Head of School Letters

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

We seek to recognize and champion those who worked tirelessly and courageously for years to overcome and seek to eradicate racial discrimination and intentional inequity. Sadly, more recently we are reminded by the brutal death of Tyre Nichols that too much of that history is one of unacceptable tragedies that we must not only acknowledge and try to overcome, but also must work tirelessly to prevent from occurring in the future.  

 

As so many of our community will be trying to make sense of this most recent act of violence, I offer our entire community love and compassion as we move forward, and with the added weight of video accounts that many of our students have viewed – or will view in the future – we want to offer resources for you as parents and guardians. As you navigate conversations at home with your children, here are some helpful resources:

 

 

We know that seeing this same cycle of violence, racism and bias takes its toll on individuals and whole communities. We are here for your children and ready to help them through this challenging time. Our office of Culture, Community and Belonging will be holding additional spaces and times for conversations and support for our students. Students in all divisions can also seek the assistance of a school counselor if they need more support. 

 

Our recent reorganization to elevate and focus on Culture, Community and Belonging is a critical element of our efforts to ensure our girls recognize and consider the societal and personal impact of injustice wherever and whenever it arises, and to fully embrace being part of the solution now and in the years to come.

 

We are not naive and do not think our school has the right response to every injustice that arises and every tragedy that affects some or all in our community. But we do know we have a critical role in always trying to support our students in everything they do and encounter, and in helping them learn to both overcome obstacles whether near or far to become leaders who someday will tear down those obstacles and make the world a better place for all.

 

With much love and grace,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

-Virginia Woolf

 

The act of reading stretches the mind and the heart. Reading nurtures and reassures us, as much as it challenges us to wrestle with the darkest parts of humanity and the world. Reading deepens our sense of empathy and inspires within us the capacity to see the world from perspectives that are both familiar and different. Reading connects and transforms individuals and communities. For children, especially, the act of reading is a magical  portal providing travel to the world of their imaginations. Here at RPCS, we have redoubled our interests and efforts in igniting the reading capacities of your children in ways that are nothing short of revolutionary.

 

By now, I hope most of you have heard of the Reading Revolution our fantastic librarians launched at the beginning of this school year, after extensive research and planning this past summer. The mission of this important initiative is to nurture a community of students, teachers, and families who are deeply engaged in the act of reading. Our librarians understand the profound and positive impact books and reading have upon individuals and communities and are committed to increasing the amount and quality of time our students spend reading. At RPCS, we are so thankful to have two outstanding libraries and three exceptional librarians: Suzanne Fox, Kim Wilson and Beverly Edwards, who guide our students to find books that spark their interests, cultivate their curiosities and passions and open their worlds.

 

The revolution is data driven; a team of educators and librarians have shared with us the academic gains that come from access and exposure to early, often, consistent and meaningful reading – and being read to as young children. They also shared the connections to character-building that we emphasize in all that we do at RPCS; we model and encourage empathy in your children and we expect students to build each other up and to lead for the greater good. Reading enhances the capacity for students to choose the good over the expedient and to see the world as a necessarily beautiful but complicated and complex place that needs their leadership now – and for the future. Independent reading provides countless benefits for children, including greater academic achievement, brain development for more robust thinking, empathy building, and improvement in reading comprehension, communication skills, syntactic knowledge, and vocabulary – just to name a few. But in my opinion, the greatest benefit of reading is that it truly changes lives.

 

In her book Ex Libris: 100+ Books to Read and Reread, Pulitzer Prize–winning literary critic Michiko Kakutani shares how formative reading has been to some of the greatest minds of all time, including Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. She also explains that reading matters now more than ever because it offers an in-depth experience that’s rare in today’s distracted landscape, it gives us “an all-access pass to knowledge both old and new,” and it builds empathy in today’s polarized world. “At its best, literature can surprise and move us, challenge our certainties, and goad us into reexamining our default settings. Books can jolt us out of old habits of mind and replace reflexive us-versus-them thinking with an appreciation of nuances and context.”

 

We agree with Virginia Woolf’s idea that reading is a wonderful adventure that expands hearts and minds, and we are so grateful to be on this journey with your children. And, our students and librarians agree as well.  If you have a moment, please check out this brief video that features our wonderful LS Librarian, Bev Edwards, and some of our youngest reading revolutionaries. The link can be found here. 

 

Happy Reading!

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying your summer so far. I have intentionally carved out some time to rest and recharge this summer, but your children and the families and employees of RPCS are always top of mind.

 

As many of you know, I am a runner and I was so excited to watch the World Athletics Championships women’s marathon in Eugene, Oregon last month. Elite American runners Sara Hall, Emma Bates and Keira D’Amato made headlines for finishing the race in the top 10 – an amazing accomplishment – but what really struck me about this race was how they enthusiastically supported each other to reach their goals. On their way to the start of the race, the three women agreed to work together and helped set each other’s pace for the first half of the race. Eventually the group separated, but the women continued to cheer on and motivate each other throughout the course and at the finish line. The results speak for themselves: each of them achieved impressive times that surpassed their wildest dreams. (Check out this article for a great photo of this moment).

 

What resonated with me the most about this story was how we at RPCS hold dear the same core values as these inspiring athletes. We build each other up. We are each other’s loudest cheerleaders and want to see our peers succeed because we know that we’re stronger when we work together. We lead for the greater good. By encouraging girls to understand and celebrate their strengths and by creating an environment where girls empower each other, they are more likely to step into leadership roles, not just for personal gain, but for the greater good. We encourage our community to live healthy and be well. We want our students to live healthy, balanced lives and pursue their passions. And we encourage our students to take their seats at the table. The world needs more girls and young women to lead the way, authentically and frequently. I am so proud of how our students show up for each other every day and I know that their futures are so very bright with the collective support lifting the towards their goals.

 

The marathon is an apt metaphor for a school year. As we look ahead to this school year, let’s embrace our journey as one that will be marked by incredible individual and collective successes. We galvanize around a shared purpose each day: to support, encourage, challenge and enrich the lives of your children. Joy, hard work, training, expertise, relationships, support, and deep emotions are wrapped up in every step along the way. Prepare to be astonished by the growth and development of your children as they head into this school year. And revel in a year where you will watch your children grow and learn from one another and our incredible faculty. We are in this together, always.

 

I will be back in touch later this month, but for now, please mark your calendar for our annual back-to-school gathering on Monday August 29 at 5 p.m. and look for additional details coming soon. This is a beloved tradition for new and current families to catch up on campus and mingle with the faculty and staff.

 

For now, please enjoy this last month of summer and let your children know that we are thinking about them and looking forward to seeing them soon. I am so excited for a wonderful school year ahead!

 

 

Warmly,

 

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

As you know, this is such a festive and exciting time of year for your children and our school community! We are moving through a full calendar of events here at RPCS as we approach the end of the school year and I want to share some highlights of our recent celebrations.

 

Earlier this month, the Upper School held both its spring choral and spring dance concerts and the Lower School put on two performances of their spring concert and Maypole dance – cherished traditions that we were thrilled to experience together in person this year! The talent, hard work and pure joy these student artists shared with the community was absolutely inspiring. On behalf of the school, I am so grateful for the performing arts faculty, technical crew, and everyone else involved in these productions for truly memorable performances. And if you tuned into last night’s Orioles game, you were treated to one more performance from the Semiquavers as they sang the National Anthem at Camden Yards!   

 

If you have been on campus recently, you will have been sure to notice our all-school art exhibit currently on display in the Harris Center and Knott Lobby. It has been so wonderful to see the breadth and diversity of artwork created from students across Lower, Middle and Upper School. This show will be up until this Thursday, May 19 and I encourage you to come check it out if you haven’t already! A big thanks to our visual arts faculty across all three divisions for planning this impressive exhibit.

 

Last Friday, we held our Upper School Athletic Awards Ceremony where we celebrated this year’s award winners and all of our REDS for their resilience, dedication and teamwork this year! And after a two year hiatus, the Upper School students participated in a lively Field Day last month, where they thrived in the competition and fun of this beloved event. Students competed in their advisories to earn points for their class by participating in a water balloon toss, scooter relay, tug of war, and more. Thank you to the Athletics department and everyone who helped bring back this fun, spirited tradition for our school community.

 

Yesterday, we celebrated our community’s spirit and resilience with the school’s first ever Feel the Joy Convocation! This was the first time we all came together as a full community in 2022. We enjoyed performances from our students in Lower, Middle and Upper School, recognized employees who received end of the year awards, and honored others for retirements and years of service that positively impacted our entire community in significant ways. This project has been years in the making. I want to personally thank Annie Short, Performing Arts Department Chair, for this wonderful idea and for working with so many members of the community to establish this new tradition! Your children exuded joy, love and celebration for our community!

As I write this, there is still so much to look forward to as the year unfolds. A few highlights include: our first ever Gore Leadership Institute Showcase this Thursday night for ninth and tenth grade families, students and mentors, and on that same afternoon we will host our incredible Middle School Concert. We also look forward to our Little Reds, Lower School and Middle School Field Days and closing ceremonies for our fifth graders and eighth graders and also Little Reds graduates. 

 

For parents and guardians, family and friends who are supporting our incredible Class of 2022: we are so excited for our special Class Day on Monday, June 6 and our RPCS Commencement ceremony on Tuesday, June 7. For our seniors, this ceremony will simultaneously mark the end of one chapter and a multitude of new beginnings.

 

I hope to see you and your families on campus soon for one or more of these festivities during these last few weeks of school.

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This week at RPCS, we celebrated specific members of our community who go above and beyond in supporting our students and greater community every day: our teachers and nurses!

 

Today, Friday, May 6, is National Nurses Day and we are so incredibly grateful for our school nurses, Danielle Thiboutot (pictured right) and Kirsten White, who keep our community healthy, safe and reassured throughout the year! Thank you to the Parents’ Association and all of the parents, guardians and students who helped our school nurses feel special today with cards, breakfast, and decorations in the Health Suite. As all of you know, Danielle and Kirsten take such wonderful care of our students, teachers and staff and expertly and graciously manage all of our health concerns – big and small – that we were excited to make them feel cared for today!

 

We were also able to celebrate our outstanding teachers during National Teacher Appreciation Week. We are all deeply grateful for our faculty who have dedicated their careers to ensuring the intellectual and emotional development of your children. Our teachers work tirelessly and give absolutely everything they have to our students. They also have the unique gift of changing the lives of so many children – in everyday moments and also for a lifetime. We celebrated them earlier this week with a special lunch, dessert and raffle surprises as a small gesture of our endless appreciation.

 

I am so grateful for these amazing and extraordinary individuals every day and know you are too. We are also thankful for the Parents’ Association and the Employee Appreciation Committee who are planning more fun year-end surprises for all of our staff.

 

Please enjoy your weekend. I look forward to our spring and end of year celebrations and opportunities to be together as a community!

 

Warmly,

 

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

This has been such an eventful, yet dare I write, normal, first few months of the school year! It is wonderful to see our programs unfolding for your children and to see them bounding into school happy and excited for their learning experiences. 

 

Speaking of exciting, I have a wonderful update to share about The Harris Center! Next week, we will celebrate the much anticipated reopening of our beautiful, newly renovated Harris Center with students and invited members of our community during the school day – an exciting milestone of the This Is Our Moment campaign! During the school day on November 17th, students will have an opportunity to join us in an all-school ribbon cutting ceremony. Following this event, The Harris Center will be open! We will communicate more details over the next few weeks about what that will mean for entering and exiting the building, but it is definitely a milestone we are happy to see realized. Thank you for all your patience and flexibility along this journey to renovate our beautiful Harris Center!

 

Before we head into the weekend, I want to also share some of the school program highlights that relate to our four main pillars of the This Is Our Moment campaign. This campaign allows us to continue to grow and evolve our programs in the areas below, as well as enhance spaces to support our good work and recruit and retain talented faculty who are drawn to a teaching and learning environment that is dynamic, experiential and ever evolving.

 

Earlier this month, more than 30 seniors who completed internships, capstone fellowships or STEM fellowships this past summer shared their experiences with their teachers, parents, mentors and the community at our annual Summer Showcase. Our students had the opportunity to explore exciting career opportunities in multiple industries, from finance and immigration law to urban farming, veterinary medicine and computer science. They gained real world knowledge and experience at organizations including the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the House of Representatives, just to name a few. We are so proud of our students for exploring their leadership capabilities and professional interests beyond the classroom and are incredibly grateful to all of the mentors who made these transformative experiences possible.

 

Additionally, this fall, Roland Park Country School’s Athletics Department and Gore Leadership Institute (GLI) rolled out a monthly speaker series for the Middle School and Upper School called RPCS Athletics x GLI that features guests who will share how their athletic endeavors have led to leadership experiences. In October, RPCS welcomed the series’ first speaker Claire Collins, a Team USA Olympian from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. During her visit, Claire spoke about the lessons she learned on her journey to the Olympics, including the importance of setting goals and reaching one’s full potential. All of us – students, coaches and teachers alike – appreciated Claire’s valuable insights about how commitment to energy and effort in the small moments can lead to big results.

 

Finally,  I’m so proud of how RPCS encourages leadership for the greater good at every grade level. In case you missed it, check out this recent article about four of our fifth grade students, who first learned about financial literacy and entrepreneurship in the second grade, and are now running their own successful small businesses and giving back to the community.

 

The STEM Institute at RPCS aims to develop students with the confidence, passion, persistence, and curiosity to explore the empirical world and develop innovative habits of mind. At this year’s Summer Showcase mentioned above, we were thrilled to hear from students who completed STEM fellowships after taking project-based electives and rigorous academic coursework in science, engineering, technology, engineering or math. This year’s fellowship topics included environmental studies, information technology, and oceanographic research, and I loved hearing the passion in each of these student presentations.

 

We also love seeing and celebrating our alumnae who pursue careers in STEM! Ariel Egbunine, 2017, is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Shortly after she was born, Ariel went into severe cardiorespiratory failure and underwent a (then relatively new) treatment that saved her life at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. While in high school, Ariel reconnected with the physician who treated her for a year-long on-site research internship, which cemented her interest in pursuing a career as a pediatric critical care specialist, to serve people most in need of health care. This July, Ariel joined the Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine Department at the same hospital as a Research Coordinator. She is also applying to medical school to become a pediatric anesthesiologist. You can read more about Ariel’s extraordinary story here.

 

This past summer, all RPCS faculty read the book Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain by Zaretta Hammond. Sara Rollfinke, Director of Teaching and Learning, is leading three sessions throughout the school year with faculty in all three divisions to discuss and unpack this book and to help teachers identify their own cultural identity and biases and become more culturally responsive educators. Sara is thrilled to lead this professional development with the faculty and is encouraged by everyone’s commitment and enthusiasm to dig into this work.

 

Also, if you haven’t already, I encourage you to attend an upcoming Parent Diversity Committee Meeting, either in person or virtually. The work they are doing is so important and meaningful to RPCS. The next Parent Diversity Committee meeting  will be held on Wednesday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. in the Trustee Seminar Room and via Zoom.

 

In an ongoing effort to keep our community healthy and well, we are holding a tri-school panel discussion with medical experts next week for families with children ages 5-11 to discuss the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and address questions and concerns. The tri-school is also holding a vaccination clinic for families with children ages 5-11 on Sunday, November 21 and Sunday, December 12. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, vaccination is our most important tool to end the  COVID-19 pandemic and I know we are all hopeful about life truly returning to normal.

 

These are just a few examples of the many enriching and exciting initiatives on campus these past few months and we have so much more to look forward to before the end of the year. In the meantime, I wish you and your families a happy and restorative weekend.

 

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

Welcome – or welcome back – to the 2021-2022 school year! September has flown by and before more time passes, I am writing with a few thoughts and updates about our return to school.

 

Each day since the first day of school, I feel a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for our community. Whether you are a returning family or new member of the RPCS community, we all know that our individual and collective journeys with COVID-19 have been challenging and ever evolving with time. That said, I would like to take a moment in this letter to mark a defining moment in our journey with COVID-19 decision making woven into our daily lives: we are all back on campus all together again!

 

At RPCS, we cherish our traditions, and they take on an even greater importance during times of challenges and crises. Therefore, I am thrilled that we were able to hold our beloved annual Opening Day Convocation by moving it to the turf outside to kick off our school year! Coming together this year to celebrate our future graduates in the Class of 2022 and the students, families, faculty, and staff that comprise this extraordinary community, took on even greater meaning following the last 18 months. These lines from our School Song were especially poignant this year:

 

 

In addition to building important memories, these traditions and songs remind us that no matter the challenge, we persevere and strengthen our spirits – together!

 

Speaking of which, the senior traditions are back on track this year, with coordinated classes returning, the senior room reopening, the first Senior Celebration Day in the books, a dinner to celebrate the Class of 2022, and so much more. We were also thrilled to arrange student retreats for our Middle and Upper School students and our first (outdoor) morning meeting with all Lower School students together for the first time in 18 months! Our second and third graders held their annual Lower School Harvest Feast, and our clubs, organizations and after-school co-curricular experiences are in full swing. 

 

We are also excited for new beginnings. As we shared recently, our Little Reds preschool teacher Alice Wetzel has been appointed as our new Early Years Coordinator and she is off to a fabulous start! We are also so happy to welcome all of our new students, parents and guardians, faculty members and employees to the RPCS family and look forward to making many wonderful memories together this year.

 

Warmly,

 

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

When we look back to this time last year, we all remember some of the most challenging moments in our lives. We worried. We questioned. We retreated. The very things we most loved seemed farthest away from us, including our cherished RPCS community. 

 

Amidst the frustrations and concerns that shaped so many of our experiences this year, I have also seen the cycles of the natural world contextualize our journey. I remember finding solace in being outside and watching spring blossom throughout Baltimore a year ago and here we are again. Nature will always ground us. As we look at the cycle of the natural world coming into spring bloom once more, we are re-centered. We reset and move forward with renewed purpose.

 

What can we share with one another as we enter into this season of renewal? We can remember the joy that comes with the spring season. We can appreciate the way that sunlight can lighten our spirits and moods. We can be open to the everyday gifts that are right in front of us. 

 

One afternoon last week, I was talking with some excited and garrulous Middle School students coming back from softball practice. As we chatted, I could see and hear Upper School track athletes training nearby and the lacrosse team practicing in the distance on the turf. The laughter of children, the movement of these graceful athletes and the sounds of the natural world all came together in one perfect instant. These are the moments that define the joy and energy of our community. Coaches mentoring athletes, students working together, children laughing with one another, and all of us moving forward. Nature has a way of taking care of us and here at RPCS, we have a natural way of taking care of one another. 

 

In the last few months of this school year, we are focusing on gratitude and celebration. The small and the big moments matter to us and to your children and our employees. We will keep striving to create experiences that bring us together safely and allow your children to finish out this school year in ways that support, nurture and honor them.

 

Over the next few months, we will bring to life the same celebrations and festivities that have always knit our community together, although they may differ in size and scope this year. Fifth grade students have begun practicing their Maypole dance and are working on their poems for their recitations at graduation. Plans for the eighth grade graduation are underway and we are also planning special events for each grade in the Upper School, including Class Day and Commencement for our seniors, both of which will be held outdoors.

 

This season, I invite you to breathe more deeply and see in your children and our community the beauty and grace that has been there all along. Perhaps, after many months of uncertainty, unknowns, and more questions than answers, we can fully embrace the possibilities of this particular spring. 

 

This is the spring where we begin again, together. I shared with our employees a poem that I have been reflecting on more recently at this time and I want to share with you as well. It is a poem about the act of beginning and the ways in which the moments we choose to intentionally begin again shape and define us for a lifetime.

 

Warmly,

 

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we wrap up the first half of the school year and start preparing for winter break, I am so incredibly proud of everything the students, faculty and employees have accomplished this fall. Reflecting on these past few months, I am struck by how our five core values have shaped so many of our initiatives, both big and small, and engaged our girls in authentic ways.

Our core values really are the heart and soul that sustain the life of this school and here are just a few examples of how they are ingrained in everything we do at RPCS.
 

This fall, we launched a new and innovative curriculum called R.E.D. (Reflect. Explore. Do) Block that empowers our students in grades 9-11 to find their voices, lead for the greater good and put their learnings into practice. R.E.D. Block is the central strand of the RPCS Leadership and Entrepreneurship Institute, which equips our Upper School students with robust offerings designed to embolden them to create positive change in the world and help them figure out how they can turn their ideas into realities. In R.E.D. Block, every student is involved in activities that require deep-thinking, exploration and creative problem solving to foster resilience, promote healthy risk-taking, nourish passions and curiosity, and promote purposefulness. Read more about the rollout of R.E.D. Block here.

 

At RPCS, we build each other up every day and at every grade level. Our Little Sisters/Big Sisters program in the Lower School pairs each girl with another girl in a separate homeroom for an informal mentorship. For example, our second graders are each paired up with a fifth grader, which helps all of our girls build confidence and real friendships. These partnerships are also terrific opportunities to contribute to the greater good (see above). Just recently, the Lower Schoolers created beautiful soup packets with healthy ingredients and hand-drawn instructions to be distributed to a local shelter. The bonds formed in these partnerships will carry with them through Middle School and beyond.

 

In October, we held a REDS Rally Day that filled the halls with boisterous school spirit! Our students and teachers even formed a spirit parade to cheer on both our tennis and varsity soccer teams to wins and it was so special to encourage all of our athletes and share in our extraordinary school pride.

 

Finally, at the Summer Internship Program and Capstone Fellowship Program Showcase earlier this fall, we celebrated the students who participated in these transformative learning experiences and their mentors who generously stepped up to offer their time, talents, resources and leadership. Each placement was an opportunity to empower a girl, who will one day, empower another. Read more about these experiences here.
 

Earlier this school year, we launched three Lower School affinity spaces for our students of color, students of Jewish heritage and students with separated parents. These groups offer an opportunity for students who may experience the world differently to share those experiences with one another. They are also an opportunity for partnership and mentorship from students in upper grades. All of the groups are called “Branches & Leaves,” which is a reference to our centennial song and its emphasis on all students being different branches and leaves of the same tree. Learn more about our affinity spaces here. And please join us this Thursday, December 12 at 3:15 p.m. in the Killebrew Library to hear presentations from the student members of all three groups about why these spaces are so important. 

 

Additionally, this month in partnership with The Parents Association and Parent Diversity Association, we will start an affinity group for the parents and guardians of students of color.
 

This past October, several of our faculty members took their seats at the table and presented at or attended the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools’ (NCGS) 2019 Educating Girls Symposium,Leading Schools, Leading Girls: Preparing for the Future, which was held here in Baltimore. This all-day conference, which explored how schools can deliberately cultivate leadership skills, was a fantastic opportunity for our faculty to share knowledge with and learn from their peers, grow professionally and model leadership for their students. RPCS faculty led the following breakout sessions:

Live healthy and be well
Eighty percent of our Middle School students were involved in a fall sport this year – a record number! Additionally, we incorporate wellness into the curriculum at every grade level, offer resources for parents and guardians and encourage several student-led initiatives to make sure that every girl has a strong social-emotional support system to help them be healthy and well. Read more about our recent wellness initiatives here.

Also, we are so thrilled to welcome best-selling author and psychologist Lisa Damour, Ph.D. to speak at Roland Park Country School's annual Robinson Health Colloquium on February 12, 2020 at 7 p.m. Dr. Damour’s most recent book, Under Pressure: Confronting the Epidemic of Stress and Anxiety in Girls, is an accessible guide for parents who want to help their daughters navigate everyday struggles. During her talk, she will share advice about how to reframe stress and anxiety so our students can live their best lives. This event is free and open to the public. Learn more and RSVP to compass@rpcs.org.

 

These are just a few instances of how we live and breathe our core values at RPCS and I’m sure I will have so many more to share in 2020. I wish you and your family a happy and restful winter break and look forward to the new year and decade filled with exciting possibilities!

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

I love how the fresh start of a new school year brings palpable anticipation and energy to our already vibrant community. If you are a returning family, welcome back to campus. And if you are a new family to RPCS, I extend a warm welcome again.

 

As you already know, our all girls environment uniquely positions our students, not only to equip them with the academic and social emotional skills to be extremely successful, but also to benefit from a community where girls empower each other. We at Roland Park Country School believe that young women who build each other up will thrive – both individually and collectively. Our students want to see their peers succeed and they know that as a community, we’re stronger when we work together.

 

This theme of women empowering each other has been all over the news in recent weeks. After the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team won the World Cup earlier this summer (go U.S.!), Nike aired a powerful commercial celebrating their victory and the team’s work to change the course of history for other women. “This team wins. Everyone wins.”

 

And recently, elite marathon runner Sara Hall credited the encouragement and support she received from her teammates and competitors for her successful 14-year career. “It’s really empowering to see how when you elevate people around you, it elevates you.”

 

You may have seen another incredible example of female empowerment this past weekend after the tennis match between Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff at Saturday’s U.S. Open. Called “a pivotal moment in the history of the sport,” the kindness and compassion these two athletes showed each other in such a high pressure environment was inspiring to see.

 

A recent roundup of “10 Girls School Graduates Making Their Mark on the World,” shared insights from some of the most successful women in the country (including Roland Park Country School’s own Adena Testa Friedman, 1987!), which underscored the benefits of a single sex environment. Colleen Kyle, our fantastic new Head of the Upper School, quoted another one of these graduates when addressing the students for the first time last week. She shared this passage from Melinda Gates’ book, The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World.

 

“I want us to see the ways we can help each other flourish. The engines are igniting; the earth is shaking; we are rising. More than at any time in the past, we have the knowledge and energy and moral insight to crack the patterns of history. We need the help of every advocate now. Women and men. No one should be left out. Everyone should be brought in. Our call is to lift women up—and when we come together in this cause, we are the lift.”

 

I am so proud to be a part of a school community where young women build each other up and thrive and whose graduates have a deep understanding of who they are and how to impact the world by leading together. As Colleen told the students at the end of her speech: “What we can control today, this year, is to make the Roland Park Upper School a model community of uplift. Today, RPCS; tomorrow, the world! So let’s get lifting!”

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

 

P.S. Moving forward, I will be sending these newsletters quarterly instead of monthly, so look out for my next one this December.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

The summer rhythms are in full swing at RPCS. What that ebb and flow means for our community is that our campus continues to be abuzz with so much wonderful energy and excitement over late June, July and August. At the same time, summer on a school campus is that translucent but palpable bridge that spans the year that sunsets behind us with fond memories in its warm glow and the rising sun of the new year that we can just start to see peeking in front of us. All that is to come and all that we are so very proud of from the year past is wrapped into these precious summer moments on campus.

 

In my case as well, I feel the bridge metaphor pulling more deeply at my heartstrings this year. I have completed my third year as your Head of School and I am so incredibly humbled and honored to have this opportunity to serve your daughters in our K-12 program and all our children from 6 weeks through our 4s program in Little Reds. The fact that I get to be a part of this community each and every day is an absolute joy to me. I want to thank you for sharing your children and your lives with me—and let you know we have more to come on this incredible journey together!

 

I was running early one morning a few days ago, and I found that with each footfall, some familiar words were rattling around in my head. The route I take most days includes running alongside our campus and under the bridge that connects our campus to Gilman and our tri-school community. Perhaps it was the quiet rhythm of my own breathing or the sense of peace that I feel when running, but words just flooded back to me from September of 2016. In an inspired moment early into my time at RPCS, I sat down to write and the following poured out:

 

 

 

Hard work. Grit. Tenacity. Purpose. Passion. Enthusiasm. I want the students at RPCS to embrace these values. I want so much for each and every girl at Roland Park Country School to find her voice, take steps in the direction of her passions, and to embrace hard work with enthusiasm and curiosity. What is on the other side of a young child’s hopes and dreams? I want each child to experience the joy of both posing the question about dreams and then experiencing the happiness that comes with fulfilling those hopes and dreams. (See more here).

 

As the summer moves forward, I hope that your children are embracing the season as a chance to recharge, reflect, discover and dream. May they take the time for that extra-long breath. Be in the moment. Curl up with a book and let the story take them on a grand adventure. Laugh deeply. Eat slowly. Take the challenge when it presents itself. Say yes. Hug their parents (you!). Walk the dog. Watch the sunset. Get up early for a sunrise. Travel. Stay still. Love their friends. Forgive. Ponder. Give back. Practice gratitude.

 

I hope that you also share in so many summertime joys with your children. And I hope that you as parents also partake in some of the above activities as well. We were all once children and in the greatest challenges in life, it is helpful to remember who we are at our core.

 

I also ask you this of you: Love this time when the schedules are different, the rhythms of the day are altered from the school year, and in those spaces usually filled with the next thing, the "busy-ness" of our academic and work calendars, relish your beautiful and amazing children. Marvel at how they are growing and changing in one moment, and at other moments when the day is done and they are fast asleep, time can seem to stand still. All at once, they are the children you cared for as infants and toddlers and they are becoming the extraordinary future, best versions of themselves. Lean into that push and pull. At their core, they will always be the children you are nurturing and loving for the long haul. You are their greatest support in the world, and I hope you see your good work as parents reflected in their continual metamorphosis.

 

Treasure this time.

 

With about a month to go until Opening Day, I send you all the best wishes for a wonderful last month of summer!

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

This is such a festive and exciting time of year. At the end of April, we welcomed hundreds of graduates back to campus for our annual Alumnae Weekend to share memories, reconnect, and celebrate the many ways that RPCS has impacted their lives. It was wonderful to see so many incredible women, who span multiple decades, and hear their remarkable stories and experiences of their lives since they graduated.

 

Looking ahead, we have a full calendar of events for our students and their family members as we approach the end of the school year, including concerts, awards ceremonies, a Maypole dance in our Lower School, and closing exercises for our fifth and eighth graders. And of course one of the most anticipatory events of the season is our commencement ceremony on Tuesday, June 11. For our seniors, this ceremony will simultaneously mark the end of one chapter and a multitude of new beginnings.

 

I am thrilled to announce that alumna Katie Duncan, M.D., 2004, will be this year’s commencement speaker. Katie is an ophthalmologist at MDEyeCare and GBMC and co-founder of Project Theia, a non-profit organization focused on delivering specialized surgical care, training surgeons, and providing sustainable health-care in low-income, middle-income, developing countries. As an oculoplastic surgeon, Katie has experience in trauma and reconstructive surgeries and specializes in correcting abnormalities in the eyelids of both children and adults, as well as problems in the eye orbit.

 

Katie graduated from Washington and Lee University magna cum laude in 2008 and earned her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2012. After being inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor society, she matched as an ophthalmology intern at University of Maryland Medical Center, and then completed her surgical fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

 

Even though Katie always had a goal of pursuing a career in medicine here in the United States, she also wanted her role as a doctor to enable her to give back on larger, global levels. She had the opportunity to go on several medical mission trips to Honduras that allowed her to experience first-hand the difference that healthcare can make in the lives of those who are in need.

 

Katie credits Roland Park Country School for giving her an excellent foundation for academic success and for teaching her resilience during her time here. After a tough first day in her AP biology class, Katie considered dropping the course. But instead, she decided to stick with it and ended up working hard and doing very well in the class. That experience helped her know her own capabilities throughout college, medical school, and beyond. “When I start to think I am in way over my head,” says Katie, “I think back to that class and remember that rising up to challenges has always paid off for me.”

 

Katie lives in Mays Chapel with her fiancé and puppy.

  

We will welcome Katie back with much joy and appreciation for her time with us and I know that our graduates, parents and guardians, extended family members, and faculty will enjoy hearing from her on June 11.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

It’s hard to believe that this school year is almost over. As we prepare for closing exercises and Commencement, I have been reflecting on endings and new beginnings and marveling at just how far we’ve come since the start of this school year. Despite the challenges we all faced, our faculty, staff and students have successfully experienced a robust academic calendar defined by dynamic, inspiring learning for your children. As we look ahead to a bright future this coming fall, I wanted to take a moment to share just some of the enduring learning and incredible academic achievements that our teachers and students accomplished this year.   

 

There are many more to share, but here are a few that I thought you would enjoy:

 

This spring, our youngest learners have been exploring our natural ecosystem in the Backwoods. From learning to balance themselves while walking in the stream, to looking inside fallen trunks of trees and finding all sorts of insects, the children investigated every aspect of spring growth. Over the past few months, each classroom has built upon the interests and discoveries within the natural world, including observing tadpoles growing legs and learning how to write with rocks. The infants have been experimenting with painting using their hands and bottles and working with Magnatiles to explore different textures. Our educators love encouraging the children’s creativity and imaginations!

 

This past April, the Lower School held its third annual STEAM Week, where every grade participated in ongoing, cross-curricular projects that incorporated science, technology, engineering, art, and math projects. Our fantastic K-8 STEAM Director, Keya Robinson, collaborated across all divisions to make this week meaningful and relevant. She also created several “Stop, Drop and STEAM” challenges that prompted our students to create, innovate, imagine, and inspire. These videos were so popular that she continued to share them throughout the rest of the school year!

 

Also, earlier this spring, our second grade entrepreneurs launched their pop-up marketplace! After weeks of learning about the principles of economics and creating their own business ventures, the students unveiled their products and sold out of many of them, which in keeping up with the times, included a mask freshener spray and decorated masks.

 

Finally, our fifth graders were busy this spring researching and writing letters to delegates in their districts and then made appointments and met virtually with them to propose their legislation. This is such an empowering unit and demonstrates to the students how using their voices can make the world a better place.

 

This school year, the Middle School math department began using the Illustrative Math curriculum in the sixth and seventh grades. Illustrative Math is a problem-based curriculum that provides students the opportunity to work in small groups to learn math skills, content, and algorithms through investigation, collaboration, and discussion. We continue to stretch and support our students in math K - 12, and our approach to mathematics continues to center student inquiry and prioritize deep thinking and problem solving skills. 

 

In the eighth grade, our students are wrapping up a year-long history unit called “Human Rights, Social Justice, and You,” where they have learned about everything from the Holocaust to the civil rights movement and how individual decisions can impact larger moments in history. They also recently completed a comprehensive project on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, where they researched global challenges, such as poverty, climate change and inequality, and created “public service announcements,” which included speeches, posters and works of art, to educate others about how to achieve a better and more sustainable future for the world.

 

This past March, five of our Upper School students were recognized by the National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) for their computing-related achievements and interests. They were celebrated at a virtual awards ceremony last weekend. STEM Institute Director Dr. Neda Blackburn nominated students with a passion for technology and computer science and who pursued it beyond their classes, such as through clubs, internships, and other self-driven projects. You can read more about each student and their awards here.

 

In the science department, the faculty thoughtfully created toolboxes to plan the majority of science experiments to be done at home, which helped them easily pivot between in-person and virtual classes and ensured hands-on learning for our students. The biology teachers also developed new end of semester alternative assessments that allowed students to more fully demonstrate their understanding and tap into their creative side, while also making meaningful connections between various concepts. The first semester assessment was an electronic portfolio, and the second semester assessment was a climate change project. Lastly, in both psychology and physics, the teachers have facilitated discussions on the intersection of equity and science. 

 

In every division, students have been able to showcase their artistic talents this spring! The Lower School successfully pulled off two music and dance concerts and an in-person art show over the past few months. Last week, our Middle School visual artists shared their work with their fellow students and families, which was accompanied by beautiful handbell music, performed by a few sixth graders, followed by several wonderful music, dance and theater performances! This past spring, we also shared the outstanding work of each of our Advanced Placement (AP) Visual Arts students in the Upper School, who have worked so hard this year to master technical adeptness while developing their own personal aesthetic. And our Upper School performing artists were able to livestream both winter and spring concerts, featuring impressive dances and musical numbers from the Semiquavers, Somettos, Upper School Chorus, Roses Repertory Dance Company, Studio Dance, and Advanced Studio Dance classes. We are so proud of your children’s hard work, passion and creativity!

 

As we look ahead to the next academic year, I wanted to share with you that we intend to be fully in person for the 2021-22 school year. I will be in touch over the summer with further details, but we are confident that this is the right approach to take to the teaching and learning that will define our 2021-22 school year. 

 

As we wrap up these last few weeks, please know how very thankful I am to be a part of this incredible community. While it wasn’t the year we expected, our community came together to center student learning, support and care for children and find creative, innovative ways to deliver our incredible academic and co-curricular programs. Thank you for being on this journey with us!

 

I will be in touch over the summer. 

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

You may have seen the recent Baltimore Sun editorial, “Next generation of women leaders must ‘see it to be it,’” by Megan Murphy, the executive director of the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools. In her article, Megan discusses the importance of a supportive school environment in building confidence in young women, which really hit home for me. I’m so proud that at RPCS we have several specific examples to share of how we take the theory of empowering our students to find their voices and lead for the greater good and put it into practice.

 

Every day, from the moment our first student is dropped off at carpool, until the last one walks off the playing field or stage in the late afternoon, our faculty and administrators strive to build courage and confidence in all of our girls in an environment where female leadership across all areas of study in the norm, not the exception. As you well know, our school’s culture is rooted in the notion that female empowerment begins with girls empowering each other and we live and breathe this every day. Again and again, we show our students what leadership looks like and the paths they can take to get there through integrity, courage and character.

 

One way we do this is through our RPCS Leadership Program, which equips our Upper School students with robust offerings designed to embolden them to create positive change in the world and help them consider, with their numerous strengths, what kind of difference they intend to make, and how they might begin to make their ideas into realities. This includes our Summer Internship Program, which connects rising seniors with professional internship experiences in a wide range of career fields. Talk about “see it to be it!" This program gives our students the opportunity to literally show up to work at a hospital, law firm or engineering site, for example, to work alongside a professional in a field of their choosing. This year, 41 students have applied for a summer internship, the most we’ve ever had in one year! Additionally, eight juniors have applied for a brand new Capstone Fellowship Program that allows students to dive deep into their career interests by identifying learning questions and creating individualized research and experiential learning paths.

 

Leadership development in our girls starts early here at RPCS. And we believe that leadership is learned and internalized with real world experiences. Last month, our fifth grade students visited Annapolis after they researched legislative causes that ignited their passions and wrote letters and made appointments to speak directly with their local delegates. Once in Annapolis, they met with their elected officials to lobby for change in Maryland and even spoke with Governor Larry Hogan about their ideas for a safer, cleaner state. This annual trip is empowering for many of our fifth graders as they realize their voices can lead to constructive change. 

 

As Megan wrote, “the existence of fearless, visible role models is invaluable,” and I couldn’t agree more. From an early age, our students learn from their female role models and peer mentors the limitless potential of women. To encourage our next generation of women leaders, we make sure to frequently and intentionally expose our students to women who are not only in leadership positions themselves, but also who empower our girls and help them build confidence. Last fall, author, educator and girls’ leadership expert Rachel Simmons spoke to both our parents and students about how to cultivate our girls’ confidence by encouraging them to take healthy risks and learn self-compassion.

 

And this week, we are thrilled to welcome teen and millennial expert, author and educator Ana Homayoun as the featured speaker for our annual Sarah Crane Cohen Visiting Scholar in the Humanities Lecture tomorrow, Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. Ms. Homayoun is also speaking to all of our students at separate assemblies on Wednesday and Thursday about everything from the culture of perfectionism to how to navigate today’s social media landscape – both of which can majorly impact one’s self-confidence.

 

What the world needs is for girls and young women to lead the way authentically and frequently. By showing all of our students what is possible and helping them find their voice and build their confidence, we shape girls into women who will elevate each other to purposefully impact the world.

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

Earlier this month, the National Coalition of Girls’ Schools shared research findings and insights about why students from all-girls schools are more successful in science, technology, education and math (STEM) skills than their counterparts at co-ed schools. According to the article, the key attributes that are abundant in girls’ schools and contribute to this success are: increased confidence, the power of positive female role models and community, a sense of purpose and the encouragement from faculty and peers to speak up and be authentic. Sound familiar?

 

I am happy (but not surprised!) that these findings reinforce our own school’s core values and validate our comprehensive STEAM (grades K-5) and STEM (grades 6-12) curricula, which spans every grade level and department. We intentionally harness our students’ boundless imaginations and curiosity to give them the confidence, knowledge and tools they need to build a solid foundation and deep understanding of these concepts.

 

At the beginning of February, Aisha Bryant, the technology integrationist for both the Lower School and the 6th grade, organized the first-ever STEAM immersion week in the Lower School. Every day, students in grades K-5 participated in unique activities, including a ribbon-cutting of our newly dedicated Junior Innovation Space, passion projects led by our Lower School faculty members, a Probability Carnival, and special visits from Upper School members of the RPCS STEM Institute and the University of Maryland at Baltimore County’s (UMBC) Center for Women in Technology. The girls were absolutely thrilled to tackle engineering and coding challenges and channel their creativity in a hands-on way.

 

In Elisha James’ 8th grade STEM class, the students are involved in the FIRST LEGO League-Into Orbit Challenge, which consists of programming an autonomous robot and identifying and proposing a solution for a human physical or social problem encountered during long space exploration. Throughout the project, the girls intentionally apply the core values specific to the challenge, including discovery, innovation, impact, teamwork and fun. Meanwhile, students in the 6th grade science classes are learning how to build bridges and the 7th graders are creating air-powered dragsters.

 

In the research cited above, graduates of all-girls schools are more likely to consider STEM careers than their peers at co-ed schools and now we have our own findings to support this as well! In December, the 11 graduates from the first two years of the STEM Institute (2015 and 2016), were surveyed to see what majors they declared now that they are juniors and seniors in college. Of the eight women who responded, 100 percent of them confirmed that they are actively pursuing a college degree in a STEM field! As a national benchmark, currently 44 percent of college graduates who are women earn degrees in STEM-related fields. We are so encouraged by these preliminary results and I truly believe that we will see these numbers continue to increase.

 

Regardless of our students’ interests and passions, all of us remain committed to helping your daughters build confidence, speak up, find their purpose, be themselves and empower each other. No matter what paths they pursue, I am so excited to see how they will purposefully impact the world.

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

Happy new year! I hope you and your families enjoyed a restorative winter break. Our faculty and students returned to school earlier this month refreshed and recharged for an exciting year ahead. Your daughters have already hit the ground running with the Upper School winter dance concert, the Middle School winter concert, the “Snuggle Up and Read” night for Lower School families, a strong second place finish for our indoor track team at the IAAM B Conference Championship,  and divisional events planned in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

In the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy, one of our core values is to encourage all of our students at Roland Park Country School to lead for the greater good. To help them celebrate their strengths and realize what they have to offer the world, we believe strongly that our girls should see themselves reflected in our larger community. As they dream about and plan for their futures, we want to show them what’s possible; and, specifically, how strong women can make positive changes in big ways.

 

Therefore, we were thrilled to welcome five extraordinary women to speak to the 9th and 10th graders during their RPCS Leadership Seminar sections last month. These guest speakers were part of the Baltimore Women of Consequence series, a unit organized by Peter Metsopoulos, our Director of Leadership and Entrepreneurship. While each woman shared her unique path to vastly different positions of leadership, their messages shared a common, poignant theme: these are women fueled by a desire to purposefully impact the world and lift up others to effect change in our communities. Mr. Metsopoulous’ students created short summaries of their favorite parts of these lectures for the RPCS social media accounts, which you can check out on Instagram.

 

Each speaker imparted profound advice to our students. Dr. Stephanie Akoumany, the founder of Bloom – an organization that helps schools and businesses create more diverse and healthy communities – encouraged the girls to stay true to themselves and talked about how she balances work, wellness and motherhood. RPCS alumna Susan Radov, 2015, a student at the University of Pennsylvania studying cultural anthropology and Chinese studies, spoke to the girls about her role as an activist. She asked each girl to identify a problem they’d like to fix and explained the specific steps they can take to make those changes.

 

The students were also intrigued by Joyce Lombardi, a lobbyist with the Baltimore Child Abuse Center lobbyist, who offered insights into how she helps those dealing with very difficult circumstances and how she copes with such a demanding job. Dara Schnee, the vice president of philanthropy at the Baltimore Community Foundation spoke honestly about the challenges of being a woman in a competitive field and making sure her voice is heard. Finally, Damia Thomas, the founding principal of Lillie May Carroll Jackson School, explained how sometimes moving out of one’s comfort zone can make a greater impact in the long run.

 

The girls were so inspired by each of these incredible women and we are so fortunate to have the opportunities to expose our students to strong role models who demonstrate the many forms true leadership can take.

 

As one example of leading for the greater good, our school and Lillie May Carroll Jackson School will come together for a joint morning of service on Friday, Feb. 1 in honor of Dr. King. We are holding a book drive to collect multicultural books with social justice themes that we will then gift to Head Start programs in Baltimore City. During their time together, students will work together to write notes to the recipients of the books that encourage reading and promote a sense of community. Please consider donating a book by Jan. 30 to help us with this service project.

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 

As 2018 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on some of my most meaningful moments from the past few months of this academic year. What really stands out for me is the joy that comes from spending time with your daughters. Working directly with our students and finding or creating new learning opportunities for them affords me with chances to learn about their interests as we evolve our programming to prepare our young women for the future. Whether it is talking with a student who is working on her 8th grade speech, meeting directly with a Lower School student who is launching a day-long advocacy and awareness project, co-sponsoring the student-run Upper School Philanthropic Literacy Board, or in my time teaching the 11th grade AP Literature seminar, in each interaction I learn about our students’ interests, projects, ideas, high points, and challenges. What I find in my time with our students is that they are so curious to learn and are interested in ways that they can be impactful leaders within RPCS and the larger community.

 

To that end, I’m so excited to announce our new Capstone Fellowship Program for current 11th graders, which will launch in Summer 2019. Facilitated through the RPCS Leadership Program under the direction of Peter Metsopoulos, our Director of Leadership and Entrepreneurship, the Capstone Fellowship Program offers students who are interested in the RPCS Summer Internship Program a chance to go even deeper in a career field and/or area of study. This program will become another branch of our current RPCS Summer Internship Program, two initiatives that will now fall under our new Leadership Program offerings.  Currently, the internship program connects our rising seniors with professional internship experiences in a wide range of career fields. The growth of this program is a direct result of the incredible work of Melissa Carter-Bey and Meg Miller. Under Melissa Carter-Bey’s guidance during the year and Meg Miller’s support over the summer, a total of 56 students secured internships over the last two summers in fields such as medicine, law, computer science, social work, and finance.  I invite you to peruse a sampling of our past internship placements.

 

Students who are interested in the fellowship program may apply by creating a proposal that addresses essential learning questions and a plan for combining research and experiential learning. Each Capstone Fellowship will result in an original student project and presentation. Whether a student’s interest is in the arts, architecture, education, communications, engineering, social justice, or global issues — just to name a few possible areas of focus — each young woman will develop a plan for diving deeper into her field of interest and identify learning questions and outcomes that will guide her journey. The options are individualized to each applicant and the learning path for each girl is personalized, dynamic and innovative. In addition to the mentoring that each applicant will access through working directly with Peter Metsopoulos, I will also be available to mentor 1-2 students throughout this process. Read more about potential Capstone Fellowships projects.

 

Both the Capstone Fellowship and Summer Internship Program support our vision for an RPCS education that connects classrooms to communities and equips our students with the future directed skills that enable their success here at Roland Park Country School — and beyond into their professional journeys. The RPCS Leadership Program also empowers our students to pose questions about the world, embrace new challenges and search for their purpose as they step into real world professions.

 

And, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention as well to please feel free to contact Peter, Melissa or Meg if you are interested to help with hosting a student who is working on an internship or fellowship. We love connecting our students with alumnae as well as RPCS parents and extended contacts! 

 

Thank you for entrusting your daughters to all of us at Roland Park Country School. We take the responsibility seriously and are dedicated to shaping them into young women who will help each other thrive and lead for the greater good.

 

Best wishes for a happy winter break and I look forward to a wonderful new year ahead.

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,

It’s hard to believe that we are already three months into the school year. This has been such an eventful fall at Roland Park Country School. We are moving through a robust academic calendar, offering dynamic learning and leadership opportunities for our students, and celebrating a historic IAAM B Conference Championship win for our varsity soccer team – the first ever soccer title in school history! (Go REDS!!) On the theatrical front, Beauty and Beast astounded all of us with incredible performances and artistic expression. Thank you again to our young thespians and wonderful performing arts faculty leadership!

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I am really looking forward to the school break to take a deep breath (or several), step back and reflect on all there is to be grateful for right now.

Gratitude is a powerful force. Taking the time to notice and truly appreciate all of the good things in life, whether they be big moments or small pleasures, can lead to a strong sense of well-being. On a personal note, I have found that when I am aware of—and thankful for— all of the good things in life, I find even more moments to cherish. When our faculty and staff returned to campus this past August, my opening remarks to them focused on my deep appreciation for their dedication and passion in ensuring that every girl at RPCS finds and uses her voice to inform a life of purpose and a pursuit of excellence and integrity.

For a school year that began with the theme of gratitude for our extraordinary faculty and staff, I want to recognize that our students are also at their best when they can make a habit of noticing and feeling grateful for the good things in their lives. The practice of gratitude steers us to look outward and beyond ourselves. It connects us through kindness and compassion and helps us build each other up, a core value here at Roland Park Country School. And gratitude can always be learned, so we can teach it our children – and often, they teach it to us.

Last month, RPCS welcomed Rachel Simmons, an author, educator and girls’ leadership expert as our guest speaker for the ninth annual Robinson Health Colloquium. She also met separately with the 4th and 5th grade classes and the Middle School and Upper School students during her two-day visit. Her most recent book, Enough As She Is: How to Help Girls Move Beyond Impossible Standards of Success to Live Healthy, Happy and Fulfilling Lives, focuses on the challenges young women face today and how to overcome them.

In her presentations to both parents and students, Ms. Simmons spoke about the importance of gratitude, particularly as an antidote to the pressures young women face today. In our society, girls often move from one goal to the next, without pausing to appreciate their own efforts and hard work along the way. When a girl or young woman feels like every success is just about trying to reach the next rung on the ladder, this may cause her to feel like she is not enough. In turn, it becomes impossible for her to be grateful for what she has achieved throughout particular moments in time.

According to Ms. Simmons, it is important for our girls and young women to learn a simple, but profound, habit: to be fully present when acknowledging personal journeys towards growth and authentic confidence. Each day, your daughters set goals and push themselves to try new things, and often they face challenges that may cause them to feel some whispers of doubt. Ms. Simmons believes that to be fully present and engaged in the process of leading a dynamic life means helping our girls work through these fears and doubts. Then, on the other side of these learning moments, our young women will feel a more sustained sense of confidence and will be happier in general.

So, you may ask, how do we cultivate this practice in young women who are striving and pushing themselves so hard every day? Ms. Simmons’ advice is this: encourage them to take a moment and savor their efforts – the risks they have taken, the fears they have overcome, and the learning that has emerged from their brave and earnest lives. It seems simple, but even we as adults are often moving too quickly to the next goal, project, or activity to pause and feel satisfaction for what we have accomplished in the moment. Slowing down to truly acknowledge our feelings when a goal has been reached has a profound ripple effect. It invites empathy and allows our girls to practice another important skill: self-compassion.

You can read more about Rachel Simmons’ visit to Roland Park Country School and the practical advice she imparted to parents to support their daughters as they navigate the ups and downs of adolescence.

During this time of the Thanksgiving season, I encourage you to partner with us in these efforts to help our girls and young women reflect on what they have accomplished so far this year–no matter how big or small the act—and feel thankful for the journey. We want to cultivate in them an attitude of gratitude that allows them to rebound from setbacks and bolsters their confidence. It is in these efforts where the learning really takes off. 

 

I wish you and your families a very happy and restorative Thanksgiving.

 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

 

As we settle into the school year, it may feel like a fresh start for many of us. In the spirit of new beginnings, now is the perfect time to ask ourselves some important questions that bridge the important relationship between our academic and leadership work here at RPCS. Specifically, what are the values we stand for as an institution? What does it mean to lead for the greater good? What does it mean to be an inclusive leader? How do we help our students learn to balance individual and community needs?

 

At Roland Park Country School, these questions encompass many of the important considerations we constantly pursue for your children. We embrace a philosophy centered around the education of both the intellectual and ethical development of every child. We believe that leadership is a process of engagement which moves people toward awareness, compassion, and action to impact the world for the better. Encouraging leadership and exploration is an essential part of our mission to prepare your children for a future that cannot yet be imagined.

 

One of the many ways this mission comes to life is through creating an environment that intentionally cultivates this balance between academic excellence and impactful leadership. Starting at our youngest grades in the Lower School, our students learn about key life skills practiced by all effective leaders: self-regulation, listening (with eyes, ears and hearts), empathy, kindness, and gratitude. They practice public speaking and learn about the tools of collaboration that underpin all high performing teams, as well as efforts at true diplomacy in their future careers. Through projects that connect our students with lobbyists in Annapolis and Washington, D.C., our girls are empowered to use their voices at an early age to promote positive change.

 

In the Middle School, leadership opportunities abound. Our girls embrace elected roles in Student Government, Athletics, Visual and Performing Arts and our Community Council Associations. Leadership opportunities also present themselves in the classrooms with collaborative projects and presentations, on the athletic fields working together as a team, and in visual arts, dance or participation in our yearly Middle School musical. Students will often seek out the Middle School Head when they want to lead a community service initiative, such as raising money for disaster victims or collecting gently used toys during the holiday season for hospitalized children. Our Middle School students are so enthusiastic about supporting our surrounding communities and each other.

 

I am also excited to share some news about emerging leadership opportunities in the Upper School. Over the last two years, we have created programs that support and challenge our students’ leadership development over time and work in tandem with an already wide, varied base of leadership opportunities through elected offices, clubs and organizations. Grounded in empathy, character, ethics, personal responsibility and courage, our evolving Leadership Program focuses on direct engagement with a curriculum that emphasizes a deeper awareness of one’s strengths and areas for growth, as well as one’s ability to lead change for the good. The program also emphasizes experiences with creative problem solving, wellness and diversity, equity and inclusion – all of which are integrated and woven into our Upper School leadership curriculum. Learn more about some of our specific program components. 

 

To oversee all of the leadership initiatives at RPCS, I am thrilled to welcome Peter Metsopoulos, our newly appointed Director of Leadership and Entrepreneurship. Before joining RPCS this summer, Peter spent 15 years at the Bryn Mawr School, teaching in and eventually chairing the English department. In addition to his work in the classroom, Peter served as the Director of the Steering Committee and led the re-accreditation self-study for the Association of Maryland Independent Schools. In association with the Bryn Mawr School and Roland Park Country School, he also co-founded the Lillie May Carroll Jackson School, an all-girls public charter middle school in Baltimore City.

 

Peter’s work builds on our strong history of academic excellence and leadership opportunities for young women at RPCS. As we look ahead, we are also excited about how this work is a natural extension of the incredible work of our faculty. Our faculty approach teaching and learning with an innovative eye towards ensuring that our students are prepared for the future beyond RPCS. A teacher at heart himself, Peter will work closely with our faculty at every grade level. The partnership between our academic and leadership programs will result in graduates who know their strengths, are capable of transforming their ideas into realities, and who purposefully seek ways to lead for the greater good.

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School

Dear Parents and Guardians,
 
Over the course of any given day I am so lucky to be able to spend time with our students and faculty in ways that enable me to see how our work directly impacts the development of each and every child. None of this would be possible without the choice you have made to send your child to RPCS. As the school year begins I want to start by expressing how thankful I am that you share your children with us — and me — here at Roland Park Country School. 
 
I treasure chances to talk with your children about how their day is going, cheer them on their pursuits, encourage their dreams, honor their voices, and ensure that they are safe, engaged and thriving learners. Whether it is when I am walking through the hallways and greeting students, seeing them in their classes, or applauding their efforts on the sports field or artistic arenas, it is incredibly inspiring to be a part of their fully engaged, dynamic and ever-changing lives.  
 
Our faculty, staff, and administrative teams look closely at our work and how it impacts your children. As individuals and teams that work directly with boys and girls in Little Reds, and with girls and young women across three divisions, not a day goes by when we aren’t thinking deeply about how to best ensure that your children are thriving.
 
What does thriving look like at Roland Park Country School? Our teaching and learning environment is one that intentionally prioritizes academic rigor for your children while also appreciates the full capacity of each human being to develop the social-emotional skills that are critical to long term success in life: resilience, compassion, flexibility, self – regulation—and many more.  Our emphasis on cognitive and affective growth in each and every child is intrinsically and indelibly bound by an incredibly important area of human development: one’s social emotional well-being. 
 
In Paul Tough’s work, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character, he offers this for us to consider: “What matters most in a child's development… is not how much information we can stuff into her brain in the first few years. What matters, instead, is whether we are able to help her develop a very different set of qualities, a list that includes persistence, self-control, curiosity, conscientiousness, grit and self-confidence.” As a former teacher, division head, and now a Head of School and parent, I have always kept this concept with me.
 
I speak on behalf of your daughters’ teachers, advisors, Division Heads, coaches, and mentors when I say that it is our goal that each girl and young woman at RPCS understands and feels how deeply she is cared for by our community. I want each girl to be successful here, but I also want her to continue on a path towards success and happiness for the long haul. We all know life will throw her a multitude of curves, winding roads, and mis-directions along the way, so it is our job to ensure that she grapples with change, deals with healthy conflict, forges her core values, learns about her strengths, recognizes her areas for growth, and takes responsibility for her choices.
 
I am so proud to be part of a community that understands what true success looks like for children and prioritizes the programs and opportunities that ensure your children are thriving –here, now and in the future.
 

Warmly,

Caroline Blatti

Head of School