The Architecture of a Roeper Education

The intersection of giftedness, the Philosophy, and pedagogy

Original Publication Date: Spring 2018

In this illuminating article by Roeper Upper School Director Karen Johnson, all the threads of a Roeper education are woven together: the tenets of the philosophy, their applicability to the complexity and precocity of gifted students, and the humanistic pedagogy that gives students their voice and their empowerment.

Citation: Johnson, Karen. “The Architecture of a Roeper Education,” Keeping in Touch: The Roeper School Community Magazine, Vol 11:3, Spring 2018, Bloomfield Hills, MI

Beyond the Classroom

Education outside the walls of the school

Original Publication Date: Summer 2017

From the very beginning of the school, the Roepers encouraged students to get outside the classroom and into the world.  They saw this as a way to expose students to multiple perspectives, other cultures, real-world problems, and to forge deeper relationships among themselves. In this article, Historian Marcia Ruff recorded some of the experiences alumni found most memorable.

Centenary Keynote Event

A celebration of George's intellectual curiosity

Original Publication Date: March 4, 2011

A keynote event was held on March 4, 2011, as the highlight of the year-long celebration of the centenary of George Roeper’s birth. The event honored George and Annemarie’s tradition of regularly bringing speakers to the school to speak on cutting-edge topics in education, psychology and other areas. Adele Diamond (on right) of the Psychiatry Department of the University of British Columbia spoke on “Teaching and Raising Children for Creativity and Fulfillment.”  The Roepers’ oldest son, Tom (on left), who is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, spoke on “Modern Cognitive Science and the Roeper Philosophy.” The program for the event included an article by School Historian Marcia Ruff describing George’s educational vision.  Roeper alumna Brittani Holsey performed original dances to celebrate George’s particular appreciation for dance. The three Roeper children, a grandson, and George’s niece attended the event. 

Karen Roeper wearing her father’s wool tuxedo that he brought from Germany for his marriage to Annemarie in New York City when they arrived as refugees in 1939.

 

 

 

Why Roeper Became a School for Gifted Children

The national interest in gifted children piqued the interest of the Roepers

Original Publication Date: Winter 2017

The Cold War rivalry of the 1950s triggered a national interest in identifying gifted children in order to ensure their skills could help advance American interests.  George and Annemarie recognized that gifted children could play an important role in improving society. They were concerned that there was little research about the emotional needs of gifted children and that without that knowledge, the new attention might derail the children’s optimal development. They decided to dedicate their school to gifted child education so they could develop the best method for educating gifted children as whole individuals, as had been their focus with all children, and share their findings with the larger educational community.

Citation: Ruff, M. (2017) “The Beginning of a New Educational System,” The Roeper School Archives, Bloomfield Hills, MI.