Under the guidance of then-Interim Head of the Middle School Karen Thompson and Dean of Students Jimmy Oxsalida, these three teachers were given the green light to design the house system. They began researching benchmark schools and seeking help and advice from faculty members and students. The class deans, Cameron Ferguson, Joe Supple and Maria Elena Soto, became pivotal to the development of the program. Together, the team realized that in order to move into a new and exciting future, they would have to travel into the past.

The magical halls of Hogwarts are decorated with the seals and colors of the four houses that are at the center of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series. In the books, each house is named after an important part of the school’s history. The middle school team wanted the same for their iteration. The history of Ransom Everglades needed to play a prominent role in the implementation of the middle school house system. 

Soto, the Dean of the Eighth Grade, took on this challenge. She sought out the assistance of Katrina Patchett, RE’s archivist and resident historian. Their research took them to the early years of the Adirondack-Florida School, the Everglades School for Girls and the Ransom School. The past came to life as they dove into yearbooks, historical documents and literary magazines. It was during this research that Soto discovered that the idea of mini-communities within the school was nothing new; both the Everglades School for Girls and the Ransom School had their own versions of houses. 

The Everglades School for Girls divided girls into Ibis and Egret teams. “It seemed appropriate for Everglades to pick the names of the indigenous birds,” recalled Katherine “Kaki” Swenson Kahan ’61, daughter of Everglades School for Girls founder Marie Swenson. “Academically and personally we identified with one team or another when we were playing sports.” To keep this tradition alive, the ibis and egret were adopted as the house birds for two of the new houses. 

Similarly, the Ransom School split its boys into two teams: the Green and the White. Edward “Ted” Seward ’61 recalls the positive culture these teams created among the students. “It caused a camaraderie among students across grade lines and across clique group lines which would never cross otherwise,” Seward recalled. “Imagine a sixth former ‘cheering on’ an unknown individual to him … at a spelling bee. How cool was it to create that bond?” 

The middle school houses took inspiration from the Ibis and Egret teams and the Green and White, and they took shape as Soto and Patchett unearthed more pieces of history that would later be preserved in the house names and identities. 

“We found it important that the house names meant something,” Soto said. “We wanted our students to appreciate the building blocks that helped construct the amazing school we attend today. You cannot appreciate the present without recognizing the past.” 

Adirondack House gets its name from the campus in New York where students from the Adirondack-Florida School, the predecessor to the Ransom and Everglades schools, spent the first part of their academic year. The school was intended to give boys the best advantages attainable in the way of individual attention and natural surroundings. The fact that the boys received the loyal attention of the faculty and staff led to the Adirondack House being nicknamed the House of Loyalty. The Banyan House is named after the grandiose banyan trees that have provided shade and protection to the Everglades Campus for almost a century. As the House of Ingenuity, members of Banyan are asked to find the beauty and creativity in everything around them. Echo House is named after the Everglades School newspaper, The Echo. The Echo evolved during a time when the school was becoming more modern and progressive, embracing the changing times. Therefore, members of Echo House are in the House of the Bold, students who are ready and willing to stand up for what they believe.   

Named after the Everglades School for Girls yearbook, the Excelon House was designated as the House of Legends. The first edition of The Excelon showcased a growing and evolving school with activities such as a new student council and traditions like signing names on the concrete around the Dell. Members of this house are challenged to become as legendary as their predecessors. Members of Hickory House represent both the schooner in the original school fleet used for trips to the Keys as well as the name of the Ransom publication, The Hickory Log. The idea behind the publication, for students to find and develop their voices, is still in the school’s mission today. The courage needed to speak one’s truth inspired Hickory’s title, House of Courage.   

With further research, Soto discovered that the Meenahga house on the Adirondack-Florida School campus was pivotal during the hurricanes that hit Miami, as it provided the consistency and security the boys needed during those troubling times. Therefore, it was an obvious choice to name the Meenahga House the House of Guardians. Finally, Winslow House is named after the ship, the Winslow, that helped launch the sailing program at the Adirondack-Florida School. The hands-on adventures provided by the Winslow contributed to the experiential education that was part of the school’s identity from the beginning. It, therefore, became clear that Winslow House would be the House of Adventure. 

 

During the fall of 2021-22, the new house system was unveiled to faculty and students of the middle school. Each of the seven houses would take members from all three grades. Houses would be determined by advisory, and every house was assigned a house leader. The house leader is a faculty member that serves as the go-to person for house activities and competitions. 

“When I first found out about the house system, I was really excited,” said faculty member Karina Buhler, the house leader for Meenahga. “I really liked how the house system created these connections among students from all grade levels.” 

House leaders were tasked with identifying their house’s signature color. Buhler and her house students chose Onyx, a black stone, which would appear on the house banner and house shirts. 

“One thing that I thought was really awesome,” she said, “is that all faculty and staff are part of a house. It really is a great community builder for the whole school.” 

A key point of the middle school house system was to create an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome. All members of the faculty and staff, from teachers to dining hall and facilities staff, proudly represent a house. 

And what would a house system be without friendly competition? Students can earn “house merits” for participating in various activities throughout the year. The school year is sprinkled with opportunities, devised with the help of the middle school student government, to win house merits. Whether it’s decorating a pumpkin or dressing up for Halloween, knowing the correct answers during an Earth Day Kahoot! Challenge, discovering who stole the famous painting during OBODOS (One Book, One Day, One School), or solving the final riddle during a school-wide scavenger hunt, house activities allow students, faculty and staff to come together in the spirit of fun. Abrante, the sixth-grade advisory leader, described the competitions as imperative for the healthy development of a young person. “The house system fosters a sense of pride and accomplishment,” she noted. “It also teaches our community the advantages of healthy competition in developing motivation and a desire to become the better version of oneself!”  

The students also appreciate the time and effort put into the planning of these events. “House competitions are really creative,” Ruben Garcia-Hanna ’28 said with a smile. “I like how they allow us to mix with friends from different grades to have some fun.”