RE Log - Fall 2020

FALL 2020 Ransom Everglades LOG 11 As the days turned into weeks, we realized that cherished end-of-year events such as Senior Send-Off, the 8th-Grade Send-Up and, of course, Commencement, would not be held in person. We did our best to keep events on the calendar, and we staged many if not all events virtually. We also invited our seniors to campus for a drive-through to celebrate Senior Send-Off. But it wasn’t the conclusion to their time at Ransom Everglades that the Class of 2020 expected or deserved. We promised to bring those students back to campus when it is safe to do so for one last gathering with their peers. In spite of their disappointment, our seniors led our school with optimism and grit. Student-body president Preston Edmunds ’20 showed incredible grace, wearing a constant smile and working to keep up the spirits of her peers. I relied a lot on Preston; I relied on my advisees. I wanted to stay abreast of what was happening with our kids, and I wanted to make sure they had a voice in this. That was important to us. A significant silver lining was the work that occurred in our new virtual classrooms. Our teachers’ efforts met with great success. We learned to use technology and remote platforms in ways that will long benefit our students. We really built muscles with technology, which was essential, and creativity and collaboration factored into everything we did. We remain fully committed to relationships and in-person learning, but we will toggle back and forth and take the best of both to continue to offer excellence at Ransom Everglades. We continued virtual learning when our students returned to school this past August, but it was no longer crisis learning. Our teachers logged many hours this summer in professional development. We have developed an online virtual learning program that is every bit as robust as our in-person academic program. This was a community effort. Our kids are excellent students, and good citizens. I could tell that they didn’t want to let their teachers down; they were resilient and dedicated. Our parents provided critical support. They created spaces in their homes for class work. They helped their children adjust, and they offered invaluable feedback. Our senior leadership team has never worked harder, and our board of trustees provided every resource to make this work. Yet I know we would all agree on this point: our faculty – flexible, unflappable, innovative – provided the foundation for all that we accomplished. The speed at which COVID-19 hit surprised us. The ferocity of the pandemic battered us. But the learning never stopped at Ransom Everglades. For that, we can all be grateful. See how our faculty met the challenges of these unprecedented times in the pages ahead. A significant silver lining was the work that occurred in our new virtual classrooms. Our teachers’ efforts met with great success. We learned to use technology and remote platforms in ways that will long benefit our students. d The Learning Never Stopped The Learning Never Stop