The 100th Day of School is always a big day here at RA|LP - full of laughter, creativity, and just a little bit of chaos (cereal box domino run, anyone?). This year, I had the joy of spending part of the morning with our Preschool and Lower School students as they celebrated being “100 days wiser.”

As I made my rounds - high fives, hugs, and careful steps around nearly 200 cereal boxes, I noticed a common thread in the comments from our youngest learners:

“You’re really just a person dressed up!”
“I can feel your human hands!”
“I see your eyes!”
“You’re wearing glasses!”

They weren’t trying to spoil the magic - quite the opposite.

At this age, children often name what feels uncertain so they can enjoy it more fully. They’re not pushing imagination away; they’re creating safety so they can step closer to it.

One particular boy stayed under my wing for much of the morning, happily helping me navigate cereal boxes, winter gear, and backpacks - and mirroring my actions with impressive focus. In a quiet moment, he peered up at me and asked with complete certainty, “You’re really just a person…aren’t you?”

I gave him a small, conspiratorial nod.

He smiled, nodded his relief, and in the very next breath squeezed my hand and said, “But you’re a really special person.”

And just like that, the moment became something bigger than mascots or make-believe. 

It became a reflection of who we are as a community.

At RA|LP, we create spaces where children feel safe enough to question and brave enough to believe. Where honesty and imagination live side by side. Where being “real” doesn’t diminish the magic…it deepens it.

Because sometimes the most meaningful moments happen not when we maintain the illusion…but when we hold hands through it.

Proud to be part of this warm, honest, welcoming community - whether in feathers or not.