Welcome Message from Dr. Griffith

Dear Parents,

It is a pleasure to welcome both returning and new parents to the 2013-14 school year and introduce myself. I am especially excited to be contacting you at the end of a summer that has marked an exhilarating change for me professionally and for my family with the transition to New Jersey and the Ranney School community. In many respects, I have been eagerly anticipating this moment since my appointment last October, and I have spent the remainder of my year at Battle Ground Academy balancing the desire to finish there well and leave the school in good shape, while also focusing on the opportunities to lead a great school in its future growth. As I have said before, I am humbled to be leading Ranney and am thrilled to be working with you, our students, the faculty and staff, and our Board in this moment in Ranney's history. My work throughout the last twenty years in schools, as an English teacher, division head, academic dean, and head, have helped to prepare me to capitalize on the great momentum that is already here. I would be remiss if I did not also thank Dr. Sykoff for his warm welcome and genuine concern for a smooth and seamless transition of leadership. Needless to say, he leaves a high standard and achievements that will be hard to match, but I am excited to start.

Valerie Francois, our Director of Strategic Marketing and Communications, dubbed the first few months of my time here as a "listening tour," borrowing a phrase that is often used at the college level. Undoubtedly, this is an accurate reflection of the position in which I find myself--excited to learn about this wonderful place, while reserving judgment about a culture and programs I am only beginning to understand. I know that I have a lot to learn about the school's history, opportunities, and challenges. Many faculty and staff have already played a vital role in my education by accepting an invitation to visit with me this summer and share their history with the school and their hopes and aspirations. As part of the listening tour, I have had the chance to meet with Trustees, the Ranney School Parents' Association leadership, and students, all of whom have powerfully shared their love of this school. In the next few months I hope to meet even more parents and begin to connect with leaders in the outside community as well. I look forward to spreading the good news about Ranney's vital role as an educational institution and resource to the surrounding area. In addition to these conversations, I have had the chance to meet many parents and students over the course of the summer, not only as head of school, but as a Ranney parent myself. Claire participated in our wonderful summer programs, our "combo camp" and enjoyed the opportunity to adjust to this wonderful community before entering the Lower School as a pre-schooler.

All of us have had a busy summer--punctuated by campus renovations and enhancements, a robust summer camp and summer school program, curricular planning, calendar refinement, financial planning, the conclusion of the admissions season, and preparations for the start of the year. Both in my individual meetings and through other sources, I have heard exciting things about the summer activities and professional growth of our faculty and staff.   Many teachers have participated in rich summer professional development programs, as well as individual travel, reading, and growth. These activities contribute to the learning community that I hope to continue to foster. There is a lot of good news and more exciting work to be done. Suffice it to say, the school will open with strong enrollment, a secure financial position, excellent academic programs, growth in athletics and the arts, ambitious expectations for fundraising, successful marketing efforts, and some clear and realizable goals that stem from the accreditation process. All of these opportunities will provide the groundwork for a new strategic planning process that will begin in earnest in the 2014-15 school year.

Needless to say, this is an important year for Ranney School, as we all look to a smooth transition and continued improvement in this great community. I will rely on the support of parents and students, as well as all of our stakeholders, and will pledge to you that I will strive to be transparent and collaborative in our planning for the future of Ranney. Together, I know that we will continue to realize the school's enormous potential for our children. Those improvements will require the contributions of great teachers, a dedicated administration, hard-working staff, talented students, supportive parents, and a committed Board of Trustees. Dana, Claire, and I could not be more excited about becoming a part of this community. We are grateful for the gracious and warm welcome we have received from the Ranney community as we have settled into the area and are eager to meet your family at events this fall.

Enjoy the last days of summer. I look forward to personally welcoming you to the new year very soon. Thanks for your sincere commitment to Ranney and allowing us to live out our mission-promise--that every child is known and valued.


Warm regards,

John W. Griffith, Ph.D.
Head of School

Dr. Griffith Officially Installed as Ranney's Fourth Head of School

Read more anout Dr. Griffith.