MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL: SCHOOL OPEN NOV. 12

Dear Members of the Ranney Community,
 
I hope that all of you are doing well as we enter this period of recovery and restoration. Ranney School will resume classes on Monday, November 12. The vast expression of support during the last week has been nothing short of miraculous. Many of our teachers and families were impacted by the hurricanes and the subsequent snowstorm, and the outreach to those in need has been a true blessing, emblematic of the abundance of care, concern and compassion in our Ranney community.
 
Great schools thrive during the good times and even through the most challenging times. The recent weeks have brought enormous challenges to many; however, the manner in which people stepped up to the moment - teachers, administrators, students, parents, RSPA and others - serves as a permanent symbol of our school's mission.
 
While there is still more work to be done as we piece together the fragments of our homes and lives and help our students return to the routines of daily educational programs, I want to offer my sincere thanks and grateful appreciation to all of you. Many heroes emerged during this period of upheaval and disruption, which we are planning to spotlight on our website in a new section called Ranney Recovery Profile - Making a Difference.
 
Please be sure to see the RSPA list of community outreach efforts that are also posted in the RSPA section of the website and listed at the bottom of this message. The administrative teams and the RSPA have forged an incredible collaborative alliance, and we are forever grateful for their immediate support and concern for families. Please contact any members of the administration, RSPA, or my office if you need additional assistance or wish to donate needed items or services.
 
Parents and students should know that our administrative teams are meeting this week to review the details for ending the quarter, sending out student report cards and reaching out to families for personalized appointments. Details will be sent out this week from the divisions - the information will be coordinated across all three divisions, Lower School, Middle School and Upper School.
 
 
As we return to school tomorrow, please be sure to remember the following:

- Bus transportation will be provided by our private company, First Student. The public buses will be running as well, and parents are encouraged to be in touch with their respective municipality about timing and direct access routes. Please contact our Director of Operations, Dennis Myers, for any questions or for assistance with municipal communications.

- Teachers who are able to return on Monday will still be able to bring their children to school if they need childcare and learning services. We will extend this service as needed.

- Our Human Resources team will be developing a list of support services for teachers and families who need help with filing insurance claims and working with FEMA.

- The relocation and placement services for families that were initiated last week will be ongoing. Please contact the RSPA, Tracy Mutchiga in Parent Relations, or my office if you still need a place to stay in the coming weeks.

 - Our school psychologist will be available this week to assist students, teachers and parents who may need counseling support. Please call me directly if I may help with any confidential matters.
   
- Our school libraries will still be available to any parent who needs a place to work during this time. Our technology and administrative staff are here to help. In addition, the Communications Team is on call to help with any questions regarding the website or learning how to connect with the school through social media.
   
- The Margaret Mahon Building will continue to be "command central" each morning this week for parents to stop by for coffee, connect with friends, or seek any kind of assistance.
   
- The school dress code will remain casual for the coming week. Good taste and appropriate attire, even under these circumstances, is required. If any parent needs PE clothing for their child to replace clothing that was lost during the storms please contact my office and we will provide these items from our inventory. The same is true for students who may have lost books in the storms. We will contact our suppliers to provide these books immediately.

During the next few weeks, I will be in conversation with our teachers, administration, RSPA, and PTAC representatives about the possible solutions to making up lost school days. As you can imagine, such solutions never contain a "one-size fits all" cure. However, I can assure you that we will consider many alternatives before making any final decisions. For now, our time will be devoted to our children's return to their school, their educational life, and the safety and well-being of our community.
 
Once again, thank you for the overwhelming expression of support and strength during this unfamiliar and unsettling time. Together, we will make a difference and continue to serve the students, teachers, and their families.
 
Please join us on Monday, November 19th for the annual Halloween Spooktacular Parade and for Grandparents' Day on November 20th. This year, all members of the Ranney community who are grandparents, including faculty, staff and administrators, are my guests for those days of celebration. I cannot wait to see all of you! Please join us!
 
Contact me at any time if I can help you in a more specific or confidential way as we gradually and confidently more forward through this time.
 
Be safe and be well.
 
Lawrence S. Sykoff, Ed.D.
Head of School
Ranney School



MESSAGE FROM RSPA AND RANNEY ADMINISTRATION

Dear Ranney Parents,

I sincerely hope that you and your families are safe after the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy and this week’s bizarre ‘snoweaster’. So many along our beloved Jersey Shore are suffering and need all types of resources immediately. To get right to the point, the RSPA will be conducting a series of drives in support of the Shore relief efforts. We will be running the drive in phases. The original first two phases will have to be combined as we essentially lost this week due the second storm. The phases are:

1. Phase 1 - Immediate needs for the community. For Phase 1, we will be donating items to Project Rebuild and Recover, currently based in Red Bank who is collecting items and immediately distributing them to Shore
towns. 100% of everything collected is being donated.

2. Phase 2 – Continued specific, targeted needs for storm victims, food drive to support Lunch Break/Food Bank of Monmouth County for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

3. Phase 3 – Drives to support Holiday Express, continued targeted, specific needs for storm victims, perhaps a toy drive and continued food donations.

For Phase 1, the following items are most needed:

· Toiletries (deodorant, shampoos, conditioner, body creams, face creams, shaving cream, disposable razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, infant and adult diapers, baby wipes);

· Cleaning Supplies (bleach, latex gloves, hand sanitizer, work gloves; buckets, etc., contractor garbage bags)

· Paper Goods (toilet paper, paper towels, disposable flatware, paper plates, cups);

· NEW clothing as follows listed in order of need (NEW SOCKS, new packaged underwear – all sizes and genders, new sweatpants and hooded sweatshirts, blankets, towels. Please, NO USED CLOTHING – shelters are
inundated with used clothing which is inappropriate for distribution).

For Phase 2, which will be combined with Phase 1, any non-perishable, shelf-stable items will be accepted. Please nothing requiring refrigeration. Canned goods, prepackaged food products, etc.

Phase 3 – Continued support for Phases 1 and 2 we will let you know what is needed as we move forward towards Phase 3. Phase 3 may take the form of a toy drive, coat drive, etc., continuing to support the immediate needs of the community.

We will need many hands to gather, sort, pack, and deliver all that will be donated. We have contacted each of the school divisions and they are eager to have the students involved in this effort at age appropriate levels. We have several parents who have offered their own company trucks or are willing to donate the rental of a truck for transporting items. A Ranney family has generously ordered and delivered 180 cardboard boxes for packing items to deliver. In short, we are ready to get started – all we need is you! Help is needed to coordinate sorting, distribution, etc. Please call if you have questions. Also, we are now on Facebook - please like Ranney School Parents’ Association. We have a Twitter page too – same name! We will post updates to make sure requests for donations are timely and what is truly needed.

We hope to see you very soon and donate what you can!

Take care,

Mimi Keenan, RSPA President, the RSPA Executive Board
and Ranney School Administration