Dear Country Day Alumni & Friends,

Happy 2024! I hope the start to your new year has been filled with joy and positivity. 

Here at Country Day, we are delighted to be back to school and see the hallways once again buzzing with students eager to learn and grasp the opportunities around them. They are ready to take on another semester of stimulating classes, a full sports schedule, theatrical and musical productions, fine arts exhibitions, and a wide range of extracurricular opportunities.

In the advancement office, we are looking forward to many wonderful opportunities to connect with our alumni in 2024. We would love to hear what our community is up to in the new year, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with your news!

With best wishes for an amazing year,

Casey Santi

Associate Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations

Alumni Return to Campus to Help Prepare Seniors for College

For about 20 years, Country Day has brought back alumni, most of whom are in college or recently graduated college, for Senior Seminar and the chance to provide their insight and perspective about the college experience. This year, seniors listened and engaged with speakers on topics such as working in college athletics, how to become a productive leader, Greek life, and mental wellness.

Pictured above:  Cincinnati Country Day alumni presenters for the 2024 Senior Seminar. FRONT ROW, left to right – Jade Abu Bakr `22, Rishi Gabbita `21, Jay Bhati `20, CJ DeBra `23, Payton Ebbing `22; MIDDLE ROW, left to right – Daniel Hong `22, Eashwar Kantemneni `20, Brian Butler `20, Maggie Wright `19, Terre Virzi `22; BACK ROW – Wynton Jackson `21, Nathan Riemann `19.

But don’t let the term “seminar” fool you. This is one of Country Day’s most important programs for its students.

“Senior Seminar gives our seniors a chance to hear from their recent peers or even their friends what it’s like to be in college,” says Jenn Weinheimer, head of Upper School. “Because the seniors most likely know the speakers, they feel comfortable asking them tough questions and are willing to ask them how they overcame certain situations. The seniors listen to them and take it as raw honesty.”

Rachel “Ray” Mitchell `24, who was just accepted into her number one school of choice, Bowdoin College, is very glad that Country Day puts on a program like Senior Seminar.

“It’s great to hear from someone who recently went through the college experience, especially a fresh but familiar face,” says Ray. “Because the presenters went to Country Day, it feels like I am talking to a friend. I’m very excited, hopeful, and optimistic about college; Senior Seminar amplified that excitement for me.”

Attending these sessions can help add some clarity to some seniors’ still unknown paths. Just ask Shephard Snell, who gained some much-needed insights on his potential career path.

“I’m considering becoming a sports announcer, but I didn’t realize how much journalism goes into it until I attended Wynton Jackson’s `21 seminar today on sports journalism.”

Not only do our seniors get so much out of this program, but so do the alumni who come back to campus and provide our students with such invaluable information. Manav Midha `19, now a management consultant with McKinsey & Company, was not only impressed with how engaged the seniors were during his presentation about mentorship and building a personal board of directors, but he was also ecstatic to be back at Country Day.



“It was great getting to see teachers, staff, and the whole school community,” says Midha. “Seeing what’s changed and what hasn’t was amazing. I’m very much looking forward to coming back whenever I can.”

Join us at Lights, Camera, CountryDate!

Join us for a night of glamour, glitz, and giving back at CountryDate 2024 on Saturday, March 2 at the 20^th Century Theater in Oakley! Click here to get details, buy your tickets, become a sponsor, and more! 

Can't make it to the event? Don't fret! You can still join in on the fun and support Country Day by participating in the RARE BOURBON RAFFLE*!

A.H. Hirsch 1974 Finest Reserve Bourbon 20 Years Old Red Wax (estimated retail value $10,000 - $15,000) for just $100 a chance! 

Distilled in 1974, only 400 barrels of this bourbon were made, never to be made again. In 1990, Hirsch sold his whiskey to the Hue Family from Kentucky, who in turn transferred a large sum of the then 16-year-old whiskey into steel tanks. The remaining stock was allowed to age longer, of which this 20-year-old finest reserve is living proof. It was bottled between late 1994 and early 1995. The red wax is a beacon for bourbon lovers all over the world. 

*Each ticket has an equal chance of winning. A minimum of 50 tickets must be sold for the raffle to proceed. A maximum of 150 tickets will be sold. Winner does NOT need to be present to win. Winner must verify their age (21+) and bottle must be collected locally. No out-of-town deliveries. 

Spread the word! Share this link with all your bourbon-loving buddies:

WWW.COUNTRYDAY.NET/GO/COUNTRYDATE

MLK Day - Honoring the Legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

On Monday, our nation paused to commemorate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Country Day students in all three divisions honor Dr. King’s legacy through meaningful activities as well as various acts of community service.

This year, Country Day partnered with Lesotho Nutrition Initiative to help combat childhood malnutrition by providing meals containing nutritional supplements to children who have been diagnosed with severe/chronic malnutrition. On Friday, January 12, Middle School and Upper School students showed their virtue in action by packing a total of 33,600 meals in honor of MLK Jr. Day.

In Lower School, students have been talking about what it takes to be a leader and how we can each be leaders in our own ways. What better way to learn about leadership in action than researching the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.?

“Everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

It's Time to Start Planning 2024 Class Reunions!

Pictured above: Members of the Class of 1993 celebrated their 30th reunion in September 2023.

This year, classes ending in '4 and '9 will celebrate their reunions. Whether it's your 5-year reunion or your 50th, you do not want to miss this opportunity to reconnect and reminisce with your CCDS classmates!

If you are interested in planning your reunion, contact Peter Fossett '80, associate director of alumni and legacy giving, at [email protected] or 513.979.0283 for more information.

We can't wait to see you in September!

Support Our InvenTeam!

Join us on Tuesday, February 20 from 5-6:30 p.m. when our InvenTeam will host its Mid-Grant Technical Review in the Dining Terrace and Keeler Theater. This will be the team's first public preview and demonstration of their invention prototype so that they can get feedback from YOU!

Click here to RSVP today!



Can't attend? Donate to the team to show your support! The team is traveling to Cambridge, Mass. in June to present their invention at EurekaFest. "According to the LMIT website, EurekaFest is an event that empowers student inventors, empowers role models, and encourages creativity and problem-solving."

Henry Pease '12 Inspires Lower School

Henry Pease ’12 captivated Lower School students at their January 4 assembly with stories about the adventures he and his brothers David ’08 and Fletcher ’10 have had inventing and marketing REKKIE, a smart snow goggle with a built-in head-up display.

Pease, a life-long skier, shared his inspiration for inventing REKKIE – he was tired of having to take his gloves off in the cold to fish his phone out of his pocket to find his friends when they got separated on the slopes – and the challenges he and his brothers have had to overcome in bringing REKKIE to market.

Emphasizing the theme of perseverance in the face of challenges, Pease gave the students a powerful lesson in the growth mindset: just because you don’t know how to do something right now doesn’t mean you can’t figure out how to do it. Student excitement peaked when Pease passed around REKKIE goggles for students to try out. What a wonderful example of the power alums have to inspire our current students!

New Student Referrals to Country Day

It’s peak season in Cincinnati for private school enrollment! Throughout the winter and spring, the city will be inundated with students and parents exploring the various options – co-ed, single-gender, religiously affiliated, and independent – to continue their educational journey. As a Country Day alum, we hope that you will continue the positive word-of-mouth that generates much of our new student admission business. There are many ways to assist our admission office as they close out the season for new student enrollment:

Make A Connection

Everyone knows a friend, family member, or neighbor looking for private schools in Cincinnati. And, our admission team is eager to show them how each child at Country Day is known, nurtured, and inspired. If you can forward some basic information on the student and family, the admission office will take it from there. Please use this link to refer a student and family to Country Day.

Encourage Campus Visits

History shows that once a family visits Country Day, they’re hooked! Our admission appointments are highly personalized to meet a family wherever they might be in the school search process. Encourage your referrals to schedule an individual meeting and tour. Or simply bring the family to campus for an arts performance, athletic game, or alumni event…our house is always open!

Spread The Word

Our website and social media outlets are the best way to spread the word about our school. Follow and share our stories on Country Day’s Facebook and Instagram. The highlight of these posts is our opening of school video that we hope that you will share as well.

Waive The Application Fee

Fee waivers are available to all current parents, friends, and alumni of Country Day. When applying for admission, prospective students or their parents can use a special alumni code to waive the admission application fee. The code is C284, and interested families should submit an application no later than February 15. After that date, we expect to establish waiting list in many programs and grades.

This year we have experienced one our largest all-school enrollments in the past 20 years, and applications are running significantly ahead for the 2024-25 school year. With over 13% of our new students this year being children of alumni, we are poised for even greater enrollment in future years.

We appreciate all that you do for Country Day.

Sincerely,

The CCDS Admission Team

CCDS Alumni Give Back

Pictured above: BACK ROW, left to right – Rob Shively ’06, Michelle Shively, Peter Fossett ’80, Dale Mitchell ’97, Anne (Oblinger) Pohlman ’04, Darby Pohlman, Holly (Oblinger) Mott ’95, Erin Head ’93, Rudy Frank ’07. FRONT ROW, left to right – Jen (Warwick) Mixson ’90, Sally (Dwyer) Hernandez ’05, Nevie Smith ’19, Georgie Mott ’35

On Sunday, January 14, a group of CCDS alums and family members provided and served lunch to residents of Tender Mercies in Over-the-Rhine. The event was sponsored by the Community Service Committee of the Alumni Council and marks the return of pandemic-interrupted community service events organized by the Alumni Council. Close to 50 residents of Tender Mercies – an organization providing supportive living arrangements for people experiencing homelessness – enjoyed the meal, which included chicken pot pie, vegetarian lasagna, rolls, garden salad, macaroni salad, potato salad, and a selection of cookies.

Having engineered the return of alumni community service opportunities, the Community Service Committee is eager to organize more events this year and beyond and to generate broad alumni involvement in community service. If you have any suggestions for future events, please share them with Peter Fossett ’80, associate director of alumni and legacy giving, at [email protected].

Visit www.countryday.net/go/flashsale or click on the graphic above to check out our first spirit wear flash sale of 2024! Inspired by vintage Country Day logos, these special edition items are available for a limited time. Our next flash sale will not occur until the spring and will feature different spirit wear items.



Tip: When checking out be sure to use the “shipping” section of the checkout page to fill in the student’s name and teacher/advisor (current families), name and department (faculty/staff), or graduation year (alumni - also make sure to write in "pick-up" or "delivery" and we will coordinate getting the items to you!).

​

​Any questions? Contact Alyssa Witte at 513-979-0210 or [email protected].

​

​The vault closes on January 28 so act fast!

Accepting Nominations for the Virtue in Action and Distinguished Alumni Awards

Two of the most important honors Cincinnati Country Day School and the Alumni Association can bestow upon the school’s alumni are the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Virtue in Action Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award celebrates an alum for their contributions to the school, to their community, or for their professional achievement. The Virtue in Action Award recognizes an alum celebrating their fiftieth or greater anniversary of graduation from CCDS for their dedication, attitude, and motivation expressed through volunteer service to the community. Both awards are given over Homecoming weekend, and the awards ceremony is one of the highlights of that weekend.

Nominations for both awards are open, and we would like your help in identifying good candidates! Candidates for the Distinguished Alumni Award can come from any graduating year. Candidates for the Virtue in Action Award must be celebrating their fiftieth or greater anniversary of graduation (class of 1974 or older).



To ensure that the school and the Alumni Association have adequate time to consider your nominations, please submit them by early March.



Thank you for giving thought to this important matter. Please do not hesitate to contact Peter Fossett ’80 at [email protected] or 513-979-0283 if you have any questions.

Nothing warms you up on a cold winter morning like a hot chocolate surprise! Thanks to our senior parents for treating the Class of 2024 to something sweet and delicious.

It's good to be back! ECC students were thrilled to be reunited with friends and faculty after winter break.

Dr. Xanni Brown '10 outsmarted her competition in the Jeopardy! Second Chance Tournament finals, walking away with $35,000 and a spot in the "Jeopardy!" Season 39 Champions Wildcard competition. Tune in THIS WEEK to see her compete in the quarterfinals. Your friends and family at Country Day are cheering you on, Xanni!

MEET CCDS! Second graders spent several weeks meeting and interviewing the different departments that make up our CCDS community. When the interviews were over, they got to share a special lunch with all their new friends!

Kudos to these seventh graders for not only waiting patiently for PreK-I to finish gym class in the South Gym but also creating a tunnel for their exit! THIS is CCDS!

The CCDS InvenTeam is prepping for the Mid-Grant Technical Review on February 20 (don't forget - you're invited!). All in all, the team has put in over 60 hours of planning, learning, experimenting, building, and snacking (!!) since mid-October!

The Middle School ROX group went to the Cincinnati Museum Center to see the exhibit, "Girlhood (It’s Complicated)," which explores the diverse experiences of girls over more than 200 years. By examining, preserving, and sharing the complexity of our past, we aim to empower our girls to create a more just and compassionate future!

Country Day's success is due in large part to the generous, ongoing support of our alumni. A gift to the Country Day Fund allows today’s students to benefit as you once did, sustaining the legacy of excellence that defines our school.