Mixed Results for Forrestdale on New State School Performance Report

Scores run gamut of academics to student growth performance

When it comes to academics, the NJ School Performance Report places Rumson's Forrestdale School in a very high, the highest, category. The school outperformed 91 percent of schools across the state in academics, a "very high" score, and 62 percent of the schools in its peer group, a "high" score. The Academic Achievement category "measures the content knowledge students have in language arts literacy and math," according to the report. Forrestdale also shows that it is meeting 83 percent of its performance targets in the category. College and Career Readiness showed Forrestdale at a high statewide rank, outpacing 76 percent of schools. Among peers, the school outpaced a lower 49 percent. Most of the scores range from very high to average …

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Hurricane Sandy

Rumson Schools' Sandy Calendar Shift

The district's school year will extend into the last week in June

The wrath of superstorm Sandy has forced Rumson schools administrators’ hands in altering the 2012-13 calendar, extending the end of the school year into the last week in June and lopping off a couple of holiday and vacation days. There are some similarities with Fair Haven schools’ calendar alterations. For instance, both districts will now be in session on Jan. 21, Martin Luther King Day, when the original calendar had schools closed. The original calendar had schools closed for winter recess the week of Feb 10. However, Feb. 12 has now been designated a make-up snow day, if needed and schools reopen on Feb. 13. As with Fair Haven, there will be a single session on Good Friday, and potential snow days have been designated for April 4 and…

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New Teachers in Rumson Schools

All were present at Thursday's Board of Education meeting

The Rumson Board of Education hired several new teachers at its Thursday night meeting. They took a moment to smile and pose for Patch. The teachers' experience and backgrounds were not available, but principals of Deane-Porter and Forrestdale schools listed their names. The new additions to Deane-Porter are: Alison Haugh, Megan Garrity, Jane Sieg and Kaitlyn Brennan. The new teachers at Forrestdale are: Brittaney Flynn, Jamie Fitdmaurice and Kelly Wilson. When more information on the new additions to the Rumson schools' staffs becomes available it will be added.

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First Day of School is Done in R-FH Area

Take a look at some of the scenes of the school day's end at Rumson and Fair Haven schools

The first day of school is officially over for Rumson and Fair Haven students. The weather was muggy, but rain held out and many walked and rode bikes to and from school. Students throughout the area were back in their routines and looked comfortable with slipping back into school days. Take a look at some of the scenes of the day in above photo gallery at dismissal time for Knollwood and Viola L. Sickles schools in Fair Haven, and Deane-Porter, Forrestdale and Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School in Rumson. If you have any back-to-school photos of your own you'd like to share, please either upload them right to this story (by following the prompts) or email them to elaine.develde@patch.com.

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Back to School Fundraiser Targets Local Schools

Only 33 days left to vote for your school to receive up to $10,000 in gift cards through Target's back to school promotion.

Raising money for schools is an ongoing chore: there are cupcakes to bake, car washes to organize and raffle tickets to sell. So when Target offers schools the opportunity to earn up to $10,000 by simply clicking a button, it can seem hard to resist. Schools are looking for votes in the Give With Target promotion that runs through Sept. 8. According to the megastore's website, voters simply choose a K-12 school in their list of eligible schools and vote for it weekly through Sept. 8 or when $2.5 million in Target GiftCards have been awarded, whichever occurs first. A school will receive a $25 Target GiftCard for every 25 votes received during the promotion period; up to a maximum of $10,000 in gift cards. Local schools that can be found on…

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Rumson's Signs of Graduation 2012

Rumson doesn't follow the same tradition as Fair Haven

Looking high and low throughout Rumson for literal signs of graduation adorning homes and lining streets, there were only a few to be found. The motif was nearly identical in each: purple and white balloons — R-FH colors, of course — tied to mailboxes. Patch found a couple that were unique in their own ways. The photos are above. If you have any of your own graduation decoration photos to add, please do not hesitate to upload them directly to this post or email them to elaine.develde@patch.com. Share your graduation decoration pics! Did we miss Forrestdale graduation signs? Let us know where we can find them.

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Elaine Van Develde

6:26 pm on Wednesday, June 20, 2012

I see a few new pics! Beautiful! Now, lets see more.   more ›

Forrestdale Night of Fine Arts, Music

Artwork was hung all around the halls and musicians played and sang

Last night was the Forrestdale Evening of Fine Arts and Music 2012. It was a grande celebration of the arts as artwork was showcased and students performed. The All-School Art Show, spearheaded by visual arts instructor Amy Lepping, featured a variety of students' work, from good Georgia O'Keefe imitations to 3-D works. In the auditorium, fourth and fifth grade students sang in choral performances while others played a few classic tunes in the band's show. Patch stopped by and got a glimpse into the night for all with photos. Check out the gallery above and stay tuned for our little video clip. If you have any of your own to add, please feel free to upload them right to the site (here) or email them to me at elaine.develde@patch.com. In …

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5 Things

Expect a Rainy Friday

A list of five things you should know for Friday, March 16.

According to the National Weather Service, today there will be a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms all day. Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 53. Overnight, there is a slight chance of rain followed by mostly cloudy skies and a low around 46. Join Small Factory Productions as they show the movie ‘Megamind’. Children are invited to watch movies, eat theater snacks, play on the computers, and use instruments in the soundbooth. Children attending must be potty trained. Parents can attend for free if not dropping off. Call 732-212-1088 to register. Knights of Columbus, Red Bank Council #3187 will host a free and open AA meeting today at 9 a.m. The Forrestdale School Drama club presents their rendition of Little Shop of Horrors…

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Little Shop of Horrors to Debut at Forrestdale School

The Forrestdale School will perform their rendition of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ this Friday and Saturday.

Rumson staff and students take audiences from the Forrestdale School Gym onto Skidrow with their production of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. A cast of 39 talented Forrestdale sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, make up the cast of ‘Little Shop of Horrors’. Since January, the cast has worked many hours under Director Vinny Sabatino, Music Director Barbara Leutz, and Choreographer Jack Cosgrove to combine their acting and singing abilities with a middle-school friendly version of the play. "Most people do not realize that kids this age have the ability to pull off something so ambitious. A full-scale production at a middle school is not commonplace, but we are extremely fortunate to have a group of students who can achieve things far and above …

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Forrestdale Receives "Spirit of Giving" Award

Forrestdale students collected 4,192 pounds of food and $966 of donations for the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties.

Students at the Forrestdale School in Rumson received the “Spirit of Giving Award” from the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties. The award came from their participation in the annual School Holiday Hunger Challenge. This event is a food drive that challenges all elementary, intermediate and high schools in Monmouth and Ocean County to collect food for those less fortunate during the holiday season. From September 26 to November 21,  over 47,000 students from 91 area schools collected 68,721 pounds of food as well as over $25,000 in monetary donations. Forrestdale students collected 4,192 pounds of food and $966 of donations for the holiday food drive. That put them at the top of collections in their division. The goal of this School …

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