Dear Friends,

At Rippowam Cisqua School, we are extremely fortunate to enjoy a culture of philanthropy, providing us with the vital financial resources that every independent school needs to thrive and grow. Generations of parents, trustees, alumni, grandparents, and friends have contributed to our School with a generosity of spirit that humbles us.

Every year, the vast majority of our parents make donations to the Annual Fund, securing the financial cornerstone of the annual operating budget. The 2010-11 Annual Fund raised over $1.2 million dollars, helping the School maintain its strong, innovative programs.

90% of our faculty and staff made contributions to last year’s Annual Fund, as did 90% of our parent community – a testament to the depth of connection the community feels for the teaching and learning taking place at Rippowam Cisqua.

Every member of our Board of Trustees contributes freely of his or her time, expertise, and personal resources in support of our students. Though they often work behind the scenes, the leadership provided by our trustees has fueled tremendous progress in curriculum, standardized test results, and secondary school placement.

In April of 2010, over 350 people gathered together for an evening of fun and fundraising through an Auction that was an extraordinary financial success, and an equally noteworthy community building event, due to the fact that over 80% of the parent community was involved in supporting this effort in some way. We are indebted to the tireless group of volunteers who donate that most valuable resource of all – time. Our community is strengthened and enhanced every day, and in every way, by their immeasurable efforts. This biennial event will take place again in April of 2012 and the energy level is already building for an exciting community event.

Equally as notable has been the RCS community's commitment to strengthening spaces for teaching and learning. During the spring of 2010, parents contributed over $1.9 million in commitments toward the design, renovation, and construction of an expanded elementary campus library and the eight classrooms on our middle school campus. Construction on these projects was completed on time in advance of the opening of school in the fall of 2011.

The RCS Alumni Association Board has been a vibrant, active group of volunteers who have worked diligently to reconnect our alumni community in meaningful ways. The 2011 Fall Homecoming on Saturday, October 1st was a terrific chance for the RCS community to reconnect with each other and, it's safe to say, the beginning of another tradition for our School.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to all these people, as well as to the many others not mentioned, for their invaluable gifts to Rippowam Cisqua School. RCS is a stronger, healthier, more energetic place for this involvement.

With sincere thanks,

Bob Whelan

Assistant Head of School for Institutional Advancement