Why RCDS?
Families choose schools for many different reasons. Here we thought we'd give you some things to think about when choosing a school for your family:
Why An Independent School?
There are many reasons and factors in finding the right school. The first question for many is to answer the question "public or private?" This issue has been debated, discussed and researched for some time. The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools provides a great
amount of detail and we invite you to visit their website at njais.org. Typically, most people agree that the obvious benefits to independent schools are they:
So, then the question...
Why 8 vs. 12?
This is an easy question for us to answer. Of
course, you must choose what is right for your family, but based on our
experience, there are many reasons to choose an elementary school
through 8th grade rather than one school that provides through high
school. Some we have already discussed:
- Leadership - an
elementary school provides earlier leadership opportunities for younger
students promoting self-confidence and self-esteem
- By eighth
grade you know your child's learning style and so do we. This allows us
to individually counsel your family for what may be best for each
individual student. Some of our families have several children continue
on to a variety of secondary schools - because it's what's best for the
individual child.
- Having the child participate in the selection
process of their next educational environment provides a sense of
ownership for their successes and accomplishments. RCDS' secondary
school placement team can focus on the middle school years and guide
your family through the selection process of the "just right" next step
rather than focus only on the college selection and application process.
- Our
middle-schoolers are the "seniors" of our school. With multiple
programs in place to mix up the grades, it allows our students to stay
young a little while longer rather than feel the pressure to grow up
quickly.
The last question to answer is then...
Why RCDS?
After years of conversations, polls, and research we hear over and over again that the best attributes of RCDS are:
- Family Atmosphere
- Leadership Opportunities
- Character Education
- Curriculum
- Faculty
Family Atmosphere
Rumson Country Day School has been renowned for our warm home-style environment. We hear this time and time again from our parents. Even though we are equipped
with state of the art technology, the rustic and quaint feel to the school will
have your child feeling safe and comfortable in their learning environment. We treat everyone here as family, from
the students to the faculty to the parents, everyone plays a part in keeping a positive
attitude throughout the school.
The dining program is one of our best traditions and allows the
children to feel at home when taking a break from their studies and served a
healthy, hearty meal - you guessed it - family style.
Leadership
Through a range of experiences, all
students at RCDS develop their leadership skills and at a perfect age - those middle school years. This is accomplished through Wilderness Adventures (5th-
8th grade), Community Service Leadership Board, Student Ambassadors, class plays and our famous Forensics competition. Many of our Alumni go on to assume
leadership positions in student government, team sports and other
extracurricular and community service activities. Athletics are one of our proudest programs here, we have a no cut policy
but we still hold a competitive standing and allow the older children
the
ability to mentor the younger players.
Character Education
Building character is a vital part of any young person’s life
and we try to create the healthiest environment for it to grow. The students at RCDS are shown incredible
support to build a good self esteem and respect for the other students. Lunch begins everyday with a school prayer, with various grades taking turns as waiters for their lunchmates. Every morning,
Headmaster Small stands at the door and shakes each child’s hand with a warm
greeting and receives the same respect back.
Curriculum
Our focus is on providing a
challenging and exciting academic experience for each child which incorporates
different learning styles. The
traditional curriculum has been carefully developed so that concepts and
material are learned in multiple classes through a variety of methods. Accelerated classes are offered in
mathematics, language arts, literature and foreign language in 6th- 8th
grade.
Faculty
With small classrooms, the students are gaining a large
amount of attention from the highly trained teachers in all fields of
curriculum. Our student/teacher ratio is 7:1. Our teachers have taught an
average of 11 years at RCDS and 37% have advanced degrees. They understand the delicacy of a child’s individual learning ability and
social interactions. Our staff is
supportive, nurturing, and understanding of all our students' needs. We consider the teachers and staff to
be a big part of the RCDS family and completely support their endeavors and
appreciate their hard work and undeniable talent through various faculty enrichment programs.
