A Chinese proverb that I read recently 
seems a perfect way to begin this newsletter: Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere. Instilling a lifelong love of learning is an important tenet of the Roland Park Country School philosophy and one that I hold especially dear. From our very youngest Preschool students who are exploring and learning new skills almost daily, to students in all three Divisions who are focused on the challenge of their academic experience, to the Kaleidoscope Lifelong Learning program for adults – 21st Century teaching and learning in all its vibrant wonder is thriving in the RPCS community of excellence.
While learning in the classroom is an expectation of a college preparatory program, learning outside of the classroom is equally as important. At RPCS, there are many ways to lead and serve the community. I was so proud of our Race for the Cure team, organized by Athletic Association President Serene Mirza, 2012. In true Reds’ spirit on a crisp fall morning in October, 160 students and members of the RPCS community raised $8307 for breast cancer research more than doubling their fundraising goal.
Professional development for our faculty is essential in fostering and also modeling lifelong learning in the adult community at RPCS. In mid-October, the third annual Robinson Health Colloquium was held featuring Dr. Catherine Steiner-Adair who addressed students, parents and faculty. Her topic for the two day colloquium was stress, both good stress and bad, and how both affect our students and all of us. She commented that our Transitions curriculum in the Upper School, designed to help prepare our students for college and beyond, is “state-of-the-art.” Dr. Steiner-Adair affirmed our Student Services Department’s focus on student health and well-being and helped them identify areas to strengthen over time. Students, parents and faculty alike learned the signs of stress and how to manage it effectively in students, friends and colleagues.
RPCS is also fortunate to have many loyal donors who believe that endowments to support faculty learning are essential to retaining extraordinary teachers. The Birgit Baldwin World Studies Faculty Prize named in memory of Birgit, 1978, was funded in 2003 by Christopher Baldwin and the Baldwin family. This award is given biennially to a faculy member whose proposal is deemed unique in scope or intent and will expand the horizons of that individual and enhance the RPCS community. In addition to creating a motivational incentive for the attraction and retention of a strong faculty at RPCS, the faculty component of the Birgit Baldwin World Studies Prize exists to serve as a role model and catalyst for students to compete for the student prize. Ellen Krich, Middle School English, was awarded this prize last spring and used it to travel to Oahu this past summer. You can read the details of her trip in the fall issue of illuminations coming soon.
In the summer of 2010 in pursuit of my own lifelong learning, I attended the 91st Annual Conference of The Country Day School Headmaster’s Association of the United States at Davidson College in North Carolina. It was there that I met Sally G. McMillen, Babcock Professor and Chair of the History Department at Davidson College, who discussed her newest book Seneca Falls and the Origins of the Women's Rights Movement (Pivotal Moments in American History) At this historic women’s rights convention in 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott and a few others met “to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights” of women. They drafted a brief Declaration of Sentiments which appeared in The Seneca County Courier. Based on the Declaration of Independence their document read, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” Although Roland Park Country School wasn’t in existence in 1848, it is interesting to reflect that since 1894 we have been a leader in the education of girls and young women, and that we have always encouraged our students to find their voices and their passions and to become “responsible, contributing members and leaders of their communities.” I invite you to join me at the Sarah Crane Cohen Visiting Scholar in the Humanities Lecture featuring Professor McMillen on November 3 at 7:30pm in the Sinex Theater.
November is one of my most favorite months and I know I have mentioned that to you before – probably every year! J Thanksgiving Day is near and dear to my heart not only because it is such a special time to gather with loved ones and give thanks for our family, our friends, and our blessings in life, but also because is it the time we celebrate my daughter’s birthday! I cook each year and I love preparing the best of the season for those who gather around my table. May your Thanksgiving holiday be filled with joy and love.
~J.W.B.