Dear Friends- As with any school with a 50 year history, we have many traditions at Randolph School, some of which have been around since the days of our founding. For many of us, this idea of tradition is a source of great comfort. It gives us a peace of mind to know that we can count on some important recurring activities from year to year, and it helps provide a certain structure to our lives. The very root of the word tradition (from the latin verb trader) offers the soot

Dear Friends, Those of us of a certain age might remember watching the 1992 vice-presidential debate, in which Ross Perot’s running mate, Admiral James Stockdale, famously opened with the rhetorical question “Who am I? Why am I here?”. I was thinking of Stockdale’s quote this week when Randolph played host to staff and administrators from High Meadow School and from Manhattan Country School. It was great to meet with these two wonderful schools, to show them proudly around ou

Dear Friends, Do you like math? The answer to this seemingly simple and innocent question can evoke an astonishing array of impassioned responses. Some people think about math and start to squirm and grimace, while others wear the mantle of “mathematician” with the comfort of a favorite warm sweater. Why would that be? Are we all hard-wired to either love or hate the study of numbers? That would seem a bit strange! While visiting my family this past weekend, I think I uncover

Dear Friends- Do you remember the first time you saw the front porch at Randolph School? The first time you climbed the stairs, looked at the welcome sign, stood before the big front doors, and maybe even sat for a minute on the bench? How about the first time you walked up to the porch with your child, holding their hand as they struggled to control the tottering weight of their new shiny backpack? Think back to the first time you peered expectantly up at a porch filled with