Every new school year begins with great hopes and expectations for our students. As 2,776 students and 500 teachers and staff enter the doors of our schools, I want to take you on a journey through the secret life of public education Ramsey. You are probably aware of last year was one of the most highly recognized and celebrated years in recent history. But these accomplishments don’t paint a real picture of what we do every day.
We are equipping our students with the tools and skills they need for future success, starting the day they enter school. This includes a rich curriculum that includes and goes beyond basic academics; updated technologies and training to help students navigate complex online information; and helping students apply their classroom lessons to the real world. You might not be aware that our students are engaged in critical thinking and problem-solving starting as early in Kindergarten through 12th grade. This work looks different at different grade levels. In first grade, this may include “solving” words and making-meaning from a picture book while in the 11th-grade students might be demonstrating critical thinking through a comparative analysis of a work of fiction and related informational text dealing with human rights. This work will also look different in the different subject areas. For example, it may involve using scientific and mathematical principles to design and program a robot, or it may take place in a social studies classroom as the students debate the merits of a controversial Supreme Court decision. In each of these examples, the focus is on developing deep student understanding rather than rote memorization and the accumulation of superficial knowledge.
Ramsey Public Schools offers students and families an array of specialized programs and opportunities to ensure that all students’ needs are met and that they are prepared for their future. These opportunities include dual enrollment offerings with local college and universities that allow students to earn college credit while still completing their high school degree. We are proud to run Design Thinking for the 21st Century, the only course of its kind in New Jersey. Ramsey students are fortunate to learn in technology-rich environments as students at all school levels have access to devices that allow their learning to transcend the four walls of the classroom. Our district was also recognized as a Common Sense Digital Citizenship Certified District for our work in promoting digital citizenship across the K-12 continuum. Finally, we have expanded our co-teaching initiative at all schools as we work towards our goal giving greater access to our students.
We have worked hard to build a safe, supportive, and welcoming education community where all students are treated fairly and with respect. Our dedicated teachers, principals, school counselors and other school staff are committed to providing the best education possible for our students. Many of our teachers and other staff have taken classes and other professional development opportunities over the summer to help hone their skills and keep them up-to-date on how to teach our students what they need to know to be ready for the future.
We welcome our families and community members to get engaged and see the great things that are happening at Ramsey Public Schools. All members of the community are invited to see our schools. If you haven’t already, please consider signing up for the Ramsey Review (our e-newsletter), following us on Facebook and Twitter. Please be sure to visit our website (ramsey.k12.nj.us) for all the information. We can’t wait to open our school and classroom doors and lead all our students to succeed in the 2017-18 school year.
