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The traditional All-School Opening Convocation kicked off the 2010-2011 school year at RPCS. Donned in a vast array of red, the Class of 2011 enthusiastically celebrated the start of their senior year. Head of School Jean Waller Brune welcomed the students back, announcing self-discipline as her key word for the year. The Convocation included performances by the Semiquavers, Footlights Theatre Ensemble and Roses Repertory Dance Ensemble.
The September issue of Baltimore Magazine featuring the Best of Baltimore's High Schools names RPCS as the Best School for Tomorrow's Leaders.
Roland Park Country School was featured on the cover of the August issue of Maryland Family Magazine.
Roland Park Country School celebrated the Class of 2010 in a commencement ceremony on Tuesday, June 8 in the RPCS Athletic Complex.
The RPCS team came in first place, scoring a total of 32 points! They
competed in the Baltimore High School Championship Regatta at the Baltimore Rowing Club on Sunday, May 2.
They outscored the No. 2 team by 19 points and all of the crews placed: Light 8, Light 4 and Novice 4 placed first; Varsity 8, JV 8, Novice 8 and JV 4 placed second and Varsity 4 placed third.
To honor the Class of 2010, Roland Park Country School will hold its annual Class Day and Commencement ceremonies. Class Day will be on Monday, June 7 at 5:30pm and Commencement will be on Tuesday, June 8 at 9:00am. Both ceremonies will be in the RPCS Athletic Complex.
The Greater Washington Sports Alliance named Caroline Seats, 2011 to the Baltimore/Washington All-Tewaaraton High School Girls Team presented by Toyota. This team is comprised of 12 girls from the Baltimore/Washington Region who have been assessed for their performance on the field by two Selection Committees comprised of high school coaches in that region.
Robert Sweeney, President of the Greater Washington Sports Alliance stated, "Each and every one of these promising athletes should be proud of being named to this year's team. It is such an inspiration for me to know how hard these young individuals have worked and I look forward to congratulationg them all at the Award Ceremony." The 10th Annual Tewaaraton Award Ceremony will be held at the National Museum of the American Indian on June 3.
The Middle School Performing and Visual Art Departments will hold a Renaissance Fair on Friday, May 21 from 4:00 - 7:30pm. There will be a variety of artistry, entertainment and refreshments. All proceeds will benefit the Haiti Relief Fund.
Due to inclement weather, the RPCS Golf and Tennis Classic has been rescheduled to September 20, 2010.
Please call Erin Shaughnessy, Assistant Director of Alumnae Relations 410.323.5500 x3122 with any questions.
The Green Challenge in the month of April was a regional challenge amongst independent schools in the Mid-Atlantic area. RPCS initiated a community wide effort to live gently and mindfully on Earth for a month.
In addition to reducing electricity and recycling, we reduced our trash by implementing a composting plan in mid-April and holding “Waste-free Lunches” on Thursdays. While Roland Park Country School has recycled paper, cans, and plastic containers for years, the school has just begun to recycle another waste product, biodegradable waste, and thus divert even more from landfills and Baltimore’s incinerator. In mid-April, Roland Park Country School began collecting organic waste for composting with Waste Neutral. This company picks up the biodegradable waste including leftover food, and used paper products, three times a week. The compostables are taken to a Carroll County farm where they are “marinated” until they become compost. We will earn “compost credits” and redeem them for compost to use in the student gardens. This sustainability initiative will cut the cost of trash disposal significantly and support the environment, our community and the economy. In the first week of collecting biodegradables for recycling, the weight of the trash from the Dining Hall was reduced by 87.5 pounds!
While Roland Park Country School has recycled paper, cans, and plastic containers for years, the school has just begun to recycle another waste product, biodegradable waste, and thus divert even more from landfills and Baltimore’s incinerator.
In mid-April, Roland Park Country School began collecting organic waste for composting with Waste Neutral. This company picks up the biodegradable waste including leftover food, and used paper products, three times a week. The compostables are taken to a Carroll County farm where they are “marinated” until they become compost. We will earn “compost credits” and redeem them for compost to use in the student gardens. This sustainability initiative will cut the cost of trash disposal significantly and support the environment, our community and the economy.
In the first week of collecting biodegradables for recycling, the weight of the trash from the dining hall was reduced by 87.5 pounds. Everyone in the school community worked diligently to retrain our muscles to put the compostables in the correct place. Training our muscles to automatically do this will take time. For now, we have to stop and think.
The RPCS Upper School spring dance concert will be held on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1 at 7:30pm in the Sinex Theater. It will feature the Roses Repertory Dance Company as well as performances by Advanced Studio Dance, Studio Dance Classes, Pointe Ensemble, Junior Dance Company, Hip Hop Squad and Tapline.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for students and alumnae. Please click on the link below to purchase tickets.
https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?e=de8535a9dd8a17209c0d8e4b6bce5e39&t=tix
The RPCS Upper School spring concert will be held on Wednesday, April 21 at 7:30pm in the Sinex Theater. The theme, The History of Jazz, will be explored in an array of different styles and will feature spirituals, blues and jazz pieces - many of which will be performed with a live 8-piece jazz combo. Admission is free and open to the public.
The Roland Park Country School Upper School presents the classic Shakespearian comedy Much Ado About Nothing.
There will be three performances in the Sinex Theater:
Friday, April 16 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, April 17 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, April 18 @ 2:00pm
Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and alumnae. Please click on the link below to purchase tickets.
https://www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?e=d542937dfe1ac708952d6a200bce028a&t=tix
Experience Tablet PC in the learning environment! At our seminar you will have the opportunity to interact with students, faculty and administrators to learn the many ways these astonishing machines have changed the way our faculty teach and our students learn. This three-day conference is for faculty, technologists and administrators.
Interested in different learning styles? During this conference we will demonstrate how our faculty are using these machines to transform the way they teach. We will explore tablet applications that use the neurodevelopment constructs of “All Kinds of Minds” and Howard Gardner.
We will show you some of the ways the tablet can assist you in reaching all students in your classroom regardless of their learning style.
Get a full description and register here.
Author Lensey Namioka will present the Anne Healy Lecture on Wednesday, April 7 at 7:30pm in the Sinex Theater.
Lensey Namioka worked primarily as a mathematics instructor before beginning her career as a published writer in the mid-1970s. As she once told Something about the Author, her works "draw heavily" on her "Chinese cultural heritage and on [her] husband's Japanese cultural heritage." Namioka is best known for her series of exciting, adventure-mystery books about two sixteenth-century Japanese samurai warriors and for her humorous, juvenile novels about young Chinese immigrants living in Seattle: Yang the Youngest and His Terrible Ear and Yang the Third and Her Impossible Family.
Namioka was born in China in 1929 to Yuen Ren, a linguist, and Buwei Yang Chao, a working mother who pursued dual careers as a physician and writer. Her parents instilled in her a love for music, making it a constant in their household--likely the reason music figures in a number of Namioka's books. As a young adult, she came to the United States for schooling, attending Radcliffe and earning degrees from the University of California at Berkeley.
The Anne Healy endowment was created to honor Miss Healy who served as the Head of School for twenty-five years, from 1950 - 1975. A special day is set aside each year and a distinguished person in the field of letters is invited to meet and work with groups of students during the school day and to present an evening program for students, faculty and members of the larger school community.
Internationally renowned educator, author and psychologist Dr. JoAnn Deak will come to RPCS on April 5th to present to students and faculty about brain and gender research. In addition, she will present to RPCS Fathers on April 5th at 7:30pm and RPCS Mothers on April 6th at 8:00am in the Faissler Library.
Dr. Deak has spent more than twenty years as an educator and psychologist, helping children to develop into confident and competent adults. The latter half of that period has focused on working with parents and teachers in their roles as guides for children.
Parents and educators from schools in the United States and abroad, as well as organizations such as the National Association of Independent Schools, International Schools Association of Africa, etc., have heralded Dr. Deak's ability to demystify complex issues of child development, learning, indentify formation and brain research.
Dr. Deak began her career as a teacher. She soon learned the complexity of dealing with the many brain and motivational patterns represented by the diverse students in her classes. This led to her work at Kent State University. Her doctoral work focused on how to assess those environmental, school and family patterns that lead to the healthy development of children and, conversely, those patterns that cause issues, problems and disabilities.
The Juanita Jackson Mitchell Multicultural Resource Center presents Native Words, Native Warriors, a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service program from February 22 – April 2.
When the United States issued the call to arms in World Wars I and II, American Indians answered as warriors. Some men discovered that words—in their Native languages—would be their most valued weapons. Crackling over the airwaves and telephone lines, the code talkers’ messages proved indecipherable to the enemy and helped the United States achieve victory in combat. Decades later, the U.S. government declassified the code talker programs, paving the way for the participants’ long-overdue recognition.
Native Words, Native Warriors tells the remarkable story of Indian soldiers from more than a dozen tribes who used their Native languages in the service of the U.S. military. Developed with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, this inspiring exhibition was made possible in part thanks to the generous support of Elizabeth Hunter Solomon. Additional support has been provided by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee and the AMB Foundation.
Jean Waller Brune, 1960 was awarded the prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Rotary Club of Baltimore. The award was given "in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among peoples of the world."
RPCS seniors Kate Geraghty and Cat Marzella along with freshman Annie Cobb will compete against Maryvale and Hammond High School on It's Academic on Saturday, March 13 at 10:00am on WJZ Channel 13.
It's Academic has been on the air since 1961, making it the longest continuously-running quiz show ever. To honor RPCS, one of It's Academic's sponsors, Giant Food, will be featuring a special Roland Park Country School Club Deluxe at the Giant Food Store at the Rotunda, 711 West 40th Street. This special sandwich is available from March 10-March 14th.
A program of choral music featuring Upper School choirs from Roland Park Country, Bryn Mawr and Gilman Schools. The event takes place on Sunday, March 7 at 4 PM in the Gilman Auditorium. After each individual choir has performed a brief program, the singers will join forces to present three selections.
The Choirs
Semiquavers: RPCS
The Semiquavers is an advanced vocal group comprised of sixteen juniors and seniors admitted through an audition. Traditionally an a cappella ensemble, the Semiquavers have performed repertoire ranging from madrigals, to classical works, jazz, modern compositions, and popular songs.
Somettos: RPCS
The Somettos is an auditioned group of freshmen and sophomores. This ensemble performs at various school functions, receptions, and choral performances throughout the year.
Dayseye: Bryn Mawr
A performing ensemble exhibiting mature musicianship and vocal blend, Dayseye cappella repertoire chosen from a variety of musical style periods. The name Dayseye, chosen to honor the daisy, the school flower, symbolizes the philosophy behind the education of the girls and young women of Bryn Mawr.
Camerata: Bryn Mawr
Open to grades 9 through 11, Camerata is designed to serve both the experienced and novice singer. The emphasis is placed upon creating musicianship through individual and ensemble vocal development.
Glee Club: Gilman
A non-auditioned choral group, Glee Club is open to students in grades 9-12. The group performs a variety of repertoire from traditional to classical to pop-style, mostly accompanied.
Traveling Men: Gilman
A 57-year tradition at Gilman, the Traveling Men is an extracurricular, auditioned, student-directed ensemble open to students in grades 9-12. They perform a wide variety of repertoire, entirely a cappella and often student arranged.
Becky Jung, a graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County, danced with Pilobolus Dance Theatre for seven years. She will be the CJC Artist-in-Residence from March 1 - 5 and teach in the Pilobolus style.
Pilobolus began in 1971 and quickly became renowned for its imaginative and athletic exploration of the creative collaboration. The company is comprised of three areas: Pilobolus Dance Theatre, the umbrella for a series of radically innovative and globally acclaimed concert dance companies; the Pilobolus Institute, unique educational programming for schools, colleges and public arts organizations; and Pilobolus Creative Services, specializing in film, advertising and publishing.
The CJC Memorial Artist-in-Residence Fund was established in 1998 and endowed by Catherine R. Caplan, 1978 of New York and the Caplan Family Foundation, Inc., of Baltimore. The purpose of this endowment is to provide special programming for the arts at RPCS on a rotating basis between the performing and visual arts.
The Juanita Jackson Mitchell Multicultural Resource Center is pleased to present One Night in '64: African American Voices and Television in the Civil Rights Era.
On loan from the Reginald P. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American and Culture, One Night in '64 will be on display in the Faissler Library at Roland Park Country School. It tells the story of James Emory Bond who walked miles to the Television Hill studio of WBAL to share his opinion on how the crime problem in Baltimore City could be solved. For the first time, the public heard a powerful African American perspective on the issues facing the city.
In an assembly sponsored by the office of Diversity and Equity Education, Upper School students will hear from Mr. Bond's grandson Frank Bond, the Director of the Newseum and Lifetime Trustee Sydney King, the news anchor who interviewed Mr. Bond. This exhibit will be on display until February 19, 2010.
Please call 410.323.5500 x3028 to make an appointment to view the exhibit.
The National Art Honor Society at Roland Park Country School is soliciting work from local artists to auction at a fundraiser for Baltimore City Public School Visual Arts Programs.
ArtAid, the silent auction will be held on February 3 from 6:30 - 9:30pm at the Woman's Industrial Exchange. It will feature the work of local artists and students from public and private schools in the city, including Polytechnic Institute, Western High School, Roland Park Country School, Bryn Mawr School, Gilman School, Friends School and Boys' Latin School. Organizers are striving to raise $5,000 for the arts programs in Baltimore City public schools. Artwork for auction will be collected through January 15. Anyone willing to donate a piece of art should contact Roland Park Country School at 410.323.5500 x2230 or fairallb@rpcs.org. Admission to the auction is free but a $5 donation is suggested.
An annual tradition at RPCS for the past thirteen years, the All-School Convocation to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. features a keynote address by a prominent educator focusing on how they were influenced by Dr. King in their life and work. On Thursday, January 14 RPCS will welcome Emily Rapp.
Emily Rapp is the author of Poster Child, a memoir of her lifelong struggle with a prosthetic leg. She is a core faculty member in the MFA in the Creative Writing Program at Antioch University-Southern California. A former Fullbright scholarship recipient, she was educated at Harvard University, Saint Olaf College, Trinity College-Dublin, and the University of Texas at Austin, where she was a James A. Michener Fellow in Fiction and Poetry. She has received awards and recognition for her work from The Atlantic Monthly, StoryQuarterly, the Mary Roberts Rinehart Foundation, the Jentel Arts Foundation, the Corporation of Yaddo, and the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, where she was a winter writing fellow. She was the Philip Rother Writer-in-Residence at Bucknell University and was recently awarded a Rona Jaffe Foundation Fellowship for Emerging Women Writers.
The Traditional Upper School Christmas Program will be held on Thursday, December 17 at 2:00 and 4:30pm.
The second performance will include the alumnae candle lighting followed by the Alumnae Reception. The Upper School Christmas Program remains one of the School's oldest traditions and continues today in its original format.
On Saturday, December 5, 2009 from 11:00am - 4:00pm RPCS will hold its annual Holiday Fair sponsored by the Parents' Association.
The December fair has been an RPCS tradition since 1922. Students, faculty, current and past-parents, alumnae and neighbors converge onto the RPCS campus each December for a festive day that involves crafts for the children, delicious food, beautiful Holiday greens and decorations, as well as a variety of wonderful artisans and designers who bring their merchandise to the Fair. This year, start your holiday shopping at RPCS. Bear Essentials – the RPCS School Store will be open with lots of gifts and spirit items.
Scott Buckley, Assistant Athletic Director at Roland Park Country School is pleased to announce that senior Morgan Lambert signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her lacrosse career at High Point University.
By signing a National Letter of Intent, a prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the designated college or university for one academic year.
The Reds were undefeated in the regular season and finished 10-0. Cheryl Lynch, in her third season as the Varsity coach said, “the season was outstanding, the girls came to play with focus and a sense of purpose.
We are thrilled to have had an undefeated season and to become the A conference Champions." #1 singles player Audrey Todd, 2012 finished 2nd in the tournament and #2 singles player Ellie DeMuth, 2010 won first place. #1 Doubles Morgan Lambert, 2010 and Kelsey Dwyer, 2012 finished second in the tournament. Hera Koliatsos, 2013 and Jen Abrams, 2010 captured the #2 doubles title. # 3 Doubles Heather Oros, 2012 and Niccola Lynch, 2012 finished second in the tournament. Photo by James T. VanRensselaer
The Juanita Jackson Mitchell Multicultural Resource Center is pleased to present The Women’s Museum’s Apron Chronicles: A Patchwork of American Recollections Featuring Storytelling, Photography and Vintage Fashion to Connect Generations
Apron Chronicles, on display until November 30 in the Faissler Library, pairs powerful photography with real world stories and sentimental ties to the past—namely 200 vintage aprons. It tells the emotional stories of 46 individuals, each of whom have unique memories about aprons and the people who wore them. Each apron chronicle is paired with a portrait taken by award-winning photographer Kristina Loggia. The diverse contributors include a 111-year-old mother and her only child; a Holocaust survivor; a biology professor from Mali, Africa; a preteen and her grandmother; and more. Their stories explore the people behind the aprons and give life to the fabrics and the exhibit. Adding emphasis and history to these stories, the exhibit also features 200 vintage aprons, hung on clotheslines. Prompted by project writer and apron curator EllynAnne Geisel, the contributors to Apron Chronicles recall a woman who had worn an apron and what she represented to a family; an event when an apron was worn; recipes; values and traditions from gentler, less complicated times; the bond between parent and child; survival; friendship; opportunity; challenge; and modern perspective.
A Smithsonian affiliate, The Women’s Museum is the nation’s only comprehensive women’s history museum that chronicles the lives of American women through interactive exhibits. The Women's Museum is supported, in part, by the City of Dallas and the Texas Commission on the Arts.
On October 13, 47 students, 19 parents and grandparents, and six faculty members participated in a Walk to School Day organized by Martha Barss, Environmental Education and Sustainability Coordinator, in support of International Walk to School Month.
The “walking busses” had two starting points – the North location was near Roland Avenue and Lake Avenue, the South location at Petit Louis. The students and adults processed proudly and happily onto campus and, believe it or not, morning drop off traffic was not quite as heavy as usual!
Alumnae Weekend is almost here. Come join your classmates on October 2-4. Whether you are celebrating a special reunion or just catching up with friends join us at RPCS.
Alumnae Weekend 2009
October 2 – 4
Schedule of Events
FRIDAY
10:30AM -- Career Day
12:00PM -- 55th, 60th, 65th, 70th, 75th and 80th Reunion Luncheon
2:30PM - 3:30PM -- 50th Tea for the Classes of 1959 & 2017
7:00PM -- 50th Reunion Dinner
SATURDAY
9:00AM -- 40th and 45th Reunion Breakfast
10:00AM - 12:00PM -- Athletic Facility, School and Backwoods Tours, Little Bear Jamboree - Playground Open to all Alumnae and their children
12:30PM - 2:00PM -- 5th and 10th Reunion Lunch
5:00PM - 7:00PM -- Champagne Reception for all Alumnae
SUNDAY
11:30AM -- 25th Reunion Brunch
RPCS holds its annual All School Walk on October 6. We will walk to raise funds for the Roland Park Fire Station. Built in 1899 the Roland Park Fire Station is the oldest fire station still in service in Baltimore City. It is in need of repairs and renovations and RPCS will help. After our walk to the station we will snack on apples generously donated by Giant at the Rotunda.
The traditional All-School Opening Convocation kicked off the 2009-2010 school year at RPCS. Donned in an array of red, the Class of 2010 enthusiastically celebrated the beginning of their senior year as Student Government Association President Katie Prey declared the year “a perfect 10.”
The Roland Park Country School Kaleidoscope Program was featured in Baltimore Magazine’s Best of Baltimore annual edition. Kaleidoscope offers a variety of programs for adults and children to promote the School’s mission of lifelong learning.
Baltimore Magazine selected Kaleidoscope for the best self-improvement classes in 2009 claiming, "You've always wanted to learn how to tap dance, swirl wine like the pros, or speak Arabic. So what are you waiting for? Enroll in one of hundreds of continuing education classes offered through the Kaleidoscope Program. Kaleidoscope's impressively well-credentialed pedagogues include renowned historian Joseph Balkoski, who teaches a class on Antietam and the Battle of Baltimore; The Baltimore Sun obit writer Fred Rasmussen, who teaches "How to Write Your Own Obituary;" and a parent-child cooking class with award-wining chef Nancy Longo of Pierpoint."