A new year is here, and Rye Country Day is ready for all it has to offer! We had an incredible fall reflecting our theme of CONNECTION.
Students connected ideas, concepts, skills, and disciplines—from classwork and community work to the arts, athletics, and extracurriculars. Our teachers connected our students’ learning to their interests, helping them deepen already existing passions and discover new ones. And our entire community explored and celebrated the connections we share in ways small and large.
Our parents and guardians also played their part in our community connection. They created terrific community-building opportunities and participated enthusiastically in our resource sharing events—from counselor conversations to executive function workshops and expert speaker sessions on technology use. Our active collaboration between home and school is what makes our school so healthy and strong. I am extremely grateful to our parents and guardians for their sustained commitment to RCDS.
Alumni maintained their connection to RCDS, returning home to campus for Reunion, the Winter Games & Family Reception, and classroom speaking engagements. How inspiring it is to see our graduates carrying on the tradition of RCDS excellence in their respective fields and communities.
As you read this newsletter, I trust you will enjoy looking back at fall highlights and that you will share my immense excitement for all that is to come.
Happy New Year, Wildcats!
Yours,
Randall Dunn Head of School
Mr. Dunn has continued his email series for parents and guardians titled On My Mind. In the October edition, he shared his areas of focus for the 2024-25 school year. Read On My Mind online at ryecountryday.org/onmymind
If kindness is our hallmark, connection is the way we honor and realize it. Understanding the ways we are all connected prompts us to be kind, to work together as a team, and to grow stronger as a community. –Head of School Randall Dunn
RCDS partners with
Rye Country Day has partnered with the non-profit organization Common Circles, as part of the School’s ongoing effort to foster connection and inclusion within a community that works collaboratively to combat bias and hate.
are looking at the exact same image. Following this exercise, the exhibit poses the question “What are the many layers that make you... you.” An identity “puzzle” shows various pieces that might make up a person’s identity to remind viewers that some aspects of identity are visible and others are not.
Founded by RCDS alumni parent Marla Felton P’19, P’21, Common Circles partners with schools to bring together art technology, community participation, and history to improve intergroup relations, offer Holocaust education, reduce antisemitism, increase empathy, and encourage changed behaviors. The result of this important collaboration is a twopart interactive educational exhibit that will be integrated into Rye Country Day’s curricular work and on view for the entire RCDS community through the 2025-26 school year.
WE ARE RCDS: BRIDGING, BELONGING & BUILDING COMMUNITY
Using art, photography, and storytelling, part 1 of the Common Circles exhibit, We Are RCDS, is an interactive museum experience that invites visitors to explore their own identities, embrace a diversity of perspectives and ideas, challenge first impressions, and express their hopes for humanity and the RCDS community.
When visitors first arrive at the exhibit, they approach a curated collection of artwork on the topic of bridging and belonging, along with definitions of the terms bridging, breaking, othering, and belonging. On the next panel, a series of optical illusions demonstrate the differences in how individuals perceive information, even when they
In the “Stories We Live” section, of the exhibit, images of RCDS administrators, faculty, and staff in five different outfits (accompanied with self-descriptive words) showcase the multifaceted lives, experiences, and interests of each subject to encourage understanding, empathy, meaningful conversations, and connection. The exhibit also features several panels of RCDS students’ representations of themselves through hand-drawn self-portraits and photography. Nearly 400 Lower, Middle, and Upper School students created the self-portraits in art classes in the spring and fall of 2024.
The Pavel Friedmann poem “The Butterfly” is the concluding panel of the We Are RCDS exhibit. Friedmann wrote the poem in 1942 when he was one of the 15,000 child prisoners that passed through the Terezin concentration camp, before he was killed in 1944 at the Auschwitz concentration camp. The poem is the basis for the Butterfly Project through which students from around the world have created butterflies in memory of the approximately 1.5 million children who perished in the Holocaust. Exhibit participants at RCDS–and other Common Circles partner communities– are invited to write their own wishes for humanity alongside the poem. Butterflies are a universal symbol of resilience, rebirth, and hope, and seeing community members’ wishes written on butterflies is a powerful visual affirmation of the potential we all have to make our world more inclusive and peaceful.
THE ROAD TO WE ARE RCDS
In the Spring of 2023, Common Circles Founder Marla Felton P’19, P’21 (pictured right) and Creative Director Sue Spiegel (left) partnered with Assistant Head of School Dr. Meredith deChabert (center) and began the preparatory work to bring this interactive experience to Rye Country Day. Read about this extensive collaboration online at ryecountryday.org/commoncircles
VOICES AGAINST HATE: LESSONS FROM THE HOLOCAUST & CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Part 2 of the Common Circles exhibit is Voices Against Hate. In partnership with USC Shoah Foundation, this part of the exhibit will feature the USC Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony Interactive Biographies and offer opportunities for visitors to have lifelike conversations with a Holocaust survivor and a Jewish American liberator. The exhibit also plans to feature immersive conversational video of Clarence B. Jones, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s speechwriter, lawyer, and best friend. In addition, the exhibit includes powerful stories of hope and survival from members of the RCDS community, along with narratives highlighting other local Holocaust and WWII survivors, liberators, and upstanders.
“Common Circles is a wonderful initiative that dovetails with our active approach to building awareness and educating our community about antisemitism and other forms of hate. This work is critical, as we strive for a more inclusive, connected world. We Are RCDS is a beautiful, thought-provoking celebration of the range of identities in our community. It is an affirmation of RCDS’s commitment to inclusion and combating hate through education, connection, and mutual respect.”
— Randall Dunn, Head of School
EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE
Common Circles in partnership with RCDS, American Jewish Committee (AJC), and Third Plateau received a prestigious grant from the Claims Conference: Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany to study the impact of the exhibit on students and teachers from RCDS and neighboring public schools through a multi-year study. The independent impact evaluation will gauge expansion in knowledge and understanding around the Holocaust and antisemitism, as well as any increase in bridging differences and building community.
Wildcat Weekend was all about RCDS spirit and connection.
WILDCAT WEEKEND ’24
Students, parents, guardians, faculty, and staff celebrated CONNECTION at the Back-to-School Block Party in September.
Kicking off RCDS’s 156th year with Opening Ceremonies! The Senior Class Officers presented Mr. Dunn with the Class of 2025 flag, and for the first time ever, they gifted the Pre-Kindergartners their class flag (2038!).
Fall Fair fun, organized by US clubs.
Blue & Gold energy at the MS/US Pep Rally.
go,
Ready, set, run! The Fun Run took place on East Campus.
As part of the annual Can-Do Drive, fourth graders delivered approximately 100 bags of cereal, vegetable/ canola oil, rice, shelf-stable milk, assorted spices, and more to the Carver Center Market food pantry in Port Chester! Thank you to the RCDS community members who donated, and to the the P.E. Department and Public Purpose Program for coordinating this beloved service opportunity.
STRONG VISITING ARTISTS PROGRAM: AILEY II DANCES AT RCDS
Ailey II—the second company of the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—performed at RCDS as part of the Strong Visiting Artists Program Concert Series in November. Each RCDS division attended a special performance featuring pieces from Revelations, Alvin Ailey’s most famous piece that has been in its repertoire since its creation in 1960. With stunning, emotional choreography, Revelations explores African American heritage and culture, touching on deep grief and joy. Students also had the special opportunity to learn some of the choreography from Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper and Rehearsal Director Shay Bland. Additionally, members of RCDS’s Cedar Street Dance Company participated in a Master Class led by the Ailey II dancers. Special thanks to the Strong Family, Roger and Nancy Strong P’12 and their daughter Sarah Strong ’12, for continuing to bring meaningful arts education experiences to the RCDS Community.
PARENT EDUCATION
Max Stossel, the founder of Social Awakening, spoke with RCDS MS and US students and parents/guardians about social media’s impact on our lives and finding resources to help manage that impact.
The RCDS Dialogue team led an interactive workshop for parents/guardians to help center the importance of practicing dialogue at home.
RCDS parents/guardians and teachers are participating in a book club to read and discuss Jonathan Haidt’s The Anxious Generation; Ethan Mollick’s Co-Intelligence; and Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s Never Enough
Let’s
Wildcats! Crowds cheered on our student athletes.
GLOBAL ADVOCATE
Vivian Onano, an award-winning social entrepreneur, humanitarian, activist, and advocate for girls’ education in Africa, visited RCDS to speak with Upper School students in all three sections of the Economics & Politics course and the Global Issues, Local Action course. Ms. Onano discussed her work to advance sustainable development and girls’/ women’s education in Africa as a strategic advisor to government leaders, philanthropists, and members of the private sector. In each of the class visits, Ms. Onano discussed the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically goal # 5, which is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. Ms. Onano herself was a key player in the mobilization of young people’s input for the consultative process leading to the adoption of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. The goals were developed to provide a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. RCDS has also adopted the 17 SDGs as a central part of its Global Studies Signature Program. Ms. Onano reminded students to always ask themselves how their work, thinking, and advocacy–regardless of scale–tie into these important humanitarian goals.
RCDS’S VERY OWN WISHTREE
Over the summer, sixth graders read Katherine Applegate’s Wishtree, a story about a 216-year-old oak tree named Red who is the neighborhood’s “wishtree”—people write their wishes on pieces of cloth and tie them to Red’s branches. Throughout his many years, or rings, Red watches over the neighborhood and eventually observes the trials of a young Muslim girl whose family moves to town and is not immediately welcomed. Through the kindness of a good neighbor and Red the wishtree, the young girl and her family find their place in the community. Wishtree is a story of hope, community, and kindness, and it emphasizes the connections we all share regardless of differences.
ART OF CONNECTION
On the first day of school, all Lower School students collaborated to create a bulletin board centered around the year’s theme of CONNECTION. In art class, students created paper hexagons featuring drawings and words identifying experiences and interests they share with their classmates. The final result was a mosaic of the hexagons, reminding our Lower Schoolers of their many connections! This work of community art was a fantastic icebreaker and a meaningful way to kick off our year of connection.
GETTING OUT THE VOTE IN LS
DIP INTO THE DIVISIONS ❄
EAST CAMPUS
BIODIVERSITY
AP Environmental Science students visited East Campus to conduct a hands-on biodiversity lab. Students used dichotomous keys to identify tree species and took measurements to estimate the approximate age of each tree. The students then assessed species richness and calculated biodiversity across two different sections of East Campus using the Simpson’s Diversity Index. Among the common tree species observed were Norway Spruce, White Ash, Sweetgum, and White Pine. Rye Nature Center Conservation Director Jax Mack joined the group to provide expert guidance on tree identification.
EPIC MS ILLUSTRATED NOVEL
Before Thanksgiving Break, fifth graders from Mr. Friedman’s social studies class visited Lower School Community Meeting to share their illustrated novel depicting the Epic of Gilgamesh. To deepen their reading of the ancient Mesopotamian poem, groups of fifth graders teamed up to draw and write their own comic book version. The experience created a variety of memorable opportunities for students to discuss the epic’s narrative, as well as the overarching theme of the hero’s journey.
In the spirit of election season, Lower School students participated in a division-wide project centered on civic responsibility, the importance of taking action, and how voting can affect change in a community. In the week leading up to Election Day, classes read Andrea Beaty’s Sofia Valdez, Future Prez and other books about civic engagement. As part of the division-wide project, LS Principal Dr. Stacey Sotirhos visited Lower School classes for read-alouds and conversations about active citizenship. Students were asked to reflect on what it means to be a citizen of RCDS and what ideas they might have to improve their school community. Lower Schoolers were then asked to write down any issues they would like to see improved at school. A suggestion box outside of Dr. Sotirhos’s office collected their submissions. The three key studentproposed issues that made it to the ballot were:
• Social Time - Find ways to improve recess, choice time, and lunchtime.
• Time with Older Students - Work on new ideas for partnering with our buddies and students in other divisions.
• Student Choice - Find ways for students to have more choice and say in Lower School, such as what clubs we offer.
On Election Day, all classes, from Pre-K through Grade 4, made their way to voting booths in the hallway of the Main Building to cast their votes for the issue that they thought was most important. The Lower School administration tallied the votes and is working with student-led groups to realize various improvements. A wonderful way to learn about civic engagement and voting!
US ART & MORE
In October, the halls of the Cohen Center for the Creative Arts were adorned with Upper School art, as well as works by employees and alumni. The gallery was a wonderful sampling of the various visual arts taught at RCDS— drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, architecture, mixed media, and more.
CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE
ATHLETICS SPIRIT AWARD
• Evie Shurslep ’25
BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY
• FAA All-League Second Team: Rhys de Haan ’25
• FAA Honorable Mention: Bruce Jin ’28
• Coaches Award: Luke Stronski ’25
• Wildcat Award: Rhys de Haan ’25
• 2025 Captains: James Ding ’26, Lucius Liu ’26, Jack Slovin ’28
GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY
• FAA All-League First Team: Amelie Goacher ’25
• FAA All-League Second Team: Taeko Fueno ’25
• FAA Honorable Mention: Alexandra Lynch ’27
• Coaches Award: Taeko Fueno ’25
• Wildcat Award: Lauren Slovin ’25
• 2025 Captains: Alexandra Lynch ’27, Vivian Yao ’27, Selena Zhang ’26
Arts
Students in all three divisions shared their talents with the RCDS community.
MS PLEIN AIR
❄ ❄ ❄
US FALL PLAY: THE VER**ZON PLAY
Fifth-grade students in Ms. Machado’s art class enjoyed fall plein air drawing, gathering in the Khoury Courtyard to create their own artistic renderings of the Main Building. In creating their drawings, students utilized three key competencies: perspective drawing, shading techniques, and medium mixing (graphite, Prismacolor pencils, ink, etc.). They also developed their ability to observe architectural details, discovering features like ornate windows, unique brick patterns, and symmetry in the School’s design.
The Winter Choreography Showcase presented by the Dance With A Purpose Club highlighted 10 pieces choreographed by RCDS students and faculty, with guest appearances by the Cedar Street Dance Company and MS P.E. Dance.
MS/US CHORAL & INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTS
In December, the Performing Arts Center came alive with beautiful performances from students in Grades 5-12.
• MIFL Bowl All-League First Team: Christopher Emmet ’25
• MIFL Bowl All-League First Team: Amir Hogans ’26
• MIFL Bowl All-League First Team: Colin Lauri ’25
• MIFL Bowl All-League First Team: Zander Stempel ’25
• MIFL Bowl All-League First Team: Milin Torgalkar ’26
• MIFL Bowl All-League First Team: Alex Vlasto ’28
• MIFL Bowl All-League Second Team: Charlie Pearle ’26
• Coaches Award: Colin Lauri ’25
The Upper School Fall Play was The Ver**zon Play, a sharp, satirical comedy by Tony Award-winning playwright Lisa Kron. In this thought-provoking production, RCDS drama students explored the quirks and pitfalls of corporate culture and modern communication.
LS ART EXHIBIT
In December, paintings, drawings, sculptures, and mixed media projects were on display in the Main Building. Each Lower School student was represented in this inspiring collection!
FALL SPORTS AWARDS
Congratulations to the RCDS Wildcats on an incredible fall season!
• Wildcat Award: Amir Hogans ’26
• 2025 Captains: Hank Brown ’27, Amir Hogans ’26, Charlie Pearle ’26, Milin Torgalkar ’26
BOYS’ SOCCER
• All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Luis Gutierrez ’25
• FAA All-League First Team: Luis Gutierrez ’25
• FAA All-League Second Team: Alex Gurion ’26, Chris Yepes ’25
• FAA Honorable Mention: Pete Miller ’25
• Coaches Award: Matt Jachman ’25, Chris Yepes ’25
• Wildcat Award: Luis Gutierrez ’25
• 2025 Captains: Alex Gurion ’26, Richie Morrow ’26, Caden Powers ’26, Luke Werwaiss ’27
GIRLS’ SOCCER
• All-NEPSAC All-League: Lily Smith ’25
• All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Caro Stronski ’27
• WWNEPSSA All-Star: Abigail Smith ’28
• WWNEPSSA All-Star: Lily Smith ’25
• WWNEPSSA All-Star: Caro Stronski ’27
• FAA All-League First Team: Lily Smith ’25, Caro Stronski ’27
• FAA All-League Second Team: Abigail Smith ’28
• FAA Honorable Mention: Isa Pierry ’25
• Dick Pike H’11 Coaches Award: Susie Geller ’25
• Wildcat Award: Lily Smith ’25
• 2025 Captains: Nola Coady ’26, Caro Stronski ’27
POWER OF THE MIND: During the first week of fall preseason, sports and performance coach Shelly Wolfson, Ph.D., visited RCDS to speak to fall varsity student-athletes about the power of the mind. Dr. Wolfson discussed various mental health skills and provided best practices in preparing for game days, practices, and off-the-field activities. As part of her presentation, she also provided strategies to optimize performance on and off the field such as focus, anxiety and willpower control, confidence, and trust.
WELCOME, NEW ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS!
In the fall, RCDS welcomed four new members to the Alumni Executive Board (from left): Ryan Davidson ’11, Jeffery Grasso, Jr. ’12, Kenji Hashimoto ’99, and Cynthia Luo ’14. Their diverse ideas and enthusiasm will help strengthen and engage our community. Their full bios are on the alumni website and will be published in the Spring 2025 Bulletin.
ALUMNI NEWS REUNION 2024
REUNION COCKTAIL RECEPTION
GOLDEN ALUMNI DINNER
On Saturday, October 19, the Class of 1974 gathered with a record number of attendees to celebrate their 50th reunion. The classmates gathered for a reception in the Pinkham Building Main Hall, followed by dinner in the MS/US Dining Hall. It was a fantastic event celebrating 50 years of RCDS community and pride.
On Saturday, October 19, alumni with class years ending in 4 and 9 gathered in the PAC Foyer to catch up, make new connections, and celebrate shared RCDS bonds. Former faculty members also joined the festivities.
Paige Codrington ’15 visited campus in November to discuss her work in biomedical engineering with Upper School students in AP Biology, AP Physics, and Engineering. Paige is a Clinical Account Specialist at Johnson and Johnson Medtech’s Biosense Webster, a global leader in the science, diagnosis, and treatment of heart rhythm disorders.
Sena Selby ’20 earned Intercollegiate Tennis Association Scholar Athlete honors after earning a GPA above a 3.5 for the 2023-24 school year. She was also a member of the Claremont
McKenna Women’s Tennis Team, who earned ITA All-Academic team distinction honors for a combined team GPA above a 3.2 throughout the past school year.
PhotoCourtesyofClaremontMcKennaAthletics
HIGHLIGHTS
On Monday, November 4, the Varsity Cross Country team had an impressive showing at the 2024 Cross Country NYSAIS Championship, with Amelie Goacher ’25 finishing in 22nd place with a time of 21:57.10. Amelie was among the top 25 studentathletes out of 218 NYSAIS runners to medal.
On Thursday, November 7, the Middle School Cross Country Team had an outstanding showing in the FAA League Championship, with three RCDS runners finishing in the top 3.
❄
• David L. ’29 earned first place overall in the FAA League Championship, placing first in the Eighth-Grade Division. In the regular season, David placed first in all six meets.
• Koji N. ’29 took second place overall in the FAA League Championship, placing second in the Eighth-Grade Division. In the regular season, Koji was among the top 5 in all six meets.
• Declan M. ’30 finished in third place overall in the FAA League Championship and placed first in the Seventh-Grade Division. In the regular season, Declan was among the top 5 in all six meets.
On Thursday, November 7, the Middle School football team defeated Fieldston with a fantastic goal-line stand to complete its perfect season. It was an exciting end to the season for the Wildcats, capping off an 8-0 campaign under the guidance of Head Coach Rich Knazik and Assistant Coaches John Calandros, Charlie Ogbonna, Timothy Powell, and Troy Thomas.
Charlotte Price ’20 helped the Middlebury Panthers claim their third-straight Women’s Lacrosse NCAA Championship—and 10th title in program history—with a 16-5 win over Salisbury University on May 26.
During the 2024 season, captain quarterback Colin Lauri ’25 set a new record for the most passing yards in a single season (1,185 passing yards, including 12 touchdown passes).
In November, RCDS highlighted three studentathletes who will continue their athletic careers at the Division I level with a special National Letter of Intent Signing Day on campus. Pictured left to right, Willow Edwards ’25 will play softball at Colgate University, Lily Smith ’25 will play soccer at Colorado College, and Autumn Tombline ’25 will play volleyball at the University of Rhode Island. Each student signed their letter of intent with family, friends, and members of the RCDS community in attendance.
Amir Hogans ’26 was named to the lohud Private School Super 11 Football Team after his 2023 sophomore season, where he recorded 15 catches for 345 yards, two touchdowns, and 40 tackles. The lohud Super 11 highlights the top 11 returning athletes in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam football. The selections are based on talent, production, and a projection of the athletes’ impact this season.
CONGRATS
Melody Wu ’28 and Alyssa Chu ’25 (picturedlefttoright)excelled at the Jane Street Math Prize For Girls and qualified For the Girls’ Olympiad. Melody received honorable mention and Alyssa Chu ’25 placed in the top 10. The Advantage Testing Foundation/Jane Street Math Prize for Girls is the largest math prize for girls in the world. Each fall at MIT, about 250 young female mathematicians compete.
Fifteen RCDS seniors were named semifinalists in the 2025 National Merit Scholarship Program. Across the nation, only one percent of high school students who take the PSAT qualify for this honor. The National Merit Scholarship Program celebrates academic achievement in high school students and selects 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. RCDS semifinalists: Rahul Arora ’25, Alyssa Chu ’25, Zachary D’Amico ’25, Jaymin Ding ’25, Christopher Emmet ’25, Shaurya Grover ’25, Ariel Israel ’25, Isabella Jolicoeur ’25, Julia Kroin ’25, Alexander Rivas ’25, Leo Roth ’25, Ethan Schales ’25, Kyle Sisitsky ’25, Leah Steyn ’25, and Turner Wolf ’25.
Juliette Moore ’27 was recognized by Playbill for her cover design for the Drama Department’s fall play production of TheVer**zonPlay. Her cover was one of “10 Creative PLAYBILLDER Covers from Around the Country.”
Jaymin Ding ’25 participated in the Princeton University Science Fair and his poster won first place, earning high praise from the judges. In addition, a paper Jaymin wrote was accepted to MIT’s Undergraduate Research Technology Conference. Jaymin completed research for both projects with mentorship from Antonio Rodriguez a Ph.D. student at CalTech.
Eleven Upper School students were honored by the College Board National Recognition Program. The recognitions highlight the academic achievements of students who are African American or Black, Hispanic or Latinx, Indigenous or Native American, first-generation, and/or rural or small town residents. RCDS Honorees: Maria Flores ’25, Joaquin Gonzalez ’25, Mia Herz ’26, Isabella Jolicoeur ’25 , Francisco Luz ’25, Harrison Millan ’26, Skyla Perez ’26, Nico Stefanoni ’25, Noah Tabossi Zugman ’26, Eliana Thomas ’26, and Christopher Yepes ’25.
For the second year in a row, RCDS took first place in the TigerHacks Coding Competition, hosted by Greenwich Country Day School. First-Place Team: Jaymin Ding ’25, Rhys de Haan ’25, and Xavier Perkins ’26. Fifth-Place Team: Charles Iwanski ’26, Xindi Liu ’26, and Arav Ramaswamy ’26.
THANK YOU!
The RCDS Annual Giving Challenge raised $4.26 MILLION from 1,173 DONORS, unlocking $300,000 in challenge grants and SHATTERING PREVIOUS CHALLENGE RECORDS for both funds raised and participation! We are EXTREMELY GRATEFUL to the entire RCDS community. This challenge was an inspiring example of the power of our CONNECTION as members of the Wildcat family! Thank you to our current parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, faculty/staff, and friends, for helping us achieve truly outstanding results!
Thanks for helping with these community events and so much more!
PA Greetings & Gratitude
What an incredible start to the school year! We are fortunate to have so many dedicated parent/guardian volunteers who helped make our fall community building events possible. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who helped organize these wonderful events and to all who attended. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities that 2025 will bring!
HIGH MARKS FOR RCDS!
Niche, a leading resource for researching U.S. colleges, schools, neighborhoods, and companies, has given high marks to Rye Country Day School in its 2025 Best Schools rankings.
Upper School Science teacher Craig Burt received an Outstanding Educator Award from the University of Chicago. Every year, newly admitted UChicago students recommend teachers who have “gone above and beyond the call of duty” to leave a lasting, positive impression.
Upper School Spanish Teacher Laura Mungavin presented two workshops at the 106th American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese (AATSP) Annual Conference. Ms. Mungavin’s two sessions addressed how educators can broaden the scope of their curriculums to promote deeper study of the Spanish language and culture.
WESTCHESTER COUNTY
• #1 Best Private K-12 School (sixth consecutive year)
• #1 Best High School for STEM
• #1 Best Private High School
NEW YORK STATE
• #5 Best Private High School
• #4 Best Private K-12 School
NATIONAL
• #7 Best Private K-12 School in America
GREEN CERTIFIED
RCDS received the highest level Green Flag Certification by the National Wildlife Federation’s EcoSchools U.S, which recognizes environmental action in Pre-K through 12 schools. The Flik Dining Services Team also completed its recertification as a 3-Star Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association.
