The Red Oaks Review (Summer 2023, Issue #2)

SUMMER 2023

THE RED OAKS

REVIEW

A quarterly publication

Next Head of School Named On June 16, the Red Oaks Board of Trustees announced that Chris Weaver, the current Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development at The Peck School, will succeed Marilyn Stewart as Head of School, effective July 1, 2024.

SEE PAGE 3

CONGRATULATIONS

THE CLASS OF 2023 8TH GRADERS BID FAREWELL STARTING PAGE 8

GRADE 4 AND KINDERGARTENERS MOVE UP SEE PAGES 14-15

FROM OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL

THE RED OAKS SCHOOL

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 WRITER

Mike Allegra CONSULTING ART DIRECTOR

Jesper Goransson PHOTOGRAPHERS

What an exciting and wonderful school year it has been!

Red Oaks held its first classes in the new Middle School.

Our students put on one terrific stage performance after another. We formed our first school band. We earned impressive marks on national ERB tests. We won praise from respected International Baccalaureate evaluators. And we’ve been able to reinstate our annual eighth grade trip to Washington DC. Needless to say, you can find many of these stories on the pages of this issue of The Red Oaks Review. I encourage you to take a few moments to read what we’ve been up to.

I am so grateful to preside over such a dedicated faculty and to witness the seemingly ceaseless talents of our students. If it weren’t for our dynamic and devoted community, Red Oaks wouldn’t be where it is today, nor would our expectations be so promising for years to come.

“I am so grateful to preside over such a dedicated faculty and to witness the seemingly ceaseless talents of our students.”

Ira L. Black, Joy Glenn, Dan Bozza, Jenna Buesser 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.

ILANA RADCLIFFE JOINS ADVANCEMENT TEAM Longtime educator and Red Oaks parent Ilana Radcliffe was recently hired as an Advancement Associate. In this role Ilana’s efforts will center around outreach and fundraising, key factors for Red Oaks to widen the breadth and depth of its curricular opportunities as well as increase enrollment.

Ilana brings a wealth of experience to her new post.After teaching for a decade in the Bedminster Public School System, she served as an Advancement Associate at The Peck School.

When a similar development position became available at Red Oaks, she didn’t hesitate to apply.

“I love this place,” she enthused. “Red Oaks has such a wonderful community. Everyone is just so invested in this school.”

That investment can certainly be seen in Ilana; the parent of three current Red Oaks students (her fourth, three-year old Judah, will soon join the school’s pre-K program), she served as Co-Chair of the Red Oaks

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Parents Association from 2019-2022. In that role she helped to organize school-wide events such as the annual Harvest Festival as well as assorted dinners and outings.

As the Advancement Associate, she plans to work closely with the Parents Association to increase the school’s visibility in the community.

Another priority is to increase alumni engagement. “We need to get our alumni interested and invested in what Red Oaks is doing. We want them to visit campus. We want them to see the new Middle School.

And, yes, we want them to give. Not a lot, necessarily. The key is to create a giving culture so the alumni can play an active role in the future of the school as we continue to grow and evolve.

“And I think they will give,” she adds. “Red Oaks is a special place that’s important to so many people and they know that. We all do.”

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NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES

SUMMER 2023

Cutler Campus & Middle School Campus

Chris Weaver chosen to lead The Red Oaks School On June 16, the Red Oaks Board of Trustees announced that Chris Weaver, the current Director of Curriculum and Faculty Development at The Peck School, will succeed Marilyn Stewart as Head of School, effective July 1, 2024.

With experience in education as a teacher, dean, department chair, and administrator, Chris’s tenure at Peck is marked by a sweeping list of accomplishments. He revamped the school’s Academic Council and Department Chairs so that both now stand as the main vehicles for realizing a forward-looking academic program. He

retooled the Faculty Evaluation Process to support more meaningful goal setting and dialogue and included a track called Deep Dive so experienced faculty can craft year-long investigations into aspects of their practice. Chris also built the school’s Associate Teacher Program, a two-year training program that places a novice teacher alongside a teacher mentor. In terms of faculty hiring, Chris has led a more inclusive and transparent hiring structure with a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) to attract talented new faculty.

More recently, over the last two years, Chris has chaired the strategic plan, overseeing committees ranging from faculty retention and compensation to student recruitment and marketing.

Chris’s appointment is a bittersweet moment for ROS, as he will succeed Marilyn Stewart, who has led the school with great distinction for 25 years.Yet Marilyn, was enthusiastic about the selection. “I am fully confident that Chris will be an inspired, energetic leader who will work closely with the faculty and trustees to build on our platform of excellence in education,” she said.

A more detailed profile of Chris Weaver will appear in the fall issue of The Red Oaks Review.

LOWER SCHOOL

Sera Capriotti Named Lower School Director

In July, veteran teacher Sera Capriotti stepped into the newly created position of Lower School Director.

The daughter of two teachers, Sera always knew she would follow a career in education. She pursued dual majors in Elementary Education and Psychology from The College of New Jersey and, upon graduation, was soon snapped up by the Livingston Public School System.

It wasn’t long, however, before she found herself disenchanted by the culture of the classroom. She felt hemmed in by the public school’s emphasis on standardized testing and its perceived disinterest in the needs of the individual student.“I almost quit teaching right then and there,” she admits.

As Sera began to explore alternative career options, however, she learned of an open teaching position at Red Oaks and decided to learn more. Once she stepped onto the Cutler Street campus, she knew she had found her home.

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NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES

“The feeling was electric,” she explains. “It was such a happy place. During my interview little kids would come up to Marilyn and start talking to her with such joy and enthusiasm. And Marilyn was happy to hear what they had to say.” It was this sense of community that Sera had been searching for; she joined the faculty in 2009.

Throughout her tenure, Sera had always been focused on broadening her own education. She earned a Lower Elementary Montessori certification from MCTE in San Diego, participated in the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) Leadership Institute, and most recently, earned her master’s in Educational Leadership from Montclair State University.

She is state certified as a supervisor and principal.

Getting the Lower School directorship offer was an organic process, Sera says.

The seed was first planted her brain years earlier by Marilyn (who, in addition to her role as Head of School served as the Lower School Director).With Marilyn’s retirement at the end of the 2023-24 school year, the decision was made to make Lower School Director its own separate position. Sera, with her experience and education, was the perfect fit.

And Sera is eager to hit the ground running. She sees her role as an opportunity to promote a growth mindset in the Lower School by soliciting

suggestions and addressing teacher needs.

“The key,” she says, “is to reflect. We must always ask ourselves ‘What can we make better?’”

MIDDLE SCHOOL

ROS Earns Accreditation Accolades The Red Oaks School received high marks from International Baccalaureate (IB) evaluators this past spring in what served as the first step toward the school’s official IB Accreditation.

The evaluators, retired Middle Years Program (MYP) principal and superintendent Linda Smith and IB workshop leader and program coordinator Helena Ortiz, toured Red Oaks’ Middle School facilities, sat in on classes, spoke with members of the Red Oaks community,

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THE RED OAKS SCHOOL

and reviewed the curriculum.

In so doing, they determined that the school met—and often surpassed—the rigorous standards befitting an IB school.This is Red Oaks’ first evaluation since the school redesigned the middle school curriculum in 2017 to coincide with IB standards.

In their evaluation, Smith and Ortiz lauded the school, noting that Red Okas demonstrates itself to be true to its mission statement and fosters a “caring community where respect, fairness, and trust are part of the culture of the school.” The school also “maintains high levels of instruction [and] finds creative ways to provide learning support.”

The evaluators also asserted that the school “has valuable resources in its leadership, governance and staff,” and were encouraged by the “beautiful” Middle School campus, a facility well suited to expanding the MYP.

“The Red Oaks School,” they concluded, “is poised to make an even greater impact on the community and the development of lifelong learners.”

Middle School Director Ben Wagor was delighted by the evaluators’ findings, but not surprised. “Our faculty is the key to all of this,” Ben says.

“Their talent, flexibility, and creativity as we transitioned to a ‘pure’ IB curriculum shows just how good they are. And this year we have 100 percent faculty retention rate.That’s unheard of and it demonstrates just how committed they are to this school and its mission.”

A complete IB Accreditation report will be available later this summer.

LOWER SCHOOL

Elephant Dance Caps off Lower Elementary’s India Unit This past spring, first and second grade students performed for the Red Oaks Community in the new musical, Elephant Dance.

Adapted by the picture book of the same name, the show was conceived, written, and directed by elementary teachers Irene Avlonitis, Continued on p. 6

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SUMMER 2023

Photos by Dan Bozza

Matilda Jr. Wows Crowds

This past spring, members of the Red Oaks School community were regaled with music, dancing, comedy, and a bit of naughtiness as Matilda Jr. took to the Middle School stage. The musical, adapted from the Roald Dahl book of the same name, features a title character with a quick mind (and a penchant for telekinesis) who uses her powers to defeat the evil whims of Agatha Trunchbull, the sadistic headmistress of Crunchem Hall. The cast included 21 middle schoolers, some of whom played multiple roles, and starred Maya Kidd as Matilda and Briana Goldman as Trunchbull.

The show was choreographed and directed by Dawn M. Ward-Lau, the founder of the Dawn Lau Dance Company and a 25-year veteran of

performing arts instruction.This was Dawn’s first time working with the students at Red Oaks.Throughout the five-month rehearsal process she was consistently impressed by the talent and dedication of the student cast and crew.

“This cast was ready to learn and ready to go,” she enthused.

“Two years ago, I directed this show for a high school cast. I used the same choreography here, which I knew could be a challenge for middle schoolers. But the students rose to that challenge. They worked together on their off hours and were always willing to help and support each other. And that’s what theatre is all about. What a tightly knit group this was!”

To assist with the musical numbers, Dawn recruited two

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cast members, Chase Cotnoir and Alden Gaussoin, to serve as dance captains, who drilled the ensemble to ensure each step was performed with Broadwayquality precision. In addition to the students’ singing and dancing skills, Dawn was also impressed with their acting abilities. “Trunchbull, for example, is not a one-note character,” she explains. “The character has layers. And Briana was always ready to explore those layers to understand why the character behaved the way she did.”

Dawn is eager to work with Red Oaks students in the future—and she won’t have long to wait. Dawn will be working at both campuses next year.

So keep your eyes peeled for more great musicals to come!

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NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES

Julie Congdon, Abigail Martin, and Eva Vaidya, and served as a triumphant end to the Lower Elementary’s far-reaching study of the people and cultures of India.

Preparing for the show became a major component of the spring term. In addition to rehearsals with Irene, Julie, Abigal, and Eva, the children painted the show’s backdrop in their art class and practiced their dance moves in music.

“The students absolutely loved working on this show,” Eva says. “Every day they would check the schedule to see when we had play practice and dance practice. I based some of the choreography on a few YouTube videos and the next

thing I knew, the children found the videos and studied and practiced the dances at home.”

The entire musical was a collaborative process, in addition to the four-teacher writing and directing team, student ideas and suggestions were often implemented into the finished show. That enthusiasm and sense of student ownership was evident in the enthusiastic May 25th performance.

We did an end of the year reflection to see what the students enjoyed of the past school year,” Eva says, “and the entire class wrote that they loved the India presentation. It was a wonderful and insightful experience for all of us.”

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THE RED OAKS SCHOOL

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Red Oaks 8th Graders Visit Wash. DC It was an exciting whirlwind of activity in May as the Red Oaks eighth graders boarded buses and embarked on a three-day class trip to Washington D.C. Chaperoned by teachers Stacy Apostolico, Noga Beer, and Tim Waters, the students had a jampacked itinerary, with trips to the Smithsonian, Holocaust Museum, African American Museum, Capitol Building, Supreme Court, and Mount Vernon, along with many other

museums, monuments, and memorials.

Despite the rigorous schedule, the students could not have been more focused, Noga enthused. “They understood the importance of what they were seeing, the significance of it.They were eager to learn all they could.”

This year’s trip was also a triumphant return to form, as this was the first Red Oaks Washington trip since Covid reared its ugly head in 2020. It was also the first Red Oaks trip organized by Grand Classroom, a travel agency specializing in such school trips. Grand Classroom created the itinerary; arranged for lodging and security; and provided a guide, Christine Cain, who imparted a wealth

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NEWS FROM OUR CAMPUSES

of fascinating knowledge about our nation’s capital.

“The most meaningful part of the DC trip was how we were all able to reflect on the past, stay in the present and get ready for the future,” says eighth grader Arthur Bouchacourt. Because of Arthur, the itinerary included a stop at Arlington National Cemetery, where the young man’s great-grandfather was recently laid to rest.

Eighth grader Maia Moro-Zamudio was also struck by the richness of our country’s history, but her most meaningful moment presented itself on the journey home.“It was very emotional.We cried and sang and played games and talked,” she remembers.“Never have we been as connected as we were on that bus ride.

The DC trip gave us a new recognition and appreciation for what we had—as well as a sudden realization of what little time we had left together.”

all ages—from preschool to eighth grade—and was the largest art show in Red Oaks history.The depth and breadth of the school’s visual art offerings as well as the sheer volume of work displayed necessitated using the entire Middle School as the show’s gallery space.

Visual work wasn’t the only art showcased; the Red Oaks

SUMMER 2023

band, newly christened this year and directed by Music Teacher Tim Waters, also performed for the appreciative crowd.

One of the show’s highlights was a display of meticulously detailed dioramas that mimicked movie sets from famous films, including Harry Potter and Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Mosaics, paintings, drawings,

collages, and multimedia sculptures rounded out the impressive exhibition.

After the event, several students volunteered their work to be part of what might be described as Red Oaks’ “permanent collection.”

This work will remain on prominent display in Stewart Hall throughout the 2023-24 school year.

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students Exhibit Their Creativity Parents, faculty, staff, and special guests were recently treated to dazzling displays at the school’s annual student art show. Curated by Art Teachers Emily Cannestro, and Srujana Ambadipudi the exhibition represented

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Summer 2023

THE CLASS EIGHTH GRADERS SAY FAREWELL

In a ceremony that was at times funny, moving, jubilant, and awe inspiring, the eighthgrade class accepted their diplomas and celebrated their fond memories of the Red Oaks School.

In her opening remarks, Head of School Marilyn Stewart lauded the students’ many accomplishments and acknowledged that they may be experiencing some apprehension as they forge their paths ahead.

She cited the studies of Brene Brown, a professor at the University of Houston, whose research affirms the importance of and willingness to engage with our vulnerability on such occasions, as it “determines the depth of our courage and the clarity of our purpose.

“I know that with the Continued on p. 10

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Summer 2023

OF 2023

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Photos by Joy Glenn

Summer 2023

GRADUATION 2023 support of the partnership that family and school create on your behalf,” she said, “you will go forth to embrace an ever-changing world with confidence and grit—daring greatly and with great joy.

Today we honor you for your spirits, strength of mind, perseverance, and passionate approach to learning.”

These sentiments were reinforced by Middle School Director Ben Wagor. “As a class, you have a very positive energy. You’ve enjoyed your times together and made a point to prioritize your group dynamic over the individual.

We can see that in the ways you plan so many of your activities, collaboratively and with collegiality.

“Academically,” he added, “you were invested in yourselves and each other. Your development as holistic learners is so apparent, both inside and outside the classroom, as seen by your community projects and dedication to helping others in need.”

The program also included several impressive student performances.

Leo Sommerheil, played a flawless rendition of Chopin’s “Polonaise in A Major, OP. 40 no. 1,” that was worthy of Carnegie Hall. The entire graduating class read a poem they collectively created under the guidance of celebrated poet B.J. Ward titled “Gratitude for Red Oaks.”

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Summer 2023

Well Versed Eighth Graders Craft Class Poem During the eighth grader graduation ceremony, the matriculating students took turns reading lines from their class poem, “Gratitude for Red Oaks.” Collectively written by the 18 graduates, the work was a reflection on their time at the school—recalling fond memories both large and small that contributed to their overall academic experience.

This work was the result of a three-day workshop led by celebrated poet BJ Ward. The author of several books, BJ has been featured on NPR and NJTV’s State of the Arts. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize and twice received the Distinguished Artist Fellowship from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

He has also led workshops at Red Oaks for the past 28 years.

“Red Oaks and I have aged together,” he laughs. “It has been a long, lovely professional relationship.”

BJ is consistently impressed with his charges’ creativity. “The language arts skills these students exhibit are a testament to their teachers’ hard work,” he says.

“My job is to inspire, but that self-guided sense of curiosity I see is already so evident.”

On the first day of this year’s workshop the eighth graders worked individually, each writing a poem using the title, “What is Inside Me.” This effort got

the students in the proper spirit to use days two and three to brainstorm and write verses for possible use in the class poem. Each student wrote several dozen lines, which were then handed off to BJ, who selected and assembled the writings for the final piece. His goal was to develop a thematically cohesive finished poem that represented 18 different voices.

The efforts of all involved were clearly successful, as the poem, both funny and moving, earned waves of applause from all those in attendance at graduation.

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Summer 2023

GRADUATION 2023 On a more playful note, the class then sang “Eighth Grade Mashup,” a medley of songs the students sang on the bus ride to and from their spring trip to Washington DC. On a touching personal note, each graduate was singled out for praise by teachers Stacy Apostolico and Noga Beer, who took a moment to describe each student’s unique attributes that made them perfect representatives of a Montessori/ International Baccalaureate education.

In her student remarks, eighth grader Catherine Clark was quick to show her appreciation for her school and peers. “I am honored to be representing the class of 2023 and honored to have known my classmates, grown up with them, and have been able to have made them my family,” she said. “I would be a completely different person had I not come to this community. I am so fortunate to have had this opportunity to have learned in both a Montessori and IB school. I learned to speak up for myself, overcome my struggles, step out of my comfort zone, and learn new skills.”

The ceremony concluded with the graduates singing “The Red Oaks Song.” As they sang, reflecting on their school days and how this very moment would be their last time together, they, fittingly and spontaneously, locked arms in one last collective embrace.

Middle Schoolers Move On Red Oaks has always been intent on offering an enriching and varied academic experience that teaches the whole child. The school’s success does not go unnoticed; students often outperform national, suburban and independent schools on the Educational Record Bureau exams and, upon graduation, are sought-after prospects at many competitive high schools.

This year’s matriculating Red Oaks middle schoolers have been accepted to: •

Columbia High School

•

Delbarton School

•

Gill St. Bernard’s School

•

Kent Place School

•

Morris County School of Technology

•

Morristown High School STEM Program

•

Morristown Beard School

•

Newark Academy

•

The Hudson School

•

The Pingry School

“I am so very proud of our graduates,” says Head of School Marilyn Stewart. “I’m going to miss them, and I wish them well. And I take comfort in knowing that during their time at Red Oaks every one of them has acquired the tools to find their own personal definition of success.”

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Summer 2023

WHERE ARE THEY NOW The Red Oaks School Alumni Profiles every chance she gets.And, once there, she gets to work.

As a MoBeard middle and high schooler, she returned to Red Oaks for eight weeks every year to volunteer for the school’s Early Childhood Summer Program, a camp designed to get prospective Red Oaks students acclimated to the unique philosophy of a Montessori education.

As a college student, Taylor, the consummate techie, also served as an unofficial member of the school’s IT Department. Working alongside Music Teacher Tim Waters, she trained faculty on new software and, while home from Skidmore on spring break in 2020, spent a chaotic week outfitting everyone at the school with Chromebooks to expedite the Covid-inspired transition to online learning.

But without question, Taylor’s largest role on behalf of the school was her work on the new Middle School. The daughter of Red Oaks Trustee and Building Committee Chair Anne Carolan, Taylor was present during every stage of the Middle School’s evolution.

But it was the auditorium—and the stage in particular—that captured Taylors undivided attention. Red Oaks had never had a proper theatre space to call its own before.

Taylor, with her know-how in theatre tech, knew exactly how to create a performance space that would be second to none.

“That space consumed my life for the next two years,” she says. “I had to come up with creative, safe, and cost-effective solutions.”

It became a labor of love. Taylor utilized her connecTaylor Jaskula’s academic career at Red Oaks (then the tions, got quotes for building materials, and performed Montessori Children’s House) began as a kindergartner in most of the work. She would take time off from her job 2004 and continued through the fifth at Skidmore to toil away for 14-hour grade. From there she moved on to days at Red Oaks—sometimes even Morristown-Beard School, and then convincing her colleagues to help. to Skidmore College where she filled The result is a stunning space with her schedule with a spectrum of a new electrical system, new stage, classes to accommodate dual majors new stage curtain, newly finished in Technical Theatre and Mathematics. floors, and new rigging. It is a space Her abilities, enthusiasm, and drive befitting a school whose commitment were so self-evident that shortly after to the arts has only grown stronger receiving her diploma, the college with each passing year. hired her as a lecturer and assistant “But my work is never really done,” tech director. This fall, Taylor will Taylor says. In late May she was on the pursue her MFA at the University of Red Oaks campus replacing some wiring.

Massachusetts Amherst.

But will her Red Oaks volunteer“But I always like to joke that I ism abate somewhat when she begins never really left Red Oaks,” she says. her MFA at UMass Amherst?

But it isn’t a joke, really. Despite the “No,” she laughs. “They know my rigors of her workload,Taylor has a long number.

And when they call, I’ll be – TAYLOR JASKULA history of getting back to Red Oaks back.”

Taylor Jaskula

“That space [the new theater] consumed my life for the next two years, I had to come up with creative, safe, and cost-effective solutions.”

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Summer 2023

MOVING UP 2023

FOURTH GRADERS MOVE UP “Red Oaks has been a formative experience for all who have called it a home,” observed Head of School Marilyn Stewart in her opening remarks at the June 5th Upper Elementary Moving-Up Ceremony. “Reaching, practicing, perfecting, and achieving are the approaches and processes we have shared. We have grown to respect ourselves and others for the diversity of styles, backgrounds, experiences and cultures that make us all so beautifully unique.”

Indeed, the rising fourth graders in and outside of the classroom have proven more than capable for the next stage of their academic careers. In a ceremony both jubilant and emotional, the 18 graduates sang “Power in Me” (complete with an air guitar solo) to a packed audience of parents and faculty followed by “Our Home: Red Oaks” a poem jointly written by the students.

In the verses, the fourth graders described their school as “the final piece of a puzzle, completing something you have worked hard to achieve,” “a friendship

bracelet that can never break,” and “like biting into a delicious cheeseburger after being starved for one month, 14 days, seven minutes, and 46 seconds.”

The ceremony also grew emotional as Upper Elementary Teacher Leanne Raymond proffered her remarks. “I have been reluctantly counting down the days for the past month,” she said. “Though I’m not ready to give you up, you are ready for middle school.”

As the students accepted their certificates and flowers, they, too, embraced the

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significance of the occasion, emotionally hugging their teachers before returning to their seats.

At that, the singing of the “Red Oaks Song” at the ceremony’s conclusion was especially apt.

Where minds expand and spirits soar, Where you’ll always find an open door, And someone to greet you, And guide you through, The Red Oaks School, We sing our song for you.

Summer 2023

KINDERGARTENERS MOVE UP It was a cheerful, sunny June day on the Cutler Campus, made all the more celebratory as the enrichment room played host to the school’s Kindergarten Moving-Up Ceremony.

In her opening remarks, Head of School Marilyn Stewart couldn’t help but to beam with pride for her young charges. “We honor you for your hard work, perseverance, and joyful approach to learning,” she said. “I know that this

will be but one of many graduation exercises in your lives that will mark your stunning growth and development.”

Following Marilyn’s speech, which included the recitation of the wonderful coming of age poem, “The Lanyard” by Former Poet Laureate Billy Collins, the 15 beaming graduates sang “One Small Voice” to the appreciative audience of parents and faculty. This was followed by the kindergarten teachers singing their

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own song, “Kindergarten,” penned by Red Oak’s own Mary Anne Fairey.

After the students were called to the dais to accept their certificates and flowers, Marilyn took to the podium one last time to wish the students well and to “enjoy the summer that stretches before us.”

And, in an unexpected parting shot, Marilyn also gave the children a summer homework assignment: “I want you,” she insisted, “to eat a lot of ice cream.”

Summer 2023

Lifelong Learners: For Red Oaks faculty, professional development is never-ending

In the last year of his long life, Ancient Roman philosopher and devout practitioner of Stoicism, Seneca the Younger, wrote a letter to a friend in which he declared, “I am still learning.”

Nearly 2,000 years later, these words still serve as a rallying cry for the incurably curious—individuals who are forever eager to deepen their intellect and broaden their minds.

Red Oaks has always sought out lifelong learners to serve on its faculty. And

when those learners wish to pursue additional education and other forms of professional enrichment, the school is quick to show its emotional, practical, and financial support.

“One-hundred-and-ten-percent supportive,” says Music Teacher Tim Waters. “Whenever I wanted to advance my education, the school was always eager to accommodate me.”

Tim has pursued several credentials over the past decade. He earned his state

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certification for Teacher of Music, pursued a master’s degree in Educational Leadership (anticipated completion: August 2023), and passed the Praxis Exam to become a principal. Later this summer he will take the Praxis Superintendent’s Exam.

Why pursue a superintendent certificate? Tim’s answer is more or less, Why not? “I don’t have a particular role in mind for these degrees,” he says. “It’s really about readiness. I don’t want a lack of education to hold me back if the uni-

Summer 2023

verse offers me an opportunity.”

Lower Elementary Teacher Julie Congdon has only been at Red Oaks for two years, “but I know for certain that this is my professional forever home,” she asserts.

A past employee of the public school system, Julie taught in Roxbury and Randolph before deciding to leave the workforce to raise her daughters. She had just started an online master’s program at Ball State when a Red Oaks teaching post caught her eye. Right from the start, the school encouraged her academic efforts—and even served as the basis for her research paper on executive functioning, the set of skills needed to organize materials and thoughts as well as follow through on tasks and assignments.

“Good executive functioning skills are a stronger indication of success than intelligence,” Julie says. “It’s one of the many reasons why I love it at Red Oaks; executive functioning is something we emphasize here.”

Instead of pursuing a specific degree, a number of Red Oaks teachers seek out summer workshop courses that would have an immediate impact in the classroom. Upper Elementary Teacher Leanne Raymond, for example, signed up for three such courses: “Racial Identity and Literacy in the Elementary Classroom,” “Raising an Organized Child: Strategies to Help Executive Functioning,” and “Understanding Learners with Subtle yet Significant Differences.” Tara Baggio also pursued a workshop; she kicked off her summer with a five-day course on “Race and Slavery in Colonial America,” allowing her to take a deep dive into a topic she normally covers with her upper elementary students.

Last summer, Spanish Teacher Martha

“Whenever I wanted to advance my education, the school was always eager to accommodate me.”

MUSIC TEACHER TIM WATERS.

Trevino completed an Orton-Gillingham training course which qualifies her to provide 1:1 and small group instruction under the mentorship of an Academy Fellow. The Orton-Gillingham Approach is a direct, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy when reading, writing, and spelling do not come easily to students. This summer, she will continue her coursework with the goal of attaining certification.

Some teachers, like Middle School Math Teacher Stacy Apostolico and Middle School Science Teacher Susan Crucs use their professional development classes to better work as a team.

Stacy is taking a course to learn how to develop and implement interdisciplinary units. The course helps teachers to create opportunities for students to identify connections across subject areas and to

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solve problems involving multiple disciplines. Susan is completing online training in Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) that will enable Red Oaks students to join a worldwide community of students, teachers, scientists, and citizens working together to better understand our Earth system and global environment.

When fall arrives, Stacy and Susan will use their newfound knowledge to create an interdisciplinary unit combining math and science for the sixth-grade students. The students will study weather and temperature in science, collecting and reporting data from the weather station. They will use their knowledge of graphing and statistics in math to analyze the data and draw conclusions based on their findings.

Middle School Science Teacher Nimisha Jain pursues her professional development opportunities by way of the New Jersey Science Teacher Association (NJSTA). For the past two years she has been a Maitland P. Simmons Scholar for a summer NJSTA program that provides science teachers with a guide for best practices in specific areas of instruction.

Last summer’s theme, climate change, proved so influential to Nimisha she used the topic to craft the curriculum for February’s Sustainable Cities Project, where the school’s eighth graders, through PowerPoint presentations, reports, and 3-D models, took a deep dive into the practical applications needed to reduce an urban center’s carbon footprint.

“This year, the topics are plate tectonics, genetics, and ecosystem dynamics,” she says. “I’m eager to discuss new and effective ways to teach those topics in the classroom.”

Summer 2023

On Saturday, April 29, the Red Oaks community came together in person at the spectacular Park Avenue Club, in Florham Park, for the school’s annual Spring Benefit & Auction. The event was a great success on all fronts!

Better Together was an evening filled with a fantastic variety of auction items, delicious food and drink, socializing with friends old and new, dancing, laughter, and lots of fun! Guest speakers featured current eighth grade student Zara Syed, Board of Trustees President Anthony Galdi, and Trustee and Alumni Parent, Christine St. Peter Levinsohn, all of whom spoke from the heart about their experiences and appreciation of a Red Oaks education.

Red Oaks is sincerely grateful for everyone’s attendance and continued enthusiastic support of our school. We send our heartfelt thanks to the army of people who made this event possible – a true community experience. They include: Susanna Short, Patty Giordano, Daniela Tubito, Meredyth Coleman, Megan Clark, Karla Gabre, Cadhla Ball-Thomas, Simone Craig, Ilana Radcliffe, Christine St. Peter Levinsohn, Annemarie Feldman, Anne Carolan, Jenna Buesser, Marilyn Stewart.

At The Red Oaks School, we truly are BETTER TOGETHER!

Photos by Ira Black

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The Red Oaks School 21 Cutler Street Morristown, NJ 07960

HARVEST FESTIVAL SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 2–5 PM AT 21 CUTLER STREET

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