RE Log Spring 2018

SPRING 2018 Ransom Everglades LOG 3 and creativity, and shows his deep commitment by arriving early and staying late. His influence led dozens of alumni into careers in medicine or the sciences, and his encouragement pushed others onto collegiate athletics teams. Many of them reached out to us to share their appreciation for Doc. See that story on page 14. When you build your school around talented people, you do more than educate students. You become a force for good in the local and even global community. One of our most esteemed alums, Jeffrey Miller ’79 , and RE parent Constance Fernandez P’22, together elaborate on that message in a story that begins on page 22. Co-chairs of the REinventing Excellence campaign, they explain why they believe an investment in Ransom Everglades represents an investment in Miami. We had quite a fall. A month before we kicked off our campaign, we weathered Hurricane Irma, who proved a decidedly disagreeable guest, leaving the Upper School with a flooded athletics field, wayward sailboats and all manner of debris. She knocked down trees, lifted tiles off of our rooftops – and ignited a spirit of resilience that was nothing short of inspiring. Students and faculty alike helped us clean up. See our story and photos on page 38. Finally, the esteemed Sir Kenneth Robinson, the renowned education innovator, helped us launch REinventing Excellence in October. He captured the essence of our $75 million campaign, reminding us that remaining excellent requires constant attention and reinvention. Construction will begin next summer on a new Stem Center, but the scope of our reinvention extends beyond buildings and blueprints. We will enhance our educational spaces so we can continue to attract faculty members like Doc Crabtree. We will enrich our curriculum and integrate new technologies so that we raise the bar for academic excellence and innovation, and cement our stature as one of the top independent schools in the nation. We are excited about what the future holds. Yet no matter how many buildings we refurbish, how nimbly we adapt to future challenges, how frequently we reinvent, or how fast we grow, some things will never change. We will always strive to provide a values-added education. Penny Townsend Head of School Our school was built on values handed down by founder Paul Ransom, who firmly believed that no one could be an adequate individual or citizen unless he or she was well read, well informed and determined to make the world better. We’d love to hear from you! If you have comments about stories in this magazine, please submit your Letter to the Editor to REnews@ransomeverglades.org .