September 2011
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
Charles William Eliot
One of the things I have enjoyed this summer has been having time to read! Especially in the early morning in Vermont, when the house has been quiet, and everyone – except the 4 dogs – was still sleeping, I have sat in the living room, cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other as the sun has come up over the horizon. Many times when I have opened my Kindle, Emily Dickinson’s face has greeted me! Interestingly in one poem she wrote: To see the Summer Sky Is Poetry, though never in a Book it lie - True Poems flee. How true! This summer has simply flown by since I, literally flew out of Baltimore early in the morning after Commencement to go to Idabelle’s elementary school (6th grade for her) graduation. I can’t believe she is officially a teenager, having turned 13 on August 18th! I have seen poetry in many ways this summer.
In Idabelle’s face and her parents’ faces when she was called on stage to receive a special award at her graduation; you can imagine how proud this grandmother’s heart was!
In the faces of my nephew Josh and his bride Jess as they were married in the gardens of Versailles in June!
In the faces and performances of our students who danced, sang and acted for audiences in Edinburgh, Belfast and Dublin!
In the joy on both my granddaughters’ faces as they stood on a bridge across the Seine, pointing to the lock they had just attached to the bridge – a token that they would both someday return to Paris.
In the laughter and friendship of family and friends who have spent time with me in my house up on the lake in northern Vermont.
And finally in the energy and creativity that abounds on this campus. Even in the summer, there is always much going on here at Roland Park – and if sometimes, it seems like prose; in truth, there is much poetry here every day!
As I begin my 20th year at RPCS, I firmly believe that Roland Park sets the standard for 21st Century teaching and learning and thus, I have chosen Education for the 21st Century as my key phrase for RPCS for the upcoming academic year. It will be added to the wooden plaques outside my office. The words and phrases on these plaques represent fundamental, enduring qualities of an RPCS education, characteristics that transcend the years and the trends of the teaching and learning we provide. Yet this year’s phrase capitalizes on our strength as an academic institution to blend tradition and innovation to create tomorrow’s world leaders. I will keep this phrase before the RPCS employees and the students during the academic year.
I would especially like to thank the RPCS Parents’ Association for joining me to continue a tradition of excellence for our students with the generous gift of $43,000 given to the School last year. I deeply value and appreciate each of you for your commitment and loyalty to RPCS. The Parent’s Association underwrote the Red Book, Schools Attuned, FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency), provided 21st Century Professional Development for our faculty this academic year including a back-to-school seminar on online learning this week, Lower School trips to Gennesse Valley and the Chesapeake Bay, a special Middle School trip to the BSO, additional water fountains where water bottles can be filled, and additional White Boards for the Upper School. In addition, funds were given to Annual Giving, the Divisions and the performing arts trip to Scotland and Ireland this past summer.
If you have not been on campus during the summer, I hope you will notice some of the campus capital improvements that have happened over the summer. There is new fencing along the front, just south of our entrance! The sidewalks have all been replaced and are wider, safer and more uniform in look! Thanks to the Class of 2011 and the Parents Association, we are beginning to replace our old water fountains with newer ones that allow us to fill water bottles! The Fisher Field is resplendent with 6 feet high, 60 feet long Roland Park red lettering on both the east and west sidelines!
There will be two more notable improvements, coming later this fall! Our main entrance, The Harris Center, will have a whole new look. The red and white paint has already been accomplished, and we are waiting for the new reception desk and furniture which will be arriving we hope before Thanksgiving! Through a combined student, faculty, administrative, maintenance and development effort, the proposal by the students in last spring’s semester science elective Sustainable Design and Engineering was submitted to the Lockhart Vaughn Foundation, and we have received over $150,000 to install solar panels on the roof of the Lower School. It is amazing what we can accomplish when we work together. These solar panels are are a shining example of 21st century education at its finest.
One of my favorite poets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, wrote: We can light tomorrow with today. I shared this quotation with our employees at our back-to-school meeting on August 30th. I am confident that, as your daughter begins this new academic year, our Roland Park educational experience will continue to light her path for the future.
~J.W.B.