Take Off!
by Adrianne Finley Odell
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On July 11th I watched, rapt, as Richard Branson and a crew with Virgin Galactic launched a new chapter of space tourism with their suborbital flight. It was a dream of his since childhood and seventeen years since the company was founded in 2004--the year many of the members of Roycemore’s senior class were born. With this development, and many other technological advances that are rapidly accelerating, entire new careers are being created. Who would have thought just a few years ago that a career as a space pilot could be an option? Yet, by 2034, the year our kindergarten class will graduate from high school, not only might they have the opportunity to pursue a career as a space pilot, but perhaps avatar managers, memory augmentation specialists or climate change reversal specialists will be exciting options to consider.
Our team of faculty and administrators have been thinking deeply about the skills that young people will need for the kinds of careers that will be prevalent in the future. Our Portrait of a Graduate emphasizes scholarship, citizenship and emotional intelligence as key tenets. Each encompasses a number of competencies we intentionally foster through our curricula and student experiences that will further equip them for careers that have not yet been created. We are preparing our students for their own “take off” and excited about the opportunities that we will have together in the coming year. As we move into a new chapter of the pandemic, we expect to have greater potential to embrace a number of the key student experiences we believe in-- field experiences, student trips, visiting experts, collaborative problem solving, interscholastic competitions and more. All of our programs emphasize the importance of strong relationships between teachers and students, as well as between students themselves, to engage in activities that spark curiosity, strengthen collaboration, enhance communication and develop other skills in our Portrait of a Graduate.
The start of the 2021-2022 school year is just a few weeks away and we are more excited than ever to welcome students back to campus as we work together to help them reach their full potential. This newsletter has a number of important updates that we encourage you to familiarize yourself with. If you have questions after reading this, please feel free to reach out to your respective division head if it is division specific, and you are, of course, welcome to reach out to me if it is a school-wide question. We are always available to you.
In partnership for the education of your children,
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Adrianne Finley Odell
Head of School
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Welcome to Two New Members of our Admin Team! |
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Angela Peters Murphy, Director of Admissions
& Financial Aid
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Morgan Graff, Director of Marketing & Communications |
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Welcome to Six New Trustees! |
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A great school is made possible through excellent governance. The Board of Trustees of Roycemore play a vital role in ensuring the School fulfills its mission, maintains strong financial position, advances its strategic priorities and supports the Head of School to work with the faculty and administration. Roycemore is truly fortunate to have a very talented group of trustees, 65% of whom are not current parents-- a rather unique (and strong) situation for the school. In July, six new trustees joined our Board and three trustees concluded their service on the Board. Below are links to the bios of our new trustees.
We would also like to express our deep appreciation to our outgoing trustees for their dedicated service to our school-- especially in the past year as we navigated the challenges of a pandemic:
- Elizabeth Ellrodt
- Seema Gorla
- Stephen Jackson
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Early Childhood and Lower School News |
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The Early Childhood and Lower School faculty is looking forward to the start of school and can't wait to see all the smiling faces in the classroom or online. As we look to the transition back to school there may be some changes, allowing students, faculty and staff to ease into the start of the school year with a focus on learning and practicing new health and safety protocol.
We will be sending specific information soon about the beginning of the school year and the welcoming events that will take place. We can't wait to see you all soon!
Darcy Aksamitowski
Early Childhood and Lower School Division Head
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Dearest Middle School Students,
We can't wait to celebrate your summer learning with you at our upcoming Roycemore Middle School Summer Learning Ice Cream Social on August 17 from 3pm - 4pm on the Middle School Patio.
Your "admission" ticket to the ice cream social is your Vision-Boarded, Summer Learning Journal .
For ideas for great summer learning, please visit the Roycemore MS Summer Learning website and check out the suggestions for summer learning fun, here.
Adrienne Floro
Middle School Division Head and Assistant Head of School for Academics
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Dear Upper School Families,
It is with great joy that I write to inform you of what you will need to obtain before the first day of school on August 24th!
Linked here is a spreadsheet that lists the books you will need to order. If you do not see a class listed, that means there are no books that need to be ordered for that class. You can order the books from anywhere you like, but most find success on Amazon, as they provide options for used books as well. Please use the 13 digit ISBN numbers when ordering, this ensures you will receive the correct book.
Other than your books, you will also need a personal laptop computer (required), and of a face mask or covering (required). There may be a few class specific supplies you will need, but your teachers will let you know what those are on the first day of classes.
**NEW students-some of you have not yet completed your course planning, and do not yet know what books you need to order. No need to worry, there is plenty of time. Go ahead and order your books once you know your courses.
**If there is a question for you as to course placement, please hold off on ordering those books until that has been determined. The teachers are aware that you may be a day or two behind in getting the books, if this is the case.
Please note: there is no official supply list for Upper School. Aside from bringing a personal laptop that can connect to the internet per the BYOD policy, students should bring general supplies to start the first few days.
I am here to help and answer any questions, so please feel free to reach out!
Yours Truly,
Mrs. Stefanie Rivera
Upper School Division Head
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Important Medical and Safety Reminders |
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Medical forms have always been required for all Roycemore students before the first day of school and that policy will continue for the 2020-2021 school year as well. This is a state law and we can not allow any students on campus without these forms on file. We suggest families make any necessary medical appointments now so that they can fulfill this requirement before the start of school.
The 2021-2022 school year is approaching and we have released an updated Health and Safety Plan that is continuously evaluated by our Health and Safety Task Force and updated regularly. Please see the plan linked below and feel free to review the updates.
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All supply lists for each division have been updated and are on the Parent Resource Page. Please check out the applicable lists for your child(ren) and order materials soon. |
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August 3: Summer Camp Showcase and Open House (8:15am)
August 4: Health & Safety Town Hall Meeting (5:30-6:30pm)
August 10: 9th Grade Retreat (11am): RSVP
August.17: Middle School Summer Learning Celebration & Ice Cream Social (3pm): RSVP
August 17: New Parent Orientation
August 20: Back to School Gathering
August 20: RFA Gathering (4-6pm)
August 23: New Student Orientation
August 24: First Day of School
September 2: Curriculum Night (5:30-8:30pm)
October 24: Fall Admissions Open House (1-3pm)
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Roycemore Summer Camp Highlights |
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The RoyceX Creative Writing class at the Museum of Contemporary Art, where they worked on various written assignments inspired by the artwork. |
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RoyceX Engineering students taking in the architecture of downtown Chicago, while en route to the Museum of Science & Industry. |
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Help us tell other families what the Roycemore experience is like from your unique perspective.
Please take 5 minutes to fill out a review at Niche.com to share your thoughts on what it's like to be a Griffin!
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