Dear Families,

 

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! We welcomed your students yesterday, and then jumped right into our work together.

 

First, we sent our new 9th grade, the Class of 2023, on the bus to Camp Ramapo for their 3-day orientation. Heather Brubaker, 9th grade dean, wrote late last night that it was an amazing day, and that your children were fully invested in the work of getting to know one another.

 

 

Our 10th grade, the Class of 2022, began a 3-day, City-As-Lab experience yesterday. The purpose of this experience is to activate our 10th graders research and analytical thinking

 

 

Our 11th graders, the Class of 2021, are well into the Junior Trip Lab that launches them into planning for the trips they will go on in April.This is an intensive lab that pushes juniors to think about issues in the U.S. that are both important to them, and pressing to our nation, and then to work their way to the 6 topics that the class of 2021 will study. Today, juniors lead discussion groups for each other on 20 issues they are interested in--from immigration, to coal mining, to gun control, to sea level rise--and then by Friday will work together to find consensus around 6 of them. This is serious, hard work and we are so proud of the way that the Class of 2021 has shown up and engaged so far. 

 

 

Our Seniors, the class of 2020, arrived excited and ready for the year, and are (as expected) focused and engaged in the beginning phases of planning their senior projects, and in working with the College Office to prepare for upcoming interviews and applications. In addition, 17 of our seniors are serving as peer leaders at Ramapo, leading orientation discussions and helping our new class make a successful transition to high school.

 

 

And of course, our outstanding faculty are leading all of this work! Most teachers are with their advisory groups this week, finding time to catch up about the summer and check in on how students are feeling as they begin this new year.

 

We want to remind you of some important dates in the next few weeks, as there have been a couple of changes to the calendar. And remember, all events for families can be found on your calendar in Connect.

 

Monday, September 9th: Regular Classes begin; Add/Drop opens

Tuesday, September 10th: 12th Grade College Night

Thursday, September 12th: Add/Drop closes

Monday, September 16th: 9th Grade Potluck

Thursday, September 19th: LREI 101 for new families

Thursday, September 19th: 10th Grade Potluck

Tuesday, September 24th: 9th/10th Curriculum Night

Tuesday, October 15th: 11th/12th Curriculum Night

 

 

We look foward to seeing you throughout the fall!