RUMSON, NJ - Many of Rumson-Fair Haven’s athletic teams seem to always be making stellar advances in competitions at division and state level games, and the academic competitors in the school are likewise advancing in regional and statewide competitions. RFH has several extracurricular clubs that promote academic skills through organized competitions. Mock Trial, Euro and Fed Challenge, Science League, and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) are four such groups at the high school.

Mock Trial, says Social Studies teacher and adviser Bob Galante, “sustains and amplifies the curriculum for Law and Society. Students, many of whom are in the course offered at RFH replicate the legal process of a court case. Usually relevant and timely, students are all parts of the process – from lawyers to witnesses.  This year Mock Trial is arguing State v. Hopper, in the Monmouth County division. While the end results of participation in Mock Trial strengthen academic capabilities, skills like public persuasion and increased confidence are definite hallmarks.

Brigid Schutsky

RFH’s Science League is a decade’s long institution for students interested in advanced level sciences. Warren Brown, science teacher and advisor to the group oversees students from Chemistry, Biology, and Physics that compete on tests inside of each subject area. The tests span January to April and happen in a regional group – RFH participates with Middletown North and South, Raritan, Red Bank Regional, and CBA. Each school will host one of the tests during the four month long season.  Most participants are honors level students, and Brown says that their participation is “service to the school by representing the academic capabilities and achievements” of our student body.  Historically, RFH has ranked in the top 25 schools in New Jersey.  Additionally, the students from science league (and others in the science department) participate in the annual Merck Science Day statewide test in May, which features AP level questions across all disciplines.

Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is the largest and oldest business student organization in the world. Multitudes of schools have chapters and RFH boasts a robust program.  56 students participate in the competition against some 34 schools in the Central Region of NJ. Events are business centered, focusing on mathematics relevant to business operations, accounting for corporations, and more. Students who test into top percentile in their category will advance to the state level competition and present on the meaning and knowledge in that area. Debby Cimerosi, Business Education teacher and advisor to the FBLA says that the experience “of preparation for the competitive test areas are not traditionally provided in school curriculum, so it provides opportunities to advance the student’s content knowledge”.  In recent competition, 6 students, Jason Almerini, junior - Computer Applications 2nd place, Simon Rubin, senior - Economics 4th place; Russell Binaco, freshman - FBLA Principles and Procedures 4th place; Brigid Schutsky, sophomore - Intro to Business Communication 6th place; Nick Hawke, freshman - Intro to Technology Concepts 3rd place; Nicolette Dunphy, sophomore - Intro to Business 6th place, placed in high enough percentiles to advance to the state competition in March.

Jason Almerini

Fed Challenge, an economic competition run by the Federal Reserve Bank, is designed to bring contemporary economics into the classroom.  High school teams role play as monetary policymakers analyzing current economic conditions and designing a course for monetary policy. RFH’s team, coached by Social Studies and Economics teacher Joe Lanza, prepares for the annual competition through rigorous research and practice. The competitive team for 2012 is made up of four seniors - Simon Rubin, Michael Hill, Rob Gabriel, John MacDonald – and one junior, Nikki Liange.  Orientation and practice begins in February and includes presentations by community members who are economists. The team plays for their district (for RFH, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York) and hopefully as in previous years, they advance through the district rounds and going to the national competition. Lanza remarks that the students “are driven and focused, and the extensive preparation is a demonstration of their commitment” not only to economic disciplines, but RFH.

All of the groups at RFH work hard and are determined to succeed. The academic competitors, while not performing on fields, in large gyms, or under banks of lights demonstrate a seriousness and drive that is admirable.  The RFH school calendar lists all events and upcoming competitions; find out more and support all the teams at RFH.