A N E D U C AT I O N A B OV E2 A N E D U C AT I O N A B O V E

4 A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C E

6 L E A D E R S I N T E A C H I N G G I R L S

8 D E L I V E R I N G P E R S O N A L I Z E D E D U C AT I O N

12 G L O B A L E D U C AT O R S

14 B E Y O N D A C A D E M I C S

16 S U P E R I O R AT H L E T I C S

18 M O D E L L E A D E R S H I P

20 I N S P I R AT I O N A L S E R V I C E L E A R N I N G

24 M E A N I N G F U L I M P A C T

26 O U T S TA N D I N G T E A C H E R S

28 C A R I N G C U LT U R E

30 A U T H E N T I C D I V E R S I T Y

34 C A M P U S U N D E R O N E R O O F

36 T R A D I T I O N A N D I N N O V AT I O N

38 A L U M N A E P O W E R H O U S E S

40 A N E D U C AT I O N A B O V E

C H O O S E AN EDUCATION ABOVEMost schools seek to prepare their students for the next academic step. At Roland Park Country School, we think that’s just not aiming high enough.

We strive to prepare our students for life—a life full of wonder, joy, complexity and, yes, challenges. We empower them with the kind of integrity, will and character they need to thrive while still staying true to themselves and their values.

To achieve this, we start with strong academics. Then we add in layers of experiences and opportunities carefully designed to nurture our students’ curiosity, creativity, confidence, compassion and leadership.

All delivered by an award-winning, experienced and much-loved faculty energized by our students and the expectation of being the best at what they do.

All taking place within the context of a genuinely supportive community where every student has multiple friends, mentors and others looking out for her.

All at Roland Park Country School, An Education Above.

2 3

At Roland Park Country School, our students excel in

their academic endeavors. Whether measured by SAT

averages, national merit scholars, or college success, our

young women are among the region’s highest-achieving

students, year after year.

One of the many reasons our students perform so well

academically is that we understand the limitations of

traditional, often rote, learning experiences.

For us, education doesn’t end when the laptops shut down

and students leave the classroom. It persists through long

days dredging for oysters in the Chesapeake, identifying

trees in our forested Backwoods, becoming the first Chinese

speaker in the family, compiling data used by NASA

researchers to study temperatures on Jupiter, or drafting a

sonnet even Shakespeare would be proud of.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School

builds on a student’s personal inquisitiveness,

teaching her how to think, not what to think.

A C A D E M I C E X C E L L E N C EA C A D E M I C S . T H E F O U N D AT I O N O F I T A L L.

T he rigors of each course will teach

the fundamentals . But will they limit

her ideas or illuminate her fut ure?

RPCS not only prepared me academically to complete colle ge and graduate school,

but also taught me to seek knowledge and learn for a lifetime.

-RPCS Alumna

4 5

L E A D E R S I N

T E A C H I N G G I R L S

AP Biology really changed my life. More than any one lesson or single factoid, I was taught

to be open to new ideas and that has changed my view of literally everything around me.

-RPCS Senior

At Roland Park Country School, we understand the

developmental needs of girls—academically, socially and

emotionally—and teach with a pedagogy tailored to the

unique needs of each girl. For over a century, RPCS has

been a leader in all-girls’ education. Here, the journey

from Kindergarten to college is one that girls make

together, challenging and supporting one another along

the way.

Our school is a nurturing place for each girl, enabling

her to retain the natural curiosity she brings with her

when she enters Lower School while helping her develop

her voice. Carefully crafted experiences, including an

8th grade speech and a senior speech, give each girl the

experience and confidence to make her mark on the

world.

Our comprehensive STEM Institute prepares young

women to do their part in leveling the science,

technology, engineering and math fields still under-

represented by women. Moreover, our students are

equally intrigued by robotics, computer programming,

physics and calculus as they are by 20th Century Latin

American literature, world history and new media arts.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School takes advantage of the ways girls learn, uprooting gender stereotypes and broadening educational prospects, all to encourage each of our students to remain curious, fearless about learning, and enthusiastic about new challenges—in short, to just be themselves.

We all kno w the wond rous, glorious

ways in which women and men dif fer.

S o why not teach girls the way they

lear n best?

G I R L S W I L L B E G I R L S.T H A N K F U L LY.

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D E L I V E R I N G

PE R S O NA L I Z E D E D U C AT I O N

It sounds funny, but I became more me at Roland Park.

-RPCS Upper School St udent

At Roland Park Country School, we teach our students to

push themselves and excel according to standards set by

the outside world, but we also encourage and help them

find their own path to success.

Underlying this approach is the understanding that

each student learns differently, which is why our

teachers’ instruction is informed by our students’

individual learning profiles. By senior year, after years

of personalized attention, most of our students graduate

with college-level credits.

In preparing our young women for college, we take very

seriously helping each senior find and gain admission

to the college that’s perfect for her. It’s a collective,

culminating effort, gladly shared by our talented college

counselors as well as by every teacher and administrator

who has been fortunate enough to work with her.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School means understanding that each student learns in her own way and often in her own time. It also means understanding that society has set measures for success, and that our students must be prepared to surpass them. Bringing these two ideas into balance is a big part of what sets RPCS apart and above the rest.

T he easiest way for a school to operate

is to treat every student the same. But

is that the best way to educate?

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT. GROUP EFFORT.

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G L O B A L E D U C A T O R S

To be fluent in the language of success, it helps to expand your vocabulary.

-Jean Waller Brune, Head of School

At Roland Park Country School, we know education

continues past our geographic borders. The global

education we provide our girls starts early, with

Kindergartners learning both French and Spanish.

Chinese is an option as early as Middle School.

Our Upper School, in addition to teaching French and

Spanish, also offers Arabic, Russian and Chinese, already fast

becoming a lingua franca for global communications. Students

may also pursue Latin and Ancient Greek. While our

school requires students to be proficient in only one second

language, it’s not uncommon to see our young women

embarking upon a third or fourth by their senior year.

Beyond this linguistics mastery, our students also gain the

knowledge and experience needed to navigate a world

that increasingly demands cultural competence through

virtual collaborations and exchange programs with peers

across the world.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School means understanding the world beyond our borders and teaching our students to discover their unique role within it.

O ur girls will live in a global village.

Why not prepare them to lead it?

A W O R L D O F D I F F E R E N C E .

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B E Y O N D A C A D E M I C S

I appreciate the freedom we have to explore and make our own creative choices.

-RPCS Upper School St udent

At Roland Park Country School, the arts provide our

students with indispensable opportunities to work to

the best of their ability for the satisfaction of a job well

done. Art also exposes our students to a wide range

of human values, including one’s place in society, the

interplay between nature and the environment, and

all that is both beautiful and complex. All to help them

make the choices that are right for them, and find their

passion—wherever it may be.

Much of this exploration happens in our state-of-the-art

Macfarlane Arts Center, a peerless arena for the arts by

way of dance studios, choral practice rooms, ceramics,

painting and printmaking facilities, an expansive theater

and much more. Whether perfecting triple turns in

jazz dance class, harmonizing with one of our student

musical groups, or placing a newly-created vase in the

kiln, RPCS students prove, repeatedly, that the arts are in

no way extracurricular.

Our talented artist-teachers as well as renowned artists

who serve as our CJC Artists-in-Residence provide

superior instruction, allowing our students to reach new

heights in creativity and self-expression. As a testament

to the quality of the artwork produced, the school often

integrates final creations into our architecture, including

the family tree sculpture that hangs as the centerpiece

above our grand staircase.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School means seeing the arts as one more opportunity to shape character, teach our students to trust their unique voices, and build a habit of challenging preconceived notions.

It’s easy to d ream of becoming a star,

but will she ha ve the courage and

character to take the stage?

A R T I L L U M I N A T E S F R O M W I T H I N.

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S U P E R I O R A T H L E T I C S

RPCS athletics has instilled in our own daughters the tenacity, the leadership, the discipline, and

the teamwork skills necessary to succeed in today’s global economy.

-Parent of Three RPCS Alumnae

At Roland Park Country School, stepping up to a

challenge isn’t metaphorical. Every day our students

compete on the playing fields, in the gym, on the courts

and in the water—all to prove something to themselves.

Each time they do, win or lose, they learn character,

resilience, confidence and sportsmanship.

Team spirit and a love of fitness make up the

foundation of our physical education and athletics

programming, which starts in Lower School with

physical education classes. In Middle School, after-

school interscholastic athletic teams complement

physical education classes. By Upper School, students

have the opportunity to take part in 16 different sports

in addition to a fitness-based PE curriculum.

Our commitment to helping our students sustain life

lessons that only athletics can deliver so convincingly

comes to life in our RPCS Athletic Complex. The

LEED Gold certified complex includes a fitness center,

a competition gym with a suspended three-lane track,

a horizontal climbing wall, an athletic training room,

two synthetic turf fields, and the first high school

rowing tank in Maryland.

It’s no wonder that RPCS often places first in

athletic competitions among local schools. In the

past several years alone, our varsity teams have won

championships in tennis, squash, badminton, golf and

crew. One of our students has taken home three squash

national championship titles while a student at RPCS.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School values athletics for keeping students healthy and active and also for showing them the lifelong advantages of being a team player. Above all, our athletic program gives students the ability to see hurdles—whether on the track or in life—not as challenges, but as opportunities to excel.

You can hit like a girl . But can you

ear n three national t itles, all before

your 18th birthday?

C H A L L E N G E A C C E P T E D .

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M O D E L L E A D E R S H I P

Not only do we teach leadership skills—we create leaders.

-RPCS Upper School Teacher

At Roland Park Country School, we don’t think of

leadership as a simple skill that can be learned in a

weekend workshop. Leadership at RPCS is an attribute that

needs to be built over time, layer upon layer. And if you

ever had the chance to get to know our students, it is clear

that leadership is an attribute we know how to build.

Leaders among our students and recent alumnae

include one of just two young women selected by the

National Coalition of Girls’ Schools to represent the

United States at the International Student Leadership

Conference as well as a fellow of the Madeleine

Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs, which

prepares women for positions of leadership.

The courage to speak up and speak out is a skill to be

practiced and honed over time. Our student-run clubs

have young women fighting for justice in mock trials

and world peace in model United Nations scenarios.

All seniors explore their interests—and potential

career paths—through independent senior projects,

whether that is writing an original musical or

shadowing world-renowned architects.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School is purposefully designed to build the kind of confidence, character and resiliency that all true leaders share.

T hey say a leader without follo wers

is just someon e taking a walk. Who

will stand with you?

F O L L O W M E .

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I N S P I R A T I O N A L

S E R V I C E L E A R N I N G

I als o s ee how impor tant it is to help o ther s rig ht here in o u r own commu nity.

-RPC S Upper School St u dent

At Roland Park Country School, we teach that actions

speak louder than catch-phrases. We inspire our

students to think seriously about how best to use

all the skills they acquire here. To whom much is

bestowed, much is expected—that’s the ethos we share

with all our girls. And it resonates.

During their time at RPCS, our students can find

themselves learning about erosion in order to develop

mitigation plans in their neighborhood or creating

non-toxic cleaners for use in the classrooms. Whether

it is working on a Habitat for Humanity project on

a Saturday or travelling to Annapolis with letters in

hand to advocate for a cause, our girls are making a

difference in our community.

Before graduating, each of our Upper School students

will have devoted more than 60 hours to individual

community service, with many students breaking

into triple-digit hours. More importantly, this service

translates into beautified parks, much-welcomed food

and supplies for soldiers abroad, health care packages

to some of the neediest children living in shelters,

assistance to Hurricane Katrina victims and funds to

build a school in Sierra Leone.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School teaches our students to approach the great issues of the day with both humility and resolute action. We encourage them to strive for a better life for themselves and their families, but also to dedicate time to improving their community, their nation and their world.

Our students have many opportunities

and advantages. How will they choose

to use them?

IN THE SERVICE OF A GREATER CAUSE.

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M E A N I N G F U L I M P A C T

When I think of the smartest girl at Roland Park, I don’t think of the best grades.

I think of the most resilient and who’s done the most.

-RPCS Upper School St udent

At Roland Park Country School, we recognize

that pure intelligence is only part of the package.

We believe that passion is what drives great

accomplishments, and our nationally-recognized and

locally-loved faculty seek to inspire it.

With our encouragement, students learn that it

takes curiosity to question ideas and confidence

to challenge them. It takes resilience to move past

failure, leadership to galvanize others, and character

to know where to lead them.

Whether it’s through senior projects working with

the Maryland Department of Natural Resources,

independent ecological research as a part of the

Environmental Science Summer Research Experience

that was initiated by an RPCS teacher and is now

available to neighboring schools, or the bold, multi-

year campaign that helped make our own school a

model green school, our students have already made

valuable contributions to the sustainability movement,

all before graduating from high school.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School means that our students are book smart, achieving exceptional grades and test scores. Yet, what sets them apart is their spirit and an unquestioning drive to make a mark on the world.

Wit and wisdom will take a young

woman far in life. Conf idence, poise

and grace, even farther. Just ho w far

do you want to go?

S M A R T A N D PA S S I O N AT E .

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O U R O U T S T A N D I N G

T E A C H E R S

My friends talk about the one teacher who changed their life. I have seven.

-RPCS Upper School St udent

At Roland Park Country School, an exceptional faculty

has become a common expectation. Our talented team

of more than 100 dedicated educators boasts finalists

for the Microsoft Partners in Learning Forum, an

inductee into the National Teachers Hall of Fame, and

other prestigious national recognitions. More than 80

percent possess advanced degrees in their fields.

What matters most is how our teachers translate these

honors and achievements into a singular dedication

to each student under their charge—one that often

extends beyond classroom walls. With a 6:1 student-

to-faculty ratio and an average section size of 15, our

teachers regularly motivate their students with their

passion, while understanding the particular needs and

gifts of each girl.

In all three divisions, each student gets even more

personal support through her homeroom teacher

in the Lower School or through her advisory group

in Middle and Upper Schools. In these small group

settings, we ensure that there is a meaningful adult

mentor at school during the critical adolescent years.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School means knowing the difference between good teachers who think outside-the-box and great ones who inspire their students to do so.

G ood teachers teach. G reat on es

inspire. Which do you want in the

f ront of your classroom?

A SUPERB FACULTY.

26 27

A C A R I N G C U L T U R E

You want to get an A and you want your friend to get an A. You want to make varsity

and you want your friend to make varsity. It’s not all about you.

-RPCS Upper School St udent

At Roland Park Country School, we believe academic

rigor can take place within a compassionate learning

environment. That’s because our founding premise is

that healthy competition and open cooperation are not

mutually exclusive ideas. Both are required for true

educational excellence. Students here strive for their

personal best and encourage others to do the same.

That is why it is common to see the most uncommon

combination of students. That is also why you often

hear people marveling at how truly caring and

compassionate our girls are toward one another.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School stands as an alternative to the all-too-common cutthroat academics and overly stressed adolescent lives that pervade high-pressure college preparatory schools. At RPCS, high achievement and high integrity are personal goals that never depend on the failure of others.

Individual performance is a powerful

motivator, but can she strive for success

without diminishing the achievements

of others?

HIGHLY COOPERATIVE OR HIGHLY COMPETITIVE?B OT H I S B E T T E R .

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A U T H E N T I C D I V E R S I T Y

Ro l a nd Pa rk h a s s o ex p a nd e d w ho c a n b e a s t u d e n t h e r e . I t ’ s a ve r y d ive r s e

i n s t i t u t i on by a ny m e a s u r e .

-RPCS Administrator and Alumna

At Roland Park Country School, our commitment to

diversity enriches every aspect of what we do. In

creating an inclusive, accepting community of students,

teachers, and parents representing a wide variety of

races and ethnicities, socioeconomic groups and personal

beliefs, our school adopts an attitude that goes beyond

diversity statements and statistics. That is because we

are focused on preparing our students for living and

succeeding in an increasingly multicultural, pluralistic,

global community.

We don’t just expect our students to be tolerant and

accepting of people and views different from their

own. We actually encourage them to seek out, leverage

and celebrate diversity. And we teach, most of all, by

example. From the Head of School and trustees to

the youngest student, we model to one another the

importance of welcoming, listening and understanding

different life views and approaches.

Our Upper School Student Diversity Committee

often leads this charge. Examples of diversity at

work at RPCS include our recent focus on “invisible”

identities, our annual all-school panel discussions on

privilege, race, interfaith issues and body image, the

ongoing search for leading thinkers on diversity to

come speak at our assemblies, and the well-deserved

recognition of our administration’s leadership on

student diversity by the National Association of

Independent Schools.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School manifests itself in our dedication to making diversity an integral part of our school community.

Embracing education is to embrace

new ideas, new thinking, new

experiences. Why limit the variet y

of these experiences?

DIVERSITY AS A LIVED,EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE.

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A C A M P U S U N D E R

O N E R O O F

We have a campus that a small college would envy. A campus alive with a cooperative,

resilient spirit.

-Trustee, Parent of Three RPCS Daughters

At Roland Park Country School, our campus reflects our

teaching style: accessible, tech-savvy, and respectful

of our heritage but ready to embrace the best of what’s

new. Our students learn and engage under one roof,

surrounded by students of all ages as they pursue

individual passions throughout the Lower, Middle and

Upper Schools.

Meanwhile, our faculty has at their disposal every

conceivable modern amenity and innovative

infrastructure to support their lesson planning. The

technology labs at RPCS offer unparalleled services

to both teachers and students, our libraries house

over 20,000 volumes, our spacious dance studios

and theaters allow young performers to shine, and

our butterfly and vegetable gardens, Backwoods, and

surrounding acreage provide endless resources for

scientific discoveries in nature.

Both faculty and students alike at RPCS aggressively

pursue opportunities to model stewardship in

environmental sustainability. Intensive on-campus

recycling programs, environmental science courses,

the installation of student-initiated solar panels on

our school roof, and smart use of our five-acre campus

woodland are just a few examples of this pursuit. An

official Maryland Green School and member of the

Green Schools Alliance, we remain committed to

reducing our carbon footprint. In our first ten years

dedicated to sustainability efforts, we have already

lowered our greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School nurtures a strong community and valued campus, for now and for the future. This reinforces the school’s position as a leader in environmental responsibility and in educating for a sustainable world.

War m and supportive with plent yof

room to lear n. What more can you

ask of a campus?

N OT A H O U S E .A H O M E .

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T R A D I T I O N A N D

I N N O V A T I O N

I pursued a career in medicine because I was prepared so well in the sciences at RPCS.

-RPCS Alumna

At Roland Park Country School, we have a legacy of

innovation that reaches back to our beginnings. After

earning the proud distinction of being the first fully-

accredited independent school for girls in Baltimore City in

the early 1900s, Roland Park has continued to trailblaze. We

were the first girls’ school in Maryland to be awarded a Cum

Laude chapter as well as the first to offer AP Chinese, AP

Russian, and Arabic language courses.

The gift of a digital computer in 1968 made RPCS the

first independent school in Baltimore—and perhaps third

in the nation—to offer computer training. RPCS was also

the first girls’ school in Maryland to initiate a laptop

program. Our historical pursuit of excellence is also why

RPCS has one of the largest school-based technology

departments in the region that provides quality services

to students and faculty members alike.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School is defined by a history of progress. Both our faculty and students encourage us to adapt new ideas—and they’ve done so since our founding. We recognize that our biggest legacy will always be the future impact made by our students.

Honor the past, absolutely. But why

not honor it by leading the fut ure?

A T R A D I T I O N O FB R E A K I N G T R A D I T I O N S .

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A L U M N A E

P O W E R H O U S E S

There’s something here for everyone. You have people coming back after they’ve

graduated saying how much this school has helped them.

-RPCS Upper School St udent

At Roland Park Country School, our best

advertisement for what we mean by An Education

Above is the exceptional group of women who

proudly call themselves RPCS alumnae. From the

legacies forged by their predecessors, our alumnae

dare to dream and achieve the impossible.

Take Adrienne Rich, 1947, who challenged gender

boundaries with her nationally-acclaimed prose, or

Melissa Stark Lilley, 1991, who broke them by taking

to the sidelines as a reporter for Monday Night Football.

There’s also Virginia Hall, 1924, an undercover spy

during World War II, actress Nicole Ari Parker, 1988,

(pictured at right) who continues to stun audiences and

break through color barriers with her deeply honest

characters on Broadway, and Catherine Sharkey, 1988,

a beloved goalie while at RPCS whose academic career

soared at Yale Law School and Oxford as a Rhodes

Scholar and is now dedicating her life to teaching law as

a tenured professor at New York University.

Even recent alumnae have taken great strides toward

their dreams after RPCS. Beccy Jossowitz, 2004, is a

M.D./Ph.D. student undertaking extensive stem cell

research. Caroline Cobert, 2008, is working on her

doctorate in paleopathology while designing an

exhibition of the Ti-Ameny-Net mummy.

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School encourages and inspires incredible women like these. That speaks for itself.

Our alumnae never cease to amaze us.

Who wouldn’t want to join their ranks?

T H E Y S P E A K F O R T H E M S E LV E S .

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A N E D U C A T I O N A B O V E

There’s definitely a Roland Park look. We’re happier.

-RPCS Upper School St udent

At Roland Park Country School, students and teachers

alike readily exchange hellos and smiles. We know

each other’s first names. As the 5th graders help

younger students out of their cars each morning, a

school administrator is at the curb to greet them. From

the very beginning, our Lower School girls know they

are important members of the whole school.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that RPCS

consistently beats other schools—both locally and

nationally—in student and family retention rates. Our

student-focused programming and compassionate

approach to academic excellence translate into happier

students, pleased parents and families that stay. As

we like to say here, “Once a Roland Parker, always a

Roland Parker.”

An Education Above at Roland Park Country School speaks to a challenging, yet comforting, learning community, where the feeling of warmth is palpable and the combination of students never fails to surprise.

St u d e nt c o n v oc a t io n s w ould n’ t be

c o m plete wit h out so me g o o d o ld-

fashio n e d sc h o o l spi r it . S o why n ot

e n su r e t h o se feel ing s o f c o nn ec t io n,

f r ie n d ship a n d ge nuin e a f fec t io n

last o n c e t he g roup disp er ses?

I T A L L C O M E S D O W N TO C O M M U N I T Y.

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A N E D U C A T I O N

A B O V E

5 2 0 4 R O L A N D A V E N U EB A LT I M O R E , M A R Y L A N D 2 1 2 1 0

4 1 0 . 3 2 3 . 5 5 0 0

R P C S . O R G