“The Community Dinner is a beautiful RCDS tradition that highlights the incredible work of students across all three divisions. It showcases their meaningful engagement with important social issues and the depth of their learning. Witnessing their passion and commitment in action is a powerful reflection of our guiding motto: Not for Self, but for Service.”
– Rebecca Drago, Director of Public Purpose

Rye Country Day students, families, faculty, staff, and community partners gathered to celebrate the community engagement work of students at the Public Purpose Community Dinner on Wednesday, May 20.

Director of Public Purpose Rebecca Drago opened her remarks by reflecting on the meaning of public purpose and its importance in our world today. 

Fourth graders Emilia Blundell, Jasmine Joseph, Claire Li, Gaëlle Lorans, Lila Vigeland delivered the keynote address, sharing their reflections on their work in the H.O.M.E. Lower School Sustainability Group.

The Upper School Jazz Band delivered an outstanding performance.

Head of School Randall Dunn congratulated participating students and emphasized the importance of public purpose work in school communities.

The Lower School student leaders concluded their remarks by reflecting on the importance of making a difference and also made suggestions for how to be more sustainable in everyday life. Attendees then walked through the Middle and Upper School buildings, where students presented projects and engaged visitors in conversations about their work. The wide range of initiatives on display served as a powerful reflection of Rye Country Day School's commitment to public purpose and community engagement.

Featured Projects & Partnerships: 

LOWER SCHOOL

Pre-K with 4th Grade Buddies & the Carver Center
Pre-K & Grade 4 Students

Kindergarten & The Osborn Senior Living Center
Kindergarten Students 

Grade 1 & Rye Nature Center
Grade 1 Students

Grade 3 & Arc Westchester
Hanyang Duan, Ava Gandhi, Alice Honorowski, Katherine Karangelen, Lillie McCrory, 
Claire Macleod, Rafaella Miller, John Smeal 

H.O.M.E. Lower School Sustainability Group
Emilia Blundell, Jasmine Joseph, Claire Li, Gaëlle Lorans, Lila Vigeland

Can-Do Drive With Grade 4
Eliza Aidi, Ella Chang, Olivia Shanahan, Max Share, Spencer Weinberg

Paws for a Cause: Lower School World Wildlife Fund Group
Frances Bates, Sydney Essick, Allie Fenyes, Avery Hess, Shiloh Kennedy, Elinor McGuire, Sophia Mchugh, Chiara Narendra, Chantilly Roche, Etta Thompson, Kit Wells, Laney Whatley

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Grade 5 & the Hudson River Clearwater
Violet Baron, Sarina Carino, Lauren Lenzin, Arav Shah, Xander Thomas, Emma Zhou

Grade 6 Partnerships: Meals on Main Street & Our New Way Garden
Mila Gupta, Michael Karangelen, Georgia Kennedy, Mira Keswani,  Anton Li, Cece Whatley

City Squash
Alexander Jiang, Magnus Juran, Octavian Steinert, Leila Xiao, William Zhang

Crazy Horse Memorial
Jayan Kesavan, Gavin Rusch, Ethan Weisenbeck, Daniel Wolff

Breakthrough T1D
Pepper Bates, Tito Otakoya, Adeline Polisi, Ellie Schaible 

The New York Common Pantry
Zayd Kherani, Ethan Weisenbeck

Ronald McDonald House
Lia Bischoff, Mikaela Chang, KC Greenberger, Jordan Herzog, Caroline McCooey 

The Sharing Shelf
Daniel Allen, Eric Ardire, Drew Kantor, Jackson Nhaissi, Mason Wirth

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center 
Joy Adams, Caroline Bhatt, Shea Baumeister, Adrienne Livingston, Charlotte Stern 

Paws Crossed
Stephanie Bataeva, Amaya Diaz, Isabel Hickey, Apolline Panie, Maëlle Rouzier, Anya Verma, Clemence Viet

Save the Sound
Robert Dorin, Matteo Marziani, James Slater, Gray Wells

Building One Community
Walker Brown, Luke Green, Kevin Liang, Mason Yang 

Feeding Westchester
Michael Chen, Christian Holland, Lucas Ma

The SPCA Westchester
Maclane Auerbach, Katherine Bjornson, Leticia Blundell, Hanling Duan, Caroline Masucci, Melanie Santos, Lauren Stokes

United Hatzalah
William Bommer, Rhys Davies, Cole Sisitsky

Westchester Humane Society 
Clara Formato, Carson Grzywacz, Madeline Honorowski, Ellie Javitch, Sabrina Mason, Catharine Mohraz, Chloe Schuster, Madison Steiner

Good Sports
Conrad Chua, Sheamus Eylward, Justin Goldman, Max Herz, Jack McGrail, Colson Mates, Rob Mulderry

Kids in Crisis
Declan Marlow, Lucas Shalette 

Sound Waters
Matthew Greene, Nikolas Rowland, Anand Shah, Ian Zhao 

Lustgarten Foundation
Nina Metrailler, Jordana Ponticelli

Midnight Run 
Brooke Winter, Meimei Zhao

UPPER SCHOOL

Community Chords Public Purpose Club
Teddy Kroin, Chiara Perkins

Community Engagement Fellowship: Feeding Westchester
Eda Buyuk 

Organic Barrow Non-Profit & Public Purpose Club
Charlie Macguffie, William Schaible

Project Sunshine Public Purpose Club
Lucas Goldman, Anna O'Mary, Simon Worman 

Adult SET Program
Dana DaCosta, Matthew Lee

Public Purpose Student Leadership Board Blood Drive & Walkathon
Lincoln Feng, Julia Gallardo, Ishana Kumar, Chase Talpins, Tancrede Weinstein, Amaya Yokuty

Go Pink Public Purpose Club
Alison Gipstein, Hannah Lewis 

Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Public Purpose Club
Henry Burgess, Reese Morrow, Abigail Smith 

SCOPE Program
Julia Burgess, Elsa Reisman 

SET Program
Hank Brown, Ella Schwalbe, Dani Winter

SiSTEM Program
Maleah Dunkley, Darren Wong, Kaitlyn Wong

Therapeutic Photography for Cancer Patients in Partnership with Soul Ryeders
Juliette Moore

The Commercial Small Loan Pilot
Tia Agarwal