Rippowam Cisqua School Bedford, New York Director of Enrollment Management July 2016 www.rcsny.org
The Position
Mission
A commitment to interpersonal relationships forms the core of Rippowam Cisqua School (RCS), a PreKGrade 9 school located in Westchester County, where the faculty understand that depth of knowledge is best attained by forming strong bonds with each and every student. The foundation for each child’s learning experience is rooted in the School’s joyful learning environment and engaging integrated curriculum that inspires and challenges each child academically, artistically, and athletically while also nurturing character and individual social-emotional development. The mission of Rippowam Cisqua School is to educate students to become independent thinkers, confident in their abilities and themselves. We are committed to a dynamic program of academics, the arts, and athletics, and support an engaged faculty to challenge students to discover and explore their talents to the fullest. Honesty, consideration, and respect for others are fundamental to Rippowam Cisqua. In an atmosphere that promotes intellectual curiosity and a lifelong love of learning, Rippowam Cisqua strives to instill in students a strong sense of connection to their community and to the larger world. We, as a school, recognize the common humanity of all people and teach understanding and respect for the differences among us.
On both campuses, in the picturesque towns of Bedford and Mount Kisco, NY, RCS students develop a love of learning and gain confidence in their own skills and abilities, becoming independent thinkers who are self-assured leaders, risk-takers, responsible citizens and lifelong learners. The Lower Campus curriculum is rooted in the pure joy and excitement that comes from discovery while developing the powerful skills of reading, writing and math. The program on the Upper Campus – a time of unparalleled growth for each child – strives to make the transition from elementary school to middle school, and from middle school to high school, as successful as possible while building confidence in their abilities as students, athletes, artists and independent thinkers. At this time, Rippowam Cisqua School seeks a creative, proactive admissions professional to join the School community, to oversee its admissions office, and to meet its enrollment goals and objectives. The new Director of Enrollment Management will join a school with a strong sense of community where learning is a shared experience. RCS has many beloved traditions, as well as a rich history of being forward-thinking in its approach to educating young people. As Rippowam Cisqua School nears its 100th year, the Director of Enrollment Management will join the School at an exciting time characterized by positive institutional momentum, strong leadership and governance, and a compelling vision to honor the School’s past while moving it confidently into the future.
Fast Facts • • • • • • • • •
Total students: 488 Total faculty: 100 Average faculty tenure: 12 years Faculty with an advanced degree: 80% Student/teacher ratio: 5:1 Annual operating budget: $19.1 million Financial aid awarded: $3.1 million Students receiving financial aid: 24% Endowment: $17 million
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Philosophy
School History In 1916, the small town of Bedford, New York, was beginning to establish itself as a thriving, suburb of New York City. Various excellent educational options existed for boys, but none for girls. Six prominent Bedford women met to devise a solution to the problem of their daughters’ educations, and Rippowam School for Girls opened in September 1917. In 1920, upon the closing of the nearby Bedford School for Boys, Rippowam became co-educational, and the School moved to its current location. In 1927, athletics were integrated under the leadership of new headmaster Guy Thackery, and the School continued to develop and expand for the next several decades. The post-World War II installation of Headmaster Walter F. Wyeth marked a new era in Rippowam’s history, and during his twenty-five year tenure, he collected an extraordinary faculty and cultivated a prestigious reputation for the School. His was a program characterized by conservative tradition and discipline.
Rippowam Cisqua School believes that learning is a shared experience, the responsibility of both students and teachers. We urge active student involvement and seek to provide a rich curriculum in academics, arts, and athletics that will both challenge and support children of different abilities and learning styles. Our approach to learning incorporates experimentation, simulation, and collective and individual problem solving, as well as traditional lecture, discussion, and skill development techniques—all toward the goal of attaining excellence. Students are challenged to demonstrate their competence in a variety of subjects, with emphasis placed on the written word, throughout their school career. The process by which children arrive at a final product is an important part of their education. As a community, we require respect, honesty, and common decency at all times. Our goal is to graduate students who are confident and knowledgeable lifelong learners. We strive to be a school of joyous and enlightened learning: a place where children come, not where they are sent.
Meanwhile, a very different K-9 school existed just across town. In 1942, Mrs. Jean Tilt led a group of parents in Mount Kisco, a Bedford hamlet, to found the Cisqua School for young children. With its childcentered philosophy and progressive, inclusive set of values, Cisqua embraced a different educational philosophy from Rippowam. In 1972, as independent schools faced enrollment challenges, the two schools merged, blending their best qualities and forming a cohesive unit that was much greater than either of its parts. The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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The School Today Today, Rippowam Cisqua provides an innovative and nurturing child-centered environment with a challenging and rigorous curriculum and a strong sense of community and shared purpose. RCS has become consummately adaptable, though it has never departed from the educational philosophies that have served as the foundation for the School for nearly 100 years. Together, teachers and students at RCS participate in the dynamic discovery process that is learning, and they share these transformational experiences in the classrooms, in the art studios, on the athletic fields, and on the stages of the School’s two campuses.
Academics The active learning process at RCS begins on the Lower Campus, in grades PreK– through four. Students of this age vary greatly in their physical, mental, emotional, and social development. The faculty recognizes and appreciates these differences and is committed to understanding each individual student and finding the most effective learning strategies for each child. Strong vertical integration of curriculum and support from PreK through grade nine ensure that each student has the opportunity to maximize learning potential at every level. The curriculum is designed to challenge students, as well as to build self-esteem. As they form personal relationships with their students, teachers gain an understanding of each individual student’s strengths and challenges and work collaboratively to assemble the most effective learning strategies. Parents find that their children leave RCS as confident learners and capable leaders – they have been allowed to take risks and have felt supported in the process.
Early Childhood The Early Childhood program at RCS includes JPK, SPK, and Kindergarten, and instills a lifelong dedication to learning in the School’s youngest students. In PreKindergarten and Kindergarten, teachers stimulate students’ curiosity, creativity, and independence. They introduce language, number concepts, social studies, science, The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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arts, technology integration, library, and physical exercise, demonstrating the wonders and joys of learning from an early age. The Early Childhood program’s progressive, developmental learning is based on a simple idea: that play is the work of young children. Through play, young students at RCS learn in their own ways and at their own pace, acquiring specific outcomes in language arts, math, science, motor skills, and socio-emotional behavior. As they play and learn, students prepare for incrementally more challenging tasks and responsibilities throughout their years at RCS.
Lower Campus, Grades One through Four In grades one through four, students follow a homeroom curriculum of reading, writing, spelling, math, and social studies. Conversational Spanish instruction begins in Kindergarten and continues through grade four, and students have additional instruction in science, art, music, technology integration, library, and physical education. Resources abound for both supporting and challenging students, as needed, through personalized instruction, at the School’s Learning Center, through biannual parent/teacher conferences, and through diagnostic testing that prepares students for standardized testing throughout their academic careers.
Upper Campus The Upper Campus enrolls students in grades five through nine. RCS believes that one of the most important advantages of a PreK-9 school is the attention, energy, and expertise that can be focused on the unique needs and personalities of middle school-aged children. In grades five and six, students are grouped into three sections at each grade level. In these sections, they study humanities, language arts, reading, math, science, and a choice of French, Spanish, or Latin. Music, art, and physical education are integral to the curriculum, rounding out academic experiences to produce students who are curious, motivated, and active in all facets of school life.
Secondary School Placement RCS students matriculate at some of the nation’s most prestigious secondary schools, including: • • • • • • •
Berkshire School Brunswick School Choate Rosemary Hall Deerfield Academy Fox Lane High School Hackley School Hotchkiss School
• • • • • • •
John Jay High School Lawrenceville School Masters School Rye Country Day School St. George’s School St. Luke’s School Taft School
In grades seven through nine, students study English, mathematics, science, history, and world language. Compulsory courses in health, physical education, and ethics help students grapple with issues of personal growth, global concerns, physical fitness, decision-making, and personal health. In these later grades, students may also pursue new passions, with the opportunity to take elective courses in photography, studio art, band, ceramics, dance, chorus, and drama. The RCS Advisor Program ensures that
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each student works with one teacher who oversees his or her academic and personal growth. The advisor serves as a liaison between the student, parents, and teachers and further demonstrates the School’s collective commitment to relationship building and nurturing. Faculty describe the School as a “loving, caring place” where “every kind of learning experience comes alive in RCS classrooms,” and where teachers work with a “spirit of authenticity, passion, and collegiality.” At RCS, ninth grade is known as the “Capstone Year,” and it provides students with a forum to discover and apply their talents and abilities. While in many high schools ninth graders are seen as in transition and have limited opportunity for leadership roles, ninth graders at RCS are consummate leaders. Their portfolio project allows them to work with a faculty advisor to undertake a yearlong, in-depth exploration of a topic of interest to them. The project culminates in an evening of sharing and celebration, and students go on to high school well prepared for a new level of learning. Across divisions, life at RCS is defined by a commitment to character. The Character Counts Program helps provide structure and provides consistent language to help keep character front-of-mind for students, staff, and families. RCS defines the six pillars of character as trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Students at RCS are not just good peers and learners, they are also good citizens.
Student Life Students at RCS engage in a wide range of extracurricular offerings. Teachers promote the The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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arts throughout the year and on various platforms, decorating the School’s halls with student artwork and weaving opportunities for personal artistic expression into the curriculum at every grade level, with options abounding outside the classroom as well. The arts are not “extras”; they are intrinsic to the School’s educational philosophy, provoking engagement from students in both creation and appreciation of music, visual arts, the performing arts, literature, and other forms of artistic expression. Students at RCS produce two and three-dimensional art across all grade levels, and they also perform publicly, developing communication skills and establishing comfort with public speaking. The performing arts are embraced on both campuses. On the Lower Campus, students perform songs, poems, and skits in each grade. And on the Upper Campus, students take part in activities such as the Shakespeare Workshop, the Spring Musical, and various choruses and bands. The School’s athletic program is designed to build self-confidence, teamwork, honesty, consideration, and respect for others. Students are encouraged to give their best efforts, develop skills, and try new things. In grade four, students are introduced to the skills and rules of the sports they might want to play when they get to the Upper Campus. In the fall, all fourth graders play soccer, field hockey, flag football, and aerobic games. In the winter, the fourth grade program includes basketball, movement, and climbing wall activities. Spring sports include softball, lacrosse, soccer, and track and field. Field Day on the Lower Campus is held in the spring. On the Upper Campus, students are required to play team sports. Sports offerings include football, field hockey, soccer, basketball, ice hockey, baseball, lacrosse, softball, and track and field. RCS coaches focus on building fundamental skills, establishing an appreciation for the importance of teamwork, and instilling the value of fair and honest play. RCS athletes are expected to respect their teammates, their coaches, their opponents, and their officials, while pushing themselves and their teammates to be the best they can be. When Rippowam Cisqua athletes move on to high school teams, they are noted for their knowledge of the sport, their willingness to work, and, above all, their ethical sense of play. Community service is an integral component of life at RCS. Though community service is not mandatory, The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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many students willingly engage in service activities. The School has developed a longstanding relationship with the Community Center of Northern Westchester, and through this partnership students help participate in food and clothing drives. At RCS, a culture of philanthropy begins early, and students carry this commitment with them in secondary school and beyond. Special events and long-held traditions contribute to the overarching joy that characterizes school life at Rippowam Cisqua. Partner programs establish inter-grade friendships, frequent field trips develop love of nature and instigate student bonding, and field days provide fun outlets for connectivity. All students are divided into two teams: Blue and Red, establishing a sense of camaraderie and friendly competition that permeates the School. A favorite tradition is Walk to Cisqua Day, in which Upper Campus students walk to the Lower Campus and make individual connections with their younger counterparts, playing games, picnicking, and establishing a tradition of caring for one another that transcends a single day. Graduates of Rippowam Cisqua matriculate at area day and public schools, with many heading to some of the finest boarding schools in the Northeast. Consistently, 90% of graduating students are admitted into their first choice school. Day schools with the highest rates of matriculation for RCS graduates include Hackley, Fox Lane High School, Masters, and Greenwich Academy and Brunswick. RCS graduates seeking a boarding school experience have matriculated in the greatest numbers at Choate, Deerfield, Berkshire, and Hotchkiss.
Physical Campus RCS has two campuses, both surrounded by woods, stone walls, and stately homes, with the Lower Campus occupying the former Cisqua School and the Upper Campus, three miles away, the former Rippowam School campus. The Lower Campus houses one library, two science labs, one computer lab, two gyms, two music rooms, and two playgrounds. The campus is efficiently designed with generous, sunny classrooms and functional spaces, two playing fields, and an outdoor pavilion. The Upper Campus comprises one library, four science labs, two computer labs, a dedicated art house, a dedicated music house, one theater, two gyms, five fields, and two baseball/softball diamonds. A major capital campaign to raise funds for campus and programmatic enhancements is underway, and the Upper Campus will be totally renovated and enhanced (see more information here). In recent years, RCS has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to sustainability. Solar panels line the roof of the Lower Campus, and the Upper Campus features an organic garden and a Rocket Composter; in fact, RCS was the first independent middle school in the United States to adopt the Rocket Composter. New construction has been mindful of sustainability, and in 2012 both campuses became certified Green Restaurants.
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Bedford, New York In the woodsy northeast corner of Westchester County, just an hour from Manhattan, lies the small, affluent town of Bedford, New York. Greenery and natural beauty abound in Bedford, which is anchored by the Village Green, in the original town common and still the center of the town’s historic district. Founded in 1680, the town has a long and rich history as an agrarian center, an active role in the Revolutionary War, and one of two County Seats for nearly 200 years after the building of the 1787 Court House. Preservation came early to Bedford with the establishment of the Bedford Historical Society in 1916, which helped it retain its rural and historic character, attracting life-long residents who appreciate the relative restraint that pervades the community. It is at once quaint and bucolic yet sophisticated and diverse. The Bedford Village Historic District, Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts, Palmer-Lewis Estate, and The Woodpile are all listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Three hamlets — Bedford Hills, Bedford Village, and Katonah — make up Bedford, and each features a town park with swimming and tennis, a library, locally owned shops, and a volunteer fire company. The town is incredibly supportive of the arts, with frequent concerts, lectures, and activities as well as art museums and galleries to entice art-lovers of all ages.
Opportunities and Challenges The next Director of Enrollment Management will arrive at a time when the School is well poised for the future. Parents, teachers, administrators, and Board members are all passionate about the School and appropriately ambitious about the direction in which the School is moving. The School seeks a Director of Enrollment Management who embodies Rippowam Cisqua’s core values and will convey to prospective families the passion and commitment that the School community feels for RCS. The next Director will develop ways for mission-compatible local families to become both aware of and interested in the School. The role will necessitate community outreach and engagement, marketing and communications, and effective enrollment management. Parents, teachers, administrators, and Board members express universal agreement regarding the School’s dual commitment to academic excellence within a child-centered community that nurtures each child’s uniqueness as well as his/her moral, social, and emotional development. Considerable work has been undertaken to create a curriculum map to better align the curriculum and to implement a substantive faculty evaluation process. Academic excellence and innovation within a strong student-centered culture is one of the School’s hallmarks. Independent schools in Westchester and Fairfield Counties, including RCS, have seen a drop in enrollment due to the weak economy and a dip in the demographics of the area. The next Director will want to ensure that the School’s outreach efforts to build enrollment are planned and executed exceptionally well. As a family The Search Group | Carney, Sandoe & Associates
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school, managing the composition of the student body is as important as increasing the number of students. The School is interested in all candidates who work in admission and are characterized by resourcefulness, personal warmth, energy, optimism, and diligence. The Director will need to be a team player, as s/he will join an administrative team that operates collaboratively and whose members are willing to pitch in across all areas of School life. A sense of humor is essential, as is being a big-picture thinker with a detailed approach. The RCS community is best matched by administrators who have joyful presences and down-to earth, accessible styles; who can enthusiastically mentor and encourage other leaders, faculty and staff; who connect easily with parents, teachers and students; and who are adept at drawing from the collective wisdom, energy, and commitment of the faculty and parents.
Compensation Salary and benefits for this position will be very competitive and will include a comfortable three-bedroom home on campus and tuition remission if needed.
To Apply Interested and qualified candidates should submit electronically in one e-mail as separate documents (preferably as PDFs) the following materials: • • • •
Cover letter expressing interest in the Rippowam Cisqua School position; Current resume; Statement of educational philosophy and leadership practice; List of five references with name, phone number, and email address of each (references will be contacted only with the candidate’s permission). Ben Bolte and Emily O’Donnell Search Consultants Carney, Sandoe & Associates 44 Bromfield Street, Boston, MA 02108 bbolte@carneysandoe.com | eodonnell@carneysandoe.com 617-933-3430 www.carneysandoe.com
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