Cincinnati Country Day School
November 2021 Alumni Journal
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Dear Alumni and Members of the Country Day Community,
Every Thanksgiving I try to take a few moments to reflect on the many reasons I have to be grateful. This year, I am more thankful for Country Day than I ever have been before:
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- I’m thankful to work alongside our incredible faculty and staff, who know and nurture our students in a warm and supportive learning environment that has to be seen to be believed;
- I’m thankful to be around our talented students, who accomplish amazing feats every day despite challenges most of their predecessors never faced;
- I’m thankful for our dedicated parents, who have partnered with the school to manage almost unprecedented circumstances while strengthening the CCDS community all the while;
- I’m thankful for our committed alumni, who continue to demonstrate the value of a CCDS education throughout the world (and sometimes back here inside our own halls);
- I’m thankful to have a chance to serve Country Day and to help lead it into a second century of educational excellence.
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I’m also thankful for the spirit of gratitude and service shown by our families this season with the food drive. When I spoke to our students on Monday at our all-school food gathering and Turkey Train, I applauded their commitment to serving others. Their donations of food helped families in need and exemplified our character virtues in action. I also encouraged them to practice gratitude every day, not just at Thanksgiving. I shared with them the social science research that demonstrates that people who regularly express gratitude lead happier and healthier lives. More importantly, we talked about how giving thanks to others can ignite a cycle of gratitude that ripples through a community and changes lives.
Thank you for being part of that cycle of gratitude. This community has certainly changed my life for the better, and I hope you feel the same way about your family.
I am grateful for everything you do to make Country Day a special place. May you continue to have a peaceful and joyous holiday surrounded by loved ones.
Sincerely,
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Rob Zimmerman '98
Head of School
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Expanding Mental Health Services on Campus |
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Focusing on mental wellness is a continuous priority at Country Day. To ensure our students have increased access to individual therapeutic intervention and social-emotional wellness, we have partnered with MindPeace, a Cincinnati leader in school-based mental health services. |
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In October 2021, we welcomed Melynda Bowers.
Melynda Bowers is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and received her Master’s in Clinical Social Work from Portland State University-Portland, Oregon. She has worked as a wilderness therapist in the mountains of New England, clinical counselor in an intensive outpatient day program, and therapist in both school and office settings, individually and in groups. She works with youth ages three and older, as well as adults, families, and groups.
Ms. Bowers is available to provide private mental health treatment services on our campus. This allows families the choice of accessing a private therapist from a nationally renowned research hospital right here at Country Day. It also reduces the time students miss curricular activities to attend treatment sessions while eliminating the need for parents and students to travel to these appointments.
This optional and confidential service is in addition to the services, already provided by Dr. Nikki Bishop-Kallmeyer, Alexis Nordrum, and Dr. Kathy Scheidler.
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Students and their families have direct access to Ms. Bower's expertise to create another layer of support that strengthens the connections between home, school, and the community. Our hope is that by offering private therapy services on our campus, we are making it more convenient for students to access the services they need.
According to Angela Joiner, director of equity, diversity, inclusion & social-emotional learning, “Our partnership with MindPeace increases our social-emotional wellness efforts, allows for more inclusive and equitable access, provides a greater level of collaboration between home and school, and supports a sustainable, evidence-based structure for comprehensive mental health services on our campus.”
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In 24 hours, our Country Day community came together to raise over $420,000, with gifts still being counted! Parents, grandparents, alumni, parents of alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends of the school supported our biggest day of annual fundraising EVER. Gifts ranged from a few dollars to many thousands and EVERY.SINGLE.ONE made a difference!
We are deeply grateful to everyone who took the opportunity to support our school and help us continue to provide our students with the best educational experience possible.
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The following reunions are scheduled over Thanksgiving weekend: |
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Friday, November 26, 2021:
Class of 2010: Queen City Radio 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. contact Christine Richart for more details.
Class of 2015: Village Tavern 7:00 p.m. Contact Celia Macrae for more details.
Saturday, November 27, 2021:
Class of 2016: Madtree Brewing Company at 7:00 p.m. Contact Bradley Dick for more details.
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Clue the Upper School Play |
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For the first time since 2020, Upper School students were back on stage in Keeler Theater for the production of Clue. An eccentric cast of characters, a ludicrous string of mysteries, and a deadly gambit gone totally off the rails: this year’s fall theatre production of Clue certainly delivered a good laugh and a wild ride for all involved.
The production presold over 500 tickets before opening night, and for the first time in years, balcony seats were sold! The actors and crew put in close to 175 hours to produce the show, and more than 20 parents volunteered their time.
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"Clue was a large play which required a constantly changing set, precision timing of delivery, and specificity in every moment," said Nick Rose, Upper School drama head. " At every step of the way, the young artists at Cincinnati Country Day School displayed a professionalism to rival most regional theaters. They focused on each detail, they kept the pace moving, and they supported and pushed each other to make each moment as right as they could. They proved no part was too small. They built and painted a sprawling mansion onstage, and made it come to life with clockwork backstage coordination. And most importantly, they had fun and bonded as a group in the process" |
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Rose continued, "A small army of parents dedicated themselves to keeping our cast and crew fed on long days, pushing out shares and likes on social media, and helping sell tickets and concessions. The administration of the school hung posters in their windows, offered time to preview our show in assembly, and crafted a beautiful social media campaign to market the production. Teachers and students talked it up with each other. And come opening, the entire CCDS community gathered over three nights to celebrate the production. We broke presale and house attendance records. We made those same professionally minded young artists feel like Rockstar's for their efforts. And, we had a great time doing it!"
"This wonderful community made my first production as a theater director at CCDS an experience I will never forget and always cherish," said Rose.
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Nominations for Arts Hall of Fame |
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To celebrate the strong and vibrant tradition in the arts at CCDS, an Arts Hall of Fame was created last year to create a tradition of recognizing former Country Day students and community members for their contributions in the fine, musical, performing, and literary arts.
To be eligible for nomination the candidate must have been one of:
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- A student who has been graduated from CCDS for at least five years.
- A faculty member.
- A community member who has made a significant contribution to arts.
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You can make a nomination by selecting the button below. |
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Enrollment Update at Country Day |
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Enrollment at Country Day has surpassed 850 students in the current school year with waiting lists for space in many programs and grades. This all-school enrollment represents one of the largest in the past 20 years, with the largest number of new students (166 and counting) during that same time. The enrollment season for 2022-23 is well underway, and there are some important deadlines approaching. |
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We hope that you will share our school’s positive enrollment news and your own Country Day story with family, friends, and the alumni community. One way to do so is through our referral program. Simply complete our online referral, (www.countryday.net/go/referral), and our admission team will follow up with the information families will need regarding the application process, affordability, and visiting. Referrals from Country Day alums are our best resource for connecting with highly motivated students in our parent, alumni, and friend community.
More than ever, we are stressing that interested families apply for admission and tuition aid consideration by December 1. Our application for admission can be found at www.countryday.net/go/apply, and your referrals can use the code C284 to waive the application fee. We expect to have very limited space available in many grades and programs after the December 1 Priority Application Deadline.
Our Country Day admission team looks forward to working with you and your referrals.
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Seven Students Recognized by College Board |
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Cincinnati Country Day School is honored to recognize seven senior students that have qualified for the College Board's National Recognition Program for high PSAT scores for students of African American or Hispanic background.
Congratulations to the following students:
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- Kirstin Hayes (West Chester)
- Noah Duplechan (Madeira)
- Jade Abu Bakr (Norwood)
- Jourdan Jones (Indian Hill)
- Priya Thompson (Loveland)
- Christian Fitzpatrick (Kenwood)
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Ryan de Beer (Loveland) (Not pictured)
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Being recognized by the College Board is a huge accomplishment and one that will serve these students well as they apply for colleges. We are incredibly proud of them! |
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On November 9, three Cincinnati Country Day School students signed National Letters of Intent to play baseball at the college level.
Congratulations to:
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- Cam Bryant ‘22 - College of Holy Cross
- Payton Ebbing ‘22 - University of Tennessee
- Jackson Campbell ‘22 - University of South Carolina Upstate
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“For these students to get to this point in their athletic journeys takes incredible drive, strength, talent, and effort,” said Dennis Coyle, Country Day’s athletic director. “We do everything we can to support our students as they pursue their passions and provide them with opportunities to lead and learn both inside and outside the classroom. To watch these student-athletes accomplish this milestone makes me proud beyond words.”
Congratulations to these incredible student-athletes!
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Head of School Rob Zimmerman '98 had some fun with students and hosted a "Convince me Otherwise" session during lunch hour. He welcomed students to have a friendly and fun debate about certain topics. |
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Students were all smiles at lunch on National Cupcake Day! |
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Seniors were treated to a special breakfast as one of the many "Senior Surprises." |
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Upper School student Nick Watts '23 spoke to Middle School students about the importance of Veterans Day. |
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Eighth grade students worked on physics by making and testing their rockets outside. |
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