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September Highlights

Randolph Learning Community,

Every year, we look forward to the return of students, staff and families with excitement. Our learning community has come so far over the past few years, and the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year has truly been so special.

We had so much to celebrate in September and I have included a few of those highlights below. To read or see more positive news, I encourage families and community members to follow our district on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

https://www.facebook.com/RandolphSchools/

https://twitter.com/RandolphSchools

https://www.instagram.com/randolphschoolsnj/

In addition, our Board of Education meetings are a great opportunity to learn more about other news and developments happening in the district. The input of families and community members are valuable, and public participation in meetings is an opportunity to hear new ideas and perspectives. If you are not able to attend a meeting in person, meetings can be accessed via live stream as well as after our meetings. More information can be found in the Board of Education section on our website. 

As the month of September closes, we look ahead to October. On October 10, we will host a staff development day focused on both professional growth and wellness. As we near the end of the fall athletic season, some of our teams may be competing for district and/or state championships. Several events are scheduled for the community to enjoy including the Marching Rams' annual Under the Stars Band Festival on October 1 and Randolph High School Choir’s annual Poptoberfest on October 21. Our school buildings and parent teacher organizations have also been hard at work organizing events for the fall. There truly are so many opportunities for our students that it is difficult to list them all. 

I wish everyone wellness and happiness as we start a new month of learning.

Sincerely, 

Jennifer Fano, Superintendent of Schools

Randolph Schools Ranked in the Top 6% Nationally for 2023

Niche is the market leader in connecting colleges and schools with students and families. With in-depth profiles on every school and college in America, over 140 million reviews and ratings, and powerful search and data tools, Niche helps millions of students and families find and enroll in the right school for them.
 
As a highly rated "A" district, Randolph Township Schools has been ranked 624 out of 10,751 school districts in America. As one of the top 6%, Randolph was assessed based on the quality of our educators, academics, college preparation, health & safety, clubs & activities, and diversity.
 
Other rankings by Niche also placed Randolph in the top tier. Randolph High School was ranked in the top 4% ranking 736 out of 17,064 high schools. Randolph Athletics was also ranked 656 out of 10,776 districts to land in the top 6% nationally.

Randolph High School Nationally Recognized in the Top 7% for College Success

GreatSchools announced the winners of its fifth-annual College Success Award which recognizes and celebrates public high schools that excel at preparing students to enroll and succeed in college. Randolph High School is one of only 1,742 public high schools in the nation to win this year's Award, which is based on college preparation and post-secondary data shared by each state. Schools awarded are far above the state average in key measures of college and career readiness. This is the fourth consecutive year Randolph High School has earned this distinction, having also earned the award in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Anuja Magdum Earns Rare “Perfect” Score on Advanced Placement Computer Science Exam

Class of 2022 Co-Salutatorian Anuja Magdum’s performance on the AP® Computer Science A Exam in May 2022 was so superior that it falls into a rather select category. Anuja not only received the top score of 5, but was also one of only 369 students in the world to earn every point possible on the AP Computer Science A Exam, receiving the maximum score on each portion of the exam.
 
Trevor Packer, Head of the Advanced Placement program for the College Board, personally commended Anuja on her success. “Advanced Placement courses and exams are college-level, requiring great focus and persistence among participating students. We applaud the educators who encourage students to challenge themselves, who motivate and encourage diverse students to achieve their academic potential,” Mr. Packer said. “This outstanding accomplishment is likely a direct reflection of the top-quality education being offered at Randolph High School. We applaud Anuja's hard work and the AP teacher responsible for engaging students and enabling them to excel in a college-level course.”
 
Anuja is currently attending Princeton University where she is studying Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. We applaud her extraordinary achievement and have confidence that she will have continued success. As we celebrate Anuja, we also recognize Computer Science teacher Matthew Horner and all of our educators who go above and beyond to provide the very best opportunities for our students.

Center Grove Elementary Recognized as 2022 National Blue Ribbon School

 
United States Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona recognized 297 schools as National Blue Ribbon Schools for 2022. The recognition is based on a school’s overall academic performance or progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Up to 420 schools may be nominated each year for recognition. The United States Department of Education invites nominations for the National Blue Ribbon Schools award from the top education official in all states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, the Department of Defense Education Activity, and the Bureau of Indian Education. Center Grove Elementary was invited to apply, and was chosen as a recipient of a National Blue Ribbon School Award for 2022. Only nine schools in the state of New Jersey were recognized. This is the first time one of our schools has been nominated and awarded.
 
“Center Grove Elementary School is our home away from home for students, parents, and faculty. Although our school is comprised of families with various religions, cultures, and ethnic backgrounds, our school spirit brings us a sense of togetherness. I am grateful to our parents who are invested in their children’s learning and social-emotional well-being. I also have gratitude for our administrators, teachers, and support staff who go above and beyond to develop relationships with each family. These connections make Center Grove Elementary everyone’s home away from home,” Principal Mario Rodas said.
 
Director of Elementary Education Danielle Soldivieri added: “We are honored and humbled that Center Grove Elementary has been recognized by the United States Department of Education as a 2022 National Blue Ribbon School. Application for the National Blue Ribbon School program is highly selective as it is limited to only a few hundred schools each year. Center Grove Elementary was invited to apply based on a very specific set of criteria which the United States Department of Education seeks when granting this award. Mr. Rodas, over the course of his long tenure as Principal, in addition to our educators and support staff have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the classroom and beyond. Although Center Grove Elementary has been formally recognized with this unique distinction, as a school community we can also applaud the exemplary teaching and learning happening in all of our schools to provide the very best opportunity for students.”

Transition Students Celebrate their 1st Day of Work for Local Businesses

Randolph Township Schools' Adult Skills Post-Secondary Transition Program is designed to address and support transition goals. Students participate in a variety of work readiness and independent living activities which include job sampling, navigating transportation and daily living. The program consists of a partnership between the school, student, family and the community. The anticipated outcome for each student is to gain awareness, experience and better participate in the adult world with an appropriate action plan.
 
Each year, our transition students have the opportunity to work at a job placement site which has been coordinated by the program. Randolph Township Schools’ Special Programs Coordinator Brianne McBreen spends many months cold calling and networking with area businesses to help secure placements for our students to gain work experience. “Community partners are an essential part of our program. The goal is for students to transfer skills they work on in class into authentic settings. There are so many local businesses that have opened their doors to our students that we have to rotate through them so we can include as many as possible. Although creating relationships with local businesses takes time and effort, maintaining these relationships are easy once these businesses have had the opportunity to work with our students. Our partners have shared that they can't wait for our students to come to work and their contributions are so valued. Each business truly becomes an onsite support system where a meaningful bond is formed between the students and job coaches,” Ms. McBreen said. “Each setting offers a different set of skills for the students. In addition to their vocational skills, life skills are also being practiced and learned. As an example, some of our students enjoy bringing money and purchasing their own lunch at the conclusion of work. This offers an opportunity for them to read the menu, order their meal, exchange money with the cashier, and eat in a public setting.”
 
Director of Special Services Walter Curioni applauded Ms. McBreen’s work to build these partnerships. "Under Ms. McBreen's leadership, our students continue to excel both in the classroom and out in the community. Job samplings and placements are student-centered, interest specific, and robust. It is an honor to witness the community partnerships and watch our students excel in their respective placements." Kim Stork, 18-21 teacher, echoed Mr. Curioni’s sentiments about the importance of the job placement program sharing that “it's impressive to see the students utilizing skills we work on in class in the community. Not only are our students great workers, they also improve the morale of local businesses.”
 
Job placement sites for the 2022 – 2023 school year include Rockaway Lanes - Rockaway, NJ, Adam's Pet Safari Chester, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse Rockaway, Great Clips Chester, Walgreens Denville, AMC Theatres Rockaway, Antimo's Pizzeria and Restaurant Randolph, Center Grove Elementary Library, and JT's Confections. We had the opportunity to speak with some of our students about what they are most looking forward to working at their job placement site this year.
 
“I love the bowling alley. I get to clean tables and eat a hamburger. Dory gave me a free birthday party for working so hard,” Michael said.
 
“I love Walgreens. I like to stock the shelves and see all the people.” Casey said.
 
“I can't wait to work at the hair salon. I want to clean the mirrors, fold the towels, and fold foils,” Camille said.
 
“I learned a lot working at the Ram shop and now I can use those skills at DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse. I like to put the shoes back on the shelves,” Ray said.
 
“I can't wait to see the pets and feed them. I love animals,” Sophia said.
 
“I like to organize at Walgreens and stock the shelves,” Talha said.
 
Randolph Township Schools is grateful to our Special Services team and all of our community partners who have gone above and beyond to provide these exceptional opportunities to our students. The resources we have and continue to provide for every student in Randolph is world class, and we are honored to have many stakeholders involved in providing the best supports for every student.