THE ROCKY HILL COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL BULLETIN 2020 SPRING years of inspiring students to 85 think outside SPRING 2020 1 John Muir once said, “In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” I believe Muir would relish our commitment to allow our students to play outside, to rest outside, to think outside, and in that commitment giving them the opportunity to flourish in ways beyond what they seek. In the pages that follow, I hope you experience vicariously the fresh and exciting ways Rocky Hill Country Day students grow and explore. Diane Rich Head of School years of inspiring 1934 A local preschool is formed, students to which is the genesis for Rocky 85 think outside Hill Day School. 2 ROCKY HILL COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL BULLETIN Know Thyself We’ve been here for 85 years, growing from a True to our motto “know thyself,” which we and small schoolhouse in 1934. In 1941, Nathan Hale, our students continue to aspire to, we decided a descendant of the Revolutionary war hero, to restore our name back to Rocky Hill Country named our school Rocky Hill Country Day School. Day School this fall. We have retained the original As such, we joined the progressive Country Day crest for use on official documents, and designed a School movement. This movement was designed modernized one as our logo to reflect our forward to replicate the academic rigor and character thinking mindset. With one foot firmly rooted in our building of the best boarding schools, but in a heritage and the other in our future, we are excited country campus setting where students could still to continue educating students and helping children live at home. The philosophy focused on the whole to grow for another 85 years and beyond. child—enriching their mind, body, and spirit—as we still do today. think 1935outside1937 Dorothy Marshall moves the preschool to Lucius The 1st official schoolhouse is constructed Eldredge homestead on Division Street and it is for preschool through 3rd grade and is named Rocky Hill after the area. financed by Garry C. House. SPRING 2020 3 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Don McCaughey - President Monica Iacono Boss ’91 - Vice President Stephen G. Soscia - Treasurer Dr. Justine Johnson - Secretary 6 8 Dr. Elizabeth Allen The Art of Service More than Books Rachel Armentano, Middle & Wendy Gustavel, School Librarian Jason Arabian Upper School Art How the RHCD library has evolved Rich Clark ’85 Creative endeavors can have from a repository of literature into a Mitchell Edwards, Esq. deeper meanings that lead to the creative and emotional sanctuary. empowerment and understanding Erica Gregg, Esq. of others. Shawn Kerachsky Alex Millard Joan Osowa 12 14 The Bulletin is made possible by: Service Learning Design Thinking Rachel Armentano, Middle & Upper School Art, Middle School Service Connecting education Using future technology to Learning Coordinator; Maria Charbonneau with social responsibility understand today’s world Danckert ‘12, RHCD Alumni Association President; Karah Chartrand, Middle Ashley Lee, 1st Grade Charlie Laurent, 4th Grade School Science; Kristen Connell, Parent Teacher League President; Jan Cooney, How education can impact World changing ideas are rooted Director of Admissions & Financial communities through acts of in fresh perspectives and the Assistance; Beth DeGerlia, Assistant social good. willingness to push the boundaries Head of School for Advancement; Susan of perceived possibility. Fonseca Lanham, Global Impact Advisor, Director of Communictions; Matt Gnolfo, Director of Diversity, Upper School Latin; Wendy Gustavel, School Librarian; Mike Gwaltney, Head of Upper School; Michael Jedrey, Head of Middle School; Charlie Laurent, 4th Grade; Michael Lawson, Data & Facilities Coordinator; Ashley Lee, 1st Grade; Patty Pontarelli, Head of Lower School; Diane Rich, Head of School; 18 24 Belinda Snyman, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Upper School English; Literally Outside Milestones Missy Walker, Associate Director of Development; Megan Williams, The power of nature in Learning from our past, Director of Athletics; Eric Wyzga, education looking to our future Lower School Science Eric Wyzga, Lower School Diane Rich, Head of School, and Editor: Amadeus Finlay, Communications Science, and Karah Chartrand, Beth DeGerlia, Assistant Head of & Media Editor Middle School Science School for Advancement Design: Kristie Stark, Creative Director Photography: Peapod Design, Ruth Why outside learning helps Where we came from, how we got Clegg and Rob Lee students to develop essential there, and where we’re going in skills unavailable in conventional the future. classroom settings. 530 Ives Road East Greenwich, RI 02818 Rocky Hill Country Day School does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, gender, sexual orientation, age, handicap, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its admission, financial aid, employment, educational policies, or other school programs. 4 ROCKY HILL COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL BULLETIN 10 Taking a LEEP Michael Jedrey, Head of Middle School Understanding the lives of students across the world provides invaluable context for experiences at home. 16 20 22 26 THE MARINER WAY HOMECOMING AROUND THE ROCK Understanding the How excellence Celebrating our Highlights from the Experiences of Others in athletics goes alumni by welcoming past year beyond sporting them back to campus Rachel Armentano, Middle & Upper ability School Art, and Belinda Snyman, Upper School English Students learn how international relationships break down barriers 28 30 32 and stimulate positive conversation. FACULTY & STAFF NEW FACULTY, PTL NEWS HIGHLIGHTS MILESTONES & Highlights from major PTL events Acknowledging the FAREWELLS feats and successes of our leadership 34 36 42 COMMENCEMENT ALUMNI & ROCKIN’ REUNION Celebrating the CLASS NEWS Food trucks, games graduating class of and fire pits; our 2019 alumni know how to celebrate their school 44 46 DEVELOPMENT CLASS SCRIBES & REPORT IN MEMORIAM SPRING 2020 5 Creative thinking not only leads to creative solutions, but also to impactful community endeavors. think art 1941 1945 Nathan and Lillian Hale purchase Rocky Hill Country Day School Rocky Hill Day School for $5,000 graduates its first 9th grade class. and add Country to the name. 6 ROCKY HILL COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL BULLETIN The Art of Service Rachel Armentano, Middle & Upper School Art I love teaching art. In addition to creativity, art encourages students to think outside the studio and consider multiple points of view. The hope I have is that my students realize they have the opportunity to make a difference in the future, in a world where they will live as adults. I also want them to realize the impact that design has on their daily lives. Tying service learning to art is a powerful way to achieve all of this. Empty Bowls highlights the importance of social empathy and This past fall, I helped with a Preschool service the destructive power of hunger. project that benefited Amenity Aid, a local organization that provides personal hygiene items to Rhode Island shelters. We connected the students’ study of dental hygiene to the initiative by The 8th grade installation educated attendees making art with toothbrushes and floss, displaying about poverty. The class set up a dinner table in the work at a local coffee shop, and facilitating the middle of the art show with their bowls set a toothbrush drive. Student learning remained on mono-printed placemats. Spoons and place- the center of the project, while at the same time cards were also designed to incorporate the impacting a large audience who left more informed characteristics of varying levels of food insecurity or inspired. and facts about poverty locally, nationally, and globally. As their admission fee, each family who Each February, RHCD hosts a Middle School art attended was asked to bring a bag of canned goods show and a few years ago, I included our first for the North Kingstown Food Pantry. Empty Bowls exhibit, a project that generates awareness of hunger in communities through bowls Connecting service learning to art projects is made by students. 7th grade students created invaluable. The more we share what we are doing, papier-mâché bowls and wrote accompanying making, and learning with the School community, artist statements focused on empathy. This the stronger the impact our art, learning, and multi-disciplinary study revealed how meeting connections become. The challenge is explicitly basic human needs, like food, impacts the encouraging a culture of empathy and action, social-emotional lives of students. Each student pushing past a sense of guilt or pity for those represented two emotions through design, one on receiving the donations by understanding that the inside and the other on the outside of the bowl. social issues such as poverty and inequity are not One was a negative emotion that a young person everyone’s fault, but everyone’s responsibility. Using could experience if their basic needs were not the process of art-making, installation, and event consistently met, the other by a positive emotion planning, outreach education can extend student that well-supported, healthy students regularly potential. With this, students will continue to learn, experience throughout their school day, such as look for, and appreciate the relationship between focus, pride, and excitement. knowledge, art-making, action, and community. 1948 1954 RHCDS moves 245 students to Hopelands Hurricane Carol strikes just prior to the opening after major renovations. of school—clean-up