At the end of the 2025-26 school year, RCDS will bid farewell to two retiring faculty members whose dedication has inspired our community in countless ways. We express deep gratitude to these consummate educators and wish them all the best in retirement. 

Middle School Language Arts Teacher Ginny Black (48 years of service) and Middle/Upper School Band Director John Hager (26 years of service) have left a lasting imprint on RCDS academics and performing arts—and our hearts.

Scroll down to read about their many contributions to the RCDS community.

Ginny Black
MS Language Arts Teacher (48 years of service) 

After nearly five decades of bringing extraordinary dedication, heart, and soul to RCDS, Ginny Black will retire at the end of the 2025-26 school year. Ms. Black will leave behind a legacy of literary excellence and a deep love of teaching and learning that will be forever present in our school community.

“I really love children. I love books, I love writing, and I love grammar—the only place I could think to combine all of them is the classroom.”

Ms. Black began her career in education in Pennsylvania, serving as a practice teacher at Northwest High School in 1972 and later as a permanent substitute at Nanticoke High School and St. Hedwig’s School. From 1976 to 1978, she went on to teach Math and English at Wyoming Seminary and then English and Journalism at The Community School in Tehran, Iran. While building her teaching career, she earned her M.A. in English from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College, having previously received her B.A. in English from Wilkes University. She also holds an MFA in Writing from Manhattanville College.

Forty-eight years ago, in 1978, RCDS was privileged to welcome Ms. Black to campus as an English teacher in Grades 5-8, beginning what would become a deeply imprinting lifelong tenure. From that very moment, she has taught Language Arts with passion, purpose, and aplomb. In 1987, she became Grades 5-8 Language Arts Coordinator. Her early years at RCDS would combine her love of literature with teaching—all fueled by her enthusiasm for the magic of the middle school years! “Every day, Middle Schoolers do something different and new; their joy for life is so exciting … they’re like little sponges, and they love a challenge, and they love to laugh." From 2008-2011, she served as MS Language Arts Department Chair, setting the stage for the enriching curriculum the program boasts today. 

All of her students know that for Ms. Black, reading and writing are ways to examine the world and ourselves. Each story is an opportunity to explore larger concepts—the big stuff—like the human experience, character, and how we are all connected and called upon to care for one another. Once asked about teaching Middle Schoolers, she effused, “When they write—and they write beautiful sentences that are like music—that’s magic to me.”

Over the past almost half-century at RCDS, Ms. Black’s impact has extended far beyond the classroom. She has served as a mentor, advisor, department chair, accreditation steering committee member, and steady keeper of the School’s spirit, conscience, and core values. Her classroom—lovingly described by colleagues as museum-like—reflects her deep love of literature and learning and her years of teaching. To name just a few artifacts, her classroom is home to mimeographed worksheets from the 1980s and mountains of reading glasses, which she is happy to lend any colleague in a pinch!

Long celebrated by colleagues and students at RCDS, she is among the recipients of the Martin L. Kleinbard Award, which was given to faculty members who make a meaningful impact on the life of the School. She is also among the class of 2018 recipients of the Cohen Awards for Excellence in Teaching.

On a community level, you can always find Ms. Black eagerly supporting the Book Fair or bringing a festive presence with her signature holiday sweaters. “Ginny is someone who exudes joy and warmth in every hallway conversation,” is a refrain shared by longtime colleague Betsy Stedman and echoed harmoniously by colleagues across the School. 

Five years into his RCDS tenure, Donald Kyle moved to teaching seventh- and eighth-grade Language Arts, beginning a long and meaningful friendship with Ms. Black. “At a school where there have been many, many extraordinary colleagues, Ginny stands out as one of the most generous, selfless, and supportive of all. I'm fortunate to consider her a peerless mentor who helped me—way, way, way back when—to see the power of helping students discover words: those that they would read and those that they would write with increasing confidence and skill,” shares Mr. Kyle. 

“Like so many of her students over these years, I will always cherish the model of Ginny's combination of deep calm and equally deep passion for the language arts (so rightfully called!). I'll also hold dear her friendship... and her musical passions—she values Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Bruce Springsteen, and the Stones almost as much as she loves Steinbeck and Harper Lee!”

Indeed, all of Ms. Black’s colleagues and former students will tell you that her impact as a teacher is immeasurable. She possesses the ability to meet children exactly where they are to build their confidence, nurture their voices, and help them discover the beauty and power of words. You know the measure of a teacher when you hear sixth graders in the hall expressing how excited they are for her now-legendary Literary Dinner Party Project! Notably, Ms. Black was among the first RCDS faculty members to introduce multicultural literature into the curriculum, broadening perspectives and enriching minds.

From beloved projects like the Literary Dinner Party to the study of classics, including To Kill a Mockingbird, Cannery Row, and Sweet Thursday, Ms. Black has created experiences that made literature come alive in the hearts and minds of five generations of RCDS students. She has also embraced innovation. She was an early and avid supporter of the pioneering RCDS Laptop Program, while remaining rooted in the enduring magic of books and storytelling.

As an advisor, Ms. Black excels at navigating conversations with warmth, humor, and unmistakable care. As a teacher, she is transformative. As a colleague, she is steady, generous, and wise. Always ready to give back, she served as a mentor to new RCDS teachers up until this year.

Ms. Black’s joyful presence has been a gift to the RCDS community. How lucky we are to be in the orbit of someone who truly loves her work, her students, and her community! Her beloved summer getaways to Sylvan Lake, Pennsylvania, are sure to be a little longer, but her influence will remain in every confident young writer, thoughtful reader, and passionate speaker who comes through RCDS. Additionally, Ms. Black is the proud parent of an RCDS graduate, Samantha Black ‘03, so you can expect to see her active in the RCDS community as a beloved former teacher and proud alumni parent.

RCDS is profoundly grateful for Ginny Black’s 48 years of dedication, leadership, laughter, care, and high standards. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

John Hager
MS/US Band Director (26 years of service)

After 26 years of music and dedication, John Hager will conduct his final note and retire from RCDS at the end of the 2025-26 school year. A beloved educator, musician, mentor, and colleague, Mr. Hager’s influence will reverberate for generations to come in our hearts, the band room, and beyond.

“There is hardly an instrument John Hager cannot play—or repair,” one colleague in the Music Department shared. The others nod knowingly. This RCDS “instrument whisperer” has tuned, fixed, adjusted, and resurrected countless instruments over the years, always with patience and good humor.

“Best day of my life!”

Anyone who knows Mr. Hager knows that when asked how are you, his answer is always “Best day of my life.” It is not glib or overdone, just a reminder that today could indeed be the best day. And what better way to accomplish that than a little music! This no frills optimism is likely what has drawn two generations of young RCDS students to follow Mr. Hager’s lead and make some music out of their day! And because of him, they do it well!

Mr. Hager earned his B.A. in Music Education in 1979 from The Catholic University of America and his Educational Technology Certificate from Michigan State University in 1998. Since graduating from Catholic University, he has maintained a private teaching studio, working with students from age five through adulthood in piano, winds, percussion, strings, and theory.

An experienced musician, John Hager brought to RCDS a rich and international career shaped by two decades in Mexico City, where he performed in various shows and television programs and performed with various Latin American recording artists. He has also shared the stage with Nancy Wilson, Tony Bennett, and Sammy Davis Jr., to name a few. 

While in Mexico, he taught at El Conservatorio Nacional De Bellas Artes, Westhill Institute, La Escuela Superior de Música, and The American School Foundation. Bilingual and culturally fluent, John’s time in Mexico shared a deep appreciation for community and connection through music, and it was there that he and his wife started their family. 

In 2000, Mr. Hager arrived at Rye Country Day, ready and eager to enhance the musicianship and experience of being a player in the RCDS Band. With a passion and skill for helping students find and embrace their instrument, he has taught Middle and Upper School students all woodwind, brass, and percussion instruments. He has also conducted  the School's 5th and 6th Grade bands, the Grades 7/8 Concert and Jazz Bands, and the Upper School Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band. Watching Mr. Hager conduct a student performance is thrilling, as is his dedication to igniting a love of music in each of the performers. And in return, the student musicians always deliver moving and impressive performances.

He leads at least two concert programs each year, participates faithfully in the Arts Festival, and always has student musicians in tiptop shape for numerous events such as opening ceremonies, the Public Purpose Community Dinner, Upper School graduation, and more! And who can forget that he launched the beloved annual Middle School Jazz in the Hallways holiday tradition!

One of his most magical feats is his thoughtful work with fourth graders to introduce them to instrumental study each spring. His commitment to the full arc of a student’s musical journey—from first squeaky notes to confident ensemble performance—is remarkable.

“To teach an entire group of fifth-grade trombone players is, in itself, an act of courage and inspiration,” shares colleague Betsy Stedman. Music Department Chair Mary Marcell concurs that “John has done it with calm patience, humor, and unwavering belief in his students.” Mr. Hager has also been a caring Middle School advisor. 

During COVID, when music education faced enormous challenges, Mr. Hager went above and beyond to achieve marvelous results. He created voiceover storylines about musical eras and composers, finding inventive ways to keep students engaged and connected in music theory and instrumental study. And, he edited together video and audio of each member of the band, bringing a little music and joy to the world when it seemed to need it more than ever.

Even with his incredible accomplishments in music and teaching, Mr. Hager's most treasured song is the sound of his wife and children, two of whom (Dani ‘02 and Robi ‘06) are Wildcats! Outside the band room, he paints beautiful oil paintings, plays golf, enjoys a butternut donut with a cup of coffee (cream, no sugar) and shares laughter freely—especially with his “odd couple” office partner of late, Ms. Melissa Liebowitz.

As Mr. Hager prepares to retire from RCDS, we celebrate a master teacher and musician with a generous spirit, and we thank him for bringing the sound and love of music to our community.