The month of November has often been referred to as the spirit of giving month. This spirit is thriving in Rochelle Park as we welcome in this new month.     

Our staff and students participated in Lee National Denim Day on October 10th, and we are pleased to announce that we collected $161.75, which will be donated to the American Cancer Society in support of breast cancer research.

Our Student Council is hosting "Movember" at Rochelle Park. The Movember Fund is a global organization whose work is committed to helping the lives of men affected by cancer. The foundation challenges men to grow moustaches during the month of November. A donation of $1 will be required to participate and there will be a 25 cent donation for all those who are voting. There will be a faculty category and a student category. The names of the winners will be announced at the end of November.  

Our first track meet of the season took place on October 21st. Under the very skillful coaching of Mr. Milon, the Sage Day at Rochelle Park Track Team remains undefeated as they came in first place in the Fall 2014 Invitational Cross Country Track Meet. A new 2014 trophy is proudly displayed in the Main Office

Representatives from two colleges, College of St. Rose and Centenary College, came to address our seniors. Our seniors asked very appropriate questions and received important information about their colleges.

The staff is looking forward to meeting with our parents for our upcoming Parent/Teacher conferences which are scheduled for November 12th & November 13th. As we work strictly by appointment only, parents are asked to call our office manager so that appointment times can be set up. Teachers will be available on Wednesday, November 12th from 1:30 - 4:00 and on Thursday, November 13th, from 5:00-7:30. We do our best to accommodate everyone's busy schedules. Remember that on Friday, November 14th, there will be a 12:30 dismissal for our students. 

Mr. Tom Olender from the Herff Jones Company will be coming to RP on Wednesday, November 19th  to take ring orders from our juniors and seniors who wish to order a school ring. The rings typically arrive the beginning of March.

Our next upcoming trip is to the Martin Guitar Factory in Nazareth, PA, on November 21st.  Students will explore the art of guitar-making and view displays showcasing over 170 exquisitely crafted guitars. Twenty-five of our students will leave Sage first thing in the morning and return back to school at 4:30 for a late pickup. 

Our annual school-wide celebration of Thanksgiving Dinner is one of the most beloved events of the school year. On Tuesday, November 25th, our very own, Mr. Kalnberg, turns into Master Chef as he uses his deep frying skills to cook two turkeys in our courtyard, which is located right outside the classrooms. The students and staff find it difficult to concentrate on English, Math, History & Science as the smell of frying turkeys permeates the entire building. Under the direction of Mrs. Behrens, our cooking class pulls out their favorite recipes and undertakes the huge task of providing all the traditional Thanksgiving sides to the entire student body and staff of 120+ hungry people!  Staff and parents generously bring in plenty of desserts and goodies to top off this delicious meal. This is truly a culinary extravaganza!  To kick off the Thanksgiving weekend, our Rochelle Park football game is scheduled for the very next day -- Wednesday at 9:00 a.m. at Carlock Field. To add to the festivities, our alumni from past years will be invited to attend and cheer on the players. School is closed on Thursday and Friday, November 27th and November 28th. 

We would like to close out our November newsletter with the following quote by John Fitzgerald Kennedy - "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."  May your Thanksgiving be filled with peace, love and harmony.  

This month Sage Day Boonton will feature our English and Art Departments. An excellent example of the collaboration between the two departments is the Tree of Respect designed by the students in celebration of Week of Respect October 6th through October 10th   and displayed in the English classroom.

Our English classes study various genres of literature including novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. Instruction focuses on enhancing vocabulary, textual analysis, and drawing inferences. Student portfolios are comprised of writing samples of expository, persuasive, narrative, and literary analysis. In March of each year, the English Department schedules an annual field trip to the Shakespeare Theater at Drew University to see a live performance. In the recent past, our students have seen Macbeth, The Comedy of Errors, and A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This month in Art, students will be learning about different methods of printmaking and pulling a series of edition prints. The types of printmaking we will be studying are: relief printing, monotype, and serigraphy. Relief printing is printing from a raised surface. An example of this would be printing with a rubber stamp. Students will be introduced to the different ways of creating relief prints and will then have the opportunity to create their own cardboard relief prints as well as linoleum block prints. Serigraphy- also known as silk screening- is a type of stencil based method of printing. Students will learn about different silk screen and stencil methods and have the opportunity to create their own printed t-shirts. Monotype is a type of print made by painting directly onto a smooth, non-absorbent surface such as glass or plastic. The image is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the two surfaces together. Using this process, students are able to create unique, one of a kind prints. These prints also make great backgrounds for serigraphy and relief prints.

Student Council has been busy planning Spirit Week activities which  started on Monday, October 27 with Crazy Hat and Hair Day. Tuesday, October 28th was Pajama and Movie Day.  Wednesday, October 29th was Fourth of July Day. Thursday, October 30th was Twin Day, and Friday, October 31st ended with a costume and Halloween treat contest for the students.