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Rep.Rush Holt Speaks on Leadership in Innovation

 
Fall Convocation is one of Ranney School’s most cherished and enduring traditions. On Monday, October 22, members of the Upper School community gathered in RSPA Panther Hall to recognize the senior class and witness the highly anticipated vesting ceremony. This year’s theme “Leadership in Innovation” incorporated the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education and innovative strategies for learning. Rep. Rush Holt served as the keynote speaker and encouraged all students to seek out science knowledge to help develop sound decision making, no matter what profession they choose in life.

The Class of 2013 processed into RSPA Panther Hall to music played by the Ranney School Orchestra as their family and friends, members of the faculty, administration, and Board of Trustees watched with pride. Paul Zanowski, Head of the Upper School, greeted the crowd and introduced Senior Student Council President, Jordan Hesslein ’13 to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. Zanowski then welcomed Kendall Torpey ’13 to the podium to address her fellow classmates and attendees about the meaning of innovation. She described a case study that she and her classmates completed on production plants at Toyota and General Motors. “Students at Ranney innovate all the time,” she stated. “Our students have the ability to innovate in ways that can change the world.”

Head of School Dr. Lawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D gave a warm welcome and thanked students, the Upper School leadership team, Headmaster’s Cabinet and Associate Head of School and Lower School Head, Patricia Marshall. “This Convocation has always been an opportunity to welcome the Senior Class to the unique role of school leadership—a role that will give them the opportunity to advance the qualities of knowledge, vision and honor. Dr. Sykoff also stressed the timeliness of this topic in the midst of the Presidential election and debates that evening. “The Convocation theme, centered on leadership, is an important topic for us, as many wonderful Ranney teachers inspire our students to become leaders, and many continue to be leaders in their adult lives.”

Following Dr. Sykoff’s address, Mr. Zanowski shared his thoughts about the strong bond between leadership and innovation. “Each and every person here can be a leader, the type of person who encourages new ideas, new ways to think and listens to new voices,” he said. He then asked Mr. Doug Felter, Upper School English teacher and 9th grade advisor, to the podium to introduce Junior Student Council President, Matthew Elkwood for the “vesting”. Upper School faculty members Alison DiStefano and Heidi Bonney presented the Class of 2013 with their vests, marking his or her official ascension to the mantle of leadership.

Following the traditional “vesting” ceremony, Mrs. Marshall addressed the crowd and introduced Science Department Chair and teacher, Marnie Jones. Mrs. Jones spoke about her experiences with STEM Education and how Ranney is incorporating these initiatives. She also shared a story about her most recent professional development experience, where she was one of 160 teachers accepted from more than 1,000 applicants around the world to receive the Honeywell Grant, a highly selective and prestigious grant open to teachers of all different subjects. She attended a five-day Space Camp last summer at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (USSRC) in Huntsville, Alabama. “Teachers from many different backgrounds and disciplines were able to come together for a week, work collaboratively and overcome challenges by inspiring one another and problem solving,” she said. “In essence, this is the goal of STEM. Not to learn discrete units of science, technology, engineering and math but to use them holistically and in an interconnected way.” Mrs. Jones thanked the students for their hard work and introduced the keynote speaker, Rep. Holt, who has represented Central New Jersey in Congress since 1999 and has been a pioneering advocate for STEM Education.

“Not every student in America has to grow up to be a scientist,” said Rep. Holt. “Not every adult has to wear a lab coat. But everybody in America should understand what science does for our quality of life and the quality of life of the next generation. And everyone should understand how to think like a scientist: how to work comfortably with estimates and data, how to navigate uncertainty, and how to frame questions so that they can be answered empirically and verifiably. These are skills that are useful far outside of science; they’re valuable whether you grow up to become an engineer or a manager or a poet. Learning to think like a physicist should be part of every liberal arts education.” Rep. Holt also acknowledged Dr. Sykoff for his 20 years of leadership, and the tremendous growth he has witnessed at Ranney School.

After presenting a gift of appreciation to Rep. Holt, Dr. Sykoff once again thanked the Congressman for attending the ceremony and congratulated the senior class on yet another milestone. The Upper School Choir and Orchestra performed for the audience before Jordan Hesslein took to the podium once again to speak on behalf of the senior class. “Although right now we may still be figuring out our futures, one thing is for certain: As Ranney graduates, we will be prepared to face the 21st century world.” He ended his speech by encouraging his fellow classmates to continue to pursue their passions.

The 2012 Fall Convocation concluded as Rep. Holt, members of the National Science Honor Society and student leaders from the Upper School continued a candid conversation on the opportunities in STEM careers, as well as leadership in innovation during a roundtable discussion.
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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.