Tag Archives: RFH

Local Life

Retro RFH Cheer for Champs

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Photo/RFH yearbook screenshot
Photo/RFH yearbook screenshot

Well, the cheering for the RFH Bulldogs’ fourth consecutive state football championship has yet to cease.

And that’s how it goes with those spirited RFH cheers. The people of R-FH land are proud and rightly so.

So, in the interest of equal time and continuing to honor the champs, the Retro Pic of the Day zooms in on a group of real RFH cheerleaders of the past — the late 1970s to be sort of exact.

These are the real deal girls with their genuine purple and white plaid kilt skirts (rather than sister or mother’s clothes), saddle shoes (rather than work boots), and knee socks (in place of long johns, or whatever those things were on the guys). Oh, and the pom-poms and megaphones are authentic. Though the guys we showed you did manage to lift a couple of tools of the cheer trade from the girls, like those sweaters and a pom or two.

So, give this group of cheerleaders a gander. They were considered the coolest of the cool kids. Yup. The outfits and method of cheering have evolved quite a bit since then, but the sentiment is the same.

Go Bulldogs!

Recognize any of these girls? Some are still in the area.

— Elaine Van Develde

Schools Scene

RFH Alums to Students: World Language Skill Key to Success

They followed different paths to embracing world languages, yet they all arrived at the same conclusion — having an “international mindset” is a huge advantage in today’s global marketplace.

Continue reading RFH Alums to Students: World Language Skill Key to Success →

News, Schools Scene

Focus: RFH Football Champs’ Game

It didn’t take long for news to travel when the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Football Team won its fourth consecutive state championship on Saturday.

Sirens were blaring and shout-outs on social media ran rampant as the Bulldogs scored the major win and wound their way home to firetruck escorts in a mini parade of fanfare down River Road.

The Bulldogs beat South Plainfield in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III championship game at Rutgers University with a score of 27 to 22.

RFH alumnus were there and grabbing a glimpse in photos of some of the game’s milestone moments. Take a look …

— Photos/Cole Van Develde

 

Local Life

Retro RFH Class of 2006: Knollwood, Frosh & Junior Moments

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More than a decade ago, the classmates in the RFH Class of 2006 were the newbies in the hallowed halls — freshmen. Then sophomores. Then juniors … and seniors, graduates and, well, for the past decade,  alumnus.

There was a 10-year reunion on Saturday at which these old friends, some who have been buds since kindergarten, got a chance to reminisce about the good, the bad and the sometimes ugly times in their journeys together.

There were those birthday parties with the entire class, cupcakes and messy little mugs. There were those kid sleepovers where there wasn’t much sleep and a lot of pranking. There were field days, class trips, Halloweens, parades, Stokes, proms, summers at the beach, the river, games and graduation and partying. And there were those little things … like shortcut walks to school replete with a trip and fall into the creek or hangin’ a loose with Silvio at Umberto’s after school.

That was then. And now … Well, now those “kids” on their way to their third decade in life, with one solid in adulthood.

They’re hitting 30 soon and making their parents feel pretty old.

So, out of respect for the elders and honoring memories, the Retro Pic(s) of the Day features some of the youngsters of the Class of 2006 with: a peek back to eighth grade and the Knollwood Class of 2002; a glimpse at some freshmen fun hanging out with buds; and a little junior year rewind to a trek into the NYC with a few friends at Christmas time.

Take a look back and recall the days of old with the Class of 2006. Recognize any of these kids?

 

Local Life

Reunited: RFH Class of 2006

Photo/Elise Casey, Facebook post
Photo/Elise Casey, Facebook post

And, reportedly, a good time was had by all.

Judging by the looks on their faces in the photos and some comments tossed around on Facebook, the grads of the RFH Class of 2006 had fun times reuniting at their 10th reunion on Saturday at Nauvoo Grill Club in Fair Haven … and assorted other places thereafter.

“Our RFH 10 year reunion was a huge success! Such a great time last night,” said classmate Kevin Wong in a post with the above featured photo. “Thank you to everyone that came out!”

Recognize anyone? Your favorite Class of 2006 memory? Tell us about it for our special Class of 2006 Retro Pic(s) of the Day feature for later.

Cheers to the RFH Class of 2006!

 

Local Life, Opinion

Retro RFH Show Time!

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It’s opening night for the RFH Tower Players’ fall show.

The fall show at RFH has been a longstanding tradition along with the spring musical.

But, back in the day, of, well, the 1970s, there was also the RFH Freshmen Follies which got the new kids in the halls on stage. It was a way for the youngest in the high school to, let’s say, come out of their shell. And they did.

So, the Retro Pic of the (George) Day literally honors the RFH Class of ’78 President Ward Tietz, who not only came out of his shell for the show, but wore a couple of shells like medals on his chest — coconut shells, in fact.

He agreed to join this editor (right) and her best buddy and don a hula skirt, flower headdress and coconut shell bikini top in the great ol’ stage tradition of doing anything for a laugh. Farce. He got those laughs, including many from his own co-stars, who even lost their own sailor hats and nearly fell over mid-song as he strutted and cried under his breath that the stinking shells were itchy and giving him a rash.

That’s our Honey Bun, in the tradition of belly laughs, RFH camaraderie and a tribute to friends and the power of a fun song from an old musical, South Pacific.

This number just never fails in any era — especially considering the star’s outfit.

Get a load of Honey Bun from an RFH stage in ’74!

RIP my best friend Stephanie DeSesa (left in photo). Thank you. I’m still laughing with you.  

Thank you, again, George Day, for preserving yet another priceless RFH memory!

Schools Scene

Haitian Artist Tebo Comes to RFH

He radiates positive energy and endless creativity, and his biggest dream is to help young people with talent realize their own potential. His name is David Thebaud, or Tebo, as he is known in his native Haiti. He arrived at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) on Nov. 14th to meet, once again, with some of his biggest supporters.

Continue reading Haitian Artist Tebo Comes to RFH →

Arts & Entertainment, Schools Scene

Spotlight: RFH Student Artwork

There’s a new arts-inspired initiative at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) that is casting a bright spotlight on students’ artwork.

The RFH National Art Honor Society (NAHS) and the RFH Multiple Disabilities (MD) Program have teamed up to provide artisan frames for the display of creations by RFH students. Featured will be paintings and photography by NAHS and MD students. The collection will be rotated regularly and be featured prominently throughout the school building on an ongoing basis.

Photographs of works by RFH art students at all levels will also be enlarged and placed above the student locker areas.

“This project has brought warmth and enhanced the school climate,” said Special Services teacher Jennifer Dellett. “Our goal is to have all three floors at RFH filled with stimulating artwork by the end of the school year.”

The purchase of 40 frames was made possible by a grant from the RFH Education Foundation. The grant request was written and submitted by Dellett and Art teacher Kristen Lanfrank.

For those who would like a closer view of the artwork, an event dubbed Community Art Opening is planned for the spring of 2017.

As part of the event, students involved in the program will provide community members with a tour of RFH and a discussion of all the art and images on display.

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

Schools Scene

RFH’s Relationship with its Sister School in Spain

Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) Spanish students have a sister … school.

The sister is Isabel de Castilla Public High School in Avila, Spain.

Students in several RFH Spanish classes have begun fostering friendships with the students in Spain through Edmodo, an online educational and social network.

In February of 2017, 17 students and two teacher chaperones will travel from Isabel de Castilla Public High School to visit RFH. Spending the week in homestays, the group will attend classes at RFH as well as participate in special events.

The events include: attending the World Language Department’s Languapalooza talent show; sharing a meal prepared by the RFH Cooking Club; and joining the Spanish National Honor Society for a welcome fiesta.

The trip is designed to provide cultural insight into life as a teenager in Rumson and Fair Haven. The group from Spain will travel to New York City and Philadelphia as well.

A reciprocal journey for RFH students is planned for the 2017-18 school year. RFH students and teacher chaperones will stay with local families and attend classes at Isabel de Castilla in Avila, a small medieval walled city about an hour west of Madrid.

“We are really looking forward to having firsthand insight into the practices, products, and perspectives of the Spanish youth and their culture,” said RFH Spanish teacher Christina Gauss. “We hope to collaborate with the Spanish students throughout the school year.”

As part of their classwork, students in the RFH Advanced Placement Spanish Language and Culture course recently created and sent videos to students at Isabel de Castilla. The videos showcase life at RFH and in the surrounding communities.

In addition, the RFH students developed an online survey to gather information on how social media platforms are used to promote social movements. The online survey has been sent to the students in Spain as well as students and community members in the RFH community. The RFH students plan to compare and contrast the results from RFH and Avila, Spain.

The student groups from RFH and Spain have also begun an ongoing conversation on the A Day in the Life topic. Students in Gauss’ Spanish 4 Honors class created an electronic visual collage that best describes their personalities and lifestyles, and they have shared these collages with the students in Spain. Students in Daniella Goodarz’s and Seth Herman’s Spanish III Honors classes will soon begin interacting with the students from Avila using Edmodo as well.

“This is an excellent opportunity for our students to forge a meaningful and authentic cultural and linguistic exchange,” said Herman, supervisor of World Language at RFH.

The sister school relationship became official this past July when Gauss met with Aida Marquez, English teacher and Bilingual Program Director at Isabel de Castilla, to finalize the details.

The meeting occurred after Gauss had traveled to Spain for a week-long professional development course at the University of Alcala’s Summer Spanish Language and Culture Institute for U.S. Teachers of Spanish.

During the course, 85 teachers from all regions of the U.S. compared and contrasted their educational systems, shared best practices for second language acquisition, explored ideas to increase student engagement, and collaborated on projects to promote students’ global competence skills.

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