Rocky Hill Country Day School

Rocky Hill School has provided a wonderful experience for my two children, who attended nursery through high school. In addition to college readiness, they had every opportunity to enhance their passions by self advocating and having responsive teachers and administration ready to assist. The Harkness tables and class sizes are extremely important at Rocky Hill and allow students to all be in the front row and not left in the back, going unnoticed. The school also makes great use of its natural environment to teach: 84 waterfront acres that are used in all classes from English to Marine Ecology.

I am a parent with two children at RHS, who are getting their Middle and Upper School educations at Rocky Hill. My two children are thriving, and both have found their own individual voices as they develop. The characteristics that I most value at RHS are the emphasis and respect given to individuality and individual attention, and the strong, challenging academic curriculum that encourages critical thinking. Faculty are extremely available, easily accessible, and not afraid to "think out of the box," if it will benefit your child's education. In addition, they strongly encourage the student to learn how to advocate for themselves (a skill that will be crucial as they go through life). I would be remiss if I didn't point out that the campus is quite beautiful, and with wonderful opportunities in sailing, the environment and athletics.

Our children have attended RHS from preschool through grade school. The campus is beautiful, and the kids spend a lot of time outdoors and we feel they are safe and getting a great connection to nature and the ocean. The class sizes are very small, which is a positive and a negative. The kids get a wonderful opportunity to participate actively in their learning, have close relationships with their teachers, and get challenged individually. The down-side of small class sizes are two-fold in my opinion. Because there are fewer kids in the class, the social challenges and the level of academic challenge overall are dependent on the group of students in the class maybe moreso than in a larger school, but again - they do try to meet each child's individual needs. The teachers our kids have had have been engaged, enthusiastic, and very nurturing. There is a constant focus on making good people as well as successful people, which we like. The arts and music programs are strong. I cannot comment on highschool as our kids are younger.

Our child's first year at Rocky Hill has gone really well so far. The high contact with faculty and small class sizes are a great improvement over public school experiences. Also, the round table seminar format and use of technology is a huge leap over public schools for preparation of the future college environment. We have seen great improvement in ability to use computer and techology, as well as a significant improvement in self-confidence and a maturing approach to debate and discussion.

As a parent there is nothing I want more than to have my child educated in a community that values the whole child-Rocky Hill does just that. The small class size along with the highly dedicated faculty allow children to develop academically, artistically, athletically and emotionally. The teachers have been outstanding and go well beyond the "school day" to enrich student's learning, My daughter looks forward to each and every day. The amazing marine environment is such an added benefit.

We are proud parents of 2 children currently attending Rocky Hill School; 1 in Middle school and 1 in the Upper school. We are happy to share that children of all academic capabilities fit in well at Rocky Hill School. It is wonderful to have a school with great academic rigor, REAL diversity, and flexibility. RHS is large enough that both of our children are able to find their place academically. While developing socially, spiritually, athletically and theatrically they are able to develop a healthy sense of self in a well-rounded environment. We find that RHS provides a calming, quiet powerful start to their day, which helps the children to build a partnership with their teachers. Our world is changing fast and we feel that Rocky Hill is focused and that our children will thrive as adults because of their experiences and problem solving skills attained at RHS. It has been our experience that Rocky Hill partners with us as parents to help mentor our kids to be the best they can be, to help make the world around them a better place and to feel confident in their abilities. It is a small school, but large enough to accommodate different learning styles. The Harkness table model is a wonderful setting where discussions are encouraged and used quite effectively. We have found it to be an exceptional learning tool when tough issues arise as the faculty addresses them immediately. The campus is well situated on the beautiful Narragansett Bay enabling unlimited educational possibilities. Our family is active at the school because we believe in the Rocky Hill mission and feel blessed to be a part of such a welcoming community. There is a real sense of community and this is demonstrated, as you will often see children from all three divisions collaborating and working together. My children come home happy and look forward to going to school the next day, what better testimony for a wonderful school.

Highly recommended - excellent staff and learning environment

I have a first grader and a preschooler at Rocky hill. They are both so happy. I told the first grade teacher the other day that my daughter skips to school. There are nine children in her first grade class. The teacher is amazing. She is easy going, gives them a ton of individualized attention and teaches them to respect one another. She is easily accessible on e-mail. The teaching model is project based learning. The first month of the year, they learned about masterpieces. Each student created 3-4 masterpieces based on certain historical art figures. They spent time every day on these pieces, tweaking them, adding to them. At the end of the month, they went on a field trip to RISD. I loved it! It taught my daughter not to rush, to think about what she is creating, lessons that will help her slow down and follow through with not only artwork but with all school projects. They have also done multiple research projects. The projects are done over a number of weeks. The children will research a topic at the library, such as a favorite animal. They will then brainstorm on different facts about the animal and their habitat. They will list the facts in categories, then write an essay and present it to their class in a fun way. She has improved tremendously with her reading and writing skills. She has always loved learning about mathematics and the teachers have been giving her more complex problems to enhance her problem solving skills. My son is in the preschool. He has two to three teachers with 13 children. The classroom is full of manipulatives, imaginary play and art projects. My son is comfortable and happy. He gets along well with the other students. He loves his teachers. He takes a number of classes with specialty teachers, Spanish, music, art, science, library, and gym (Specialty classes that my daughter takes every week as well). He feels like a true part of the larger Rocky hill environment. The older children visit his classroom and read to him. They are so sweet with the little ones. Overall, my husband and I have been thrilled with Rocky Hill. My children were new this year and I was nervous about their transition. The principal of the school got me in touch with parents over the summer and we had multiple playdates and the transition was smooth. We were also very intimidated at first regarding the costs. However, the school offered us a fair financial aid package. And I am so glad we went for it. We are hoping to be there for many more years!

This is the second year at RHS for my two children and they are settled and happy. They especially love the science and technology parts of the day. The teachers are all caring and provide appropriate challenges to each of my children. The small size can be difficult socially at times, however, the classes do seem to bond well and protect each other. We love the amount of time they spend outdoors and using the beautiful campus as an extension of the classroom. We are also impressed by the way each child has grown in confidence since beginning last year.

Rocky Hill is a school that is like an extended family. The embraced my daughter when she started in 2012 - 7th grade. This family environment allows my daughter to excel and shine brighter than she ever did in public school. From day one she felt like she had been at the school since 1st grade. The comfort that every teacher knew who my daughter was before even starting school was fabulous! This small beautiful campus environment on the water is breathtaking.

As a parent with two children at Rocky Hill School, I could not be happier. My children are receiving a great education and are challenged on a daily basis. My children are engaged and happy and frequently thank us for sending them to Rocky Hill. The faculty and staff are welcoming to parents and are readily available to talk and the small class size means that my children receive a great deal of individual attention. The school integrates academics with high quality sports, music and arts education giving our children the opportunity to explore their interests and become well-rounded. Finally, the location of Rocky Hill on Narragansett Bay is stunning . Students have the opportunity for hands on learning in their outdoor classroom. Overall, our family experience at Rocky Hill has been very positive and we look forward to several more great years with the school.

Our second eldest (of four) is a sophomore and this is our first experience at RHS. Frankly, it has been tremendous. The beautiful campus setting and the welcoming student body are wonderful. Make no bones, freshman year was not easy due to the adjustment to a new school and the intensive academic load. However, the engagement between students and faculty, certainly enhanced by very small class size and the Harkness methodology, is exceptional. For a small school, the breadth of extracurricular offerings are expansive with opportunities to play sports, engage in the arts, or follow an individual passion with an independent study. In fact, the smallness affords kids a chance to play on a team or experience an activity which might not happen if they were at a larger institution. Would strongly urge a visit to make an informed decision and highly recommend RHS.

Rocky Hill is a nurturing educational environment. The staff knows each student very well and are advocates for them. The classes are small and the harkness tables give every student a front row seat. The experiential learning with their waterfront campus is awesome. The students are encouraged in the arts and technology. While they do not compete in D1 sports, the teams are cohesive and competitive.

My son is in his third year at Rocky Hill, and we''ve found the school a terrific fit for our family. Small classes mean a great deal of personal attention, and students have a freedom to learn as participants in their own education. There is a sincere focus on diversity, recognizing and celebrating all people for the individuals they are, which will be valuable and important when moving on to college and a diverse professional life.

As a parent I am delighted in the quality of the education, support and staff that Rocky Hill School provides my daughter. My daughter looks forward to school; she is challenged academically and has grown so much as a person since entering Rocky Hill School as a freshman. The forum the school provides to learn and interact with staff and students is amazing. The choices they offer for classes and for afterschool sports and activities is extensive and larger than I thought a small school could provide. I wish I could have attended a school like this when I was a student.