RE Log - Fall 2020

42 Ransom Everglades LOG FALL 2020 On Campus RE supplies laptops for all students Dazzling Dozen Seniors earn National Merit recognition In a move designed to promote academic excellence, safety and equity, Ransom Everglades supplied personal laptops to students for the 2020-21 school year. The Lenovo “Yoga” laptops were pre- loaded with essential classroom software and distributed along with other school supplies by faculty and staff August 22-23. The one-to-one laptop program ensures that every student has access to the highest caliber equipment and avoids the unhygienic practice of sharing computers on campus. It also promotes consistency in the classroom. New Chief Technology Officer Linda Lawrence arranged for the acquisition and outfitting of the machines, and Head of the Upper School Patricia C.A. Sasser and Head of the Middle School Rachel Rodriguez organized the distribution on both campuses the weekend before classes began remotely. The laptops feature distinctive RE stickers and armored shock-absorbing protective sleeves. Many faculty and staff helped distribute 1,132 new machines, each a Lenovo L13 2-in-1 Yoga laptop/tablet outfitted with a touchscreen and stylus, front and world-view camera, a Core i7 processor and 16 GB of memory. RE’s technology staff prepared the laptops with an array of software products: Microsoft Office, the Google for Education suite and Adobe Creative Cloud products. “We expect these peak-performing and durable devices to become the new academic tool within our students’ backpacks for learning in any situation,” Lawrence said. “They will maximize our students’ ability to find and create information, and connect and collaborate with their classmates and teachers.” Twelve Ransom Everglades seniors earned National Merit Semifinalist recognition, advancing in the 2021 National Merit Scholarship program based on their performance on last year’s PSAT exam. The students – Felipe Clavijo ’21, Liam de Araujo ’21, Margaret Dill ’21, Alex Dray ’21, Fahrenaz Hatami ’21, Axel Hicks ’21, Daniel Jackson ’21, Bruce Jagid ’21, Erik Medina ’21, Gabe Pulido ’21, Maya Rosen ’21 and Viviana Vela ’21 – scored in the top one percent of the 1.5 million who took the test nationwide in 2019. They will continue competing in the 66th annual contest for 7,600 scholarships worth about $30 million. Finalists will be announced in January, and the National Merit Scholarship winners, in the spring. Chief Technology Officer Linda Lawrence