On Friday, January 16, Rye Country Day honored the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with special programming in each division.

Upper School
In the Upper School, the English Department partnered with the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to host poet and Director of Manhattanville University's Creative Writing Program Iain Haley Pollock. The visit was a homecoming for Mr. Pollock, who previously served as RCDS’s English Department Chair. Mr. Pollock delivered a moving poetry reading, interspersed with reflections on his personal journey and the power of poems to confront inherited myths—about nation, identity, and belonging. Mr. Pollock emphasized that writing can invite more honest, complex narratives about who we are and who we aspire to be. 

After the reading, Dana DaCosta ’26 and Maleah Dunkley ’27 engaged Mr. Pollock in a thoughtful Q&A about his work, the legacy of Dr. King, and more. The day continued with a slate of 20 courage-themed workshops led by RCDS faculty members and administrators, including Head of School Randall Dunn whose workshop was titled Invictus: Our Personal Stories of Courage. A seminar and poetry workshop with Mr. Pollock titled Writing Toward Justice was among the offerings.

Upper School Workshops: 
Embracing Ambiguity
Sports, Courage & Character 
Invictus: Our Personal Stories of Courage    
What Happens to a Dream Deferred?    
Dangerous: Courage, Creativity & MLK    
Say It So the World Hears You    
Courage in Color and Numbers: W.E.B. DuBois at the World's Fair    
The Courage to Hope    
Exploring Our Intersectional Lens/I AM FROM Poem
Ordinary Heroes & How Social Psychology Shapes Courage
The Third Thing
Reflections on Non-Violence: Lessons from King, Ghandi, and Mandela
Identity, Voice and Justice Through Photography
Courage Made Visible: A Workshop in Collage
AI & Activism: How Technology is Changing Social Movements
The Music of the Moment
Words That Move the World: The Power of Language in Leadership
Finding Your Voice Through Movement
Writing Toward Justice: A Seminar & Poetry Writing Workshop

Lower & Middle School
The Lower and Middle School welcomed former teacher and author of “Never Too Much” Aundrea Tabbs-Smith, who gave a beautiful presentation about Dr. King, highlighting his positive impact.

In the Lower School, Ms. Tabbs-Smith asked student volunteers to read lines from various picture books demonstrating the power of words to support self-confidence. The presentation concluded with the entire division singing and singing “Give Light,” a beloved song among our Lower Schoolers. 

In the Middle School, Ms. Tabbs-Smith read a chapter from her book “The Quiet Black Girl” and emphasized the importance of trusting one’s own voice, just as Dr. King did. 

Thank you to Mr. Pollock and Ms. Tabbs-Smith for returning to RCDS to lead meaningful programs celebrating Dr. King’s enduring legacy of justice, service, courage, and compassion.

Day of Social Impact and RCC Lunch & Dialogue

To honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rye Country Day School held its annual Day of Social Impact in the PAC Foyer this past Saturday. 

Students, along with their parents and guardians, put together winter care packages and created greeting cards for Building One Community (B1C), an immigrant resource center in Stamford. Each package included hats, gloves, scarves, and socks, as well as hygiene items, chapstick, and coloring books for kids and toddlers.

Following the Day of Social Impact,  the Parents Association’s RCDS Community Connections (RCC) Committee and the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosted a special RCC Lunch & Dialogue to reflect and connect around the theme of courage. In a thoughtful conversation moderated by Director of Global Studies Dan Murray, guests explored how compassionate, hopeful courage shows up in our families, strengthens our school community, and guides our children as they learn to navigate an ever-changing world. 

Many thanks to the Offices of Public Purpose and DEI, B1C, and the RCDS faculty and parent volunteers who made these meaningful events possible. Both gatherings placed Rye Country Day’s commitments to service and community at the heart of our observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.