Winter 2024 Newsletter

RCDS Winter Winter 2024 2023 Newsletter

Dear RCDS Community, A new calendar year is an invigorating opportunity to refresh our goals, continue good work already underway, and envision how we want to end the academic year.

 Mr. Dunn has continued his email series for parents and guardians titled On My Mind. In the November edition, he shared his areas of focus for the 2023-24 school year. Read On My Mind online at ryecountryday.org/onmymind

Although it is January, June is a blink away. I do not say this to rush us. Rather, I sincerely hope we can approach the second half of the school year with the intention of appreciating all that it brings—really digging into the many experiences offered to us as members of this terrific community.

The first half of the school year demonstrated all that makes me proud to lead this incredible school. Our outstanding students inspired me with their palpable commitment to excellence in everything they do—from classwork and community work to the arts, athletics, and extracurriculars. And our wonderful teachers were with them every step of the way, supporting and challenging them to nurture their growth. Behind the scenes, our non-teaching employees brought enthusiastic energy to the day-to-day operations of the School.

Our parents and guardians continued their engaged partnership with the School, working hand-in-hand with us to create more opportunities for community building and resource sharing. I am extremely grateful to our families for their sustained commitment to RCDS and the strength of our home-school collaboration.

Last but certainly not least, welcoming our alumni back to campus for Reunion and the Hall of Fame Dinner was a delight and a privilege. What fine ambassadors they are for RCDS! We are all so fortunate to share this special place, and I am deeply honored to serve as your Head of School. As you read this newsletter, I know you will enjoy looking back at fall highlights, and I hope you will share my excitement for all that is to come!

Here’s to a generative new year! Let’s enjoy every moment.

Yours, Randall Dunn Head of School

2023-24 Theme: KINDNESS Committing as a school to learning and teaching how to practice kindness will make us stronger, happier, and more connected.

We must remember that our charge as members of a learning community is to be conscientious guides who model kindness and remind our students that there is an ongoing, critical need for each of us to protect and maintain it in our world. The impact of this work is felt far beyond the classroom. In this way, kindness is essential to fulfilling our purpose, and a greater purpose.

– Head of School Randall Dunn

ON THE COVER: All-Community Quilt In celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day in 2022, the RCDS community created text panels for an all-community quilt, a project led by the Art Department and inspired by Indigenous American artist Marie Watt.

Participants were asked to consider a question based on Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream’’ speech and embroider or glue their answers onto fabric squares. The question was: What do you dream or hope for in our community and world? The all-community quilt is now displayed in the Main Building.

fall highlights

Kindness and Gratitude Go Hand-In-Hand Below are just a few examples of the many ways RCDS students practiced kindness this past fall.

WORLD KINDNESS DAY IN THE LOWER SCHOOL

To mark World Kindness Day (November 13), Lower Schoolers from Pre-K to Grade 4 collaborated on a community art project aimed at answering the question, “How can you brighten someone’s day?”

The students used their critical thinking and creative expression skills to write and illustrate acts of kindness for a sunshine bulletin board collage. The rays of sunshine were adorned with students’ ideas of how to spread and model kindness. Each student received two rays; one was placed on the bulletin board and the other was their own ray of kindness to carry with them throughout the day. The goal was to inspire conversations about kindness between students and their friends and family. It was a memorable day full of thoughtful discussions at school about the importance of kindness.

“In Lower School, we are working together to explicitly practice and reflect on acts of kindness because it teaches us how to be in harmony with ourselves and others.

It is perhaps one of the finest qualities in one’s character.”

—Dr. Stacey Sotirhos, Lower School Principal

OPENING CEREMONIES SEPTEMBER 19, 2023

Kicking off RCDS’s 155th year, the ceremony included remarks from Mr. Dunn and Student Body President David Colin ’24. Both speakers emphasized KINDNESS. The event concluded with the presentation of the Class of 2024 banner by Senior Class President Sameer Hirani ’24, Senior Vice President Kate Burdick ’24, Senior Class Senators Alex Cohen ’24 and Ben Cousin ’24, and David Colin.

WILDCAT WEEKend

An unforgettable celebration full of Blue & Gold spirit!

Getting Ready

Middle and Upper Schoolers gathered for a pep rally to celebrate their WILDCAT PRIDE! In the Lower School, Varsity athletes visited each classroom, accompanied by Willy the Wildcat.

MIDDLE SCHOOL GRATITUDE ON NATIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS DAY

On November 15, National Education Support Professionals Day, our Middle Schoolers said it best! Students in Grades 5 and 6 visited different offices to express their gratitude and present special posters they made for RCDS non-teaching employees. A beautiful moment of kindness and gratitude for those who work diligently behind the scenes to make Rye Country Day the wonderful place it is.

Fun Run

The rain did not stop our young Wildcats from completing a successful Fun Run to kick off Wildcat Weekend! This annual 1-mile run is the concluding event for the Can-Do Drive supporting the Carver Market in Port Chester.

Fall Fair

SENIOR GRATITUDE BREAKFAST

The senior class and the Parents Association coordinated a gratitude breakfast for all employees in November. In addition to delicious food, the event featured a slideshow of special notes of gratitude from seniors to each and every employee at the School!

Organized by the Upper School Clubs, the Fall Fair featured bounce houses, carnival games, arts and crafts, food, and entertainment.

Varsity Games

The five Varsity teams of Volleyball, Boys’ Soccer, Girls’ Soccer, Field Hockey, and Football were victorious on Wildcat Weekend!

Go, Wildcats!!!

GRADE 5 VISITS MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE

To deepen their reading of the historical-fiction novel Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, fifth-grade students visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust in New York City. The exhibit “Courage to Act: Rescue in Denmark” underscored the themes and narratives in the book–Number the Stars tells the tale of a Jewish family escaping persecution in Copenhagen during World War II. Participating in the exhibit’s immersive story-based DESTINATION … LEARNING! experience gave students a unique opportunity to engage more Third graders visited Beczak Environmental deeply with the historical events in the book. Learning about the Education Center in Yonkers to learn more Jews in Denmark during World War II and the Danes who joined about the Hudson River’s geography and the movement to resist the Nazis, students observed themes of the effect of its tidal system on separation, bravery, and resilience and reflected on the dangers of surrounding lands. prejudice and silence. A main takeaway for the students was the importance of being compassionate and courageous upstanders Fourth graders enjoyed a visit to Teatown and champions for human rights.

DIP INTO THE

DIVISIONS

Lake Reservation in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, to learn more about the culture of the Lenape tribe.

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

In the Wildcats Around The World lunch-and-learn series, Upper School students share their global insights with their peers. In the fall, the luncheons covered students’ experiences traveling to Iceland, Texas, and New Mexico last summer; students’ Latine heritage; and students’ immersive language learning during travels to China, France, and Mexico. These events offer reflective opportunities to discuss the importance of global learning.

Interdisciplinary Learning on Parade

AI IN MS

Grade 8 students in Honors Algebra I experimented with artificial intelligence to examine its pros and cons. After using ChatGPT to create a practice test on factoring polynomials, students observed that it was unable to create a test that met their level of skill. They discussed ways to adjust the prompt and add more detail to generate a more challenging test. The lesson was an interesting example of the interaction between artificial intelligence and human users.

Third graders enjoyed interdisciplinary, hands-on learning in preparation for the Lower School Gratitude and Kindness Parade. In science class, students used the engineering design process to develop ideas for the floats, which they brought to life in art class. Then students learned about electric circuits, since each float featured unique lighting. In computer science class, the third graders learned how to construct and program robots, which they coded to carry the floats. The robots followed the parade route in the Main Building, which was marked with tape throughout the corridor between the Computer Room and the Kindergarten classrooms. As each float processed atop the student-constructed robots, third-grade engineers diligently observed their performance to make sure the event was a success. At certain points in the route, the robots’ sensors triggered the playing of a song or vocal recording that reflects the benefits of gratitude or acts of kindness (food abundance, sustainability, sportsmanship, etc.). It was a beautiful community moment, representing the power of kindness, as well as interdisciplinary project-based learning.

DEBATE TOURNAMENT

In November, the US Debate Team co-sponsored its first tournament on campus, in partnership with the New York Parliamentary Debate League. Debate Team co-captains David Colin ’24 and Isabel Tiburcio ’24 led the efforts to welcome 138 debaters from nine different independent and public schools from across Westchester, Fairfield, and New York City.

MODEL UN CONFERENCE

The Model UN Club participated in King School’s Model UN Conference, representing Australia, Iran, and Argentina. Debate topics at the conference included cybersecurity, the war in Ukraine, and an ad hoc crisis committee for advanced delegates. Jordanne Alexander ’24 and Zara Khemlani ’27 were awarded Honorable Mention for their diplomatic efforts representing Australia.

Community Celebrations

During the fall, RCDS marked Latine Heritage Month and Native American Heritage Month, learning about and honoring the traditions, cultures, and contributions of Hispanic Americans and Indigenous peoples respectively. The AAPI Club and Students of Color (SOC) mentoring group celebrated Diwali with rangoli drawing activities. Jewish Community Circle, the Upper School Jewish affinity group, held an allschool Hanukkah celebration.

TELESCOPE TRAINING

DNA Learning Computational Biology students visited the DNA Learning Center at Regeneron where they learned to isolate and sequence mitochondrial DNA. They later analyzed the results at school using NIH (National Institutes of Health) DNA databases and their own original Python programs.

The analysis provided insights that students can bring to discussions about the evolution of modern humans as compared to other species.

CELEBRATING ART & CULTURE

As part of the Alan L. And Jacqueline B. Stuart Concert Series in Memory of Priscilla M. Liebman, RCDS welcomed the East Harlem-based performing ensemble Los Pleneros de la 21, which specializes in Afro-Puerto Rican Bomba and Plena music and dance. Students in all divisions learned about the traditions of Bomba and Plena and gained an understanding of the social and historical impacts of the Puerto Rican Diaspora in East Harlem and beyond.

WIND-POWERED CARS

In science class, sixth graders were tasked with researching and designing a blueprint for a wind-powered car. With their blueprints in hand, the Middle School engineers visited the Makerspace to create their models, while adhering to the designated size and weight requirements. Students then tested their cars to see which one could travel the farthest.

The final step of the assignment was to present their engineering design process to the class.

Rick Bria, Vice President of the Astronomical Society of Greenwich and telescope specialist, visited Upper Schoolers in the Young Physicists Tournament (YPT) class to teach them how to use the Orion SkyQuest XT8 Classic Dobsonian Telescope. The telescope will be used by the RCDS YPT team in preparation for the 2024 tournament, which will be held in February at North Carolina State University at Raleigh. The YPT problem requiring use of this telescope is titled “The Surface of the Moon” and asks students to image the moon using standard equipment, and make a three-dimensional map of its surface.

The telescope will also be available to other members of the RCDS community.

HIGHER ED EXPERT JEFF SELINGO VISITS RCDS On November 29, Rye Country Day School and Rye High School partnered to organize a special evening with renowned higher education expert and author Jeff Selingo. RCDS hosted the event in the PAC, with a full house of parents, guardians, and students from RCDS and Rye High. It was an enlightening evening full of practical advice on the college process and helpful information about higher education admissions trends.

FILM AND MUSIC IN NYC

In October, students in Honors Filmmaking and Advanced Topics in Video, as well as select Drama students, participated in the All-American High School Film Invitational. The students wrote a screenplay titled What We Don’t Know About the Future, a comedy about finding luck, and filmed it in Manhattan. In November, the WildScats once again sang the National Anthem at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn at the first game of the Legends Classic college basketball tournament.

CAN-DO DRIVE

The Public Purpose program and P.E. department teamed up again to coordinate the annual Can-Do Drive supporting the Carver Market, the food pantry at the Carver Center in Port Chester. As part of the drive, Lower Schoolers learned all about the Carver Market’s work to alleviate food insecurity, and they used their voices to promote participation in this long-standing community effort. In P.E. class, students created signs to rally the RCDS community to donate canned goods to stock the Carver Market’s shelves. After the drive culminated at the Wildcat Weekend Fun Run, our Lower School “seniors,” the fourth graders, packed up over 100 bags of cans, pasta, cereal, rice, and other food items for delivery to the Carver Center.

ARTS

US PHOTO EXHIBITION The US Photography Exhibition featured the work of students in AP Photography, Photo I, Photo II, Photo III, and Advanced Topics in Photography classes.

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

MS/US CHORAL & INSTRUMENTAL CONCERTS

LS/MS ART SHOW In December, paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and mixed media projects from Lower and Middle School students were on display in the Main Building and the Cohen Center for the Creative Arts. An inspiring collection!

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

CHOREOGRAPHY SHOWCASE The Winter Dance Choreography Showcase in December featured Upper School dancers and the Cedar Street Dance Company.

ATHLETICS

ATHLETICS SPIRIT AWARD • Dorel Dunkley ’25

BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY • FAA All-League First Team: Jack de Haan ’24 • FAA All-League Second Team: Esaias Gonzalez ’25 • NYSAIS Individual Qualifier for the NYS Federation Championship: Jack de Haan ’24 • Coaches Award: Varun Kolluri ’24 • Wildcat Award: Jack de Haan ’24 • 2024 Captains: Miles Dinger ’26, Esaias Gonzalez ’25, Luke Stronski ’25 GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY • FAA All-League First Team: Cleo Saltz ’24 • Coaches Award: Lauren Slovin ’25 • Wildcat Award: Cleo Saltz ’24 • 2024 Captains: Taeko Fueno ’25, Lauren Slovin ’25, Selena Zhang ’26 FIELD HOCKEY • 2023 NYSAIS Champions

• All-NEPSAC: Natalia Kochut ’24 • All-NEPSAC Honorable Mention: Grace Allen ’24 • WNEPSFHA All-Star: Julia Heintz ’25, Clare Keating ’26 • Coaches Award: Grace Allen ’24 • Wildcat Award: Natalia Kochut ’24 • Westchester/Putnam Field Hockey AllStar Honorable Mention: Natalia Kochut’24 • 2024 Captains: Dorel Dunkley ’25, Julia Heintz ’25, Clare Keating ’26 FOOTBALL • 2023 MIFL Champions • MIFL All-League First Team: Cole Denson ’24, Amir Hogans ’26, Blake James ’25, Patrick Leonard ’24, Trey Stevens ’24, Luca Strazzini ’24 • MIFL All-League Second Team: Buck Coquillette ’24, Nick Vlasto ’24 • Coaches Award: Trey Stevens ’24 • Wildcat Award: Cole Denson ’24 • Westchester/Putnam Football All-Star First Team: Cole Denson ’24 • Westchester/Putnam Football All-Star

US FALL PLAY: 1984

“We are so proud of the cast and crew of 1984. From the meticulous staging to the powerful acting, the students created a deeply evocative experience and brought Orwell’s important, thought-provoking themes to life. This production serves as a testament to the fact that art does more than just entertain; it educates, inspires, and ignites productive conversation.”

— Jeff Hogan, US Drama Teacher

FALL SPORTS AWARDS

Congratulations to the RCDS Wildcats on an incredible fall season!

Second Team: Trey Stevens ’24 • Westchester/Putnam Football All-Star Honorable Mention: Patrick Leonard ’24 • 2024 Captains: Blake James ’25, Colin Lauri ’25, Zander Stempel ’25 BOYS’ SOCCER • FAA All-League First Team: Jonah Gurion ’24 • FAA All-League Second Team: Luis Gutierrez ’25 • FAA Honorable Mention: Max Garcia-Tunon ’24 • WNEPSA All-Star: Jonah Gurion ’24, Sameer Hirani ’24 • NEPSAC All-Star: Jonah Gurion ’24, Sameer Hirani ’24 • Coaches Award: Sameer Hirani ’24 • Wildcat Award: Jonah Gurion ’24 • 2024 Captains: Alex Gurion ’26, Luis Gutierrez ’25, Matt Jachman ’25, Chris Yepes ’25

VOLLEYBALL EXTRAVAGANZA In September, RCDS students in K-Gr. 4 participated in a Volleyball Clinic hosted by the Volleyball team and their Head Coach, Alexi Donnelly. The event included practicing skills and drills, pizza with family, and cheering on the Varsity Volleyball team in its victorious match against Sacred Heart NYC.

GIRLS’ SOCCER • FAA All-League First Team: Lily Smith ’25, Caro Stronski ’27 • FAA All-League Second Team: Romi Schreiber ’24 • FAA Honorable Mention: Liz Kavanagh ’24 • WNEPSA All-Star: Romi Schreiber ’24, Lily Smith ’25 • Coaches Award: Romi Schreiber ’24 • Wildcat Award: Lily Smith ’25 • 2024 Captains: Mary Grace Eubanks ’25, Lily Smith ’25 VARSITY VOLLEYBALL • FAA All-League Second Team: Cate Tucker ’24 • FAA Honorable Mention: Madison Haft-Abromovitch ’24 • NEPSAC All-Star Honorable Mention: Autumn Tombline ’25 • Coaches Award: Autumn Tombline ’25 • Wildcat Award: Gabriela Schlumberger ’25 • 2024 Captains: Gabriela Schlumberger ’25, Autumn Tombline ’25

Field Hockey Fun Day In October, the Field Hockey program held their annual Fun Day, in which Grs. 5-12 players practiced in a fun and collaborative environment. A variety of drills were led by the US athletes and Coaches Georgette Summers, Clemmie Everett, Pam Farber, Nicola Clarkson, and Elani Landman. A post-practice pizza party followed.

ALUMNI NEWS NEW ALUMNI EXECUTIVE BOARD LEADERSHIP

In the fall, RCDS announced Nicole Jackson Fanjul ’02, P’33 as the next President of the Alumni Executive Board (AEB). Nicole is a proud RCDS graduate alongside her brother Paul ’00 and her sister Vanessa ’05. She is continuing her family’s RCDS legacy as a Lower School parent. Describing her belief in the value of alumni engagement, Nicole shares, “Rye Country Day is a school filled with people who go on to do incredible things. Our alumni network is absolutely amazing and offers tremendous value to everyone who gets involved. It’s an ongoing benefit to every student and graduate.” Special thanks to former AEB President Scott Weiss ’96 for his dedicated leadership for the past six years (and overall 12 years on the AEB).

Annie Grayer ’13 was featured in this year’s Forbes 30 under 30. Annie is a Capitol Hill reporter at CNN. After graduating from RCDS, Annie attended Middlebury College.

REUNION 2023

A highlight of Wildcat Weekend was welcoming alumni back to campus.

HALL OF FAME RECEPTION On Friday, October 13, alumni, colleagues, family, and friends gathered to recognize six new inductees. The ceremony was an incredibly moving demonstration of excellence within the RCDS community and the caring relationships that make the RCDS network a lifelong, adoring family.

• Brent Forester ’84 (W. Lee Pierson Distinguished Alumni Award) • Vanessa Kroll Bennett ’94 (Academic/Professional Achievement Award) • Taylor Washington ’11 (R. Adrian Walters III ‘91 Memorial Athletic Award)

GOLDEN ALUMNI DINNER On Saturday, October 14, the Class of 1973 gathered in the Klingenstein Library to celebrate their 50th reunion. A few classmates even joined via Zoom. The celebration later moved to the MS/US Dining room for dinner and music with Larry King ’73 of the Larry King Trio.

REUNION COCKTAIL RECEPTION On Saturday, October 14, alumni with class years ending in 3 and 8 gathered in the PAC Foyer to catch up, make new connections, and celebrate shared RCDS bonds. Former faculty also joined the festivities.

CHAMPIONS! FIELD HOCKEY WINS 13TH NYSAIS CHAMPIONSHIP On November 3, the Varsity Field Hockey team captured the program’s 13th NYSAIS Championship title, defeating Hackley, 2-0, at SUNY Purchase. It was an exciting conclusion to the team’s strong season under the guidance of Head Coach Georgette Summers and Assistant Coaches Clemmie Everett and Pam Farber. The win marks the sixth consecutive and 13th overall NYSAIS championship for the Field Hockey team.

FOOTBALL WINS 2023 MIFL CHAMPIONSHIP On November 10, the Varsity Football team won the 2023 MIFL Championship, after defeating Poly Prep, 38-6, at SUNY Purchase.

It was a thrilling end to a tremendous season under the leadership of Head Coach John Calandros and Assistant Coaches Rich Knazik, George Lambrecht, Charles Ogbonna, and Troy Thomas.

Cleo Saltz, Jack de Haan, and Esaias Gonzalez

• Mira Riad ’96 (Service Award) • Margo Otis (Special Award) • Harriet Rofman H’02 (Special Award)

IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES 2023 Cross Country NYSAIS Championship • Jack de Haan ’24 finished his meet in 8th place (17:28.3). This is the fastest RCDS time for a 5K race at Van Cortlandt since 2010 when Brandyn Dougan ’11 ran a time of 17:42.07. Jack represented RCDS at the NYS Federation Championship. Cleo Saltz ’24 finished her meet in 20th place (21:24.3).

2023 Cross Country FAA League Championship • Jack de Haan ’24 finished in 4th place for the boys’ team (17:05.3), earning FAA All-League First Team honors. Cleo Saltz ’24 finished in 7th place for the girls’ team (20:48.1), earning FAA All- League First Team honors. Esaias Gonzalez ’25 finished in 19th place for the boys’ team (18:18.7), earning FAA All-League Second Team honors.

Adi Vyas ’24 signed his National Letter of Intent (NLI) to play Division I Tennis, surrounded by family, friends, and members of the RCDS community. Adi will play tennis at Wake Forest University in WinstonSalem, North Carolina.

CON EDISON ATHLETE OF THE WEEK On November 15, Cole Denson ’24 was selected as the recipient of the Con Edison Westchester Scholastic Sports Award Athlete of the Week after an outstanding performance in the 2023 MIFL Championship. In Rye Country Day’s 38-6 victory over Poly Prep, Cole rushed for 207 yards and 4 touchdowns on 20 carries, totaled 227 all-purpose yards, and forced a fumble on defense. As a captain during his senioryear campaign, Cole had 144 rushes for 1,118 yards, 8 receptions for 118 yards, and 25 yards on punt returns for a total of 1,261 all-purpose yards. Cole was also nominated for Lohud Football Player of the Week on four separate occasions.

WE DID IT–THANK YOU!

CONGRATS Melody W. ’28 received an individual award in the Carnegie Mellon Women’s Mathematics Competition (CMWMC).

Her team also tied for fourth place in the tournament.

Alyssa Chu ’25 placed eleventh in North America in the 2023 Advantage Testing Foundation/Jane Street Math Prize for Girls Contest at MIT. As a high scorer, Alyssa will be invited to compete in the Math Prize for Girls Olympiad later this year. The Jane Street Math Prize for Girls Contest is considered the largest math prize contest in the world for girls.

Illaria Liedtke ’27 was recognized by the literary publication F(r)iction for the poems she submitted to their Spring 2023 Writing Contest. Illaria was selected as a finalist in the poetry category for her poems “Autumn Hues of a Girl in Quiet Dissent” and “Wish it Was Us.” Six RCDS students earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate underrepresented students’ academic excellence by granting them honors that showcase their strong academic achievements to colleges and scholarship programs.

• Isabela Pierry ’25 National Hispanic Recognition Award • Aaden Johnson ’24 - National African American Recognition Award • Julia Heintz ’25 - National Hispanic Recognition Award • Adam Badillo ’24 - National Hispanic Recognition Award • Isabel Tiburcio ’24 - National Hispanic Recognition Award • Joaquin Gonzalez ’25 - National Hispanic Recognition Award

ANNUAL

GIVING CHALLENGE OCTOBER 18-19, 2023

PA Greetings & Gratitude What an outstanding start to the year for our community! Since September, parents and guardians have enjoyed many social gatherings, celebrated our student performers and athletes, volunteered at the Holiday Boutique & Book Fair, participated in the Lower School STEAM Fest, greeted students at dropoff, contributed to canned goods, book, and coat drives, and so much more!

A big thank you to everyone who has helped to plan and execute these successful events.

Sofia Castañeda ’24 and recent RCDS graduate Ben Mathias ’23 were named “Teens to Watch” in Stamford and Greenwich respectively.

Ten RCDS seniors were named Semifinalists in the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program: Rhodes Boester, Connor Davidson, Ronald Feng, Max Garcia-Tunon, Ayush Maini, Aidan McIntosh, Neil Noronha, Ethan Xiao, Andrew Zhang, and Jefferson Zhou. Across the nation, only one percent of high school students who take the PSAT qualify for this honor.

Additionally, 25 Rye Country Day School seniors were named Commended Students based on their results. They are: Grace Allen, Adam Badillo, Sofia Castañeda, Brynn Coady, David Colin, Jack de Haan, Cole Denson, Celine Fong, Jonah Gurion, Teddy Holtman, Aegus Kim, Alexa Kim, Mina Kim, Colin Kinsey, Samuel Kobi, Natalia Kochut, Stella Maymin, Katia Ohmacht, Sarah Rivas, Jane Saltz, Caroline Snell, Sydney Snell, Apolline Weinstein, Casey Wu, and Jordan Zhao. *Students who are in the RCDS Middle School at the time of publication are listed with their first name and last initial.

The RCDS Annual Giving Challenge raised $3.6 MILLION from 1,072 DONORS, unlocking $200,000 in challenge grants and SETTING NEW CHALLENGE RECORDS for both funds raised and participation!

This challenge was an inspiring example of being ALL IN, as our entire community rallied to achieve extraordinary results! View donor scrolls and leaderboards at ryecountryday.org/challenge.

Haven’t made your 2023-24 Annual Fund gift?

Visit ryecountryday.org/give

We are looking forward to the second half of the year, including the return of the RCDS Benefit! Come “Grow with Us” on April 20 at Westchester Country Club, where we will celebrate Rye Country Day’s strong foundation while raising funds to help our community continue to flourish for years to come. There are MANY ways for our community to get involved, including underwriting and donating auction items.

Want to help? Reach out at benefit@ryecountryday.org.

Thank you!

HIGH MARKS FOR RCDS!

Niche, a leading resource for researching K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and graduate programs, has again given RCDS an A+ rating.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY •# 1 Best Private K-12 School (fifth consecutive year) • #1 Best High School for STEM •#1 Best Private High School NEW YORK STATE • #11 Best College Prep Private High School • #12 Best Private K-12 School

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