Page 8 - May 2014 Dell & Cannon

6 May 2014 I Ransom Everglades School I Dell + Cannon
Rachel Rodriguez + Middle School Director
Trust in Our Community
Dear Ransom Everglades Community:
MESSAGE
from the
Middle
SCHOOL
As the school year comes to an end, and the summer looms, I cannot help but be
grateful for the summers that I experienced as a child. My family and I often did
the same type of activity year to year which included a process that allowed me
to be free of schedules, read at leisure, and create. And, although I do not think that
my parents crafted my summer experiences for those reasons, and yes, times were
most certainly different, I hope that your children also have experiences during the
summer that are disconnected from technology.
During spring break I had the opportunity to step-away from the
everyday connectivity, not by choice necessarily, and it made me realize
that being intertwined to an object that communicates constantly is not
always productive.
Yet, if you could have your child do one and only one thing during the
summer, whether that be immersed in creativity, relate to someone else,
develop empathy, or simply for pleasure-please have him or her read,
and read books that he or she chooses. Developing a habit of reading for
pleasure is the most effective way to build academic skills while focusing.
It is my hope that your child looks back on this school year, as I did upon
the summers of my childhood, and is grateful for the many gifts, tangible
or intangible, abstract or concrete, that have been given. I am most
grateful to our middle school faculty. Innovating, engaging, enthusiastic,
demanding, life-long learners, nurturing-the list that describes them
could go on and on. During a recent faculty they even noted that being
together, as a middle school faculty, made them realize the vast array of
talents we have as a group who come together, for the ultimate goal of
student achievement.
I am thankful that we have a school where students are willing to put
forth optimum effort and push themselves to master concepts that fall
out of the realm of their own comfort zone. It is, by no means, simple
to be an adolescent and interact with subjects that are foreign and
not always easy to grasp. Yet, our students do just that daily. What a
tremendous middle school student body we have who are eager to be
immersed in every aspect of the school, fine arts, athletics, academics,
and the mission of the school itself.
We, at the Middle School, are also pleased that you have placed your
trust in our community so that we work together as your child grows.
Being a parent is far from straightforward and uncomplicated, and
working as a team is the most effective way to keep our children healthy.
We thank you, parents, for allowing us to be part of your team.
Please, know that we are all indebted to Ellen Moceri for her unending
work that has left Ransom Everglades in the shape it is today. During Back
to School Night, Jeffrey Miller ’79, Chairman of the Board of Trustees,
noted that Ellen has turned the school into a Ferrari. We are thankful that
we have come along for the ride and that the “car” will be continuing
its journey. I know that many of Mrs. Moceri’s accomplishments are
in plain sight, but perhaps the most important one that Ellen has left
upon us is a curriculum that makes our students think — a pedagogy
of inquiry. We really do not know what specific skills our children will
need to be successful in the next twenty years, but we do know that
they will need to be able to think and demonstrate traits of empathy
and kindness.
May your summer be filled with joy.
Sincerely,
Rachel Rodriguez