Spread the word that our fall Open House is Sunday October 28 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm.

Visitors will learn what you already know....what makes Roycemore School a special place to call home! The Open House will include talks by the faculty and head of school, tours of the building and classrooms, and an opportunity to meet Roycemore parents and students. At Roycemore students Engage MORE, Achieve MORE and Become MORE!

Thur. Oct. 18- RFA open meeting, babysitting available for free! 6:00 - 7:00 pm

Thur. Oct. 18- FREE Community Yoga, every Thursday, 5:00 pm (details below)

Fri. Oct. 19- Upper School Government social outing Six Flags Fright Fest, 4:15-11:45 pm

Fri. Oct. 19- PK, JK & K field trip to The Grove: Pumpkin Trail, 9:15 am 

Fri. Oct. 19- Lower School Pumpkin Carving, 5:30 pm

Sun. Oct. 21- Upper School Parent Social

Thur. Oct. 25- Middle School social outing to Altitute Trampoline Park, 3:45 pm (optional)

Fri. Oct. 26- Halloween Carnival - hosted by Upper School for younger students

Sun. Oct. 28- Fall Admissions Open House, 1:00-3:00 pm

Mon. Oct. 29- Author Visit! Jordan Matter, author of Born to Dance: Celebrating the Wonder of Childhood, 10-11:30 am (books available for signing and purchase) (details below)

Thur. Nov. 1- Parent/Teacher Conferences, 2:00-7:30 pm

Fri. Nov. 2- No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences, 8:30 am-3:30 pm

Tue. Nov. 6- Lower School Admission Tour, 9:00-10:30 am (RSVP)

Thur. Nov. 8- Middle School Potluck (sign up details below)

Mon. Nov. 26- Deadline for the Robert Eisner Scholarship

Sat. Dec. 1- Robert Eisner Scholarship examination

Fri. Oct. 19- Middle School Girls Volleyball Intra-squad game at Roycemore, 4:00 pm                               

Last Week in Roycemore Athletics

The Middle School Girls 5/6/7 Volleyball team defeated Chiaravalle 2-0 and the Middle School Girls 7/8 Volleyball team also defeated Chiaravalle 2-0 on October 9!  

The Upper School Girls Volleyball lost to Intrinsic 0-2 on October 9.

The Middle School Girls 7/8 Volleyball beat North Shore Country Day School 2-0 on October 11!

The Roycemore Cross Country Clubs, Upper, Middle and Lower braved the cold and ran in the 4th Roycemore Invitational at Butler Park on October 12. Great job by all of our runners!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR GRIFFIN ATHLETES!!

By Adrianne Finley Odell

On the credenza in my office is a small chalkboard easel with the quote, “You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”  The quote is from Eleanor Roosevelt’s book, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life.  The full quote is:

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, 'I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.' You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”

When I face challenges in my life, I take strength from this quote as I know, deep down, I can overcome the challenges that come my way if I dig deep inside myself and do what I know I must do.  

Last weekend my husband and I traveled to upstate New York to visit my daughter at college.  We had some extra time before the flight from Albany back to Chicago so we took the opportunity to visit Val-Kill, the home of Eleanor Roosevelt and now a National Historic Park.  I have long admired Eleanor Roosevelt, having read her biography some years ago, and was pleased to have the opportunity to visit her home.  I was a fan before, but came away from the visit appreciating her even more for her strength of character, her humanitarianism, and her unpretentious nature.  

Her home is not one that most people would associate with a woman of her stature and renown.  It is incredibly humble, featuring mismatched (but comfortable) furniture, wood paneling, and a variety of keepsakes from photos of family and friends to framed holiday cards (Christmas was her favorite time of year).  Eleanor Roosevelt hosted everyone there from Winston Churchill, to kings and queens, to John F. Kennedy (who came seeking her endorsement for President, which she ultimately gave once he agreed to emphasize civil rights more in his platform).  Her guests no doubt appreciated her low-key approach to entertaining (hot dogs and macaroni and cheese were regularly on the menu) while immersed in engaging conversations about the state of the world.  With three lifelong friends, Eleanor first built a cottage on the property that belonged to the Roosevelt family just two miles from the main Roosevelt home.  She and her friends then started a business to provide opportunities for local farmers to learn the craft of furniture and pewter production.  Their business was one that inspired similar initiatives during the post-Depression era to create jobs across America.  Later, when the business closed, she turned the former factory into her home.  Eleanor also invited children from a local school to her home to visit.  One day one of the children who had learned to make signs gave her a present of a nameplate for her desk.  Though her name was misspelled (Elanor), she proudly displayed it on her desk as a reminder that no one is perfect and it is healthy to embrace our imperfections and learn through failure. 

Volumes have been written about Eleanor Roosevelt, but some of the greatest inspiration we can draw from her are from her own writings and speeches. She was a prolific writer, authoring 27 books and thousands of columns. Young people would be well served to learn from her great wisdom.  Below are my top ten favorite Eleanor Roosevelt quotes that are as relevant today as they were many decades ago:

• What could we accomplish if we knew we could not fail? 
• The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
• Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.
• No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
• Do one thing every day that scares you.
• The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience.
• You can often change your circumstances by changing your attitude.
• One’s philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes… and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.
• You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’
• You must do the thing you think you cannot do. 

If there is a quote above that inspires you, consider sharing that quote with your child and why it inspires you.  Or maybe you would like to share all of the quotes above with your child and ask him or her which resonates the most with them.  Have them tell you why.  Perhaps it will open up a space for a deeper conversation and an opportunity to connect in a new and powerful way.  If so—please share your experience with me!

"Spec"-tacular fun in AP Chemistry!

Fifth and Sixth graders participated in their first jigsaw activity. It was far from seamless, as it involved both communication and collaboration. Our curricular content was South Sudan and water purity, but we know that being able to work together and clearly articulating our knowledge are skills that we will use for the rest of our lives.

JK Yoga is stress relieving and an amazing gross motor skills exercise.  

10/18 - RFA open meeting, babysitting available for free! 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. 

10/21 - Upper School Parent Social

11/8 - Middle School Potluck - sign up here https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b4baba72ea3ff2-griffin

Contact the Roycemore family association at [email protected] if you have any questions about upcoming events! 

Enjoy yourself and support our cause at a special fundraising event! 

Wednesday, October 24th, 2018

3:00-8:00 pm

Blaze Pizza

1737 Sherman Ave., Evanston

Bring in this flyer or show it on your phone before paying and Blaze Pizza will donate 20% of the proceeds from your meal to Roycemore School!

Free Community Yoga at Roycemore School - We are thrilled to partner with Phoenix Yoga Project to offer free yoga classes every Thursday at 5:00 pm. Founded by Roycemore alumnus and trustee, Scott Kinsloe, Phoenix Yoga Project offers free yoga to help bring people across a community together. Spread the word that everyone is welcome to join our community for this free and healthy weekly class! 

Roycemore School is proud to host talented and inspiring author/photographer, Jordan Matter, for a presentation to the 5th - 12th grades.  He will talk about his experience and work as a photographer, and will no doubt entertain everyone with his infectious energy!  His new book, Born to Dance: The Wonder of Childhood, is a magnificent collection of child dancers, ages 2-18, doing extraordinary and ordinary things.  This book is a beautiful look into the lives of children hanging out with friends, dancing, and just being themselves. Photos include a look at the lives of boys and girls in various neighborhoods, and TV and internet stars such as Kendall Vertes, Chloe Lukasiak, Nia Sioux, and Kalani Hilliker.  Kids share their hopes and dreams for their future in brief but inspiring commentary throughout the book. 

Jordan Matter will be at Roycemore on Monday, October 29.  Please help support his visit by purchasing a personalized autographed book!  Students who purchase a book will have an opportunity to meet Jordan during the meet and greet session that will follow his presentation. Ms. Fisher is selling his book; if  you are interested, please contact her at [email protected] as soon as possible to reserve your copy!  Click here for a book order form.

Wondering what to do and when? Well, we have a doc for that! The Recommended Timeline for the College Application Process is designed for all Upper School Griffins. Feel free to download and consult it. We have seven colleges coming to meet our juniors and seniors in person, be sure to bookmark Roycemore’s Coordinator of College Counseling Stacia Campbell’s blog for up-to-date information.

Admissions needs you! As we speed ahead into the fall, Amanda Avery, Director of Admissions seeks volunteers to represent Roycemore at upcoming fall school fairs and admissions events. It takes a village to help spread the word about our amazing school! If you are interested in becoming an Admissions Ambassador, contact Amanda directly: [email protected]. Thank you!!

Please visit our online store at  www.roycemoreschool.org/schoolstore  to get wonderful items to wear and use all year long! We know you will all love what the RFA has chosen.  

A quick link to all the Northwestern community diversity and inclusion events. Northwestern encourages community members to take part in events like these to increase their cultural competency and understanding. View All Upcoming Events.

See what is going on at Northwestern this month and next. Concerts, lectures, athletic events - there is always something going on. View October Events.

"Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness" by Ingrid Fetell Lee, Former Design Director, IDEO, and founder of the blog "The Aesthetics of Joy"; author, Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness

Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 7:00 pm at the North Shore Country Day School at 310 Green Bay Road in Winnetka. View flyer here.

"After the Education Wars: How Smart Schools Upend the Business of Reform" by Andrea Gabor, Bloomberg Chair of Business Journalism at Baruch College at the City University of New York; former editor at BusinessWeek and U.S. News and World Report; author, After the Education Wars: How Smart Schools Upend the Business of Reform

Monday, October 22, 2018 at 12:00 pm at the Loyola University Chicago School of Law at 25 E. Pearson Ave. in Chicago. View flyer here.

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