Winter 2023 Newsletter

RCDS RCDS

TEAMWORK 2022-23 A ll-School Theme

Dear RCDS Community,

January is here, and we are ready to tackle the second half of the school year with more TEAMWORK and Blue & Gold Spirit!

Hopefully, we all got some well-earned rest during the holiday season and are now getting back to our usual routines. Although winter days are shorter–and chillier–than we might like, I see this season as an exciting opportunity to use our ingenuity to make each day count, no matter how short or cold it is! In a school setting, this means exploring new ideas, activities, and areas of interest and potential. In all three divisions, the fall was a time of setting foundations, accumulating knowledge, and practicing skills. Now, that work continues, but with the added adventure of applying everything already learned. This application element not only augments new learning, it deepens the learning of the previous months. And, before we know it, spring will be here with a new set of adventures!

My first six months as head of this remarkable school have been inspiring. To extend the metaphor of our yearlong theme, I am certain that our community is a DREAM TEAM. Focus, dedication, and enthusiasm have been evident in all of the endeavors of our outstanding students—from classwork to arts, athletics, and diverse extracurriculars. Our teachers demonstrate an exemplary passion for their craft—their collaboration with and support of our students is excellent. Our non-teaching employees diligently tend to the School’s varied affairs. Our alumni are RCDS ambassadors who continuously make us proud. Finally, our parents and guardians are the essential partners—the teammates—we need to make sure the hallmarks of the RCDS education and our core values take root in our students at home and beyond our campus. A dream team indeed, and I am humbled and grateful to be at the helm.

As you peruse this newsletter, I hope you enjoy reading the fall highlights as much as I enjoyed experiencing them. And, I hope the enjoyment is complemented by excitement and anticipation for the accomplishments to come.

I wish you and your loved ones an adventurous, generative new year!

Yours,

Randall Dunn Head of School

OPENING CEREMONIES & Spirit Day

September 22, 2022

Kicking off RCDS’s 154th year, the ceremony included remarks from Mr. Dunn and Student Body President Tyler Moyer ’23. Mr. Dunn highlighted the 2022-23 theme of TEAMWORK and emphasized the importance of being kind and taking care of each other as one united school community.

“And that’s the message all year—to show up and be there for each other.”

—Randall Dunn, Head of School

In the fall, Mr. Dunn launched an email series for parents and guardians titled OnMyMind. In the first edition in October, he shared his areas of focus for the 2022-23 school year.

Read OnMyMind online at ryecountryday.org/onmymind

Spirit Scrapbook

BACK-TO-SCHOOL BLOCK PARTY

Students, families, faculty, and staff celebrated the start of the 2022-23 school year with Blue & Gold spirit and pride at the Back-to-School Block Party in September. The RCDS community enjoyed music, crafts, food from FLIK and local food vendors, and activities for all ages. Willy the Wildcat was in attendance with his signature high-fives and dance moves, and members of the community collaborated to design a sidewalk chalk mural inspired by the year’s theme of TEAMWORK.

WILDCAT WEEKend

RCDS spirit, joy, fun, and connection!

SPIRIT WEEK

Leading up to the weekend, students participated in an all-school spirit week led by the Upper School Spirit Club. The themes were Pajama Day, Seasons Day, Zoom Outfit Day, Throwback Day, and Blue & Gold Day.

PEP RALLY

The day before Wildcat Weekend, which was also Blue & Gold Day, the entire school community gathered on the fields for an energizing pep rally. Go, Wildcats!

FUN RUN

The 1-mile Fun Run kicked off the Wildcat Weekend festivities! This annual run is the culminating event of the Can-Do Food Drive

benefitting the Carver Center Food Pantry in Port Chester.

FALL FAIR

Family-friendly activities, inflatables, food trucks, music, and more! Upper School club leaders hosted engaging tables for the RCDS community, including alumni.

VARSITY GAMES

FUN FRIDAYS

In the fall, the PA launched its new FUN FRIDAY initiative. Building spirit and hyping upcoming school events, these events feature an exciting arrival experience for all students, which includes energetic greetings, cheers, giveaways, music, and more.

Varsity Field Hockey, Girls’ and Boys’ Soccer, and Football were all victorious on the RCDS fields. Girls’

Varsity Volleyball took the court in their firstever Wildcat Weekend and played a strong and exciting game. Go,

Teamwork

RCDS Celebrates Latine Heritage Month

Between September 15 and October 15, Rye Country Day observed Latine Heritage Month—also referred to as National Hispanic Heritage Month—which is dedicated to celebrating the histories and cultures of Americans whose roots stem from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. From lunchtime tastings to dance lessons and Makerspace identity projects, the Office of Diversity & Inclusion sponsored many opportunities for the RCDS community to learn more about the rich traditions that derive from various Latine cultures.

CAN-DO DRIVE

DIVISIONAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS CENTER TEAMWORK

Each division at RCDS meets regularly for Community Meetings to share announcements, celebrate accomplishments, and center the School’s 2022-23 theme of TEAMWORK. These meetings feature student-led presentations and creative work, as well as visits from schoolmates in other divisions.

ALL-SCHOOL RECYCLING CHALLENGE

America Recycles Day (November 15) kicked off the RCDS Environmental Club’s annual month-long all-school Recycling Challenge. Through Winter Break, the Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School competed for the best sorting of recyclables. Divisional student environmental clubs followed each division’s progress, collecting data each week by analyzing in the bins around the School.

RCDS HOSTS STEAM MAKER EVENT FOR WESTCHESTER AND FAIRFIELD TEACHERS

On November 9, Rye Country Day teachers hosted a special STEAM gathering for fellow teachers from Westchester and Fairfield Counties. The event took place in the RCDS Makerspace and provided a collaborative opportunity to brainstorm ideas and projects the teachers could bring into their classrooms.

Each year, the RCDS community comes together for the Can-Do Food Drive benefitting the Carver Center Food Pantry in Port Chester. The drive provides students, families, and employees in all divisions an opportunity to put the RCDS motto, Not for Self, but for Service, into practice while learning about the importance of public purpose and community engagement. This beloved drive is a team effort led by the RCDS P.E. Department and the Public Purpose Program. The Fun Run during Wildcat Weekend is the culminating fundraiser for the drive, and throughout the month of October, P.E. teachers discuss the drive with their students. Newly

Rye Country Day’s Sustainability and Public Purpose programs teamed up to launch monthly clean-ups at Rye’s Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary. On the first Saturday of every month during the school year, groups of up to 30 RCDS students, family members, and employees will work together to support the environmental well-being of this treasured local nature preserve. The visits will range from trash pick-up to trail maintenance and other useful tasks identified by Westchester County’s Department of Parks.

DIP INTO THE

DIVISIONS

MS HUMAN

ASSEMBLIES

RIGHTS

In October, students in Grades 7 and 8 had the opportunity to hear from Takeshi (Tak) Furumoto, a survivor of a Japanese internment camp in California during World War II. After hearing Mr. Furumoto speak, the students reflected on their appreciation of the chance to learn about history from his personal vantage point. They remarked that his presentation deepened their understanding of World War II, including the indignity of the internment camps. They also noted their appreciation of his efforts to spread awareness and help ensure such human rights violations never occur again in the United States.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SYMPOSIUM

At the Community Engagement Symposium in September, 18 Upper School students presented the work they completed over the summer in partnership with local community organizations. The 2022 cohort of Community Engagement Fellows were involved in a variety of meaningful projects–from developing a film festival to leading summer camp programs–and their work actively showcased the RCDS motto, Not for Self, but for Service.

GRADE 6 CLASSICS STUDENTS EXPLORE ROMAN CULTURE

Sixth graders learned about Lares, ancestor spirits that were believed to protect Roman families and their households. Each Lar (spirit) was represented in the Roman home with a small statue, and each household usually had two or three Lares. These statues would be placed in a small shrine called a Lararium, where family members would give offerings and general words of gratitude. Students created their own Lares in the Makerspace and held a traditional Roman ceremony in their classroom Lararium.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

TALK

The Sustainability Program welcomed guest speakers Chris Gates and Seraphine Lyimo from Mainsprings, a sustainable development organization in Tanzania. ⁠ Their presentation focused on permaculture in Tanzania and how sustainability leads to prosperity. They discussed their comprehensive approach to fighting to end poverty in rural Tanzania through education, regenerative agriculture, and healthcare. ⁠

GRADE 3 VISITS URBAN RIVER CENTER

Third graders enjoyed a field trip to The Center for the Urban River at Beczak (CURB) in Yonkers. CURB’s mission is to advance environmental knowledge and stewardship by providing K-12 environmental education for the local community and establishing a regional hub for research and monitoring focused on Hudson River estuary and urban watershed issues. Students learned about the Hudson River estuary and tidal influences, how to identify different fish species that inhabit the river, the impact of water runoff, and pollution sources.

And All That Jazz

Preservation Hall

Comes to RCDS

As part of The Alan L. and Jacqueline B. Stuart Concert Series in Memory of Priscilla M. Liebman, RCDS welcomed members of the Preservation Hall Foundation, the cultural programming wing of one of New Orleans’s oldest jazz institutions. Students in each division were treated to incredible live performances from the five-piece band in the PAC. The day prior, the US Jazz band along with LS/MS music students had the opportunity to participate in musical activities with the band members.

RYE FD VISITS THE LOWER SCHOOL

In honor of National Fire Prevention Week (October 9-15), Lower School students in Pre-K through Grade 2 had a special visit from the Rye Fire Department and their mascot, Sparky the Fire Dog. Helping to raise awareness, the firefighters and Sparky shared simple yet important fire safety tips and demonstrated how fire trucks and hoses operate.

MONARCH REARING CITIZEN SCIENCE PROGRAM

Rye Country Day’s Monarch Rearing Citizen Science Program is a Grade 7 hallmark. The program, which was started six years ago by students who are now seniors, had a breakthrough event this fall—100% living monarchs! This year’s seventh-grade students tagged and released an all-time record of 18 butterflies. Congratulations to Ms. Sackey and her crew of scientists!

Students in all three divisions shared their talents with the RCDS commuity.

MS/US CHORAL AND INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTS

In December, the Performing Arts Center came alive with beautiful performances from students in Grades 5-12.

US PHOTO EXHIBITION

In November, Upper School students in AP Photography, Photo I and II, and Advanced Topics in Photography displayed their impressive work in the Pinkham Building.

DANCE CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

LS/MS Art Exhibition

Celebrate the Arts

In December, an inspiring collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed media projects from Lower and Middle School students was on exhibit in the Main Building.

ATHLETICS

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY

• FAA All-League Second Team: Robert Lazar ’26, Jack de Haan ’24

• Coaches Award: Tyler Moyer ’23

• Wildcat Award: Esaias Gonzalez ’25 2023 Captains: Esaias Gonzalez ’25, Varun Kolluri ’24, Jack de Haan ’24

GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY

• FAA All-League: Isabel Slippen ’23

• NYSAIS Medalists: Isabel Slippen ’23 (6th), Caroline Stronski ’27 (22nd)

• Coaches Award: Julia Marrinan ’23

• Wildcat Award: Cleo Saltz ’24

• 2023 Captains: Brynn Coady ’24, Taeko Fueno ’25, Cleo Saltz ’24

FIELD HOCKEY

• 2022 NYSAIS Champions

• FAA All-League First Team: Reina Thalheimer-Santamaria ’23

• FAA All-League Second Team: Zizi Hart ’23

• FAA Honorable Mention: Natalia Kochut ’24

• WNEPSFHA All-Star: Zizi Hart ’23, Reina Thalheimer-Santamaria ’23

• All-NEPSAC: Natalia Kochut ’24

• All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Zizi Hart ’23

• Coaches Award: Morgan Daily ’23

• Wildcat Award: Reina ThalheimerSantamaria ’23

• 2023 Captains: Grace Allen ’24, Natalia Kochut ’24

FOOTBALL

• MIFL All-League: Henry Cohn ’23, Cole Denson ’24, Nick Vlasto ’24, Luke Millowitz ’23, Alex Pearle ’23, AJ Pisacano ’23, Michael McGhee ’23, Patrick Leonard ’24, Barrett Pennington ’24, Trey Stevens ’23

FALL PLAY: MERMAID

In November, Upper School Drama students presented Polly Teale’s Mermaid, an imaginative retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid. The evocative performance invited audiences to connect with each character and reflect on the complexities of the human condition.

FALL SPORTS AWARDS

Congratulations to the Wildcats on an outstanding season!

BOYS’ SOCCER

• FAA All-League Second Team: Jonah Gurion ’24, Sameer Hirani ’24

• FAA Honorable Mention: Luis Gutierrez ’25

• WNEPSSA: Jonah Gurion ’24, Sameer Hirani ’24

• Coaches Award: Dante Tabossi Zugman ’23

• Wildcat Award: Benjamin Mathias ’23

• 2023 Captains: Sameer Hirani ’24, Jonah Gurion ’24, Matthew Jachman ’24

GIRLS’ SOCCER

• FAA All-League First Team: Trinity Parameswaran ’23

• FAA All-League Second Team: Sydney Merrill ’23

• FAA Honorable Mention: Romi Schreiber ’24

• WNEPSSA: Trinity Parameswaran ’23, Sydney Merrill ’23

• Lohud Best of the Rest (Runner-up for Elite 11): Trinity Parameswaran ’23

• Coaches Award: Sydney Merrill ’23

• Wildcat Award: Trinity Parameswaran ’23

• 2023 Captains: Lily Smith ’25, Liz Kavanagh ’24, Romi Schreiber ’24

VARSITY VOLLEYBALL

• FAA Honorable Mention: Cate Tucker ’24

• All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Madison Haft-Abromovitch ’24

• Coaches Award: Madison Haft-Abromovitch ’24

• Wildcat Award: Cate Tucker ’24

• 2023 Captains: Cate Tucker ’24, Madison Haft-Abromovitch ’24

On November 7, the RCDS Varsity Field Hockey team won its 12th NYSAIS championship title. Congratulations to the team, Head Coach Georgette Summers (pictured right), and Assistant Coach Clemmie Everett (pictured left). This was an exciting milestone for the Varsity Field Hockey Wildcats, as it was their first championship win on home turf. Go, Wildcats!

The Winter Dance Choreography Showcase in December featured Upper School dancers, the Cedar Street Dance Company, and Grades 7 & 8 P.E. dance students.

ALUMNI NEWS

MAYA KINI ’22 CO-AUTHORS

PUBLISHED COVID-19 RESEARCH

Maya Kini ’22 is one of the authors of a paper on COVID-19 mortality risk among men. The study, which was published on BMJ Open, features work that Maya completed in the Science Research course at Rye Country Day School. The article is titled Does comorbidity burden explain the higher COVID-19 mortality risk among men? A retrospective cross-sectional analysis of a well-defined cohort of patients in Bronx, New York. Maya currently attends the University of Chicago.

Taylor Washington ’11: Nashville Soccer Club Humanitarian of the Year

A defender for Nashville SC Major League Soccer, Taylor’s involvement in the Nashville area reflects his commitment to sports, service, and community. He works as an ambassador and soccer coach for the team’s inaugural Special Olympics Unified Team. As part of Nashville SC’S Kick Childhood Cancer, he also visits pediatric cancer patients at the Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

CONGRATULATIONS!

FRIEDBERG TWINS NAMED TO CANADIAN NATIONAL TEAM

Elizabeth Friedberg ’20 and Olivia Friedberg ’20 have been named to the Canadian Women’s National Indoor Field Hockey Team. The twins are in their junior year at Cornell University and play for the field hockey team. Elizabeth plays defense/midfield, and Olivia is a midfield/forward.

BLUE & GOLD BONDS AT REUNION 2022

Reunion events returned to Wildcat Weekend this fall, and RCDS alumni came out in full force. The special day included the Golden Alumni Brunch, the Reunion Cocktail Reception, the beloved faculty and staff meet and greet, and campus tours. Over 130 Rye Country Day Wildcats across five decades and 10 classes enjoyed reconnecting with each other, faculty and staff, and their alma mater. Many thanks to all of the alumni who attended this wonderful RCDS event! We loved welcoming you back to campus! Special thanks to our incredible Reunion committee volunteers who made the weekend a roaring success.

REINA THALHEIMER-SANTAMARIA ’23: LOHUD PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Reina Thalheimer-Santamaria ’23 was named The Journal News/Lohud Field Hockey Player of the Week. Reina was one of the eight players nominated for games played through the week of September 12 to 17. She recorded three hat tricks in three straight wins for the Wildcats to start the season. Reina and the Wildcats concluded the season winning Varsity Field Hockey’s 12th NYSAIS Championship title.

NICK RODDY ’23 AND KEVIN FRANCELLA ’23: DI ATHLETICS

NATIONAL LETTER OF INTENT SIGNERS

Nick Roddy ’23 will play tennis at the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia. Kevin Francella ’23 will play baseball at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. Congratulations to Nick and Kevin as they continue their academic and athletic careers in college!

COLE DENSON ’24: LOHUD OUTSTANDING FOOTBALL FEATURE

Wildcat fullback and safety Cole Denson ’24 was featured by The Journal News/Lohud for his outstanding track record on the football field. Cole, who leads the team in almost every offensive category, had a fantastic fall 2022 season, taking the Wildcats to the MIFL championship.

College Board National Recognitions

Ricardo Coates ’23, Lolly Kim ’23, Ade Larsen ’23, Dante Tabossi Zugman ’23, Sebastian Briano ’24, Sofia Castaneda ’24, Max Garcia-Tunon ’24, Sameer Hirani ’24, and Sarah Rivas ’24 are among the 62,000 students from across the country who earned academic honors from the College Board’s National Recognition Programs. These programs grant underrepresented students with academic honors that can be included on their college and scholarship applications.

US Teachers Receive UChicago Outstanding Educator Awards

Tia Gueye (Mathematics Department

Chair), Jennifer Doran (Science), and Kaori Yamamoto (Mathematics) received University of Chicago Outstanding Educator Awards. Every year, newly admitted University of Chicago students nominate teachers who have “gone above and beyond the call of duty in their role as an educator.” The awards recognize teachers who “think carefully about their instruction, share an infectious love for learning, and care for their students both inside and outside of the classroom.”

THANK YOU!

Setting a NEW RECORD, the RCDS Annual Giving Challenge raised $3.56 Million from 998 donors, unlocking $150,000 in challenge grants. We did it, Wildcats! Your participation enabled us to surpass our goal and achieve outstanding results. View the final donor scrolls and leaderboards at ryecountryday.org/challenge Haven’t made your 2022-23 Annual Fund gift? Visit ryecountryday.org/give

Gratitude from the PA

The first half of the 2022-23 school year was all about BLUE & GOLD Spirit From the Parents Association Fall Luncheon to Fun Fridays, Wildcat Weekend, and various committee outings and activities, we were thrilled to see our community come together to celebrate our shared RCDS bonds! Thank you to everyone who participated in PA-sponsored initiatives and to all of our volunteers who made them possible!

PEDRO VILLEDA RECEIVES FLIK PRESIDENT’S AWARD

The award recognizes Flik associates for their outstanding performance during the past year and their ongoing commitment to excellence.

Seven RCDS Musicians Selected for NYSSMA

Area All-State Ensemble

Students were selected based on their high scores in the NYSSMA solo festival last spring.

Area All-State Band:

Jaymin Ding ’25 (Bb Clarinet)

Samuel Kobi ’24 (Alto Saxophone)

Area All-State Orchestra:

Ronald Feng ’24 (Cello)

Emily Kolodner ’23 (Viola)

Emilie Ward ’23 (Violin)

Casey Wu ’24 (String Bass)

Jordan Zhao ’24 (Cello)

FIFTEEN RCDS SENIORS NAMED NATIONAL MERIT SEMIFINALISTS

Ronen Borkar, Allison Duffy, Sabrina Fang, Adam Kern, Lauren Kim, Ade Larsen, Elizabeth Lee, William Mahoney, Rohan Malik, Benjamin Mathias, Sydney Merrill, Archer Pil, Raghav Srinivasan, Luke Sullivan, and Ruth Zhao were named 2023 National Merit Semifinalists. Across the nation, only one percent of high school students who take the PSAT qualify for this honor. Celebrating academic achievement in high school students, the National Merit Scholarship Program selects over 16,000 high school seniors from across the country as semifinalists based on their PSAT/ NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test). Approximately 1.5 million high school students enter the program each year.

In addition, 16 seniors were named Commended Students based on their results from the Preliminary SAT/ National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT). About 34,000 high school seniors were recognized as high scorers out of 1.5 million entrants. Each student received a Letter of Commendation, and some students may become candidates for special scholarships. The commended RCDS seniors are: Zachary Ben-Meir, Luke Beyer, Aadi Bhattacharya, M Bremer, Andrew Cheigh, Eileen Deng, Dillon Hurst, Anya Khemlani, Tyler Moyer, Nicholas Neshovski, Judson Schnall, Ian Shurslep, Quinn Sullivan, Dante Tabossi Zugman, Arthur Wang, and Jeffrey Wang.

CT STATE SCHOLASTIC CHESS COMPETITION HONORS

An RCDS Kindergartner won the Connecticut State Scholastic Chess Grade Championship K section in November. His older brother placed third in the fifth grade section.

US Students Launch Public Purpose Student Leadership Board

2023 MARKS FOR RCDS!

Niche, a leading resource for researching U.S. colleges, schools, neighborhoods, and companies, named Rye Country Day School among its 2023 Best Schools. WESTCHESTER COUNTY

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Best Private High School

Best High School for STEM REGIONAL/NATIONAL

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Best Private K-12 School in New York State and the New York City area respectively

Best Private K-12 School in America

The new advisory group will help centralize Upper School Public Purpose initiatives and support all-school projects. The group’s goal is to facilitate and encourage effective social impact work that embodies the RCDS motto, Not for Self, but for Service.