1 RTNJ NEWS Randolph Township Schools Newsletter November 30, 2016 1 Upcoming Events: Dec. 1: RHS Fall Play Senior Citizen Show Dec. 2-4: RHS Fall Play Dec. 3: SAT Dec. 6: Board of Education work session Dec. 7: RHS Sophomore/Junior college planning night Dec. 8: RHS Holiday Concert Dec. 8-16: K-12 Art Show Dec. 10: ACT Dec. 12: RHS Holiday Concert 2 Dec. 13: Board of Education Business meeting Dec. 14: 7th & 8th Grade Holiday Concert Dec. 21: First Day of Winter RHS Symphonic Orchestra Tour Dec. 23: Early Dismissal Dec. 24: Chanukah begins Christmas Eve BOE Appoints New Fernbrook Principal At its November business meeting, the Randolph Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Michelle Telischak as the Fernbrook Elementary School Principal. Telischak, who is currently Vice Principal at Center Grove and Ironia Elementary schools, will succeed Danielle Soldivieri who was recently named the school district s new Director of Elementary Education. Soldivieri and Telischak will assume their new posts early next year. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be the next principal at Fernbrook Elementary School, Telischak said. I look forward to collaborating with all of the teachers, students, families and community members at Fernbrook to foster a love of learning for each and every child. Together we will continue to enhance the programs and initiatives at Fernbrook to empower our students to reach their highest potential. There was a talented and diverse pool of candidates for this position and I was excited to recommend Dr. Telischak, Superintendent Jennifer A. Fano said. Dr. Telischak has the passion and vision to continue to lead Fernbrook Elementary School s dedicated staff and students. RHS Student Performed in Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade Randolph High School junior Michael DeMelfi spent his Thanksgiving playing the sousaphone in Macy s Great American Marching Band at the Macy s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Michael sent in an audition tape and was selected to perform with 183 of the top high school musicians in the country. I was excited to represent Randolph, he said. This was an opportunity to show my musical skills off to everyone who went to the parade and watched the parade on television. Miichael spent the week of Thanksgiving rehearsing with the band in the city. Congratulations to Michael on his selection to perform with Macy s Great American Marching Band, said Frank Perrone, Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts. We are proud that he represented Randolph. Superintendent Fano congratulates Dr. Telischak, above.
2 Randolph Students Inducted into RHS Chapter of National Honor Society The Randolph High School chapter of the National Honor Society inducted 74 juniors and seniors into the society at a special ceremony in the high school auditorium on December 17. The inductees received certificates in a special candlelit ceremony. (The 2016-17 officers are pictured right: left to right president Daniel Liew, vice president Chris Cheng, treasurer John Yager, secretary Kayla Legatt, historian Jack Daleo and parliamentarian Joey Recchia.) RHS Chapter of NEHS Recognized The Randolph High School Chapter of the National English Honor Society was recognized by the National society for five years of excellent service, according to RHS NEHS advisor Sarah Townsend. The RHS chapter received a special certificate. RHS Students to Perform Fall Play Dec. 2-4 Randolph High School will present The (Almost) Totally True Story of Hansel and Gretel December 2 at 7 p.m., December 3 at 1 and 7 p.m, and December 4 at 1 p.m. in the Randolph High School auditorium. Tickets are $10; $5 for children and are available at https://rhs.booktix.com or at the door. (Pictured right, Jason Perniciaro as Hansel and Haley Ornstein as Gretel.) RHS Students Enjoy New Culinary Classroom Randolph High School students are cooking up a storm in the renovated culinary classroom which was part of a special high school renovation project. The classroom, which was completed in October, features state-of-the-art renovated kitchens with new appliances and cooking areas for students, said teacher Karen Ga- Nung. I just love the new kitchens, said senior Kyle Luthy. We have more space to cook. The kitchens are a lot bigger and they are really nice, said sophomore Jess Nodine as she made a pumpkin pie for the class Thanksgiving feast as part of a special unit on cooking with fresh herbs. (RHS teacher Karen GaNung, left, with students Jess Nodine, Alyssa Revimbas and Nicole Nodine, as they make pumpkin pie.
Scenes from School Veteran s Day Events! RMS students at Veteran s Day program Center Grove honors Veterans. Above, the Ironia Choir sings a tribute to Veterans. Above right, Fernbrook students enjoy the Veteran s Day assembly. Below left, RHS sophomore Amanda Bloom draws a card for a Veteran. Bottom left, Ironia teachers thank Veterans. Below right, Veterans talk to students in classes at Shongum and RMS, bottom right. 3
RHS Athletes Sign Letters of Intent to Play Sports in College 4 In a special ceremony in the Randolph High School Library, four seniors signed letters of intent to play sports in college. The following students, who are seated below, signed letters: seated left to right, baseball pitcher Thomas Ippolito who will attend Pace University, cross country and track athlete Courtney Darakjy, who will attend High Point University in North Carolina, lacrosse midfielder T.T. (Taralyn) Naslonski who will attend Rutgers University and baseball player Jake Barbiere, who will attend Ryder University. Families, teachers and friends also came to take photos and congratulate the students. (Top row, left to right, Athletic Director Jeffrey DiLollo, Cross Country Coach Kevin Higgins, Baseball Coach Doug Anderson, Assistant Athletic Director Marybeth Foran and Principal Debbie Iosso. ) Randolph High School Varsity Girls Tennis Team Wins Conference Title Congratulations to the Randolph High School Girls Varsity Tennis Team recently won the North Jersey Athletic Conference National Division 1 title! (The Varsity Tennis Team, pictured left with Coach Donald Fritch, celebrates their victory.) Register for Randolph Community School Programs The Randolph Community School is accepting registration for its January and February holiday fun programs January 16 and February 17, when schools are closed for Martin Luther King Day and a longer President s Day weekend. There is no holiday fun on President s Day. In addition, the Community School is accepting registration for its winter Young Rembrandts Art classes offered at all four elementary schools and Randolph Middle School. As part of a recent partnership with South Street Dance Center, the Community School will offer a new dance program at Ironia and a new musical theater program at Center Grove. Please register today! The Community School offers a new convenient online registration program. Please register at https:// register.capturepoint.com/randolphcommunityschool. For information, call (973) 361-0808 ext. 8603 or visit rtnj.org and click on the Community School channel bar.
5 RHS Soccer Team Honored The Randolph High School Boys Varsity Soccer Team was named Morris County Team of the Year at the Morris County Soccer Coaches Association annual banquet. Coach George Mousis was named Morris County Coach of the Year and Goalkeeper Evan Miele was named Morris County Player of the Year. Evan will play in the North-South Senior All-Star Game Dec. 6. (Left, the Boys Varsity Soccer Team celebrates at the banquet.) Cross Country Team Prevails The RHS Cross Country team, pictured right with trophies, won the NJAC Conference and Morris County and Sectional Championships. The team celebrated at the team s dinner banquet. American Education Week Randolph Schools observed American Education Week with many special events. (Below, RHS partnered with the PTSO and invited parents to a special RAM Camp at RHS where parents learned about everything from the dance program to the Option II program, below.) RHS Honored Randolph High School was recently named a NJ State Special Olympics Exemplary Play United School at a special dinner Friday in Princeton. (Pictured above left to right, Transition Coordinator Brianne McBreen, Teacher Patti Mountjoy, Principal Debbie Iosso and Supervisor of Special Services Evy Falcon-Duran.)
6 Music Students of the Month The Mayo Center for the Performing Arts in Morristown has named two Randolph High School seniors Music Students of the Month: vocalist Christian Harvey (pictured left with choral director Mr. Swiss) and jazz musician John Yager (pictured below left with Mr. Miller.) Fire Prevention Center Grove students learned all about fire safety and got up close to a real fire truck when the Mt. Freedom Fire Department visited the school. (see below) RHS Mass Media Students Honored Four Randolph High School students received the first place award for Best Narrative Film in the Watch Out Film Festival. RHS seniors Ryan Daniel, Ryan Byrne, Zach Kasper and David Kahana (not pictured) won the award for the film Shards of Time. (Ryan, Ryan and Zach are pictured below with mass media teacher Robert Finning. ) Ironia Playground Ironia staff volunteered their time to help beautify the school playground. The staff used stencils and spent a day during the New Jersey Teachers Convention creating hopscotch boards and drawings such as this below. The Ironia PTO supplied a grant for the work. (Photo by Dr. Michelle Telischak)
7 Students Learn About Elections Randolph students learned about elections in special social studies programs at every school. These included mock elections and special assemblies. At Center Grove, children picked their favorite candy in a special vote with Skittles prevailing and first graders enjoyed an election choosing between their teacher and characters from books they read about elections. RMS Students voted in a mock presidential election on computers in the library (below). Afterwards, students received I voted stickers, (below left). Shongum students cast their ballots for president, (left). Principal Cliff Burns and Uncle Sam spoke to students about elections at a special school assembly (pictured above and left). Center Grove first graders cast their ballots, below. Miss Grott shows students how to vote, right.
8 Randolph Hosts String Symposium The Randolph String Department hosted its first annual String Orchestra Conducting Symposium at Randolph High School on November 5. Teachers from New Jersey and Pennsylvania took turns conducting an orchestra comprised of RMS and RHS students. Thanksgiving Feast Center Grove preschoolers enjoyed a Thanksgiving feast on Tuesday, November 22 in the school cafeteria. Halloween Parades Ironia Puppet Palooza! The public was invited to the special November 17 showcase of colorful puppets created by current fifth graders last year in Ms. Tyroler s art classes. This year s fourth graders took special notes on November 18 so they can begin their puppet projects. Fourth grader Olivia Wiberg said she liked the facial expressions on many of the puppets as well as the overlapping of fabrics. Students at all four elementary schools enjoyed Halloween parades and parties on Halloween. Students dressed up as everything from dinosaurs to witches. (Above, a group of Center Grove friends dressed up as characters from The Wizard of Oz.) Mayor Visits RHS Randolph Mayor Roman Hirniak spoke to students in Mrs. Feree s classes at RHS about Randolph Township and answered questions about government. (Mayor Hirniak is pictured, right, speaking to a class.)
9 Randolph Rock Stars Honored The Randolph Education Foundation honored the school district s teachers of the year, Board of Education President Al Matos and Director of Special Services Walter Curioni and many others as its Randolph Rock Stars at its annual banquet at the Meadow Wood Manor.