33rd Annual "Holiday Festival" at Ramapo High School Involves 1,600 Students

Franklin Lakes, NJ (PRWEB) November 7, 2007 -- On Friday, December 7th, 430 students from the Roberto Clemente Elementary School in Paterson (K to 4) will be welcomed by 1,200 Ramapo High School students, following a tradition started in 1974. The occasion: "Holiday Festival", an idea conceived by the family of Carmen Moran, a Wyckoff resident and teacher at Roberto Clemente who helps coordinate one of the largest public-spirited school events shared by Bergen and Passaic counties.

"About 98% of the Ramapo student body participates in Holiday Festival," said Ms. Moran. "And participation is truly enthusiastic. The kids don't do this because they are asked to. They do it because it's fun and rewarding."

But fun - in the form of games, gifts, Santa Claus, entertainment and a Nickelodeon themed extravaganza - is only the tip of the iceberg. The Ramapo Holiday Festival is all about reaching out to friends and neighbors in the true holiday spirit.

The Ramapo Holiday Festival goes way beyond being a one-day event, touching many lives in a positive way. From October 15th to November 2nd clothing was collected in the Ramapo High School atrium that will be given out at the Roberto Clemente School's "Back-To-School Night." Ramapo volunteers will also collect more than 1,000 story books for the students, as well as for teachers accompanying the students, to bring back to their classrooms.

Supervised by Angela Rodgriguez, a Ramapo Spanish teacher and the Holiday Festival Advisor, a decorating committee of Ramapo students has been working diligently on original art to be posted throughout the high school. These talented young artists have dedicated every after-school afternoon for two months to this project, joining with Ramapo Music students and the Drama Club. A special Holiday Festival show in the Auditorium will bring inspiration and joy to the younger educational crowd. The hard work, creativity and organizational skills of Ramapo's Holiday Festival students involves planning and implementing a wide variety of stimulating activities for their invited guests.

No one walks away empty-handed. In fact, just the opposite. All 430 visiting students receive a Goody Bag filled with hygiene items, toys and school supplies. The gifts are provided by generous individuals and local businesses in Wyckoff and Franklin Lakes, including Tons Of Toys, Just Rookies, Lakeland Bank, and Becton Dickinson. There is a "Win-A-Gift Room" where students choose a custom-wrapped gift to bring home to their families (donated by Ramapo faculty and other supporters.)

Each Roberto Clemente student is escorted by two Ramapo students, who make sure the kids experience the full range of Holiday Festival activities, including lots of gifts, plus free professional photos in the library enhanced by Nickelodeon-costumed characters like Spongebob. Last year almost every student took home a 4x6 color photo in a lucite frame. Past activities have included pie-throwing, cookie decorating, marshmallow-snowman making, piñatas, sports, sleigh rides and challenging games.

All in all, Holiday Festival is a day to remember, and hopefully a day that will create inter-school bonds and memories that will last a lifetime.

If you are interested in making a donation of any kind to the Holiday Festival- cash, clothing or gift items - please contact Margaret Ajamian at (201) 847-0950, or email her at ajamiann(at)aol.com for more information.

Please visit the Ramapo High School websites at: www.rih.org www.RamapoMusic.org and www.ShopRamapo.com

Further information about this News Release

Please Contact:

Les Fox, Public Relations Coordinator

Ramapo Holiday Festival

(201) 891-7170

Or email: lesfox(at)optonline.net

RAMAPO HIGH SCHOOL / APTS

331 George Street

Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417

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