Rye Country Day’s School Newspaper, the Rye Crop, first started on campus in the 1920s and has served as an instrumental club for the development of student journalism, writing, and media throughout the history of the School.

The Rye Crop Highlight Video features Mia Herz ’26, Co-Editor-in-Chief (2024-26), Alexandra Steyn ’27, Co-Editor-in-Chief (2024-present), and Lily Leand ’27, Co-Editor-in-Chief (2025-present).

Crop and its writers (last school year the paper had over 40 writers) report on all aspects related to life as a student, ranging from Sports and School News & Events sections to a new Campus Life section. And students aren’t just involved in writing when they join the newspaper; they can also further develop their skills in graphic design, including cartoons, layout, and design, as well as advertising and marketing for the publication. 

During the 2025-26 school year, Crop Co-Editors-in-Chief Mia Herz ’26, Lily Leand ’27, and Alexandra Steyn ’27 shared that, together with their staff, they were able to increase circulation from a 4-page paper released three to four times a year to a monthly, 8-page publication from September through May. The paper capped off the year with a special 12-page issue, tripling its original size and featuring articles highlighting changes in administration leadership, curriculum organization, and athlete recruitment. Crop also saw an increase in student involvement in the last three years, growing from a paper that had about six editors to one that is fully staffed. 

“We’ve also increased our editorial team significantly, so we have about 20 editors now and with that comes a lot more writers, which is why we’ve been able to expand Crop so significantly,” said Mia. 

Crop staff have also taken pride in their consistent development of their website and social media presence on Instagram, and more importantly, the community the paper has created.

“I think it’s really important for students to get the opportunity to ask the questions they are wondering about and get the opportunity to go search for those answers,” Lily expressed. “I think having these conversations is a really important skill to have and it strengthens that ability for the students.” 

“The Rye Crop is a great way to get engaged in the school community with a really supportive group of students,” shared Alexandra. “We are always texting each other and encouraging each other and it’s a really great way to meet new people.” 

Crop looks forward to another year of reporting and writing as we enter the 2026-27 school year! 

2026-27 Editorial Staff:
Editors-in-Chief
Alexandra Steyn ’27 (2024-present)
Lily Leand ’27 (2025-present)
Izzy Bernie ’28 (2026-present)
Managing Editor
Sadie Kolodner ’28

Campus Life Editors
Lila Al-Omoush ’28
Kayla Rosen ’28

Graphics/Photography Editors
Valentina Platt-Higgins ’29
Chloe Schwalbe ’29

Head of Distribution and Advertising
Emily Hau ’29

Layout & Design Editors
Georgina Murphy ’28
Olivia Prather ‘29

School Events Editors
Helena Pierry ’29
Makayla Wolins ’29

School News Editors
Olivia Pierry ’29
Camila Reyna ’27

Sports Editors
George Brown ’29
Molly Hart ’27

Website Editors
Sahana Bhat ’29
Zara Khemlani ’27
Daphné Panie ’27