Rockland Country Day School Explained

Rockland Country Day School
Streetaddress:34 Kings Highway
City:Congers
State:New York
Zipcode:10920
Country:USA
Coordinates:41.1482°N -73.9458°W
Oversight:Board of Trustees
Affiliation:None
Head Label:Head of School
Schooltype:Private
Grades:PreK-12
Campus:Former Farm with Organic Garden and Forest
Campus Size:20acres
Motto:E Radicibus Fortibus Floremus (From Strong Roots We Flourish)
Accreditation:New York State Association of Independent Schools[1]
Team Name:Cougars
Nickname:RCDS
School Colours:Green and White
Yearbook:Yes
Established:1959
Status:closed
Enrollment:1
Ceeb:335281
Homepage:http://www.rocklandcds.org

Rockland Country Day School was a private coed college-preparatory school that served students in Pre-K through 12th grade. It was located in Congers, New York and was founded in 1959 as an alternative to public education in Rockland County. The school's stated mission was to "[bring] forth the best in every student by knowing and educating each of them as an individual." In 2019 the school was to have celebrated its 60th anniversary, but on August 20, 2019, the school announced it would be closing.[2]

History

The Rockland Country Day School was established in 1959 by a group of local community leaders including Pem McCurdy and Kendall Pennypacker,[3] led by Prof. Charles Frankel of Columbia University. Originally located in South Nyack, New York, the school moved to Congers, New York when it outgrew its original location. The Congers location was sold to the Town of Clarkstown and the school leased the property back for a planned five year term,[4] however in August 2019, the school announced it would close due to declining enrollment and fiscal challenges.[5]

Curriculum

RCDS focused on an individualized approach to education for each of its students. The Pre-K through Grade 12 curriculum offered a variety of academics, arts and inquiry, with multi-age classes and opportunities for mentorship and leadership across the grades. They had relatively small classes, with a roughly 7-to-1 student to teacher ratio.

Notable alumni

Notes and References

  1. Web site: New York State Association of Independent Schools: Rockland Country Day School .
  2. Web site: Rockland Country Day School closing its doors after 60 years.
  3. News: Brum . Robert . Rockland Country Day School closing 'a punch to the gut' for alumni . en-US . 2022-07-15.
  4. News: Brum . Robert . Rockland Country Day School closing: Here's where students wound up . en-US . 2022-07-15.
  5. News: rcbizjournal . 2021-04-21 . Clarkstown Delays Zoning Vote On Rockland Country Day School But Still Considering Affordable Senior Housing . en-US . 2022-07-15.
  6. Web site: Kramer. Peter D.. Rockland Country Day alums Lea Michele, other talents, went on to fame. 2021-03-09. The Journal News. en-US.
  7. Web site: Secrets of NXIVM. February 11, 2012.