The Rumson School District recently sponsored a Parent Academy session outlining social and emotional learning initiatives undertaken in Forrestdale and Deane-Porter schools.
Continue reading Learning Curve: Rumson School District’s Parent Academy
Tag Archives: Rumson School District
Meet Rumson School District’s New Superintendent
There’s a new superintendent in the Rumson School District.
John E. Bormann, Ed. D., was unanimously appointed to the district top administrator spot at a special Rumson Board of Education meeting on June 9. His start date is Aug. 1.
The board considered 32 candidates and conducted several rounds of interviews before choosing Bormann.
“When we did our research and checked his references, we discovered one good thing after another about Dr. Bormann,” Rumson Board of Education President Colleen O’Connor said. “His strong leadership skills and track record of successful interactions with teaching staff and with parents make him a perfect fit for our district.”
Bormann’s contract runs through June 30, 2020. He will be responsible for Deane-Porter School (pre-K through third grade) and Forrestdale School (fourth through eighth grade).
“I would like to thank the Rumson School Board for this opportunity,” Bormann said. “I am very excited to learn the Rumson traditions and history and meld that with my own vision, which is this — ‘If it doesn’t expand the possibilities for our students, why do it?’
“I have a special interest in motivating the stakeholders in our children’s education to help them become better learners for their own sake, and I believe that the road to success is in non-stop trying. I am determined to uncover how to make this happen for the students in Rumson.”
Bormann spent 19 years in the Spring Lake School District, where he served as chief school administrator for the past four years. He also has experience in the field as a science teacher, supervisor of curriculum, and superintendent/principal.
Dr. Bormann has a bachelor of science degree in Environmental Science from Rutgers University, a master of science degree in Educational Technology from Ramapo College, a master of arts degree in Educational Leadership from Georgian Court University, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from St. Peters University.
A two-time recipient of the Governor’s Teacher Recognition Award, Dr. Bormann has also earned the Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award. As a superintendent, he received the Monmouth County Education Association Friend of Education Award.
An avid reader, traveler, and gardener, Bormann lives in Freehold.
— Edited Rumson School District press release
All About Rumson’s ‘Teachers of the Year’
The following is a press release from the Rumson School District:
The Rumson School District has honored two as Teachers of the Year.
Holly Nixon and Lori Zucker were awarded the distinction, among many accolades from the Board of Education, friends, family and colleagues at the April 29 meeting.
“My goal is to bring excitement, curiosity, and enthusiasm to my classroom, and to foster an environment in which students have a joy in learning,” said Nixon, a first grade teacher at Deane-Porter School. “I am dedicated to giving my students an innovative education while above all helping to ensure their well-being, success, and growth.”
“I believe that teaching is one of the most fulfilling professions, and teaching at Forrestdale is a privilege and a pleasure,” said Zucker, an eighth grade English Language Arts teacher. “I love coming to work every day.”
Board President Colleen O’ Connor spoke of the many positive attributes displayed by both Nixon and Zucker, and the ways in which their students benefit.
“They are recognized as special teachers who build strong relationships with their students,” she said, “And they create a productive learning atmosphere where students are recognized and valued.”
Video tributes featuring students and colleagues were created for Nixon and Zucker, and shown at the meeting. Nixon was described as, among other things, “kind” and “caring.” Among the words used to describe Zucker were “warm-hearted” and “joyful.”
Nixon has taught at both Deane-Porter (Pre-K to 3rd grade) and Forrestdale (4th through 8th grade) Schools during her 14 years with the Rumson School District. She received her undergraduate degree from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts and attained her M. Ed. from Kean University in Union, New Jersey. A mother of four, she has been a resident of Rumson for the past 22 years.
“If you want to see patience in action, go see Mrs. Nixon,” said Deane-Porter School Principal Shari Feeney. “She is able to reach students in various ways because she is committed to them – and they know it.
“Mrs. Nixon sees tomorrow in her children’s eyes.”
Zucker has been teaching at Forrestdale School for 10 years. She received her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and her M. Ed. from Teachers College/Columbia University in New York City. She began her teaching career at John Adams Elementary School in North Brunswick, New Jersey, and spent 10 years working in educational publishing before returning to the classroom.
“Mrs. Zucker is a respectful, reliable, and dynamic member of our eighth grade team, and is inspirational in so many ways” said Forrestdale School Assistant Principal Amy Romano. “She has a calling in her life, and has mastered the art of being firm yet fair while teaching her students to strive for excellence.”
“She does not work for accolades, but to enrich children’s lives.”
Nixon lives in Rumson with her husband Jeff and their children, Jessica, Amy, Allison, and Gregory, who attended grade school in the Rumson school district.
Zucker lives in Oakhurst with her husband Sam, children Annie and Daniel, nephew Keala, and dog Ziggy.
Sun Shines on Forrestdale’s Production of ‘Annie jr.’
The following is an edited press release from the Rumson School District:
The sun will come out tomorrow, but it was the stars that shone brightly in the musical Annie jr. presented by the Forrestdale Drama Club in March.
The production, with a cast of more than 30, was directed by Vinny Sabatino, with musical direction by Forrestdale music teacher Barbara Leutz.
The show starred and featured: Gina Teschke as Annie; Sophia Bocklage as Miss Hannigan; Kate Gagliardi as Ms. Warbucks; Mara Campolattaro as Grace Farrell; Rory McGill and Annabel Morris as the “shady characters” Rooster and Lily St. Regis; and Rachel Bailey as Annie’s dog, Sandy.
Continue reading Sun Shines on Forrestdale’s Production of ‘Annie jr.’
Forrestdale’s Fisbowl of Communication
It’s all about opening up lines of communication — getting a good look from the outside in, like a fishbowl.
That was the impetus behind the annual Fishbowl Event that’s been held at Forrestdale School in Rumson now for a decade. And the latest Fishbowl was no exception.
Internet Safety Explored at Rumson Schools
The following is an edited press release from the Rumson School District:
The Rumson School District recently presented a parent “coffee chat” on the subject of Internet Safety and Cyber Bullying.
The event Feb. 23 event was organized by Forrestdale School Guidance Counselor and Anti-Bullying Specialist Jenn Crow, and hosted by local parent and internet safety expert Tyna Kilbourne.
Snow Issue: Delayed R-FH School Openings
All the school districts in the Rumson-Fair Haven area have announced delayed openings for Tuesday.
Rumson School District:
“The Rumson School District will have a 90 minute delayed opening on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 with the possibility that school may be closed. You will be notified tomorrow morning if school will be closed.
For the delayed opening the AM Preschool will report to school at 10:10 am to 12:00 noon. Students in grades K-8 will report to school at 10:10 am to 3:05 pm.
Please allow the same amount of time to report to your bus stop as you normally would.”
Fair Haven School District:
“As a result of the current forecast for overnight accumulating snow and continued frigid temperatures, along with the need to prepare both campuses for students and staff, FH Schools will operate under a 2 ½ hour Plan B delayed opening schedule for tomorrow, Tuesday February 17th. AM Pre-K and Kindergarten both begin at 10:30; PM Kindergarten begins at 1:00, followed by PM Pre-K at 1:10. No lunches will be served.”
Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District:
From the high school’s website …
“Staff sign in is at 9am.
The warning bell is at 9:10am.
Period 1 starts at 9:15am.
Buses will be running this morning on a 90 minute delayed schedule.”
Rumson Schools’ Chromebook Project to Bring Students into Future
The following is an edited press release provided by the Rumson School District:
The Chromebook Project, an initiative of the Rumson Education Foundation (REF), has been dubbed the largest, most successful project in the history of the foundation and the Rumson School District.
Chromebook will provide state-of-the-art Google technology to all students in Kindergarten through eighth grade at Deane Porter and Forrestdale schools. The project’s stated mission is to provide “1 to 1 Chromebook technology” and “place the future in our students’ hands.”
“We did a lot of research, and the Google Platform is the optimal choice for our new curriculums — including the math curriculum — as well as for the technology phase of our PARCC assessments,” said Ellen Iovino, the district’s technology coordinator. “Our goal was to introduce new technology that was subject-specific and that would best enhance the classroom learning experience of individual students.”
The first phase — providing carts full of Chromebooks to all fourth and fifth grade classrooms, where all subjects are taught by homeroom teachers — is complete.
In the sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classrooms, where teachers dedicate themselves to specific subjects, the Chromebooks have been made available for use in Math and Social Studies classes.
Phase Two of the project got a major boost in funding by an anonymous donor, who offered a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $50,000 in funds, and is on track for its targeted completion date of Dec. 31. All funds are in place for this phase.
Plans for Phase Two include:
• Work on the infrastructure at Deane Porter School (for grades K-3) to expand the wireless network;
• The purchase of Chromebooks and carts for use in second and third grades;
• The purchase of additional Chromebooks and cart for use in the sixth grade science classroom (existing Chromebooks and carts will be utilized for seventh and eighth grade science classrooms);
• The purchase of 150 Chromebooks and five carts for sixth through eighth grade language arts classrooms
Iovino noted that computer technology is available for use by Kindergarten students in keeping with the 1-to-1 initiative.
Currently, Kindergarten and first grade students have access to new Deane Porter Media Center desktop computers as well as the Deane Porter Media Center Chromebook cart (with 30 Chromebooks), purchased during the 2013-14 school year through a grant from the foundation. In addition, each Kindergarten classroom contains three desktop computers for use by students.
“The technology is used mostly to apply the skills that Kindergarten students are learning through interaction with their teachers, and we are continuing to explore different technology – perhaps other than Chromebooks – that will best enhance the experience for them,” Iovino said. “But the fact is, the total number of Chromebooks being provided by the Education Foundation exceeds the number of students in our district.”
Thanks to prior Rumson Education Foundation grants, each classroom in both Deane Porter and Forrestdale schools has been outfitted with a projector, ELMO document camera, and laptop for use by the teacher.
The Chromebook Project is a complement to the wealth of technology already available at both schools, which encompasses 125 computers in all. Computers for student use are located in the Study Lab, Computer Lab, Resource Rooms, Libraries, and Media Center.
The Rumson School District plans to host a Technology Night in the near future, where students will demonstrate what they are able to achieve using the new devices.
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