upper school

The Upper School helps students pursue their passions within a varied and demanding academic program that prepares them for higher learning and supports their development as whole people — mind, body, and spirit.

Upper School coursework is modern, real-world, and relevant, so it is authentic for every student’s future. Over four years, students tackle real challenges, collaborate on important projects, do independent research, and participate in signature experiences, all of which help each student to become a Navigator, Critical Thinker, Citizen, and Communicator who is Innovative, Self-Aware, Ethical, and Globally Minded.

Our students mature into individuals who are prepared with the tools they need for the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional demands of college and life in a changing world.

SIGNATURE PROGRAMS

ADVISORY
PROGRAM
Academic knowledge and skills alone are not enough for young people to become successful adults. Every student has an adviser who acts as an advocate and “positive coach” for them over their four years in the Upper School. In advisory groups of 6-8, advisees develop supportive relationships, and learn to navigate academic challenges and co-curricular commitments, while building the social-emotional skills that prepare them to be successful in college and the world of work. Ultimately, Advisory helps students discover a sense of purpose and craft more meaningful lives.
INTENSIVES
The Upper School uses an intensive model to focus on fewer courses at any given time for deeper exploration of subject matter and skills. Students earn 5-6 credits per year while focusing on 2-3 courses at a time in a block schedule. With fewer courses during an academic term, these courses—that we call “intensives”—often meet for 75 to 105 minutes at a time.
DAILY SCHEDULE
CLUBS
Students collaborate with faculty to design clubs based on their passions and interests, thereby developing their leadership and organizational skills. Students collaborate with faculty to design clubs based on their passions and interests, thereby developing their leadership and organizational skills. Clubs vary, but perennial favorites are the French Club, Yearbook, Robotics, Math Team, and the Health and Wellness Club. Students are invited to start their own clubs at Rocky Hill Country Day.
SENIOR
INTERNSHIPS
The culmination of our emphasis on practical, real world learning, the Senior Internship is a four-part project that spans the length of students’ senior year and is a signature Rocky Hill Country Day experience. Students spend the final month of their senior year on an internship of their choosing, and then present on their experience in the final week of school.

Rocky Hill Country Day is the first school in Rhode Island to participate in Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Making Caring Common project. With its vision of “a world in which children learn to care about others and the common good, treat people well day to day, come to understand and seek fairness and justice, and do what is right even at times at a cost to themselves” and the belief “that young people with these capacities will become community members and citizens who can strengthen our democracy, mend the fractures that divide us, and create a more caring, just world,” MCC is the perfect match for Rocky Hill Country Day’s mission. We are extremely proud to have the only two students in Rhode Island, of only 25 nationwide, to be selected for the 2018-19 Student Advisory Board.

SIGNATURE TRIPS

Freshman Trip
Quebec City
A highlight of students’ 9th grade year is the trip to Quebec City where they explore this historic, French-speaking city in all of its winter glory. Cultural and historical experiences abound, including a tour of Old Quebec City, dining on regional cuisine, and braving the cold for a fun night of tubing, making it an unforgettable adventure!
Sophomore Trip
Overnight Camping
10th graders participate in an overnight trip focused on self awareness, team building, and fun. They camp and hike locally as a building block for the capstone junior trip the following year.
Junior Trip
5-Day Outdoor Adventure
The 11th grade class takes a five day outdoor adventure trip, partnering with the National Center for Outdoor and Adventure Education. This trip serves as a core element of the leadership training that is built into the 11th grade seminar curriculum, and will provide a remarkable educational experience.
Senior Trip
Student Choice
Our senior class celebrates their upcoming graduation with a local trip for a fun day. This offers the class the opportunity to enjoy their friends as they reminisce about their time at Rocky Hill Country Day. Each year, students help decide the location for their senior trip.

COLLEGE COUNSELING

Rocky Hill Country Day’s mission is to inspire each other to discover our full selves and use our wisdom for good. As a nurturing school community, we encourage our students to become good global citizens and lifelong learners, guiding them as they strive for knowledge and self-awareness.

Through the development of competencies, and fostering self-awareness and advocacy, we encourage our students to define and reach their goals.

35

Graduating
Class

12

Average Class
Size

122

Upper School
Students

267

N–12
Students

RHCD College Counselor Speaking with a Student

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Rocky Hill Upper School students doing community service on a field trip

Our community service programs are integral parts of our students’ experiences. With dedicated community service coordinators, all students in Preschool – 12 participate in service initiatives which offer meaningful real-world connections and problem-solving opportunities. Our students have impacted our community organizations such as:

  • Welcome House in Wakefield
  • Communities for People
  • American Heart Association 
    Rhode Island Food Bank and local pantries
  • JDRF
  • Nursing homes
  • Animal shelters

Students in the Upper School are required to complete 40 hours of documented community service over the course of four years, prior to graduation. The Community Service Coordinator helps freshmen identify an area of interest and connects them with an organization where they can perform service.

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Leadership at Rocky Hill Country Day is developed through a variety of experiences, both peer-elected and self-initiated at all grade levels. Students have many opportunities to lead in small groups, with our ‘buddies’ model both at lunchtime and to develop a love of reading and literacy, leading morning meetings, and as school or class ambassadors. From the athletic fields. courts, and classrooms, our students are developing capacities to lead in a variety of settings.

SELECTED | ELECTED

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY

More than just an honor roll, the Society serves to recognize those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship (academic achievement), leadership, character, and service to the community.

STUDENT COUNCIL

Consisting of two chambers, Student Life and Policy, the Student Council works to promote school spirit and proposes initiatives for the good of the community.

PREFECTS

Prefects are members of the rising senior class who are elected by the student body in grades 8-12 to lead the Student Council and serve on the Disciplinary Committee.

NATHAN HALE

Middle and Upper School students gain valuable leadership skills as members of the Nathan Hale Society, working directly with the Admission Office to promote the School. 

SELECTED | ELECTED

STUDENT COUNCIL

Consisting of two chambers, Student Life and Policy, the Student Council works to promote school spirit and proposes initiatives for the good of the community.

PREFECTS

Prefects are members of the rising senior class who are elected by the student body in grades 8-12 to lead the Student Council and serve on the Disciplinary Committee.

NATHAN HALE

Middle and Upper School students gain valuable leadership skills as members of the Nathan Hale Society, working directly with the Admission Office to promote the School. 

PEER SELECTED | SELF INITIATED

CLUB LEADERS

Students collaborate with peers, develop club goals, and organize meeting times, activities, and share their interests and passions with the Rocky Hill Country Day community. 

PEER MENTORS/BUDDY PROGRAMS

From our youngest to our oldest students, Rocky Hill Country Day provides opportunities to mentor one another based on developmental age and stage, as well as mastery of specific subject matter or extracurricular skill sets. 

MEETING LEADERS

Students gather regularly in a variety of settings, offering students opportunities to facilitate meetings. Beginning at a young age, students practice communication and public speaking skills.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions, or would like to know more about Rocky Hill Country Day School, please fill out the form below.

Rocky Hill Country Day School

530 Ives Road
East Greenwich, RI 02818

Phone: 401.884.9070
Fax: 401.885.4985