Category Archives: Schools Scene

Find out what’s going on in the RFH Regional High School and Rumson and Fair Haven school districts.

Fair Haven Schools Superintendent’s Resignation: The Background

The resignation of Fair Haven School District Superintendent Nelson Ribon has been common knowledge for about a week, since the Board of Education accepted his resignation at its meeting last week.

Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect has since requested an interview with Ribon; and he has not yet responded.

He did, however, send a letter out to parents of students in the district.

The complete letter read:

Dear Parents & Guardians,

After several weeks of deep reflection about my professional experiences in our district since 2011, along with the exciting opportunities available to me in the very near future, it was with bitter-sweet emotions that I submitted my resignation, effective July 1, 2016, to the Board of Education nearly two weeks ago. The BOE regretfully approved my decision at this week’s monthly meeting.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the Fair Haven community for nearly five years. I have met great people, developed friendships along the way, and most importantly been a part of the lives of children who have big hearts and great minds.

I will move on with lots of wonderful memories, and proud that the next Superintendent will have a superb leadership team and staff in place, exciting programs and opportunities for all students, a Strategic Plan created with input from a wide representation of stakeholder groups, a vision for the expansion of our schools to work with, as well as tremendous partnerships to foster and grow.

During the next six months, I will continue to move the district forward with the support of our great staff, while assisting the Board with their transition, if and as needed.

I am confident that the Board of Education will communicate their plans for a search in the weeks and months to come.

On behalf of my family, I wish you all a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.

Thank you for your time,
Nelson
Nelson Ribon
Superintendent, Fair Haven Public Schools
224 Hance Road | Fair Haven NJ 07704

How Ribon ended up in the superintendent’s office:

Ribon, who has a master’s degree and roughly 15 years of experience in education, first came to the district as principal of Knollwood School in June of 2011.

Prior to that, he spent a seven-year stint as principal of Freehold Borough Intermediate School and as a teacher at St. John Vianney in Holmdel and Keansburg.

When former superintendent, Kathleen Cronin, announced her retirement from the district , effective July 1, 2013, a search firm was hired to root out the right choice for her replacement.

After months of meetings and search strategies, the firm’s leader, Rich Morasco, of Little Silver-based Leadership Advantage, announced that Ribon was the choice for the stop administrative spot.

Morasco had said that the new superintendent did not have to live in Fair Haven, but had to act like it, as, in addition to having the pertinent experience and educational background,  having strong community ties had been identified by residents as a critical qualification for anyone vying for the superintendent job.

Ribon, according to state records, earned a salary of $132,500 as Knollwood’s principal. His salary, according to the records went up to $145,000 for the superintendent position.

When first hired, Ribon had said that he was “on cloud nine.”

— Elaine Van Develde

 

Knollwood School Grad Anthony Sciametta’s Wall of Honor Induction

Anthony Sciametta, a 2011 graduate of Knollwood School in Fair Haven, has joined the special ranks of those commemorated with a photo on the Wall of Honor.

Commissioned and designed in 2011 to honor graduates serving their country in the armed forces, the Wall of Honor is featured in a main hallway at Knollwood School. Anthony’s photo was unveiled at a ceremony held on the afternoon of Dec. 16.

Continue reading Knollwood School Grad Anthony Sciametta’s Wall of Honor Induction

Rumson Parents Take a ’15-Minute Child Break’ to Talk About Substance Abuse

The Rumson School District Parent Academy offered parents some insight on how to talk to their kids about substance abuse with 15-Minute Child Break, a program offered through the state’s Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey.

The organization is run as a collaborative effort between the Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and the NJ Department of Human Services.

On Dec. 7 at 7 p.m., Rumson parents got together at the Forrestdale School Media Center to talk about how they are the key influencers in the prevention of substance abuse and learn how to effectively talk to their children about drugs and alcohol and their potential for destroying lives.

More than 40 parents attended the session hosted by Superintendent John Bormann, Forrestdale School Counselor Jenn Crow, and Deane Porter School Counselor Jessica Piernik.

The program is supported by research on substance abuse from Middle School Foundation of the Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey. This research shows that kids who communicate regularly with their parents about their daily activities — for as little as 15 minutes — are 67 percent less likely to be involved in substance abuse than those who have little or no communication.

The 15-Minute Child Break theory supports and empowers today’s parents with the assurance that they are still the strongest influences in their children’s lives.

The presentation covered the following topics:

• Talking to Your Kids About Drugs and Alcohol;
• Influence of Media and Pop Culture;
• Effects of Specific Drugs;
• Keeping Your Kids Drug-Free;
• Strengthening Parenting Skills;
• Utilizing Teachable Moments.

Additional information about the program can be found under “Child Break” at www.drugfreenj.org.

Information on upcoming Parent Academy presentations can be found on the Rumson School District website at www.rumsonschool.org.

— Edited press release from the Rumson School District

Defining Action Steps to Meet Fair Haven Schools Goals

Fair Haven community members collaborated at a third strategic planning workshop tied to the future success of the school district.

The workshop, entitled Defining Action Steps and part of the school district’s FAIR HAVEN VISION 2020 initiative, was held on Dec. 1 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Knollwood School and facilitated by Dr. Charles Ivory and Dr. Gerard Woehr of the non-profit Education Information and Resource Center (EIRC).

Continue reading Defining Action Steps to Meet Fair Haven Schools Goals

RFH Spanish Teacher Gets Grant; Set for Conference in Cuba

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Spanish Teacher Christina Gauss has received a Learning and Leadership Grant from the National Education Association.

The awarding of the $2,000 grant was based on her proposal entitled Cuba: One Year Later, in reference to the time that has passed since U.S. President Barack Obama and Cuban President Raul Castro announced their normalization plan.

The grant will allow Gauss to travel to Cuba in January, 2016 for an immersive cultural experience. While in Cuba, Gauss and fellow educators will participate in a Witness for Peace Delegation hosted by the People to People Organization.

“I am very excited for the opportunity to enhance my Spanish language skills while developing an understanding of the Cuban people, their rich cultural heritage, and their perspective on being at the forefront of social change,” said Gauss. “I am also looking forward to sharing my insights with students in all of my classes, and working to coordinate cross-disciplinary activities.”

The group plans to get involved with and learn about many aspect of Cuban life and culture, including:

• The literacy campaign that led to Cuba’s designation as an “illiteracy-free” zone by the United Nations;
• Current education practices for Cuban youth and communities
Local, sustainable agriculture;
• The current “drivers” of the economy;
• Cuba’s response to global climate change, a particular threat to island nations;
• Creation of the art that sustains the Cuban soul, and live performances at The Martin Luther King Center, a hub for community education and faith;
• Ecology as it relates to the earth, the community, and the mind.

Gauss currently teaches Spanish I, IV, IV Honors, and Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish at RFH. The activities she plans while in Cuba correlate directly to the AP Spanish Language and Culture Curriculum with a focus on contemporary life, global challenges, personal and public identities, family and community, beauty and esthetics, and science and technology.

Upon her return, Gauss will develop curricular materials, activities, and presentations to share her findings with her students.

— Edited press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School

Fair Haven Students Go on ‘Google Expeditions’

Fair Haven students recently took a virtual reality field trip.

They participated in showcase of Google Expeditions. Viola L. Sickles and Knollwood Schools were among the first chosen for beta testing for the virtual trip from a wait list of approximately 6,500 schools.

Continue reading Fair Haven Students Go on ‘Google Expeditions’

R-FH Area Schools’ ‘Beyond Measure’ Discussion


“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” It’s a major tenet Rumon-Fair Haven area parents and students learned as they gathered together recently to view and discuss the documentary Beyond Measure, the sequel to the acclaimed Race to Nowhere.

Parents and students in the Rumson, Fair Haven and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) districts participated.

Here’s what happened …

Continue reading R-FH Area Schools’ ‘Beyond Measure’ Discussion

Insight into Fair Haven Schools’ ‘Expectations for the Future’

Nearly 100 community members shared their visions for the future of the Fair Haven School District at a recent workshop.

Expectations for the Future, held on Nov. 11, was the second in a series of four workshops open to the public designed to help drive the district’s current strategic planning initiative dubbed FAIR HAVEN VISION 2020. The first workshop, held on Oct. 7, focused on “points of pride” in the present-day school district.

At the second workshop, facilitators Dr. Charles Ivory and Dr. Gerald Woehr, of the non-profit Education Information & Resource Center (EIRC), asked attendees to peer into the future.

“Envision a highly successful Fair Haven School District about three years from now,” Ivory told the group. “Then consider what factors are making make it great, and what steps had to be taken to get there.

“This your opportunity to ‘future think’ what you would like to happen for the children of this community.”

Continue reading Insight into Fair Haven Schools’ ‘Expectations for the Future’

RFH Athletes Sign Letters of Intent

National Signing Day was Wednesday; and, surrounded by coaches, family and friends, 14 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) athletes signed letters of intent.

The students and their college commitments are:

• Reid Bedell, Golf at Lafayette College;
• Butch Clark, Lacrosse at Pace University;
• Ian Clarke, Lacrosse at Pace University;
• Robbie Garavante, Lacrosse at Lafayette College;
• Maggie Jennings, Lacrosse at Villanova University;
• Stephanie Lesko, Basketball at Bryant University;
• Jacqueline Littleson, Lacrosse at Vanderbilt University;
• Madison Maguire, Field Hockey at University of Maryland;
• Nicole Morris, Basketball at Holy Cross College;
• Sydney Sabino, Basketball at Wagner College;
• Teddy Smith, Swimming at University of Denver;
• Morgan Steinhacker, Lacrosse at Bucknell University;
• Shoshanna Swell, Swimming at Cornell University;
• Matt Waters, Lacrosse at University of Delaware.

The National Letter of Intent serves as a binding agreement between student-athletes and Division I and II programs at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities.

— Edited press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School.