Happiest 150th Birthday Rye Country Day School! Mary "Bunnie" '34 David '66, Penny '60, Betty '68, and Dick '63 Mary '99, Laurie '92 and Ricky '94 Brennan '30, Graham '30, Charlotte '22, George '25 and Connor '28 You have been a part of our past and are now shaping our future. Congratulations on this magnificent milestone; our family has loved growing with you. Love, The Mary Struthers Pinkham Family Who knew that when you mix blue and gold you get PINK! 1 Dear Friends, Welcome to Rye Country Day School’s Blue & Gold Ball. It’s not often we can say that we have a 150th birthday to celebrate! I am thrilled to be able to share this momentous occasion with all of you. The Parents Association Spring Benefit takes place every other year and is the single largest fundraiser for our organization. Funds raised at the Blue & Gold Ball will be used for student scholarships, faculty professional grants, equipment grants and more, all of which further enhance the educational experience at RCDS. Please join me in congratulating the Blue & Gold Ball Co-Chairs, Lisa Allen and Elizabeth Moyer. Their boundless enthusiasm, creativity and tireless dedication are clearly evident in the enormous success of this event. Of course, none of it would be possible without their extraordinary committee chairs: Laurie Ballantoni, Aileen Burdick, Sarah Coady, Ann Colin, Lisa Fallon, Laura Formato, Tara Hennigan, Blanca Hirani, Tess Resman James, Lisa King, Kelly Mulderry, Kim Pinkham, Greg Russo, Sarah Smith, Michele Stuart, Kimberly Thurston, and Rachel Weiss. As parent volunteers, we also have the pleasure of working with an incomparable group of administrators, faculty and staff. Special thanks to Susan & Scott Nelson, Bob Brody, Genevieve Gaubron, Eliza McLaren, Lynette Gioffre, Wendy Haft and Vanessa Odenbach for all of their help making the Blue & Gold Ball possible. Though our campus has undergone tremendous expansion and improvement over the past 150 years, it is the people who enliven those spaces, with their care and commitment to students, who make RCDS such an exceptional school. We are deeply grateful. Tonight our incredible community gathers as one to celebrate 150 years of excellence—current parents, past parents, current faculty, past faculty, alumni and staff. Thank you for your support of Rye Country Day School. I know generations of RCDS students will benefit from your generosity for years to come. Enjoy the celebration! With gratitude, Lea Stevens Parents Association President 2 To our incredible Blue & Gold Ball (aka BAGB) committee, Thank you for being a part of our school’s history by helping us create a celebration befitting Rye Country Day School’s 150 years. Thank you for the creativity and ingenuity you brought to the planning, the countless hours you spent researching and reaching out, and the dedication you gave to your individual areas. You are all the embodiment of our school motto, “Not for Self, but for Service.” We couldn’t have done it without you! Now, it’s time to blow out the candles and eat some cake. See you on the dance floor! With Wildcat gratitude, Elizabeth and Lisa HONORARY CHAIRS Faculty & Staff Ginny Black · Gil Castagna · Genevieve Gaubron · Jay Gerlach Alumni Maria Los Notias '88 · Kim Wachenheim Wagman '84 · Andrew Wiener '93 Parents of Alumni Adalina Eilbacher · Cynthia McClintock · Karen Sobel · Farrel Starker Past Faculty & Staff Dick Pike · Ginny Rowen COMMITTEE CHAIRS Laurie Ballantoni · Aileen Burdick · Sarah Coady · Ann Colin · Lisa Fallon · Laura Formato · Tara Hennigan · Blanca Hirani · Tess Resman James · Lisa King · Kelly Mulderry · Kim Pinkham · Greg Russo · Sarah Smith · Michele Stuart · Kimberly Thurston · Rachel Weiss COMMITTEE Loren Dinger · Sharon French · Joyce Guo · Sebastian Gutierrez · Yvette Hammel · Deborah Katz · Jennifer Kherani · Sara Leand · Blair Metrailler · Wendy Millan · Bets Miller · Lisa Owens · Rebecca Pedone · Elise Perlmutter · Lea Stevens · Jenna Weinberg · Elisabeth Wolfe 3 Dear Friends, Tonight is a very special occasion as we come together to celebrate Rye Country Day School and its first 150 years of educating and preparing young people to contribute to their world. I couldn’t be prouder of the RCDS that exists today, nor of the students or faculty who fill its halls. In some ways, today’s school seems light years away from the small, all-girls seminary that opened its doors in Rye 150 years ago. But when you look closer, you notice more similarities than differences. Even back in the late 19th century, a Rye Country Day education meant more than just the Three R’s, as its founder, Susan J. Life, proposed to prepare her students for college and a life of service and understanding. It was Mrs. Life who coined our motto, Not for Self, but for Service, and it is that motto that has acted as a guide star to all the leaders and faculty of RCDS down through the decades. Today, we find our students still hewing close to its teachings, fashioning a life of meaning through educational exploration and service to others. Imagine if Susan J. Life could see us tonight! I think she would be amazed – and gratified – that her experiment in educational innovation had resulted in such a vibrant, dedicated community. So, let’s celebrate! Let’s celebrate all the accomplishments of the last 150 years and all the challenges met, and let’s celebrate the next 150 years and the students and leaders of the future. May they continue to find meaning and satisfaction in educational pursuit and the use of that education to improve their world. Many thanks to Lisa Allen and Elizabeth Moyer, the chairs of tonight’s event, and to their committee members for the many, many weeks of planning and work. This Blue & Gold Ball will surely go down in history as a memorable capstone to Rye Country Day School’s Sesquicentennial. Sincerely, Scott A. Nelson Headmaster 4 The Blue & Gold Ball would not be possible without the generosity of the Rye Country Day School community.* We are deeply grateful for your support. BLUE & GOLD BALL SPONSORS Lisa & Julian Allen•Jennifer & Tom Davidson•Rose & Tyler Dickson•Linie & Bill Featherston• Arielle & Jon Jachman•Tina & Andrew Mathias•Mara & Jeffrey Talpins ICING ON THE CAKE $1,000 TICKETS Lisa & Julian Allen•Jennifer & Eric Blake•Lizzie & Eric Bommer•Aileen & Ted Burdick•Christie Davidson & Anton Pil•Jennifer & Tom Davidson•Marla & Gregg Felton•Stephanie & Eric Geveda•Amanda & Kevin Kavanagh•Lisa & Toby King•Jennifer & Dave Madden• Lea & Eric Medow•Bets & Rod Miller•Elizabeth & Grant Moyer•Kristin & David Oddi•Lisa & Todd Owens•Amy & Brian Pennington•Susie & Rick Schnall•Lea & Chip Stevens•Andrea & Peter Sullivan•Mara & Jeffrey Talpins•Kimberly & David Thurston•Kim & David Wagman•Jessica & Andrew Wiener•Elisabeth & Ed Wolfe CAKE AND ICE CREAM $500 TICKETS Laurie & Jonathan Bass•Wendy & Jason Block•Whitney Bowe & Joshua Auerbach•Kim & Thomas Bumbolow•Kathleen & Thomas Carroll•Sarah & James Coady•Brett Condron•Happy & Craig Daily•Rose & Tyler Dickson•Loren & Michael Dinger•Sarah Dodds-Brown & Henry Brown•Darby & Nick Dunn•Francesca & Edward Dunn•Danielle & Evan Eason•Amy & Stephen Fisch•Lee Flanagan & Anthony DiCaprio•Eva & Vincent Giagni•Tara Hennigan & Dominic Lamanuzzi•Caroline & Mark Honorowski•Arielle & Jon Jachman•Kerry & Michael Karangelen•Deborah & Noah Katz•Michelle & David Kroin•Christa & Kevin Lauri•Emily Lazar•Sara & Paul Leand•Ling & George Liu•Jani & Joshua Mason•Cynthia McClintock•Kathy & Ernest Megdanis•Blair & Edouard Metrailler•Sarah & Richard Murphy•Hanayo & Kenji Nakano•Rupal & Alpesh Patel•Rosa & Christopher Perkins•Kimberly & Richard Pinkham•Sarah & Sean Reynolds•Liz & John Roddy•Cindy & Scott Roskind•Sarah & Tapan Shah•Sarah & Oliver Smith•Sarah & Scott Snell•Alka & Nikhil Thukral•Marian Wright & Greg Boester FACULTY TICKET UNDERWRITING Laura & Andrew Adams•Lisa & Julian Allen•Lisa & Doug Antonacci•Laurie & Jonathan Bass•Aileen & Ted Burdick•Kristin & Francis Casale•Nina & Jon Cheigh•Ann & Sam Colin•Brett Condron• Rose & Tyler Dickson•Francesca & Edward Dunn•Lee Flanagan & Anthony DiCaprio•Stephanie & Eric Geveda•Kelly Grayer•Mara & Matthew Herman•Gloria & Jeffrey Holtman•Arielle & Jon Jachman•Amanda & Kevin Kavanagh•Michelle & David Kroin•Kristin & Gerard Mattia•Lea & Eric Medow•Kathy & Ernest Megdanis• Wendy & Adrian Millan•Sarah & Richard Murphy•Lisa & Todd Owens•Rupal & Alpesh Patel•Patty Perez & Neil Stronski•Rosa & Christopher Perkins•Alyssa & David Portny•Melissa & Penry Price•Liz & John Roddy•Susie & Rick Schnall•Zora & Pavel Schukin•Denise & Kunal Shah•Stephanie & Jarod Stern•Kim & David Wagman•Marian Wright & Greg Boester CONFETTI Gloria & Jeffrey Holtman•Mimi & Andrew Shea With special thanks to: Opici Wines & Dina Wallach for the Prosecco. Anheuser-Busch & Tess Resman James for the beer. Food Town & Deborah & Noah Katz for the mixers and soft drinks. Taconic Distillery for the gin and bourbon. *list as of March 1, 2019 5 Dear Friends, Tonight, we celebrate the sesquicentennial of Rye Country Day School. I feel very fortunate and proud to be part of such a long tradition of excellence, and hope you feel the same. Our truly outstanding faculty, staff, and administrators make RCDS the exceptional place that it is, inspiring our children to excel in academics, athletics, arts, and service to others. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I would like to express deep gratitude for all they do for our children. I would also like to congratulate and thank the volunteers whose tireless efforts have made this night possible. They have harnessed the creative talents and generosity of our community members to create this incredible evening for us to share. Benefit Chairs Lisa Allen and Elizabeth Moyer Committee Chairs Laurie Ballantoni, Aileen Burdick, Sarah Coady, Ann Colin, Lisa Fallon, Laura Formato, Tara Hennigan, Blanca Hirani, Tess Resman James, Lisa King, Kelly Mulderry, Kim Pinkham, Greg Russo, Sarah Smith, Michele Stuart, Kimberly Thurston, and Rachel Weiss. Thank you to Lea Stevens, Parents Association President, whose thoughtful and dedicated leadership has fostered a strong sense of community and school spirit these past two years.