RE Log Spring 2021

2 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2021 From the Pagoda A colleague shared with me recently a line from Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi that resonates as I look back on this unfathomable year. “If I had really known what I was about to require of my faculties,” a young Twain wrote while struggling to learn the trade of riverboat pilot, “I should not have had the courage to begin.” When I look back on the last 12 months, I appreciate not being fully aware of what was ahead of us when we closed school down and moved everything to a remote platform. Had we known what we were in for, I believe the outcomes would have been different. Fear, isolation, tragedy, pessimism and loss are some of the words that come to mind when I think about COVID-19’s impact on our world. When I think of COVID-19’s impact on Ransom Everglades, different words come to mind. The theme of this edition of the Log is one: REsilience. I also land on community, connection, grit and courage. It’s clear that the pandemic brought out the best in our community. That’s not to say it wasn’t hard or that we would want to go through it again. We faced exhausting challenges and excruciating losses, and some teachers and students had to work from home throughout the pandemic. Those on campus managed hybrid learning and endless protocols. As a school, we missed out on many traditional events. No one can say that it has been the same. Yet in the pages ahead I see optimism. I see creativity. I see ingenuity. And, of course, resilience. As we enter the homestretch of this year, our faculty and staff are eligible for the vaccine, and many have received at least one shot. Our COVID-19 numbers – I’m knocking on wood as I type – have begun to fall. We decided last week to hold an in-person commencement, assuming the positive trends continue. We are feeling hopeful again. The words of parent and former trustee Jason Rubell – who is featured in our story, “Miami’s Art Scene: REinvented” – ring true for many of us as we begin to emerge from the COVID-19 devastation: “It’s almost through tragedy that comes some sort of amazing beauty.” Jason is right, and you will find amazing beauty in the pages of this magazine. I hope you enjoy the personal profiles of faculty and students that begin on page 12, and the photo spread that follows. The photos offer an inside look at our campuses – socially distanced and masked, but also vibrant and active. REsilience It’s clear that the pandemic brought out the best in our community. That’s not to say it wasn’t hard or that we would want to go through it again.” “ We are almost through a year we could never have imagined