A Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12 co-educational independent day school in Westchester County, New York
A Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 12 co-educational independent day school in Westchester County, New York
At Rye Country Day School, you will find community. RCDS is a place where students are engaged and supported; where they can take advantage of countless opportunities to learn, team, create, and discover; and where they are encouraged to be true to themselves.
We believe that character, knowledge, and skills are the foundation of good citizenship. The School has a strong tradition of excellence in teaching and learning, of knowing and approaching students as individuals, and of instilling a lifelong commitment to our motto, Not for Self, but for Service.
Excellence happens at Rye Country Day because of a shared commitment to realizing our individual and collective potential within a diverse and inclusive community. RCDS is an ever-evolving institution unafraid of new challenges and ideas. We learn thoughtfully from the lessons of the past and look eagerly to the possibilities of the future.
We believe in an admissions experience that is personal and reciprocal. We get to know each applicant and their family to create tailored opportunities for them to learn about Rye Country Day and how it might be the place and community where they can learn and thrive. Connect with us. Learn, explore, and discover what a Rye Country Day education might mean for you.
If you have any questions or would like to speak with someone about what Rye Country Day might mean for your family, please reach out to us at (914) 925-4513 or admissions@ryecountryday.org. You may also sign up to receive emails once-a-month from the Office of Admissions. Each newsletter will include application information, upcoming event dates, and school news.
Beyond the classroom, the friendships formed here are genuine and lasting, creating a network of support that extends far beyond graduation. It’s a truly special place to have attended and to now have my children attend.
- Alum
Rye Country Day is the place for academically focused and passionate students who thrive in hardworking environments. With the strong support system of friends and teachers I've built since coming to RCDS as a freshman, I've grown not only as a student, but as a person.
- Grade 12 Student
There are so many clubs focused on countless topics and interests and the student leadership is passionate and sincere. The people here are earnest and genuinely want to do their best - it's a really positive environment to learn in.
- Grade 10 Student
The theatre and music department is incredible, with the school hosting many impressive showcases throughout the year. Every week I get a notification from the school notice board congratulating someone for an extraordinary accomplishment.
- Grade 10 Student
While RCDS does prioritize academic excellence, the athletic and clubs/activities programs allow for growth outside of the classroom and with peers. The most meaningful part of my RCDS career are the opportunities I have had to build connections and friendships with students across grade levels and walks of life.
- Grade 12 Student
I have been at RCDS for over 10 years and I have enjoyed every second of it. In Lower School, the teachers were some of the best and most motivated people I have ever met. They constantly encouraged me to contribute and engage in discussions with my classmates, and they made me feel welcomed and wanted each day. In Middle School, I began to be pushed to a higher level of work by my teachers and my classmates, and I easily encountered resources and opportunities to grow as a student and as a person. In High School, I have found a balance between work and life, allowing for fun and enjoyment outside of school.
- Grade 12 Student
My middle schooler has grown a solid bond with her classmates... A truly tight knit community through all grades. Love RCDS.
- Current Parent
RCDS prepared my high schooler very well for college study. All the faculty are very supportive and nice. So are the peers.
- Current Parent
What is most wonderful about the School is that it lives up to its motto of service to others and emphasis on kindness and community. The students are each other’s best cheerleaders, ready to lend a helping hand if needed and applauding each other’s successes.
- Current Parent
As a parent of both an Upper School and Middle School student, I have only great things to say about the school. The school provides a rigorous academic program that not only prepares students for the college application process but beyond that, by teaching them important skills such as critical thinking and excellence in writing.
The students are provided with ample opportunities to explore their area of interest (it’s an all around school with something for everyone), as well as plenty of leadership opportunities.- Current Parent
Character. Knowledge. Skills. Citizenship.
Rye Country Day School has three divisions, which are focused on the different cognitive and emotional needs of students as they progress from early childhood to pre-adulthood. As they progress through the divisions, students gradually and surely achieve ever-evolving levels of sophistication and fluency in subjects across the curriculum.
Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 4
Grades 5 - 8
Grades 9 - 12
When visitors walk through the hallways of our school and observe classes, they see vibrant students who are engaged and genuinely eager to learn. RCDS students are committed to working hard—they do their homework, they are active in class, and they challenge themselves consistently to grow and achieve.
Teaching at RCDS means being an agent of inspiration for students and colleagues alike. The School is committed to recruiting and retaining the very best teachers. It is not uncommon for faculty to move great distances in order to teach at Rye Country Day.
At Rye Country Day, students belong. The entire community works to make sure that all students experience a strong sense of connection within a diverse, inclusive, and equitable environment, which is critical to learning.
At RCDS, students do not have to choose between athletic and creative pursuits—they can do both. The School offers numerous athletic opportunities via 72 interscholastic teams, and the size of our community means that there is room for every student to participate. At the same time, students can pursue various creative interests across disciplines supported by committed faculty and incredible facilities from videography studios to concert practice rooms, dance studios, state-of-the-art theaters, ceramics studios, and manual arts shops.
Joy is an essential part of the RCDS experience. When you walk through our halls, you see smiling students and happy teachers. We strive to tap into joy on a daily basis.
RCDS teachers are not just subject teachers, they’re teachers of empathy, kindness, and confidence. They’re also advisors and coaches. They champion learning that extends beyond their disciplines and divisions to provide a cohesive education of the “whole child."
Small class sizes and teachers who collaborate with each other care deeply about their students enable us to fulfill our promise of a nurturing environment that ignites a passion for learning in each individual student.
RCDS is committed to providing students with the skills they need to be 21st-century thinkers and changemakers. At Rye Country Day, learning crosses disciplines, and knowledge and aptitudes transfer to new and exciting problems.
Rye Country Day students enjoy the benefits of a small school coupled with facilities that are more typical of larger institutions. Our campus features innovation labs, theaters, turf fields, and entire buildings dedicated to the arts, complete with a black box theater, a design makerspace, and visual arts studios equipped with the best equipment. Students get to learn and work in all of these spaces within a curriculum that encourages exploration. The result is eager, experienced, adventurous, and multifaceted thinkers and learners.
RCDS is actively committed to diversity and inclusion, and the diversity of our community is a great point of pride for our faculty and students. In admissions surveys, RCDS families cited the School’s commitment to exciting academics and a diverse community as the top two reasons they chose to enroll. Our curriculum considers diversity in its many aspects including learning the language of diversity, understanding diversity identifiers, representing diversity in class content, and engaging across difference.
We hope to meet you during one of our in-person campus tours. In the meantime, you can explore virtually through our online campus tour.
Our Admissions Student Leaders are current senior students who are ready to answer your questions!
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