CLASS OF 2022 UPDATES

Congratulations TO OUR NEWEST ALUMNAE!

Arizona State University Auburn University Barnard College Boston College Boston University Bowdoin College (2) Bowie State University Bucknell University Clemson University Connecticut College Denison University Elon University (2) Fordham University Goucher College Hobart William Smith Colleges Howard University Lafayette College Lehigh University (2) Louisiana State University Loyola Marymount University Loyola University Maryland Macalester College Morgan State University Mount Holyoke College Mount Saint Mary’s University New York University (7) Ohio State University Pennsylvania State University Saint Louis University Skidmore College (2) Southern Methodist University Stevenson University Syracuse University The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Tampa (2) The University of Tennessee (2) Tulane University (2) UCLA University of Arizona University of California, Berkeley University of Delaware (2) University of Maryland, College Park (4) University of Massachusetts University of Miami University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Richmond (2) University of San Diego University of South Carolina (4) University of Virginia Vanderbilt University Villanova University Virginia Tech Wake Forest University Washington and Lee University Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wheaton College Xavier University of Louisiana “I hope we are remembered for what we have done, how we have persevered, and the ways in which we have learned. We deserve to be seen not for what we have lost, but for what we have to offer.”

– ELLEN SALOVAARA, 2022

COMMENCEMENT SENIOR SPEAKER

Class of 2022 By the Numbers

3 of our seniors attended RPCS for 12 years 15 of our seniors attended RPCS for 13 years 3 of our seniors attended RPCS for 14 years 41% of seniors participated in a summer internship, capstone fellowship or STEM fellowship

Our seniors completed over 8,000 total hours of community service

The Class of 2022 will attend 58 colleges in 21 states and Washington, D.C.

20 students will attend attend a state's flagship university in 13 different states

80 seniors received 338 college acceptances

4 students are attending HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities) 11 seniors earned the World Languages Certificate

10 seniors earned the Holliday Heine STEM Certificate

3 students are attending women’s colleges

14 seniors are attending Liberal Arts colleges

17 seniors chose colleges where RPCS students have not enrolled for the past five years

6 seniors will go on to compete in intercollegiate athletics

1 students is choosing a gap year experience

Again To Begin,

Reflections from

Caroline Blatti,

Head of School To begin again, and again. To take a step back. To move forward. Each of these actions has taken on incredibly weighted significance over the last few years. The public health and social justice challenges that shaped our last two and a half years of school life tested our ability to renew, reset, and move forward. Some days, putting one foot in front of the other to move forward was all that we could muster personally and professionally. But our community did just that: we showed up. Teachers gave their all. Students remained nimble and pushed forward against a backdrop of increasing and wide-ranging national and global complexities. Parents and guardians remained understanding and offered grace — time and again. Even as we longed for normalcy, we remained a community united around a common purpose: our love for Roland Park Country School.

We will take greater care with one another. We will see and feel our voices and times together with greater appreciation. We will laugh more deeply and see things with renewed joy and energy.

During the last few years, we have continuously been in a state of disequilibrium, seeking safety, structure, the known, the familiar. Falling short at times, we persisted day by day. We improvised. We adjusted. We adapted. In the leadership writing of Ron Heifetz, he shares a few important and relevant points to help us process where we are today. In times of disequilibrium, we will seek to adapt and adjust to achieve the feeling and/ or reality of equilibrium. Heifitz reminds us: “Living systems seek equilibrium… Adapting to human challenges requires that we go beyond the requirements of simply surviving.” In our valiant efforts to seek equilibrium during challenging times, we were creating any approximation we could for a path back towards the things we once knew to be true and certain.

If necessity forced us into a state of continual adaption, where do we go from here? Because loss, stress and a lack of control defined many of our days over the last few years, how do we define the period we are in now? And perhaps the larger question is, what does all of what we have learned mean for the path forward for RPCS?

Here is what this means for us: We found out that we are stronger than we ever expected. We recognized a need to draw upon our expertise in student wellness. Always a priority for RPCS, now more than ever the resilience of our students is directly correlated to the people, programs and spaces supporting all our students. We also learned that our faculty need to be cared for and supported in new and unique ways coming out of teaching under a continual state of duress. We know from national trends and from the voices of our own employees that we need to work harder to prioritize their wellness and come together to support the adults in the community.

We have also learned a great deal about what our students want and need in their learning environment. Our students are ready to take on the world. This generation of students is actively engaged in the issues that we all face as a global community. I see our students expressing their passions and interests in connecting classroom learning to community change. I see our school continuing to evolve and develop new and innovative programs that give our students direct access and experiences to live out our core values: seek

and embrace diversity; live healthy and be well; take a seat at the table; and lead

for the greater good. Despite the challenges we faced, I am so proud of where we are headed as a school. Our newly endowed Holliday Heine STEM and Gore Leadership Institutes, the launch of our new Certificate of Arts Distinction program and the creation of Stronger Together, our first ever Diversity, Equity and Inclusion action plan, are just a few of many examples that define where we are headed in the next phase of our journey.

In short, we need to begin, again. We take all that we have been through and give ourselves space and grace to process and move forward. We will take greater care with one another. We will see and feel our voices and times together with greater appreciation. We will laugh more deeply and see things with renewed joy and energy.

When I was writing remarks for our Commencement ceremony for the Class of 2022, our Centennial Song reverberated in my heart and mind. I shared with our seniors that they will be remembered both for what they have accomplished and what they have endured. They will not be the first and they will not be the last to dance through these halls. They are the “notes of a song that goes on and on and on. Some are melody. Some are harmony. Their class is a ‘symphony of song.’”

RPCS is a symphony of song. It is a song that began before any of us arrived at this moment; and it will go on, and on and on. We are part of this song. We take our next steps together. We join together in the creation of this song. As Brendan Kennelly shared in his poem “Begin”: Though we live in a world/that dreams of ending/that always seems about to give in/something that will not acknowledge conclusion/ insists that we forever begin.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you. I look forward to beginning, again, with you.

Begin By Brendan Kennelly Begin again to the summoning birds to the sight of the light at the window, begin to the roar of morning traffic all along Pembroke Road. Every beginning is a promise born in light and dying in dark determination and exaltation of springtime flowering the way to work. Begin to the pageant of queuing girls the arrogant loneliness of swans in the canal bridges linking the past and future old friends passing though with us still. Begin to the loneliness that cannot end since it perhaps is what makes us begin, begin to wonder at unknown faces at crying birds in the sudden rain at branches stark in the willing sunlight at seagulls foraging for bread at couples sharing a sunny secret alone together while making good. Though we live in a world that dreams of ending that always seems about to give in something that will not acknowledge conclusion insists that we forever begin.

At Roland Park Country School, we empower our students to gain the academic foundation and cognitive and creative reasoning skills to investigate intellectually rigorous problems in the growing fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). Through a generous gift to the school, Holliday “Holly” Cross Heine, 1962* and her husband John “Jack” Heine of Santa Barbara, California, recently endowed The Holliday Heine STEM Institute and two director positions to provide leadership within it. We strive to honor Holly’s passion for science by offering our students the skills and motivation in STEM and STEAM fields that they can build upon through their years at RPCS and beyond. Read more for the latest updates of our STEM and STEAM programming by division. >>

*deceased

Lower School: New STEAM Teacher Position

To help expose our youngest students to fields where women have historically been underrepresented, Lower Schoolers are encouraged to be curious investigators who engage in the joys of hands-on learning and exploring. Recently, a new Lower School STEAM teacher role was established to partner closely with the School’s K-8 STEAM Director and provide instruction for basic technology, coding, and engineering skills to all students in grades K-5. This fall, Heather Samet, a teacher in the RPCS Lower School for 14 years, will take on the role as Lower School STEAM teacher, where in addition to planning, developing and evaluating lessons that align with the RPCS STEAM curriculum, she will also work closely with classroom teachers to integrate developmentally appropriate engineering and design thinking practices into their own grade-level curricula. Heather will also teach the students internet safety and digital citizenship, including personal responsibility for technology use.

“I’m most excited about working with homeroom teachers to create projects that will add to and enhance their curriculum and also to utilize a variety of materials in the Junior Innovation Lab to create a handson makerspace,” Heather said. “I’m looking forward to the creative freedom.” Heather graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Information Technology. She has taught second, fourth and fifth grades at RPCS. Middle School: Enhanced STEAM Curriculum

Starting this fall, Roland Park Country School offers new STEM classes in the Middle School that focus on teaching design thinking and programming skills to enhance the current STEAM program. By learning design thinking, our students will learn to tap into their creative potential and think more deeply about complex problems. Each unit targets a specific end user and highlights the importance of designing based on the needs of others.

In the sixth grade, the curriculum will focus on “design for play,” where students will learn the art of world building and design their own video games. In the seventh grade, students will build on their skills learned in sixth grade to begin using User Experience Design (also known as UX Design) to develop a new and original application that meets the needs of the greater community. After learning UX Design, eighth graders will dive into Human Centered Design. In the STEM 8 class, students will learn how to engineer and design from an empathetic lens.

The new Middle School courses are also designed to help increase diversity in STEM fields. “By incorporating artistic design, and empathy-based pedagogical approaches to STEAM, our Design Thinking classes allow learners to better understand how STEAM is connected to empathy and how they can improve the world they live in,” said Keya Robinson, the Holliday Heine K-8 STEAM Director. “The intersection with social-emotional learning, coupled with the infusion of art, makes STEAM more accessible to students who may not visualize themselves as ‘STEM kids.’”

“The intersection with social-emotional learning, coupled with the infusion of art, makes STEAM more accessible to students who may not visualize themselves as ‘STEM kids.’”

Upper School: Spotlight on New Graduate of the Holliday Heine STEM Institute

In The Holliday Heine STEM Institute, Upper School students at RPCS have the opportunities to explore the empirical world to cultivate their curiosity and passions and develop confidence, persistence and innovative habits of mind. There is a growing interest in the Institute, with 65 students enrolled in the previous school year (2021-2022), including 22 ninth graders – the largest number of students in one grade.

“Every experience I had was valuable,” said Sydney Sauls, 2022, a recent graduate of The Holliday Heine STEM Institute. The summer after her freshman year, Sydney participated in the Environmental Science Summer Research Experience (E.S.S.R.E.) at RPCS, a threeweek paid internship in environmental field studies. Through exploring the soil chemistry and biota of the RPCS campus, Sydney engaged in authentic, self-directed primary research, which shaped her passion for environmental science. Sydney also had the chance to explore other STEM subjects through Advanced Placement (AP) classes in computer science, biology and statistics and was the first student at RPCS to pilot a college-credit course offered through Johns Hopkins University’s pre-collegiate Biomedical Engineering Innovation program, which will be offered to RPCS juniors and seniors this fall. In that course, Sydney used coding, physics and robotics knowledge gained throughout her STEM courses to build prototypes for a biomedical device, model the cardiovascular system through an electric circuit, and design a lab measuring and analyzing human efficiency in different male physiques. While conducting her course work, Sydney felt very prepared writing lab reports and even helping other students from her experience in the STEM Institute. Last summer, Sydney completed a weeklong internship at Bliss Meadows, a local Black-owned urban farm with a mission to re-introduce BIPOC communities to nature while working to solve food insecurity in Baltimore. Sydney specifically credits this internship, along with taking honors biology as a freshman, working in the campus gardens and completing the E.S.S.R.E. internship for identifying her career path. “When I grow up, I want to be an environmental scientist, with a focus on urban food sustainability,” said Sydney. “My time at RPCS made me realize that this is the direction I want to pursue.” This fall, Sydney is studying environmental science and biology at Howard University on a full academic scholarship as a Karsh STEM Scholar.

Sydney Sauls, 2022

meet Margaret Lofgren

Our New Middle School Head

Roland Park Country School is thrilled to welcome Margaret Lofgren as the new Head of the Middle School. Margaret joins us from Foothill Country Day School, a co-ed independent K-8 school in Claremont, California, where she has served as an academic leader and teacher for 26 years. Before her most recent role as the Upper School Director (grades 6-8) at Foothill Country Day School, Margaret taught Middle School history and Latin there for many years. She started her career teaching Upper School history at Vivian Webb School, an all-girls school in Claremont, California. Margaret earned her undergraduate degree in History from Georgetown University, where she was also a scholar-athlete in cross country and track, and her M.A. in Secondary Social Studies Education from Teachers College at Columbia University. Margaret is honored to join the RPCS family and looks forward to being a “newbie” again. Please give her a warm welcome when you see her on campus!

What drew you to a career in education? I have always loved school and children. My mother was a Middle School social studies teacher and my grandmother was an English and Latin teacher. Knowing that I wanted to follow in their footsteps, as a young girl, I would often make believe that I was a teacher. I became a history major because I love stories and knowing about the past. Although I always attended public school, my brother went to Deerfield Academy, which opened up my world to independent schools – where I have been my entire career.

What are you most proud of in your career? I am most proud of pursuing my passion – working in a school – while balancing the needs of taking care of my two daughters as well.

What interested you about Roland Park Country School? As a mom of two daughters, I understand the value of providing girls with a strong education. The School’s core values and emphasis on empowering girls to become lifelong learners, who will serve and improve their communities as people of empathy, integrity and character, align with my educational vision and personal values. I look forward to becoming part of a school where students are encouraged to take their seat at the table, be healthy and well, and embrace diversity. I also love Roland Park Country School’s positive vibe and strong sense of community.

What is your top priority as an educator? I want every student to explore their passions and know what they are capable of, so that they can be the best of who they are, whether it is as a student, friend, artist, athlete, or something else. As Middle School Head, I want to be that cheerleader and support system to help students explore and thrive.

How do you get teachers excited about teaching and the students excited about learning? What is most important for me is building relationships. I can’t wait to get to know all of the teachers and learn what makes them tick, what excites them, and what makes them who they are.

For the students, it’s so important that they are truly known. I am eager to meet and really get to know the girls – both inside and outside of class, on stage or the athletic fields. When people are known and cared for, there is less of a worry when taking academic leaps. I want our Middle School students to be challenged to think and try new things through hands-on experiences and build resilience from making mistakes. When people are known and cared for, there is less of a worry when taking academic leaps. I want our Middle School students to be challenged to think and try new things through hands-on experiences and build resilience from making mistakes.

What do you love most about Middle School students? I love their energy, honesty, sense of humor, and seeing how much they grow in just three years. Middle School is a time of change and transition; the girls learn to become independent learners and thinkers and begin to question who they want to become as a person, while at the same time navigating the social dynamics of being an adolescent.

What is your greatest hope for the Middle School at RPCS? My greatest hope is for the Middle School students to be happy and proud to be at RPCS! I want teachers to thrive, feel supported, and be excited to be here. I want the girls to feel confident, be able to voice their opinions, and feel empowered to be who they are. I am hopeful that the Middle School at RPCS can really stand on its own with a strong sense of both community and identity, while fitting into the entire school culture.

What is one book you would recommend to all of your students and why? Wonder by R.J. Palacio is an important read for people of all ages. The book explores critical themes of identity, bullying, challenges and acceptance and how to deal with differences in others; it reminds us of how it feels to be middle schoolers. As a Hufflepuff, I am also a big fan of the Harry Potter book series.

Tell us one thing about yourself that may surprise people. I can ride a unicycle! When I was in the third grade, I wrote a letter to Santa Claus – which was later printed in the local newspaper – asking for one from the Sears catalog. After learning how to ride one as a child, I picked the hobby back up at the start of the pandemic, with a new unicycle. I like it because I really have to concentrate when I’m riding it and enjoy the challenge.

FUN FACTS ABOUT MARGARET: An outdoor enthusiast, Margaret loves to run, walk and hike. // Margaret’s husband is a paleontologist // She is excited to return to the East Coast to be closer to her parents and two adult daughters.

EV L VING

ROLES FOR RPCS LEADERS

In the spirit of new beginnings, Roland Park Country School is excited to announce several role changes for our current faculty for the 2022-2023 school year. Read more about these new leadership roles and how each of these individuals will strengthen the rich learning and teaching across RPCS.

Elisha James Director of K-12 Student Life and Engagement

This last school year marked Elisha James’ 16 years of service at RPCS, which she calls the “sweet sixteen” because each day provides another chance to do what she loves – engaging with students. As an educator and leader and former Middle School Dean of Students, Elisha is most proud of cultivating authentic relationships with students in the classroom, through clubs and the arts, and re-shaping student organizations and modeling for student leaders and the community how to lead with grace, compassion and determination.

As Director of K–12 Student Life and Engagement, Elisha will be responsible for shaping and developing policies, approaches and processes that support Roland Park Country School’s commitment to the health and wellness of every student at RPCS. In this role, Elisha will be instrumental in examining and implementing student life experiences that contribute to a healthy, thriving student culture. She will oversee the All-School Student Life and Engagement team and will work closely with the Head of School and the Strategic Planning Committee on all areas related to student life. This role also intersects with the academic lives of all students in grades K–12, especially in partnering with the Head of School, division heads, department chairs and learning specialists, as RPCS continues to assess and develop optimal learning experiences and environments for our students in these three divisions.

Elisha is excited to take on this new role, where she will serve as an agent who leads and partners with multiple constituencies to develop a healthy, thriving school culture for our youngest to oldest students. “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, ‘we cannot walk alone.’ I am excited and honored to walk, dance, sing, and connect with and guide our students during their RPCS experience,” Elisha said. “My hope is through our work together; every individual recognizes ‘we are many; we are one.’”

Robert Anderson Director of Academic Technology and Innovation

Robert Anderson joined RPCS in November 2020 as an academic technology specialist to integrate technology into the classrooms, evaluate and present new educational tools and apps, and design and deliver technology-related professional development to our faculty.

An advocate of using technology to create rather than consume, Robert quickly became an indispensable member of the RPCS community by helping teachers find creative technological solutions in their classrooms and inspiring the next generation of innovators, developers and leaders. Prior to RPCS, Robert worked as an integration technology specialist and technology teacher in Los Angeles, California, for five years.

In his new role as the Director of Academic Technology and Innovation, Robert will develop and implement a strategic vision for instructional technology at RPCS. He will be responsible for planning, implementing, directing and maintaining the school’s use of educational technology, and evaluating and providing recommendations to complement classroom instruction with software applications and technology. Robert will also oversee best practices involving digital tools and integration of technology into daily practical classroom use and will support staff and professional development opportunities as it relates to integrating technology into academic programming.

“Growing up in the days of dialup internet, Windows XP, and America Online, technology has always been a huge part of my life,” Robert said. “In the eighth grade, I built my first computer with hardware purchased from a local CompUSA store. In this new role, I’m excited to help develop and implement a strategic vision for academic technology at RPCS. I look forward to bringing innovative ideas and tools to our community while collaborating with leadership, faculty and staff.”

Tiana Redfern Oguaman, 1999 Middle School Dean of Students

A proud graduate of RPCS, Tiana Redfern Oguaman, 1999 has been a faculty member at the school for nine years. Throughout her tenure, she has excelled in many roles, including K-12 English Department Head, K-8 English Department Head, Upper School and Middle School Advisor, and most recently, English Department Chair and Middle and Upper School English Teacher. Tiana has also served as a faculty sponsor for numerous Upper School and Middle School clubs and organizations, including the Student Diversity Association and Black Student Union. Tiana has led and collaborated on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) task forces and has served as a member on the Admissions committee.

As Middle School Dean of Students, Tiana will support and shape the student culture within the Middle School and will work closely with Margaret Lofgren, Middle School Head, Elisha James, Director of K-12 Student Life and Engagement, counselors, learning specialists and the faculty and advising teams in the Middle School. In collaboration with Margaret, Tiana will enforce, interpret, and revise rules and codes of conduct, ensuring that they are developmentally appropriate, consistent with the school’s philosophy, clearly articulated and clearly understood by students and adults.

As a member of the All-School Student Wellness and Engagement team, Tiana will work closely with advisors, counselors and teams to address issues of the student body and/or individual students. She will also support the entire Middle School faculty to ensure a safe and secure environment, including coaching them when needed with classroom management or handling of sensitive student issues. Additionally, Tiana will support the Middle School Head in her day-to-day operations. Tiana will also continue teaching two sections of Middle School English. “I’m excited to take on this new leadership role and hope to continue the tradition of creating powerful, compassionate, and authentic future leaders,” Tiana said. “It has always been my goal to make every child feel not only seen and heard, but also accepted and embraced. I look forward to helping RPCS students discover the best versions of themselves.”

Sara Rollfinke Upper School Head

Now in her 19th year at RPCS, Sara Rollfinke has served in many roles, including a French and Spanish teacher, World Language Department Chair, Grade Level Dean, and most recently, Director of Teaching and Learning. She also served as Dean of Faculty, where she managed and revised the faculty hiring procedures to bring consistency and equity to the process, oversaw faculty reviews and evaluations, coached and guided new teachers and supported all faculty in their teaching and professional development. In her role as Director of Teaching and Learning, Sara worked closely with the department chairs on coordinating the K–12 curriculum, collaborated with faculty on pedagogy and best teaching practices, and last year, focused on helping faculty to improve their culturally responsive teaching. One of Sara’s most important contributions at RPCS has been establishing the Incoming Teacher/Administrator Institute, a two-day professional development summer workshop for newly hired teachers and administrators. This has provided a meaningful opportunity for team building, an introduction to the RPCS community, and in-depth discussions about teaching and learning before the new hires begin working with students in late August.

Throughout her tenure here, Sara has learned to enjoy new challenges, build relationships to foster open and honest communication, and confront difficult situations directly and transparently. Her educational philosophy is reflected through this quote by William Butler Yeats: “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire,” and as an educator, Sara strives every day to “light a fire” in the students she teaches and the faculty she mentors to engage, nurture and motivate them.

“I am looking forward to taking on the role of Upper School Head at RPCS and leading our students and faculty forward,” Sara said. “I love teenagers and enjoy their energy, unpredictability and idealism and am particularly committed to the unique and transformational nature of girls’ education and take very seriously the responsibility of preparing our students to enter the world with intellectual curiosity and confident spirit. As an administrator, I have learned that most people work best in a setting in which they are respected, supported and held accountable for their tasks, and this is the tone I strive to set in the 2022-23 school year.”

Melissa Carter-Bey, 1992 Assistant Upper School Head A proud graduate of RPCS, Melissa Carter-Bey has been part of the school faculty for nine years. She taught both first and second grades and was appointed the Upper School Dean of Students in 2016. Throughout her tenure here, Melissa has been invaluable to our community and helping her students thrive. Five years ago, Melissa started our summer internship program to provide our Upper School students with real-world learning experiences. She has led this program and connected more than 150 rising seniors with professional internships in a wide range of career fields, including medicine, social work and finance. Melissa also excels at facilitating relationships with students and alumnae, parents and guardians, and faculty and staff and is beloved by our entire community.

Melissa is prepared and thrilled to take on the role of Assistant Upper School Head, which is a new position at RPCS. “Helping our students to learn and lead has been my greatest joy,” Melissa said. “When our students walk out our doors to go to college and pursue meaningful careers, knowing that I might have played a small part in their journey makes me proud. I am looking forward to continuing to support our faculty and students and to work alongside Sara Rollfinke in my new role.”