The Elisabeth Morrow School

We were honored to welcome Kevin Ruth, the new executive director for the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools (NJAIS), to our campus this week. Ruth is visiting all NJAIS members to meet school leaders and tour their campuses. The Elisabeth Morrow School is a proud member of NJAIS, whose mission is to promote and support educational, ethical, and professional excellence in its member schools while safeguarding their independence and fostering courageous change. 📸 Pictured (left to right): Kevin Ruth, NJAIS Executive Director; Elizabeth Gabbay, ’93, P: ’27, ’30, EMS Board President; Marek Beck, Ph.D., Head of School; Hanita Walia, P: ’16, ’22, Chief Strategy and Advancement Officer

Meet the faces of EMS! Emily Spaeth is the melody maker behind our lower school and early learning music programs. “Music education is critical in developing children’s brains,” says Ms. Spaeth. “It strengthens cognitive skills and fosters creativity.” Inspired by a family of educators, Ms. Spaeth followed her passion for music. Her high school choral director, a true mentor, ignited her love for music education. She fondly recalls joining the high school chorus, performing in various venues, and earning a spot in the all-state chorus. The most fulfilling aspect of Ms. Spaeth’s job is seeing the growth of her students. “Watching them blossom, take risks, and achieve their goals fills me with immense pride,” she says, sharing that EMS’ strong sense of community, warmth, and unwavering support from students, colleagues, and parents is what she cherishes most about the school. When she’s not on campus, Ms. Spaeth enjoys spending quality time with her family. They live in a creative haven where they constantly embark on new projects, building and decorating. She also loves cooking and baking with her children and enjoys Broadway shows. Ms. Spaeth has recently been invited to join the K-5 Co-Design Group from Carnegie Hall’s Music Educators Workshop. As a member of this select group, she will collaborate with other K-5 general music educators to research and develop a new educational and interactive curriculum for the Carnegie Kids website. Ms. Spaeth is thrilled to have been selected for this opportunity to contribute her expertise to a global platform for music education. Through her dedication to music education, Ms. Spaeth inspires young minds at EMS, fostering a love of learning and creativity that will last a lifetime. When asked what her motto would be, Ms. Spaeth says, “Sing every day!”

Meet the faces of EMS! David Messler, one of our Morrow House math teachers, brings out the fun side of his subject. “Students come to my class every day fully engaged and ready to learn. My goal is to teach students and help them understand and love math like I do,” he says. Messler was drawn to math from an early age because of its precision. He loved that math wasn’t ambiguous. It’s filled with equations and patterns that always lead to an answer. He decided to become a math teacher because of his affinity for the subject, and students have long appreciated his charismatic way of teaching it. He’s even been known to draw a crowd! Messler recalls an instance from his college days when he was in the library tutoring some students on using the definition of a derivative. He began his lesson sitting at a table with just a few, and then more and more asked to join. The group eventually grew so large that they had to relocate and found an area with a chalkboard. As Messler continued, presenting examples and explanations on the board, more joined. By the time the lesson was over, he found that he’d essentially taught a class. Others took note of this, including the coordinator for a program that arranged for juniors or seniors to teach intro-level math classes. She offered him a teaching position on the spot, and he accepted. Messler knows that one can acquire many life skills through math; everything students learn can be applied outside of the classroom. “Math allows you to stretch your mind muscles, think logically, and systematically approach things. It not only strengthens your problem-solving skills but your critical thinking skills as well,” says Messler. The most rewarding aspect of his teaching career is when his former students or parents of students come back and, with gratitude, share how much they loved his class and that they felt well-prepared for all that followed in their educational career. Messler loves taking on new challenges, even when he’s not teaching math. With an adventurous nature, he will try anything from new foods to activities like spelunking and paintballing. Unsurprisingly, if he had to choose a motto, it would be “embrace challenges.’ Messler's dedication to his students and his passion for math have helped make him a beloved member of the EMS community, and he notes, having worked at many schools, that EMS is an exceptional place with incredibly genuine and caring fellow educators.

Meet the faces of EMS! Miss Anna Osei Owusu has been a valuable addition to the EMS team since joining in 2023 as our lower school administrative assistant. With her warm smile and dedication, she has quickly become a familiar and friendly face to students, parents, faculty, and staff. As the "engine port" of the building, Miss Anna plays a crucial role in keeping everything running smoothly. From assisting teachers to managing administrative tasks, she juggles many responsibilities effortlessly. She says what she loves most about working at EMS is the supportive and family-oriented atmosphere. Miss Anna's most cherished memory from her own school days was being appointed prefect (a student appointed to have special responsibility over other students in a school) of her grade. Her exceptional work and dedication earned her a nomination for "best prefect" at the end of the year. In her free time, Miss Anna volunteers in Newark. She participates in various local projects to positively impact her surroundings. This same dedication and positive attitude shines through in her work at EMS, where she strives to ensure everyone feels supported and valued. Miss Anna's Tagline: "Living the dream! Every day at EMS is a dream come true."

“We are honored to be a part of the NJAIS community and to have the opportunity to contribute to the development of future leaders. Our school is committed to providing students with the tools and experiences they need to succeed in a rapidly changing world. We are grateful for this recognition and will continue to strive for excellence in all that we do.” — Head of School Marek Beck, Ph.D.

Congratulations to our Class of 2024! “It’s no surprise that the most selective secondary day and boarding schools in the country continue to seek out our students. Each of our graduates has honed a set of competencies necessary for success today and well into the future. At EMS, these competencies — collaboration, innovation, emotional intelligence, critical thinking, effective oral and written communication, growth mindset, integrity, and self-efficacy — begin to take shape in our youngest students in the 2s program and develop throughout an academic journey that culminates in eighth grade. This intentional pathway for our students is ‘the EMS advantage,’ and these essential competencies form our community’s shared Vision of the EMS Graduate.” — Marek Beck, Ph.D., Head of School Learn more about what it means to be an EMS graduate, where our students have been accepted, and where they are choosing to attend: https://bit.ly/4bqE2y8

Thank you to the students (and their families) who planned an assembly about Ramadan for all of Little School last week! At the assembly, four of our Little School students shared many interesting facts about Ramadan, including that is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar (a lunar calendar based on the phases of the moon) and one of the most sacred times of the year for Muslims or for those who follow the religion of Islam. They observe Ramadan with prayers and fasting (sawn) and can't eat or drink until the sun sets. When they break their fast in the evening, they enjoy a special meal called iftar. The end of Ramadan is a three-day festival called Eid al-Fitr — one of the most joyous times of the year to celebrate with friends and family. Best wishes to all who are celebrating today!