The Rumson Country Day School Annual Donor Report 2014-2015
Dear Rumson Country Day Family, We are gifted at RCDS with an amazing array of support from trustees, parents, grandparents, and alumni families in our community. As I look through the pages of this Annual Donor Report, I am so impressed that so many people give so much time and positive energy to so many community activities. From Parent Council participation to committee volunteers, from alumni giving to trustee leadership, from student service projects to faculty recognition, the RCDS family clearly sends our students a message of warmth, generosity, civic awareness, and community engagement. I am honored to follow in the footsteps of my predecessor, Chad Small. His legacy remains visible throughout campus and I am proud to further his resolve in always making sure that students come first. Students in the graduating classes of 2015 and beyond will continue to be celebrated for their unique character and spirit. This was an incredible – and whirlwind! – first year for me, and simultaneously, it was a final year for five faculty legends at Rumson Country Day. Jayne S. Carmody, Pat Figarola, Cheryl & Jeff Garside and Arlene Mansfield retired this year after a collective 170 years of service to RCDS. I consider myself lucky to have shared even a single year with these individuals and I wish them nothing but joy in the next chapters of their lives. Thanks to your financial generosity and participation, I am proud to report that we achieved our dual Annual Giving goals of raising at least $550,000 (we raised $580, 605!) and receiving support from 80% of our parent body. Contributing to Annual Giving – at a level meaningful to you and your family – is a wonderful way to cast your vote for RCDS and to provide critical additional funding necessary to keep our school performing at a high level of excellence. My deep appreciation goes to Trip Wolfe ’90, Chair of the Institutional Advancement-Development Committee; Kim Tsimbinos, Chair of Parents’ Annual Giving; Kristi Evans and Greg Melconian, Co-Chairs of Parents’ Annual Giving; and the more than two dozen parent volunteers who made these wonderful results possible. Finally, I simply must thank two outgoing volunteer leaders at Rumson Country Day. Jennifer Steiner Crowell ’88, the outgoing Parent Council President, served on the Executive Committee of Parent Council for five years, including three as President, and also served on the Search Committee that brought me here as Head of School. From day one, I have been impressed not only by Jen’s unparalleled dedication to RCDS, but also her innate ability to have a finger on the pulse of everyone in the parent community and to represent and relay each interest and need of our parent body, both graciously and kindly. Jen has turned her Presidential role over to the very capable and enthusiastic Nikki Alpert. I very much look forward to working with Nikki in the coming year. Also, Shawn Reynolds stepped down this summer as President of the Board of Trustees, after four years in that role, five years on the Executive Committee of the Board, seven years as a Trustee and 18 years as a 1
parent at Rumson Country Day. Shawn was instrumental in my transition to become RCDS’ seventh Head of School. I am grateful for his leadership and guidance throughout my first year here at the helm. Shawn truly embodies Rumson Country Day’s four qualities of character; he is kind, honest, responsible and respectful. I thank him for leading by example and I wish him all the best as he transitions to his new role as an RCDS past parent! I likewise am enjoying a productive year with John H. Devlin, Jr. ’83 who has assumed the role as President of the Board of Trustees. At RCDS, we teach our children at a very young age that generosity is a meaningful, lifelong experience. Thank you all for the ways you model success for our children. Thank you all for your generosity! Sincerely, Whitney C. Slade Head of School
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Class of 2015 8th Gra The Rumson Country Day School (RCDS) Class of 2015 celebrated its Eighth Grade Commencement on June 5. Fifty-four boys and girls processed onto the girls’ field hockey field for the graduation ceremony, with their families, friends, teachers, fellow students, and administrators present and proud. For the first time, an eighth grade speaker was included in the graduation program; Hannah Reynolds ’15 was selected by Upper School faculty to make remarks at Commencement. As a surprise to the eighth graders, this year’s commencement address was delivered by beloved Upper School science teacher Mr. Jeffrey Garside, who retired after 43 years of service to RCDS.
“We will always be a family and this will always be your home.” -Suzy Post
Past Parent, former Director of Admissions & newly reinstated Board member
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ade Commencement After Mr. Garside’s remarks, Head of School Whitney Slade presented several special awards: The Athletic Department Award, which is awarded to graduating athletes who best exemplify the qualities of athleticism, participation, spirit, and sportsmanship, was presented to Campbell Devlin and Michael Page. The Joseph N. Dempsey, Jr. Award is given in memory of Jody Dempsey by his family and selected by the Performing Arts Department for expertise in performing arts. This year, the recipient was Abigail Devine. Formerly known as the Headmaster’s Award, The Blake Award is named for Edgar Bond Blake who served The Rumson Country Day School for 40 years, 20 of them as the school’s Headmaster. The prestigious award that acknowledges a student who exhibits exemplary service to the school was presented to Ana Claire Piacentini.
“ We are not a class, we are a family.” -Hannah Reynolds ’15
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The Swede Joseph Chevalier Memorial Award was presented to Elias Economou for his display of kindness and humility toward fellow students, devotion to growth and originality, and perseverance to goals. This award, presented annually by his mother Elaine, is given in memory of Swede Chevalier ’91 who died on 9/11. Each year, the Class of 1973 bestows the Theodore K. Reiss Memorial Award in memory of Ted Reiss ’73. The Reiss Award is presented to a member of the graduating class who has shown the most outstanding qualities of good sportsmanship, not only on the athletic field, but in all phases of school life. This year, the award was presented to Tommy Tsimbinos. Two graduating students are recognized every year for their outstanding academic achievement in the Upper School over the last three years. Lauren Marcolus received the Highest Scholarship Award and Abigail Devine was presented with the Second Highest Scholarship Award.
“I am proud of the members of the Class of 2015 for their success as scholars, athletes, performers and compassionate volunteers.” -Whitney Slade Head of School 5
To conclude the awards portion of the program, Retiring Board President Shawn Reynolds presented The Trustees’ Prize Award to Sally Thomas who has shown the most outstanding qualities of scholarship, sportsmanship, leadership and character. On behalf of his class, Teddy Balestro, President of the Class of 2015, presented a class gift to Mr. Slade, furthering a tradition begun decades ago at RCDS. This year, the eighth grade voted to upgrade water fountains throughout the school building. Funding for this gift was raised during the Eighth Grade Carnival held in September 2014. After the presentation of diplomas, outgoing President of the Board and parent Shawn Reynolds and his wife, Christine, delivered the benediction, reading from a poem written by the late Mr. Richard Shanley, a beloved former faculty member. He also borrowed words from Ralph Waldo Emerson, wishing the Class of 2015 “to laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!”
RCDS Class of 2015 have entered the following secondary schools:
“I give you permission to fail, but make sure you learn something from it.” “You are the spirit of The Rumson Country Day School.” -Jeff Garside Science Department Chair
Blair Academy(2) Christian Brothers Academy (2) Communications High School Deerfield Academy Eaglebrook School Freehold Learning Center High Technology High School The Lawrenceville School (2) Middletown South High School Millbrook School Millburn High School Peddie School (2) Phillips Academy - Andover Proctor Academy Ranney School (2) Red Bank Catholic High School (2) Red Bank Regional High School (3) Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (19) St. Catherine’s School Shore Regional High School Stuyvesant High School The Taft School (3) Trinity Hall (2) Westminster School 6
2014-2015 B Dear Friends, Last year was an historic year as we welcomed our seventh Head of School, Whitney Slade, to The Rumson Country Day School. It was exciting to witness the melding of Whitney Slade’s new leadership with the strong traditions and culture at RCDS that we all hold dear. This combination of new ideas and time-honored traditions resulted in a stronger and more unified School, as we strove to innovate and excel while remaining true to our core values of being Kind, Honest, Responsible, and Respectful. As you know, Annual Giving is the single-most impactful fundraising effort at the Rumson Country Day School and last year’s results demonstrate that the support for our School is strong and wide spread among our broad Rumson Country Day Community. Last year’s Annual Giving goal of $550,000 was exceeded with a total of $580,605 raised, thanks to the generosity of our students, parents, trustees, alumni, grandparents, and friends. I am especially grateful to the 80% of parents who showed their continued support for RCDS by making a donation to Annual Giving. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve as the President of The Rumson Country Day School Board of Trustees for the last four years. I am grateful for the opportunity to have guided the Board of Trustees as it worked tirelessly with the Administration and Faculty to fulfill the mission of The Rumson Country Day School. I would also like to thank each of you for your past, present, and future assistance in successfully ensuring a strong and fiscally sound future for the Rumson Country Day School.
VITAE DISCE, Shawn Reynolds President, RCDS Board of Trustees 2011 - 2015
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Board of Trustees 2014-2015 Board of Trustees Shawn Reynolds, President Steven M. Scopellite, Vice President Danielle Devine Greene ’79, Vice President Jane Orr, Secretary John H. Devlin, Jr. ’83, Treasurer Charles D. Ryan, Assistant Treasurer Michael Bruno Jeffrey Cruz Kristi Evans Victoria Gmelich John Ketterer III Susan Kyrillos Greg Melconian Jennifer Hurtt Mullins ’85 Stephen Padovano James Reid Mark Stewart Denise Thomas Kim Tsimbinos Howard D. Wolfe III ’90
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Celebrating 170
The Retirement of Jayne S. Carmody, Pat Figarola, Cher
On June 2, 2015, nearly 300 RCDS community members gathered together at Rumson Country Club Riverhouse to extend a fond farewell and best wishes to some of Rumson Country Day’s longest serving and most beloved faculty members. Guests ranged from current parents, Board members and faculty to alumni, past parents, past faculty members and former trustees, signifying the breadth of lives touched by these teachers.
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0 Years of Service
Five RCDS Legends: ryl & Jeff Garside, and Arlene Mansfield
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A Day In The
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Life at RCDS
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Responsible
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From The Pare Dear Friends, Last year was an exciting time to be a part of the RCDS Community! Parent Council was proud to participate in so many fun, exciting and noteworthy events, many of which welcomed and celebrated the inaugural year of our Head of School, Whitney Slade. Parent Council is an organization made up of every single RCDS parent and each year the Parent Council Executive Committee oversees 20 different committees. Behind each event and committee is a tireless workforce of volunteers, who give everything while expecting nothing in return, all with the common goal of helping our school provide our children the best educational experience possible. As always, I am in awe of the dedication, kindness, and generosity of our parent community and it is because of all of you that Parent Council was able to accomplish so much for our school this year. Because of the unwavering volunteer efforts and support of all our parents, Parent Council was able to generate proceeds of approximately $230,000 for our school and our children during the 20142015 school year. Special thanks to Gator Bash Chair Maryann Baret, Co-Chair Karen Puma, and all of the Gator Bash Committee Members. Due to their efforts, and the generous support of our parents, Gator Bash - Parent Council’s largest fund and “friend-raiser” - raised approximately $140,000 for our school. Parent Council is proud to have made such a large contribution to the enhancement of our children’s educational experience. Specifically, Parent Council is proud to help fund several significant upgrades to our campus, including the refurbishment of our auditorium. In addition, our efforts have contributed to network upgrades that will help support our security enhancements both on the main campus and at the Early Childhood Education Center at 101 Ridge Road. This past year, Parent Council has also continued its tradition of making a significant donation to RCDS Financial Aid from our annual “Whale of a Rummage Sale.” Thank you to Rummage Chair Jennifer Hurtt Mullins ‘85 and Co-Chairs Nellie Harmon and Nancy Mazzei for their tremendous efforts and also to every single RCDS family who volunteered their time to help sort and sell much needed goods to families in our surrounding communities. This year the combined efforts of all our families at the Rummage Sale raised approximately $76,000 in proceeds for Financial Aid. Also due to the incredible generosity of our parent body, Parent Council funded another approximate $66,000 in programs, events and initiatives for our children and community this past year, including Family Field Day, the Welcome Cocktail Parties, the Lower School Halloween Party, the Gator Gift Fund, donations to the RCDS Library and multiple speakers and programs for all of our children. As I turn over the Parent Council presidency to the incredibly capable hands of Nikki Alpert, let me say that it has been an honor and a privilege to serve as your Parent Council President for the last three years and I look forward to continuing to serve our wonderful School community as a member of the Board of Trustees. Fondly, Jennifer Steiner Crowell ’88 Parent Council President 2012-2015 15
ent Council President
2014-15 Executive Committee
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Jennifer Steiner Crowell ’88 – President Nikki Alpert – Vice President Karen Piacentini – Secretary Kristen Masserio – Treasurer Laura Whisnand – Assistant Treasurer Karin Devlin - Primary School Liaison Donna Gibson - Lower School Liaison Kelly Atanacio - Upper School Liaison 16
2014-2015 To The Rumson Country Day School Community,
The Rumson Country Day School operates within a sound financial structure. The Board of T ensure the School’s fiscal health and long-term prosperity. On behalf of our School communi Michael J. Mannino Director of Finance and Operations
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Financials
Trustees and the Finance Committee are judicious in their budget goverance, continuing to ity, many thanks to all.
Annual Giving Parent Participation, by Grade 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10
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Annual Giving Participation, by Constituency 100.0% 90.0% 80.0% 70.0% 60.0% 50.0% RCDS
40.0%
NAIS* Median Elementary School 2013-‐14
30.0% 20.0% 10.0%
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*National Association of Independent Schools, Data and Analysis for School Leadership (DASL) 2013-2014
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Annual Report of Leadership Benefactors A Leadership Gift is an outright gift of cash or securities (for which no benefit to the donor is received) in the amount of $1,500 or more to Annual Giving, school programs, facilities, financial aid, endowment or other ongoing projects.
1926 Award Donors (Gifts of $10,000 & above)
4 Anonymous Donors The Black-Brogan Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John H. Devlin, Jr. h ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Justin G. Gmelich Mr. and Mrs. John G. Ketterer III Mr. and Mrs. Drew Loughlin Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Mullins IV w ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Orr Mr. and Mrs. Timothy W. Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Ryan Mr. and Mrs. Steven M. Scopellite Mr. and Mrs. John Vibert *
Headmasters’ Circle Donors (Gifts of $5,000 - $9,999)
Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Alexander S. Baret Mr. and Mrs. John Bonello ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Colin Bradley Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Carton h ’85 * Mr. and Mrs. David P. Devlin h ’85 * Mr. and Mrs. Chester F. English III Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Hackett * Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Harmon Mr. and Mrs. Vasili Krishnamurti Mr. and Mrs. John H. Leibee Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lynch Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Melconian Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morris Mr. and Mrs. Steve Page * Mr. and Mrs. James W. Reid Mr. and Mrs. Stephen W. Reinhard * Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Reynolds Mrs. Margaret S. Riker Mr. and Mrs. Toros Sahakian Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Skove Mr. and Mrs. Jesse W. Spector h ’95 Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Stumberger Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Sykes, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Frederic W. Thomas, Jr. 19
Dr. and Mrs. David S. Tierney Mr. and Mrs. Steven Tsimbinos Ms. Patricia Whittemore Mr. and Mrs. Howard DeGraff Wolfe III h ’90 Mr. and Mrs. Ted K. Yarbrough
Scholars’ Society Donors (Gifts of $2,500 - $4,999)
Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Charles Alpert Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Cerussi Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Cruz Mr. and Mrs. Don W. Cummings * Mr. and Mrs. Dennis S. Devine w ‘89 h ’90 Mr. and Mrs. J. Hugh Devlin Mr. and Mrs. Jon Eckert Mr. Andoni Economou Mrs. Susan Economou Dr. and Mrs. Aaron Feiler, D.D.S. h ’87 Mr. and Mrs. Larsen H. Flinn h ’79 * Mr. and Mrs. Gregory R. Greene w ’79 Mr. and Mrs. Sean S. Hickey * Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jarck Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Lambert h ’42 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Lord III * Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lynch, Jr. h ’86 Mr. and Mrs. James Masserio Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Mitsch * Mr. and Mrs. David R. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Gary Oakley Mr. and Mrs. Matthew O’Neil Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Padovano Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Piacentini Mr. and Mrs. Peter E. Ricker Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Romanowski Drs. Forrest & Lisa Rubenstein Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Rubin Dr. Alan Schechter & Dr. Lisa Silbret Dr. and Mrs. Carl J. Senft Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Simon Mr. and Mrs. J. Robert Small Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Sullivan Mr. Eric Wachtel & Dr. Heather McMullen * Denotes matching gifts
Donors 2014-2015 Mr. and Mrs. Todd Whitenack
Green & White Club (Gifts of $1,500 - $2,499)
Ms. Joanne Barker ’72 Mr. and Mrs. David Bedoya Dr. and Mrs. Bruce P. Bilow Mr. and Mrs. Francis S. Branin, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Bruno Mr. Frederick K. Burt ’58 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Cady Mr. and Mrs. Scott A. Carmilani Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Carnesale III Mrs. Fred Carroll Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Carton IV Mr. and Mrs. Martin Chavez Mr. Javier Cook & Ms. Mediatrix Rabo Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Crowell w ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Scott P. Elsas Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fallacara Mr. and Mrs. Eli S. Feldman Mr. and Mrs. Chris R. Gibson Nora Maureen King ’94 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. h ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Ted Lacey Mr. and Mrs. Regis B. Lippert Mr. and Mrs. David Long Mr. and Mrs. Mark Maroney Dr. and Mrs. Mark G. Martens Mr. and Mrs. Marino Mazzei Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Mercer, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Milkowski Mr. and Mrs. James P. O’Mealia h ’73 Mr. and Mrs. Corey Popham Mr. and Mrs. R. Willis Post Mr. and Mrs. James J. Powers, Jr. h ’81 Reaching New Horizons Mr. and Mrs. Chester E. Romano Jr. Ms. Anne Marie Schultz * Mr. and Mrs. Dennis T. Scurletis Mrs. Danielle Sherwood & Mr. Scott Schultz Mr. and Mrs. Whitney C. Slade Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence M. Stankovits Mr. and Mrs. James A. Wilson
* Denotes matching gifts
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Current 22 Anonymous Donors Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Abebreseh Ms. Sarah Ahmadi & Mr. Steve Aronne Mr. and Mrs. Charles Alpert Mr. and Mrs. Scott Anderson Mr. Jeff Antoon Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Argilagos Dr. and Mrs. Russell Ashinoff Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Atanacio Mr. and Mrs. Alexander S. Baret Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Bazant Mr. and Mrs. David Bedoya Mr. and Mrs. Caspar Bentinck Mr. and Mrs. Jason Bilanin Dr. and Mrs. Bruce P. Bilow Mr. and Mrs. P. Douglas Bird Mr. and Mrs. John Bonello Mr. and Mrs. Colin Bradley Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Brennan Mr. Patrick Brogan & Ms. Tricia Black Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Bruno Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Cady Ms. Maria Caputo Mr. and Mrs. Scott A. Carmilani Mr. and Mrs. Peter L. Carnesale III Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Carroll Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Carton h ’85* Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence A. Carton IV Mr. and Mrs. Adam Cavise
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Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Cerussi Mr. and Mrs. Martin Chavez Mr. and Mrs. Jay Clark Mr. and Mrs. Scott Clarke Mr. and Mrs. E. Theodore Coene Mrs. Elodie Coleman Mr. Leonard S. Coleman, Jr. Dr. George Constantinopoulos & Ms. Andrea Proia Mr. Javier Cook & Ms. Mediatrix Rabo Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Criscola Mr. and Mrs. Eugene F. Croddick II h ’93 Mr. and Mrs. John F. Croddick, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Crowell w ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Cruz Mr. and Mrs. Don W. Cummings* Mr. and Mrs. Robert DeMeulemeester Mr. and Mrs. Dennis S. Devine w ’89 h ’90 Mr. and Mrs. David P. Devlin h ’85* Mr. and Mrs. John H. Devlin, Jr. h ’83 Mr. and Mrs. William S. Dinger Mr. and Mrs. Domenic M. DiPiero III Mr. and Mrs. Derek Donohue Mr. and Mrs. Jon Eckert Mrs. Susan Economou Mr. Andoni Economou Mr. and Mrs. Scott P. Elsas Mr. and Mrs. Chester F. English III Ms. Kristi Evans Mr. and Mrs. Edgar R. Farrington, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Larsen H. Flinn h ’79* Mr. and Mrs. Steven Frankel Mr. and Mrs. Steven D. Friedman Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Fry Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Gardner Ms. Samilia Ghartey-Sam & Mr. Michael Sarin Mr. and Mrs. Chris R. Gibson Mr. and Mrs. William Gilbert Mr. and Mrs. Justin G. Gmelich Mr. and Mrs. Jason T. Goldberg Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gray Mr. and Mrs. Gregory R. Greene w ’79 Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Hackett* Mr. and Mrs. John L. Hall Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Harmon Mr. and Mrs. Sean S. Hickey* Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Hilfiker h ’79 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph I. Huesman Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jarck * Denotes matching gifts
Parents Mr. and Mrs. Glenn H. Jones Dr. and Mrs. Brian M. Katt Mr. and Mrs. Scott Kavanagh Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kaye h ’78 Mr. and Mrs. John G. Ketterer III Mr. and Mrs. Vasili Krishnamurti Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. h ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Ted Lacey Mr. and Mrs. Carl LaGrassa Mr. and Mrs. Scott Lander w ’82 Mr. and Mrs. Vandy Lee Mr. and Mrs. John H. Leibee Mr. and Mrs. Erminio J. Liotta Mr. and Mrs. David Long Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Lord III* Mr. and Mrs. Drew Loughlin Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Lu Mrs. Lisa Luckett Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lynch, Jr. h ’86 Dr. Federigo and Dr. Suzanne Magherini Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Maida Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Malia Mr. Richard Marcolus & Ms. Carolyn Campo
* Denotes matching gifts
Mr. and Mrs. Mark Maroney Mrs. Lori Marrone-Wrigley Dr. and Mrs. Mark G. Martens Mr. and Mrs. James Masserio Mr. and Mrs. Marino Mazzei Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. McCarren Mr. and Mrs. Joseph McChesney Mr. Matthew McDonagh & Ms. Patricia Lordi Ms. Karen McGinley & Mr. E. T. Brennan Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Melconian Dr. and Mrs. Marc S. Menkowitz Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Mishkin Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Mitsch* Mr. and Mrs. Mark Molyneaux Mr. and Mrs. Leopold Momplaisir Mr. and Mrs. David R. Moore Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morris Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Mullins IV w ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Philip D. Murphy Mr. Kevin S. Nicholas & Ms. Alyssa Deakin-Nicholas ’88 Ms Belinda Nti Mr. and Mrs. Matthew O’Neil Mr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Orr Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Padovano Mr. and Mrs. Steve Page* Mr. Armand Pastine & Mrs. Sadhvee Hansraj-Pastine Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Patton Dr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Perosi, M.D. Mr. and Mrs. Brian Petersen Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Piacentini Mr. and Mrs. Corey Popham Mr. and Mrs. James J. Powers, Jr. h ’81 22
Current Parents (cont.) Dr. and Mrs. Todd Prager Mr. and Mrs. Gary T. Puma Mr. and Mrs. Brian E. Raphalian Mr. and Mrs. James W. Reid Mr. and Mrs. Stephen W. Reinhard* Mr. and Mrs. Armando Reyes Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Reynolds Mr. and Mrs. Timothy W. Reynolds Ms. Alpha Reynolds-Lewis Mr. and Mrs. Peter E. Ricker Mr. and Mrs. Roy J. Rodrigues Mr. and Mrs. Chester E. Romano Jr. Drs. Forrest & Lisa Rubenstein Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Rubin Mr. and Mrs. Armins Rusis Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Ryan Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Sainato Mr. and Mrs. Robert Samuels Dr. Alan Schechter & Dr. Lisa Silbret Ms. Anne Marie Schultz* Mr. and Mrs. Steven M. Scopellite Dr. and Ms. Donald J. Seiler Dr. and Mrs. Carl J. Senft Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Sheftel Mrs. Danielle Sherwood & Mr. Scott Schultz Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Silbert Mr. and Mrs. Spencer Simon Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Skove Dr. and Mrs. Christopher Spagnuola Ms. Dorothy Spence Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence M. Stankovits Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Stepanski Mr. and Ms Anthony C. Stone h ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Stumberger Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Sullivan w ’95 Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Sullivan Mr. and Mrs. Edward Swikart III Mr. and Mrs. Al Tenuto Mr. and Mrs. Frederic W. Thomas Jr. Dr. and Mrs. David S. Tierney Mr. and Mrs. Louis E. Tilmont Mr. and Mrs. Steven Tsimbinos Mr. David Turkaly & Ms. Megan Gula Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Twining w ’83
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Ms. Dina S. Venero Mr. and Mrs. John Vibert* Mr. Louis Villano & Ms. Pamela Woodward-Villano Mr. Eric Wachtel & Dr. Heather McMullen Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Walker Mr. and Ms. Rob Wallace Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Weiss* Mr. and Mrs. Carter V. Whisnand h ’87 Mr. and Mrs. Todd Whitenack Ms. Patricia Whittemore Mr. and Mrs. Godfrey Wilson Mr. and Mrs. James A. Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Howard DeGraff Wolfe III ’90 Mr. and Mrs. Ted K. Yarbrough
* Denotes matching gifts
Current & Former Trustees Anonymous Mrs. Cordelia Penn Branin Mr. Francis S. Branin, Jr. Mr. Michael Bruno Mr. Peter J. Carton Mr. Joseph P. Clark Mrs. Lynda Cooper Mrs. Shelley A. Crowell ’67* Mr. Jeffrey Cruz Mrs. Denise B. Devine Mr. J. Hugh Devlin Mr. John H. Devlin, Jr. ’83 Ms. Kristi Evans Mr. Alfred L. Ferguson III ’50 Mrs. Victoria K. Gmelich Mrs. Shelley Gordon Mrs. Danielle Devine Greene ’79 Mr. Daniel L. Hertz, Jr. Mrs. Tabitha Huber Mr. Niels W. Johnsen Mr. John Ketterer Mrs. Susan D. Kyrillos Mr. John Lushefski Mr. Dennis P. Lynch Mrs. Alison Maloney Mr. Gregory Melconian Mr. Henry D. Mercer, Jr. Mrs. Kathleen Molyneaux Mrs. Jennifer Hurtt Mullins ’85
* Denotes matching gifts
Mrs. Tammy S. Murphy Mrs. Victoria Nebel Mr. James P. O’Mealia ’73 Mrs. Jane Orr Mr. Stephen Padovano Dr. Thomas S. Pearson Mrs. Suzanne Post Mr. James Reid Mr. Shawn Reynolds Mr. William Robertson IV Mr. Charles Ryan Mrs. Siran Sahakian Mr. Steven Scopellite Mrs. Danielle Sherwood Mrs. Lynn Spector Mr. William D. Spector Mr. Mark L. Stewart Mr. Gordon Sweely Mrs. Denise Thomas Mr. Joseph A. Torcivia Mrs. Kimberly Tsimbinos Mr. R. Van Arsdel Whisnand Mrs. Deane Wolfe ’56 Mr. Howard DeGraff Wolfe III ’90 Dr. Eric Wolman
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Former Parents Anonymous Mrs. Robert D. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Anderson Mrs. Ruth Barker Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Bey Susan Chase Blaisdell ‘64 Mr. and Mrs. William D. Bogdon Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Boyle h ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Francis S. Branin, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Broege Mr. and Mrs. Douglas A. Brooks Mr. and Mrs. Frank T. Carmody Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Carton Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Clark Mr. and Mrs. Richard Cooper Mr. and Mrs. John A. Crowell w ’67 Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Devine Mr. and Mrs. J. Hugh Devlin Mrs. Richard Ellwood Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fallacara* Mr. and Mrs. David H. Feldman Mr. and Mrs. Eli S. Feldman Mr. and Mrs. Alfred L. Ferguson III h ’50 Mr. and Mrs. Donald Figarola Mr. and Mrs. Mark A. Gaeta Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey R. Garside Mr. and Mrs. John F. Goode Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence S. Gordon Mr. and Mrs. Russell S. Heckler w ’74 Hans Anthony Huber ’48 Mr. and Mrs. Pehr C. Huber Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hubler Stephanie Pearse Hurtt ’58 Mr. Niels W. Johnsen Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Jones, Jr. w ’48 Mr. Robert M. Kaye Mr. and Mrs. David L. Klemm Mr. and Mrs. Gene F. Kolb Mr. and Mrs. Robert D. Largey, Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Lawrence III h ’52 w ’55 Dr. and Mrs. Steven L. Lefrak Dr. Edward Lieberman Mr. and Mrs. Regis B. Lippert Mr. William Luby & Mrs. Eileen O’Hern Luby Mr. and Mrs. John Lushefski Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lynch Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Maloney Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Mansfield 25
Mr. and Mrs. Anthony J. Manzo Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Mercer, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Scott A. Metzger h ’79* Mr. and Mrs. Douglas F. Miller Mr. and Mrs. James Monprode Mrs. Victoria Nebel Mr. and Mrs. James P. O’Mealia h ’73 Dr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Pearson Mr. and Mrs. R. Willis Post Mr. and Mrs. James J. Powers, Jr. h ’81 Mrs. Margaret S. Riker Mr. and Mrs. William Robertson IV Mr. and Mrs. Toros Sahakian Dr. and Mrs. Louis R. Salmon Mr. Thomas Scott Mr. and Mrs. Dennis T. Scurletis Major and Mrs. Bruce L. Shapiro Mr. and Mrs. J. Robert Small Mr. and Mrs. William D. Spector Mrs. Donna Steiner Mr. and Mrs. Mark L. Stewart Mr. and Mrs. Gordon G. Sweely Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Sykes, Jr. Mrs. Frederic P. Tompkins Mr. Joseph A. Torcivia Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Twining w ’83 Rev. and Mrs. Thomas H. Warren Mr. and Mrs. William M. Weiant Mr. and Mrs. Daniel W. Whalen Mr. and Mrs. R. Van Arsdel Whisnand Mrs. Deane Blasidell Wolfe ’56 Drs. Eric and Sandra Wolman
* Denotes matching gifts
Grandparents Dr. and Mrs. Mahmood Ahmadi Mr. and Mrs. Steve Alpert Dr. Alan Bilanin Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Brainard Mr. and Mrs. James Bredin Mr. and Mrs. Donald Campofranco Mrs. Fred Carroll Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Carton Mrs. Karen Cecil Mr. and Mrs. Terry Claussen Mr. and Mrs. William Cooper Mr. and Mrs. Donald J. Devine Mr. and Mrs. J. Hugh Devlin Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Dornbusch II Mr. and Mrs. Klaus Eifert Mrs. Estelle Fauci Mr. and Mrs. Edward Gannon Mr. James E. Goulard Mr. and Mrs. Edward Griffin Mrs. Carol Hall Mr. and Mrs. George Hall Mr. and Mrs. Jon P. Hoffman Stephanie Pearse Hurtt ’58 Mr. Anthony Iannacone Mrs. Thirza Jacobus Mr. and Mrs. Charles H. Jones, Jr. w ’48 Mr. Robert M. Kaye Mr. Wen-Tong Peter Lu Mr. and Mrs. Robert Lyle Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lynch Mrs. Veronica Maher
Save The Date! Grandparents & Special Friends Day Friday, April 29, 2016 Friday, October 7, 2016 NOTE: New FALL date for next school year!
* Denotes matching gifts
Mr. and Mrs. G. Peter M. McCurrach h ’54 Dr. and Mrs. Elliot Menkowitz Mr. and Mrs. Richard Moore Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mullins III Mr. and Mrs. Gary Oakley Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Olivieri Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Prager Mr. and Mrs. William Robertson Dr. and Mrs. Louis R. Salmon Major and Mrs. Bruce L. Shapiro Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sorokolit Mrs. Donna Steiner Mr. and Mrs. Arshag Tarpinian Ms. Barbara Jo Tempesta Mr. and Mrs. Frederic W. Thomas Mr. and Mrs. John Tsimbinos Ms. Eleanor M. Vermeire Mr. and Mrs. Martin Wachtel Mr. and Mrs. George Weiss Mr. and Mrs. R. Van Arsdel Whisnand Mrs. Deane Wolfe ’56 Ms. Hedy K. Zankel Mr. Hans Zweerink & Ms. Betsy Wattley
Thank you to the nearly 300 Grandfriends who visited campus last spring. RCDS greatly values its grandparent community and is actively seeking opportunities to have grandparents visit school throughout the year. Please visit www.rcds.org/grandparents to let us know how you would like to be more involved with Rumson Country Day and your grandchild(ren). 26
Current or Former Faculty and S Ms. Sarah Ahmadi Mrs. Barbara Anderson Ms. Rebecca Andrews Ms. Sheila M. Bacon Mrs. Lucy Bogdon Mr. Douglas A. Brooks Mr. Jeffrey Brown Mr. Louis Calvarese Mrs. Erin Campanella Mrs. Jayne S. Carmody Mrs. Carolyn Child Mrs. Amy Clark Mrs. Judy Cox The Denny Family Ms. Sara Diaz Mrs. Natalie Diehl Mrs. Susan Drucker Mrs. Tara D’Uva Mrs. Lisa Fallon Mr. Mark Fallone Ms. Dana Feldman Mrs. Patricia Figarola Mrs. Gail G. Funk Ms. Sabrina Gallagher Mr. Jeffrey R. Garside Mrs. Cheryl Garside
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Mr. John F. Goode Mrs. Jessica Goski Brendan Patrick Greene ’15 Ms. Lori Hohenleitner Mr. R. Brandon Horner Mrs. Cara Horner Stephanie Pearse Hurtt ’58 Mr. Anthony Iannacone Mrs. Allison R. Isherwood Ms. Erika Jacob Mrs. Nancy Johnson Mrs. Joanna Johnston Mrs. Barbara Jones Mrs. Anne Kerr Mrs. Alana Kirman Mrs. Cindy Klemm Mrs. Virginia Kolb Mr. L. William Lamb, Jr. Mrs. Susan Leslie Mrs. Jennifer Littman Mr. Donald A. Macdonald III ’96 Mr. Thomas Mancuso Mr. Michael J. Mannino Mrs. Arlene Mansfield Lauren Mattea Marcolus ’15 Mrs. Casey McChesney
Staff, Student and Friend Donors
Mrs. Lorraine McEvoy Miss Kate McLaughlin Mrs. Amy Mendat Mr. James Monprode Mrs. Ann Murdock Ms. Sharanya Naik Mr. Kevin S. Nicholas Mrs. Karen Norton Mrs. Bailey Palmieri Mrs. Melissa Petersen Mr. Walter Pomphrey Mrs. Suzy Post Mrs. Joy Rathemacher Ms. Aline Ronzier Mr. and Mrs. Edward Rumolo* Ms. Liz Scanlon Mr. Thomas Scott Mrs. Michelle Shea * Denotes matching gifts
Ms. Debra H. Siciliano Mr. Whitney C. Slade Mrs. Marilyn Snider Mr. Brian P. Stolowski Mr. Donald M. Sykes, Jr. Mrs. Claudia Taborn Mrs. Amy Tilmont Mr. Mauricio Toledo Mr. Walter J. Treacy Mr. Jeffrey S. Utz Ms. Dovey L. Valerio Mrs. Alexis Vogelsong Mrs. Claudia Volpe Ms. Amanda Weiss Mrs. Patricia Weiss Mrs. Ellen Wilson
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Alumni Gift Class of 1935 Ann ELLIS Powel Class of 1939 Chester BILLINGS, Jr. Barbara H. B. POTTS Class of 1942 Gertrude MERTENS Goff Paul C. LAMBERT
Class of 1956 Karen DETWEILER Hyatt Cornelia RIKER Reiss A. Sheffield TULP Deane BLAISDELL Wolfe
Class of 1944 Isabelle HASKELL De Tomaso
Class of 1957 Alicia SORENSEN Robertson
Class of 1945 Barbara HOLBROOK Miltenberger
Class of 1958 Richard Nelson BOYD Frederick Knight BURT Stephanie PEARSE Hurtt
Class of 1947 Titi KILLEEN Ferguson Marshall VAN WINKLE III Class of 1948 Arthur GIBB, Jr. Hans Anthony HUBER Hope HASKELL Jones Class of 1950 Alfred L. FERGUSON III John P. HARKRADER, Jr. Class of 1951 Beverley WAUD Sutherland Class of 1952 Jonathan Dewey BLAKE Robert Cutting LAWRENCE III John Dennis PITTS Class of 1953 David Haven BLAKE Class of 1954 G. Peter M. MCCURRACH Suzanne MOORHEAD Spencer
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Class of 1955 Peter Warren BLAKE Mary STOUT Lawrence W. Bourne RUTHRAUFF
Class of 1959 Frederick W. BRICKENKAMP Niels Mercer JOHNSEN Cynthia RUSSELL Shultz Class of 1960 Susan BOYD Blanchard Class of 1961 Charles D. DALY II Class of 1962 Janice CLARKE Kingsley C. NORRIS II Suzanne VAN DER LEUR Class of 1963 George L. CAREY Darrell HARVEY Katherine LOBDELL Norris Class of 1964 Susan Chase BLAISDELL Class of 1965 Ellen M. BOYD
* Denotes matching gifts
ts, by Class Class of 1966 Russell Clayton TOMPKINS Class of 1967 Shelley LOBDELL Crowell * Class of 1968 Mark Forrest GILBERTSON Class of 1969 Sarah Suzanne SOMERVILLE Christopher Powers TOMPKINS Class of 1972 Joanne BARKER Caroline TOMPKINS Garrity Class of 1973 Robert Michael CHERNOW James Paul O’MEALIA Mark Campbell WINMILL Class of 1974 Margot HUBER Heckler Melinda RUSSELL Leyden Evelyn TOMPKINS Class of 1975 Robert L. BOYLE James Webb CARPENTER, Jr.
Class of 1979 Larsen Hamilton FLINN* Danielle DEVINE Greene James Robert HENDERSON Richard Arthur HILFIKER Scott Andrew METZGER Class of 1981 Edgar Ryder FARRINGTON, Jr. Robert Cutting LAWRENCE IV James John POWERS, Jr. Heather Ann SCHILDGE Class of 1982 Heather SHAPIRO Lander Class of 1983 Anonymous John Hugh DEVLIN, Jr. Kendra Stout LAWRENCE James Andrew LIEBERMAN Richard Willis POST, Jr. Daniel Nelson SCHILDGE Willard Campbell SOMERS, Jr. Anthony Cleverley STONE Mollie PEER Twining Class of 1984 Donald P. DEVINE
Class of 1977 Daniel Erik KREMENS Christine ROWETT Peter Lars Elof ROSENBLAD
Class of 1985 Christopher R. CARTON* Bradley Todd DAVIS David Paul DEVLIN Sean Timothy LAWSON Suzanne Elizabeth DAVEY Manelski Jennifer HURTT Mullins Sarah ELLWOOD Opler
Class of 1978 Steven KAYE Janetje CHAYES Peterson John Christopher REYNOLDS Penelope WOOD Wiener
Class of 1986 John BONELLO Eric HSIA Dennis Patrick LYNCH, Jr. Ashley JOY Wood
Class of 1976 Mark Mcclure ANDERSON
* Denotes matching gifts
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Alumni Gifts, b Class of 1987 Anonymous Lucien Gex WEBB Carter Van Arsdal WHISNAND Class of 1988 Jared Brian ASH Jennifer STEINER Crowell Jana Laine DAVIS Alissa DEAKIN-Nicholas Class of 1989 Thomas Adam ABRAMS Sarah DEVLIN Devine Alexander Mills ILER Class of 1990 Dennis Scannell DEVINE Howard DeGraff WOLFE III Class of 1991 Christina GULDEN Webb Class of 1992 Katie Colleen SHIELDS Class of 1993 Eugene F. CRODDICK II Brian Eric WEISS Class of 1994 Nora RAHNER King Terrence Michael MCBRIDE
Class of 2000 Catherine Grace KNOPF Class of 2001 Joseph James CLARK Alexandra Victoria NEBEL Anton William SCHMELZ Class of 2002 Lia Jude CALABRO Peter Andrew NEBEL, Jr. Class of 2003 Kristin Elyse BONELLO Robyn Sara GORDON Michael Scott GORDON Katherine Grace O’MEALIA Phyllis Mary THANGARAJ Class of 2004 William Lee CLARK Chelsea Alexandra COOPER John Joseph MARINAN Christine Marie O’MEALIA Class of 2005 Shawn Andrew CAPPELLO
Class of 1995 Jesse Wild SPECTOR Courtney SCATUORCHIO Sullivan
Class of 2006 Michael John CLARK Patrick Michael O’MEALIA Brianna Leigh REICH Anabel Rose SCHMELZ
Class of 1996 Katlyn Graciela MCBRIDE Alexander Gordon WARD
Class of 2007 Francis William LUBY Gorr Toros SAHAKIAN
Class of 1997 Anonymous Nathaniel Bevans SMALL
Class of 2008 Mara Lee BEY William T. S. BROOKS Haik Toros SAHAKIAN
Class of 1998 Alyssa Ellen SPECTOR 31
Class of 1999 Stacylyn May DEWEY James Paul O’MEALIA II
by Class (cont.) Class of 2009 Shaye Elizabeth COOPER Brennan Hanley FELDMAN Hunter Matthew GRUSD Erin O’Hern LUBY Teny Toros SAHAKIAN Grace Catherine SCOTT Class of 2010 Zoe Rebecca Rosen SCURLETIS Amanda Marie SWEELY Class of 2011 Ian David Kim-E-Kim BENDER Olivia Rachel BEY Sydney Kent GRUSD Vincent Paul LABARBARA John Ronan LUBY Charlotte Suzanne SCOTT William Richards THOMAS Class of 2012 Kathryn Anne CLARK Jordyn Carson GRUSD Caitlin Pope LUBY Edward Wade MALONEY Eleni Rose SCURLETIS Theodore Henry SMITH * Class of 2013 Drew Hampton FELDMAN Coulston Everest FELDMAN Georgia Broderick GREENE Lillian Elizabeth SCOTT Garrett Gordon SWEELY Rose Eliana SWEETWOOD
Blake Fund Donors David Haven Blake ’53 Jonathan Dewey Blake ’52 Peter Warren Blake ’55
* Denotes matching gifts
Class of 2014 Kathleen L. HUESMAN Ryan Alexis JOSEPH Beatrice Ann MALONEY Shant Toros SAHAKIAN Panayoti Yanni SCHWARZ Zahrah Alliyah SIDDIQ Robert Michael SMITH Paul Cowling THOMAS Gillian Blair VILLANO Stephen Fordham ZACKS
RCDS congratulates the Class of 2011 on college matriculation and extends best wishes to the alumni attending the following schools: Bates College Boston College Boston University Brown University Bucknell University (2) Colgate University Cornell University (2) Dartmouth College Duke University Elon College (3) Emory University Fordham University Gettysburg College Lehigh University (2) Lynn University Middlebury College Monmouth University Ohio State University Princeton University Santa Clara University Skidmore College Trinity College - Hartford University of Pennsylvania University of Miami University of Vermont Villanova University (2) Wake Forest University
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Gator Bash Donors 3B Fit Gui Alves Dr. & Mrs. R. Ashinoff Avery Education Resources Bains Outdoor Living Dr. and Mrs. Alexander C. Baret Mr. and Mrs. Alexander S. Baret Bungalow Road Mr. and Mrs. John Bonello h ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Colin Bradley Mr. Patrick Brogan & Ms. Tricia Black Mr. Kevin Callahan Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Carton Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Cerussi Mr. and Mrs. Scott Clarke Cloud Kissed Kids Dr. George Constantinopoulos & Ms. Andrea Proia Mr. and Mrs. Michael Criscola Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Crowell w ’88 Cups and Cakes David Burke Fromagerie Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Devine w ’89 h ’90 Mr. and Mrs. David Devlin h ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Derek Donohue Mr. and Mrs. Jon Eckert Ms. Kristi Evans Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Finnegan Miss Katherine Gelhaus Mr. and Mrs. Justin G. Gmelich Tony Goltsch Gotham Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Hackett Mr. and Mrs. Robert Joshua Harmon Jersey Shore Skim Camp Jessie Apple Lisa Jones Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Jones Ms. Denise Krieg Mr. and Mrs. Vasili Krishnamurti Ms. Pamela Lee Mr. and Mrs. John H. Leibee Ms. Elizabeth Leipzig Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Levine Mr. and Mrs. David Long Mr. and Mrs. Drew Loughlin Mr. and Mrs. Brett Marcus Dr. and Mrs. Mark Martens Mr. and Mrs. Peter Marturano 33
Mr. and Mrs. Marino Mazzei Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Melconian Ms. Julie Miles Mr. and Mrs. Mark Molyneaux Mr. and Mrs. David R. Moore Mrs. Sarah Wohlstadter Moshenberg ’99 Mr. and Mrs. Philip Murphy Mr. and Mrs. Matthew O’Neil Mr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Orr Ms. Abigail Oswald Mr. and Mrs. Steve Page Pazzo Restaurant Pink Peony Perspirology Mr. and Mrs. Gary T. Puma Marcy Ragan Raven and the Peach Red Bank Design Center Red Bank Limo Red Bicycle Mr. and Mrs. David Redling Renaissance Pilates Restaurant Nicholas Wendy Richards Angie Riley Dr. and Mrs. Michael Risin Mr. Mike Romanowski
Mr. and Mrs. Jake Rothenberg Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ryan Dr. and Mrs. Carl Senft Dr. Emil Shakov Dr. Lisa Silbret, M.D. Small Factory Larry & Marilyn Snider Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Spitz Stacy Lyle Photography Ms. Melissa Stark Mr. and Mrs. Darren Stumberger Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sullivan Summa Love Jamie Sussman Sweetest Sin The Tasting Room Mr. and Mrs. Steven Tsimbinos Mr. David Turkaly & Ms. Megan Gula Victoria Skim Board Mr. and Mrs. Michael Walker Mr. Barry Weisbord and Ms. Sarah Nelson Mr. and Mrs. Todd Whitenack Mrs. Patricia Whittemore Mr. and Mrs. Ted K. Yarbrough Zeynep Ozdemir
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Library Donors Mr. and Mrs. Charles Alpert Mr. and Mrs. Alexander S. Baret Mr. and Mrs. Jason Bilanin Mr. Patrick Brogan & Ms. Tricia Black Mr. and Mrs. Scott Clarke Mr. and Mrs. Don Claussen Mr. and Mrs. John D. Cook Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Crowell w ’88 Mr. and Mrs. John H. Devlin, Jr. h ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Jon Eckert Mrs. Susan Economou Mrs. Nancy C. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Gardner Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey R. Garside Mr. and Mrs. Chris R. Gibson Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Harmon Mr. and Mrs. Vasili Krishnamurti Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. h ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Ted Lacey Mr. and Mrs. Carl LaGrassa
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Mr. and Mrs. John H. Leibee Mr. and Mrs. David Long Dr. and Mrs. Stanley Lu Mr. Richard Marcolus & Ms. Carolyn Campo Mr. and Mrs. James Masserio Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. McCarren Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Mullins IV ’85 Dr. and Mrs. Joseph J. Perosi, M.D. Dr. and Mrs. Todd Prager Mr. and Mrs. Armando Reyes Dr. and Mrs. Michael Risin Mr. and Mrs. Armins Rusis Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Sainato Ms. Debra H. Siciliano Mr. David Turkaly & Mrs. Megan Gula Mr. Louis Villano & Ms. Pamela Woodward-Villano Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Weiss Mr. and Mrs. Carter V. Whisnand h ’87
In Honor/In Memorial In Memory of Gretchen Bryant ’68 Mrs. Frederic P. Tompkins Caroline Tompkins Garrity ’72 Christopher Powers Tompkins ’69 Evelyn Tompkins ’74 Frederic Fiedler Tompkins ’65 Russell Clayton Tompkins ’66
In Honor of Chad Small Christopher Judson Landers ’05 Mr. and Mrs. George H. Schildge h ’52 Mr. and Mrs. Jesse W. Spector h ’95
In Honor of Jayne S. Carmody Mr. Kevin S. Nicholas & Ms. Alyssa Deakin-Nicholas ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shea Mr. and Mrs. William D. Spector
In Honor of the RCDS Maintenance Staff Mr. Kevin S. Nicholas & Ms. Alyssa Deakin-Nicholas ’88
In Honor of Elizabeth Small Mr. and Mrs. J. Robert Small
In Honor of Abbitt Sykes Downey ’81 Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Sykes, Jr. In Memory of Richard S. Ellwood Sarah Cornell Ellwood Opler ’85 In Honor of Linda Feeny Mr. and Mrs. James Kirman In Honor of Mr. Jeffrey Garside The Lander Family Lauren Mattea Marcolus ’15 Mr. and Mrs. William D. Spector In Memory of Jean Iannacone Mr. Anthony Iannacone In Honor of Barbara Gulnick Jones Blythe Lander ’17 In Honor of Jim Lanahan Mr. and Mrs. Bruno D’Uva In Memory of Mark Martinez ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Crowell w ’88 In Memory of Dr. Howard Rowett, Jr. Christine Rowett Peter ’77 In Honor of Mr. Thomas Scott The Lander Family In Memory of Isabel Seiler Dr. and Ms. Donald J. Seiler 36
Legacy The Legacy Society honors those supporters who have designated a portion of their assets in their will or through their estate planning to benefit The Rumson Country Day School. Gifts from bequests and trusts ensure the future of our remarkable school, support our mission, and help establish a lasting legacy of excellence at RCDS for today’s students and for generations to come. Individuals who include the school in their estate plans become members of The Rumson Country Day School Legacy Society. All names are recognized in our Annual Donor Report and on the school’s website. Your bequest can be a specific dollar amount, or a certain percentage of the balance remaining in your estate or trust after paying all debts, costs and other prior legacies. Whichever form you prefer, you can direct that your bequest be unrestricted for the general support of our mission or for a specific purpose you designate (be sure to check with us to make sure your gift can be used as intended). Your assets remain in your control during your lifetime. You can modify your gift to address changing circumstances. The Legacy Society is open to anyone to join and gifts of all sizes are accepted. Whatever your objectives, we will be happy to work with you in planning and bequest that will be satisfying, economical, and effective in carrying out your wishes. Please contact us so that we can assist you through every step of the process or if you have already included RCDS in your estate planning. We would like to add your name to our roster of distinguished legacy supporters.
Please contact Director of Institutional Advancement, Jessica Goski, at 732-842-0527 ext. 1142 or jgoski@rcds.org for further information.
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Society Legacy Society Members Estate of Charles Robert Beattie Jr. ’43 Estate of Maurice Clements, Jr. ’58 Estate of Richard W. Coppage Mr. and Mrs. John A. Crowell w ’67 Mrs. Mary Jane Dexter Estate of William G. Dexter Estate of Anne Tilford Haskell Ellis ’37 Mrs. Elizabeth Ellwood Estate of Richard S. Ellwood Ms. Sally-Anne French Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence S. Gordon Mr. and Mrs. Peter A. Holzer Stephanie Pearse Hurtt ’58 Estate of William C. Hurtt, Jr. Mr. Charles H. Jones, Jr. Hope Haskell Jones ’48 Henry Tilford Jones ’87 The Macdonald Family Mr. and Mrs. Daniel O. Minerva Mr. James T. O’Connor Dr. and Mrs. Robert Penney Mrs. Suzanne R. Post Barbara H. B. Potts ’39 Mrs. Linda Schottland Estate of Diana Fetter de Villafranca ’47
Gifts In Kind Mr. and Mrs. Don W. Cummings Mrs. Nancy C. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Rodney Gardner Mrs. Katherine Anne Gehlhaus Mr. Richard Marcolus & Ms. Carolyn Campo Mr. and Mrs. Armins Rusis Mr. and Mrs. Al Tenuto Mr. David Turkaly & Mrs. Megan Gula
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Vitae “Loyal Will Our Hearts E’er Be” The Rumson Country Day School Vitae Disce Society was established in 2011 to recognize and thank all of the steadfast, loyal donors who have supported RCDS Annual Giving for five or more consecutive years. Many thanks to all the donors listed here – your gifts continue to have a tremendous impact on our students, faculty, and programs at RCDS.
25 YEARS OR MORE Mr. David H. Blake ’53 Peter W. Blake ’55 Richard N. Boyd ’58 Frederick K. Burt ’58 Mr. and Mrs. Frank T. Carmody James W. Carpenter, Jr. ’75 Mr. and Mrs. J. Hugh Devlin James R. Henderson ’79 Hans Anthony Huber ’48 Mr. and Mrs. Niels M. Johnsen h ’59 Hope Haskell Jones ’48 Robert M. Kaye Suzanne Moorhead Spencer ’54 Mark C. Winmill ’73 15-24 YEARS Jared Brian Ash ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Bey Chester Billings, Jr. ’39 Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Boyle h ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Francis S. Branin, Jr. Frederick W. Brickenkamp ’59 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Clark Thomas B. Clarke ’49 Mr. and Mrs. Richard Cooper Bradley T. Davis ’85 Jana L. Davis ’88 Mr. and Mrs. Donald P. Devine h ’84 Mr. and Mrs. Dennis S. Devine w ’89 h ’90 Mr. and Mrs. David P. Devlin h ’85 Titi Killeen Ferguson ’47 Mr. and Mrs. Larsen H. Flinn h ’79 Mr. and Mrs. Gregory R. Greene w ’79 John P. Harkrader, Jr. ’50 Darrell Harvey ’63 Mr. and Mrs. Russell S. Heckler w ’74 39
Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Hilfiker h ’79 Mr. and Mrs. John G. Ketterer III Robert C. Lawrence IV ’81 Kendra S. Lawrence ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Lawrence III h ’52 w ’55 James Andrew Lieberman ’83 Mr. and Mrs. Joseph F. Lord III Mr. William Luby & Mrs. Eileen O’Hern Luby Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lynch, Jr. h ’86 G. Peter M. McCurrach ’54 Barbara Holbrook Miltenberger ’45 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Mullins IV w ’85 Kingsley C. Norris ‘62 & Katherine Lobdell Norris ’63 Mr. and Mrs. James P. O’Mealia h ’73 Sarah Ellwood Opler ’85 Mr. and Mrs. R. Willis Post Ann Ellis Powel ’35 Cornelia Reiss ’56 Mr. and Mrs. Shawn Reynolds Lars Elof Rosenblad ’77 Mr. and Mrs. Toros Sahakian Nathaniel Bevans Small ’97 Jesse W. Spector ’95 Beverley Waud Sutherland ’51 Mr. A. Sheffield Tulp ’56 Mr. and Mrs. William M. Weiant Penelope Wood Wiener ’78 10-14 YEARS Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Michael A. Bruno William Lee Clark ‘04 Mr. and Mrs. Eugene F. Croddick II h ’93 Isabelle Haskell de Tomaso ’44 Mr. and Mrs. Robert DeMeulemeester Mr. and Mrs. John H. Devlin, Jr. h ’83 Stacylyn May Dewey ’99 Mr. and Mrs. Alfred L. Ferguson III h ’50
Disce Arthur Gibb, Jr. ’48 Joanna C. Johnston Mr. and Mrs. Steve Kaye h ’78 Mr. and Mrs. David L. Klemm Mr. and Mrs. Joseph M. Kyrillos, Jr. h ’75 Mr. and Mrs. Vandy Lee Dr. Edward Lieberman Mr. and Mrs. Dennis P. Lynch Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Maloney Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Mercer, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Timothy D. Orr John Dennis Pitts ’52 Mr. and Mrs. James W. Reid Mr. and Mrs. Timothy W. Reynolds Margaret S. Riker Anton William Schmelz ’01 Mr. and Mrs. Steven M. Scopellite Mr. and Mrs. Dennis T. Scurletis Mrs. Danielle Sherwood & Mr. Scott Schultz Mr. and Mrs. J. Robert Small Mr. and Mrs. Gordon G. Sweely Suzanne Van der Leur ’62 Mr. Louis Villano & Ms. Pamela Woodward-Villano Deane Blaisdell Wolfe ’56 5-9 YEARS (bold denotes new to Society) Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Abebreseh Mr. and Mrs. Charles Alpert Mr. and Mrs. Frank J. Argilagos Mr. and Mrs. Thomas D. Atanacio Mr. and Mrs. Alexander S. Baret Ruth Barker Joanne Barker ’72 Mr. and Mrs. Caspar Bentinck Mr. and Mrs. Jason Bilanin Susan Boyd Blanchard ’60 Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Carroll Christina Carroll Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. Carton h ’85 Mr. and Mrs. Martin Chavez Michael John Clark ’06 Joseph James Clark ’01 Mr. and Mrs. John A. Crowell w ’67 Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Crowell w ’88
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey M. Cruz Mr. and Mrs. Jon Eckert Mrs. Susan Economou Mr. Andoni Economou Mr. and Mrs. Richard S. Ellwood
Vitae Disce Spotlight: The Cooper Family “We first began giving at RCDS as a way of supporting the special school to which we chose to send our children. After all, what can be better than helping our children (and others as well) receive the great educational experience RCDS provides? Rather quickly, we realized that RCDS was an extension of our family and we became committed to helping the school in every way possible. Whether it was being a class mother, flipping burgers at Family Field Day, helping out with community service projects, chairing the Gala, serving on Parent Council, becoming a member of the Board of Trustees or donating to Annual Giving, we made a very conscious effort to make the school a family priority. Additionally, we learned the importance of helping the school cover expenses that tuition alone cannot. “The Rumson Country Day School helps to instill a true love of education and learning that still lives on in Chelsea (‘04) and Shaye (‘09) today. Today, they continue to be focused and driven young women who have repeatedly told us that their education at RCDS was one of the best gifts we have ever given them.” -Richard & Lynda Cooper
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Vitae Disce (cont.) Mr. and Mrs. Chester F. English III Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fallacara Mr. and Mrs. David H. Feldman Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey R. Garside Mr. and Mrs. Chris R. Gibson Mr. and Mrs. Justin G. Gmelich Mr. Michael Scott Gordon ’03 Ms. Robyn Sara Gordon ’03 Mrs. Jessica Goski Mr. James E. Goulard Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Hackett Mr. Eric Hsia ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Jarck Dr. and Mrs. Brian M. Katt Ms. Catherine Grace Knopf ’00 Dr. Daniel E. Kremens ’77 Mr. and Mrs. Carl LaGrassa Mr. and Mrs. Paul C. Lambert h ’42 Mr. and Mrs. John H. Leibee Ms. Melinda Russell Leyden ’74 Ms. Sue Lieberman Mr. and Mrs. Regis B. Lippert Mr. and Mrs. David Long Mr. Francis William Luby ’07 Ms. Erin O’Hern Luby ’09 The Luckett Family Dr. Federigo and Dr. Suzanne Magherini Mr. and Mrs. James Masserio Mr. and Mrs. Marino Mazzei Mr. and Mrs. Daniel J. McCarren Ms. Karen McGinley & Mr. E. T. Brennan Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Melconian Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Mitsch Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mullins III Mr. Peter A. Nebel Mrs. Victoria Nebel Mr. and Mrs. Steve Page Dr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Pearson Mr. and Mrs. Brian Petersen Mr. and Mrs. Timothy J. Piacentini Mr. and Mrs. Corey Popham Mr. Richard Willis Post, Jr. ’83 Ms. Barbara H. B. Potts ’39 Mr. and Mrs. Brian E. Raphalian Ms. Brianna Leigh Reich ’06 Mr. and Mrs. Stephen W. Reinhard Mr. and Mrs. Peter E. Ricker 41
Mr. and Mrs. William Robertson Mr. and Mrs. Charles D. Ryan Mr. Gorr Toros Sahakian ’07 Mr. Haik Toros Sahakian ’08 Mr. Teny Toros Sahakian ’09 Ms. Anabel Rose Schmelz ’06 Ms. Grace Catherine Scott ’09 Dr. and Mrs. Carl J. Senft Mr. and Mrs. Robert Shea Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Sheftel Mr. Willard Campbell Somers, Jr. ’83 Ms. Sarah S. Somerville ’69 Ms. Alyssa Ellen Spector ’98 Ms. Courtney Scatuorchio Sullivan ’95 Mr. and Mrs. Edward Swikart III Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Sykes, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Frederic W. Thomas, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Steven Tsimbinos Marshall Van Winkle III ’47 Mr. and Mrs. John Vibert Mr. Eric Wachtel & Dr. Heather McMullen Rev. and Mrs. Thomas H. Warren Mr. and Mrs. Carter V. Whisnand h ’87 Mr. and Mrs. James A. Wilson Mr. and Mrs. Howard DeGraff Wolfe III h ’90 Drs. Eric and Sandra Wolman Ms. Ashley Marie Wood ’86 Mr. and Mrs. Ted K. Yarbrough
RCDS Traditions
Fourth Grade Shines in The Lower School Drama
Nursery Celebrates Class Day
Second Grade State Fair
The RCDS Dining Hall 8th Grade Boston Trip
4th Grade Performs March of The Wooden Soldiers 42
RCDS Traditions (cont.)
8th Grade Carnival RCDS Forensics Festival
Faculty Follies Game
Upper School Geography Bee
Egg Drop Experiment
Morning Greeting 43
Grandfriends’ Day
Visit to Cuba
by Jenn Littman,
Lower School Teacher, Grade Three
My trip to Cuba was a fascinating journey. I toured on a People to People cultural exchange and explored Havana and the countryside of Viñales Valley with 19 other Americans from different parts of the United States. We had an experienced tour guide, Eric Garcia, who took us around to various historical sights as well as art exhibits and musical venues. He educated us on the economy, the history, the housing, the healthcare and school systems as well as the little known facts about Cuba. And yes, even about the old cars. I stayed at the infamous Hotel Nacional. This 1930’s grand hotel overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and is known for its many famous guests over the last 80 years including Frank Sinatra and many other entertainers, mobsters and political figures. I learned very quickly how the ecoomy keeps the people of Cuba on a very limited monthly budget. They have just enough for the necessities and any way they can, they must be resourceful to get money for the “extras.” There is this sense of happiness and ease, yet there is also a sense of struggle and not having enough. The people make money in Cuban pesos from their various jobs for the necessities like food. The CUC (Convertible Currency) is the currency that tourists use. Americans get 87 cents to 1 CUC. These CUC’s are the desirable currency that allows Cuban people to buy the extras like sneakers or clothing. Tourism is one of the best ways to make this extra money. The taxi drivers drive the 1950-60’s car to make money in tips by driving either a private or a publicly run one. A well maintained privately owned antique car can cost as much as 20,000 CUC to purchase. Once you own it, it’s yours to use to generate income by driving tourists around. The public taxis are for all to use and are government run. Hotel workers, bus drivers, tour guides and restaurant workers all benefit from the visiting tourists. Housing is also an interesting aspect of Cuba. There are no loans or borrowing money in Cuba. If you have the money, you can purchase your own home and you pay no taxes. A nice home could cost 20,000 CUC and once you own it, it becomes yours for the rest of your life and is passed down to the next generation. Ninety-five percent of Cubans own their own home. If you cannot afford to buy a home, the government provides you with one. The school system is free for all children from day care through university and post-graduate study. All children through high school wear a uniform with different colors representing your level in school. Primary school is Grades 1-6, middle school is Grades 7-9 and secondary school includes Grades 10-12. You can take a test to place into different areas of study at the university level. The best students who apply get accepted to an area of expertise like medical school or law school. These individuals will study for 5 years in their field of choice. Upon graduation all students must give back two years of social service for minimal pay and, subsequently, they are free to work at a job in that field. The University of the Arts is a major institution of Cuba. Many talented young people are chosen to study
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here in different areas of dance, sculpture, painting, violin and many other art fields. They are the elite students of their disciplines and are often classically trained when they graduate. The art has a huge influence on the community and what the Cuban people treasure in their culture. Music is historically a major part of Cuban heritage. There are music venues at every restaurant, club, and hotel at any given time throughout Cuba. With my tour group, we could not go anywhere without hearing the distinct sounds of a bongo beat in the distance if not right in front of us. Even at 2 o’clock or 3 o’clock in the morning, the Cuban locals would be on the Malecon (a gathering walkway along the Atlantic Ocean) playing or listening to the traditional beat. Salsa dancers and opera singers were also among the entertainment we happened across. The architecture reminded me of many places including Spain, Portugal, France, Puerto Rico and New Orleans, Louisiana. The influences are so evident in all the windows, tall doorways, open-air courtyards, shutters, wrought-iron work, balconies and building structures. Unfortunately, because of years of neglect, one-third of these pieces of work are in disrepair and need to be destroyed. The state of the economy prevents any of this necessary demolition so as a result there are, on average, three building collapses a day. The first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Sierra del Rosario project in Cuba was Las Terrazzas in 1991. It is located in the western province of Pinar Del Rio about one hour outside of Havana. It was created as an effort to reforest the charcoal trees that were harvested for the valuable resources. On the site there is a 1,000 person self sustained eco-friendly community. This is where I visited a school that taught children K-Grade 9. The children are grouped by age and taught with rudimentary materials but seem to be gaining a “rich” education. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Havana is currently under major renovations. This is the most historic part of town that they are actively rebuilding. There are many churches, museums, hotels and buildings that are being restored to their original grandeur. The businesses that operate within the old city help contribute their earnings to fund this restoration process. Cuba as a whole exceeded my expectations in its beauty, culture and architecture. The music and arts were some of the most incredible I have ever witnessed. I look forward to a time when the country is successful in surpassing its financial difficulties so that all Cuban people can enjoy more harmonious living in the future. My experience was nothing short of amazing and I am I wish to extend my thanks to the Blake Family for their endowed fund for faculty/staff enrichment, which made my travel possible. Since my travel to Cuba, I have felt inspired and refreshed as an educator. I am excited to share tales of my travel with my students this year and remain so grateful for being selected for this wonderful opportunity.
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Mindfulness at Rumson Country Day by Barbara Jones,
Upper School Teacher/Math Department Chair
In July 2015, I attended a Mindfulness in Education Teacher Training workshop at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. This conference was designed to explore ways to introduce mindfulness techniques and principles into classrooms and school communities, decreasing stress and anxiety, and benefiting health, well-being, social relations, and academic performance. My motivation for attending this workshop was to bring mindfulness to the students and community of The Rumson Country Day School. Mindfulness is a kind, curious, and compassionate awareness that we develop in our practice and try to bring to each moment. It is a way of paying attention without feeling the need to judge what is happening. This present moment awareness helps us to respond skillfully to life’s challenges rather than reacting based on intense emotions. During my time at the Omega Institute, I was introduced to a curriculum for mindfulness, experienced and performed many lessons and activities, and developed my own practice. We began by using points of attention such as breath, sensations in the body, sound, or objects. As our attention developed, we learned the art of expanding our awareness to embrace everything at once. As Westerners, it is important to note that there is no end goal in mindfulness; it is a continual journey toward greater awareness and understanding. It works from the inside out and is a direct way to cultivate physical, mental, and socio-emotional health. Over the past ten years, scientific research has documented that mindfulness transforms our brains and lives. The workshop included numerous panel discussions with individuals in the forefront of mindfulness education. They shared both their personal experiences and their scientific research extolling the many benefits this practice has brought to students, teachers, and schools where it was adopted. How Teachers & Students Can Embrace and Benefit from Mindfulness It has been noted that, except for surgeons and air traffic controllers, teachers make more decisions than any other professional during the course of their workday, and the demands of the classroom require teachers to be able to have both an expansive and a focused attention simultaneously. By relaxing into the present moment with mindfulness, teachers can better understand students and the climate of their classroom and so make decisions more skillfully. Research has shown that mindfulness training “can increase teachers’ sense of well-being and teaching self-efficacy, as well as their ability to manage classroom behavior and establish and maintain supportive relationships with students.” Daniel Rechtschaffen is the author of The Way of a Mindful Education and was the leader of the training I received at the Omega Institute. Since mindfulness is about being present and empathically responsive, he acknowledges that a mindfulness-based curriculum is a bit of an oxymoron. Every class is different and the classroom atmosphere changes constantly. Therefore the lessons and practices he outlines, should be treated less like a linear model and more like a toolbox to build, in collaboration with students, a mindful classroom. That being said, Daniel, along with many others, believe that certain mindfulness 46
capacities are best developed through progressive states. His curriculum explores five realms of mindful literacy: somatic, cognitive, emotional, social, and ecological. The Way of Mindful Education, by Daniel Rechtschaffen, and Teach Breathe Learn, by Meena Srinivasan, are both excellent resources for guided lessons and practices for each realm. There are, of course, many other resources and programs that have similar objectives that I encourage the RCDS community to explore. Implementation at RCDS In the 2015-16 school year, I will be instituting weekly mindfulness classes for all faculty and staff members and leading mindfulness instruction with our Grade 5 students through special dedicated instruction periods each week. I hope to assist these students with mindfulness lessons, particularly in the heart/emotional realm and the social/cultural realm. Over the course of the year, I will be meeting with administrators to assess any noticeable affects on the behavior and/or academic performance of the Grade 5 students. It is our school’s hope that RCDS students will embrace and enjoy this opportunity for calm, focus, emotional awareness, and better understanding of their role in promoting kindness throughout RCDS and the greater world. Should this be achieved, we will work to expand our mindfulness instruction throughout the entire school in the coming years. I am grateful that The Rumson Country Day School awarded me the 2014-15 Innovation Grant, so that I could attend the Mindfulness in Education Teacher Training and Conference at the Omega Institute. Should anyone in the school community have any questions about mindfulness at RCDS, I welcome them to contact me at bjones@rcds.org. Physical Benefits: • Enhances immune system • Increases telomerase – the end of human genes that reduces cell damage • Slows down the aging process • Lowers blood pressure
Mental Benefits: • Develops new neural connections and pathways • Increases attention span • Improves concentration • Enhanced executive functioning
Social-Emotional Benefits: • Decreases: Anxiety Stress Depression Test anxiety • Increases: Self-awareness Joy, happiness Empathy and understanding of others Skillful responding to difficult emotions
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RCDS In The Great Outdoors The Rumson Country Day School provides four Upper School “wilderness adventures” for Grades 5 - 8. All four of these extraordinary, multi-day field trips provide hands-on, age-appropriate activities that encourage students to: • • • •
experiment with different ways of solving problems stretch themselves in new ways improve teamwork recognize new strengths, talents and skills – in themselves and in their peers
At RCDS, we encourage all of our students to take healthy “risks” in a safe and supportive setting and this experiential program provides the perfect opportunity for our Upper School boys and girls. Wilderness trips are an integral part of our school’s curriculum and they both increase class camaraderie and unity, and also elevate individual, personal growth.
5th Grade Wilderness Trip to Hawk Mountain, PA - May 2015
6th Grade Trip to Stokes State Forest in Sussex County, NJ - January 2015
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7th Grade Wilderness Trip to Camp Ockinikon in Medford, NJ- April 2015
8th Grade Lake George Trip - September 2014
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Why Give?
You can make an immediate and meaningful difference for our students and the dedicated faculty who teach them!
You may wonder how your child will benefit when you make a charitable gift to RCDS. Our school is well known for academic excellence in a warm, nurturing environment. Both are supported not only by your tuition dollars but also by many charitable contributions from our families and friends. Our small classes, talented teachers, reading and mat resources, cutting edge technology, and many exceptional offerings in the arts and athletics are all enhanced by contributions from donors like you. Your gift to Annual Giving – the school’s most important and impactful fundraising priority each year – is necessary because tuition alone does not cover the true cost of educating your child. In fact, tuition covers approximately 80% of the cost at most private day schools (at RCDS, it is currently approximately 92%). That’s why independent schools need endowments, supplementary revenue from activities such as summer camps and facilities rentals, and yes, fundraising. Since our school is a relatively small community, as compared to a university or hospital, we have many fewer supporters. Several families make our school their philanthropic priority for just this reason. Annual Giving, capital campaigns for special projects, endowment funds in support of the facility, financial aid and the faculty, gifts of securities, planned giving in the form of bequests etc., and gifts in kind are just some of the ways you can help advance the mission of The Rumson Country Day School.
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How to Give
There are numerous ways that you can make a 100% tax-deductible gift in support of excellence at The Rumson Country Day School. Every donation makes a difference and is greatly appreciated!
Credit Card Visa/MC/Discover: Online: www.rcds.org/donate By Phone: 732-842-0527 ext. 1142 Check/Cash by mail to the Development Office: The Rumson Country Day School Development Office 35 Bellevue Avenue Rumson, NJ 07760 Matching Gifts: Double or triple the impact of your gift by triggering a corporate match from your or your spouse’s employer. For a list of participating companies, please visit www.rcds.org/matchinggifts Note: RCDS credits the donor with corporate matching funds when identifying Leadership gift levels. For example, a personal gift of $1,000 and a corporate match of $1,000 would recognize a donor at the 1926 Club Leadership Level for a total gift of $2,000.
Gifts of Securities: Gifts of common stock or other securities may have added benefits to donors, such as an income tax charitable deduction and/or a capital gains tax savings. Contact the Director of Institutional Advancement, Jessica Goski, at jgoski@rcds.org or 732-842-0527 ext. 1142 to receive complete transfer instructions.
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OUR MISSION: The Rumson Country Day School, founded in 1926 as an independent educational institution, seeks: • to provide students from all communities with a dynamic, challenging academic experience in a safe and supportive environment; • to nourish academic excellence, individual and social responsibility, civic awareness, and leadership skills; • to inspire our graduates to become life-long learners able to thrive, contribute, and excel in a demanding secondary school environmentand in today’s global society.
Contact Us: Jessica Goski, Director of Institutional Advancement (732) 842-0527 ext. 1142 or jgoski@rcds.org The Rumson Country Day School has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this Annual Report. We apologize for any omissions or misrepresentations. If we have made an error or omission, please let us know and we will correct it immediately in this online Annual Report. Please note that this report reflects giving from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
The Rumson Country Day School 35 Bellevue Avenue • Rumson, NJ • 07760 • 732-842-0527 • www.rcds.org
KIND • HONEST • RESPONSIBLE • RESPECTFUL