Rippowam Cisqua School Bulletin, Winter 2017-2018, Centennial Edition

Winter 2017-18

Rippowam Cisqua School

Bulletin Centennial Edition

In this issue: New Upper Campus and a New Century Centennial Celebration Graduation 2017

The RCS Owl

As we celebrate our 100th academic year and the completion of the RCS Upper Campus renovation, we are excited to bring back a symbol from the original iconography of our school, the Rippowam Owl. Though inspired by drawings of our earliest school seal, today’s owl bears little resemblance to what many RCS alums referred to as “the grumpy old owl” who graced everything from yearbook covers to admissions materials, to our original school flag.

The Owl is featured in all of our Centennial materials from the lamppost flags adorning both campuses to our recently launched line of Centennial merchandise and apparel. Colm MacMahon, Head of School, believes “It is important that we bring back the Rippowam Owl; owls have long been associated with wisdom and intentional contemplation – two essential components of an enlightened education. The entire RCS community, especially the students, embraced with great enthusiasm the new Rippowam Owl when it was introduced in January 2017. Given its rich history, the owl is a wonderful and fitting symbol of our Centennial Celebration and it will play an exciting role in the future of Rippowam Cisqua School.”

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Rippowam Cisqua School

Bulletin

Table of Contents

Winter 2017-18

Rippowam Cisqua School Bulletin is published by the Advancement Office: Ryan Smith, Director of Advancement Jen Goodhue, Director of Alumni Relations Caroline Vincent Mockridge ’81,

Centennial Director Karin Smith, Director of Communications Daphne Viders, Centennial Campaign Manager

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Haley Conde, Ginny Durfee ’11, Lily Fauver ’14, Daisy Fauver ’16, Advancement Office

Cover Story: New Upper Campus and a New Century

Summer Interns

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Credits: Design: Good Design, Deep River, CT Photography: Minush Krasniqi, David Lamb, Rhonda Spevak, Robert Umenhofer Printing: Printech, Stamford, CT

Letter from the Head of School

Campus News 10

Graduation 2017

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Upper Campus Academic and Athletics Awards

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Sports Then and Now

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RCS in Pictures

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Centennial Celebration: Friday Night Lights Family Carnival

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RCS 100-Year Timeline

Whitney Brown Anne Citrin Christopher H. Pachios

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Centennial Campaign for RCS

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Celebrating Legacy: Three & Four Generation Families at Ripp

Sonja Bartlett Jonathan Childs Nancy Dwyer Eaves ’92 Margot Fooshee Abby Gerry Ben Harris Dr. Elizabeth L. Kilgallon Stuart Kovensky Dr. Angelina Lipman Richard C. Mugler III Nga Pedretti Lisa L. Shrewsberry Sara Slocum Daniel van Starrenburg

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Lower Campus Garden

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From Diversity to Community: RCS Attends Dalton Conference

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Wellness Initiative

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Reinforcing Acts of Kindness No Matter How Small

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Board of Trustees

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New Board Members

Board of Trustees Executive Committee Kirtley H. Cameron, Chair Peter B. Freund ’91, Vice Chair James D. Kallman, Vice Chair Charles E. Buckley, Treasurer Scott A. Barshay, Secretary

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Farewell to Bill Barrett

Centennial Gala: The Party of the Century

Alumni News

Ex Officio Colm MacMahon, Head of School Deborah A. Hurrell, Asstistant Head,

Finance & Operations Cynthia Branch Mas ’71, RCSAA Chair Ryan Smith, Director of Advancement Antoinette Sullivan, Parents Association Chair

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Innovation in Education: Mapping Mars

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Alumni Connections

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RCS 2017 Distinguished Alumni Award

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Retiring Faculty

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Alumni Class Notes

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In Memoriam

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Letter from the

Head of School

3 Birthday celebrations can often take on different forms. Some people enjoy lively get-togethers with friends and family, while others might prefer something more subdued. At Rippowam Cisqua, we decided that our birthday should be the full-weekend party of the century. Starting with our amazing “Friday Night Lights” family carnival, and culminating in the extraordinary Centennial Gala, Rippowam Cisqua’s onehundredth birthday celebration was the celebration it deserved. After a century filled with remarkable educational experiences for generations of students, teachers, and families, RCS earned its night of meaningful reflection and demonstrable displays of affection.

While our centennial milestone has been a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on our past, the School is aggressively moving forward into our second century with passion and purpose.

As such, it was fitting that the event took place in our new, stunning Upper Campus facility. Our new building, designed and built for middle school students, is already pushing us to rethink

what teaching and learning looks like at RCS. With our focus on immersive and innovate learning, our students are experiencing school in new and more beneficial ways. From the investments in the new Innovation Center, to the emphasis on student friendly and academically appropriate furniture, the School is committed to enhanced student engagement.

Additionally, the increased emphasis on our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts; service learning; and the introduction of our Wellness Initiative on both campuses, has helped to reinvigorate the essential conversation around the importance of community well-being. As our students are growing up, we are meeting them at every stage of their development in ways that promote positivity, confidence, and leadership.

One hundred years is quite a long time.

And yet, it’s wonderful to be so old yet feel so spry. Happy birthday, RCS, and here’s to our next century!

All best wishes,

Colm MacMahon Head of School

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RCS Builds for the Future

New Upper Campus and a New Century RCS Builds for the Future

Head of School Colm MacMahon and Board Chair Kirtley Cameron cut the ribbon on September 6, officially opening the newly expanded and renovated Upper Campus to the entire RCS community and ushering in Rippowam Cisqua School’s one-hundredth academic year.

Centennial Hall – the new light-filled front entry packed with students, parents, faculty, and friends who had eagerly awaited the completion of the 15-month project – exploded with cheers as the ribbon fell to the floor and exploration of the new building began.

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The Library and Media Center, with its commanding second-story view of the outdoor amphitheater, is emerging as one of the main hubs of the School.

The large, open space blends the traditional feel of a library with the comforts of home and a Bedford barn – all with the modern technology we have come to expect. Students and faculty are already benefiting from the different breakout rooms in the Library – two seminar rooms and the popular Tower Reading Room with lots of light and its high tech, comfortable chairs. The versatile main area is already an important presentation space; eighth graders recently presented Westward Expansion videos; Wellness team members Iman Rasti, Nicole Levy, and Brooks Eleck used the space for a parents Wellness Workshop in October; and new Head of Upper Campus Matt Hall holds faculty meetings in the space each Friday afternoon.

The large, multi-use classroom adjacent to the Library is used regularly by teachers for classes and for meetings, and in fact one of the benefits of the Library’s design is that because of this larger breakout space, multiple classes are able to utilize the Library at the same time.

The new learning spaces on the Upper Campus were designed with the School’s unique students and faculty in mind. They are bright, open, and flexible – adaptable spaces that can change as program needs evolve and grow.

The unveiling of the new Upper Campus marked the last phase of Rippowam Cisqua School’s Master Plan, which for six years has been the driving force behind improvements such as the Meyers Fields expansion, a new Lower Campus front entrance, the renovation of the Middle School

fifth and sixth grade wing, the new Lower Campus turf field, and the renovation/restoration of historic Cushman House.

Colm MacMahon is right: There has never been a better time to be at RCS.

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RCS Builds for the Future

The goal of the new Innovation Center is to “give students a space to explore their ideas,” Director of Innovation Miles Cameron explains. The space itself – exposed steel structure and concrete walls – exudes creativity. There are attached workshops with metalworking and welding; the Lego robotics team has already fabricated a special competition table in one workshop.

Third and fourth grade students have been spending Friday afternoons in the Innovation Center – it is a natural progression from the Lower Campus Imagination Space – working with Mr. Cameron building cardboard 2-dimensional vehicles.

The Innovation Center impacts every aspect of the School’s curriculum.

The terraced courtyard amphitheater is a favorite, too – a unique, multi-use space that truly is at the center of the campus.

Separated from the Innovation Center by a set of louvered glass doors, this is a place for presentations, science class, and Friday afternoon Innovation workshops.

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New Director of Admissions

Liz Hallock

We are thrilled to welcome Liz Hallock to the Admissions Office! Liz grew up on the Jersey Shore but spent a great deal of time in Bedford during her teenage years.

“I attended a school similar to Rippowam Cisqua, Rumson Country Day School, where I stayed through the ninth grade. I then attended Taft School as a sophomore.

My roommate was Katama Guernsey Eastman, a Rippowam Cisqua graduate.

Actually, I had four classmates who were Rippowam Cisqua graduates – another being Peter Hallock, who is now my husband! I spent much time in Bedford during my time at Taft and was excited to move here after 10 years in New York City.

We have loved our almost 12 years in the community. I coach in the Fox Lane Youth Lacrosse League, where I have served on the Board for five years. Having played lacrosse at both Taft and Bucknell, it is a sport I love supporting.

The Dining Hall, with its outdoor dining terrace, celebrates the sense of community that is at the heart at RCS.

We have three children at RCS – Annie in sixth grade, Kate in fourth grade, and Peter in first grade. Having moved our children over from the public schools in Bedford, I have a keen perspective on how our school serves students differently than our counterparts. I am thrilled that our children are experiencing all that my husband and I enjoyed from an independent school community. They have so much to share about their days at RCS, and I credit our faculty with enriching their lives!

I have a magical job! I am able to bring prospective families around our hallways to showcase the meaningful work going on behind every classroom door. It is both rewarding and exciting!

See you on campus!

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Graduation 2017

Congratulations to the RCS Class of 2017

Message from Class Presidents Cameron Hackett and Grace Ekperigin

Excerpts from Speech

As a class we want to thank our parents, who took the time not only to find this school but to keep us here, in this place where we have grown so much together.

We also thank the teachers who have devoted their lives to educating us and to helping us understand the world around us.

We want to thank them for their countless hours of working to help us become the best people we can possibly be.

And finally, we want to thank the rest of our class for being our best friends throughout the years. Some of you have

been here for your whole lives and others only for middle school. No matter how much time you spent here you have undoubtedly left a permanent mark on our grade that none of us will ever forget. We know that moving on will be hard for all of us as we transfer into the next phases of our lives; we also know that we will always be there for each other just as we have for the past years.

So let’s make sure that just as the Class of 2017 bridged the gap between the first century of RCS and the second, we will stay connected through friendship and support not only with each other but with the entire RCS community.

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Message from Head of School Colm MacMahon

when the students gave their speeches for Red/Blue team captain elections. At the end of one of the speeches I thought to myself, “Now I know what I am going to talk about at Graduation.”

Excerpts from Speech

That student made three points, so I want to talk about those three points – and I have an additional point I want to add.

One of the great traditions of Rippowam is the Red/Blue Competition. I would like to thank the team captains, Liz Carlson, Julia Low, Findley O’Brien, and Josh Schwartz, for all that they have done this year. Students earn points for their teams by making the academic honor roll; by placing in the annual Hyperbole competition, the Geography Bee, and writing contests; by earning varsity letters; by scoring on Field Day; participation in the Red/Blue assemblies; and various other competitions scattered throughout the year. The winner, by a score of 2,595 over 2,450, is the Blue Team. Congratulations!

Traditions are amazing. They are a huge part of our school. One of my favorite moments this year actually had to do with the Red/Blue team tradition. It was

The first point was about the importance of students being on a team – getting to know each other, learning about each other’s differences, and being patient with each other. And so my hope for all departing students is that you gain an appreciation for the differences of your classmates. Your differences are a gift and as you meet others, those differences will amplify your life.

The second point he made was to be kind.

A former colleague of mine had a practice that I vividly remember and to this day admire. Every morning, whether it was with his advising group, or in a meeting with a full grade of students, he always closed by saying, “Go forth and remember to be kind to each other.” The student speaker added something to that point that I think is also very important. He said, “Be kind, even when no one is watching.”

Embrace that idea, and when given the opportunity to be kind, seize it.

The third point was that he wanted you to be involved. This was my favorite part of the speech. He reminded us that when we are united, we are stronger; and the way to unite is to engage. We are encouraged not to be afraid of embarrassment and that is not an easy thing to do.

The last point, and this is the one that I want to add, is that I want you to be well. It is essential that as you move on from here, you do so with the awareness that as you have much more independence at your new school, you will also be much more responsible for yourselves. No more Ms. Sperling slyly hanging around; no more Mr. Barrett checking in during his multiple meals at lunch. Things will be different, which is why I ask you to take care of yourselves and each other. Your independence is a gift, but it comes with an obligation to all those who care about you. If you find yourselves lost at sea, and you likely will, look for those who can help; and if you see a friend struggling, engage with them. More and more of the friends you keep will be your guardians, and you theirs. It is great to see that so many of you have developed strong, healthy relationships here at RCS and I hope they continue.

Congratulations on today. Please visit often; you will be missed.

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Graduation 2017

Excerpts from Speech

will be part of what sustain, empower, and motivate you as you move forward into the world. It is this source of strength and stability that you will return to, hold on to, and rely on when you need support. It is also this foundation that has made each and every one of you who you are.

To the Class of 2017, thank you for asking me to speak this afternoon; it is an honor and a privilege.

I believe that the core of your foundations can be felt in these words of Mahatma Gandhi:

Graduation Speaker Ridley Sperling ’93 You are the ninety-ninth graduating class in Rippowam Cisqua School’s history, a school on the cusp of a new century, a new building, and a new era. As I think about the importance of this day in your lives – one I remember very clearly from my own life, as I graduated on this stage 24 years ago – I can’t help but be struck by the images of the construction that have surrounded us all during this year and how your growth since September parallels the growth of the new building that has been rising around us.

finishing biology labs and history papers, conjugating verbs, and adding formulas to your postulate notebooks. When we put the Topping Off panel in place this winter and you signed your names on it, you were also topping off your thesis papers, putting the finishing touches on your school applications, investing time in your Portfolio projects, transitioning into your final trimester as RCS students, and you were starting to think about traveling to Italy and looking ahead to this day, your graduation.

Last fall, as a community, we broke ground and began to create the foundation that would serve as the stabilizing, centering force of this new building. At that time, you were thinking about the year ahead of you, feeling wistful about the summer that had just passed, contemplating leadership positions, navigating your classes, and getting to know your new teachers. You were wondering how your newly configured grade would cohere, and feeling like graduation was light years away.

Now, that day has arrived. And while you are leaving before the construction is complete, the timing is, nevertheless, perfect, because, like the unfinished structure that has risen, you, too, are poised for more growth. Though today is inevitably filled with myriad emotions – joy, excitement, fear, uncertainty, sadness, anticipation – these emotions reflect the impact that Rippowam Cisqua has had upon each and every one of you.

Then, as the steel girders were put in place and slowly elevated, you were crafting Writing Workshop essays and TED Talks,

The most important pieces that are solidly in place – the foundation and the internal structures –

“Keep your thoughts positive because your thoughts become your words. Keep your words positive because your words become your behavior. Keep your behavior positive because your behavior becomes your habits.

Keep your habits positive because your habits become your values. Keep your values positive because your values become your destiny.”

These six areas – your thoughts, words, behaviors, habits, values, and destiny – have all been shaped by your time at RCS, and will buoy you for the rest of your lives.

I had the pleasure of traveling with you to Italy this

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past week, and I realize that the week was really a microcosm of the entire year. I saw you take care of one another when someone needed support; I saw you connect, converse, struggle, and recalibrate. I watched you be resilient, and I watched you lead. I watched you in the moments when you needed some solitude and quiet, and other moments when you desperately needed each other.

I saw your curiosity, your honesty, your intelligence, and your integrity. I saw you grow, I saw you push yourselves, I saw you encourage your peers, and I saw you step beyond your comfort zones. And so often, every hour of every day, I saw you laugh and smile and share your bright senses of humor with everyone around you, and it is that infectious joy and love of life that makes you a very special group of people. Thank you all for making me laugh so much, all the time.

As you head out into your world beyond the one here at RCS, let me remind you – if you want something, go get it.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.

Speak up, shatter ceilings, work hard to achieve your goals, and always know that your future depends on you. You control your destiny. Take care of one another, as I have seen you do all year, because it is the strength of your relationships with other people that will also give you power, hope, courage, and inspiration.

And as you move through high school and beyond, and continue to evolve into the wonderful adults that you will become, please remember us at RCS, the place that provided you the foundation upon which you have built who you are and who you will continue to become. You are strong, capable, and prepared.

Farewell to RCS Families Each year at Rippowam Cisqua School we celebrate departing students, but we must also say goodbye to those families whose youngest child is departing as well. For the following families, their time at RCS has come to an end:

Three Years

Ten Years

Kate and Jed Bonnem Andrea and Richard Greenburg

Cassie Robbins and Tom Clayton Suzanne and Clement Patti Jennifer and Stan Rybalov Carolyn and Ken Shea Cat Alessio and Rob Sisco

Four Years Lynne and Glenn Autorino Kate and Chris Breault Sarah and Victor Ekperigin Tamara Gross Peter Loewenberg Rania Rifai-Loewenberg Christina and Don Truesdale

Five Years

Kirstin Cole Loriann and Tim Low Charles Wardell

Twelve Years

Annmarie and Raymond Conta Jennifer Daddino Lynn and Brian Newman

Marla Dans David Eller Stephanie Kelly-Newhouse and Jim Newhouse

Six Years

Fourteen Years

Leslie and Mark Boxer Jody and Todd Hirsch Kim and Randy Tucker

Catherine and Compton Spain

Seven Years Diana and Loring Knoblauch Amanda and David Russekoff Jennifer and Roger Schwartz

Eight Years Michael Palmeri

Nine Years Theresa Gottlieb Dahiana Salazar and Carlos Londono Karen McFarlane Mary Alice and Eric McPherson

Thank you for all that you have given to me and to all of us at Rippowam Cisqua School. We wish you well as you venture into the next phase of your lives, and feel privileged to have been a part of creating the foundation on which you stand. You are a remarkable group of individuals and an outstanding graduating class. We will miss you tremendously.

Congratulations to the Class of 2017.

Eleven Years

The Giordanos

Sixteen Years Elizabeth and John Kilgallon

Seventeen Years Lesa and Ernest Vogliano

Nineteen Years Susan and Don Greenwald

Twenty-two Years

Grace Greenwald

Susanna and Anthony Giordano

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Graduation 2017

Congratulations to the Rippowam Cisqua School Class of 2017 The following is a list of the secondary schools that our graduating ninth graders and departing eighth graders are attending in September 2017.

Berkshire School Blair Academy Brunswick School Byram Hills High School Choate Rosemary Hall (2) Emma Willard School (2) Ethel Walker School Forman School Fox Lane High School (2) Greenwich Academy (2) Greenwich High School Harrison High School Hackley School (4) Harvey School Hotchkiss School (2)

King School (3) Mamaroneck High School Masters School (3) Millbrook School (2) Miss Porter’s School Proctor Academy Sacred Heart Greenwich Salisbury School St. George’s School St. Luke’s School Taft School (5) Tatnall School (DE) Thacher School (CA) Westhill High School Westminster School

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Congratulations also to the Rippowam Cisqua School Class of 2014

Welcome to the RCS Alumni Association Nancy Dwyer Eaves ’92 Excerpt from Speech

The following is a selection of colleges and universities at which RCS students have matriculated in the last five years.

Amherst College American University Bates College* Berklee College of Music Boston College Bowdoin College Brown University Bucknell University* Colby College Colgate University* College of Charleston* College of the Holy Cross Colorado College Columbia University Connecticut College* Cornell University* Dartmouth College* Dickinson College Duke University* Fordham University* George Washington University* Georgetown University* Georgia Institute of Technology* Hamilton College* Harvard College* Hobart and William Smith* Johns Hopkins University* Kenyon College* Lafayette College Lehigh University* Middlebury College* New York University*

Northwestern University Oberlin College* Princeton University* Providence College Skidmore College St. Lawrence University* Syracuse University Trinity College* Tufts University* Tulane University* Union College* University of Chicago* University of Colorado/Boulder* University of Connecticut University of Denver* University of Michigan* University of Notre Dame* University of Pennsylvania* University of Richmond* University of Southern California University of St Andrews, in Scotland* University of Vermont* University of Virginia* University of Wisconsin/Madison* Vanderbilt University* Wake Forest University* Washington and Lee Washington University Wesleyan University* Williams College* Yale University *indicates two or more students

It is an honor to congratulate the Class of 2017 and the departing eighth graders on the completion of your Rippowam Cisqua School education and to welcome you to the RCS Alumni Association. Congratulations. You are now among more than three thousand alumni across the country and around the world all united by our shared RCS experience. I am sure you will go on to amazing schools and do interesting things, but please, as alumni, stay in touch and stay connected. I still count my RCS friends among my best friends today.

While I was living in other places I lost touch with RCS for a bit and had not stepped foot on the Lower Campus for about twenty years until I brought my then 4-year-old daughter to her Kindergarten interview. When I walked into the Lower Campus I literally bumped into Dan Viglione, who had been my third and fourth grade gym teacher (and I’m sure many of yours). Mr. V looked at me and he started shaking his head and he started to laugh. He didn’t skip a beat and he said, “Nancy Dwyer, welcome back.” And I was struck that after twenty years and hundreds of students, he had not forgotten me.

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Academic and Athletic Awards

Upper Campus Academic and Athletics Awards Presented to members of the Eighth and Ninth Grade Classes

Academic Awards The Rippowam Cisqua Prize

Jack Londono Presented annually by the family of Mrs. Francis W. Welch to the student who is outstanding in qualities of leadership, character, and general school citizenship. This is the highest award conferred by the School.

Jane Brooks Robbins Science Prize

Wadleigh W. Woods Latin Prize

Jack Londono for genuine interest and enthusiasm in the field of science

Jack Londono for excellence in Latin

Sarah F. Fowler Drama Prize Laura D. Paddock English Prize Grace Greenwald for outstanding ability in all phases of English

Prudence B. Read History Prize Cameron Hackett for exceptional understanding and appreciation of history

Luke Hayes, Claudia Hirsch, and Emer Kilgallon for outstanding contribution to dramatics Grace Greenwald for technical support

Paul and Audrey Fisher Art Prize Haley Gross and Annabel McPherson for outstanding ability in art

Ann Thacher Faculty Award of Distinction Jacqueline Autorino and Claudia Hirsch Awarded to those members of the graduating class who the faculty feel deserve special recognition.

Trustees’ Prize Haley and Madison Gross Awarded to the students in Grades 7-9 who have shown the greatest scholarship improvement during the school year.

Stanley M. Feret Mathematics Prize Jack Londono for exceptional interest, initiative, and accomplishment in mathematics

Susan Fiala Music Prize

Walter F. Wyeth Prize

Claudia Hirsch and Jack Londono for outstanding contribution to the musical life of the School

Isabella Giordano and Grace Greenwald Awarded to members of the graduating class who have displayed the greatest consideration for others.

Melanie J. Kraft French Prize Claudia Hirsch for excellence in French

Spanish Prize Isabella Giordano for excellence in Spanish

Ristorcelli Music Prize Hollen Spain and Summer Vogliano for the greatest improvement in music

Waldo B. Jones Prize Annabel McPherson Awarded to a member of the graduating class who has exhibited creativity and original thought in a variety of media.

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Athletics Awards Stephen Miller Baseball Award Alexander Patti and Graham Schwartz In honor of Stephen Miller, a young man whose exuberance for the game transcended athleticism

Gillian Roth Softball Award Maddy Carlson and Sophie Guettel In memory of Gillian Roth whose enthusiasm, determination, and dedication to softball was an inspiration to all

Josh Schwartz with Coach Vincent Kwarula (left) and Director of Athletics Tom Morrissey (right)

John Odden Lacrosse Award Franny O’Brien and Tim Evnin For most valuable player

Harry Barber Award Isabella Giordano and Sami Rifai In memory of longtime umpire Harry Barber. Awarded to the students who have shown the greatest athletic improvement during their time at RCS.

Gertrude Pell Bishop Memorial Award Liz Carlson, Josh Schwartz, and Andie Wardell Awarded to those members of the graduating class who have displayed outstanding athletic proficiency, together with the highest qualities of good sportsmanship and team play, and who have maintained high standards of scholarship.

Andie Wardell with Coach Vincent Kwarula

Liz Carlson with Coach Vincent Kwarula (left) and Director of Athletics Tom Morrissey (right)

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Sports Then and Now Sports Then...

Field Hockey in the ’30s

Baseball in the ’30s

Fencing in the ’40s

Football in the ’50s

Wrestling in the ’60s

Tumbling in the ’60s

Basketball in the ’90s

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Sports Now

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Farewell to Bill Barrett On June 7, 2017, the Rippowam Cisqua School community gathered together at Cushman House to say farewell to Bill Barrett and his family. More than 200 parents, alumni, parents of alumni, current and former faculty and staff, and friends joined in celebration of Bill to honor him and thank him for 20 years of dedicated service and devotion to RCS. Guests of all ages enjoyed a barbecue dinner while they reconnected with each other and shared stories.

During the program, Bill was honored by several of his friends and colleagues, including Head of School Colm MacMahon, Upper Campus teacher and Grades 5/6 Dean Tim Smee, Director of Athletics Tom Morrissey, and former coach and Director of Athletics (and Bill’s uncle!) Richie Meyers. Christopher Wirth ’94 welcomed everyone and served as MC for the evening – and Bill capped the event with his own remarks, where he thanked his family, his friends, his former students, and his colleagues for making his twenty years at RCS so memorable and meaningful. Before the celebration was

Bill’s wife, Jen, and their three sons, Mensah, Koku, and Godsway.

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over, Colm MacMahon returned to the podium to share the news that the new Faculty Lounge on the Upper Campus would be named in honor of Bill.

Bill came to RCS in 1997, and, in typical independent school fashion, he wore many hats over the course of his 20-year tenure at the School.

He impacted countless lives in the classroom and on the playing field as a teacher and coach, and he built lifelong friendships with his fellow educators as a colleague and administrator. Bill most recently served as Head of the Upper Campus for several years, and he led his division with kindness, grace, and a steady, firm hand. When alumni would return to RCS, Bill’s office would often be their first stop – a testament to his legacy as an educator, mentor, and friend.

Bill departed RCS in June of 2017 to begin his tenure as the President of St. Mary’s Academy in Colorado. He is missed here at RCS, but we are all excited for him as he embarks on this new challenge. All of us at RCS bid a fond farewell to Bill, his wife, Jen, and their three sons, Mensah, Koku, and Godsway. Thank you, Bill, for all you have done for RCS!

Speakers at Bill Barrett’s farewell were (left to right) Christopher Wirth ’94, Director of Athletics Tom Morrissey, Bill Barrett, former Director of Athletics Richie Meyers (Bill’s uncle), and Grade 6 teacher and 5/6 Dean Tim Smee.

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RCS in Pictures Lyrics on the Lawn

Lower Campus Art Show

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Grades 7-9 Musical Seussical

Upper Campus Grandparents Day

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RCS in Pictures

Lower Campus Grandparents Day

Walk to Cisqua

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Field Day

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RCS in Pictures

Ninth Grade Trip to Italy

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Ripp Rally Day

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Centennial Celebration

Friday Night Lights Family Carnival

Rippowam Cisqua School’s Centennial Celebration weekend kicked off on October 13 with the Friday Night Lights Family Carnival.

School pride was in abundance as over 750 members of the RCS community gathered on Meyers Fields to celebrate 100 years of Rippowam Cisqua School.

Centennial Celebration Chair Cyndi Azima and the Friday Night Lights Family Carnival Committee including Mimi Freund, Angela Hackett, Suzanne O’Callaghan, and Allyson Pachios along with an army of volunteers, transformed Meyers Fields with beautiful fall themed decorations that set the perfect tone for a magical evening. Lining the fields were carnival games, a 40-foot inflatable obstacle course, the Golf Hippo, face painting tables, popcorn, water and

lemonade stands, our two RCS bouncy houses, and the alumni Beer Tent.

Food trucks added to the excitement and record amounts of pizza, hot dogs, ice cream, and tacos were served. Students, parents, alums, and faculty members all cheered on our Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls soccer teams in their matches against strong teams from Greenwich. As the sun went down, the DJ had everyone dancing and the photo booth was a hit with young

and old. The Dunk Tank proved to be the most popular attraction as students lined up for the chance to “Drop a Teacher in the Tank.”

As night fell, everyone gathered in the center of Field 2 as RCS Director of Innovation Miles Cameron lit the bonfire, which burst spectacularly into flame and brought the perfect end note to an incredible evening.

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Centennial Celebrationt

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Rippowam Cisqua School Centennial Gala: Th e Pa r t y of t he

CENTURY The Party of the Century lived up to its billing when over 620 members of the RCS community capped off the Centennial Celebration Weekend at a record-breaking Centennial Gala on October 14. The newly renovated Upper Campus was the perfect venue for an evening devoted to honoring Ripp’s past and celebrating the bright future ahead. More than 150 alums spanning seven decades, some having traveled from as far aways as California and Texas, joined scores of faculty and former faculty members, and hundreds of current and past parents at the sold-out event.

Guests were greeted in Centennial Hall and then made their way past the newly installed Wall of History to the Amphitheater where cocktails were served al fresco under the glow of luminous balloons and twinkling lights. The evening quickly took on a festive atmosphere as old friends were reunited.

Centennial Celebration Chair Cyndi Azima and Gala Committee members Brett Cameron, Jaclene Ginnel, Sam O’Brien, and Hadley Scully selected an elegant 1920s-inspired art deco theme in decorating the Gala tent that glowed in rose and amber hues. Mercury glass and peacock feathers added a classic yet

whimsical element to each table. The sparkler topped, multitiered birthday cake, glittering photo booth, and rocking 12-piece band matched the celebratory mood of the evening.

And it was well past midnight when the final candles were extinguished and the last guests said goodnight – the perfect ending to a weekend-long celebration that was 100 years in the making.

1917-1937

1938-1961

The Country Day School Movement

Dare to Be True

By the second decade of the twentieth century, the educational landscape of the whole nation was changing, and with it, the nature of elementary education.

Concerned parents, recognizing the relevance of the latest educational theories, especially the importance of a child-centered curriculum, began to seek alternatives for their children. The result was a surge in the Country Day School movement whose objective was to provide superior elementary education without children needing to leave home to attend boarding school. Rippowam School, founded in 1917 by six prominent Bedford women who wanted more robust local education options for their daughters, was born of this movement.

In its second quarter century, Rippowam began to acquire a distinctive character of its own forged from traditions of love and learning traceable to the benevolent Miss Williams. A 1945 Rippowam brochure stated, “Through the instrument of an experienced faculty and a highly developed curriculum, the Bedford-Rippowam School seeks to develop and discipline the minds of its children in an atmosphere of simplicity and trust. It seeks to reinforce standards of courtesy, truthfulness, and honor.”

Upon the arrival of Headmaster Guy Thackery in 1925, Athletics became a major part of life at Rippowam. In 1928, Rippowam’s soccer team began playing outside games and in their first season, Rippowam won 11 out of 12 interscholastic soccer matches. By the early 1930s, Athletics were held every afternoon (except Friday) from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Sports included football, field hockey, track and field, fencing, boxing, skating, tennis, and swimming.

arts

tradition

Hope and Walter Wyeth were a force on the Bedford-Rippowam campus for almost 30 years.

Mr. Wyeth’s convictions about the purpose of an independent school education were firm and clear. He believed that students should be required to achieve at the highest possible level and that considerable time should be devoted to teaching students how to think and to reason intelligently. The arrival of Mr. Wyeth and the equally remarkable teaching staff he attracted defined this period in the School’s history.

Cisqua School Song With you to be a friend And truly share our youthful song we raise We know the years we spend together here Will ever be in your praise.

Cisqua is our name; we will bring you fame Cisqua fine and true! We will sing of you!

The trust you have in us We will return that it may be shared.

We stand together now To sing our song and state our goal for all time The truth to search and know with wisdom shared Is what we want all to find Cisqua is our name; we will bring you fame Cisqua fine and true! We will sing of you!

Cisqua fine and true: sing we white and blue With you to lead the way We’ll always know how great the search is for truth

Over the years, drama would prove to be an enduring part of the Rippowam experience, with students, parents, and teachers pitching in to create sophisticated and elaborate productions.

athletics

The earliest Rippowam Field Day included a cross country relay, low hurdles, high jumping, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, 80-yard dash, hurdles, pole vault, and an egg and spoon race. Since the beginning, Field Day has been a day for both community and competition. Families still take time off work and spend the morning cheering on their children as races are run, heights leaped, and prizes awarded.

leadership

tradition Field Day was a tradition that grew only stronger.

The tug-of-war was perhaps the most anticipated event, pitting the Red Team and Blue Team against each other face to face.

Grace Williams (front row, second from left) was the first of many beloved Rippowam leaders.

Miss Williams was known for her kindness and gentleness; even when a student had poor marks, she was always able to find something positive to say on the report card. It was against Miss Williams’ nature to use the tough disciplinary measures that were common in other schools at the time.

Rippowam celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1967 with a dinner dance held under the trusses of the Trustees’ Gym, which was under construction at the time.

A new library completed the

expansion

at Rippowam and Cisqua

• The original class of 16 girls meets daily in the Van Rensselaer home at 10 Clinton Road.

• Rippowam becomes co-ed. Boys join the student body after the closing of the Bedford School for Boys.

• Rippowam School seal featuring the Rippowam Owl and “Dare to Be True” graces cover of school brochure. This is the earliest image of the Rippowam Owl.

• Student body grows to 49 students. Tuition is $300.

• Cantitoe Street property with house and barn is purchased from New York ophthalmologist Dr. H. Robertson Skeel. Music and art classes are held in a studio on the school grounds that was built for this purpose. There is also a well-equipped carpentry shop in the basement of the school building.

1917

1923

• Rippowam Athletics program is born under Headmaster Guy Thackery.

1925

1927

1928

Henry Milliken

Wadleigh Woods

The eternally popular Sally Ferris Fowler holds the all-time record for faculty longevity; she taught from 1930 to 1973.

Cisqua Head of School from 1955 to1969, Henry Milliken was a firm believer in childcentered education.

Cisqua was one of the first schools in the nation to put this theory into practice.

A teacher of history, geography, Latin, and French, Wadleigh Woods was perhaps best known and loved as a coach. He coached the undefeated 1954 Rippowam Varsity Football Team, which was only scored upon once throughout the entire season. Perhaps their success was due to the Latin names such as laudamus and vincamus that Woods gave to the team’s pass plays.

master teachers

leadership

• Founded by a group of six prominent local women in response to a lack of adequate education options for their daughters, the Rippowam School first opens its doors on Wednesday, September 19, 1917.

Sally Ferris Fowler

• Rippowam announces plans to add pre-school class for children aged three and a half and four and a half; enrollment reaches 139 students; faculty grows to 15.

• Rippowam becomes the Bedford-Rippowam School and is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents as a nonprofit educational institution.

Tuition ranges from $250 for Kindergarten to $700 for ninth grade.

1930

• Cisqua School is founded by Jane Brooks Robbins, Jean Preston Tilt, Cornelia Van Rensselaer Marsh, and Alva Root Bound. First classes are held in the parish house of St. Mark’s Church in Mount Kisco.

1938

1943

By 1943, Cisqua had outgrown its original home at St. Mark’s Church. The fledgling school expanded to include second grade and moved to Hickory Lodge off McLain Street in Mount Kisco.

• Cisqua School moves to Hickory Lodge off McLain Street in Mount Kisco and expands to include second grade.

• Rippowam’s Athletics program continues to flourish; Varsity Football celebrates undefeated season.

1947

• Cisqua expands, adding fourth and fifth grade classes.

• Cisqua School moves to West Patent Road in Mount Kisco.

• First Rippowam Student Council is formed.

1944

By the early 1950s more space was required. Land on West Patent Road was donated by the Tucker family and a campus, custom designed for Cisqua, finally gave the School the space and facilities it needed to expand to a fullfledged independent day-school.

In 1971, Cisqua graduated its first co-ed ninth grade class.

expansion of Rippowam’s physical plant, which had grown in segments over the last 20 years.

1954

1955

• Cisqua School enrollment increases to 148 students.

1959

1961

1917-1937

1938-1961

The Country Day School Movement

Dare to Be True

By the second decade of the twentieth century, the educational landscape of the whole nation was changing, and with it, the nature of elementary education.

Concerned parents, recognizing the relevance of the latest educational theories, especially the importance of a child-centered curriculum, began to seek alternatives for their children. The result was a surge in the Country Day School movement whose objective was to provide superior elementary education without children needing to leave home to attend boarding school. Rippowam School, founded in 1917 by six prominent Bedford women who wanted more robust local education options for their daughters, was born of this movement.

In its second quarter century, Rippowam began to acquire a distinctive character of its own forged from traditions of love and learning traceable to the benevolent Miss Williams. A 1945 Rippowam brochure stated, “Through the instrument of an experienced faculty and a highly developed curriculum, the Bedford-Rippowam School seeks to develop and discipline the minds of its children in an atmosphere of simplicity and trust. It seeks to reinforce standards of courtesy, truthfulness, and honor.”

Upon the arrival of Headmaster Guy Thackery in 1925, Athletics became a major part of life at Rippowam. In 1928, Rippowam’s soccer team began playing outside games and in their first season, Rippowam won 11 out of 12 interscholastic soccer matches. By the early 1930s, Athletics were held every afternoon (except Friday) from 3:00-5:00 p.m. Sports included football, field hockey, track and field, fencing, boxing, skating, tennis, and swimming.

arts

tradition

Hope and Walter Wyeth were a force on the Bedford-Rippowam campus for almost 30 years.

Mr. Wyeth’s convictions about the purpose of an independent school education were firm and clear. He believed that students should be required to achieve at the highest possible level and that considerable time should be devoted to teaching students how to think and to reason intelligently. The arrival of Mr. Wyeth and the equally remarkable teaching staff he attracted defined this period in the School’s history.

Cisqua School Song With you to be a friend And truly share our youthful song we raise We know the years we spend together here Will ever be in your praise.

Cisqua is our name; we will bring you fame Cisqua fine and true! We will sing of you!

The trust you have in us We will return that it may be shared.

We stand together now To sing our song and state our goal for all time The truth to search and know with wisdom shared Is what we want all to find Cisqua is our name; we will bring you fame Cisqua fine and true! We will sing of you!

Cisqua fine and true: sing we white and blue With you to lead the way We’ll always know how great the search is for truth

Over the years, drama would prove to be an enduring part of the Rippowam experience, with students, parents, and teachers pitching in to create sophisticated and elaborate productions.

athletics

The earliest Rippowam Field Day included a cross country relay, low hurdles, high jumping, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, 80-yard dash, hurdles, pole vault, and an egg and spoon race. Since the beginning, Field Day has been a day for both community and competition. Families still take time off work and spend the morning cheering on their children as races are run, heights leaped, and prizes awarded.

leadership

tradition Field Day was a tradition that grew only stronger.

The tug-of-war was perhaps the most anticipated event, pitting the Red Team and Blue Team against each other face to face.

Grace Williams (front row, second from left) was the first of many beloved Rippowam leaders.

Miss Williams was known for her kindness and gentleness; even when a student had poor marks, she was always able to find something positive to say on the report card. It was against Miss Williams’ nature to use the tough disciplinary measures that were common in other schools at the time.

Rippowam celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1967 with a dinner dance held under the trusses of the Trustees’ Gym, which was under construction at the time.

A new library completed the

expansion

at Rippowam and Cisqua

• The original class of 16 girls meets daily in the Van Rensselaer home at 10 Clinton Road.

• Rippowam becomes co-ed. Boys join the student body after the closing of the Bedford School for Boys.

• Rippowam School seal featuring the Rippowam Owl and “Dare to Be True” graces cover of school brochure. This is the earliest image of the Rippowam Owl.

• Student body grows to 49 students. Tuition is $300.

• Cantitoe Street property with house and barn is purchased from New York ophthalmologist Dr. H. Robertson Skeel. Music and art classes are held in a studio on the school grounds that was built for this purpose. There is also a well-equipped carpentry shop in the basement of the school building.

1917

1923

• Rippowam Athletics program is born under Headmaster Guy Thackery.

1925

1927

1928

Henry Milliken

Wadleigh Woods

The eternally popular Sally Ferris Fowler holds the all-time record for faculty longevity; she taught from 1930 to 1973.

Cisqua Head of School from 1955 to1969, Henry Milliken was a firm believer in childcentered education.

Cisqua was one of the first schools in the nation to put this theory into practice.

A teacher of history, geography, Latin, and French, Wadleigh Woods was perhaps best known and loved as a coach. He coached the undefeated 1954 Rippowam Varsity Football Team, which was only scored upon once throughout the entire season. Perhaps their success was due to the Latin names such as laudamus and vincamus that Woods gave to the team’s pass plays.

master teachers

leadership

• Founded by a group of six prominent local women in response to a lack of adequate education options for their daughters, the Rippowam School first opens its doors on Wednesday, September 19, 1917.

Sally Ferris Fowler

• Rippowam announces plans to add pre-school class for children aged three and a half and four and a half; enrollment reaches 139 students; faculty grows to 15.

• Rippowam becomes the Bedford-Rippowam School and is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents as a nonprofit educational institution.

Tuition ranges from $250 for Kindergarten to $700 for ninth grade.

1930

• Cisqua School is founded by Jane Brooks Robbins, Jean Preston Tilt, Cornelia Van Rensselaer Marsh, and Alva Root Bound. First classes are held in the parish house of St. Mark’s Church in Mount Kisco.

1938

1943

By 1943, Cisqua had outgrown its original home at St. Mark’s Church. The fledgling school expanded to include second grade and moved to Hickory Lodge off McLain Street in Mount Kisco.

• Cisqua School moves to Hickory Lodge off McLain Street in Mount Kisco and expands to include second grade.

• Rippowam’s Athletics program continues to flourish; Varsity Football celebrates undefeated season.

1947

• Cisqua expands, adding fourth and fifth grade classes.

• Cisqua School moves to West Patent Road in Mount Kisco.

• First Rippowam Student Council is formed.

1944

By the early 1950s more space was required. Land on West Patent Road was donated by the Tucker family and a campus, custom designed for Cisqua, finally gave the School the space and facilities it needed to expand to a fullfledged independent day-school.

In 1971, Cisqua graduated its first co-ed ninth grade class.

expansion of Rippowam’s physical plant, which had grown in segments over the last 20 years.

1954

1955

• Cisqua School enrollment increases to 148 students.

1959

1961

1962-1993

leadership

Becoming RCS

Waldo Jones

By the start of the 1970s both Rippowam and Cisqua were thriving. Cisqua graduated its first co-ed ninth grade class in 1971 and the two schools often played against each other in sports. But having two independent schools for grades PreKindergarten through nine just four miles apart did not really make sense. After lengthy discussions between the leadership of both schools, the merger of Rippowam and Cisqua was announced in 1973.

The newly combined Rippowam Cisqua School created new traditions like Revels, our yearly celebration of the Winter Solstice, and Walk to Cisqua, an annual expedition up Guard Hill Road that brings Upper Campus students and faculty to the Lower Campus.

new traditions

Waldo Jones was a beloved administrator and teacher in the RCS community for more than 30 years. “Catch them in the act of doing something great,” Waldo Jones often said. Mrs. Jones made the transition from Cisqua parent to teacher in 1959. She was head of the Cisqua Lower School from 1965-69, then became Lower School Head at Bedford-Rippowam. When the two schools merged, she was appointed the Head of the Cisqua Campus. Mrs. Jones was known for camping out with fourth graders at Nature’s Classroom, training elementary school heads and Admissions directors at NAIS workshops, launching curricular and extracurricular innovations like “Poetry at Lunch,” and simply welcoming students with a morning handshake and a smile at the front door (a tradition we maintain today).

Dick Wade In 1983, Dick Wade joined RCS as Head of School. Warm, funny, smart, yet easy to talk to, his door was always open to faculty, students, and parents alike. Like Rippowam’s Walter Wyeth and Cisqua’s Emily Sedgewick, Dick Wade believed that a school should teach more than just the three “R”s. During his tenure, he placed great value not only on the student as an individual, but also on each student’s contribution to the community. Teaching history, coaching basketball, in the hallways, and on field trips, Mr. Wade was a welcome presence at RCS. He built a cohesive administrative team and empowered everyone around him to think creatively and act decisively.

1994-2017

Sports remain an integral part of Rippowam Cisqua School. While the School fields an impressive number of winning teams, the higher ideals of the Athletics program are participation, teamwork, sportsmanship, good health, and enjoyment.

community

A century ago, the stone house at 10 Clinton Road was rented for $25 a month to house the original sixteen students of the Rippowam School. One hundred years later, Rippowam Cisqua School ushered in its Centennial year by cutting the ribbon on a fully renovated and redesigned Upper Campus. While the facilities and overall enrollment have changed dramatically, the School’s commitment to each individual student is as strong today as it was when the School first opened its doors in 1917. The dedication of faculty and staff, the energy, enthusiasm, and efforts of students, and the involvement and support of families have strengthened Rippowam Cisqua School year after year; decade after decade.

Matthew Nespole The reality of a renovated RCS Upper Campus would not have been possible without the hard work and vision of Matthew Nespole, Head of Rippowam Cisqua School from 2009 to 2015.

Colm MacMahon In 2015, Colm MacMahon joined Rippowam Cisqua as Head of School. A new leader for a new century, Colm MacMahon was the driving force behind the 15-monthlong renovation of the Upper Campus, which was the culmination of a very deliberate, highly inclusive process designed to position Rippowam Cisqua at the forefront of middle school teaching and learning facilities. Under Mr. MacMahon’s leadership, the investment in the School’s facilities has been met with an equally rigorous review and expansion of the School’s curriculum with a focus on making it more innovative, engaging, and realworld applicable.

For over 70 years, Red and Blue captains have led their teams on a silent march up Clinton Road to begin the annual Field Day competition.

leadership evolution

A centerpiece of the newly renovated Upper Campus is a 2,400-square-foot Innovation Center -- a space for students to explore their ideas, manipulate real world materials, and test new technology.

For teachers and students alike, the hallmark of Rippowam Cisqua School is community. RCS gives students the chance to form lasting relationships, to understand and practice leadership, to hone new talents, to discover within themselves a deep reserve of strength and purpose and to develop a sense of responsibility to others.

Talented and enthusiastic faculty members brought music and art to life on both the Upper and Lower Campuses.

During Eileen Lambert’s nineteen years at Rippowam Cisqua School, over one thousand children and their families were touched by her unwavering commitment to helping children become confident in their abilities and in themselves in an environment of joyous and enlightened learning. As Head of School from 1999 to 2009, she is credited with raising median faculty salaries to the top quartile among Fairchester independent schools.

Proud Past, Bright Future

continuity

athletics

Eileen Lambert

One hundred years ago, the Rippowam School was founded with the belief that education should be broad, child-centered, and engaging. Today, those core tenets are the foundation on which the future of Rippowam Cisqua School is built, a future that embraces creativity, innovation, and immersive experiential learning.

creativity

arts • Spanish is added to the curriculum for students in Kindergarten through fourth grade.

• Cisqua marks its 20th anniversary with the graduation of its first ninth grade class.

• Rippowam begins construction on the “New Gym,” which is now known as the Trustees’ Gym.

1963

1965

• The new Rippowam Cisqua School opens in September of 1973.

Classes for students in PreKindergarten through fourth grade are held on the Cisqua campus while classes for students in fifth through ninth grade are held on the Rippowam campus.

1973

• Construction of the Lower Gym begins on the Upper Campus.

• Technology advances at RCS with the installation of new microcomputers on both campuses.

• RCS bids a fond farewell to Dick Wade.

• First RCS Auction is held.

• RCS celebrates its 75th anniversary.

• Construction of five new classrooms begins on the Lower Campus.

1981

1986

1988

1992

1993

• The “Campaign for the Endowment, Honoring our Faculty” raises over $10 million.

• On the Lower Campus construction begins on the multipurpose Sky Room and new Early Childhood Wing, while on the Upper Campus the Crosby-Fiala Playhouse is renovated and construction of a new free-standing Music House is underway.

1998

• RCS ninth graders travel to Greece and Italy to mark the end of their Capstone Year.

2001

2003

2005

• Colm MacMahon is tapped as the new Head of Rippowam Cisqua School.

• Renovation of the Lower Campus Library begins.

• RCS purchases 10 Clinton Road, the site where the first Rippowam School classes were held in 1917.

2011

2012

• Groundbreaking Ceremony marks the beginning of the 15-month-long renovation of the RCS Upper Campus.

2014

2016

1962-1993

leadership

Becoming RCS

Waldo Jones

By the start of the 1970s both Rippowam and Cisqua were thriving. Cisqua graduated its first co-ed ninth grade class in 1971 and the two schools often played against each other in sports. But having two independent schools for grades PreKindergarten through nine just four miles apart did not really make sense. After lengthy discussions between the leadership of both schools, the merger of Rippowam and Cisqua was announced in 1973.

The newly combined Rippowam Cisqua School created new traditions like Revels, our yearly celebration of the Winter Solstice, and Walk to Cisqua, an annual expedition up Guard Hill Road that brings Upper Campus students and faculty to the Lower Campus.

new traditions

Waldo Jones was a beloved administrator and teacher in the RCS community for more than 30 years. “Catch them in the act of doing something great,” Waldo Jones often said. Mrs. Jones made the transition from Cisqua parent to teacher in 1959. She was head of the Cisqua Lower School from 1965-69, then became Lower School Head at Bedford-Rippowam. When the two schools merged, she was appointed the Head of the Cisqua Campus. Mrs. Jones was known for camping out with fourth graders at Nature’s Classroom, training elementary school heads and Admissions directors at NAIS workshops, launching curricular and extracurricular innovations like “Poetry at Lunch,” and simply welcoming students with a morning handshake and a smile at the front door (a tradition we maintain today).

Dick Wade In 1983, Dick Wade joined RCS as Head of School. Warm, funny, smart, yet easy to talk to, his door was always open to faculty, students, and parents alike. Like Rippowam’s Walter Wyeth and Cisqua’s Emily Sedgewick, Dick Wade believed that a school should teach more than just the three “R”s. During his tenure, he placed great value not only on the student as an individual, but also on each student’s contribution to the community. Teaching history, coaching basketball, in the hallways, and on field trips, Mr. Wade was a welcome presence at RCS. He built a cohesive administrative team and empowered everyone around him to think creatively and act decisively.

1994-2017

Sports remain an integral part of Rippowam Cisqua School. While the School fields an impressive number of winning teams, the higher ideals of the Athletics program are participation, teamwork, sportsmanship, good health, and enjoyment.

community

A century ago, the stone house at 10 Clinton Road was rented for $25 a month to house the original sixteen students of the Rippowam School. One hundred years later, Rippowam Cisqua School ushered in its Centennial year by cutting the ribbon on a fully renovated and redesigned Upper Campus. While the facilities and overall enrollment have changed dramatically, the School’s commitment to each individual student is as strong today as it was when the School first opened its doors in 1917. The dedication of faculty and staff, the energy, enthusiasm, and efforts of students, and the involvement and support of families have strengthened Rippowam Cisqua School year after year; decade after decade.

Matthew Nespole The reality of a renovated RCS Upper Campus would not have been possible without the hard work and vision of Matthew Nespole, Head of Rippowam Cisqua School from 2009 to 2015.

Colm MacMahon In 2015, Colm MacMahon joined Rippowam Cisqua as Head of School. A new leader for a new century, Colm MacMahon was the driving force behind the 15-monthlong renovation of the Upper Campus, which was the culmination of a very deliberate, highly inclusive process designed to position Rippowam Cisqua at the forefront of middle school teaching and learning facilities. Under Mr. MacMahon’s leadership, the investment in the School’s facilities has been met with an equally rigorous review and expansion of the School’s curriculum with a focus on making it more innovative, engaging, and realworld applicable.

For over 70 years, Red and Blue captains have led their teams on a silent march up Clinton Road to begin the annual Field Day competition.

leadership evolution

A centerpiece of the newly renovated Upper Campus is a 2,400-square-foot Innovation Center -- a space for students to explore their ideas, manipulate real world materials, and test new technology.

For teachers and students alike, the hallmark of Rippowam Cisqua School is community. RCS gives students the chance to form lasting relationships, to understand and practice leadership, to hone new talents, to discover within themselves a deep reserve of strength and purpose and to develop a sense of responsibility to others.

Talented and enthusiastic faculty members brought music and art to life on both the Upper and Lower Campuses.

During Eileen Lambert’s nineteen years at Rippowam Cisqua School, over one thousand children and their families were touched by her unwavering commitment to helping children become confident in their abilities and in themselves in an environment of joyous and enlightened learning. As Head of School from 1999 to 2009, she is credited with raising median faculty salaries to the top quartile among Fairchester independent schools.

Proud Past, Bright Future

continuity

athletics

Eileen Lambert

One hundred years ago, the Rippowam School was founded with the belief that education should be broad, child-centered, and engaging. Today, those core tenets are the foundation on which the future of Rippowam Cisqua School is built, a future that embraces creativity, innovation, and immersive experiential learning.

creativity

arts • Spanish is added to the curriculum for students in Kindergarten through fourth grade.

• Cisqua marks its 20th anniversary with the graduation of its first ninth grade class.

• Rippowam begins construction on the “New Gym,” which is now known as the Trustees’ Gym.

1963

1965

• The new Rippowam Cisqua School opens in September of 1973.

Classes for students in PreKindergarten through fourth grade are held on the Cisqua campus while classes for students in fifth through ninth grade are held on the Rippowam campus.

1973

• Construction of the Lower Gym begins on the Upper Campus.

• Technology advances at RCS with the installation of new microcomputers on both campuses.

• RCS bids a fond farewell to Dick Wade.

• First RCS Auction is held.

• RCS celebrates its 75th anniversary.

• Construction of five new classrooms begins on the Lower Campus.

1981

1986

1988

1992

1993

• The “Campaign for the Endowment, Honoring our Faculty” raises over $10 million.

• On the Lower Campus construction begins on the multipurpose Sky Room and new Early Childhood Wing, while on the Upper Campus the Crosby-Fiala Playhouse is renovated and construction of a new free-standing Music House is underway.

1998

• RCS ninth graders travel to Greece and Italy to mark the end of their Capstone Year.

2001

2003

2005

• Colm MacMahon is tapped as the new Head of Rippowam Cisqua School.

• Renovation of the Lower Campus Library begins.

• RCS purchases 10 Clinton Road, the site where the first Rippowam School classes were held in 1917.

2011

2012

• Groundbreaking Ceremony marks the beginning of the 15-month-long renovation of the RCS Upper Campus.

2014

2016

34

Rippowam Cisqua School Centennial Gala: Th e Pa r t y of t he

CENTURY The Party of the Century lived up to its billing when over 620 members of the RCS community capped off the Centennial Celebration Weekend at a record-breaking Centennial Gala on October 14. The newly renovated Upper Campus was the perfect venue for an evening devoted to honoring Ripp’s past and celebrating the bright future ahead. More than 150 alums spanning seven decades, some having traveled from as far aways as California and Texas, joined scores of faculty and former faculty members, and hundreds of current and past parents at the sold-out event.

Guests were greeted in Centennial Hall and then made their way past the newly installed Wall of History to the Amphitheater where cocktails were served al fresco under the glow of luminous balloons and twinkling lights. The evening quickly took on a festive atmosphere as old friends were reunited.

Centennial Celebration Chair Cyndi Azima and Gala Committee members Brett Cameron, Jaclene Ginnel, Sam O’Brien, and Hadley Scully selected an elegant 1920s-inspired art deco theme in decorating the Gala tent that glowed in rose and amber hues. Mercury glass and peacock feathers added a classic yet

whimsical element to each table. The sparkler topped, multitiered birthday cake, glittering photo booth, and rocking 12-piece band matched the celebratory mood of the evening.

And it was well past midnight when the final candles were extinguished and the last guests said goodnight – the perfect ending to a weekend-long celebration that was 100 years in the making.

35

36

37

38

39

44

Three & Four-Generation Families at Ripp Celebrating Legacy For nearly 100 years, Rippowam Cisqua alums have chosen to return to our school to educate their own children. Today, we are thrilled to celebrate legacy and to share the third and fourth-generation RCS families.

Four-Generation Family

The Fowler/Grand Family Harry Fowler ’32 Cecily Fowler Grand ’65 H. S. Winthrop Fowler ’67 Angela Fowler ’70 Lucius Fowler ’71

Angela Grand Cavallo ’91 Harry Grand ’93 Jake Grand ’98 Lillian Grand ’26 Winthrop Grand ’28 (Left to right) Harry Grand ’93, Winthrop Grand ’28 (in Harry’s arms), Lillian Grand ’26, Cecily Fowler Grand ’65, and Gordie Grand

Three-Generation Families The Lamb/Cote Family

The Oliver/Lawrence Family

Lawton Lamb ’46 Storrs Lamb Cote ’79 Dana Lamb ’81 Alec Cote ’08

Starr Oliver Lawrence ’46 Jim Lawrence ’68 Richard Lawrence ’70 Philip Lawrence ’80

Pierce Cote ’11 Blake Cote ’16

(Left to right) Lawton Lamb ’46, Heather Lamb, Henry Lamb, Pierce Cote ’11, Blake Cote ’16, Alec Cote ’08, Storrs Lamb Cote ’79, Holly Lamb, Dana Lamb ’81

Kate Lawrence ’01 Alexa Lawrence ’03 Adele Lawrence ’10 Phipps Lawrence ’14

George Lawrence ’16 Daisy Lawrence ’17

(Left to right) George Lawrence ’16, Jill A. Lawrence, Daisy Lawrence ’17, Philip Lawrence ’80, Adele Lawrence ’10, Konstantin Tatarinov, Kate Lawrence ’01, Jill Lawrence, Jim Lawrence ’68, Alexa Lawrence ’03, John Chia, Starr Oliver Lawrence ’46, Richard Lawrence ’70, Dee Lawrence, Seth Glickman, Skye Lawrence, Blake Lawrence, Phipps Lawrence ’14

45

Three-Generation Families continued The Mas/Branch Family Joan Swan Branch ’41 Cynthia Branch Mas ’71

Forrest Mas ’04 Sydney Mas ’07

(Left to right) Sydney Mas ’07, Joan Swan Branch ’41, and Forrest Mas ’04

The Ginnel Family Nancy Ginnel Duncan ’63 Dan Ginnel ’71 Ben Ginnel ’95

Alexandra Ginnel Tetjel ’97 Emily Ginnel Blair ’01 Henry Ginnel ’23

The Lounsbery/ Johnson Family Beatrice Butler ’31 George Butler ’35 Barbara Butler Lounsbery ’39 – Blue Team Captain Phillips Lounsbery ’39 Lela Lounsbery Griffin ’44 Sarah Lounsbery Thomson ’73 Babs Lounsbery Johnson – Grade 4 Homeroom Teacher, Math Specialist 2004-15 Henry Johnson ’03 – Grade 9 Class President Gus Johnson ’03 – Blue Team Captain For the Lounsbery/Johnson family, Rippowam brought them together first as classmates in the 1930s and then in marriage. The family shares that RCS fostered their passion for athletics and gave each of them a voice and a platform to follow their philanthropic interests and to cultivate the spirit of giving that they hold so dear. Deep ties to Northern Westchester Hospital (NWH) are just one example of their impact in the community.

Phillips Lounsbery ’39 was Head of the Board of Trustees at NWH. Barbara Butler Lounsbery ’39, who was one of the early candy stripers, was also on the Board of Trustees and recalls memories of bake sales at School to raise money for the local hospital.

Their daughter, Babs Lounsbery Dan Ginnel ’71, Ben Ginnel ’95, and Johnson, later went on to join the Henry Ginnel ’23 NWH Foundation Board while serving as a Math Specialist Blue Team Captains and a fourth grade Mother/Daughter Duo Homeroom teacher One of this year’s Centennial from 2004-15. During Blue Team captains includes their ninth grade year, Lucy McGinnis ’18, daughter of twins Gus Johnson ’03 Courtney Hallock McGinnis ’88, and Henry Johnson Blue Team captain. ’03 each created Portfolio projects centered around raising money for Courtney Hallock McGinnis ’88 NWH. and Lucy McGinnis ’18

Barbara Butler Lounsbery ’39 with her grandsons (left) Henry Johnson ’03 and (right) Gus Johnson ’03

The wedding photo of Phillips Lounsbery ’39 and Barbara Butler Lounsbery ’39

The 1935 then Bedford-Rippowam football team with Phillips Lounsbery ’39 in front row, second from the left

Babs Lounsbery Johnson writes: “This is a photo of my mother with two other RCS students putting on a play to earn money for NWH with (left to right) Patricia Landon ’38, Phyllis Heppenheimer ’39, Barbara Butler ’39, and a fourth woman who they can’t remember.”

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Innovation in Education

Mapping Mars RCS eighth graders read The Martian last summer – Andy Weir’s bestselling novel about Mark Watney, an astronaut left for dead on Mars by his crew during a storm. It isn’t unusual that humanities teacher Brooks Eleck assigned the summer reading book; what is innovative, though, is the way Mrs. Eleck collaborated with Director of Innovation Miles Cameron and science teacher Kate Daly and came up with the Mapping Mars project.

“I thought it would be a fun way to introduce kids to equipment in outer space,” Mrs. Daly says. Mr. Cameron, who works to provide support to faculty and students in developing and implementing new innovative learning opportunities, saw this as an exciting opportunity as well. Together, the teachers designed a cross-curricular project that included the eighth graders’ science, English, and art classes. (Students spend one trimester each

year studying art in the Innovation Center with Mr. Cameron; for this trimester, they worked on Mars.)

And they learned a variety of important skills you might not typically associate with a book report:

Geography Weir’s book had created so much interest that NASA actually developed contour maps showing where fictional character Mark Watney traveled on Mars. By hand, and working in groups, students referred to the NASA maps to design their own contour sections of Mars.

Digital Design Mr. Cameron introduced the students to Adobe Illustrator; after completing smaller projects at first, eventually they were proficient enough to lay out contour maps using the Adobe software. “I loved the fact that we were able use Illustrator to transfer the contours of

the NASA map to the maps we made,” Gina Valente ’19 said.

Digital Fabrication The contour maps done in Illustrator were sent to the Innovation Center’s ShopBot, where mountains and rivers were carved out of large ¾-inch pieces of plywood.

Art Next, students sanded and then painted the pieces, eventually putting the 3-D models together like puzzles.

“It’s so easy to just write a summary and forget about a book,” Ava Slocum ’19 said as she sanded a piece of wood that would become part of the Mars project.

“But when you do an in-depth project like this, it sticks in your mind more. It’s memorable. You don’t forget that. It’s cool to also explore the science and art part of the book. It makes you think about it more.”

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Lower Campus Garden True Example of a Community-Wide Project “But it’s more than just growing food that students can eat,” science teacher and garden coordinator Joe Karr says.

“By appreciating the natural world and the systems that make it work, we are instilling a sense of place, and ultimately, a sense of responsibility.” The entire RCS community has committed to infuse sustainable practices into the School and the garden is a great step in that direction.

Teachers, parents, administrators, and students all joined together to bring a vision of local agriculture to life when they began work on a Lower Campus garden in September 2016. This fall, students celebrated their work from the spring by harvesting what they had planted and took pride in eating their bounty at lunch. SAGE, the dining provider at RCS, has been a strong supporter of the garden from the start and continues to enthusiastically prepare and serve food with the label “From Here!”

The campus garden has also provided numerous opportunities to expand upon the standards found in math, science, language arts, and the humanities.

Growing a Three Sisters garden of corn, beans, and pumpkins, while learning about the Iroquois unit in second grade, is just one example of RCS students gaining an enhanced understanding because of direct participation.

Learning about and growing edible plants does not just happen during the school year. The Lower Campus hosted a number of great summer programs and the garden was the perfect venue for being active, building skills, and having fun. Education and recreation can be a successful pairing, especially when it encourages a sense of wonder of the world we live in.

RCS celebrated its Centennial this year in many amazing ways, including a celebration in the garden on October 14. This is where the scenic 4-mile Walk to Cisqua, which brought students, teachers, parents, and alumni together, concluded. Walkers were welcomed with healthy snacks, fresh apple cider, pumpkin decorating, and growing demonstrations like planting garlic. People were eager to reach the finish, but were also excited to discover a place of respite, of inspiration, and of community.

It’s fitting that RCS has a garden during its Centennial year. One hundred years ago, the concept of the Victory Garden took off across the country in backyards, public parks, and schools just like ours. These were created to supply food for World War I, but also aided in the promotion of an education that fosters awareness of nature, agriculture and nutrition, and community.

As Rippowam Cisqua School continues this tradition into the 21st century, we invite you to visit the Lower Campus garden, join a workday event, and become inspired to plan and create your very own garden.

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“If we want a racially just world, we need racially aware schools,” pronounced Dr. Ali Michael, keynote speaker, in her closing remarks at the 2017 Dalton Conference. The conference, in its seventh year, engaged 32 independent schools in the NYC area around the theme “From Diversity to Community.”

The power of the conference lay in its structure. Each school sent a pod of educators, which included representatives from all of the constituencies: students, alums, faculty, administrators (Division Head/Diversity Director/Head of School), parents, and trustees. RCS participants Karen McFarlane (P ’18, former RCS Trustee), Ridley Sperling ’93 (Upper Campus Teacher, Associate Director of Placement, and Diversity Committee Faculty Leader), and Penny Jennings (Head of Lower Campus) attended as guests of the founder, Casper Caldarola.

The morning began with notable speaker Dr. Michael, who is the Director of K-12 Consulting and Professional Development at the Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education at the University of Pennsylvania and the Director of the Race Institute for K-12 Educators.

After the speaker, schools broke into constituent groups for the rest of the morning to share their school experiences, both successes and failures. Then, in the afternoon, schools met in their individual small groups to come up with an action plan to take back to their community for implementation. Groups had received discussion guidelines and had the support of trained facilitators.

At the conclusion, the attending students took to the stage to share what they had discussed and learned in their student groups.

The experience was a confirmation of writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story” – we cannot reduce complex situations and human beings to a single narrative.

The interweaving of multiple stories was deeply powerful.

From Diversity to Community RCS Attends Dalton Conference Why did you want to attend this event?

Penny I first heard about this event from my son, a Director of Curriculum and Innovation at an independent school in the city, who shared with me that it provided the forum to be a part of a community of schools, a network of educators hoping to accomplish important diversity work in their schools.

I knew it would benefit RCS to commit to the time to hear how other educators are authentically talking about the deeply important and challenging role of diversity so I asked if RCS could attend.

Karen This conference provided the unique opportunity to engage with like-minded schools on how to best approach Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and learn from their successes and failures. With such an open, yet targeted format, participants could comfortably discuss their achievements and challenges from a strategic and tactical point of view.

As a member of the trustee group at the conference, it was helpful to learn that RCS is on the right track in our approach to DEI; that by taking relevant and meaningful steps towards building a more equitable and inclusive culture, we are paving a clear path towards 21st-century education.

Ridley I always want to attend any DEI event I can, but in addition to my passion for these areas of work and inquiry, I thought the set-up and structure of the conference was absolutely unique. Rather than be represented only by individual participants, each school brought a cohort comprised of folks from different constituencies – faculty, students, administration, and trustees. During the course of the conference the representatives from different constituencies broke off for work with like representatives

from others schools (eg: all faculty from different schools coming together, or all students from all schools coming together) and then had the opportunity to reconvene as their own school cohort to bring in multiple perspectives and takeaways on the whole day. I’ve never seen a conference structured this way and I think it’s brilliant, not only for the diversity of perspective it brings but also because it’s truly inclusive – every group at each school gets a voice and is represented on an equal plane.

What struck you most about the event?

Penny The power of the model, having all constituents represented, was profound. All voices were heard and contributed to an action plan that each individual school was then able to take back to present to the overall community. Too frequently, one leaves conferences and the good work that has been accomplished is set aside and sadly never comes to fruition.

Schools benefited from hearing multiple narratives but then were able to keenly focus on the particular areas of needed growth for their school.

Karen For me, the highlights of the conference were the middle and high school student presentations born out of expertly run workshops. They had the wonderful ability to articulate their feelings and desires, but perhaps more impressively, challenge the status quo.

As one student so eloquently pointed out, people tend to focus on diversity awareness. However, awareness doesn’t mean that you actually care about it.

What was abundantly clear was how much the students care about diversity and their frustrations with the slow pace with which it’s being handled, if at all.

Ridley I absolutely loved having the opportunity to hear student voices and

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witness their courage and openness on stage as they shared their stories, words, and experiences. School is for the students, after all, so of course bearing witness to their experiences with diversity, equity, and inclusion in independent schools is the most important aspect of why we do this work – we want all students to not only have a place at the table, but to feel like they can set that table themselves, that their belonging, their experiences, and their contributions are prioritized and valued. So for me, seeing the students from all those different schools up on stage, sharing themselves and being so vulnerable because they believe in the importance of their work – that was the most moving aspect of the day.

How do you think our school would benefit from what you learned?

Karen This conference is the start of a very important dialogue and action plan to be more thoughtful about the future of our school, and its impact on graduating students that are culturally aware and sensitive to the people and places with which they engage. If we take the appropriate steps as a community, we can improve the experience for all our children. Diversity makes us stronger.

Equity provides more opportunity and inclusion empowers students to be comfortable in their own skin. RCS is all about helping kids learn and take risks.

That experience should be available to all no matter their race, gender, religion or the many other attributes that make up the Westchester diaspora we call home. It’s encouraging that the RCS Board and Senior Administration have designated DEI as an institutional priority and that so many teachers are excited by the new opportunities it presents for our curriculum. Most of all, I’m encouraged by our community as it’s already a place rooted in character building, cultural understanding, and consideration for all.

It’s who we are, and we’re just going to make our culture even better.

Ridley The purpose of this work – this education, these conversations, this exploration – is to make, on the larger scale the world, and on a smaller scale,

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Rippowam Cisqua School embraces and seeks the opportunity to engage meaningfully and purposefully with issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We recognize the common humanity of all people and teach understanding and respect for the differences among us. From the age appropriate exploration of one’s own self-defining characteristics to the examination of topics and materials that contrast personal worldview, Rippowam Cisqua is committed to challenging each child and adult to foster greater empathy, understanding, and appreciation for their fellow humans. As a school focused on the pursuit of joyous and enlightened learning, we believe in honoring every member of our community as both valued and essential to our collective growth. Cultural awareness is an essential component of an education that prepares our students for the global society in which they live, and we strive to graduate individuals who seek intellectual and personal connections with people of different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives in the pursuit of the greater goal of making our society more empathetic, equitable, and just. our school, a place where everyone feels welcome, supported, understood, and as though they are on as equitable ground as everyone else. It means talking about individual experiences and being willing to have difficult conversations about difficult topics – race, religion, privilege, ability and disability, learning differences, cultural conflict, and so on – as a means by which we can grow and unite as a community on a more authentic and human level.

Penny Everyone needs to be involved in diversity work and there are educators out there who are committed to collaborating. All members of a community thrive and benefit when a school culture values acceptance of all human differences. At RCS we nurture empathy, self-confidence and the willingness to take risks. We are all at a different point in our striving for inclusion and it is critical to further the conversation. We need to be intentional in making more time for it.

What is your main takeaway?

Karen

We as a school must be brave and embrace uncomfortable conversations.

Students are asking for it, and schools need to fill the gap by providing a platform that teaches all of its constituents to live, work, and play in a harmonious environment.

The goal is to be a place that celebrates differences, highlights similarities, and

provides a launching pad for students to navigate a global environment. To do so, we must move from general awareness to a firm desire to take action. And when we do act, we must be authentic and definitive in our approach. I’m paraphrasing, but Dr. Ali Michael said to think of diversity not as a chaos-filled tsunami, but rather like a mountain waiting for you to climb at your own pace. There will be stops and starts, but the main thing is to keep moving forward. I believe that was also Walt Disney’s mantra, which is apropos.

Ridley That with some trust, vulnerability, courage, and an open mind, anyone can engage in diversity and inclusion work and come to see how crucial it is.

Penny I am always child centric and clearly students are anxious to have authentic conversations that will prepare them for a global community. Adults need to be comfortable having those conversations and this comes through shared experiences. How can we best serve our children? Young children are often a step ahead of us in their openness. You should hear the sense of fairness that emerges during activities that have a limitation such as only children in red shirts can play in the block area today. Or have you seen the faces of 40 Kindergarten children as they sign John Lennon’s “Imagine”? Our children are ready and we need to create the safe space to further the learning.

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Wellness Initiative #rippwell Rippowam Cisqua School launched a school-wide wellness initiative this year. Wellness is defined as an “active process through which people become aware of, and make choices toward, a more successful existence.� (National Wellness Institute, n.d.) Inspired and informed by this definition and the six-

dimension model of wellness proposed by the National Wellness Institute, Brooks Eleck, Iman Rasti, and Nicole Levy, RCS Wellness Co-Directors, have set out to raise awareness and build a common language around this theme for the entire community. To that end, they ran a workshop for the entire faculty and staff

in August and a wellness workshop for parents in October. Our wellness team will continue with the initiative by running a series of wellness retreats on both campuses where students will participate in a variety of carefully designed activities to fully understand and experience different dimensions of wellness.

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AN EDUCATION FOR THE

21 CENTURY ST

The Annual Fund The Annual Fund helps make immersive and innovative learning experiences a reality for all of our students from JPK to our ninth grade leaders. The Annual Fund raises unrestricted funds that flow directly into the RCS operating budget. Tuition covers approximately 85 percent of what it costs to educate our students. The rest of the operating budget is funded by income from endowment, outside grants and foundations, Auction and Centennial Gala revenue, and the Annual Fund. Of these, the Annual Fund is the most important. Annual Fund gifts impact the day-to-day life of RCS and provide direct support for our academic, athletics, and arts programs.

THEATER

HISTORY

MATHEMATICS

ATHLETICS

LANGUAGES

LITERATURE SCIENCE

HUMANITIES MUSIC

GEOGRAPHY 2017–18 Annual Fund Goal: $650,000

We accept: Gifts by check, gifts by credit card, gifts of stock, matching gifts. All contributions are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

How to Give

ONLINE: www.rcsny.org/annualfund PHONE: Advancement Office (914) 244-1291/1293 MAIL: Rippowam Cisqua School Advancement Office 439 Cantitoe Street Bedford, NY 10506

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Reinforcing Acts of Kindness

No Matter How Small Strong community partnerships are part of the RCS ethos dating back 100 years. This is a snapshot of just a few of our longstanding partnerships that give our faculty, our students, and our school the fulfillment that comes along with sharing responsibility for others, leading by example and through experience, and by ultimately knitting community relationships closer together.

At the Heart of Service Learning and Community Partnerships

On our Lower Campus, JPK through fourth grade students are focused on being good neighbors, motivated philanthropists, and ultimately community partners. Conducting bake sales, book swaps, and food and clothing drives for the needy, our students at every grade level are reflecting upon their experiences and internalizing the joy of giving.

The Food Bank for Westchester welcomed our students to its facility as RCS volunteers worked with speed and precision to pack bags for hungry children. From bundling bread for City Harvest, to sealing bags of macaroni, we have delivered more than 2,000 pounds of food as part of the nationwide BackPack Program.

In celebration of National Hunger Awareness Month this past September, students were invited to dress down and wear orange.

Our long-standing relationship with Northern Westchester Hospital dates back to the founding days of both organizations. In 2017 and for the last many years, our Lower Campus students have run a gently-used book collection to donate to pediatric patients during their visit to the hospital, all of which are presented to President and CEO, Joel Seligman, upon his visit to our school.

During this year’s visit, Seligman and Nurse Mary shared the impact of kindness on patient wellness.

On the Upper Campus, students are focusing on topics this year by grade: fifth grade – kindness, sixth grade – poverty, seventh grade – shelter, and eighth grade – hunger.

RCS is addressing the challenges that our neighbors face.

Rippowam Cisqua hosted the Third Annual NWH Moms & Dads Rock in the Lower Campus Sky Room on July 22, featuring local bands The Shaves, ONL, and Lawless. All proceeds of the event benefited the Music Therapy Program.

This fall, our fifth graders got creative while making activity bags for kids visiting the Emergency Room and Get Well Soon cards that are distributed on patient meal trays as part of the Food Is Care Program at NWH.

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Boys & Girls Club of Northern Westchester – Every week, a group of fourth grade reading volunteers rotates through the Boys & Girls Club as part of our RCS Reading Pals program.

In partnership with the Bedford Playhouse, the not-for-profit effort tasked with bringing cinema and culture to Bedford, RCS has been enjoying the opportunity to host documentary releases and classic and family films for the larger community.

With two showings of the documentary Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age this fall, ninth grade students pre-screened the movie and began an open dialogue about the impacts of technology on their own lives.

Several students continued to share their perspectives while sitting on a moderated panel, led by Grade 9 Dean Chris Perry, and Grades 7/8 Dean Brooks Eleck.

This year’s Merry Market purveyors included recently launched Daymaker, a kid-to-kid giving platform that empowers our children to create a real, simple, and personal giving experience with children at the Northern Westchester Community Center. Each RCS student and family had an opportunity to select and fulfill meaningful items on a child’s individual wish list, or an entire list of family gifts.

Community Center for Northern Westchester – Celebrating a partnership more than ten years old, RCS students spearhead various collections throughout each year. Along with collections, select grades create projects that run concurrently with each collection. This holiday season, our first and second graders ran a pajama collection the week following Thanksgiving, “Share one, wear one.”

Don’t want to wear your uniform? When you bring a pair of pajamas in for a donation, you are invited to wear your own PJs to school. RCS first and second graders were in charge of collecting and sorting the PJs and donating them directly to the Community Center along with ornaments handmade by our students.

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Rippowam Cisqua School

Board of Trustees Board of Trustees 2017-18 Executive Committee Kirtley H. Cameron, Chair Peter B. Freund ’91, Vice Chair James D. Kallman, Vice Chair Charles E. Buckley, Treasurer Scott A. Barshay, Secretary Whitney Brown Anne Citrin Christopher H. Pachios Sonja Bartlett Jonathan Childs Nancy Dwyer Eaves ’92 Margot Fooshee Abby Gerry Ben Harris Dr. Elizabeth L. Kilgallon Stuart Kovensky Dr. Angelina Lipman Richard C. Mugler III Nga Pedretti Lisa L. Shrewsberry Sara Slocum Daniel van Starrenburg

Ex Officio Colm MacMahon, Head of School Deborah A. Hurrell, Assistant Head, Finance & Operations Cynthia Branch Mas ’71, RCSAA Chair Ryan Smith, Director of Advancement Antoinette Sullivan, Parents Association Chair

Trustees of Rippowam Cisqua School are fiduciaries to the institution as a whole and are collectively responsible for overseeing the welfare of the School and the pursuit of its mission.

A vital part of that oversight is ensuring that all legal obligations are met and that sound financial management is provided for both current and future operations.

Although trustees often have other relationships with the School – as alumni, parents, or relatives of current or former students – each trustee must put aside these personal relationships and concern him or herself solely with what is in the best current and long-term interests of the institution as a whole. The Board monitors the success of the School in fulfilling its mission and works in partnership with the Head of School to establish principles that will best serve the School, while the Head of School implements the policies and procedures to fulfill these principles on an operational basis.

Board members are nominated by the Committee on Trustees and elected by the full Board. New Board members are selected based upon the immediate and long-term needs of the School. Each trustee candidate must demonstrate commitment and service to the institution. The full Board meets at least five times a year, on and off campus, to receive and discuss reports from the Head of School and other administrators, Board Committees, and outside consultants where appropriate.

The Board handles the majority of its business through standing committees, which meet regularly. The Board has the authority to create additional committees as needed.

The present standing committees are: Executive Committee Committee on Trustees Compensation Committee Finance & Audit Committee Investment Committee Advancement Committee Campaign Steering Committee Campus Master Plan Committee Buildings & Grounds Committee Marketing & Enrollment Committee

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New Board Members Nancy Dwyer Eaves ’92

Ben Harris

Nancy recently returned to work and currently serves as a Director of Product Management for Aon’s Cyber Solutions Team. Prior to that, she was Chief of Staff at Revolution Money where she was the third employee (purchased by American Express), ran product management at Medsite Inc. (purchased by WebMD), and worked in Morgan Stanley’s Private Wealth Management Group. Nancy also serves as a Trustee of the Andrew K. Dwyer Foundation. Nancy is a proud RCS graduate (and Blue Team captain!), has been a Class Representative, served on the Alumni Board from 2011-16, was co-chair of the RCS Foundations Auction in 2016, and is a member of the Campaign Committee. Nancy graduated from Trinity College, where she was a seven-time Academic All-American and a First Team All-American in lacrosse. Nancy and her husband, Blue, live in Bedford and have three children, Paige ’23, Dwyer ’26, and Knox ’27.

Ben currently serves as President of Gramercy Property Trust, a New York-based REIT. Ben was part of the three-person management team recruited to take over Gramercy in 2012.

Prior to his current job, Ben was Head of U.S. Investments at W. P. Carey & Co. LLC, a New York-based real estate investment firm. Ben grew up in Westport, Connecticut, and Ontario, Canada, and graduated from the University of King’s College in Canada. Ben and his wife, Laura, live in Bedford with their three children, Louisa ’24, Theodora ’25, and George ’29.

Abby Gerry Abby received her undergraduate degree from Duke University, and she has a Masters in Childhood Education from New York University. Currently, Abby is a stay-at-home mom. Prior to having children, she spent five years in New York City classrooms as an assistant and head teacher. Abby serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Bedford Historical Society, and she serves on the Board of Visitors of Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. Abby also serves on the National Council of the World Wildlife Fund. She has served as an RCS Annual Fund Ambassador and Construction Ambassador, and she served as a volunteer for the Foundations Auction in 2016, in both the Auction Office and on the Special Projects Team. She is currently a member of the RCS Centennial Campaign Steering Committee.

She and her family have always made education a top priority.

Abby and her husband, Lloyd, live in Pound Ridge and have a daughter in Kindergarten, Stephanie ’27.

Richard C. Mugler III Richard is the President of Richard C. Mugler Co. Inc, a shoring and engineering firm based in Yonkers, New York. He is a shoring specialist, working mainly on new construction, structural renovations, and emergency collapse situations in Manhattan. Richard has worked in this third-generation family business throughout his career and is an authority on New York construction practices. He lectures regularly and contributes articles on engineering practices to forums and structural journals.

Richard has a B.S. from Hobart College and an M.S. in Engineering from Manhattan College. He is the Vice President of the Bedford Katonah Hockey Association, where he has served on the Board since 2014, runs the organization’s Squirt Program, and coaches. Richard lives in Bedford with his wife, Shirar, and three sons, Richard IV ’19, Wilson ’23, and Jackson ’23.

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Alumni Connections The RCS Alumni Association Board 2017-18 Cynthia Branch Mas ’71, Chair Steve Ohler ’66, Vice Chair Richard Cahill ’92, Treasurer Harry Grand ’93, Secretary Dana Johnston Brooks ’89 Storrs Lamb Cote ’79 Katie Prezzano Durfee ’82 Cecily Fowler Grand ’65 Randy Wilson Hall ’94 Jenny Heath ’91 Gus Levy ’98 Forrest Mas ’04 Sydney Mas ’07 Zoe Haydock McKnight ’97 Bill Meyer ’84 Philip Ohler ’75 Dan Ryan ’93 Vanessa Seide ’93 Lisa Pagliaro Selz ’66 Annie Stickney ’96 Marilen Grosjean Tilt ’57 Alexandria van Starrenburg ’07 Christopher Wirth ’94

Keep in touch with RCS and alumni.

Connect, communicate, catch up, and celebrate with your classmates from RCS. It has never been easier to reconnect with fellow alumni.

Facebook: Join the “Official Alumni Group for Rippowam Cisqua” Instagram: Rippowam_Cisqua LinkedIn: Rippowam Cisqua School Twitter: @rippowam_cisqua

Letter from Cynthia Branch Mas ’71 Congratulations to Cyndi Azima, to each of the Centennial Gala committee members, and to the staff and faculty of RCS who put together the Party of the Century – it truly was a reunion 100 years in the making.

As Chair of the Rippowam Cisqua School Alumni Association, I am honored to be a part this yearlong Centennial celebration and it continues to be my privilege to welcome back classmates, old and new, to our community with all of its legacy and tradition.

This year, we honor and thank Ashley Harrington for 35 years at RCS as Upper Campus Director of Admissions, teacher, coach, mentor, and friend. Not long ago, we bid farewell to Bill Barrett, Head of the Upper Campus, coach, teacher, mentor, and friend, and thanked him for nearly 20 years at RCS. There are many members of the Rippowam family who have played an integral role in shaping our school for many decades and on October 14, we were so blessed to share our evening with the teachers, students, coaches, administrators, parents, and friends who make this school the incredible institution that is. Seeing the faces of Ann Thacher, Dan Viglione, Richie Meyers, Pepper Crofoot, John Ham ’76, Colleen Sorte, Missy Swan, and Chris and Kathy Perry made me swell with pride thinking about the dedication and love of all those who have taught us.

Looking around the spectacular tent that Saturday evening in October and seeing 622 friends connecting and reconnecting, I was reminded of the importance of community...of our community. The joy of watching my children, Forrest ’04 and Sydney ’07, tearing it up on the dance floor with their friends, new spouses, and fiancés, was a reminder that we will all always be a part of this school – this year, and one hundred years from now.

As we launch into a new century, with a beautiful new campus, I have only one request: Please stay in touch! Whether you find yourself living here in Bedford or far away on another continent, know that RCS is where it all began and a place that you can always call home.

If you haven’t been back in a while, stop by and say hello. No invitation is ever needed…the doors, new (and beautiful, I might add!) are always open.

Cynthia Branch Mas ’71 cynthia.mas@renwicksothebysrealty.com O.: (914) 234-9261 C.: (914) 649-8327

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Will Reeve ’07 2017 Rippowam Cisqua School Distinguished Alumni Award Rippowam Cisqua School alum Will Reeve returned to Bedford in March 2017 to speak with students about his career at ESPN and his work for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

Champions Committee, which is dedicated to fostering multigenerational involvement in the cause. In November 2016, Will raised over $38,000 for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation by running, as part of Team Reeve, in the New York City Marathon.

In an hourlong assembly, Reeve spoke about growing up in Bedford and his experiences as a student at Rippowam Cisqua School. Will’s talk focused on his personal journey, his love of sports, writing, and storytelling – all of which led to his career at ESPN where he is a contributor to SportsCenter. Will also spoke about his father, the actor Christopher Reeve, whose tragic horseback riding accident in 1995 left him paralyzed. Continuing his parents’ mission, Will is an Ambassador and Board Member for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which benefits those affected by spinal cord injuries. He is also a leader of the Reeve Foundation

In sharing his story, Will commented, “You can learn more from struggle and loss than from success. That’s the time when you get to look into your own self and figure out how to overcome and get better and to grow. The best of us keep trying to grow every day.”

Will’s visit to Bedford kicked off Rippowam Cisqua School’s Centennial Speaker Series. In honor of the School’s 100th academic year, Rippowam Cisqua School has been hosting a series of events with notable RCS alumni, which has included documentary film producers Teddy Kunhardt ’00 and George Kunhardt ’02 and writer Alex Shoumatoff ’60.

You are a part of our RCS history. Help us pave the way for our future. Lay a brick on our new walkway.

The next 100 years at RCS are set to be momentous. Through our donor brick campaign, you can purchase a brick for $500 and personalize it with your own name, your family name, or in memory of a loved one. These uniquely engraved bricks add a lasting show of support for our school and our mission.

Don’t miss this chance to join with hundreds of students, parents, faculty, and friends to secure a spot on our Centennial walkway.

Order a brick today at www.rcsny.org/support Each brick has a 39 character maximum (spaces included).

Or, please make out a check and send it: Attn: Centennial Campaign Advancement Office Rippowam Cisqua School 439 Cantitoe Street Bedford, NY 10506 Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

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Retiring Faculty Colleen Sorte

For many RCS students and families, Colleen Sorte was the first teacher they encountered on their journey through the School. Over the past twelve years, Colleen was a kind and loving presence in our Early Childhood classrooms, where she taught JPK and SPK. She possesses the unique ability to connect with our youngest students, and she impacted the lives of countless children during her time at the School.

“Colleen is one of the most dedicated teachers I have ever had the privilege to work with,” said longtime colleague and friend, Lisa Adorno. “She was always thinking about the children and what would be best for them. Patient and kind, she encouraged them to do their best and try their hardest but most of all, to have fun doing it! More than once she texted

Harriet Doniger Harriet Doniger came to RCS in 1983, and over the course of her 34-year career in the classroom, she gave countless children one of the greatest gifts an educator can give to her students: A true, lifelong love of reading. Harriet’s own love of reading was infectious, and she delighted in sharing books and book recommendations with her students. She spent the bulk of her career as a fourth grade Homeroom teacher, and she helped her students build a great framework for success as they transitioned to the Upper Campus and beyond. Harriet challenged her students, and she inspired them to work hard and do their best. Her legacy lives on through the fourth grade learning circles program, the celebrated end of year performances and plays for fourth grade, the impact she had on her colleagues, and the impact she had on generations of readers.

me in the evening with a thought about a child, or a project we were getting ready for. JPK was always on her mind and in her heart.”

Colleen joined the RCS faculty in 2005, but her involvement at the School extended well beyond her tenure as a teacher. Colleen and her husband, John, are parents of three RCS alumni – son Brad ’97, and daughters Kathryn ’01 and Laura ’01 – and Colleen served as Parents Council Chair and an Ex Officio member of the Board of Trustees during her time as a parent. She was – and remains – a valued and trusted colleague, mentor, leader, educator, and friend, and the RCS community is immensely grateful to Colleen for all that she has done for RCS over the years. We wish her all the best in her retirement!

A Little Bit More about Harriet Last summer, RCS Advancement Office intern Lily Fauver ’14 asked Harriet a few questions about her years as an educator on the Lower Campus.

LF

Why did you choose to work at RCS initially? What year did you start?

HD

​ y brother’s two children were at RCS when I decided to M go back to teaching. I sent in a resume, but I have to admit that my brother did talk to Waldo Jones about me so she interviewed me. I applied for an assistant job. I got a job in the SPK. I loved my job from the very first day. I started in 1983​.

LF What are some of your favorite memories?

HD My favorite memories… A child who will quietly tell me that they cried when reading their book and how surprised he/ she was when I told them how great that was because it meant they were deeply understanding the story; children who stayed up all night reading and practically fell asleep on my rug; older students coming back to visit; all the years we went to Ashokan and how much the children loved the trip; the growth of the children over the course of the year; the fourth grade team; the many times we’d put the whole fourth grade together to teach a lesson or explain an activity; learning circles and the plays and murals. I think everything we did in fourth grade is a favorite memory!

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Alumni Class Notes

Rikk Larsen ’61, Debbie Choate ’62, and Alex Sanger ’61

Chadbyrne R. Dickens ’87 with the Dark Star Orchestra

1961

1987

Rikk Larsen ’61, Debbie Choate ’62, and Alex Sanger ’61 met in Boston for a book party for Alex’s wife, Jeannette Watson; her new memoir is It’s My Party.

Chadbyrne R. Dickens continues to act as the leading music journalist nationally covering the jam band scene. Attending upwards of 150 concerts and 10 festivals annually, Chad diligently chronicles his experiences online via JamBase, Glide

Reed and Morgan Ryan Magazine and Live for Live Music. He is thankful that the late Sue Fiala fostered his love of music during his days at Ripp.

1993 Reed and Morgan Ryan, children of Charlene and Dan Ryan, started their (Continued on p. 60)

LF What will you miss the most?

HD The kids! I will miss teaching my book groups, having a

who became lifelong friends, the fun we had in and out of the classroom, a place I will truly miss.

child come into my classroom first thing in the morning to tell me what happened in his/her book, and conversations about books with my class. September and that first day when the children came into my room – a little nervous – and a new year began. I also love teaching American history so I’ll miss that, too.​I really liked creating new units and working on curriculum, which is something I will miss a lot.

LF What is one thing you learned from your time at RCS? HD ​I always loved to read but when I came to RCS I learned

LF Favorite RCS play?

HD In fourth grade we alternated two plays at the end of the year and I loved those – How To Eat Like A Child, and If I Was in Charge of the World.

LF Favorite book you read/taught? ​HD The only book I taught every year was A Stranger Came Ashore, so that has to be number one! I never had a child who didn’t like that book. I also loved teaching Angel on the Square and all the companion books that the students read after the book group was over.

LF When I think RCS, I think...

HD ...​of it as my home away from home, a happy place, a warm, caring place where children love to learn.​I think of the people

that my passion was to share that love of reading with children.

Every day was exciting because no two days were the same. That 34 years went by in a flash.

LF

What change (besides the Upper Campus this year) have you noticed during your time?

HD

This is a hard question. So many things have changed yet so many things remain the same. Buildings change but inside the building the goals – to teach students to love to learn – never changes.

LF Favorite RCS tradition (big or small)?

HD I think Walk to Cisqua is a wonderful tradition – seeing the whole school together each year was a real highlight.​

LF What are you most excited for as you look to the future?

HD ​Not having to wake up at 6:00 a.m.! Not having a real schedule for now. The usual things like traveling, exercising regularly, and the endless possibilities!

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Class Notes

Evan Speiser ’00 supported by fellow alums Alex Pall ’00, Matt Andrews ’00, and Alex Soros ’01 at his wedding.

Ed Cusati ’94

Billy Joseph, son of Lily Gumz Joseph ’00

second year at Rippowam this fall in Kindergarten and JPK respectively.

1994 Ed Cusati has officially joined RCS as a Lower Campus music teacher. He is an accomplished musician and is a familiar face to many on the Lower Campus. Ed served as a maternity leave replacement during the 2014-15 school year and has volunteered much of his time to help with our performances. The RCS community is thrilled to have him joining us in this official capacity.

Christopher Wirth is the Founder and President of No Quit Living. He is the host of the No Quit Living Podcast, which has been rated as a top 50 Business Podcast on iTunes. Christopher is a sought after keynote speaker and was featured as one of Inc.’s 8 Podcasts Every Entrepreneur Should Follow in 2018.

1997 Becky Koeppl lives in Waterford, Vermont, with her 4-year-old daughter, Ella, and partner, Tom Lawrence. In 2016, she started Gold Rush Maple Products at her old family farm, with her brother Jake Koeppl ’95 and her partner, Tom. They distribute products all throughout the Northeast. Becky enjoys skiing, especially with Ella.

Jessie Simon lives in Minneapolis and works as a professor of psychology/

(Left to right): Zoe Haydock McKnight ’97 and son Payson; Ali Ginnel Tejtel ’97 with daughters Brooke and Zoe; Alex White Lawrence ’97; Alison Weisser Porterfield ’97 with daughters Daphne and Kate; and Liz Robinson Nugent ’97 with son Teddy.

1997 Alex White Lawrence lives in Katonah with her husband, Will. They welcomed a daughter, Vivienne, in August 2017.

Zoe Haydock McKnight lives in Katonah with her husband, Cameron, their little boy, Payson (1), and two French Bulldogs. Zoe works in residential real estate at Sotheby’s International Realty.

Liz Robinson Nugent is currently living in Malverne, New York, with

her husband, Rob, and baby, Teddy.

Liz teaches at The Green Vale in Old Brookville, New York.

Alison Weisser Porterfield lives in Darien, Connecticut, with her husband, Matt, and two girls, Kate (3) and Daphne (1). She works in NYC for WPP as VP, Executive Recruitment.

Ali Ginnel Tejtel lives in Bedford Hills with her husband, Davey, and two girls, Zoe (3) and Brooke (1).

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Charlie Lodge ’03 and fiancé Cornelia Wolcott

Missy Walker ’07

Chelsea Corso ’05 and fiancé Ben Kilgore

Forrest Mas ’04 and fiancé Mackenzie Kersen

1998

Evan Speiser married Annie Shinn on October 14, 2017, in Palmetto Bluff, SC. The RCS attendees included best man Alex Pall, Alex Soros ’01, Matt Andrews, Gordon MacGill, Jamie MacDonald, Jessica Speiser ’02, Caitlin Pall ’02, and Caley Chase.

Peter W. Kunhardt, Jr. is the executive director of The Gordon Parks Foundation.

He lives in Bedford Village.

2003

2000

Gus Johnson married Katie Atkins on September 9, 2017.

neuroscience at St. Olaf College. She received her Ph.D. from Georgetown University and has two children, Lucy (4) and Ollie (2), and a dog, Copi.

Lily Gumz Joseph and her husband, Nick, welcomed a baby boy, William (Billy) Gibbs Joseph, on November 5, 2017.

Billy weighed 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and his Godmother is fellow Rippowam Alumna Rebecca Allen.

The Chainsmokers won their first career Grammy for Best Dance Recording for “Don’t Let Me Down” featuring Daya at the 59th Grammy Awards. Congrats to Chainsmokers founding member, our very own Alex Pall.

Charlie Lodge is engaged to Cornelia Wolcott.

2004 Mac Beitzel is engaged to Mary Marshall.

Willy Goodhue is a Development Manager at PitchBook Data Inc. He is an Associate Board Member for the Covenant House and moved to Williamsburg, Brooklyn, this past summer.

Forrest Mas is engaged to Mackenzie Kersen.

Hope Walker ’08

Elsie DuPuy Swank ran in the 2017 TCS NYC Marathon.

2005 Chelsea Corso became engaged to Ben Kilgore in July 2017 in Montauk, New York. The couple met in 2012 while completing their Masters in Management at Wake Forest University.

2007 Missy Walker ran in the TCS NYC Marathon for Team UNICEF.

2008 Hope Walker recently completed an internship at the United Nations where she worked in the Office of the Ombudsman and Mediation Services, wrote speeches for Assistant Secretary General Johnston Barkat, prepared presentations for the Secretary General, and consulted on strategic action plans.

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Class Notes Hannah Burdick and Kendall Burdick.

This fall, I headed off to the University of Denver.”

Jared Jones writes: “Last year was great.

I graduated from Rye Country Day School and headed off to Amherst College to play football.”

Liam Murphy ’10 and Hannah Danziger ’10

2010 Liam Murphy and Hannah Danziger both graduated from Johns Hopkins University in May of 2017.

2012 Chris Hanson is a full-time professional squash player on the PSA World Tour, and is based in the Greenwich/Westchester area.

2014 Jack Beaumont writes: “My last year at Greens Farms Academy was great.

I headed off to the University of St Andrews in Scotland this fall for their management program.”

Jackson Corrigan writes: “When I was picked for Williams Varsity Soccer as a walk-on, I remember one of the first people I wanted to tell was Coach Kwarula from Ripp. He valued hard work and nevergiving-up above all. Even though I didn’t go the college recruitment route, I did train really hard during my Hackley years and last summer, both with Manhattan Soccer Club and at the Saw Mill, I gave it my all at tryouts. It certainly helped to have the confidence built up with memories of our undefeated soccer seasons with my incredible teammates Rory Fleming, Barron Thomas, Jack Weeden, Adam Mann, Evan Kieltyka, and Chris Glynn!”

Carrie Kinui writes: “Last year I participated in my school’s Dance Company (YHS Dance Company) and my school’s musical. I was accepted to Fordham University at Lincoln Center and received the Denzel Washington Scholarship for Theatre.”

Charlotte Grunebaum ’14 and Hanna Burdick ’14 Grant Corso writes: “Last year at Choate was incredible. I partook in an environmental immersion program and spent the entire year examining environmentalism from a plethora of different lenses. I conducted a yearlong research project on the potential of a species of mustard plant to remediate soil contaminated with lead.

This past summer, I lived aboard a research vessel in the British Virgin Islands where I studied invasive lionfish and their impact on delicate coral ecosystems.”

Lily Fauver writes: “My last year at Deerfield included interesting classes, diving into the intricacies of the opioid crisis in this country, acting as an attorney in mock trials on polygamy and free speech, and designing pollinator pathways for the Deerfield Academy Campus. After graduation I traveled down to Sarasota for the Rowing Youth Nationals, where my boat came in 7th in the country. This past summer I went to the Henley Royal Regatta. I started off at Dartmouth this fall.”

Chris Glynn writes: “My senior year at Greens Farms Academy went well, as it was challenging academically, successful athletically, and an all-around fun year.

This past summer, I played baseball for the Stamford Thunder travel team and headed to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania this fall.”

Charlotte Grunebaum writes: “My last year at St. George’s went well and I graduated alongside my RCS classmates

Jake Lustig writes: “Last year went well and it went by really quickly. This past summer I worked at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals doing research on Multiple Sclerosis. This fall I started at Cornell.”

Andrew Pittman writes: “My last year at Andover just seemed to sail by – I can’t believe it’s been over three years since I graduated from Ripp! This summer I traveled around Europe with friends and family – tasting delicious food, enjoying exotic cultures, and meeting new people.

Last fall, I headed off to Vanderbilt.”

Olivia Selmonoski writes: “Senior year was challenging! The college process, maintaining good grades, and taking time to myself. In the fall I left for Georgia Tech to double major in Aerospace Engineering and Computer Science.”

Sean Speegle writes: “I had a great senior year to cap off my time at Berkshire, graduating with RCS alum Jack Weeden.”

Sean worked as a camp counselor at the Bedford Town Park over the summer before heading to Gettysburg College.

2016 Reps for the Class of 2016 Blair Clayton – bclayton19@nmhschool.org Paige Gilbert – paige_gilbert@stgeorges.edu Jack Kovensky – kovensky.jack@gmail.com Abbie Burdick writes: “This year I played Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie at Walnut Hill School for the Arts.

This past summer I was involved with multiple musical theatre intensives in New

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Jack Londono ’17, Andie Wardell ’17, Isabella Giordano ’17, and Liz Carlson ’17

Freddie Tobeason ’16 and Brewster Mockridge ’16

Dorothy Walker ’16

York City including Broadway Dreams, Broadway Theater Project, and a Musical Theatre intensive at Joffrey Ballet School.”

Blair Clayton writes: “This past summer I went on a backpacking and ice climbing trip to Alaska. I was inspired by the service trip I participated in the prior summer in Nepal, where we worked to empower orphaned girls and hiked the Himalayas.”

Blake Cote writes: “My second year at Westminster was great. This summer I was involved with a summer lacrosse league and worked as a camp counselor in Bedford.”

Daisy Fauver writes: “I attend Suffield Academy, where I took up swimming again and my team took third place at New Englands. This past summer I was involved with community service at the community center, and I traveled to Turkey.”

Maddie Galbraith writes: “After graduation from Ripp I entered high school at Greenwich Academy. I have been involved in science programs at GA: I attended the GAINS (Girls Advancing in STEM) conference and have been to other STEM related events. I am very grateful to RCS for preparing me so well for high school.”

Koku Millett-Barrett writes: “After RCS I attended Fox Lane for a year and participated in soccer, track, and wrestling.

This past year I went to school in Ghana to see some family and experience school in Ghana. Then last summer I moved to Colorado because there were a few soccer teams I was interested in joining.”

Eric Ochsner writes: “I am currently at Fairfield Prep where I started playing rugby for the first time last year. We made it to the state championships vs. Greenwich High School.”

Sadie Small writes: “I attend John Jay High School. This past summer I traveled and worked as a camp counselor at the Waccabuc Country Club.”

Alums Freddie Tobeason (Groton Varsity Field Hockey) and Brewster Mockridge (St. George’s Varsity Football) had fun catching up at Groton on September 23.

Dorothy Walker ran in the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Race for Open Space in July.

2017

Julia Gastone writes: “Since graduating from Rippowam, I won a leadership award and was offered a position at a leadership conference. This past summer I attended a summer program at Columbia University where I took political science courses.”

Reps for the Class of 2017

Gabe Grimeh writes: “This past summer I traveled to Morocco to build houses through the program Amideast.”

Jack Londono, Andie Wardell, Isabella Giordano, and Liz Carlson were happy to reunite during Taft and Hotchkiss Day.

Ned Mattison writes: “This past summer I partook in a month-long backpacking trip with the program NOLS.”

Grace Greenwald – greenwald.grace@gmail.com Katje Knoblauch – katje_knoblauch@missporters.org

News of the Crofoot Family Pepperrell “Pepper” Crofoot, a teacher at Rippowam Cisqua School for over 25 years, sends this news of the Crofoot family: “Anders Crofoot ’76 and wife Emily Wood Crofoot (Cisqua ’70) have been living in New Zealand on an historic 10,000-acre farm for nearly 20 years.

They are on the North Island, on the southwestern coast. Anders is Vice President of the National NZ Federation of Farmers, a position he has held for several years. They have two children, David (28) and Sarah (26).

Kristin Crofoot Johnson ’81 lives in New York City with her husband, Howard, and two sons, Howard, Jr. and Nash. Nash is a sophomore at Andover, and Howard is a freshman at Harvard. Tjasa Crofoot Ritchey ’86 lives in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, with husband Julian. They have four children, Pepper (14), Zander (10½), Oliver (8½), and Sawyer (4).

I, Pepperrell Crofoot, taught Lower School Art for many years before moving to Portugal in 1997. I am currently living with Tjasa and her family, after the death of my husband, David, in 2011.

We had lived for 15 years in Portugal, which was a wonderful experience. I had a ball seeing everybody at Rippowam’s one-hundredth birthday in October! I hadn’t been back since 1997.

Tjasa’s (and my) address is 2075 Charles Drive Hellertown, PA 18055.”

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In Memoriam We offer our condolences to the family and friends of the following members of our school community.

Harold C. (Harry) Whitman III, spouse of longtime Rippowam Cisqua School staff member Aimee Whitman and father of Cindy Whitman Swank ’76 and H. Cutler Whitman IV ’78, died February 27, 2017, after a long illness. He was 85 years old.

Richard H. (Dick) Lawrence died peacefully in his sleep at his home in Bedford, New York, on March 29, of natural causes, in the company of the love of his life, his wife of 63 years, Starr Oliver Lawrence ’46. He was 89 years old. The father of James Lawrence ’68, Richard Lawrence Jr. ’70, and Philip Lawrence ’80 and grandfather of Kate Lawrence ’01, Alexa Lawrence ’03, Adele Lawrence ’10, Phipps Lawrence ’14, George Lawrence ’16, and Daisy Lawrence ’17, Dick was a member of the Rippowam Cisqua School Board of Trustees from 1967 to 1973.

Artist James Rosenquist, father of Lily Rosenquist ’05, died March 31, 2017, in New York City. He was 83 years old.

Oscar A. Mockridge III, grandfather of Henry Mockridge ’14, Brewster Mockridge ’16, and Chase Mockridge ’18, died peacefully at home on April 23, 2017, after a brief illness. He was 80 years old.

Mary Eileen Sinnott died peacefully at her Manhattan apartment with family members by her side on April 26, 2017, after a long illness. She was the spouse of former Chair of the Rippowam Cisqua School Board of Trustees, Jack Sinnott, and

the grandmother of Graham Offermann ’13, Catharine Schreiber ’14, Colette Offermann ’16, Kendra Offermann ’16, Lindsey Offermann ’16, John Schreiber ’16, and Edward Schreiber ’21.

Danne Brokaw Munford, grandmother of Andrea Fleming ’11, Charlotte Fleming ’14, and Rory Fleming ’15, died peacefully at home in Greenwich, Connecticut on July 22, 2017, at the age of 80.

Linda Petrasch Denison ’50, former Red Team Captain and mother of Jay Denison ’70 and Mark Denison ’73, died at her home on September 10, 2017. Linda was a member of the Rippowam Cisqua School Board of Trustees from 1966 to 1970.

Crawford Shaw, grandfather of Andrea Fleming ’11, Charlotte Fleming ’14, and Rory Fleming ’15, died peacefully on October 7, 2017, in Rye Brook, New York, surrounded by his loved ones, at the age of 82.

Josephine “Josie” Evarts, mother of James Evarts ’65, Jane “Jenny” R. (Evarts) Grendahl ’68, and Emily “Dolly” (Evarts) Vaughan ’69, died on October 27, 2017. The Evarts Memorial Rink at the Harvey School was named after Josie’s late husband, Maxwell.

Thomas “Toby” Day Thacher II, husband to Frances Tower Thacher ’69, died at their home in Bedford in October 2017, at the age of 71.

Waldo Jones Longtime faculty member Waldo Jones died May 18, 2017. Waldo was a beloved administrator and teacher in the RCS community for more than 30 years. “Catch them in the act of doing something great,” Waldo Jones often said. Waldo made the transition from Cisqua parent to teacher in 1959, where she served as a physical education teacher, assistant Kindergarten teacher, and a first grade teacher for eleven years. She was Head of the Lower School from 1965-69, then became Lower School Head at Bedford-Rippowam.

When the two schools merged, she was appointed the Head of the Cisqua Campus. Waldo was known for camping out with fourth graders at Nature’s Classroom, training elementary school heads and Admissions directors at NAIS workshops, launching curricular and extracurricular innovations like “Poetry at Lunch,” or simply welcoming students with a morning handshake and a smile at the front door (a tradition we maintain today).

Dick Wade Former RCS Head of School Dick Wade passed away on November 13, 2017. Dick joined the RCS community as Head of School in 1983, and he led the School in that role for ten years.

During his tenure, he placed great value not only on the student as an individual, but also on each student’s contribution to the community. Teaching history, coaching basketball, in the hallways, and on field trips, Dick was a welcome presence at RCS. He built a cohesive administrative team and empowered everyone around him to think creatively and act decisively.

Additionally, during his time as Head of School, RCS completed construction on the Lower Gym on the Upper Campus, and on five new classrooms on the Lower Campus. The School also came together during his tenure to celebrate its 75th anniversary.

We remain forever grateful to Dick Wade for the tremendous impact he had on the entire RCS community.

Planning for Rippowam Cisqua’s

Future Remembering Rippowam Cisqua in your estate planning helps assure a brighter tomorrow for the School.

The 1917 Society was established in memory of Rippowam Cisqua’s earliest leaders and the year of the School’s founding; it honors those alumni, faculty, parents, and friends who have chosen to ensure the future of RCS by providing for the School in their estates and/or by establishing planned gift arrangements that benefit RCS and themselves. All donors, whether through a bequest provision or a life income arrangement, are automatically granted membership in the 1917 Society.

You can remember Rippowam Cisqua through a simple provision in your estate. Whether giving through your will, living trust, life insurance policy, or qualified retirement plan, you should make your designation for “Trustees of Rippowam Cisqua School, a charitable and educational institution in Bedford, New York.”

1917

Society

For more information, please contact Ryan Smith, Director of Advancement, at rsmith@rcny.org or (914) 244-1291.

P.O. Box 488, Bedford, New York 10506 Lower Campus: (914) 244-1200 Upper Campus (914) 244-1250 www.rcsny.org