EMS Students Excel At Regional Mathleague Competition

On March 14, The Elisabeth Morrow School hosted a Mathleague divisional contest which featured 36 teams in grades 3 to 6, representing eight schools:  Golda Och Academy, Rutgers Prep, Solomon Schechter of Bergen County, Sacred Heart School, Princeton Academy of the Sacred Heart, Oakland Public Schools, and The Ridgewood Avenue School.  In all 144 students competed, at their respective grade levels, in a four-part competition featuring number sense, sprint round, target round and team round challenges.  

The Elisabeth Morrow School students dominated the competition with three first-place team finishes (for grades 3, 4, and 6) and two individual champions, Peter Staphos (Old Tappen, NJ) in the fourth grade and Austin Kwak (Fort Lee, NJ) in the sixth grade.  Overall, Austin finished with the highest score for all competitors in the competition.

"Our school did exceptionally well," said Elisabeth Morrow Math Department Chairperson, Carol Toth. "This competition gave us a chance to see just how well our students could do against other schools. And, in fact, in another divisional contest that took place on the same day at another location, we scored better than their top scoring teams at most levels."  

The first place teams from this competition will move on to the state playoffs later this spring.

Results

3rd Grade:  First Place Team.  Individual EMS results:  Rohan Buluswar (2nd), James Grant (3rd), Andrew Hyde (8th), Purvi Jonnalagadda (10th)

4th Grade:  First Place Team (John Mauro, Peter Staphos, Shelby Kim, Ronit Malde), Second Place Team (Keeka Takehana, Annabelle Xing, Malachy Guzman, Aidan Kim).  Individual EMS Results:  Peter Staphos (1st), John Mauro (2nd), Shelby Kim (4th), Aidan Kim (5th), Ronit Malde (6th), Keeka Takehana (7th), Malachy Guzman (9th)

5th Grade:  Second Place Team (Cole Knie, Cameron Woo, Reha Mathur, Oren Berkowitz), 6th Place Team (Zachary Brooks, Margo Costigan, Sangmin Lee, Kris Pursiainen).  Individual EMS Results:  Cameron Woo (3rd), Reha Mathur (4th), Oren Berkowitz (6th), Cole Knie (9th)

6th Grade:  1st Place Team (Austin Kwak, Tanvi Jonnalagadda, Allison DeRose, Shant Amerkanian), 2nd Place Team (Harry Moon, Alex Nelson, Maggie Sheridan, James Wedgbury).  Individual EMS Results:  Austin Kwak (1st), Tanvi Jonnalagadda (2nd), Allison DeRose (3rd), Shant Amerkanian (4th), Harry Moon (6th)

Competition Aggregate (highest scores for the entire competition):

1st Austin Kwak

2nd Tanvi Jonnalagadda

3rd Allison DeRose

5th Peter Staphos

7th Shant Amerkanian

8th Cameron Woo

10th Reha Mathur

Full Results at Mathleague.org

Cooking in the Curriculum @EMS: 7 Good Reasons

Cooking? Are you serious?  Yep!  Here's why:

A child putting the steps to make "The Besto Pesto"
 in sequential order. (later followed up as an
independent activity to make a mini "recipe book."

1.  Sequencing - Cooking helps children in understanding procedure and ordering events to reach desired outcomes.

2.  Leadership - Cooking is a simple/low-stress means for children to direct their peers through assigning duties (as part of the recipe) to other children and overseeing the production of the final product.

3. Followership: Cooking allows children to understand the responsibility of teamwork, of being an effective part of a group working toward a specific goal.  Also, once given a "job," a student then must follow both spoken and written direction to fulfill their assigned task.

4. Math:  calibrating required ingredients introduces units of measure (amounts and temperatures) and an understanding of proportion.

5.  Gross/Fine Motor Skills:  chopping, measuring, stirring, peeling (under careful supervision) all works on the large and small muscle groups along arm, as well as developing hand dexterity.  

Middle School Cooking Club:  often featuring guest chefs
and the exploration of culture through cuisine.

6.  Tangible Results:  completion of a recipe offers a tangible and real result for the children.  Engagement is usually there as well, as the children get to eat the tasty results.

7.  Eating Right:  learning to cook introduces children to healthier food options.  Plus, at EMS, we often cook with our own vegetables (grown on campus), and children are more likely to try new foods if they've participated in growing them.

A Visit from Gabriel Bol Deng

Gabriel Bol Deng, Hope for Ariang

The Elisabeth Morrow School welcomed Gabriel Bol Deng, executive director and founder of Hope for Ariang.  Gabriel shared his harrowing story about his flight from the Sudanese civil war in 1987, the life-threatening challenges he faced along the way, and his steadfast determination to hang on to hope.  In two assemblies, Gabriel spoke to both the Middle and Lower School, telling them that few things are more important than hope and education; he and Hope for Ariang have made it their mission "to make education accessible for all children and adults in Southern Sudan by removing cultural and socio-economic barriers with a special focus on girls' education–one village at a time."  Currently, Hope for Ariang is working toward the sustainability of the Ariang school.  To read about Gabriel's incredible exodus from Sudan to Ethiopia , follow this LINK.  

Elisabeth Morrow Students Take First Place Team Trophies in Every Grade Level at Inaugural Math Contest.

4th Grade Winning Team:
Reha, Cameron, Oren and Sangmin

by Evan Brown
Director of Communications and Alumni

On Monday April 30, The Elisabeth Morrow School hosted the first-ever, elementary Math League Contest to take place in Northern New Jersey.  The contest, organized by EMS Math Chair Carol Toth for students in grades 3 through 6, was administered by Mathleague.org and are modeled upon the larger MathCounts National Competitions. 

The Elisabeth Morrow Math scholars faired exceptionally well, garnering first-place, all-around trophies in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade, making a clean sweep of all divisions. In addition, the EMS team registered two 1st place individual winners: Peter Staphos (in grade 3) and Dylan Rhee (in grade 5).  As well, Dylan was the highest individual scorer for the entire competition.  Elisabeth Morrow also had the highest overall team score from its all-girl, sixth-grade team:  Stephanie Li, Emily Yu, Kira Trout and Chrissie Anagnos. The team was coached by EMS Math teacher, Sarah Ehatamm.

MathLeague.org competitions consist of several challenges that require a variety of math skills and abilities.  Students are tested through mental-math problems, group problem solving, sprint rounds featuring multiple choice, and targeted rounds that allow for the use of approved calculators.  The competition fielded teams from a number of prominent regional independent schools, including: Princeton Academy, Solomon Schechter, The Wilson School, The Peck School, Far Hills Country Day, Rumson Country Day and The Red Oaks School.  In all Elisabeth Morrow hosted 175 students for the afternoon competition.

The Elisabeth Morrow School Community Raises $6,000 for The Caroline Fund

Left to right:  Linda Stanton (Administrative Director Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital), Fran Jones (Manager of Operations Hackensack UMC Foundation), Steve Sakovits, Mitchell Lynn, Anna Lynn, Nancy Lynn, Dr. Michael B. Harris (Director of Tomorrows Children's Institute) , Barbara Sakovits, Caroline Sakovits, Jane Phend (Principal of Elisabeth Morrow), Gael Barile (Second Grade teacher), Kimberly Caesar (Director of Development for Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital) 

Courtesy of Angela Thomas, Prana Marketing
Englewood Cliffs, NJ, April 23, 2012 


Seven-year old Anna Lynn, a second-grader at The Elisabeth Morrow School in Englewood, New Jersey, wanted to honor her classmate, Caroline Sakovits, a patient at The Tomorrows Children’s Institute (TCI) for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital at Hackensack University Medical Center.  Anna had heard Caroline talk about The Caroline Fund and how it helps children who are very sick.  Moved by her story, Anna and her mother Nancy Lynn, Executive Vice President of the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation, mobilized a team of EMS second-grade Moms to help organize a bake sale. 

Second Grade Bake Sale - March 22, 2012 - Grace Muller Courtyard

Dozens of EMS families volunteered to bake over 800 scrumptious treats, which were eagerly snapped up by students, families and staff at an event held on March 22nd, as Anna, Caroline and some of their classmates proudly worked the tables. Unsold items were brought to the hospital, where they were enjoyed by patients and their families. 


As well, in a show of community solidarity, the EMS fourth graders dedicated their third annual talent show to The Caroline Fund.  Young singers, dancers, musicians, and comedians entertained their classmates and family members, while the proceeds from admission were then added to the bake sale fundraising.

The Little School's efforts certainly help in supporting a worthy cause.  Established in July 2006 by Steve and Barbara Sakovits, in honor of their daughter, The Caroline Fund provides much needed morale for children struggling with serious illness.   TCI’s team of specialists believe that children are not simply small adults, that they have unique psychological and developmental needs that require as much attention as their medical issues. To this end, The Caroline Fund helps the Institute provide special programs, such as Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy.  By incorporating arts & crafts, music, video games and many more activities, TCI seeks to reduce stress, bring joy, promote recovery and provide some of the aspects of normalcy that are vital to the overall well-being of their young patients. 



The support from The Elisabeth Morrow Community was truly generous.  On April 12, the EMS community presented a check for $6000, dedicated for The Caroline Fund, to The Hackensack University Medical Center Foundation.  

If you would like to learn more about The Caroline Fund, please visit www.thecarolinefund.org.

Beyond 3:00 PM: Auxiliary Programs at The Elisabeth Morrow School

by Liza Jones Hards

Director of Auxiliary Programs

Summer 2010


There is much more going on at The Elisabeth Morrow School than just classes.  Beyond 3:00 p.m., as many of our students gather their things to head home for the day, some of our students look forward to sticking around and gearing up for exciting adventures of a different kind (some even stay during school breaks!) Whether it’s aviation class, intramurals or just heading out to the playground for the afternoon, the goal of our program is to offer students a chance to explore interests and hobbies, while learning new skills and spending time with their friends and favorite teachers. 


AFTER SCHOOL


Between Child Care and After School Adventures classes, there is plenty of action on campus until 6:00 p.m. every school day.  This year we added many new classes to our after school lineup.  In Digital Photography, students learned the basics and then showcased their work in a portfolio show.  Parents were able to come see their child’s collection of images as well as those of their classmates.  Beginning Chess gave students the chance to learn techniques and strategies of the game from a professional instructor.  The Aviation class, run by the Hobby Quest Aviation Club (Ridgewood, NJ), provided students the opportunity to build their very own model airplanes.  Students learned to read blueprint plans and used tools to cut, level and sand pieces of the model aircraft. After building, students tested their designs, making adjustments in balance, air flow and weight as they flew their planes.


After School classes are also about just having fun.  Each week, students in our Friday Fun class participated in creative and fun-filled activities.  Among other things this year, they went sledding, had a scavenger hunt, planted flowers around the campus, roasted marshmallows and sang songs around a campfire.  Another fun offering this year was EMS Cooks, a class where various faculty members shared their favorite recipes and cooked up delicious treats with the students. Intramurals, led by Elisabeth Morrow Athletic Director, Andy Escala, provided fourth and fifth grade students with an introduction to the middle school sports program.  Finally, the Homework Club (see sidebar on page 6) was a popular and productive offering this year.

Students also have the option to stay beyond 3:00 p.m. as part of our Child Care program, known as Busy Buddies in Chilton House and EMS Friends in Little School (The Morrow House library offers study time for middle school students).  Busy Buddies and EMS Friends offer a mixed-age environment where children can play together, have snacks and even get some of their homework completed. Elisabeth Morrow models its Child Care program on the “neighborhood experience” philosophy of years ago, where older and younger children played together, creating games and activities, while learning the rules of play from watching each other.  Our Child Care program is also available on certain days when the school is open but classes are not in session, including faculty study days and parent-teacher conference days.


BREAKS AND CAMPS


Elisabeth Morrow offers a number of programs beyond the academic calendar. Our Spring Break Mini Camp, now in its fifth year, is held during one of the two weeks of Spring Break.  During this exciting camp, students participate in enrichment activities centered on a particular theme.  In 2009, the focus was on “Going Green,” and activities included recycled art projects and learning how to reduce our energy usage.  This year the theme was “Amazing Animals” and included field trips to Flat Rock Brook Nature Center and the Central Park Zoo in New York City.


June Express is offered to students in prekindergarten through grade five in the two weeks between the end of school and the beginning of Summer Explorations.  Students cook, play games, do arts & crafts, and have fun with friends in a relaxed atmosphere from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Students are also welcome to attend String & Jazz Week in the mornings and/or Eagle Sports Camp in the afternoons during the first week of June Express.


In the months of June, July and August, our Summer Explorations program is in full swing.  Students from Elisabeth Morrow, joined by students from other schools, come to our campus as “campers,” ready for new experiences and learning opportunities.  Offered in two three-week sessions for children between age three and grade six, Summer Explorations campers make use of all the amenities of our campus. 


Our youngest campers have sing-a-longs around a campfire, explore summertime themes through books and art, and participate in drama and music classes.  They even harvest herbs and vegetables from our many gardens and use the fresh-picked ingredients to cook delicious dishes.  Our older campers explore new interests and activities through various workshops during the sessions.  Filmmaking, Chinese brush painting, cupcake decorating, scrapbooking, math games, and writing are just a few of the many choices.  Afternoons are spent in arts and crafts, nature study, sports, games, and playground time.  There are also opportunities to venture off campus to take tennis or ice skating lessons or to take a trip to a minor league baseball game.  Every Friday, campers dive into theme days such as Pajama Day, Beach Day and the exciting Summer Explorations Camp Carnival. 


WHY AUXILIARY PROGRAMS?


An increase in student interest, popularity of choices and the fundamental need for after-school care for students of working parents has resulted in the significant growth of our Auxiliary Programs over the past several years.  To us, these programs mean more than entertainment and filling time until parents come to pick up their children. Our After School, Child Care and Summer Programs strive to provide the same quality of excellence Elisabeth Morrow students receive during the school day.  According to a parent of a Summer Explorations camper, “the variety and level of each of the classes creates a wonderful and exciting atmosphere that each child would look forward to every day.” At Elisabeth Morrow, providing opportunities for children to learn, especially when they are having fun while doing it, is important for us and that shouldn’t have to end because the clock strikes three, or the calendar rolls into June.