SPRING 2023
THE RED OAKS
REVIEW
A quarterly publication
8th graders share their vision for a sustainable future
Upper Elementary interdisciplinary project culminates in performance art
SEE PAGE 4
SEE PAGE 5
REACHING FOR
NEW HEIGHTS Red Oak’s new middle school campus offers many new opportunities for students to thrive. SEE PAGE 6
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Spring 2023
FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL
SPRING 2023
From the desk of Marilyn Stewart THE RED OAKS SCHOOL:
Cutler Campus, PreK-Grade 4 Middle School Campus, Grade 5-8 (973) 539-7853 www.redoaksschool.org EDITOR AND PUBLISHER
Marilyn Stewart
MANAGING EDITORS
Ben Wagor, Jenna Buesser WRITERS
Mike Allegra, Amy Hughes and Leanne Raymond CONSULTING ART DIRECTOR
Jesper Goransson
I have had the privilege to serve as the head of The Red Oaks School for nearly 25 years. In that time, the school has grown significantly in both size and stature. Our financial footing is secure and our enrollment has grown. Our new middle school is up and running and our pre-k/elementary school continues as a beacon to families wanting an exemplary education for their children. Simply put, Red Oaks has never been better, and serves as a model of excellence for a Montessori and International Baccalaureate education. Our success is, in no small part, due to the
hard work of faculty, staff, parents, volunteers and, of course, students—all of whom demonstrate on a nearly daily basis their commitment to their roles as future leaders. I am so very proud of each and every one of them. So proud, in fact, that I felt it was necessary to go the extra mile to get the word out. The Red Oaks Review is our new quarterly print publication designed to highlight our community’s achievements. On the following pages are stories that demonstrate what makes a ROS education special. Read on; you’ll be happy you did.
Christine St. Peter Levinsohn has been an active member of the Red Oaks community since 2004, when her then threeyear old daughter, Madeleine, attended preschool at the Montessori Children’s House, now The Red Oaks School. Though Madeleine graduated in 2015 as a member of the first 8th grade class, Christine remains active in the school community as a member of the Board of Trustees. “My husband Adam and I can’t do enough to show our appreciation for the wonderful education and enriching experience our daughter had at this school,” she enthuses. “The Red Oaks School is an important part of so many peoples’ lives. And a lot of people are looking for ways to show their appreciation.” Such an opportunity to show appreciation is now available to all. Paving the Way, a fundraising initiative led by Christine, allows
alumni/ae, parents, students, and other ROS well-wishers to support the school through the purchase of an engraved, personalized brick. These bricks are available in three different sizes (4.5” x 9”, 9” x 9”, and 9” x 13”) and will be laid in a walkway around the perimeter of the Middle School. This permanent record of your appreciation is an ideal way to thank a teacher; memorialize a loved one; or honor an individual, club, group, or graduating class. The inscription options are limitless, and all proceeds go to support The Red Oaks School and to enhance The Red Oaks experience. Scan the QR code above or look under the “Support” tab of the Red Oaks School website for details. Brick purchases are available year-round, but orders made before the end of April will be etched and laid in time for the 2023 graduation ceremony.
PAVING THE WAY
ADMISSIONS DIRECTOR
Fran Sonneborn
The Red Oaks School holistically develops each child’s gifts by inspiring personal and intellectual growth, graduating highachieving students who are happy, confident, resilient, and ready for the challenges ahead. Our diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment supports international mindedness in students and strengthens them as empathetic future global citizens and leaders.
Red Oaks is BETTER TOGETHER! We are thrilled to announce our 2023 Spring Event to be held on Saturday, April 29th, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the fabulous Park Avenue Club! It will be wonderful to be “better together” for a memorable evening of delicious food and beverages, music, a silent auction, and fun!
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Spring 2023
NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES
SPRING 2023
Cutler Campus & Middle School Campus ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL
Students score high on latest ERB tests Like most independent and public schools, Red Oaks conducts annual standardized testing. We use the Educational Record Bureau testing (ERB). Many schools, Red Oaks included, give standardized tests so that we can confirm our perception of individual student achievement and see how the school as a whole is faring. Curriculum content is informed in part by the results of the tests when viewed on the macro level. As a school, we are delighted with the overall results. The ERB’s are rigorous tests, and the norming group for the Independent School stanines consists of 4% of students across the country who attend independent schools. This is generally a high-performing population and compared to this group our students did exceptionally well. In the median percentile report, for grades 4 through 7 (only available for these grade levels), Red Oaks students did consistently better in subtests than the median percentiles of suburban or independent schools. Red Oaks did not see significant changes in test scores as a result of the pandemic.
Head of School Succession Plan Underway In January, Head of School Marilyn Stewart announced that she will retire at the end of the 2023-24 academic year. At the time of her retirement, she will have served the school for 25 years, far and away the longest tenure for a head of school in Red Oaks history. Marilyn has led the school with great distinction over the last quarter century, overseeing the institution as it evolved from the humble Montessori Children’s House into its current namesake. Among her many accomplishments, she established the Middle School and oversaw its growth into its new, state-of-theart location; boosted the school’s profile by serving on prestigious state and national education committees; and shepherded ROS through a sustained and unprecedented period of increased enrollment and academic and financial growth. Through it all she has earned the love and respect of the entire School Community. “She is both a visionary and pragmatic, which is such a wonderful and unusual combination,” notes School Trustee Janet Davis. “It has served us all so well.” “Marilyn has invested so much of her life in The Red Oaks School, and she has been terrific,” adds Trustee Megan Clark. “Even the timing of her retirement announcement demonstrates her generosity,” Megan adds. “Marilyn has given
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us the time we need to find the right person to fill her shoes.” Megan and Janet are the co-chairs of the Head of School Search Committee and in the days since Marilyn made her announcement, they, along with the rest of the committee, have hit the ground running. In January the committee hired Search Consultant Mary Seppala from Educators Collaborative. Soon thereafter, everyone in the Red Oaks Community was given an online survey soliciting their thoughts on the qualities they wished to see in the next head of school. This data was followed up in February by a series of in-person and online focus groups, led by Seppala, which included every demographic— administration, faculty, parents, and board members. Armed with this information, a leadership profile was created to serve as a guide for the forthcoming search. In the months ahead, the consultant will compile a list of candidates who fit the academic, professional, and personal requirements needed for the position. Candidate interviews are expected to begin in the spring with the selection of a final candidate to be determined well before the end of the 2023-24 school year to guarantee smooth transition. “All of us want to see our school continue to succeed well into the future,” says Megan. “We are committed and confident that we will find the right leader to ensure that success.”
Spring 2023
NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES
THE RED OAKS SCHOOL
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Vision For Future Sustainable Cities It’s the year 2050, and flood waters are rising as Red Oaks School students make their way to campus. Some kids wade through on foot, others go by boat. But when they arrive, they all lament the past when earlier generations delighted at the prospect of snow, not flooding, heat waves, and wild fires. “Why didn’t the people 30 years ago do something about this?” Flashback to February 8, 2023 when ROS eighth graders present their vision for Future Sustainable Cities to a packed room of parents, teachers, administrators, and Morris Plains councilwoman Nancy Verga. The presentation started with this doomsday skit, followed by a slide show, and a guided tour of three hand-built architectural models of environmentally responsible cities. The students had been researching ideas, drafting blueprints, and fine-tuning their talking points and models since October as part of their Design class led by Ms. Nimisha Jain. The students identified key areas for change, including energy, infrastructure, water,
and food. They split into small groups for a deep dive into each topic and quoted eyepopping statistics from the Climate Change Resource Center at Rutgers about sea levels and temperatures rising faster in New Jersey than any other state in the Northeast. For energy, they focused on renewables, such as solar and wind, and how to store excess power in batteries to balance the electric grid during peak demand. There
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was a plan for multi-use buildings where housing, retail, grocery, and wellness services are all in one place to curb driving and Co2 emissions. More pedestrian walkways, bike and scooter lanes, and improved mass transit were also highlighted. Green roofs, urban farms, space-saving vertical gardening and hydroponics, city-wide composting in “brown bins,” and rainwater collection ideas rounded out
the presentation. Councilwoman Nancy Verga was so impressed that she promised to share some of the students’ ideas with her colleagues. “Hydroponic and vertical farms…why can’t we allow that in a warehouse space in Morris Plains? This is all great research. And I really encourage you to share it with your local elected officials, and get involved in local government. We need to normalize the conversation around these things. And you guys…you’re the future.” ROS Middle School Director, Ben Wagor, applauded the students’ work and emphasized the importance of furthering their efforts to “keep that knowledge moving forward and prepare our citizens for the reality of our future— convince them to reduce reliance on natural resources.”
Spring 2023
NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES
UPPER ELEMENTARY
Elementary Students Deliver a Fabled Performance Upper Elementary students had fun with fables this past winter, learning and practicing songs from Sing a Song of Aesop.This musical production, retold with original music by Brian Hiller and Don Dupont, tells the story of five fables (and their accompanying morals) through spoken word and song. Weeks of work learning songs, movements, and lines—and even helping create a very vibrant backdrop—culminated on February 3, with the students performing for their families in the Enrichment Room. Following the show, all were
invited to a “Celebration of Learning” in the classroom, featuring students’ work in Math, Language Arts, and Science. In tandem with the Sing a Song of Aesop rehearsals, students also learned about fables in their studies, using concepts from their SocialEmotional Advisory class to see how the ideas presented by Aesop more than 2,000 years ago are still relevant today. Concepts such as respect for others, kindness, using our inner coach, and having a growth mindset were discussed. The show was directed by Music teacher Melissa Santiago, with assistance from Upper Elementary teachers, Leanne Raymond, Sera Capriotti, Tara Baggio, and Fendy Ling. Art teachers Srujana Ambadipudi and Laurie Lee-Georgescu assisted students with the scenery.
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THE RED OAKS SCHOOL
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Model UN Wins Big in Boston In January, the Middle School Model UN Club demonstrated its diplomatic skills by visiting New England to attend the Boston University Academy Model United Nations Conference (BUAMUN). With more than 200 local chapters, the Model UN is a simulation of the UN General Assembly whereby students from different schools around the country assemble at regional conferences to debate, discuss, and negotiate contemporary political and societal issues. These conferences develop skills in public speaking and critical thinking and enrich each student’s global affairs knowledge. Red Oaks was represented by 17 students in sixth through eighth grades.
They were accompanied by Middle School Director Ben Wagor, Individuals & Societies Teacher Amy Gallese, and nine parent chaperones. The students had been preparing for this trip for months and were eager to serve in their roles as ambassadors. They also earned accolades; Kevin Elias (grade 8), Adrian Zassenhaus (grade 7), and Alex Doyle (grade 6) won awards for being top delegates in their committees. Not only was the Boston conference a valuable experience for everyone involved, but it also served as the first step in strengthening The Red Oaks School’s commitment to the Model UN program. Due to student enthusiasm for the club and the valuable leadership skills the club fosters, the school plans to increase the number of conferences the club attends each year. Mr. Ben, the club’s advisor, is also seeking to partner with a college to host a future Model UN conference on the Red Oaks’ campus.
Spring 2023
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Spring 2023
HOME IMPROVEMENT NEW BUILDING BRINGS NEW OPPORTUNITIES TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL
The new Red Oaks Middle School captures your imagination before you can even settle into a space in the parking lot. It’s the Red Oak leaf portico that catches the eye. Simultaneously grand and inviting, it suggests that what’s inside will bear little resemblance to the building’s former life as a mid20th-century school. One step over the threshold bears this out. After Karen Kastl, the Middle School Office Manager, buzzes you inside, it’s impossible not to be struck by the sheer newness of it all. Gone are the mainstays of a traditional school building. Clanging metal lockers have been replaced with blond maple wood doors. Unforgiving cement floors have been carpeted over. The walls are alive with color. There’s not a single cinder block in sight. Every chalkboard has been replaced with a Smartboard. All of it, from the lights to the bathroom fixtures to every stick of furniture has been thoughtfully designed to reflect the open and welcoming environment commonly associated with a Red Oaks School education. It is quite an achievement. It is also worlds away from what The Red Oaks Middle School had just one year earlier—one floor Columbian Club of Morristown. It was a great location and the club was always ready to meet the school’s needs, but it didn’t take long for Red Oaks to outgrow the space. With each passing year, the school’s reputation grew and, with it, the student body. Director of Admissions and Enrollment Fran Sonneborn, states that the number of applicants increased p every single year. Then, in 2020, Covid-19 reared its ugly head. New mandates for social distancing required the students to spread out; the problem was that there was hardly enough space to spread out to. Red Oaks had grown fond of the cozy camaraderie of the Columbian Club, but facts were facts. They had to move. Anne Carolan, Trustee and Chair of the Building Committee, discovered the location at St. Virgil’s. Formerly the site of a Continued on p. 8
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Spring 2023
Catholic school, the space had lain largely dormant for more than five years, opened only once or twice a month to hold a CCD class. The church building was an intriguing prospect for a new middle school and checked off a number of boxes for Marilyn Stewart and the Board of Trustees. It was 20,000 square feet of space (nearly three times as large as the Columbian Club). It had good visibility on a major road. And it was just one mile away from the Red Oaks Cutler Campus. The building was a time capsule to the 1950s—simple, sturdy, utilitarian and, in effect, a clean slate. Red Oaks was eager to redesign the space to best reflect the progressive pedagogy and character of the school. Moreover, the representatives at St. Virgil’s were happy with the school’s ambitious plans; all the church wanted was to occasionally borrow a classroom or two for CCD and to continue using the parking lot for St. Virgil’s annual carnival. “That was not a big ask,” Anne noted. “St. Virgil’s and Red Oaks have an excellent relationship.” The renovation occurred during the 2021-22 school year and the new school opened its doors this past September. The reaction was immediate and positive, bordering on euphoria. The Red Oaks Middle School now has a gym! And a stage! A music room! A dining hall with kitchen facilities! And with twice as many classrooms, teachers no longer had to share their spaces; educators have the freedom and creativity to arrange and organize their rooms in a manner most conducive to discovery
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and learning. With the addition of a collaborative space, named Stewart Hall, we’ve made every space a space for learning! Classroom activities gravitate towards approaches that facilitate deeper learning. Interdisciplinary lessons, collaborative projects, and hands-on learning have become the norm. Our new “collaborative space” supports group projects and hands-on activities that are important for higher-level thinking. These activities more closely mimic real-world situations and better prepare our students to be life-long learners. When students work together, they are more successful at understanding and solving complex problems because they can draw on their diverse knowledge and skills. Furthermore, Stewart Hall facilitates interacting in a manner that helps our students develop essential social and communication skills they will need. By removing the conventional teacher desk, teachers and students will better understand their evolving roles as co-constructors of knowledge. Without a front of the room, every seat is the best seat in the class, and students are always at the center of learning! The afterschool sports program was created this year and has been greeted with great enthusiasm! Basketball started in January with 24 students! Volleyball starts in March. And the gym is available for use during our lunch recess, students have the option of going to the gym for athletics. What a change. Art Teacher Emily Cannestro, for one, sees her new room as a godsend. (It also provides her with a strange sense of deja
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vu; a former parishioner of St. Virgil’s, she took CCD classes in the same building she teaches in now.) As with all of the ROS faculty, Ms. Emily was regularly consulted on what she would need in her new art room to perform her job most effectively. A key component of her wish list was space. She needed space for the students to work, space for wet art projects to dry, and space to expand the school’s artistic offerings. She got what she asked for and, with it, two potter’s wheels and a kiln. This spring, the first ceramics classes in the school’s history will be available to middle schoolers. This middle school can also boast facilities that more effectively cater to each student’s physical and emotional wellbeing. Nurse Francesca Ecker’s office is at the center of the new school, readily visible to any student needing first aid or a place to discuss a problem. This central location combined with private, safe spaces to discuss sensitive issues, is particularly welcoming; Nurse Francesca has more student visitors than ever. “Kids visit me all the time now, just to check in,” she says. “I love where I am now, it allows me to better fulfill my role at this school.” “Everyone has been delighted with the new school,” says Marilyn Stewart. “It’s beautiful and comfortable and sets us up for the future. We can grow here.’ “Best of all,” she adds, “this space, designed with so much attention to detail, serves as an excellent representation of who we are—a caring, supportive school that caters to each and every student’s needs.”
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Spring 2023
At Your Service: Eighth Graders Tackle Community Service Projects Service Projects at Red Oaks over the years Aarav Vaidya, ‘20, collected needed supplies for his grandmother’s school in Mumbai.
Luc Bush, ‘21, teamed up with Pitch in for Baseball and Softball (PIFBS) to donate sports equipment to those in need.
Olivia Goransson, ‘22, worked with her old soccer coach to supply 50 new socccer cleats to a women’s team in Lesotho, and various used equipment.
Saif Prabhu, ‘18, approached Livingston Neighbors Helping Neighbors (LNHN) to create a tennis tournament to raise money for its emergency fund.
Once a week, Red Oaks eighth graders meet in Language Teacher Noga Beer’s classroom to discuss how they each can make the world a better place. All of them proffer unique and creative ideas. Catherine Clark’s strategy is to craft a presentation discussing the often misunderstood realities of dyslexia. To increase awareness for the learning disorder, she’ll lead discussions with the third and fourth grade students in the Cutler School. Alden Miller Gaussoin, sensitive to the alarming statistic that nearly 700,000 people in New Jersey are food insecure, plans to compile and sell a cookbook, with all the proceeds donated to Nourish.NJ, a Morristown based soup kitchen and food pantry. Maia Moro Zamudo on the other hand, is combining her love of art with her love of animals. For her project, titled “Pawtercolors,” she will solicit commissions to paint portraits of pets and donate 100% of her fee to the ASPCA. These initiatives and many others are part of The Red Oaks School’s Community Service Capstone Project, a year-long independent study for all eighth graders to address a local, state,
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Antonia Galdi ‘22, ‘Skating for All’ community project, created opportunities for underprivileged children to learn how to skate.
national, or global need. The project—more like an event, really—is the culmination of the school’s far-reaching service-learning educational component. Now in its seventh year, the Community Service Project coincides with the philosophy of Red Oaks International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme, a pedagogical model that emphasizes kindness and empathy and nurtures students to make meaningful connections between their studies and the wider world. “This capstone program is designed to encourage a spirit of action,” notes Señora Beer, who, with Math Teacher Stacy Apostolico, advises the students on the project. It’s a long road from idea to implementation. Each project begins in September and requires each student to look inward. They need to ask themselves, “What are my passions, talents, and interests?” That’s an important component of the Community Service Project, as each student is expected to utilize those passions, talents, and interests to devise a service-learning opportunity that’s tailor made to their strengths.
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“It’s not enough for an eighth grader to say, ‘I want to feed the poor.’” Señora Beer explains. “The student needs to articulate how they’ll feed the poor. Are they a cook? Do they have the necessary tools to implement the good thing they want to do?” This strategy not only keeps the student engaged as the project unfolds over the course of the academic year, but also increases the impact of the project on the overall community. Once the students catalog their skills and find a need where such skills may be of use, they conduct research and follow it up with a written proposal. These proposals (all of which are on display in the Middle School’s main hallway) aren’t written in stone, however. As the school year progresses, the proposals are reworked and refined to sync up with the practical realities of implementation. That’s what the weekly meetings are for; throughout the entire process, Señora Beer and Ms. Stacy review each student’s progress and provide guidance as needed. Students are constantly reflecting on their work and using those reflections to improve their processes. Once the Community Service Project is ready, students are 100 percent responsible for following through with their plans. It’s a tall order, but one the eighth graders are well prepared for; The Red Oaks School provides many service opportunities for middle schoolers. Beginning in fifth grade, ROS students are required to apply for various volunteer jobs around campus, work that ranges from groundskeeping to tech support. This scaffolding process of responsibilities encourages students to be independent problem solvers and allows them to develop skills that may later be applied to the Community Service Project. This is why many of the students’ grand plans go off without a hitch. This is also the reason why so many student projects continue beyond eighth grade. Antonia Galdi graduated from Red Oaks in 2022. For her Community Service Project she drew from her 10 years of experience in competitive skating to create Skating for All, a program designed to teach lower income kids to ice skate. Through a series of ambitious fundraising initiatives, Antonia raised more than $4,000 for the cause. Now a freshman at the Morristown Beard School, Antonia is seeing the program through to its logical conclusion; in March, the first child to benefit from Skating for All took to the ice at the Mennen Sports Arena to begin the eight-week Learn to Skate program free of charge. That child will be the first of many fledgling skaters in the months and years to come, Antonia asserts. She vows to continue the program well into the future. Another former Red Oaks student who took her eighth grade project to the next level was Olivia Goransson. Her passion is soccer, and her project was to raise funds for Supporting the Future, a charity that provides soccer equipment to poor students in South Africa. Upon learning that some of the teams there had to share shoes on game days, Olivia used the funds from her successful GoFundMe campaign to purchase 50 pairs of cleats. Also shipped to South Africa were gently used shin guards, soccer balls, and uniforms that Olivia had collected. Now a freshman at Newark Academy, Olivia still strongly advocates for the program; recently she was invited by James Murray, the founder of Supporting the Future, to be a featured speaker at the organization’s fundraising dinner.
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TEACHER PROFILE: NOGA BEER
Noga Beer is a true believer in The Red Oaks School’s Montessori and International Baccalaureate pedagogical model. A 22year veteran at the school and a whirlwind of boundless energy and enthusiasm, she teaches (or has taught) Spanish, French, Latin, Hebrew, and Linguistics courses. Most visibly, she advises and oversees the myriad of service-learning opportunities integral to a Red Oaks School education; not only the eighth grade Community Service Projects, but also the far reaching on-campus volunteer jobs, mandatory for all students from grades 5-8. In this role she solicits and reviews student applications, assigns jobs, and follows up on each child’s progress. Señora Beer has earned degrees in Linguistics and French Language & Literature at Hebrew University in Jerusalem and is fluent in French, Spanish, Hebrew, and Arabic.
Of course not every eighth grade project can have stunning results. Despite one’s best laid plans, stuff happens. Stuff always happens. An indoor venue might renege on a rental agreement. An outdoor fundraiser might get rained out. Or, in one peculiar case, an ambitious composting project might go awry when hundreds of worms decide to escape their moist confines to slimily sqoosh around a Red Oaks classroom as if they owned the place. “That was a sight to see,” Señora Beer smiles. But not being able to deliver on a proposed plan doesn’t mean a student fails. “Far from it,” Señora Beer insists. “Disappointments are a learning experience, too. Usually an excellent learning experience. And that’s why we’re all here—to learn.” The eighth grade Community Service Project presentations will be held on Friday, May 5. More announcements to come. All members of the Red Oaks Community are encouraged to attend.
Spring 2023
The Red Oaks School 21 Cutler Street Morristown, NJ 07960
International Ivy, Summer Enrichment Programs coming to The Red Oaks School Summer of 2023
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Spring 2023