Alumni Share in the Joy of Rice Babies

ALUMNI NEWS

First grade has been “birthing” Rice Babies for 29 years. The idea came to Fort Worth Country Day by way of teachers in New Orleans who presented about their success with the event at an Independent Schools Association of the Southwest (ISAS) conference, according to First-Grade Teacher Sheri Fuller. The Class of 2032 had 29 children of FWCD alumni. Many of the parents of these first graders made their own rice babies many years ago!

Cullen Christopher (son of Craig Christopher ’92), Sam Tatum ’32 (son of Stephen ’01 and Carly Mills Tatum ’00), and Eli Robnett ’32 (son of Leslie Ritchie Robnett ’00)

A longstanding tradition in the Lower School, the Rice Babies project is a rite of passage for all Fort Worth Country Day first-graders. A typical fall FWCD event for the students, this year’s COVID-19 protocols put a hold on the project. With the lifting of some of the strictest social distancing and visitor protocols at the end of the school year, students and parents created rice babies on May 21. Students bring rice to school equal to their birth weight and create their very own sock baby filled with rice. Parents and teachers helped students funnel rice into tea-dyed socks and then added wiggly eyes, a pacifier, and a belly button. The students then swaddled the babies in blankets, many of which were the first-graders special “blankies” when they were babies themselves. The lesson teaches first-graders about caring for others and introduces math concepts of weight, measurement, time and dates, and birth order in a family.

Rachel Stepp Lackey ’07 with Weston Pinckard ’32 and Garrison Pinckard

Sheri Fuller with Rachel Stepp Lackey ’07 in fall 1995

Carolyn Forswall Dollahite ’02 with Serena Dollahite ’32 (also daughter of Henry Dollahite ’02)

Catherine Powers Bevan ’01 with Natalie Bevan ’32

Doug Mills ’02 with Harriet Mills ’32 and Maria Mills

Gloria Moncrief Holmsten ’00 with Kit Holmsten ’32

Stephen Tatum ’01 with Sam Tatum ’32 (also son of Carly Mills Tatum ’00)

Whitney Baggett Creel ’04 with Kolt Creel ’32

Regan Landreth with Will ’32 (son of W.A. Landreth ’01)