Reflections from the Admission Office
Each year, we welcome new faculty and staff members to Renbrook School. For those of us who have been here a while, it’s always interesting to take a fresh look at Renbrook through the lens of a colleague seeing it for the first time. I had that opportunity when I read a letter from our new Director of Enrollment Management, Will Strumolo, to families exploring a Renbrook education.
Will is an independent school product himself. He attended the Taft School in Watertown, CT, before moving on to Georgetown University. He spent the entirety of his career in independent education at the Buckley School in New York City before joining us here at Renbrook. Will has been an English teacher, coach, Secondary School Placement Director, and Communications Manager. He has had the opportunity to connect with many independent schools over the years, and I think he has captured Renbrook beautifully in his communication below.
The Letter
Dear Families,
It has been an absolutely wonderful fall here at Renbrook. Our students have been learning and growing every day in such unique and inspiring ways. It’s hard to pick a single program highlight to share, but if pressed, I would have to say that I continue to marvel at the sense of balance at Renbrook. Students here will go from exploring Latin roots on the whiteboard to watching a butterfly emerge in the garden just outside their classroom. They will be practicing scales with the jazz band one minute, and scaling rock faces the next. They will be pushed toward deeper understanding in our math and civics courses before pushing each other to work hard during practice up on the turf. The balance of focus and fun and of tradition and innovation at Renbrook also inspires the adults in our community. Our teachers can command a classroom while dressed in footed pajamas for Spirit Week, and our parents can hit the dance floor at Fall Fest and then participate in a serious book club discussion (this fall, we are reading Autonomy Supportive Parenting by Dr. Emily Edlynn in support of this year’s school-wide theme of “agency”).
The balance at this place is remarkable. It is hard to imagine a school that provides such meaningful rigor alongside such intentional support. To say our students are among the most prepared when they head off to high school is an understatement. Renbrook isn’t just the first step on the path to success for our students; it is a full training program for the journey ahead and a vital guidebook they can refer back to time and time again.
Today, I am writing to you after my very first Renbrook Mountain Day, an inspiring tradition in which students in Kindergarten through Grade 8 are surprised with an afternoon trail hike. After watching more than three hundred students and teachers circumnavigate our beautiful campus together, I am more convinced than ever that when it comes to Renbrook, you have to see it to believe it. So, if you haven’t been here yet, email admission@renbrook.org to book your tour today.
Warmly,
Will
Will Strumolo
Director of Enrollment and Financial Aid
Come Explore
Will’s insights on Renbrook’s dynamic community and opportunities testify to the school’s commitment to providing an enriching, balanced, and transformative educational experience. We’re grateful for these reminders of the uniqueness of the educational journey available here on Avon Mountain. We hope new families will come to take a tour and experience it for themselves.