NJAIS Conference Features EMS Faculty Participants

Yesterday (October 15) the EMS faculty attended the annual New Jersey Association of Independent Schools Conference at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls.  The conference goal is professional development and networking: providing "speakers, workshops, seminars and sessions" focusing on all facets of independent school trends and activities.  Once again, this year featured EMS faculty (two current and one former) with active rolls in the conference.

Carol Toth

EMS Director of Auxilary programs Liza Jones Hards and Math teacher Carol Toth were asked to lead "affinity tables" in their area of expertise.  As Ms. Toth expains, "the idea (with hosting affinity tables) is that in an informal setting we could get together and talk about the issues that face us and hopefully help each other find solutions to common problems."  Ms. Toth planned to direct the table toward issues regarding groupings, acceleration, working with challenged math learners, and how much (if any) of the state's Common Core Curriculum Standards math departments could incorporate into their own programs.  

Liza Jones Hards presents at NJAIS Conference at the Ranney School 

Along with guiding a table on school auxiliary programs (camps, before-school and after-school programming), Mrs. Jones Hards, along with her colleague Cindy Wyatt from Gill St. Bernard's School, also presented a full session at the conference.  Titled Let The Sunshine In, Mrs. Jones Hards' and Mrs. Wyatt's presentation focused on "their success stories for building and maintaining summer activities that keep learning going, while at the same time adding marketing and financial value" to their respective schools.

Also presenting at this year's conference, former EMS Head of School, Dr. David Lowry spoke on the topic of administration and leadership – sharing "humor and truth" from his thirty years in independent schools.

Young Alumni Luncheon 2012

by Evan Brown
Director of Communications and Alumni


Once upon a time, I was a high school teacher.  When my former students graduated and left school at 17 or 18, usually they returned for reunions as older versions of themselves–filled out more, a bit grayer perhaps, but the faces for the most part were recognizable.  This is not the case for Elisabeth Morrow teachers, as I witnessed yesterday at our first Young Alumni Luncheon.  For them, their former students usually leave as children and return as, well, big people!  Yesterday, it seemed many former students were almost unrecognizable without name tags.


If there is one thing all teachers share it is the incredible take-away we get from such events.  For the Alums who attend, these events are a great time as you reconnect with old friends.  For teachers, hearing your stories, hearing about how you're making your way in the world, pursuing your great adventure–let's just say there are few greater validations in our profession than learning that you have grown into happy and healthy people, walking a path or your choosing.  For many of us who have made education our career, seeing you "achieve" really is thanks enough.


As for yesterday's event, we had a great turnout and, Young Alums, it was our privilege to have hosted you.  I enjoyed watching you connect with former classmates and teachers.  Thanks again for coming and we hope to see you again next year when we do this again.  Best of luck to you all.


PS:  we are collecting Alumni News for Appletree Magazine (print version) to be published this fall--if you have anything you'd like to share or update, please email it to me.

Beginnings and Endings - The All School Gathering

by Patricia Eickelberg
Early Childhood Teacher

What better venue than the All School Gathering to congratulate all of the 8th graders and wish them well.   All of their school peers, from C-1 three-year-olds to the soon to be moving up 7th graders were there to cheer them on as they leave EMS to begin their high school years.

We also said goodbye to the faculty and administrators who will be leaving us.   We acknowledged those leaving by sharing with the students the length of time each of those faculty members has been with us.  Mrs. Phyllis Grossman, who has been a teacher here since 1980, was the last to sit down.  It was a great feeling to hear the whole student body express their gratitude for her devotion of 32 years as they clapped and cheered!

Once again, the focus of the Gathering was to show everyone how connected we are, in spite of our separate divisions, buildings and responsibilities at EMS.   One of the highlights of our “Connection Circle” was a demonstration of how just one teacher, Mrs. Susan Labita, has touched the lives of 95 current students who started at EMS in the three-year-old class.   Even Mrs. Labita was amazed at how many students stood up as we called their names!  Most impressive of all is that two of our graduating 8th graders were fortunate enough to have started with her in the Three’s.  Casey McConville and Abby Rivior have experienced every tradition in each grade, from the Englewood Boat Basin trip when they were 3 to their recent 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C.

The All School Gathering, as an event at EMS, is still in its infancy.   Its purpose, simply, is to bring the entire student body, faculty, and administrators and staff together. Coming together allows us to see siblings and friends, faculty and staff, as well as all of the other people behind the scenes at EMS.   Our plan for the All School Gathering is to have them more frequently–we feel that coming together more often will strengthen our community and build stronger bonds between the divisions.