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Students Pursue Love of Learning at Ranney Summer Institute

by Julianna Troccoli, Class of 2019

At the beginning of every summer, students and faculty find joy at the exciting prospect of a two-month vacation. For a small group of dedicated students, summer is the time to join together at the Ranney Summer Institute (RSI) to continue their love of learning year-round. Starting the last week of June, RSI welcomed students of all ages to further explore a specified subject area, such as math or music, or get a jumpstart on their fall curriculum. With the annual RSI program in progress this summer, approximately 70 students have been journeying to the Ranney School campus from across Monmouth and Ocean Counties for three to four hours a day of invigorating classes. I had the opportunity to speak with RSI Director and Ranney Upper School History Faculty member Ms. Erin Adler about facilitating the summer courses.

RSI programs are categorized by grade level. The elementary level, for example, features enrichment for students entering grades 1-3 and 4-6. “Each small group is under the supervision of one teacher so they can focus on specialized studies, including reading, writing, and math. The goal is not remediation, but reinforcement and advancement to prepare for the following year,” explained Ms. Adler. “Studies have shown that children work better without a long learning break, so these classes are designed to help young students prepare for the upcoming school year and to maintain the knowledge and skills they have already learned.”

In the upper level, three math classes are offered: Introduction to Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry; each class is compacted into a summer framework. “Considered to be very rigorous, the students obtain the same amount of information in six weeks that usually takes one school year to master,” says Ms. Adler. “The intensive program is designed as an intensive course for the student interested in learning more math; it will also allow them greater flexibility in their schedule to advance in their upcoming school-year schedule. The upside of the summer session is that students only have one subject to focus on at a time.”

For young musicians, RSI also offers an orchestra and jazz band component. These two-week courses are taught at the intermediate and advanced levels by Ranney’s All-Division Orchestra Director Dr. Dorothy Sobieski. Students learn the fundamentals of their instrument while preparing for an end-of-summer concert. The music classes have the feel of an intensive session; each student has a different range of background in music, but all have one goal -- to learn how to play their instrument well enough to perform in their concert.

For many students in the RSI program, summer study not only provides more flexibility to their school-year schedule, but also enables them to pursue more advanced courses or find new interests to hone in on. Plus, they have a chance to stay active in the Ranney community throughout the summer. “I see the community every morning when the young children are dropped off,” says Ms. Adler with a smile. “Everyone is happy; it puts everyone in a great mood to start off the day. For the younger students who may not be in the mindset for school, their learning activities are designed to be fun and they are always excited to come. The high school students show a general sense of camaraderie as they all work through their classes together.”

While some might find the prospect of summer study to be tedious or exhausting, Ms. Adler has a different perspective: “I really love coming to school in the summer. It’s great to see the continuous learning all year. Coming back to school in September will be less harsh of an adjustment but equally as exciting.”

For more information on the Ranney Summer Institute, visit www.ranneyschool.org/summer.
 
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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.