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235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 / 732.542.4777
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List of 10 news stories.
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Inaugural Panther Tank Grant Winners Announced
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Ranney Students Awarded Honors at Jersey Shore Science Fair
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Ranveer Virdi '28 Qualifies for Stevens Trading Challenge Final Finals
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Nick Magnone '26 to Compete in New Balance Indoor Track & Field National and Adidas Indoor Track & Field National
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Ranney FBLA Chapter Earns Top Ten Placements
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Panther Innovation Award Finalists Announced
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Highlighting Ranney Student-Athletes in Collegiate Competition
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Jeremy Li '26 Accepted to Present at Human Brain Mapping Conference in France
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Ranney Speech and Debate Has Impressive Performances
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Ranney Students Advocate for Financial Literacy Legislation in Trenton
Ranney Faculty Present at 2014 NJAIS Professional Development Conference
On October 27, Ranney School teachers across all three divisions presented at the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS) 2014 Biennial Professional Development Conference, held at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, NJ. The theme of this year’s conference was: “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Learning: Full STEAM Ahead.” STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics. The conference also included three featured speakers and more than 70 presentations ranging in topics from science to theater. Below is a brief look at each Ranney teacher’s presentation.
Chiara Shah, Upper School Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher, Robotics Advisor
Presentation: VEX Robotics Competitions: What Are They and How to Get Started
Mrs. Shah’s presentation gave a glimpse into what it takes to compete in VEX Robotics Competitions, including how much time, how much money and what schools will need to get started. “I was excited to introduce other schools to the benefits of VEX Robotics Competitions, in the hopes of attracting other schools to the program,” said Mrs. Shah. “Last year, New Jersey had 85 VEX teams, and there is room for growth in the program, particularly at the Middle School level. Currently, Middle School students have to compete with High School students. I hope that eventually New Jersey can field its own Middle School division.” Mrs. Shah also spoke to attendees about her experience as an advisor of the internationally recognized robotics program at Ranney School, how the program has grown over the years and what it means to the school.
Barbara Levine, Lower School Visual Arts Teacher, and
Kate Greenberg, Visual Arts Department Chair and Teacher
Presentation: Visual Literacy: Art Can Tell a Story
Digital eBooks and short films are helping young students appreciate the story that art can tell. Through technology in the art room, students are learning how to talk about art, appreciate the art of others and write confident artist statements about their own artwork. “I presented samples of work created by art students and showed visitors how these illustrations can become the basis of a self-published eBook,” said Mrs. Levine. “I highlighted the interactive features of digital audio books and the ease with which they can be shared with parents and the school community. When I first began researching digital formats to display student work at Ranney School, it was simply an effort to find new and innovative exhibition ideas. As Lower School students participated in this journey with me, I realized that I was doing much more than just displaying artwork. Our students are living in a digital world and are now more comfortable using digital media to express themselves.”
Leslie Patient, Upper School English Teacher
Presentation: The Credo Project: What You Believe In and How That Came to Pass
Using Hesse’s Siddhartha as a launching point, the Credo Project offers a way to help students think deeply about their own philosophy of life and to try to pinpoint moments where these beliefs began to solidify. Ms. Patient presented this project idea at the conference, explaining that it was originally taught to Ranney School freshmen in 2013. “Students eventually create an inspirational poster of their tenets on the level of The Holstee Manifesto (a staple on the walls of many start-up tech companies),” Ms. Patient explained. “I enjoy attending the NJAIS conferences because it gives me the opportunity to see what my counterparts are doing throughout the state. What is so gratifying about presenting is that it validates presenters’ work in a wider public forum. When I did my project, I thought it was interesting, my students thought it was interesting. However, the weight of my pedagogical peers also weighing in and remarking about the project and how valuable they found it is a great confidence building exercise.”
Marnie Jones, Upper School Science Teacher
Presentation: Using Science Apps to Create Lessons in the Classroom
Mrs. Jones participated in the Share-a-thon at the NJAIS Conference, presenting about science apps on the iPad and discussing the benefits of using them to create lesson plans. “The lessons I developed in conjunction with the apps are centered around the Honors Biology class as well as two senior electives, Marine Science and Environmental Science,” explained Mrs. Jones. “Students enjoy using iPads in class because they are fun and interactive. I have learned over time that students who have different learning styles benefit from a diverse classroom setting. To that end, integrating the iPad into my classes seemed logical and is an invaluable way to reach my students and excite them about science.”
Pamela Shipley, Upper School Art Teacher
Art Exhibit
Although Ms. Shipley did not attend the NJAIS conference this year, she is pleased to relay that two of her data drawings are in a show that opened this month in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. The exhibit is titled “Over the Edge: Paperworks Unbound” and is curated by Yuko Nii and Rebecca Cuomo. The exhibit entails a survey of how creative artists are using paper from traditional ways to extreme invention. The show runs from October 25-November 23, 2014.
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Chiara Shah, Upper School Mathematics and Computer Science Teacher, Robotics Advisor
Presentation: VEX Robotics Competitions: What Are They and How to Get Started
Mrs. Shah’s presentation gave a glimpse into what it takes to compete in VEX Robotics Competitions, including how much time, how much money and what schools will need to get started. “I was excited to introduce other schools to the benefits of VEX Robotics Competitions, in the hopes of attracting other schools to the program,” said Mrs. Shah. “Last year, New Jersey had 85 VEX teams, and there is room for growth in the program, particularly at the Middle School level. Currently, Middle School students have to compete with High School students. I hope that eventually New Jersey can field its own Middle School division.” Mrs. Shah also spoke to attendees about her experience as an advisor of the internationally recognized robotics program at Ranney School, how the program has grown over the years and what it means to the school.
Barbara Levine, Lower School Visual Arts Teacher, and
Kate Greenberg, Visual Arts Department Chair and Teacher
Presentation: Visual Literacy: Art Can Tell a Story
Digital eBooks and short films are helping young students appreciate the story that art can tell. Through technology in the art room, students are learning how to talk about art, appreciate the art of others and write confident artist statements about their own artwork. “I presented samples of work created by art students and showed visitors how these illustrations can become the basis of a self-published eBook,” said Mrs. Levine. “I highlighted the interactive features of digital audio books and the ease with which they can be shared with parents and the school community. When I first began researching digital formats to display student work at Ranney School, it was simply an effort to find new and innovative exhibition ideas. As Lower School students participated in this journey with me, I realized that I was doing much more than just displaying artwork. Our students are living in a digital world and are now more comfortable using digital media to express themselves.”
Leslie Patient, Upper School English Teacher
Presentation: The Credo Project: What You Believe In and How That Came to Pass
Using Hesse’s Siddhartha as a launching point, the Credo Project offers a way to help students think deeply about their own philosophy of life and to try to pinpoint moments where these beliefs began to solidify. Ms. Patient presented this project idea at the conference, explaining that it was originally taught to Ranney School freshmen in 2013. “Students eventually create an inspirational poster of their tenets on the level of The Holstee Manifesto (a staple on the walls of many start-up tech companies),” Ms. Patient explained. “I enjoy attending the NJAIS conferences because it gives me the opportunity to see what my counterparts are doing throughout the state. What is so gratifying about presenting is that it validates presenters’ work in a wider public forum. When I did my project, I thought it was interesting, my students thought it was interesting. However, the weight of my pedagogical peers also weighing in and remarking about the project and how valuable they found it is a great confidence building exercise.”
Marnie Jones, Upper School Science Teacher
Presentation: Using Science Apps to Create Lessons in the Classroom
Mrs. Jones participated in the Share-a-thon at the NJAIS Conference, presenting about science apps on the iPad and discussing the benefits of using them to create lesson plans. “The lessons I developed in conjunction with the apps are centered around the Honors Biology class as well as two senior electives, Marine Science and Environmental Science,” explained Mrs. Jones. “Students enjoy using iPads in class because they are fun and interactive. I have learned over time that students who have different learning styles benefit from a diverse classroom setting. To that end, integrating the iPad into my classes seemed logical and is an invaluable way to reach my students and excite them about science.”
Pamela Shipley, Upper School Art Teacher
Art Exhibit
Although Ms. Shipley did not attend the NJAIS conference this year, she is pleased to relay that two of her data drawings are in a show that opened this month in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg Art & Historical Center. The exhibit is titled “Over the Edge: Paperworks Unbound” and is curated by Yuko Nii and Rebecca Cuomo. The exhibit entails a survey of how creative artists are using paper from traditional ways to extreme invention. The show runs from October 25-November 23, 2014.
Ranney School
235 Hope RoadTinton 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.
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.
