Dear Fellow Alums:

So many exciting things have happened over the past three years with your Alumni Association. Thank you for your help, support and encouragement!

Your Alumni Association has accomplished its initial goal of bringing alumni back to the school and having successful alumni events. Our reunions for the past three years have had increasing attendance each year, and this year’s first ever Alumni BBQ held on May 13, 2006 was also a tremendous success bringing back about 100 alumni and their families. We have also had record turnout at the school’s auction.

After accomplishing our initial goal of “awareness” and bringing alumni back to the school for alumni events, we decided our next goal would be to give back to the school in a meaningful way and have the alumni become an integral and important part of the school.

Alumni have been giving to the school financially in a positive way. Alumni response to the Senior Patio Brick Naming program was tremendous (next time you’re on campus check out the bricks!). We have more alumni children than ever attending SRDS. We have now have Alumni Hall, (which is at the end of North Hall by the library in which we have on display every graduating student’s yearbook picture, the Distinguished Alumni of the Month board and other alumni info) and school display boards in the halls which we update periodically. And now we are recognizing and honoring THE most important element of SRDS – without whom SRDS wouldn’t exist - our veteran teachers.

At last year’s reunion we also started the Distinguished Faculty Award – each year we will honor a senior faculty member with a plaque and gift certificate for dinner – and we will continue that along with the Veteran Teachers Ceremony. Don Treue was our first ever recipient. Thank you to Don for framing and hanging all alums’ yearbook pictures in Alumni Hall.

This year’s Alumni / Senior Breakfast and Career Day was also very successful thanks to the many alums who volunteered to assist us. It was a great opportunity for our alumni to interact with the seniors and give them an idea of what it means to be an alum – and also by setting an example by showing them firsthand how alumni come back to the school and help in many ways.

I encourage you to join us, in any way you feel comfortable, first and foremost by attending our alumni events. Give us notes on yourself or other alums for “Periscope”. Consider giving back to the school, think of SRDS as a place for your children. Help us in any way you can. Your Alumni Association meets the first Monday of each month at 7:30 pm in the Development Office, ALL ARE WELCOME!

The next issue of “Periscope” will be mailed in July. This year’s REUNION WEEKEND will be held on September 30, 2006, as in the past we will have an entire weekend of fun planned, starting with Friday night at a local restaurant / bar, Homecoming at the school on Saturday, Reunion dinner on Saturday evening at the school, and brunch at a local alum’s home on Sunday. PLEASE SAVE THE DATE, PASS THE WORD! Reach out to fellow alums. Check the alumni website often (www.saddleriverday.org) for updates, pictures, notes. View the Alumni (email) Directory on the website and email a fellow alum. STAY CONNECTED, GET INVOLVED, you won’t regret it!!!

Please feel free to contact your Alumni Director, Karen Terach at any time (kterach@saddleriverday.org or 201 327-4050) or me (AzarianSRDS@aol.com) or any other alumni association member (member names and emails appear below.

Thanks again and I look forward to seeing you on September 30th!
Sincerely,

John M. Azarian, ‘78
President
AzarianSRDS@aol.com

John Nepola, ‘78
Vice President
nepola@aol.com

Roger Gross, ‘79
Treasurer, Fund Raising Director
rgross@niagroup.com

Jane Paley Zaretsky, ‘79
Alumni Liaison
jannimon@aol.com

Carl Greaux, ‘78
Alumni Ambassador
CarlGreaux@aol.com

Joan Kloth, ‘78
Corresponding Secretary
putzangel@aol.com

Adam Benkel, ‘03
abenkel@aol.com

Dorothy Fayerweather, ‘68
fayerix@aol.com

Eric Piazza, ‘00
Eric.piazza@gmail.com

Jessica Dimond, 94
Jessica_Dimond@medco.com

Michael Houtkin, ‘98
mhoutkin@plazapromos.com

Suzanne Silverstein, ‘79
Suzanne.silverstein@sanofi-aventis.com

Burt Simpson, ‘78
PsyberSpyder@aol.com

Frank Fischetti, ‘76
franklymax@optonline.net

Traci Kurland, 90
Tkurland72@hotmail.com

Michele Susman, 90
msusman@saddleriverday.org