WELCOME
Dear Students, We are delighted to welcome you to Ramaz, and we thank you for your interest in our school. We’ve been around for a long time — 79 years! — and have a rich history of providing an exceptional Judaic and general studies education in a warm, religious, and spirited environment. We understand that each student is unique, with different talents, traits, priorities and passions. When you enroll as a Ramaz student, we will treat you as an individual, helping ensure that you will enjoy a personalized educational experience, in a fun, vibrant, and thriving community. So whether you’re a history buff who plays guitar, a Talmud scholar who plays basketball, or someone who simply wants to soak it all in, you can find your home in Ramaz. We have gathered highly talented and devoted faculty who nurture each student’s abilities through individualized educational programming inside and outside the classroom. Our co-curricular programs provide opportunities for chesed, Israel advocacy, athletics, the arts, and political activism; there are numerous clubs, publications, science research programs, shabbatonim, seminars, and trips. We take full advantage of Manhattan culture, enjoying Central Park and the Met on our doorsteps, together with other famous NYC landmarks within easy reach. Most important, we have a fun, caring and diverse student body that demonstrates our core values of menschlichkeit, respect, compassion, and community service. We are here to inspire and guide you in learning and exploring the world around you, to advise and encourage, and, of course, to help you realize your dreams. During your four years at Ramaz, you will grow personally, religiously and spiritually; you will gain the confidence and the skills to meet the challenges ahead with integrity and sensitivity. We’re proud of what generations of our students have accomplished, and we are excited about what you will bring to our learning community. Thank you again for your interest in Ramaz, and we look forward to meeting you. Please contact Shara Lipson, Director of Upper School Admissions, at 212.774.8093 or admissions@ramaz.org, if you have any questions.
RABBI ERIC GROSSMAN Head of School
RABBI SHLOMO STOCHEL Associate Dean, Upper School
ADMISSIONS CHECKLIST
As you go through the application process, we thought it would be helpful to provide the following checklist to ensure you have completed all necessary steps. For questions, please contact the Upper School Admissions Office at 212-774-8093.
APPLICATION AND FEE
Submit an application and fee of $150 through the Online Application site at www.ramaz.org/admissions by November 29, 2016.
TRANSCRIPT/RECORDS
Submit a copy of the signed Transcript/Record Release Form to your child’s current school and request that required files be submitted to Ramaz no later than January 5, 2017.
INTERVIEW
All applicants are required to interview. Once the application has been received, a member of our admissions team will call to schedule the interview.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Submit the two Teacher Recommendation Forms to your child’s current school and ask that they be returned to the Ramaz Upper School Admissions Office. Please be sure to write your child’s name at the top of the Recommendation Form. Forms need to be received from your child’s teacher by December 9, 2016.
HIGH SCHOOL ENTRANCE EXAM
Ramaz is accepting all standardized tests given by numerous middle schools, including, but not limited to, the ERB/ISEE. The mandatory Judaic Studies portion will be administered by the BJE in various locations on November 20, 2016. For more information, please contact the Board of Jewish Education at 646-472-5334.
PARENT TOUR
We recommend that parents new to the Ramaz Upper School meet with a member of the admissions team.
FINANCIAL AID
If applicable, submit Financial Aid materials. Financial Aid information can be found at www.ramaz.org/financialaid. For additional questions, please call 212-774-8037.
ADMISSIONS OFFICE
Phone: 212-774-8093
RAMAZ UPPER SCHOOL
Fax: 212-774-8072
60 East 78th Street
Email: admissions@ramaz.org
New York NY 10075
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW (Judaic Studies and General Studies) (Over for more information) 9
10
11
12
Tanakh
Torah: Family Relationships in Sefer Bereshit . Navi: Sefer Melachim (Kings I)
Torah: Sefer Shmot: From Slavery to Redemption. Navi: Sefer Melachim
Torah: Focus on Bnei Yisrael in the desert and the struggles of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam. Navi: Sefer Yirmiyahu (615-586 BCE)
Senior Tanakh courses consist of a number of thematic electives, including Megillot (Honors), Parashat HaShavua , Studies in Midrash, Controversial Stories in Tanakh and The Origins of Humanity in Sefer Bereshit .
Talmud
Masechet Berachot Parashat HaShavua Chagim
Masechet Berachot Parashat HaShavua Chagim
Masechet Bava Kama Parashat HaShavua
Masechet Sukah and Bava Kama Parashat HaShavua Chagim
Jewish Law and Thought
Spiritual Connection to Siddur
Halacha and Jewish Ethics
Faith and Belief
• Zionism • Jewish Thought • Love and Intimacy • Jewish Medical Ethics • Response to Enlightenment
Hebrew
• Grammar and creative writing skills; • Conversational Hebrew; • Language of the machzor; • Literature of the generations; • Literature of Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron
• Grammar and creative writing skills; • Conversational Hebrew; • Themes of Yamim Noraim; • Poetry of Bialik; • Aliyah and Absorption
• Grammar and creative writing skills; • Conversational Hebrew; • Holiday Tefillot; • Literature on Akeidat Yitzchak; • Aliya and Prayer in Modern Poetry
• Grammar and creative writing skills; • Conversational Hebrew
Math
• Algebra One • Honors Algebra Two and Trigonometry • Geometry
• Geometry • Algebra Two • Accelerated Algebra Two and Trigonometry • Honors Algebra Two and Trigonometry • Honors Pre-calculus
• Algebra Two • Trigonometry and Pre-Calculus • Accelerated Pre-Calculus • Honors Pre-Calculus • Honors Calculus
• Computer Science
AP AB Calculus curriculum
AP Curriculum
• Statistics AP Statistics Curriculum
• Pre-Calculus • Regular Calculus • Honors Calculus I AP AB Calculus curriculum
• Honors Calculus II AP BC Calculus curriculum
Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
• Astronomy • Forensics • Environmental Science • Honors Senior Seminar: Biology • Honors Senior Seminar: Chemistry • Honors Senior Seminar: Physics
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW (General Studies) (Continued) 9
10
11
12
English
• World Literature: The Journey • Writing Literary and Personal Essay.
• British Literature: Overcoming the Monster • Writing Developing a complex thesis and writing with personal style.
• American Literature: Individuality and Selfhood • Writing Interpreting literature and creative expression.
• Honors English • Jewish-American Literature • Writing Workshop • Southern Gothic Literature • Passing: Gender and Race in Literature Shakespeare.
History
World Jewish History: Ancient Times-18th Century
World Jewish History: 18th Century to Present
American History: 1763-Present
Elective Program in History For Seniors
Foreign Language
• 1st year French • Advanced 2nd year French • 1st year Spanish • Continuing 9th Grade Spanish • Advanced 2nd year Spanish
• 2nd Year French • 3rd Year French • 2nd Year Spanish • Honors Second Year Spanish • Continuing Third Year Spanish • Advanced Third Year Spanish
• 3rd Year French • 4th Year French • 3rd Year Spanish • Honors Third Year Spanish • Continuing Fourth Year Spanish • Advanced Fourth Year Spanish
• Fourth Year French • Honors Seminar in French • Fourth Year Spanish • AP Spanish • Honors Seminar in Spanish • Latin
Art
Learning to See
The Design Studio
Discovering Creative Freedom
• The Advanced Art Studio • The Story of Art
Music
Music Survey I: Imagine the Sound with an emphasis on imaginative listening.
Music Survey II: Classicism three master composers, Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
Music History, Theory and Composition
• Honors Senior Seminar: Music Theory • Music of Our Century • Rock & Roll: Music and Culture
Health Ed
• Nutrition • CPR
• Nutrition • Substance Abuse Education
• Nutrition • Influence of media and gender issues
Nutrition
Physical Ed
• Habits and routines of physical health and well-being. • Skill development. • Sportsmanship.
• Habits and routines of physical health and well-being. • Skill development. • Sportsmanship.
• Habits and routines of physical health and well-being. • Skill development. • Sportsmanship.
• Habits and routines of physical health and well-being. • Skill development. • Sportsmanship.
RAMAZ BY THE NUMBERS
4,500+
(Over for more information)
48
Hours Spent Doing Chesed
103
60
88+
Senior Mini-courses
Outside and Alumni Speakers
Performances, Including Percussion, Dance, Choir, and Plays 10 dance, 35 choir, 3 plays
Chesed Trips
69
37
60
Clubs
NYC Trips
Full-time Faculty
75 Teachers with Advanced Degrees Rabbis - 14, Yoetzet Halacha, PHDs - 12, Masters - 48
20 Feeder Schools
RAMAZ BY THE NUMBERS
(Continued)
We were first to create a Kollel Fellowship with YU and first to include women in the program
20 Sports Teams
81
15
Sports Championships
Publications
65
5,698
Students Going to Israel After Graduation
Ramaz Alumni
188 Graduates in Tzahal
500 Alumni Living in Israel
POLICY STATEMENT ON TUITION AND FINANCIAL AID
In these challenging times, Ramaz deeply believes that financial aid is an essential expression of our values and critical for our families whose circumstances require such assistance. We urge parents who feel that the tuition is beyond their means to apply for financial assistance.
Please be assured that all financial aid information is kept in the strictest of confidence. The enclosed schedule of tuition and fees at Ramaz covers only a portion of the true cost of educating each student, thus every child is subsidized regardless of need.
TUITION AND FEES 2015 — 2016
UPPER SCHOOL
Grade 9
Grades 10 & 11
Grade 12
Tuition
31,285
31,800
31,980
Registration & Tuition Deposit
5,000
5,000
5,000
Fees
600
600
1,350
Security
250
250
250
1,000
1,000
1,000
38,035
38,650
39,580
Dining Services
Total Charges
Mandatory Parents Council dues of $100 per family are not included above.
BUS TRANSPORTATION
The School assists parents by arranging for private transportation of children before and after school. There is private bus service to several communities outside of Manhattan for Upper School students. In most instances, service is door to door. To accommodate Upper School students, late buses are available to most neighborhoods.
Ramaz subsidizes a portion of the bus transportation costs. Fees for private transportation are separate from tuition and will be communicated separately in the late spring to all families who live within the service areas. Please note that the NYC Department of Education does not provide bus service for Upper School students. Students may be eligible for subsidized public transportation as determined by the New York City Department of Education — Office of Public Transportation.
RAMAZ COLLEGE GUIDANCE
(Over for more information)
At Ramaz, we want to ensure that the college admission process is as seamless and supportive as possible. Using a very hands-on, student-tailored approach, our College Guidance department works with students and their parents to navigate the college application process and help students find the college that best matches his or her religious development, personality, academic profile, talents, interests, and ambitions.
The Ramaz College Guidance process begins in the fall of junior year and culminates at the end of the senior year. We are successful because our team regularly disseminates and collects information, spurs students to make personal choices, and constantly advises students and their parents.
RAMAZ COLLEGE GUIDANCE
(Continued)
COLLEGE ACCEPTANCE LIST Ramaz graduates from the classes of 2014-2016 were admitted to the following colleges and universities. Schools listed in bold indicate where Ramaz alumni have enrolled.
Adelphi University University of Alabama American University Babson College Barnard College Boston University Brandeis University Brown University UC Berkeley UCLA Carnegie Mellon University University of Chicago Colgate University Columbia University University of Connecticut Cooper Union Cornell University CUNY Baruch CUNY Brooklyn CUNY City College CUNY Hunter CUNY John Jay CUNY Lehman CUNY Macaulay Honors College CUNY NYC Technical College CUNY Queens CUNY Staten Island CUNY York College Dartmouth College University of Delaware
University of Denver Drew University Drexel University Duke University Emerson College Emory University Eugene Lang College Fashion Institute of Technology Florida Institute of Technology Franklin & Marshall College George Washington University Georgetown University Georgia Institute of Technology Hampden-Sydney College University of Hartford Harvard University Hofstra University Indiana University, Bloomington Ithaca College Jewish Theological Seminary (List College) Johns Hopkins University Lehigh University Lesley University Long Island University, Post Loyola University Chicago University of Maryland Maryland Inst Coll of Art
Marymount Manhattan College University of Massachusetts McGill University University of Miami (FL) University of Michigan Michigan State University Muhlenberg College New York University Northeastern University Northwestern University University of Oklahoma Pace University Parsons School for Design Penn Academy of the Fine Arts Penn State University University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh Pratt Institute Princeton University Rice University Rochester Institute of Technology University of Rochester Rutgers University School of the Art Institute of Chicago School of the Museum of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts (SVA)
University of Southern California Stanford University SUNY Albany SUNY Binghamton SUNY Buffalo SUNY Geneseo SUNY Purchase SUNY Stony Brook Suffolk University Swarthmore College Syracuse University University of Tampa Tel Aviv University Temple University Trinity College Tufts University Tulane University Union College Wagner College Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wesleyan University College of William & Mary University of Wisconsin Yale University Yeshiva University
CO-CURRICULAR FAIR MAP
(Over for more information)
SPECIAL INTERESTS Chess, Bos$, Track, Hiking, Math, Sign Language, Engineering, Arabic, Asian Culture, Bridge, Law, Lighting Crew
STUDENT PUBLICATIONS • Rampage • Parallax • Likrat Shabbat • Sport Report • El Ramillete • Yearbook • Rambunctions • Xevex • Rambuzz • Rise
Rhythm & Percussion Ensemble
SOCIAL ACTION • Human Rights • Environmental • Tzedakah • Chesed • City Harvest • Coalition for the Homeless
Band
Music Production
Choir, Chamber Ensemble
Guitar Ensemble
THE ARTS • 3D Sketch-up & Printing • Graphic Arts & Design • Photography • Art • Stage Crew • Sketching at the MET • Art through Experience • Video/Film • Dance • Woodworking • Fashion Arts Workshop SCIENCE • Science Olympiad • Science Research • Breakthrough • Pre-Med • Physics
• Table Tennis • Hockey • Basketball
DISCUSSION AND DEBATE Chidon HaTanakh, Torah Bowl, Rampo, Model Congress, Model UN, Mock Trial, Israel Advocacy, Psychology, Debate, BIC, Conflicts in Literature Entrance
SC LEVEL
• Student Government • All Clubs Q&A
Entrance
CO-CURRICULAR FAIR MAP
(Continued)
LISTING OF ALL CLUBS
The Arts 3D Sketch-up & Printing Art Art through Experience Dance Graphic Arts & Design Humans of Ramaz Performing Arts Photography Sketching at the MET Stage Crew Video/Film Woodworking Discussion and Debate BIC Chidon HaTanakh Debate Israel Advocacy Model Congress Mock Trial Model UN Philosophy Psychology Rampo Torah Bowl
Basketball Hockey Table Tennis Science Breakthrough Physics Pre-Med Science Olympiad Science Research Social Action Chesed City Harvest Coalition for the Homeless Environmental Human Rights Tzedakah
Special Interests Bos$ Chess Engineering Greek Mythology Hiking Lighting Crew Math Philanthropy Sign Language Swim Track Yoga Zumba Student Government Student Publications El Ramillete Likrat Shabbat Parallax Rambunctions Rambuzz Rampage Sport Report Xevex Yearbook