Message from the Head of School
The Rivers DNA By THOMAS P. OLVERSON
E
ach fall and winter, we host a number of admissions events for prospective families. I really enjoy these gatherings because they provide opportunities for me to think deeply about what makes Rivers Rivers and to use the right words to describe who we are. This search for a precise definition of Rivers has been on my mind quite a bit lately as various groups in the Rivers community—administrators, faculty, trustees—have spent time this year discussing the critical elements that make up the school’s identity. So, what is the essence of Rivers? We’ve identified five attributes —excellence, character, relationships, quality of experience, and innovation—that shape the school’s identity and define the contours of our work here at Rivers. So, a little about each element. Excellence—Rivers believes fervently that if students are to discover their talents, grow, and realize their potential, teachers must have high standards of excellence and communicate to the students that they expect them to meet those high standards. Character—I told our students at the beginning of the year that if Rivers graduates great academicians, great artists, and great athletes but not good human beings who embody the Core Values of the school, then we will have failed in our mission. There are plenty of very smart adults in the world today who lack moral judgment; Rivers does not need to add to that number. Rather, we expect each student to be a leader, which we define as being one’s best self and positively influencing others.
Relationships—When students know that teachers care about them as multi-dimensional human beings with an array of interests and talents, and when they know that teachers want them to succeed even when the bar is set high, then these students will be much more likely to stretch for excellence, pick themselves up after failing, and try something new. At Rivers we often say, “The best learning takes place in the context of relationships.” Quality of Experience—It matters to us that our students enjoy being here. It matters to us that they feel as if they are successfully confronting the challenges we put before them, gaining self-confidence and a sense of self-efficacy, and coming to the clear realization that they can do this thing called adulthood. Innovation—Innovation at Rivers is not chasing the latest educational fad just because it’s the “hot” thing. Innovation means continually looking for more and better ways to live our mission. It means being “hungry” and never satisfied. It means having the courage to move beyond the status quo to ask hard questions because at the end of the day, it’s about the students, and what we can do to best prepare them for what lies beyond Rivers. The fact that these elements define Rivers doesn’t mean that we are perfect in living each one of these elements; our spirit of innovation would never let us come to that conclusion. It does mean, though, that our sights are set squarely on these five elements, using our experience, our imagination, and our knowledge to strengthen each of them. This is what makes a school— or any organization for that matter—great: not just having a clear mission and living that mission but constantly searching for better ways to live that mission. It’s the Rivers Way! I’m interested in your reactions. Have we captured the essence of Rivers? Email me at t.olverson@rivers.org, comment on Twitter (@tomolverson), or respond on my blog http://insidetheheadshead. blogspot.com.
Board of Trustees 2011–2012
Honorary Trustees of the Corporation
PRESIDENT: Roy S. MacDowell, Jr.
Term Trustees Michael A. Bell Benjamin R. Bloomstone Robert E. Buonato ’81 Louise Cummings ’98 Karen L. Daniels Howard G. Davis ’70 Robert J. Davis Mark R. Florence Clinton P. Harris 2 •Andrew Riparian Spring N. •Jaffe ’93 2012
Daniel A. Kraft Frank H. Laukien Hongmei Li Barbara V. Ligon Deborah H. McAneny Michael E. McGuinness James C. Mullen Geoffrey S. Rehnert Alan D. Rose, Jr. ’87 Solomon B. Roth Laurie Schoen
Mark S. Schuster ’72 Richard L. Smith Steven J. Snider Michael P. Stansky Eric M. Wolf Life Trustees David M. Berwind Charles C. Carswell Joan T. Cave Stephen R. Delinsky Peter A. Gaines
G. Arnold Haynes Harriet R. Lewis Thomas L. Lyons Kenneth P. MacPherson ’42 Joel B. Sherman Frances B. Shifman William B. Tyler ’43 Joan A. Vaccarino Cai von Rumohr Joan C. Walter Frank S. Waterman III ’41 Dudley H. Willis
Joan T. Allison Thomas P. Beal, Jr. Richard A. Bradley Marie Fitzpatrick Louis J. Grossman ’67 Joshua M. Kraft ’85 Warren M. Little ’51 Virginia S. MacDowell Deborah S. Petri Frederick G. Pfannenstiehl ’59 Eleanor Pyne Prince A. Tozzer Spalding ’62