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235 Hope Road, Tinton Falls, NJ 07724  /  732.542.4777

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Grandparents and Friends Day

RSPA Panther Hall was filled with smiles and generations of family and friends as the Lower School hosted its annual Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day on Tuesday, November 20, 2012. Students—Beginners through grade five— welcomed their loved ones to Ranney School for this valued tradition, showed off their beautiful artwork in the gallery and proudly took the stage to perform a variety of songs. Most importantly, the students thanked their families and friends for their endless love and support and shared what Thanksgiving meant to them.

The morning consisted of a festive celebration in honor of the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday hosted by Beginners (age 3) through second grade students and their teachers. Led by Lower School music teachers Lisa Geene and Dorothea Lippart, the Beginners opened the assembly with popular children’s songs and were followed by the students of the Class of 2026 and their vocal talents. Afterwards, the Class of 2025 sang songs such as “I Want to Know”, “Hello” and “Gather ‘Round”. The Class of 2024 encouraged the crowd to “Put on a Happy Face” and performed “Seasons Change" and “There is No Time Like the Autumn” while using tambourines, maracas and other handheld instruments. The final act of the morning was from the Class of 2023 singing “Peace Like a River”, “Do the Good You Know” and dancing along to “The Turkey Woogie”.

Following lunch with family and friends and multiple classroom visits, the afternoon consisted of another “Thanksgiving Celebration” — this time for students grades three through five. Head of School, Dr. Lawrence Sykoff shared his experiences with Middle and Upper School Thanksgiving assemblies held earlier in the week and the importance of this longstanding tradition. Following his thoughts, the Class of 2022 opened the afternoon’s assembly with performances to “A Song for Grandparents’ Day”, “Thinking of You” and “We Come to Greet You in Peace” using instruments such as wood blocks and handheld drums. The Class of 2021 continued the celebration with “A Song of Peace”, “Autumn Vibe” and “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing”. The Thanksgiving festivities concluded with the Class of 2020’s renditions of “Possibilities”, “Peace on Earth”, and “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”.

While Ranney School emphasizes the importance of family and community, Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day allows students to introduce their loved ones to the classmates and teachers that they consider part of their extended family. After Hurricane Sandy forced the school to be closed for several days, the students were eager to reunite with their teachers and classmates and continue rehearsing for this special day.

“We discussed how everyone has been affected by the storms in different ways and the performances were a way for us to share our gift of music with the audience and bring them happiness after a difficult time,” said Mrs. Geene. “Grandparents’ and Friends’ Day is a Lower School tradition—a time to reflect on family, friends, and what we are thankful for during the week of Thanksgiving.” Throughout the day, the Ranney School Parents’ Association (RSPA) continued their hurricane relief efforts by collecting donations for Project Rebuild and Recover and giving thanks to the Ranney community for their support.
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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.