Dear Ramsey and Saddle River Residents,
Last Friday marked our 110th graduation! High school graduation is often thought of as a high school-only event. I say, “Think again.” Graduation is a celebration of the hard work of everyone who helped make a difference in our graduates’ lives. Thank you to staff, parents, and Board of Education members in assisting to make the 2017-2018 school year so successful.
As I look back on the year, I feel great pride with all our District has accomplished. First, we achieved one of our goals by developing our Profile of a Ramsey Graduate (see Mr. Matteo’s article below). That provides a set of agreed-upon outcomes for our graduates and will drive our work for the foreseeable future. This district goal will now morph into Developing a Ramsey Graduate as we purposefully plan for, teach to, and assess these competencies of a 21st Century education.
Our District will not rest over the summer. We will continue to pursue our other ambitious goals of Teaching for Understanding, Achieving Excellence Through Equity, and Enhancing the Student Experience Over the course of the summer, 137 teachers will work on curriculum and participate in professional development — all of that aligned to these overarching goals. This is another example of investing in people, not programs, as we work to improve our students’ learning experiences.
We have received outside validation of success, but that only bolstered what we already knew: Our students continue to achieve at high levels, our curriculum and programming continues to move forward, our students and staff continue to make a difference by volunteering and doing community service, our student-athletes continue to compete with class, and the community support continues to help make the Ramsey School District a very special place.
I do hope you have a chance to relax over the summer. If you travel, take an item (t-shirt, sign, hat, etc.) with you that showcases Ramsey or your school’s name and snap a picture of it. Send it to me via email, and I will post it or tweet it using the hashtag #RamseyRocks2018. Be sure to include the names you would like used, location, etc.
Enjoy these summer months because September will be here before you know it. With the commitment and resolve of our staff and your continued support, I know the 2018-19 school year will be an exciting one.
Achieving Excellence One Student at a Time,
Matthew J. Murphy, Ed. D.
