Welcome from Head of School

For more than a century, Rippowam Cisqua School has dwelt at the intersection of traditional, student-centered education and the leading edge of child development and emerging pedagogy. That unique blend of history and innovation makes RCS a vibrant learning community where the eternal qualities of childhood — joy, curiosity, play, and wonder — are the treasured center of each day. I was drawn to the magic of RCS when I began my teaching career more than 25 years ago, and when I returned as Head of School to a transformed campus and a rapidly changing world, I found the same core values alive and well.

Just as our home in Bedford combines the idylls of country life with the dynamism of proximity to New York City, our school’s educational program blends the timeless with the innovative. Our amazing teachers deeply know and cherish their students; as it has for decades, those relationships remain the core of the RCS experience from Junior PreKindergarten through eighth grade. Meanwhile, we feature curriculum and teaching practices based on the most up-to-date brain science and advancements in adolescent development that challenge and inspire young people to grow into their full potential and imagine a brilliant future for themselves and their communities.  

I hope you will visit us in Bedford. When you do, you will see young readers buried in books, emerging scientists experimenting alongside their teachers, little engineers designing and building in our Innovation Center, eager artists and performers at work in our studios and stages, and ardent athletes and explorers enjoying our beautiful playing fields and outdoor spaces. Most importantly, you will find a school community infused with kindness, care for others, and a sense of possibility at every turn.

Fondly,

 

Mike Schloat
Head of School