Rye Country Day School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Headmaster | Mr. Scott A. Nelson |
|---|---|
| Upper School Principal | Mr. Paul Wieman |
| Middle School Principal | Mr. Isola |
| Lower School Principal | Mrs. Barbara K. Shea |
| School Type | Private, co-ed |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Technology | (See below) |
| Location | Rye, New York, United States |
| Mascot | Wildcat |
| School Newspaper | Rye Crop |
| School Yearbook | Echo |
| School Annual Publication | Bulletin (Spring/Fall) |
| School Colors | Blue and Gold |
Rye Country Day School, or RCDS, is a co-educational, college preparatory school in Rye, New York, in the United States.
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[edit] History
In 1869, The Seminary was purchased by the Misses Harriet and Mary Stowe, two members of the faculty. Upon assuming leadership, the Stowe sisters initiated significant changes in the curriculum.
During this period the school introduced college preparatory programs for women. Conscious of the potential financial risk for a strictly proprietary institution, a group of parents bought The Seminary in 1917 and established it as a nonprofit day school under the direction of a board of trustees.
The year 1921 saw The Seminary merge with a boys' school from nearby Harrison, New York - The Rye Country School - and became known as The Rye Country Day Schools. In 1928, the "s" was dropped from the word "Schools." To accommodate the presence of boys, the campus experienced a period of growth and development. At this time, the School offered a program for girls from kindergarten through grade twelve, and a program for boys from kindergarten through grade nine. It was not until 1964 that the Board of Trustees extended the enrollment for boys through grade twelve.
[edit] Students and the School
[edit] Clubs
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[edit] Modern Languages
In March, 2006, Rye Country Day School announced two new additions to the Modern Language department for the next academic year: In Lower School, parents will now chose between Spanish or French for their child in grades 2-4. Fifth Graders and their parents will also make this choice. Additionally, Mandarin Chinese will also be offered to sixth and seventh grade students (first half of Level 1) and to all Upper School students (full year course covering Level 1.) After discussion of adding a non-western language to the curriculum, the administration decided to move forward with the Mandarin Chinese initiative.
With the addition of Mandarin and change of language options in Lower School, the break-down of each grade follows:
- Grade 2-4: Choice of Spanish or French.
- Grade 5: Introductory class of Spanish, French, or Latin.
- Grade 6: Semi-introductory class of Spanish, French, or Latin.
- Grades 7-8: Continuation of Spanish, French, or Latin; or an Introduction to Mandarin (second half of Level 1 is covered in the first 3 languages.)
- Grades 9-12: Through Level 3 (minimum) of following languages must be completed. Additional languages may be added during Level 3 of original language or after.
- Spanish (Honors levels available)
- French (Honors levels available)
- Latin (Honors levels available)
- Mandarin
[edit] The Arts
[edit] Music
All students in grades Pre-K through 6 are required to have music in their schedules and all Upper School students are required to have a minimum credit exposure to music.
- Students in grades Pre-K-4 participate in "music classes" with their class.
- Students in grades 5-6 are required to pick either Band or Choir (or both) for the school year.
- Students in grades 7-8 have the option, but are not required to take a music class. Classes offered are Band and Choir. Students in Band can chose to play in the Middle School Jazz band and those in Choir can be in the Cubscats, the junior version of the Wildscats, the school's a capella group.
- Students in grades 9-12 have the option, but are not required to take a music class. Classes offered are Band, Choir, Music Survey, and Music Theory. Of these four, Music Survey is the only required class. Additionally, there is a Jazz Band for students in Band, and 3 sub-choirs: Madrigals, Bel Canto, and Wildscats (the a capella group).
[edit] Drama
Acting classes and shows are produced multiple times per year. Below is a list of some common drama events put on annually.
- Fall U.S. Drama (most recently Dark Of The Moon)
- Winter U.S. Student/Faculty Musical (most recently South Pacific in February, 2006, Upcoming: The Mystery of Edwin Drood)
- M.S. [7/8 Concert Choir] Musical (most recently Schoolhouse Rock in March, 2006)
- Spring U.S. One-Acts
Classes offered are:
- Middle School
- Acting Workshop
- Upper School
- Art of Comedy
- Acting Workshop
- ...and others
[edit] Fine Arts
Classes are offered at all levels that include the study of fine art. These classes include, but are not limited to:
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[edit] Athletics
[edit] Athletic Teams
| Sport | Level | Season | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baseball | V, JV, MS | Spring | Boys |
| Basketball | V, JV, MS | Winter | Boys, Girls |
| Cross-Country | V, JV, MS | Fall | Coed (MS and US) |
| Dance | n/a | all | Coed (MS and US) |
| Field Hockey | V, JV, MS | Fall | Girls |
| Fencing | V, JV | Winter | Boys, Girls |
| Football | V, JV, MS | Fall | Boys |
| Golf | V | Spring | Boys, Girls |
| Hockey | V, JV, MS | Winter | Boys, Girls |
| Lacrosse | V, JV, MS | Spring | Boys, Girls |
| Running Club | n/a | Spring | Coed |
| Sailing | V | Spring | Coed |
| Soccer | V, JV, MS | Fall | Boys, Girls |
| Softball | V, JV, MS | Spring | Girls |
| Squash | V, MS | Winter | Boys, Girls |
| Tennis | V, JV, MS | Fall (Girls), Spring (Boys) | Boys, Girls |
| Wrestling | V, JV, MS | Winter | Boys |
- V = Varsity, JV = Junior Varsity, MS = Middle School
[edit] Athletic Facilities
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[edit] Technology
Students in grades 7-12 are required to have a laptop computer (either Windows or Apple operating systems.) These students use the wireless signal that is available throughout campus in addition to multiple servers and an e-mail system. Students in 6th grade and below use the computer labs that are located in the lower, middle, and upper school.
[edit] Trivia
- During the 1970s, musician Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul, and Mary, would hold occasional evening concerts for students in the Library (currently the Upper School Art room.)
- During the time of the Vietnam War, RCDS Upper School students worked with the faculty to stage a walk-out protest of the war. The students met in the Amphitheater (located in the rear of the Pinkham Building), and processed down the hill, through downtown Rye and congregated in the Village Green by the Rye Library. At that location, students were addressed by a series of speakers.
[edit] Notable Persons
[edit] Alumni
- Barbara Bush (left prior to graduation), former First Lady
- Savion Glover, Actor/Tap Dancer
- John Treacy Egan, Actor
- Tova Snyder, Artist
- Barry Mendel, Producer
- Steven Otis, Politician
- Robi Hager, Actor in Spring Awakening
- Richard Stevenson Parker (a.k.a. Parker Stevenson), Actor
- Edward Albee, Playwright (left prior to graduation)
- Derek Sykes, Musician
[edit] Teachers
- Margaret Hamilton, Kindergarten Teacher turned Actress
- Eric Everett, Drama and Stage Design Teacher turned Singer
- Bitsy Nebauer, former MS Science teacher is the mother of Christopher Atkins
