Student Life
Clubs and Activities
It’s easy to get involved at Ransom Everglades
Dozens of clubs and activities at Ransom Everglades offer opportunities to make friends, discover and develop new talents, contribute to the community, and interact with members of the school’s faculty. Students have fun while learning about collaboration, leadership, problem-solving and being part of a greater good.
Clubs are so important at Ransom Everglades that they are woven into the school day at the middle school. At the upper school, clubs meet before, during and after school hours. Through their participation in service clubs, academic teams, honor societies and school government, students make a difference on and off campus.
Various community activities and annual traditions also help bring out the best in Ransom Everglades students, who plan, execute and enjoy campus events ranging from Spirit Week to St. Alban's Day, an annual holiday festival for underserved children on both RE campuses.
Clubs are so important at Ransom Everglades that they are woven into the school day at the middle school. At the upper school, clubs meet before, during and after school hours. Through their participation in service clubs, academic teams, honor societies and school government, students make a difference on and off campus.
Various community activities and annual traditions also help bring out the best in Ransom Everglades students, who plan, execute and enjoy campus events ranging from Spirit Week to St. Alban's Day, an annual holiday festival for underserved children on both RE campuses.
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Junior wins 2023 bridge competition
Delio Gonzalez '24 was mobbed by frenzied fellow juniors after his 21.74 gram matchstick bridge held 41.0 pounds before finally splintering in the Ransom Everglades' 2023 bridge competition. With an efficiency of 909.7, Gonzalez's bridge showed the best combination of size and strength of any of the more than 200 bridges entered in the annual competition, including the 18 finalists tested in front of the entire upper school student body during a raucous event on March 14. Max Wiesenfeld '23, last year's champion, won first and third place in the aesthetic competition.Read More
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Plan to help Alzheimer's patients wins RE Business Challenge
Jordan Gonzalez ’24 and Bryce Sadler ’24 unveiled a plan to combine virtual reality and artificial intelligence to improve the cognitive ability of those with Alzheimer’s during the 10th annual Ransom Everglades Business Plan Challenge on March 7. Their business plan – Remembered Reality – earned first place from the RE alumni judging panel, topping proposals from four other finalist teams to advance to the Innovate South Florida 2023 High School Business Competition April 19.Read More -
RE students score at speech and debate states
Four Ransom Everglades students posted top finishes at the Florida Forensic League Varsity State Championships in Orlando on March 4-5. Eduardo Michelsen '25 earned fifth place in Domestic Extemporaneous Speaking, Daniela Garcia '26 and Miranda Silva '26 scored sixth place in Duo Interpretation and Andrew Gedde '25 claimed sixth in Informative Speaking.Read More -
Robotics wins 'build' award and 'volunteer of the year'
Read MoreAn RE robotics team won the "build" award and finished third overall among 41 teams in the skills competition of the South Florida Regional VRC State Championships on March 4 in Southwest Ranches, Fla., as robotics coach Bob DuBard earned the Volunteer of the Year award. DuBard, who has led RE's upper school robotics program for years, coached "The Squad" team of Lucia Rose Dahn '23, Diego de Lope '23, Sofia Paraoulaki de Miranda '23, Victor Pérez '23, Pablo Rodriguez-Russowsky '23 and Luca Trebotich '23 to the state championship as well as during their four years at the upper school. -
Speech and debate scores in Philadelphia
RE's speech and debate team excelled at a national tournament in Philadelphia Feb. 10-12, as Liv Steinhardt '23 finished third in Congressional Debate; Claudia Colina '23 finished third in Program of Oral Interpretation; and Julia Cuy '25 earned sixth place in Informative Speaking. The top finishes at the 48th Annual Liberty Bell Tournament at the University of Pennsylvania were RE's best national results of the 2022-23 season.Read More -
RE students dominate in regional history and geography bees
Ransom Everglades students swept the top three places in every division of the South Florida Regional Finals of the National History Bee and International Geography Bee, both of which took place at Ransom Everglades on March 5. Parker Jelke '27 earned first place in the eighth-grade division of both events; Jaz Puri '28 earned first place in the seventh-grade division of both, and Noah Veras '29 earned first place in the sixth-grade division of both.Read More -
Celebrated author highlights OBODOS
Acclaimed author Christina Soontornvat shared the inspiration for her children’s books, passed on writing tips and offered support and encouragement to Ransom Everglades middle schoolers during the fifth annual One Book, One Day, One School (OBODOS) event on March 2. Soontornvat’s appearance on the Swenson Hall stage provided the highlight of a multi-faceted, day-long celebration of reading, which centered around her John Newbery Medal-winning A Wish in the Dark.Read More -
MS mathletes win first place at Mathcounts
RE's middle school math team won first place in the 2023 Miami Mathcounts championship Feb. 17, earning a berth in the state tournament. Five RE students finished in the top 10 of more than 200 competitors from 31 school teams. Joshie Khohayting '28 finished second. Daniel Li '28 earned third place; Ella Wang '27, fourth; Maxie Wu '28, fifth; and Alex Tevelow '28, seventh. The students were led by coaches Jessica Merrick and Ed Lally.Read More -
Rock 4 Relief concert raises nearly $2,000
Read MoreRock 4 Relief raised $1,883.68 for Friends of South Florida Music with a Feb. 15 concert at the Lewis Family Auditorium. Club officers Max Bast '23, Santiago Sauceda '24, Erika Siblesz '23 and Trent Mopsick '23 planned, organized and executed the concert under the direction of advisor Quincy Knowles. Jake Perdigon '24 provided the expert camera work and photos. -
RE speech and debate team on to states
More than three dozen RE speech and debate students advanced to the Florida state championship by finishing in the top six in their events at the Region 5 Varsity State Qualifier at North Miami High School Feb. 3-5. Ryan Berkshire '23 (Original Oratory), Eva Bricker '23 (Dramatic Interpretation of Literature), Daniela Garcia '26 and Miranda Silva '26 (Duo Interpretation of Literature), Eduardo Michelsen '25 (Extemporaneous Speaking) and Hannah Risin '25 (Improvisational Speaking) – led the great day for Ransom Everglades, finishing in first place in their events.Read More -
Middle schoolers welcome Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani
Girls Who Code CEO and founder Reshma Saujani visited the Ransom Everglades Middle School on Feb. 2 and answered questions from panels of middle schoolers about her upbringing, approach as an author (she wrote Brave, Not Perfect) and experience working with teen girls through Girls Who Code, the non-profit she founded to help close the gender gap in computer science.Read More -
Speaker urges RE students to never forget the Holocaust
The granddaughter of a Holocaust survivor shared her grandfather’s story of tragedy and survival with Ransom Everglades upper school students in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Brought to campus by RE’s Jewish Students Association, Caryn Pardo detailed the horrific childhood journey of her “Zaida” – Harry Feldzamen – through five concentration camps.Read More -
Celebrating the Lunar New Year at RE
Ransom Everglades rang in the Lunar New Year with educational and memorable celebrations on both campuses that were organized and executed by members of RE’s Chinese community. The Chinese Parent Committee, the Chinese Culture Club and RE’s Chinese language students joined forces to organize fun festivals of food, dance, acrobatics and music that brought RE students and families together on both campuses Jan. 24-25.Read More -
Many victories at South Florida History Bee and Bowl
Ransom Everglades teams won the South Florida History Bowl varsity and JV competitions held at the upper school on Jan. 21, with Leo Fein '23, Max Weisenfeld '23, Jack Touby '23 and Jonathan Pollak '23 earning first place in the varsity event and the middle school team of Lucas Gonzalez '27, Parker Jelke '27, Zach Corbin Cheah '27 and Jaz Puri '28 topping teams of ninth and 10th graders in the junior varsity event.Read More -
RE community joins MLK Day of Service
More than 175 members of the RE community and friends joined Ransom Everglades' annual day of service on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, making dresses and shirts for children in Haiti, packing meals for local food banks and picking trash from the mangroves. Students, parents, faculty, administrators and friends arrived to the upper school throughout the day on Jan. 16, participating in the local, international and environmental service projects.Read More -
Students reflect on diversity leadership conference
Read MoreThe six Ransom Everglades students who attended the 2022 Student Diversity Leadership Conference took the stage at the Lewis Family Auditorium Jan. 17 to share their experiences with their upper school peers and encourage RE to become a more welcoming and accepting community. During a roundtable discussion, the students – Mackenzie Buckner ’24, Eleonora Cavallini ’23, Daniel Figueroa ’24, Francisco Gomez Rivas-Vazquez ’24, Karyna Steele ’23 and Malena Tewari ’23 – explained how they benefited from the multiracial, multicultural gathering in San Antonio of upper school student leaders from across the nation. -
Middle school holds annual toy drive at Christ Episcopal
Read MoreMiddle school students, girls' basketball team members and faculty helped set up and distribute toys and spread the joy of the season at Christ Episcopal Church on Dec. 10, continuing a tradition that dates back some 30 years. RE students and families donated the hundreds of toys, games, books, sports items and 20 new bicycles and helmets that were shared with members of the Coconut Grove community at the church. This year's toy drive was coordinated by RE faculty members Maria Eugenia Abrante, Ramona Miller, Flavia Araripe and Cathy Kellstrom. Photo Gallery -
Children enjoy a festive and fun St. Alban's Day
Hundreds of young school children were escorted around RE’s decked-out campuses by doting, spirited and festively dressed RE students for the annual winter festival known as St. Alban’s Day. After a two-year absence because of the pandemic, the traditional holiday carnival that originated some 50 years ago at the Everglades School for Girls returned on Dec. 9 with the classic elements: visits with Santa Claus, polar express train rides, face painting, snow and bubble makers, a petting zoo, cookie decorating, Santa letter-writing and more.Read More -
RE contingent attends diversity and inclusion conferences
Read MoreSix RE students attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Nov. 30 through Dec. 3 in San Antonio, as nine members of RE's faculty and staff participated in the simultaneous NAIS People of Color Conference. In their 29th year, the parallel conferences are designed to give students, faculty and staff the confidence, tools and skills to foster a welcoming and inclusive environment on their home campuses. -
Robotics team claims tournament championship and excellence award
Read MoreAn RE robotics team of three juniors, a sophomore and one senior topped 22 teams to earn Tournament Champion recognition and the Excellence Award at a Dec. 3 event at Miami Jackson Senior High. Erick Gross '24, Mateo Heitner '25 and Victoria Paraoulaki de Miranda '24 represented the Raiders (a team that also includes Arjun Badwal ’23 and Varun Raju ’24, who were not able to attend) at the “Make It Happen” 2022-23 VEX Spin Up Tournament.
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Middle School Clubs
List of 2 items.
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Clubs
- The Alphabet Club
- Aquaponics Green Team
- Arts and Crafts Club
- Basketball Club
- Board Games Club
- Brain RElaxation Club
- Chess Club
- Dhar Mann Club
- Doodle Club
- Drama Club (grades 7 and 8)
- Electronics Club
- Explore the Wizarding World of Harry Potter
- Film Club
- Friendship Bracelet Club
- Girls Flag Football
- Golden Ribbon Club
- Green Team
- History and Geography Club
- Instruments Club/Ukulele Club
- International Sports Club
- Little Dresses and Shirts for Haiti
- Little Inklings
- Math Team
- Needle Felting Jewelry
- Organic Gardening/Gardening for Pollinators
- Percussion Ensemble
- Ping Pong Club
- Portuguese Club
- REading Club
- RE Water Patrol with Miami Waterkeeper
- Scuba
- Spike Ball
- Sports Movie Club
- Student Government
- Tech Lab
- Volleyball Club
- Walking Club
- Wall Ball
- Weekly REbound
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Publications
- Little Inklings (literary magazine)
- The Raider Report (newspaper)
- Middle school yearbook
Upper School Clubs and Organizations
List of 5 items.
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Clubs and Organizations
- A.C.E (Advanced Chemical Experiments)
- American Sign Language Club
- Asian Students Association
- Black Students Association (BSA)
- Brazilian and Lusophone Club
- Chinese Culture Club
- Christian Students Association (CSA)
- Cook to Connect Club
- CREate for a Cause (Knitting and Crocheting Club)
- Drama Club
- French Club
- Gender & Sexuality Association (GSA)
- HealthcaRE Club
- History of Ransom Everglades Club
- Honor our Heroes
- Jewish Students Association (JSA)
- Latin American Students Association (LASA)
- Lending to End all Poverty (LEAP)
- Miami Venturing Entrepreneurs (MVE)
- Persian and Arabic Students Association (PASA)
- Poetry Club
- Politics and Current Events Club
- Ransom Everglades Against Distracted Driving (READD)
- Ransom Everglades Arts League (REAL)
- REading Club
- RE Sports Marketing Club
- RE Water Patrol with Miami Waterkeeper
- Rock 4 Relief
- Scuba
- Spirit Club
- Students Against Gun Violence (SAGV)
- Synthetic Biology Team
- Technical TheatRE
- The Podcast Club
- Women Empowerment (WE)
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Co-Curricular Teams
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Honor Societies
- Cum Laude
- Mu Alpha Theta
- National Honor Societies for Languages
- Science National Honor Society
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Publications
- Catalyst (newspaper)
- Conscience (SNHS publication)
- Inklings (literary magazine)
- PEEL (art magazine)
- REflections (yearbook)
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Student Government and Advisory Councils
- Diversity Council
- Environmental and Sustainability Council
- Health Information Project (by application only)
- Honor Council (appointed)
- Student Government Association (elected)
- Student Wellness Board and Council
- Volunteer Service Council
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Organic Gardening/Gardening for Pollinators -
Ukulele Club -
Green Team -
Ransom Everglades Arts League (REAL) -
Gender & Sexuality Association (GSA) -
Honor our Heroes -
Volunteer Service Council -
Girls Flag Football -
Ping Pong Club -
Spike Ball -
Organic Gardening/Gardening for Pollinators -
Brain RElaxation Club -
Doodle Club -
Percussion Ensemble
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Traditions and Campus Activities
List of 9 items.
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Cannon Painting
Students have been painting RE’s 17th-century cannon for more than 50 years, using the upper school campus centerpiece to make social statements, celebrate holidays and welcome visitors. -
Sixth-Grade Day on the Bay
Sixth graders kayak, swim, sail, participate in a service activity and make new friends during an annual field trip to Shake-A-Leg Miami. -
The House System
On both campuses, RE "houses" are centers of student life, service and spirit activities. At the middle school, students join houses that draw inspiration from Hogwarts, school history and South Florida wildlife; the upper school houses focus on native species. -
The Ringing Rock
The Ringing Rock is sounded on special occasions by students, faculty or administrators. Installed in October 2020, the sculpture was created by Coconut Grove artist Mark Handforth P'18 '21, combining oolitic limestone with a large yellow ring and tuned ship's bell. -
OBODOS
Every spring at the middle school, the entire student body reads the same book and joins in a one-day celebration of reading and learning called One Book, One Day, One School (OBODOS). The annual event includes a visit from the author and a full day of activities related to the author’s work. -
Spirit Week
Spirit Weeks on both campuses pit classes together in a host of friendly competitions, from sporting events to pumpkin-carving to lip-sync and more. The week cements friendships and creates memories that are talked about for years. -
St. Alban’s Day
A tradition at Ransom Everglades for more than 30 years, St. Alban’s Day brings hundreds of local children from St. Alban’s Child Enrichment Center and other schools to RE’s campuses for an extraordinary winter festival that includes petting zoos, arts and crafts, face-painting, Santa Claus, cotton candy and more. -
Thanksgiving Drives
The annual Thanksgiving food drives for the Miami Rescue Mission (upper school) and Frankie Shannon Rolle Center (middle school) engage the entire RE student body and become centerpieces of the school's celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, allowing students to show their gratitude and share with their Miami neighbors. -
Battle for the Oar
Every fall since 1974, Ransom Everglades and Palmer Trinity School compete on the football field in a much-anticipated game that decides who take possession of an oar inscribed with the victor of each year's game. The team that wins keeps the oar until the following year.
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.