and I am confident thatthey will continue to be compassionate,competent leaders who make the world abetter place.

To me, our forensics and dramaticperformances, academic and athleticcompetitions and talent shows perfectlyillustrate the exuberance of students whoare “in the middle” of their Ranneyexperience. The foundation forachievement rests squarely on those whostep up to challenges and take advantageof Ranney opportunities. As educators, weare dedicated to providing that culture ofsuccess for our students — your children.

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-profitorganization ImagineAsia that gives educational support to Afghan children (see photo pg. 15).

30 C O L U M N S

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 enjoyinga closed out division with talented students who have set their sights on being goodstudents and good citizens. During our first Student Council lunch, many of the newlyelected student representatives shared their pride in achieving a leadership role amongtheir peers. We talked about what it means to listen with your heart and think with yourmind and one student astutely remarked, “Good leaders connect with people, no matterwhat their age.” And, oh, how the world needs successful people with strong personalconvictions; people who can think clearly with their heads, while being guided by acompassionate heart!

Our dedicated teachers are life-long learners who keep their passion alive by consistentlyparticipating 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 forlearning strongly reflects the mission of the school and its deep conviction to provide aquality education by skilled educators in a learning environment that is highly personaland well-balanced. With an emphasis on self-discovery, which is nurtured within rigorouscourse offerings, our students are inspired to reach their full scholastic potential, whilebecoming better people: compassionate and committed. These outstanding qualities ofscholarship 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 forpersonal 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 differencein 2008. They are doing a great job and rely on their teachers and parents working inconcert 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 acalendar 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.

Our challenge is clear because MiddleSchoolers are unique in theirdevelopmental stage; straining to becomegrown up and independent, whilesteadfastly clinging to recognizable strongholds of familiarity and comfort. Thisconstant ebb and flow is a natural processthat has its own clock for each, uniquelydifferent child. Adolescence is certainly achallenging time for students, parents andteachers alike; yet, it is also a time thatsignals remarkable growth, extraordinaryjoy and tremendous rewards. Such asignificant and complicated process needsto be nurtured and, indeed, honored. Itneeds time to reach its end: the realizationof a child’s potential and the cultivation ofthe 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 newchallenges, to fail and begin again. For in the mistakes lie the opportunities forgrowth, laying the invaluable — andinevitable — groundwork for success.

How do we maximize individual studentachievement? Nature vs. nurture is apowerful concept. Understanding geneticsmay 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 ofpersonal and academic achievementnurtures individual potential, while a safe and supportive learning environmentis a hallmark of Middle School success.Middle Schools, by nature, are dynamiclearning environments that are marked bysignificant change in physical, emotionaland psychological development.Individual social skills, maturity level,intellectual curiosity, motivation andmulti-faceted interests, often the definingaspects of a student’s confidence andsuccess also affect this wide spectrum of development.

A sixth grader feels safe and supportedwhen clearly established expectations areset forth for them. To be sure, MiddleSchoolers do not particularly enjoystructure and rules. Some even perceivestructure as restricting their need tostretch, push and discover how far theycan go. Ironically, that very structureprovides a foundation for skill buildingand success; a Middle School paradox,where firm boundaries allow for optimumintellectual, artistic and athletic freedom.

The excitement of a new school year is a time-honored tradition for students and faculty alike; feelings are palpable and the promise of individualstudent potential is reflected in smiling faces, chattyvoices, freshly starched shirts, brand new ties, soccercleats, tennis rackets, hockey sticks, lip-gloss andpatterned purses…

In TheMiddle

by: Kathleen Deeken, Head of Middle School

{ }

31C O L U M N S

In fact, our students, especially our mostcreative ones, learn best when thestructure within the classroom reducesdistractions and ambiguity. With clear and fair expectations and consistent follow through, students build essentialorganizational and time management skillsthat are cornerstones for success, bothinside and outside of the classroom.

In addition, students who are supportedwith individualized care and attention —the power of one-on-one connections —maximize their potential for achievementand success. Middle School advisors areinstrumental in helping students createpositive connections to teachers and peers. Middle School educatorsunderstand the unique and frequentlychanging voices of each individualstudent, a challenging task that we allundertake both joyfully and seriously.

Setting the stage for student success beginswith the formulation of an IndividualizedLearning Profile or ILP, a uniqueeducational blueprint for each student.That comprehensive document was aresult of my many years as a gifted andtalented teacher, and provided anexpedient way to recognize, personalizeand guide the unique individual talentsand needs within the classroom. Like anycomplicated puzzle, each student hasstrengths and weaknesses, interests andtrepidations, hopes and dreams that, whenacknowledged and nurtured, presents aclear picture of his or her potential. Thereis no greater challenge or reward in beingpart of this dynamic journey of self-discovery, helping them to both discoverwho they are and who they would like to be.

Simply put, growing up is hard work; it is a process of learning from your mistakes,of pushing through fear and coming outon the other side stronger and with greater resolve to tackle any task; large or small. Those of us — faculty andadministrators — who choose to becomepart of an adolescent student’s journeyknow that they are still evolving — apromising work in progress — not yet a masterpiece.

Mindful strategic planning has structuredthe Middle School as a safe and caringenvironment; one with high standards and supportive structures that givestudents and faculty alike the parametersand confidence to be their very best. This trickle down affect for students sets the stage for clear standards andaccountability, which translate intoaccomplished and confident thinkers anddo-ers in Middle School.

Our proven success is reflected in nationaltest scores that consistently reach thehighest norms in national andindependent groupings. With manystudents charting consistent gains intesting scores within their Middle Schooltenure, our efforts to affect positive changein all of our students is a reality. Testingscores and classroom performance are twoaspects of a student’s learning profile, andalthough important, it is compassion andcommitment, integrity and perseverancethat round out a student’s education andtruly helps them to become, not only aperson who succeeds, but a person whobrings value to the world in terms of theirown unique perspective.

Middle School classrooms are alive withthe energy that a new school year brings,but the value of the Ranney Schoolexperience translates into a yearlongpassion for teaching and learning.Innovative programming like MandarinChinese activities, advisee time, study skillacquisition, technological advances withSMART Board and Distance Learningprograms, Honor Code readings andreflective discussions, community serviceand opportunities for collaborative workinspires good students and good citizens oftheir community, and, ultimately, goodcitizens of the world.

This school year promises to be our bestyet with an emphasis on a communitystandards program that rewards our verybest Middle School citizens — studentswhose responsible and respectful behaviorprovides a role model for their peers.Guiding social-emotional growth withhigh expectations for responsible andrespectful behavior speaks to the tenets ofour Honor Code and reflects our mission;it maximizes the potential for eachindividual student, but its larger valueproduces citizens with personal integrity.

I take much pride in watching the time-honored evolution that our middleschoolers undergo. Under the watchful eyeof our talented faculty, these children arewell on their way to becoming confident,caring, multi-dimensional thinkers who are eager to become significantcontributors, taking on the challenges andrewards of an Upper School experienceand beyond. They are successful in everysense of the word, and I am confident thatthey will continue to be compassionate,competent leaders who make the world abetter place.

To me, our forensics and dramaticperformances, academic and athleticcompetitions and talent shows perfectlyillustrate the exuberance of students whoare “in the middle” of their Ranneyexperience. The foundation forachievement rests squarely on those whostep up to challenges and take advantageof Ranney opportunities. As educators, weare dedicated to providing that culture ofsuccess for our students — your children.

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-profitorganization ImagineAsia that gives educational support to Afghan children (see photo pg. 15).

Class of 1967Steve Gorsuch ’67 serves as televisionbroadcast consultant to the United StatesTennis Association and to CBS Sports forPGA Golf. He also writes: “I am glad that ourschool has a mascot. I don’t think that we,from the first graduating class in NewShrewsbury (now Tinton Falls), ever imaginedthat our school would be associated with sucha fierce animal! When we were in AsburyPark, we were happy to have gym class at theYMCA, playing basketball on our home courtin the church school. I am sorry to havemissed my 40th reunion — I often think ofmy days at Ranney. When applying to college,instead of answering the question concerningpercentile of my graduating class, I alwaysresponded that I was sixth in my class, eventhough there were only eleven of us. We couldhold our reunion in someone’s living room!”

Class of 1972Among Steven Lance’s (Hersh) ’72 legacyat Ranney is that he was a charter member of“The Club” and appeared in the first stagepresentations presented by the Ranney Drama

Department. Afterearning his BA inEnglish from UpsalaCollege, Stevepursued a career inshow business(hence his namechange) andappeared as an alienscience officer in the

first Star Trek feature, STAR TREK: TheMotion Picture. The role that his mother ismore apt to refer to is the Emergency Roomintern in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories.These being the most notable filmappearances, Steve has worked on radio andtelevision, often as a voice over announcerand narrator.

In the meantime, Steve went back to schooland in 2001, earned a Masters degree inClinical Hypnotherapy. Currently, he ispursuing a Ph.D. in Holistic Nutrition.Today, Steve uses his voice training as anationally recognized specialist in the area of Stress Management. He is an AssociatePractitioner at the Integrated Health andWellness Center in Manasquan, NJ, where hetreats clients for the stress and anxietyassociated with Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia,Panic Attacks, Fibromyalgia, DiabetesMellitus, and yes. . . Stage Fright. Stevelectures on a regular basis and his topicsinclude Stress Management and Nutrition.

Steve is also the author of the Pop Culturecoffee-table book, Written Out of Television: A TV Lover’s Guide to Cast Changes andCharacter Replacements (Madison Books),which was also published as a hardcoverreference book under the revised title: WrittenOut of Television: The Encyclopedia of CastChanges and Character Replacements 1945-1994. When asked about his writing, he willimmediately credit his Ranney School Englishtraining, and his writing mentor, Mr. A.K.Quinn, who to this day Steve refers to as“The Mighty Quinn.” Among Steve’s currentbook projects is a History of Tea, for which heis collecting tea quotes from television and

movies. Send him one, and get your name inthe book’s acknowledgments. His long-termwriting project, however, is a book of English,which he has tentatively titled, “How to Write“Well” English by A.K. Quinn, as told to StevenLance.” Steve would very much like your helpin sharing any “Quinnisms” you may havetaken away with you. You can help teach new writers, preserve Mr. Quinn’s teaching,and get your name in the book, by e-mailingyour “Quinnisms” to Steve at:StevenLance@netscape.net

Class of 1973 – 35th Reunion

Ken Yokelson’73 writes: “As faras my life, my wifeSharon and I havebeen married nowfor 22 years and wehave a 13 year oldson, Jonathan. I am in Atlanta,GA, and have myown architecturalfirm, Yokelson

Associates Architects for the last17 years. My ‘baby’ is a 1958Triumph TR3 British sports car

(pictured above) that Sharon and I bought in1992 as a wedding anniversary gift to eachother. It has been a labor of love and is acontinuous restoration. When I recentlyreceived a window sticker from Ranney, Icould not think of a better place to put it!”

Class of 1974Kris (Cramer) Albert ’74 is still in Iowa!She and her husband Jay sent their third childoff to college and still have one more in highschool. The oldest two have graduated andare off on their own, although Devon is doingmore traveling than working! One of thesedays Kris would like to fit travel time into herown schedule. In the meantime, she iskeeping busy as the Aquatics Director for thelocal community college and also teachesCPR classes for the American Red Cross, butalways finds time to make it back “to theshore” every summer.

32 C O L U M N S 33C O L U M N S

Helen Pike ’74 is approaching the deadlineof book number eight which is due out in thesecond quarter of 2008. It’s a 300-yearnarrative of New Jersey’s business history:from the Dutch to the dot.coms. In her sparetime, she lectures in media history at RutgersUniversity in New Brunswick.

Class of 1977Douglas Jacoby ’77 recently debatedagnostic Michael Shermer on the topic of“Does God Exist?” and can be seen onYouTube. Douglas and his family continue toreside in the Atlanta, GA, area. To find outexactly what Douglas is up to, visit him onthe web at www.douglasjacoby.com!

Class of 1979Yvette Janvier ’79 reports: “The mostexciting thing I wanted to share is that I havebeen appointed by the Secretary of Healthand Human Services to be a public member ofthe Interagency Autism CoordinatingCouncil. This council is charged by the‘Combating Autism Act’ passed by Congressin December 2006 to address Autism as anational health crisis.”

Karen Zaletel ’79 has been enjoying hertime traveling toOrlando, playing thestock market (all thosestudy halls spentreading the financialsection are paying off!)and going back toschool. In addition tothe many stockbrokerand manager licenses (and a student pilot’slicense) she holds, Karen is studying for herreal estate license and agent licensing in lifeand health insurance. She’s also appeared inthe movie Jersey Girl and on television’s Lawand Order. Karen looks forward to seeingeveryone at reunion this year!

Class of 1980Jennifer (Delgado) Arnold ’80 writes: “I am still having nice memories of the classreunion in 2005, especially at the brunch Igave where I had to yell at my kids.Everybody who knew me at high schoolcouldn’t believe my ‘Mom’ voice. It was reallynice to see everyone, and to see that otherthan acquiring new skills, like yelling, we alldon’t change much at all. Instead of braggingabout all of my various accomplishments, Ifeel like telling everybody to take CoQ 10,Omegaman, Fucothin, and better than facecream, exfoliate! I have been enjoying mykids, doing photography, and have beeninvolved with land conservation via theMonmouth Conservation Foundation. Openspace is something that cannot be improved

upon. Other than that, a brief aside to LoySaguil ’80: Get the book The Artists Realityby Mark Rothko, and read it. I have a theoryabout Rothko’s work: he was painting thepost-atomic bomb landscape, which you mayget if you read the book. I also have someideas about Rockwell and Rothko that youmight be interested in.”

Class of 1982Mark Kleiner ’82 will be married four yearsin February and has three great step-children.He stays in touch with a few of his Ranneyclassmates, including Robert Bach ’82,living in Montana, Rick Surgent ’82, inNew Jersey, and Scott Schedivy ’82, in New York.

Hilary Kramer ’82 writes: “GreenTechResearch, LLC, is the largest ‘green’(alternative energy, environmental andcleantech) hedge fund in the United Statesand we enjoyed a very strong 2007 — theyear that the world went green. Investors arediscovering that being environmentallyconscience — even in investing — can havethe added benefit of being quite profitable. Iam still appearing weekly with Paul Kangas onthe Nightly Business Report on PBS,providing market and economic commentary.”

Class of 1983 – 25th ReunionDr. Ram Chandra ’83 is working in theEmergency Room and in family medicine inLexington, MO.

Class of 1984Rona (Weisburg) Gofstein ’84 lives in NewEngland with her husband and two sons. Sherecently had her first novel published withEllora’s Cave (writing under a pen name). Sheis currently at work on her next novel and hasa non-fiction book on pendulum divinationdue out next year with The Lotus Circle.

Jonathan Rosen’84 is not only aproud alumnus, buta proud Ranneydad! He and wife,Alyssa, broughttheir infant sonJack to see bigsister Anneperform with herPreK classmates at this year’sGrandparents’ andFriends’ Days!

Class of 1986Vicki Scudiery’86 has been a fulltime model sincegraduating collegein 1990. She hastraveled all overthe world doingprint, runway andtelevisioncommercials. Vicki

writes: “It has been an amazing career and Iam truly blessed. The career has helped me todiscover so much about myself throughmeeting all kinds of wonderful people,developing beautiful relationships, andlearning about different cultures. I am gratefulfor my job because it has allowed me todiscover who I truly am and it has broughtspirituality into my life. Through intensespiritual awakenings and powerfulconnections with some magnificent souls, Istarted writing music. I couldn’t evenunderstand it at first. I didn’t know where itwas coming from, but the words and melodyjust flowed through me…pure magic. In 2001,I experienced a life altering tragedy anddecided it was time for me to fulfill my heart’sdeepest desires. I am now a singer songwriter.My very first CD was released last year and Ieven have my own record label! It has beenthe most incredible experience of my life andhas taught me that it is never too late tofollow your dreams!”

Read more about Vicki on her website:www.vikimusic.com

Toya (Scott) Williams ’86 is currentlymajority owner and managing partner of aMaryland-based Security and Life Safetyinstallation and service business. She hasrecently added an Engineering/Consultingdivision based out of Florida where she nowlives. Toya lives on Merritt Island, about 15minutes from Cape Canaveral, and gets towatch shuttle launches from her patio. Wouldlove to hear from her classmates!

Class of 1987Dorothy McCann’87 welcomed thebirth of her firstchild – ThaddeusJoseph Curylo onFebruary 23, 2007.She is luckyenough to be ableto bring him towork with her atthe Law Offices ofBlum and McCann.

Class of 1967Steve Gorsuch ’67 serves as televisionbroadcast consultant to the United StatesTennis Association and to CBS Sports forPGA Golf. He also writes: “I am glad that ourschool has a mascot. I don’t think that we,from the first graduating class in NewShrewsbury (now Tinton Falls), ever imaginedthat our school would be associated with sucha fierce animal! When we were in AsburyPark, we were happy to have gym class at theYMCA, playing basketball on our home courtin the church school. I am sorry to havemissed my 40th reunion — I often think ofmy days at Ranney. When applying to college,instead of answering the question concerningpercentile of my graduating class, I alwaysresponded that I was sixth in my class, eventhough there were only eleven of us. We couldhold our reunion in someone’s living room!”

Class of 1972Among Steven Lance’s (Hersh) ’72 legacyat Ranney is that he was a charter member of“The Club” and appeared in the first stagepresentations presented by the Ranney Drama

Department. Afterearning his BA inEnglish from UpsalaCollege, Stevepursued a career inshow business(hence his namechange) andappeared as an alienscience officer in the

first Star Trek feature, STAR TREK: TheMotion Picture. The role that his mother ismore apt to refer to is the Emergency Roomintern in Woody Allen’s Stardust Memories.These being the most notable filmappearances, Steve has worked on radio andtelevision, often as a voice over announcerand narrator.

In the meantime, Steve went back to schooland in 2001, earned a Masters degree inClinical Hypnotherapy. Currently, he ispursuing a Ph.D. in Holistic Nutrition.Today, Steve uses his voice training as anationally recognized specialist in the area of Stress Management. He is an AssociatePractitioner at the Integrated Health andWellness Center in Manasquan, NJ, where hetreats clients for the stress and anxietyassociated with Stress, Anxiety, Insomnia,Panic Attacks, Fibromyalgia, DiabetesMellitus, and yes. . . Stage Fright. Stevelectures on a regular basis and his topicsinclude Stress Management and Nutrition.

Steve is also the author of the Pop Culturecoffee-table book, Written Out of Television: A TV Lover’s Guide to Cast Changes andCharacter Replacements (Madison Books),which was also published as a hardcoverreference book under the revised title: WrittenOut of Television: The Encyclopedia of CastChanges and Character Replacements 1945-1994. When asked about his writing, he willimmediately credit his Ranney School Englishtraining, and his writing mentor, Mr. A.K.Quinn, who to this day Steve refers to as“The Mighty Quinn.” Among Steve’s currentbook projects is a History of Tea, for which heis collecting tea quotes from television and

movies. Send him one, and get your name inthe book’s acknowledgments. His long-termwriting project, however, is a book of English,which he has tentatively titled, “How to Write“Well” English by A.K. Quinn, as told to StevenLance.” Steve would very much like your helpin sharing any “Quinnisms” you may havetaken away with you. You can help teach new writers, preserve Mr. Quinn’s teaching,and get your name in the book, by e-mailingyour “Quinnisms” to Steve at:StevenLance@netscape.net

Class of 1973 – 35th Reunion

Ken Yokelson’73 writes: “As faras my life, my wifeSharon and I havebeen married nowfor 22 years and wehave a 13 year oldson, Jonathan. I am in Atlanta,GA, and have myown architecturalfirm, Yokelson

Associates Architects for the last17 years. My ‘baby’ is a 1958Triumph TR3 British sports car

(pictured above) that Sharon and I bought in1992 as a wedding anniversary gift to eachother. It has been a labor of love and is acontinuous restoration. When I recentlyreceived a window sticker from Ranney, Icould not think of a better place to put it!”

Class of 1974Kris (Cramer) Albert ’74 is still in Iowa!She and her husband Jay sent their third childoff to college and still have one more in highschool. The oldest two have graduated andare off on their own, although Devon is doingmore traveling than working! One of thesedays Kris would like to fit travel time into herown schedule. In the meantime, she iskeeping busy as the Aquatics Director for thelocal community college and also teachesCPR classes for the American Red Cross, butalways finds time to make it back “to theshore” every summer.

32 C O L U M N S 33C O L U M N S

Helen Pike ’74 is approaching the deadlineof book number eight which is due out in thesecond quarter of 2008. It’s a 300-yearnarrative of New Jersey’s business history:from the Dutch to the dot.coms. In her sparetime, she lectures in media history at RutgersUniversity in New Brunswick.

Class of 1977Douglas Jacoby ’77 recently debatedagnostic Michael Shermer on the topic of“Does God Exist?” and can be seen onYouTube. Douglas and his family continue toreside in the Atlanta, GA, area. To find outexactly what Douglas is up to, visit him onthe web at www.douglasjacoby.com!

Class of 1979Yvette Janvier ’79 reports: “The mostexciting thing I wanted to share is that I havebeen appointed by the Secretary of Healthand Human Services to be a public member ofthe Interagency Autism CoordinatingCouncil. This council is charged by the‘Combating Autism Act’ passed by Congressin December 2006 to address Autism as anational health crisis.”

Karen Zaletel ’79 has been enjoying hertime traveling toOrlando, playing thestock market (all thosestudy halls spentreading the financialsection are paying off!)and going back toschool. In addition tothe many stockbrokerand manager licenses (and a student pilot’slicense) she holds, Karen is studying for herreal estate license and agent licensing in lifeand health insurance. She’s also appeared inthe movie Jersey Girl and on television’s Lawand Order. Karen looks forward to seeingeveryone at reunion this year!

Class of 1980Jennifer (Delgado) Arnold ’80 writes: “I am still having nice memories of the classreunion in 2005, especially at the brunch Igave where I had to yell at my kids.Everybody who knew me at high schoolcouldn’t believe my ‘Mom’ voice. It was reallynice to see everyone, and to see that otherthan acquiring new skills, like yelling, we alldon’t change much at all. Instead of braggingabout all of my various accomplishments, Ifeel like telling everybody to take CoQ 10,Omegaman, Fucothin, and better than facecream, exfoliate! I have been enjoying mykids, doing photography, and have beeninvolved with land conservation via theMonmouth Conservation Foundation. Openspace is something that cannot be improved

upon. Other than that, a brief aside to LoySaguil ’80: Get the book The Artists Realityby Mark Rothko, and read it. I have a theoryabout Rothko’s work: he was painting thepost-atomic bomb landscape, which you mayget if you read the book. I also have someideas about Rockwell and Rothko that youmight be interested in.”

Class of 1982Mark Kleiner ’82 will be married four yearsin February and has three great step-children.He stays in touch with a few of his Ranneyclassmates, including Robert Bach ’82,living in Montana, Rick Surgent ’82, inNew Jersey, and Scott Schedivy ’82, in New York.

Hilary Kramer ’82 writes: “GreenTechResearch, LLC, is the largest ‘green’(alternative energy, environmental andcleantech) hedge fund in the United Statesand we enjoyed a very strong 2007 — theyear that the world went green. Investors arediscovering that being environmentallyconscience — even in investing — can havethe added benefit of being quite profitable. Iam still appearing weekly with Paul Kangas onthe Nightly Business Report on PBS,providing market and economic commentary.”

Class of 1983 – 25th ReunionDr. Ram Chandra ’83 is working in theEmergency Room and in family medicine inLexington, MO.

Class of 1984Rona (Weisburg) Gofstein ’84 lives in NewEngland with her husband and two sons. Sherecently had her first novel published withEllora’s Cave (writing under a pen name). Sheis currently at work on her next novel and hasa non-fiction book on pendulum divinationdue out next year with The Lotus Circle.

Jonathan Rosen’84 is not only aproud alumnus, buta proud Ranneydad! He and wife,Alyssa, broughttheir infant sonJack to see bigsister Anneperform with herPreK classmates at this year’sGrandparents’ andFriends’ Days!

Class of 1986Vicki Scudiery’86 has been a fulltime model sincegraduating collegein 1990. She hastraveled all overthe world doingprint, runway andtelevisioncommercials. Vicki

writes: “It has been an amazing career and Iam truly blessed. The career has helped me todiscover so much about myself throughmeeting all kinds of wonderful people,developing beautiful relationships, andlearning about different cultures. I am gratefulfor my job because it has allowed me todiscover who I truly am and it has broughtspirituality into my life. Through intensespiritual awakenings and powerfulconnections with some magnificent souls, Istarted writing music. I couldn’t evenunderstand it at first. I didn’t know where itwas coming from, but the words and melodyjust flowed through me…pure magic. In 2001,I experienced a life altering tragedy anddecided it was time for me to fulfill my heart’sdeepest desires. I am now a singer songwriter.My very first CD was released last year and Ieven have my own record label! It has beenthe most incredible experience of my life andhas taught me that it is never too late tofollow your dreams!”

Read more about Vicki on her website:www.vikimusic.com

Toya (Scott) Williams ’86 is currentlymajority owner and managing partner of aMaryland-based Security and Life Safetyinstallation and service business. She hasrecently added an Engineering/Consultingdivision based out of Florida where she nowlives. Toya lives on Merritt Island, about 15minutes from Cape Canaveral, and gets towatch shuttle launches from her patio. Wouldlove to hear from her classmates!

Class of 1987Dorothy McCann’87 welcomed thebirth of her firstchild – ThaddeusJoseph Curylo onFebruary 23, 2007.She is luckyenough to be ableto bring him towork with her atthe Law Offices ofBlum and McCann.

Jim Seibert ’87 writes: “I am a softwarearchitect for a firm in Northern Virginia,where I have lived since 1991. I have twochildren, Brooke and Drew, who are 6 and 9 respectively. My wife Terri and I have been married for 11 years, and we are havingan absolute blast down here outside of D.C.We are all involved in music and sports — itturns out the kids are pretty good at both ofthose! Also, I moonlight as the guitarist inthe band Dashfield which plays in the D.C. area, but is looking to play in NYCsometime soon!”

Class of 1988 – 20th ReunionAndrew Dennis ’88 is an attending traumaand burn surgeon at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and serves as the MedicalDirector/Team Surgeon for the NorthernIllinois Police Alarm System EmergencyServices Team (SWAT). Andrew is also theChair of Surgery at Midwestern UniversityCollege of Osteopathic Medicine and theCEO of Leo Medicus, a law enforcementeducation and consulting firm.

Class of 1991Kanchan (Govil)Patel ’91 is nowliving in Somerset,NJ, with her twobeautiful sons,Rohan (3.5 years)and Aryan (16months), andwonderfulhusband, Hitesh.

She and her husband run a medical practicein Edison, NJ, and enjoying the quiet, openair of their new digs!She’s been in touchwith some members ofher graduating class,such as MarleeNapurano ’91,Jennifer (Banzon)Grillo ’91 (at right),Raissa Villanueva ’91and Shoshana Schiff’91. All are well and happily living theirlives, with loving spouses and/or adorablechildren. My, how you’ve grown!

Class of 1992Colleen (Raftree) Jaeger ’92 married JamesP. Jaeger on May 19, 2007, in Colts Neck.Colleen is currently a homemaker and Jamesis a union ironworker for ShamrockConstruction. The pair resides in Aberdeen.

Class of 1994Stacey Thermos ’94 writes that afterearning her BA from NYU and two mastersdegrees (Clinical Psychology and SocialWork), she moved to Greece, which as manyof her old friends might remember, she alwayswanted to do! Living in Athens, Stacey seesclients as a psychologist and enjoys traveling,skiing and hiking in her spare time, while alsohelping the stray dog population of Greece.

Class of 1995Nathan Ravitz ’95writes: “In Marchof 2007, I movedto Bristol, CT, totake a job as aneditor and on-airtalent forESPN.com. Iappear weekly on alive-to-the-web Sunday football preview showcalled Fantasy Football NOW as well asappearing weekly on ESPNEWS and regularlyon ESPN.com video. Also, the podcast that Ihost, Fantasy Football NOW, peaked as theNo. 2 rated podcast on all of iTunes inSeptember! In February, I will be gettingmarried in Costa Rica, the home country ofmy bride, Andrea.”

Class of 1999Adam Goldberg ’99 is toiling away in hissecond year as Junior Associate at the law firmLatham & Watkins, LLP, in New York City.

Class of 2000Angie Gregos ’00 and Arun Swaroop ’01were engaged last December and are busyputting the finishing touches on theirwedding, set for May 31, 2008!

Wedding bellsrang onSeptember 29,2007, for RanneySchool sweetheartsMichael Kuskin’00 and EmilyKnopf ’01, with a crowd of theirformer classmatesthere to share inthe celebration!

Class of 2001Scott Kaufman ’01 is working with Ernst &Young, LLP, as a Risk ManagementConsultant and living in New York City.

Charlie Kromann ’01 is pursuing a career ingolf, currently as a tour player on the HootersTour. He also breeds thoroughbreds with hisfamily on their farm. Charlie spends hiswinters in Florida and the rest of the year inNew Jersey.

34 C O L U M N S

Class of 2003 – 5th ReunionRobert McCoid ’03 spends his days at theInternational Sculpture Center in Hamilton,NJ, working with their website and postingartist portfolios online. He also helps ISCcoordinate conferences and events.

Class of 2004Margo Chaly ’04 graduated from IthacaCollege as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholaron December 16, 2007 — the first of her 44classmates to earn an undergraduate degree!Her degree is a Bachelor of Arts inJournalism, with a minor in Latin AmericanStudies. She was only on the Ithaca Collegecampus for 2 1/2 years, spending her junioryear traveling abroad, first to Ecuador andthen to Nicaragua. Margo is very excitedabout her new position with Five TownsCollege in Long Island and hopes to touchbase with her classmates for the February New York City alumni event!

Class of 2005Vincent Gamuzza ’05 is a pre-Optometrystudent at Drew University and is beginningto search for the perfect Optometry school.He started a barbershop quartet at Drew, andsings the lead part. He spent the summer asan intern with an optometrist in Eatontown,NJ. Vincent is loving life and hopes to see hisold classmates soon!

Class of 2007Sagar Shah ’07 writes: “I just want to saythat you will not find a better institution foreducation than Ranney School. From theteachers to the students — everyone is sonice, well-educated and friendly. It is not a bigschool, but that is what makes it better thanother schools. Our school is more of a familyand this family is just growing. I am afreshman at Bryant University. Enteringcollege, I was not worried at all due to thefantastic support I was given throughout myhigh school career. I am the freshmen classchair (president) for Student Senate of BryantUniversity, a selected member of the StudentAlumni Association, and a member of Multi-cultural Student Union. I took my first finalsof my college career at Bryant and all I cansay is I am so ready. Thank you RanneySchool for all your knowledge!”

Courtney Siebert ’07 isloving the college life atBucknell! As you can see, herBucknell pride is reminiscentof this former cheerleader’sRanney Panther Pride!

Evan Zimmerman ’07 is having a great timeat Colgate, but misses his fellow Panthers! Evancan be reached at ezimmerman@mail.colgate.edu.

35C O L U M N S

Alum-Notes:On Friday, November 30th, the Alumni Officesponsored a Night at the Theater, puttingthe spotlight on Ranney’s current Thespiansand their production of Shakespeare’s Romeoand Juliet. Ranney alumni were foundthroughout the audience, including LawrenceFeldman ’05, with his mother, Jan; MichaelMolina ’03, who was there to see his brother,Dustin ’08, assume the role of Tybalt; andRichard Bamberger ’66, the proud Ranneydad of Ian ’09, who played Benvolio. Pleasejoin us for our next Alumni Night at theTheater on Friday, March 14, as the Middleand Upper School present their annual springmusical, The Apple Tree.

On Thursday, January10, the College andAlumni Officespartnered for the FifthAnnual CollegeAlumni Panel andLuncheon. Membersof the junior andsenior class were ableto hear first-hand from

their former schoolmates the experiences offreshman year. This year’s panel includedMark Bellis ’06(BowdoinCollege), AlisonChavers ’07(SusquehannaUniversity), KateFitzgerald ’07(PrincetonUniversity), RossGale ’07 (Babson College), Tim Hearne ’07(Muhlenberg College), Brad Mahlof ’07(Brandeis University), Elliot Mahlof ’07(Johns Hopkins University), CourtneySiebert ’07 (Bucknell University), ShinequaWatkins ’07 (Barnard College) and J.D.

Wilgucki ’07(LehighUniversity).Following thepanel, the Class of2008 enjoyed aspecial lunch withthe young alumnito talk more

casually about their college experiences. Alsojoining the group for lunch were MargoChaly ’04, Nanki Chatha ’07, JeffCochran ’07, Alan Gordin ’07, AkritiGupta ’07, Bailey Medlin ’07, DaliaMeleis ’07, John Pontolillo ’06, RajSaghal ’07, Chloe Spear ’07 and EvanZimmerman ’07.

Jim Seibert ’87 writes: “I am a softwarearchitect for a firm in Northern Virginia,where I have lived since 1991. I have twochildren, Brooke and Drew, who are 6 and 9 respectively. My wife Terri and I have been married for 11 years, and we are havingan absolute blast down here outside of D.C.We are all involved in music and sports — itturns out the kids are pretty good at both ofthose! Also, I moonlight as the guitarist inthe band Dashfield which plays in the D.C. area, but is looking to play in NYCsometime soon!”

Class of 1988 – 20th ReunionAndrew Dennis ’88 is an attending traumaand burn surgeon at Cook County Hospital in Chicago and serves as the MedicalDirector/Team Surgeon for the NorthernIllinois Police Alarm System EmergencyServices Team (SWAT). Andrew is also theChair of Surgery at Midwestern UniversityCollege of Osteopathic Medicine and theCEO of Leo Medicus, a law enforcementeducation and consulting firm.

Class of 1991Kanchan (Govil)Patel ’91 is nowliving in Somerset,NJ, with her twobeautiful sons,Rohan (3.5 years)and Aryan (16months), andwonderfulhusband, Hitesh.

She and her husband run a medical practicein Edison, NJ, and enjoying the quiet, openair of their new digs!She’s been in touchwith some members ofher graduating class,such as MarleeNapurano ’91,Jennifer (Banzon)Grillo ’91 (at right),Raissa Villanueva ’91and Shoshana Schiff’91. All are well and happily living theirlives, with loving spouses and/or adorablechildren. My, how you’ve grown!

Class of 1992Colleen (Raftree) Jaeger ’92 married JamesP. Jaeger on May 19, 2007, in Colts Neck.Colleen is currently a homemaker and Jamesis a union ironworker for ShamrockConstruction. The pair resides in Aberdeen.

Class of 1994Stacey Thermos ’94 writes that afterearning her BA from NYU and two mastersdegrees (Clinical Psychology and SocialWork), she moved to Greece, which as manyof her old friends might remember, she alwayswanted to do! Living in Athens, Stacey seesclients as a psychologist and enjoys traveling,skiing and hiking in her spare time, while alsohelping the stray dog population of Greece.

Class of 1995Nathan Ravitz ’95writes: “In Marchof 2007, I movedto Bristol, CT, totake a job as aneditor and on-airtalent forESPN.com. Iappear weekly on alive-to-the-web Sunday football preview showcalled Fantasy Football NOW as well asappearing weekly on ESPNEWS and regularlyon ESPN.com video. Also, the podcast that Ihost, Fantasy Football NOW, peaked as theNo. 2 rated podcast on all of iTunes inSeptember! In February, I will be gettingmarried in Costa Rica, the home country ofmy bride, Andrea.”

Class of 1999Adam Goldberg ’99 is toiling away in hissecond year as Junior Associate at the law firmLatham & Watkins, LLP, in New York City.

Class of 2000Angie Gregos ’00 and Arun Swaroop ’01were engaged last December and are busyputting the finishing touches on theirwedding, set for May 31, 2008!

Wedding bellsrang onSeptember 29,2007, for RanneySchool sweetheartsMichael Kuskin’00 and EmilyKnopf ’01, with a crowd of theirformer classmatesthere to share inthe celebration!

Class of 2001Scott Kaufman ’01 is working with Ernst &Young, LLP, as a Risk ManagementConsultant and living in New York City.

Charlie Kromann ’01 is pursuing a career ingolf, currently as a tour player on the HootersTour. He also breeds thoroughbreds with hisfamily on their farm. Charlie spends hiswinters in Florida and the rest of the year inNew Jersey.

34 C O L U M N S

Class of 2003 – 5th ReunionRobert McCoid ’03 spends his days at theInternational Sculpture Center in Hamilton,NJ, working with their website and postingartist portfolios online. He also helps ISCcoordinate conferences and events.

Class of 2004Margo Chaly ’04 graduated from IthacaCollege as a Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholaron December 16, 2007 — the first of her 44classmates to earn an undergraduate degree!Her degree is a Bachelor of Arts inJournalism, with a minor in Latin AmericanStudies. She was only on the Ithaca Collegecampus for 2 1/2 years, spending her junioryear traveling abroad, first to Ecuador andthen to Nicaragua. Margo is very excitedabout her new position with Five TownsCollege in Long Island and hopes to touchbase with her classmates for the February New York City alumni event!

Class of 2005Vincent Gamuzza ’05 is a pre-Optometrystudent at Drew University and is beginningto search for the perfect Optometry school.He started a barbershop quartet at Drew, andsings the lead part. He spent the summer asan intern with an optometrist in Eatontown,NJ. Vincent is loving life and hopes to see hisold classmates soon!

Class of 2007Sagar Shah ’07 writes: “I just want to saythat you will not find a better institution foreducation than Ranney School. From theteachers to the students — everyone is sonice, well-educated and friendly. It is not a bigschool, but that is what makes it better thanother schools. Our school is more of a familyand this family is just growing. I am afreshman at Bryant University. Enteringcollege, I was not worried at all due to thefantastic support I was given throughout myhigh school career. I am the freshmen classchair (president) for Student Senate of BryantUniversity, a selected member of the StudentAlumni Association, and a member of Multi-cultural Student Union. I took my first finalsof my college career at Bryant and all I cansay is I am so ready. Thank you RanneySchool for all your knowledge!”

Courtney Siebert ’07 isloving the college life atBucknell! As you can see, herBucknell pride is reminiscentof this former cheerleader’sRanney Panther Pride!

Evan Zimmerman ’07 is having a great timeat Colgate, but misses his fellow Panthers! Evancan be reached at ezimmerman@mail.colgate.edu.

35C O L U M N S

Alum-Notes:On Friday, November 30th, the Alumni Officesponsored a Night at the Theater, puttingthe spotlight on Ranney’s current Thespiansand their production of Shakespeare’s Romeoand Juliet. Ranney alumni were foundthroughout the audience, including LawrenceFeldman ’05, with his mother, Jan; MichaelMolina ’03, who was there to see his brother,Dustin ’08, assume the role of Tybalt; andRichard Bamberger ’66, the proud Ranneydad of Ian ’09, who played Benvolio. Pleasejoin us for our next Alumni Night at theTheater on Friday, March 14, as the Middleand Upper School present their annual springmusical, The Apple Tree.

On Thursday, January10, the College andAlumni Officespartnered for the FifthAnnual CollegeAlumni Panel andLuncheon. Membersof the junior andsenior class were ableto hear first-hand from

their former schoolmates the experiences offreshman year. This year’s panel includedMark Bellis ’06(BowdoinCollege), AlisonChavers ’07(SusquehannaUniversity), KateFitzgerald ’07(PrincetonUniversity), RossGale ’07 (Babson College), Tim Hearne ’07(Muhlenberg College), Brad Mahlof ’07(Brandeis University), Elliot Mahlof ’07(Johns Hopkins University), CourtneySiebert ’07 (Bucknell University), ShinequaWatkins ’07 (Barnard College) and J.D.

Wilgucki ’07(LehighUniversity).Following thepanel, the Class of2008 enjoyed aspecial lunch withthe young alumnito talk more

casually about their college experiences. Alsojoining the group for lunch were MargoChaly ’04, Nanki Chatha ’07, JeffCochran ’07, Alan Gordin ’07, AkritiGupta ’07, Bailey Medlin ’07, DaliaMeleis ’07, John Pontolillo ’06, RajSaghal ’07, Chloe Spear ’07 and EvanZimmerman ’07.

37C O L U M N S

Mark your calendar!Ranney Reunion ’08May 3, 2008Tour 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 alumni@ranneyschool.org.

36 C O L U M N S36

Alumni Meet At The

Ranney Round-Up!On Saturday, June 23rd, more than 50 alumni and friendsjoined together to celebrate Ranney's Annual AlumniReunion. Celebrating milestone reunions were members ofthe Classes of 1972, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002, inaddition to other alumni who returned to see the PaulusLibrary transformed into the Ranney Ranch, reflecting thewestern theme. Amidst the flurry of yearbook pageflipping and story swapping, alumni heard about theFoundations for Learning ~ Phase II projects, experiencingthe new track and field complex for themselves during atour of campus. Many alumni had not returned since theirhigh school graduation and were impressed by the growthof their school. While walking the halls of their almamater, the alumni shared memories of the lounge in theAnnex (now a fourth grade classroom), the study hall inthe Barn (now a kindergarten classroom) and ballroomdancing classes in the RAC Lounge.

Below: Tara Fay, Class of 1999.

Above: Dr. A’ndreaVan Schoick, Classof 1992, Marc Pico,Class of 1992 andDr. Kyle Barr, Classof 1991.

Right: Ilene Grossman,Class of 2002, and AdamJones, Class of 2002.

Below: Ron Stokes, Class of 1972.

Below Center: The Class of 1997 was out in full force, including TristanTice, Tim Paulus, Michael Seto, AroopSanakkayala, Denise Wahba, AnitaRajan and Birdie Thompson.

Left: Alexandra Betesh, Class of 2006and Rob Khristov, Class of 1988.

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, MikeMcCabe and Chris Paynecaught up at Reunion.

Left: Ilene (Kaplan) Evans, Dr.Anand Lothe and Jennifer(Rodgers) Dresner representthe Class of 1987.

Left Center: Gary Braverman,Class of 1983, and his motherspeak with Jonathan Rosen,Class of 1984.

37C O L U M N S

Mark your calendar!Ranney Reunion ’08May 3, 2008Tour 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 alumni@ranneyschool.org.

36 C O L U M N S36

Alumni Meet At The

Ranney Round-Up!On Saturday, June 23rd, more than 50 alumni and friendsjoined together to celebrate Ranney's Annual AlumniReunion. Celebrating milestone reunions were members ofthe Classes of 1972, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002, inaddition to other alumni who returned to see the PaulusLibrary transformed into the Ranney Ranch, reflecting thewestern theme. Amidst the flurry of yearbook pageflipping and story swapping, alumni heard about theFoundations for Learning ~ Phase II projects, experiencingthe new track and field complex for themselves during atour of campus. Many alumni had not returned since theirhigh school graduation and were impressed by the growthof their school. While walking the halls of their almamater, the alumni shared memories of the lounge in theAnnex (now a fourth grade classroom), the study hall inthe Barn (now a kindergarten classroom) and ballroomdancing classes in the RAC Lounge.

Below: Tara Fay, Class of 1999.

Above: Dr. A’ndreaVan Schoick, Classof 1992, Marc Pico,Class of 1992 andDr. Kyle Barr, Classof 1991.

Right: Ilene Grossman,Class of 2002, and AdamJones, Class of 2002.

Below: Ron Stokes, Class of 1972.

Below Center: The Class of 1997 was out in full force, including TristanTice, Tim Paulus, Michael Seto, AroopSanakkayala, Denise Wahba, AnitaRajan and Birdie Thompson.

Left: Alexandra Betesh, Class of 2006and Rob Khristov, Class of 1988.

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, MikeMcCabe and Chris Paynecaught up at Reunion.

Left: Ilene (Kaplan) Evans, Dr.Anand Lothe and Jennifer(Rodgers) Dresner representthe Class of 1987.

Left Center: Gary Braverman,Class of 1983, and his motherspeak with Jonathan Rosen,Class of 1984.

The beginning of the 2006-07 school year began aperiod of remarkable celebration for Ranney School.Starting with the dedication of Karagianakis Field in October 2006,Ranney School observed the dedication of Guidone Track, thegroundbreaking of the new Lower School and RSPA Panther Hall andthe dedication of Kelly Tennis Center, all within 15 months. Thesewonderful additions to our campus have been built by the unwaveringconfidence of our parents, administration, faculty, staff and friends. Adrive through campus is enough to see the scope of the project we havebeen celebrating since last May’s groundbreaking. A new roof nowprovides support to a brand new structure: one that will provide oureducators with the tools and environment to continue offering ourchildren the highest quality learning experience, and one that will seeour students realize their potential. I would like to acknowledge ourBoard of Trustees, an extraordinary group of dedicated individuals whohave helped in shaping the Ranney School of today and extend sincere

A message from the Board of Trustees

Daniel B. Goldberg, M.D.,President, Board of Trustees

Groundbreaking Celebrations:

38 C O L U M N S

gratitude for their invaluable guidance and leadership in conceiving the Ranney School of tomorrow. We are also indebted to our strongcommunity 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 athousand 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.President, Board of Trustees

39C O L U M N S

The beginning of the 2006-07 school year began aperiod of remarkable celebration for Ranney School.Starting with the dedication of Karagianakis Field in October 2006,Ranney School observed the dedication of Guidone Track, thegroundbreaking of the new Lower School and RSPA Panther Hall andthe dedication of Kelly Tennis Center, all within 15 months. Thesewonderful additions to our campus have been built by the unwaveringconfidence of our parents, administration, faculty, staff and friends. Adrive through campus is enough to see the scope of the project we havebeen celebrating since last May’s groundbreaking. A new roof nowprovides support to a brand new structure: one that will provide oureducators with the tools and environment to continue offering ourchildren the highest quality learning experience, and one that will seeour students realize their potential. I would like to acknowledge ourBoard of Trustees, an extraordinary group of dedicated individuals whohave helped in shaping the Ranney School of today and extend sincere

A message from the Board of Trustees

Daniel B. Goldberg, M.D.,President, Board of Trustees

Groundbreaking Celebrations:

38 C O L U M N S

gratitude for their invaluable guidance and leadership in conceiving the Ranney School of tomorrow. We are also indebted to our strongcommunity 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 athousand 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.President, Board of Trustees

39C O L U M N S

The Board of Trustees welcomes

PAUL C. GUIDONE, CFAPaul Guidone is a member of theInvestment Committee. Outside of hisappointment at Ranney School, he is aguest lecturer in economics and finance atThe Engineering School and The School ofArts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University.A senior business executive in theinvestment management industry in the USand abroad, Paul is the Managing Partner atLinden Point Capital Management, LLC, a

privately owned investment company specializing in globalmoney management. Previously, he was the ManagingDirector & Chief Investment Officer of Citigroup GlobalWealth Management, where he was responsible for theinvestment activities of the Citigroup Private Bank andSmith Barney Private Client Division. He was also amember of the Management Committee of Citigroup, Inc.and senior member of Citigroup’s Pension InvestmentCommittee. Prior to Citigroup, he was Managing Directorand Chief Investment Officer of J&W Seligman, aprivately owned investment advisory firm offering mutualfunds and investment advisory services. Previously, heserved as Deputy Chairman and Group CEO, HSBC Asset management, Ltd. in London, England, where heand his family lived for eight years. Paul earned a B.S. infinance from The Pennsylvania State University and aCFA from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts.He is a member of the Association for InvestmentManagement & Research, the United Kingdom Society of Investment Professionals (UKSIP), the New YorkSociety of Security Analysts (NYSSA) and holds severalsecurities industry licenses. Paul and his wife, Diane, havetwo sons, Matt ’03 and Greg ’06 and daughter Kate who is a junior at Ranney School. School Days

40 C O L U M N S40

A LOOK BACK IN TIME — HERE IS A

PHOTO FROM THE RANNEY SCHOOL

ARCHIVES CIRCA 1964.

BBooaarrdd ooff TTrruusstteeeess

Daniel Goldberg, M.D.President

Marshall KnopfFirst Vice President

Jamie PriceVice President

Patricia KurdylaSecretary

Jack McEneryCo-Treasurer

Albert RodriguezCo-Treasurer

Josephine EsquivelFinancial 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.

Lawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.Head of SchoolEx Officio

The Board of Trustees welcomes

PAUL C. GUIDONE, CFAPaul Guidone is a member of theInvestment Committee. Outside of hisappointment at Ranney School, he is aguest lecturer in economics and finance atThe Engineering School and The School ofArts and Sciences at Vanderbilt University.A senior business executive in theinvestment management industry in the USand abroad, Paul is the Managing Partner atLinden Point Capital Management, LLC, a

privately owned investment company specializing in globalmoney management. Previously, he was the ManagingDirector & Chief Investment Officer of Citigroup GlobalWealth Management, where he was responsible for theinvestment activities of the Citigroup Private Bank andSmith Barney Private Client Division. He was also amember of the Management Committee of Citigroup, Inc.and senior member of Citigroup’s Pension InvestmentCommittee. Prior to Citigroup, he was Managing Directorand Chief Investment Officer of J&W Seligman, aprivately owned investment advisory firm offering mutualfunds and investment advisory services. Previously, heserved as Deputy Chairman and Group CEO, HSBC Asset management, Ltd. in London, England, where heand his family lived for eight years. Paul earned a B.S. infinance from The Pennsylvania State University and aCFA from the Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts.He is a member of the Association for InvestmentManagement & Research, the United Kingdom Society of Investment Professionals (UKSIP), the New YorkSociety of Security Analysts (NYSSA) and holds severalsecurities industry licenses. Paul and his wife, Diane, havetwo sons, Matt ’03 and Greg ’06 and daughter Kate who is a junior at Ranney School. School Days

40 C O L U M N S40

A LOOK BACK IN TIME — HERE IS A

PHOTO FROM THE RANNEY SCHOOL

ARCHIVES CIRCA 1964.

BBooaarrdd ooff TTrruusstteeeess

Daniel Goldberg, M.D.President

Marshall KnopfFirst Vice President

Jamie PriceVice President

Patricia KurdylaSecretary

Jack McEneryCo-Treasurer

Albert RodriguezCo-Treasurer

Josephine EsquivelFinancial 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.

Lawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.Head of SchoolEx Officio

Ranney School235 Hope RoadTinton Falls, NJ 07724

www.ranneyschool.org

Ranney SchoolU.S. Postage

PAIDPermit # 13

Tinton Falls, NJ07724