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Nine Seniors Inducted into Ranney National Honor Society

On Thursday January 10, 2013, Ranney’s Upper School hosted its senior National Honor Society (NHS) Induction Ceremony in RSPA Panther Hall. Upper School students, parents, and members of the Ranney faculty, administration and leadership team attended the ceremony, showing their pride and support for the newest NHS inductees from the Class of 2013: Gabrielle Bijou, Peter Bontempo, Leah Chaise, Alana Grieco, Paul Sondhi, Dana Rizzo, Molly O’Neill, Victoria Renner and Tara Rogan.

Head of Upper School, Paul Zanowski, greeted the crowd and congratulated the inductees, describing them as “seniors who have amassed superior records of scholarship, service, leadership and young men and women of sterling character.” After inviting Student Council President, Jordan Hesslein ’13, to lead the Pledge of Allegiance, Mr. Zanowski asked Head of School and keynote speaker of the ceremony, Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff, Ed. D to take the podium.

After wishing everyone a happy New Year, Dr. Sykoff spoke about one of the most promising features of this new beginning—the chance to turn a new page and look to the future with hope and promise. He encouraged the students to make the most of this gift, especially the seniors who are experiencing a period of change as they move forward with the college application and decision process. Dr. Sykoff also congratulated the nine NHS inductees and all those who contributed to their success saying, “The NHS assembly reminds us once again of how fortunate we are to be in a school where there is so much talent and diversity—both among students and faculty. I always believed that when you celebrate the achievements of successful students you must also celebrate the special impact of great teachers.”

Dr. Sykoff concluded his speech about the National Honor Society by recognizing its Chapter President and Fine Arts Chair, Kate Greenberg. “Throughout her time as Chapter President, Kate Greenberg has managed this program with enormous passion and leadership. She labors over all the application materials and guides the process with heart and fairness. Moreover, she is one of those teachers who for so many years, has made a significant differences in the lives of her students.” Dr. Sykoff then presented Ms. Greenberg with the Headmaster’s Medallion of Achievement for meritorious service to the community.

After receiving her award and thanking Dr. Sykoff, Ms. Greenberg spoke about the National Honor Society and described the four pillars of scholarship, leadership, honor and service on which the NHS is built. “These are the characteristics of NHS members and they are a challenge for all of us,” said Ms. Greenberg as she described those four pillars in greater detail. “This is not an easy road to take—it requires discipline, an open mind, the ability to see things for what they really are and the courage to act on what you know to be right and just. This is the road worth taking.”

Ms. Greenberg then introduced NHS member Ashleigh Shay ’13 to give a personal reflection. “NHS is not just something you can put on a college application,” she stated. “It is more personal than that—it is something that you as an individual are able to strive for because it shows you that every once in a while your personal best is enough.”

Following the reflection, Ms. Greenberg invited NHS President Alexandra Seneca ’13, Vice President Erika Serhus ’13, Secretary Veronika Fischer ’13 and Treasurer Rachel Burstiner ’13 to lead the induction ceremony. The four officers offered words of encouragement to their fellow Upper School peers, spoke about eligibility for NHS, the accomplishments of the honors society over the past several years and their continuous service to the community, including their canned food drive for Lunchbreak after Hurricane Sandy, where the NHS collected 2,037 cans.

After a candle lighting ceremony in which each NHS officer lit a candle that represented the four pillars of NHS, the nine inductees were introduced on stage where they received their National Honor Society certificate, honor cord, membership pin and card from their chosen faculty-mentors, which included Mr. Lippiello, Ms. Repoli, Mr. Felter, Ms. Greenberg, Mr. Daly and Ms. Bonney.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Mr. Zanowski once again acknowledged the nine students for their dedication towards their education and addressed the entire National Honor Society saying, “Thank you for showing us that your best is indeed good enough and for the inspirational blessing of your perseverance.”
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Ranney School

235 Hope Road
Tinton Falls, NJ 07724
Tel. 732.542.4777
Our mission is to know and value every child, nurturing intellectual curiosity and confidence, and inspiring students to lead honorably, think creatively, and contribute meaningfully to society. 

We envision Ranney School as a nurturing learning community, in which families, faculty, alumni, and all of Ranney’s constituents collaborate to know and value every child, foster individual talents, sustain powerful connections between children and adults, and graduate resilient, globally-minded citizens.