The Rumsey Bell

When Ripley stepped into the Blue Dog costume during his Ninth Grade year, the role suited him. He had been part of Rumsey for nearly his entire life, first visiting campus as a toddler with his older brother, then beginning his own Rumsey education in Kindergarten.

Across those years, Ripley learned how to be a stronger, more independent student. By Sixth Form, he was earning grades of 95 and above. He developed the confidence to seek help when he needed it, whether through summer tutoring or a review session with a teacher during lunch. Those close faculty relationships helped him strengthen his time management, take greater responsibility for his work, and prepare for the expectations of secondary school.

Ripley’s confidence grew outside the classroom, too. He played varsity tennis and soccer and served as a captain in both sports. He also joined Chorus, performed in the school play, and spent his final winter teaching tennis to Lower and Upper School students. “I was really shy in Kindergarten,” he said. “Now I’m not afraid to put myself out there and do different things.”

As the Blue Dog, Ripley loved visiting the Lower School and seeing younger students run toward him for hugs and high-fives. Before graduating, he helped plan tryouts for his successor, ensuring that another student could carry on the role.

Accepted by several secondary schools, Ripley chose Berkshire School for his next chapter. He left Rumsey ready to take on a demanding academic schedule, become involved in a new community, and continue trying things that once might have intimidated him.

Mickey still remembers the first time she visited Rumsey. It was January, and snow began falling, a rare sight for someone growing up in Shanghai. She was equally struck by the students who waved and said hello as she toured campus. “I loved the feeling of the community,” she recalled. “I thought, this is my school.”

Mickey entered Fifth Form as a boarding student and initially enrolled in ESL classes. Three years later, she graduated as an Honors English student and a member of Rumsey’s highest-level math class. In Algebra II, her teacher regularly moved beyond the textbook, introducing proofs and early precalculus concepts. “At Rumsey, you can learn so much more than what is in the textbook,” Mickey said. “You learn from your teachers, your peers, group projects, presentations, from everything.”

Rumsey also introduced Mickey to athletics. She had never played a sport before arriving on campus, but went on to make varsity volleyball and varsity tennis. Along the way, she tried skiing, recreational tennis, and other activities that were entirely new to her.

Her interests stretched across campus. Mickey performed in Orchestra, Chorus, Blue Dog Voices, and the drama program. She also founded the Ink and Imagination Club to showcase student writing and artwork. Through Rumsey’s Social and Community Leadership class, she helped lead a faculty and staff appreciation project that brought Upper and Lower School students together to recognize the adults working throughout the School.

Mickey is now continuing directly into her sophomore year at Deerfield Academy. She leaves Rumsey prepared for the academic challenge and comfortable stepping into unfamiliar experiences. “I gained confidence and started thinking about what I could do for the community,” she said. “I didn’t want to simply be part of it. I wanted to help make it better.”

Charlie rarely headed home when classes ended. A day student, he often stayed for dinner, joined weekend activities, and spent much of his time with boarding friends. Between rehearsals, varsity practices, Chorus, clubs, and community service, he took part in so much of campus life that many people assumed he lived at School.

That involvement grew naturally over Charlie’s ten years at Rumsey. He began in Kindergarten and, by Upper School, was willing to try opportunities that once would have felt intimidating. Performing arts became an especially important part of his experience. After earning an ensemble role in his first musical, he spent months practicing his acting, singing, and dancing at home. His work led to larger roles, including a memorable performance in Shrek.

“I wasn’t afraid to go out and show myself,” Charlie said. “The plays and musicals helped build my confidence.”

Charlie brought the same commitment to athletics. He competed in three varsity sports and worked his way from the Futures crew program to become the coxswain of Rumsey’s boys’ first boat. In that role, he learned to communicate clearly, make decisions under pressure, and earn the trust of his teammates. Rumsey’s schedule allowed him to pursue athletics and theater while remaining a strong student, a combination he valued.

He also made time for roadside cleanups, awareness initiatives, faculty appreciation projects, clubs, and other school events. For Charlie, participating was both a way to contribute and a way to spend more time in a community he loved.

Now at Taft School, Charlie plans to continue with crew and theater. He leaves Rumsey accustomed to balancing academic work with a full schedule and eager to become just as involved in his new community.

Some of Luke’s most important lessons at Rumsey began with a simple direction from his math teacher: close the textbook and listen. For Luke, that approach changed how he understood the subject.

“He made math less about memorizing formulas and more about understanding the reasoning behind them,” Luke said. “That helped me learn better.”

Luke found the same emphasis on active learning in science. At his previous school, students often watched videos of experiments or analyzed work completed by others. At Rumsey, Luke conducted the experiments himself, completed dissections, and wrote lab reports based on his own observations. The experience gave him a clearer understanding of scientific concepts and greater confidence in his ability to investigate questions for himself.

That independence developed outside the classroom as well. Luke arrived as a Fifth Form boarding student and had to adjust to living away from his parents. Over three years, he learned to manage his schedule and take responsibility for the many small decisions that shape daily life. “I didn’t realize how much support I was getting from my parents,” he said. “Learning to manage my own life was really important.”

Luke also played soccer, basketball, and crew, and joined clubs that introduced him to new interests. After learning to play chess at Rumsey, he continued playing on his own. In Finance Club, a simulated stock market competition sparked his interest in investing. Most recently, he and two friends founded the Green Club, creating a composting program with plans to support the Lower School garden or other local gardens.

The project introduced Luke to environmental studies, a subject he now hopes to pursue at The Hotchkiss School. He arrives there with the academic foundation to take on more advanced work and the independence to manage the responsibilities that come with it.

Jeanne noticed something different about Rumsey from her first day. Coming from a public school, she remembers walking into her dorm and immediately feeling welcomed by the students around her. “It felt like I was not going to have a hard time fitting in,” she says. That sense of community helped Jeanne become comfortable in a new environment and gave her a strong foundation to begin growing more confident and independent.

In her four years at Rumsey, Jeanne discovered more about herself as a student and how to take responsibility for her own success. She describes her younger self as “very hard headed,” often convinced there was only one way to approach something. Her time at Rumsey challenged that mindset. Through higher expectations and the relationships she built with her teachers, she became more willing to hear different perspectives to find what was best for her.

Jeanne learned to take ownership of her academics. Learning Skills became one of her favorite parts of the day, giving her dedicated time to focus on her coursework while building a strong relationship with her teacher. Across her classes, she appreciated receiving guidance from her teachers without simply being given the answers, allowing her to become more confident working through challenges. When asked what strengths she has developed since coming to Rumsey, Jeanne points to confidence, independence, and responsibility.

That confidence also shaped the way Jeanne interacted with her teachers. Over time, she became comfortable asking questions and speaking up for herself. The relationships she built with faculty members became an important part of her education, so much so that one of the things she looked forward to most about her next school was getting to know a new group of teachers.

Now at Proctor Academy, Jeanne carries with her a stronger understanding of herself as a student and greater confidence in her ability to navigate what comes next.

Fiona describes herself as a completely different person from the seventh grader who first arrived at Rumsey. Homesick and shy, she initially kept to herself while adjusting to her new environment. That began to change when she made the decision to put herself out there.

One of those new experiences was trying out for the crew team. Fiona had never been a coxswain before coming to Rumsey. Taking on this role challenged her to be comfortable speaking up. “I think it really helped me find my voice.” By her ninth grade year, she became the captain of the team while leading as a coxswain of the girls’ first boat. Over time, this same confidence began showing up in other aspects of her life. During her time at Rumsey she was a dorm representative, member of student government, a club leader, a Senior Committee member, and more.

She continued challenging herself to try things she never imagined doing. She participated in a math competition, joined woodshop despite never having used a power tool, and performed in plays and musicals. Each new experience became another opportunity to step outside of the person she once thought she was.

Fiona didn’t necessarily see herself as a leader until the end of her eighth grade year when she was surprised to receive a baton being recognized as a rising senior leader. “I didn’t really see myself as a leader necessarily,” she says. “I obviously tried to make the community better but I didn’t know other people saw it that way.”

Whether it was helping younger students feel comfortable, organizing dorm events, or serving as a voice for her peers on Senior Committee, she understood how small actions can strengthen a community. Starting her next chapter at Brooks School, she plans to carry the same lesson that changed her Rumsey experience. “I’ve learned, just do the thing that younger you would least expect you to do.”

Nana has been passionate about art for as long as she can remember. At her kindergarten graduation in Japan, she announced that she wanted to become a fashion designer when she grew up. Years later, that childhood dream has stuck with her and remains an important part of how she sees her future.

When Nana arrived at Rumsey in eighth grade, she was focused on navigating more than her artistic interests. Being her first time living away from family, she was nervous about her English and participating in class. The encouragement from her teachers and classmates helped her become more comfortable sharing her ideas. “Now I talk a lot in class,” she says.

Over her two years, she began learning more about herself as an artist while working with greater depth and independence. Through courses in ceramics and drawing, along with the space to pursue her own interests in Honors Art, Nana experimented with new materials and techniques. The opportunity to be in an honors level course became especially impactful because of the freedom she had. “You can basically lead your own way,” she says. Connecting back to her aspiration to pursue fashion, one of her independent works used crochet and paint to bring a fashion sketch to life in three dimensions.

A memorable moment for Nana was completing her first colored pencil piece. After spending over a month working on it, her drawing of a flower was featured on the cover of Rumsey’s Grandfriends’ Day program. “I was really struggling with it,” she says. “I also was really satisfied with how it came out.” Seeing her work shared with the larger community was a proud moment for her as an artist.

When she began to consider different secondary schools, she knew she wanted art to play a significant role in what came next. With support from Rumsey as she prepared her applications and her portfolio, she chose to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy in California.

For Nana, the next step builds on the passion she discovered as a child, but with a much clearer idea of where it can take her. She is especially excited to take fashion design courses and have opportunities to explore the industry firsthand.

Rumsey was a familiar name in Harper’s family before she became a student herself. Both of her older brothers had attended, and when she joined the eighth grade class, she arrived knowing several students she had grown up with. Those connections helped ease the transition from her previous school, but it didn’t take long for her to branch out as a student, athlete, and leader.

Coming from a smaller Montessori school where she felt she didn’t always fit in, Harper found herself making friends in every aspect of her Rumsey experience. “There’s such a diverse amount of people that you can really find your people,” she says. She found it easy to connect with students beyond her immediate group of friends, whether in classes, the dining hall, or athletics.

Athletics played a big role in her student experience. As a soccer, basketball, and lacrosse player, she became captain of all three sports during her ninth grade year. Those roles gave her opportunities to grow as a leader and brought her closer to teammates she hadn’t known as well before. “Sports have always been my happy place,” she says. “It really builds a community and you make so many new friends.”

Academically, Rumsey introduced her to a new level of structure and responsibility. Coming from a school that had no traditional grading system, studying and time management were skills she had to develop. With the support of her teachers, advisor, and her friends she discovered strategies that worked for her. Harper expressed that being able to see her grades and progress is what motivates her success.

Looking back, she sees the biggest change in her confidence. “I’ve become a lot more extroverted because I always knew I would have someone there.” As she starts her journey as a boarding student at Choate, she hopes to create that same feeling for others by being outgoing and making the people around her feel welcome.

Thomas arrived at Rumsey from Bermuda in eighth grade and he wasn’t sure what to expect from a boarding school in a different country. Almost immediately, he found himself surrounded by people and experiences that were entirely new. Those connections made boarding life feel natural. Thomas says he never really experienced the homesickness he had expected. Living in the dorm gave him the chance to form friendships quickly, turning Rumsey into his second home.

Living alongside classmates from around the world opened Thomas to perspectives he had never encountered growing up in Bermuda. “I never really anticipated that I was going to live across from a guy who lives in China while living with a guy who’s from Mexico,” he says. “The world’s a big place, but it feels like at Rumsey it shrunk at times.”

Thomas stepped outside of his comfort zone by trying lacrosse and football for the first time. After becoming the captain of the football team his senior year, he credits his teammates and coaches for encouraging him to try something new. That willingness to stretch himself carried into the classroom, where Rumsey’s greater academic expectations pushed him to show effort in his work. “Being here made me actually work a lot harder and want to work hard,” he says. Thomas felt that his strongest point of growth during his time here was in the classroom.

Moving on from Rumsey to St. Mark’s School, Thomas left Rumsey prepared with a strong work ethic, newfound passions, and friendships that changed the way he sees the world around him. He hopes to “start off strong” by bringing the same efforts to his new campus.

Emma’s earliest science memory at Rumsey is helping care for newly hatched chicks in First Grade. By Ninth Grade, science had taken on new meaning. Her Biology course introduced her to anatomy, genetics, and the functions of the human body, sparking an interest in sports medicine that she now hopes to explore further.

“I don’t know if I would have figured out how much I liked that kind of science somewhere else,” Emma said. Her history classes challenged her in a different way, teaching her to connect abstract and philosophical ideas rather than simply memorize information. Together, those courses helped Emma identify interests she will continue pursuing at Deerfield Academy.

The same willingness to explore shaped Emma’s athletic career. She joined Rumsey’s hockey team and credits her coaches and teammates with deepening her love for the sport. She also played lacrosse and tried soccer before discovering field hockey, becoming a three-season varsity athlete and team captain. Some of her favorite Rumsey memories are the simplest: energetic music playing in the hockey locker room as teammates prepared for practice together.

During her time at Rumsey, Emma developed close relationships with teachers who saw her grow from a Lower School student into a Ninth Grade leader. One faculty member first taught her in Lower School math and later coached her in all three varsity athletic seasons. As a member of Senior Committee, Emma became the kind of older student she had looked up to when she was younger, setting an example for Lower School students and taking responsibility for the community she had grown up in.

At Deerfield, Emma is excited to pursue the academic and athletic interests she found at Rumsey while becoming part of a larger community.

For Logan, independence began with a flight from Seattle to Connecticut. The son of an active-duty military officer, he had spent much of his life moving between communities. When he arrived at Rumsey, his family was across the country, and he was living at school for the first time.

“The second I got on that flight, there was no turning back,” he said. “It was just me, out in the world, going to Rumsey.”

In one year, Logan learned to manage his academic work, daily schedule, and responsibilities as a boarding student. Just as important, he learned to speak comfortably with adults, advocate for himself, and ask for what he needed. He credits Rumsey’s teachers, dorm parents, and secondary school counseling program with giving him room to become independent while providing support when he needed it.

Logan arrived with a broken leg, which kept him on the sidelines during football season. By winter, he was on the ice for hockey. Accustomed to skating several times a week with club teams, he saw a significant difference when he began skating and practicing every day at Rumsey. In the spring, he joined varsity lacrosse.

He also explored interests beyond athletics. Logan sang in Chorus, began learning guitar, served as a tour guide, and became a trusted role model for younger students. Knowing that his younger brother would attend Rumsey the following year made setting a positive example especially important to him.

“The biggest thing for me was noticing how many different things you can do here,” he said. “You just have to be a sponge and take it all in.”

Now at The Hill School, Logan plans to continue hockey and lacrosse while pursuing more advanced academic work, singing, playing guitar, and trying theater.

When Corrine talks about playing the piano, she focuses on the details. Every note matters. Even the way she touches the key can change the sound of a piece. “I think being a musician kind of taught me parts about being attentive to detail,” she says. After playing since the age of five, that attention has become part of the way she approaches much more than music.

At Rumsey, Corrine continued developing as a pianist through weekly individual lessons as well as opportunities to play during community events. She shared that the Talent Show became one of her proudest moments, giving her a chance not only to share what she had practiced, but to introduce others to something she is passionate about. “I think music is a way to connect people’s feelings,” she says.

Her attention and curiosity also showed up in the classroom, where she challenged herself through honors coursework while developing strong interests across history, biology, math, and even psychology outside of school. She became especially interested in how different subjects can connect to one another and shape her understanding of the world. “Life’s a process of constant learning,” she says. “No matter what I learn, I think it’s all going to help me one day.”

Corrine also wanted part of her Rumsey experience to be focused outward. Through Sunday community service opportunities, she enjoyed helping others while also becoming involved in the community around her. She was surprised by how many different ways there are to give back to the community and how meaningful it felt to her.

Bringing all of her commitments together required Corrine to learn how to manage her time and responsibilities after arriving from Shanghai in eighth grade. That experience broadened her idea of personal growth. She came to understand the importance of getting involved outside of the classroom and contributing to something beyond herself.

Now at Hotchkiss, Corrine looks forward to playing piano while taking on new academic challenges and exploring new subjects. The desire to contribute that shaped her Rumsey experience will continue to guide the way she learns and engages with the community around her.