At Rossman School—as in life generally—it’s about knowing who you are, where you have been and where you are going. It’s about past and future, tradition and innovation. It’s about having roots strong enough to steady you as you reach for the stars.
This year, the school celebrates its centennial, and, as is natural at such a milestone, it’s taking stock of itself. “We are an institution that cherishes its traditions,” says lower school director Elizabeth Zurlinden. “And our goal, at this stage in our life, is to balance the richness of our past with our vision for the future.” Indeed, at Rossman the two coexist. Tradition is everywhere—woven into routines like lunchtime prayer, the daily Pledge of Allegiance, and the ruby capes the children have worn at the holiday performance for decades. But so is innovation, especially in a teaching style that makes learning relevant to the real world and is at the core of the school’s educational philosophy.
As an example of interdisciplinary STEM teaching, Zurlinden cites a recent fifth-grade science project that addressed water quality in the school’s creek bed and compared it to that of other bodies of water around the world. The project combined science (testing the water), technology and math (analyzing data) and engineering (designing a water filter). “What makes interdisciplinary education so effective is that it is meaningful,” Zurlinden says. “Learning has to be meaningful, and giving children the opportunity to figure out if they can be part of a solution is what makes it stick. Who knows, maybe a project like this one becomes the spark that lights the way to a career in environmental engineering.” This approach also enriches teachers’ lives. “As a faculty, we are always learning and trying to refine, always adapting to new practices, seeing things through different lenses,” Zurlinden explains.
Rossman also has a tradition of core values that are palpable everywhere, she adds: honesty, kindness, respect and responsibility underpin every lesson the children learn. “We encourage personal leadership in our children. What is our responsibility to an issue? How can I serve? How can I advocate for a better solution?” Zurlinden says Rossman students recognize that the education they receive is a privilege. “As such, they commit to making a difference with the gifts they are given here, and we couldn’t be more proud of that,” she says.
Rossman School is an independent, coeducational preparatory school for students in junior kindergarten through sixth grade. Its Junior Kindergarten Observation Morning takes place Nov. 16 at 9 a.m.; Admission Open House takes place Jan. 19, 2017. Pictured on the cover: First-graders perform a science experiment. For more information, call 314.434.5877 or visit rossmanschool.org.
Cover design by Julie Streiler | Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton