The indomitable spirit at Ransom Everglades
After spending most of the spring and early summer working remotely from either the head of school's home on Tigertail or a second floor office in the middle school, I returned to my office in the Pagoda in late July. Working alone in that magnificent space for most of the past six weeks has afforded me time to reflect on the historical stature of the Pagoda, and it has also reminded me of the indomitable spirit of those associated with the school from its very beginnings.
Built in 1902 and in consultation with Paul Ransom's neighbors of Bahamian descent who had settled Coconut Grove and understood its climate, the Pagoda was the main building of the Adirondack-Florida School's Coconut Grove campus. The school opened in 1903 with seven students and four teachers, and those eleven individuals lived and learned in the Pagoda, the center of school life in the remote Florida environment.
Thirty-nine pilings of "local coral" driven deep into the ground elevate the Pagoda above the ridge, providing both superb ventilation and protection from storms. Dade County pine made the building impervious to termites and weather degradation. Sunlight and sea breezes from Biscayne Bay enter through the perfectly-sized windows, making the interior peaceful and inviting. Watching the sunrise from the second floor gallery is the best way to start a day.
The Pagoda has withstood the test of time. Vulnerable to Florida's harsh elements, it has been battered by hurricanes and prevailed. According to the City of Miami Historical Preservation, the Pagoda is the only significant building from the “pioneer” days of Dade County that has survived in its original form. Its use has changed as the school has evolved, and new structures have been built around it. No longer is it at the center of a remote environment. It still stands, though, nearly 120 years after its construction as a beautiful example of a building suitable to its environment. It is also the heart of the school.
For our current students and faculty, remote has taken on a completely different meaning. COVID-19 caused us to spend the last two-and-a-half months of the 2019-20 school year teaching and learning remotely. On August 24 we began the new school year remotely, and we recently announced that we would continue virtual learning until the mid-semester: October 12. I much prefer remote as it refers to the first half-century of our school, but this remote is our reality and our community is dealing with it with courage and conviction.
A remote opening meant that new faculty joined returning faculty in virtual meetings. All planning for the school year was done online. Our only in-person contact with the students was at the school supplies drive-through when we passed laptops, books and course-specific supplies through car windows and hatches. The much-anticipated STEM Center was finished during the summer to little fanfare and was for the most part empty on the first day of classes. Our beloved back-to-school rituals looked nothing like they have in the past.
Bringing our students back to campus has been and will always be our number one priority. Back in March none of us anticipated that we would still be working remotely in September. We understand the downside of remote learning, and we have dived deep into the literature, advice and statistics that have bombarded us daily. As a leadership team, we have probably never felt more vulnerable as we labored to make the best decisions for our community.
We will continue to draw on the strength of a school that has been around for more than a century, that has withstood all manner of disruptions. What encourages me is watching our faculty display that strength through their commitment, transforming a highly effective curriculum into an exceptional on-line program. They make adjustments almost daily, and collegial collaboration sustains us. The students, too, encourage me. They have dug in, exhibiting the grit and resilience that have been part of Ransom Everglades history since its founding. They are showing us that they can work through the disappointment and displacement of not being on campus, and they are building skills that will only benefit them in the future.
Middle School
2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 250 6850
Upper School
3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.