Pet Friendly and Therapeutic, Too

Dawn

I arrived on campus in the Fall of 2018. I came to Rocky Hill Country Day School to teach a Digital Photography course for students in grades 10-12, in Upper School. I was excited to meet the students, and explore the surroundings, to teach them the ins and outs of photography. Little did I know that I was about to start a new chapter of my life, applying my industry experience back in the teaching world, on a beautiful campus, where our only limits were our imagination. From the variety of architectural elements found across the vast landscapes, perfect when teaching about Line, Shape and Negative Space, to the abundance of plant and floral life when focusing on Color, Pattern and Texture, I quickly saw the value in Rocky Hill’s

Throughout the school year, we watch and photograph the change of seasons together. Students use the rock walls and the waterfront as backdrops for their projects, finding new nooks and crannies as they explore, putting their newly acquired creative problem solving skills to use as they scan for the best lighting and composition. There are opportunities to photograph their peers at games, and find new ways to express themselves, and to highlight the world around us, and their place in it.

Five years later, we’ve expanded our course offerings to include Photo I-IV, where students are encouraged to build on their skills as they learn about new equipment and photographic techniques, pushing their creativity in every direction. The possibilities are endless here, and every year I am consistently impressed with all the new views of RHCD my students capture.

Traci Fairchild Director of Counseling & Wellness

Caity MacDonald Head of Lower School

Class pets have often been part of a Lower School student experience. This year we had class pets in first and third grade. In first grade, we had Oliver and Melvin, class guinea pigs who have been in first grade since 2017. Galaxy, the class fish, has been in third grade since 2021. The students help take care of these animals and experience the love, affection and sometimes entertainment of the presence of these pets. Students attend to everything from naming them, to feeding them, taking care of their cages and tanks, reading to them, and looking after these living creatures. It fosters a sense of belonging and responsibility in the classroom.

This year, we added not one but TWO therapy dogs in training to campus. We watched them grow up together from puppies at summer camp to full grown dogs celebrating their first birthdays and the first part of their Canine Good Citizen training together. Our Director of Counseling and Wellness, Traci Fairchild, has her golden retriever, Conway, and Nurse Jackie has her pup, Francesca, better known as Frankie. Not only are Frankie and Conway best buds and frequently seen getting their energy out together on the tennis courts in the mornings, but they are in training to be certified therapy dogs for next school year. Conway and Frankie’s goals include starting a reading buddy program for Lower School students and “assisting” with student and faculty treatment that goes beyond band aids and booboos in the Wellness and Counseling spaces.