80 Years of Teaching

Lainie joined the Lower Campus in 1979, straight out of Juilliard. She was hired to fill in for a music teacher who was taking a sabbatical. Lainie fell in love with the School, and the School felt the same way – so she’s been here ever since!

 

“I feel so lucky to teach here and be able to share my love of music with the children,” Lainie said, and added: “They’re very accomplished.”

 

Over the years Lainie has played a key role in some of the traditions that mean the most to RCS families. Ask any parent or student for a favorite Lower Campus memory and you are likely to hear about The Christmas Canon at the Holiday Concert – with Lainie accompanying the children’s beautiful voices on her violin. They might also recall any of the other beautiful musical performances, or the more recent fourth grade trips to Citi Field to sing the national anthem before a Mets game.

 

When asked what Rippowam means to her, Lainie quickly responded: “Family.” And she means that; she brought her daughter, Katharine LaVacca ’04, to the School, too.

 

Missy Swan’s tenure matches Lainie’s – an incredible 40 years.

 

Her relationship with RCS began in 1972 when sons Derek Wierdsma ’82 and Chace Wierdsma ‘84 started at Cisqua – before the merger of the two schools.

 

“The School has been the center of my life since 1972,” Missy explained.

 

Before long Missy had joined the Parents Council (the precursor to today’s Parents Association) and in 1979 she joined the RCS faculty (she had been a third-grade teacher at Greenwich Country Day School before she “took off time to be a mom”). She’s been a math teacher at RCS since 1988 – plus a coach and the Head of girls athletics.

 

Head of School Colm MacMahon often says, “The best schools are made up of the best stories.” And Lainie and Missy are wonderful sources of knowledge and anecdotes about our school and its history. In fact, the door in Missy’s former classroom is a veritable Rippowam Cisqua School museum piece, filled with photos of students she taught and teams she has coached over the years. During their years at RCS, Lainie and Missy have impacted the lives of thousands of young men and women. When these students return to RCS as alumni, they often make a point of visiting Lainie and Missy – and their former teachers always greet them with smiles and hugs.

 

Rippowam Cisqua School salutes Missy Swan and Lainie Zades!