Student Profiles

Meet some of our student leaders!  Rebel Ambassadors give tours and host students when they visit SRDS.  Read below to see where our students come from, what they are involved in on campus, and why they chose SRDS.  Click here to schedule a tour online or call or email Kris Sweeny, Assistant Director of Admissions, at (201) 327-4050 ext. 1105 or ksweeny@saddleriverday.org.

Bernstein, Michael

Michael Bernstein '22

Hometown: Old Tappan, NJ

Clubs:  Basketball, Lacrosse, Rebel Leader, the Junior Class President, and an Admissions Ambassador. 

Favorite Class/Teacher:  My favorite class in school is Business and Entrepreneurship. This class helps you to learn the skills to take an idea and help to develop it to become a business. You learn how to present as well as develop a company on your own or with a partner. This class is where you can take an opportunity and make it a reality. With the help of advisors and teachers, Ms. Kelly and Mr. Osvold both do a wonderful job with the program.

Why SRDS: I chose SRDS because of the education along with the community. The small class size allows you to get to know your teachers and they really care about you as a student and as a person. Your entire grades are friends and we are friends with those in the other grades as well. Everyone knows one another.  There is a huge sense of community within the school and it is a great feeling to be a part of SRDS. 
 

Carter, Jessica

Jessica Carter '23

Hometown:  Teaneck, NJ

Clubs/Sports:  Varsity Basketball, Physical Therapy Club, Photography, Operation Smile, Videography, and Volunteering for distributing food to the homeless during the pandemic crisis.

Favorite Class/Teacher: My favorite class is Business and Entrepreneurship. Mr. Osvold is my favorite teacher because he has provided great tools for understanding the various aspects of business and Entrepreneurship which is important to me because one day I would like to own my own Physical Therapy Business.

Why SRDS: I chose SRDS because of the low student to teacher ratio that allows students to excel in the classroom. Along with this, Saddle River Day School has an overall high college acceptance rate from top tier schools all around the country. I am playing on a premier basketball team which is a dream come true as well as getting a stellar education. SRDS has also won 5 consecutive Bergen County Championships in the last 5 years.
 

Collins, Calista

Calista Collins '23

Hometown:  River Edge, NJ

Clubs/Sports: Soccer and Operation Smile Club 

Favorite Class/Teacher:  My favorite class would have to be English and my favorite teacher is Coach Alrutz. 

Why SRDS: SRDS offers a greater opportunity for higher learning and a fantastic education. In addition, when I toured I loved their campus and the one-on-one attention available from teachers because of the small class sizes. The idea of a tight-knit community drew me in and all the faculty and kids were so kind and welcoming. Soccer was also a great factor in coming to Saddle River because although the soccer team doesn’t have a big name for itself I knew the soccer coach prior to joining and I felt that I could contribute to the success of the team. 
 

Haller, Cheyenne

Cheyenne Haller '22

Hometown:  Upper Saddle River, NJ 

Clubs/Activities:  Rebel Ambassador, Rebel Leader, Secretary of the Executive Student Council, TEDxYouth@SRDS and Prom Committee, and I dance competitively outside of school.

Favorite Class/Teacher:  This year I am starting Physics which is very interesting and exciting for my aspired path. My favorite teacher is Ms. Kim because I see her every day. Not only is Ms. Kim my advisor, but we also work closely on things for Student Council and Prom Committee. I get to see Ms. Kim every day at school and we spend time working together virtually outside of school too!

Why SRDS:  SRDS is the best choice because of the tightly knit community. Unlike other schools, the faculty has very close relationships with their students and the administration encourages students to look beyond college and on to the future. Due to small class sizes, students get to interact with kids of all grades from PreK-12. Being a Rebel Leader allowed me to be with the Lower School students twice a week for their recess period last year and we still greet each other whenever we cross paths. Saddle River Day provides many opportunities for students and while teachers are always there as a safety net, students are encouraged to be independent and strive for their best. Saddle River Day School has been a welcoming and wholesome community for my family and me ever since I joined the school and I am so happy to be a Rebel!
 

Janowski, Natalie

Natalie Janowski '22

Hometown:  Woodcliff Lake NJ

Clubs/Sports:  Fall plays and winter musicals and also love spending my time in the art room!

Favorite Class/Teacher: My favorite teacher is Mr. McMenamin because he always keeps us engaged with his fun personality. The history class is very discussion-based, which I prefer over my old school where they would read us facts for the whole period. I'm always excited to walk into that classroom!

Why SRDS: I think it's really nice knowing everyone's name when I pass by them in the hallway. Having a small school allows teachers to pay more attention to students and help them succeed!
 

Kraft, Gus

Gus Kraft '23

Hometown:  Upper Saddle River, NJ

Clubs/Sports:  Basketball, Stock Market Club, and Admissions Ambassador

Favorite Class:  AP English Language. I really enjoyed writing about the many books we read this year. I also feel like this class allowed me to bring my writing skills to the next level. 

Why SRDS:  I chose SRDS for the smaller class sizes and availability of every teacher. I felt like these elements allowed me to really be engaged and further my understanding of the topics we were learning in each class

Ratsprecher, Drew

Drew Ratsprecher '23

Hometown:  Mahwah, NJ

Clubs/Sports:  Soccer, Basketball, Lacrosse, Innovation club, and the Outdoors Club. 

Why SRDS: There are many things that I love about the school. One thing is that the small environment allows me to have a stronger bond and friendship among my peers, which is something I wouldn't have been able to have at a big public school. Knowing mostly everyone in the hallways is comforting. Also, I love how much freedom that we have here, and how we are able to be at the school every day. It is a privilege to be at school five days a week during these times, and I am very appreciative of that. Finally, I love the atmosphere during sporting events, where during a big basketball game everyone will show up and cheer on their friends and classmates.
 

Schulman, Ilana

Ilana Schulman '23

Hometown: Upper Saddle River, NJ

Clubs/Sports:  Innovation Team, Senior Class Secretary, Art Club, Prom Committee

Favorite Class/Teacher:  My favorite class is Engineering with Mrs.Kelly because it is a hands-on class and we get to transform our ideas into reality! I also love this class because we often work in groups on our projects and it provides a great opportunity to get to know your classmates better.

Why SRDS:  SRDS has small class sizes and a low student to teacher ratio. I love this because I get the chance to know everyone in my grade and most of the upper school. The sense of community is really like no other here at SRDS. SRDS has helped me become a leader and thrive in my classes. 

Shore, Blake

Blake Shore '22

Hometown:  Old Tappan, NJ

Clubs/Sports:  Cross Country, Basketball, Lacrosse, Social Justice Club, Philosophy Club, Student Council, and Robotics Club among many others.

Favorite Class/Teacher: Forensics with Mr. Osvold. He inspires me to learn every day with his enthusiasm and hands-on learning teaching approach.

Why SRDS: I chose SRDS because it is a close-knit community made of some of the best people I have ever met. I also loved the small class sizes and opportunities that SRDS has allowed me to take advantage of, along with one of the core principles which is that everyone counts.

Taylor, Toirasia

Toirasia Taylor '23

Hometown:  Emerson, NJ 
 
Clubs/Sports:  Golf, Bowling, Volleyball, Cooking Club, Karaoke Club, Student Council, and the Etre Club. I’ve been playing volleyball since 6th grade and continued it throughout High School. This past season 2021- 2022, I was named co-captain and was awarded the MVP award, which I was honored to accept. I love that although SRDS is a small school, it offers various clubs from which students can choose.
 
Favorite class or teacher:  My favorite class in high school so far will have to be chemistry. At first, I was a little nervous that chemistry would be challenging for me because of what other people would say about the class. The summer before school started, I took an Intro to Chemistry Class, which helped me immensely. It prepared me perfectly for the year. Other people would also say that the teacher that taught it, Mrs. Kim, was tough, but honestly, she is also one of my favorite teachers. She had a different teaching style than the other teachers, which grabbed my attention the most. Along with learning chemistry that year, I also learned that you shouldn’t listen to what people say about particular classes or teachers because everyone has their own biased opinions. 
 
Why SRDS:  I chose SRDS because of the close nit, tight community it has. I previously came from Elizabeth Morrow School, which was also a small school, so I didn't want to go to a big school for high school. When I first visited, I felt comfortable there, and the school gave me a welcoming feeling that I loved. The fact that it's such a small school also offers the chance for 1:1 learning which is essential for me. I love this school and wouldn't change anything about these past three years of high school. 

Walsh, Mia

Mia Walsh '23

Hometown:  Ramsey, NJ 

Sports/Clubs: Varsity Basketball, Student Council, Rebel Ambassador, and Karaoke Club.
  
Favorite class/Teacher: My favorite class at SRDS was Anatomy and Physiology with Ms Kim. The hands-on learning experience was enjoyable and the projects we were assigned not only helped me better understand the content, but I also had fun while completing them. A majority of our assignments were based around teaching our classmates the material; this held everyone accountable for providing their best work and also allowed students to be the teachers in the classroom. 

Why SRDS: I chose SRDS because of the different environment the school provided. The smaller class sizes allow me to develop relationships with my peers and teachers, which makes the overall experience at school much more gratifying. Additionally, I came for the opportunity to be a part of the Girls Basketball Program. 

Weinger, Eli

Eli Weinger '22

Hometown:  Suffern, NY

Clubs/Activities:  Model UN, TEDxYouth@SRDS, Student Council, Soccer, manager of the boys' basketball team, a columnist for Rebel Report ( student newspaper)

Favorite Class/Teacher: As a kid in grade school, my favorite activity was always storytime.  I was enthralled in the fascinating world in which these heroes and heroines lived and fought their battles. It wasn't long before I became interested in real-life heroes as well, the ones who were so instrumental in forming the society we live in today. For me, history has always been one great big story waiting to be read.

Why SRDS: When I was looking for high schools I saw many schools in which the students looked like they were pained to be there. These students looked like they were suffering and I was looking for a place to grow my love of learning, with SRDS I found that and so much more.
 

Admissions Forms (PDFs)

Contact Us

Geoffrey Bowman
Director of Admissions
gbowman@saddleriverday.org
(201) 327-4050 ext. 1108

Kris Sweeny
Associate Director of Admissions
ksweeny@saddleriverday.org
(201) 327-4050 ext. 1105

Chris Lebovits
Director of Student Engagement and Assistant Director for Lower School Admissions
clebovits@saddleriverday.org
(201) 327-4050 ext. 1332

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