Lead / Create / Contribute
235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724  /  732.542.4777

More Stories

List of 10 news stories.

Academic Leadership

Lower School Assistant Head Allison Reddington on how the leadership team and faculty nurture and guide our youngest students.

Allison Reddington

Lower School Assistant Head
A Q&A with Lower School Assistant Head Allison Reddington

Allison Reddington has been a teacher, forensics coach and division leader at Ranney since 2004. Working directly with all of the Early Childhood and Lower School teachers, as well as the Lower School Head Dr. Andrea Danial, Mrs. Reddington plays a key role in helping to nurture and guide Ranney’s youngest students on their own individual learning paths. In classrooms where creativity, curiosity and confidence blossom each day, she experiences first-hand the moments when children discover something new about themselves and the world around them. Here, she answers a few questions about the Ranney Lower School experience and how the leadership team and faculty cultivate precious relationships, burgeoning knowledge, evolving talents and a lifelong love for learning.
 
As an independent school, Ranney’s approach to learning is student-centered. Can you describe what this means on a practical, in-classroom level?

We embrace each child and his or her family and address each child’s personal learning styles by offering a variety of paths toward learning. At the start of the school year, children establish their hopes and dreams. These hopes and dreams do not focus solely on the academic, or intellectual—they encompass the whole child. First, the teacher will model making goals for the school year. Some guiding questions might include, What’s your hope for how we’ll treat each other this year?; How will you approach learning this year?; What will be accomplished this year? Students set their goals over multiple sessions after taking time to consider and reflect.

The students then share their hopes and dreams with one another so that they can support one another in achieving goals. Throughout the year, usually at the close of a marking period, teachers and students take time to review their progress in accomplishing their hopes and dreams. Sometimes, a goal has been met and sometimes it needs tweaking. Our focus on articulating hopes and dreams is important in conveying to students that they are important and in establishing the positive habits of planning and reflecting.

Our Responsive Classroom program is built on the belief that when teachers truly understand their students, they can make decisions about curriculum, classroom organization and classroom management that promote student success in a positive social context. This approach increases learner investment and instills a love for learning. Research shows that the greatest growth occurs through social interaction, so here at Ranney School, social and academic learning go hand in hand. Each school day begins with a community-building Morning Meeting that includes a greeting, a share, a group activity and a morning message. During the school day, instruction is differentiated to offer support and enrichment. For example, teachers model guided discovery and give academic choice. Students participate in fluid Guided Reading groups that recognize individual strengths and give each child a chance to learn at his/her own pace. To add to that, children in the upper elementary grades (3-5) have the option to participate in conferences with their teacher and their parents. This community-based communication develops the student’s self-awareness through metacognition, nurtures the home-school connection and ensures that the child feels fully supported and valued.

Ranney students have the opportunity to participate in several unique programs that may not necessarily be available in other schools. For example, students are introduced to three world languages beginning at age 3 and, by the second grade, can elect to study their language of choice in-depth: Mandarin Chinese, French or Spanish. Overall, how do these unique experiences benefit students at a young age?

Human beings are natural explorers, and in young children, we see an intrinsic desire to learn. In our efforts to develop lifelong lovers of learning, we embrace that curiosity and give children experiences in varied and unique programs. Our Age 3-Grade 5 students have the opportunity to participate in many unique programs that build on their curiosity and creativity and enhance their talents! In addition to world languages, which begins with our age-3 Beginner program, fourth- and fifth-graders have elective periods built into their school day and can choose to participate in band, chorus, orchestra, graphic arts or robotics, the latter of which they learn to build and program VEX IQ robots in our designated Lower School Robotics Lab. Student access to technology is widespread, starting with iPads in the Beginner (age 3) classrooms and leading to iPad carts and 1:1 Laptops in fourth and fifth grades. Students use this technology throughout the day, side by side with traditional tools.
 
Also unique to Ranney Lower School are its amazing facilities, which include two science labs, a visual arts studio, a technology and media center, and a garden which students use to plant, harvest and study flowers and vegetables. The campus boasts a 25-yard heated pool that students use during elementary physical education classes. In addition, Lower School students are offered multiple sessions of Ranney Plus after-school activities and sports throughout the year as part of their tuition. The activities vary and include programs such as Chess, Cooking, Dance, Fuse Beads, Math Olympiad, Photography, Ranney Rangers, Story and Craft, Beginner/Pre-K Tea Time, golf, swim and a variety of other sports experiences.
 
Ranney has an open-door policy when it comes to communication with parents. What are some of the ways in which the Lower School faculty members and administrators collaborate with parents?
 
We partner with parents in their children’s education and developing relationships with parents is a top priority. Some communication is impromptu and happens during drop-off/pickup time when faculty and administrators help children in and out of cars. Other communication is planned. For example, Dr. Danial shares monthly eNewsletters with parents and leads division-wide parent discussions and grade-specific breakfasts. Parents can find news and updates on their child’s activities daily through our website as well.  
 
Last but not least, administrators are almost always available for pop-in conversations and everyone is available by appointment, or via phone and email. Although teachers are busy during the school day, our staff always responds as soon as possible. Our families know that we have the best intentions and the children know that their school and their families are working together to help them succeed.
 
How would you describe the Lower School’s educational philosophy?
 
As an independent school, we are not bound by state or national regulations, such as Common Core. At each grade level, we meet or exceed the standards set by the Common Core, but we do so “the Ranney way.” For example, we employ best practices to fulfill our student-centered mission and deliver a rigorous curriculum that stretches our students’ curiosity and skill development so they may become life-long learners. We honor the traditions of an independent Beginner to Grade 12 college preparatory institution while also developing the 21st-century skills of character, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, real-world problem solving, communication, teamwork and leadership. Read more about our teaching principles and Early Childhood and Elementary programs.
Back

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.