Grandparent Community

This year, as part of Take Flight: The Campaign for Renbrook, the Grandparent Project will support the renovation of three existing tennis courts and the installation of two brand-new courts.

Grandparents and Great Friends who contribute $1,000 or more will be recognized with their names featured on signage near the courts. Donors who give between $100 and $999 will be honored with a personalized bookplate in a new book circulating in Renbrook’s library.

During 2023-2024, the Grandparent Project supported the Reimagined Library, a key priority of Take Flight: The Campaign for Renbrook. Funds raised by the group will be directed to the installation of French glass doors in the Reimagined Library, which will allow access to a beautiful, new outdoor amphitheater.

During 2022-2023, the Grandparent Project directly supported the Reimagined Library, which is one of the key priorities of Take Flight: The Campaign for Renbrook. Funds raised by the group will be directed to the construction of the Hawk’s Nest, an area on the second floor of the Reimagined Library, where grandparents can have story time with their grandchildren or where students can settle in for some quiet reading.

During 2021-2022, grandparents embarked on a campaign to raise $65,000 for Stedman Auditorium Sound & Projection Updates and Upgrades. The current system had been last upgraded in 2012, so many components were 10-15 years old. As the primary performance and assembly space at Renbrook, and one that is used by all members of the community, Stedman Auditorium requires a strong and versatile sound system capable of amplifying music and spoken word from a variety of sources. The upgrades included:

• Digital Mixer: better design, greater capacity, more flexible operation
• Stage Box: more backstage options, greater reliability and capacity
• Laser Projector:2x brighter, new wired/wireless connection interface for presenters
• Sound System: Assistive Listening System, connects to hearing aids via WiFi

Renbrook has taken significant steps to strengthen the school now and for generations to come, and the Grandparents' Group was pleased to support the Energy Project, a key component of these steps. With the creation of this thoughtful, long-term plan, Renbrook will employ the latest green technology, high-efficiency solutions, and renewable energy sources, while providing educational opportunities for our children to explore the ways they too can be stewards of a bright future. The Energy Project includes upgrades to heating, cooling, lighting, and ventilation, as well as roofing, classroom windows, and insulation for the entire school, a large but worthy investment.

Last year, grandparents funded two important projects, the locker room renovation and the Courtyard restoration.

First, grandparents funded a $25,000 match to gifts from alumni and others to renovate the girls' and boys' locker rooms. Built in 1970, Renbrook's well-used locker rooms remained unchanged until 2018 when they received a full refresh. Thanks to the generous support of our grandparents, alumni and other friends of Renbrook, the locker rooms now better reflect the quality of the programs they serve.

The second grandparent project funded repairs to and restoration of the school’s front Courtyard. Specifically, a $25,000+ gift from grandparents allowed for the broken fieldstone and cement in the Courtyard to be replaced with new fieldstone. It also made possible the full restoration and replacement of the building’s original window shutters, allowing Renbrook's iconic Courtyard to welcome community members and visitors alike.

Thanks to a two-year long effort, grandparents funded enhancements to the Beginning School.

Gifts from grandparents funded important upgrades to Renbrook’s Beginning School. Outside landscaping and playground fencing, coupled with interior painting, new lighting, new appropriately child-sized furniture, and well-designed storage and play units all make for a welcoming and cheerful school for Renbrook’s youngest students.