RCDS Dedicates Jayne S. Carmody School

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RUMSON – Past and present students, faculty, administration and supporters will celebrate a dedication ceremony for the newly christened Jayne S. Carmody School at Rumson Country Day School (RCDS) on Nov. 20.
Jayne Carmody, a revered figure in independent education circles, retired as longtime head of the lower school last spring. She was instrumental in molding the “school within a school,” a program for high-achieving students who struggled with language-based learning differences in 2007.
RCDS worked with differential education experts to tailor a program aimed at keeping siblings together while maintaining its high standards of scholarship and community service. Students in the program received individualized help but shared classes with their peers.
Whitney Slade, who joined RCDS at its head of school in 2014, was astonished when he saw the results of the program firsthand. “When I arrived at the school and witnessed kids thriving in the School Within A School program, it became my goal No. 1 to expand the program,” said Slade. “With this additional space and additional staff hired over the summer, we are ready to grow.”
Over the last six months, RCDS created a dedicated 1,590 sq. ft. area for Carmody School students within Riker Hall, at a total cost of about $600,000. According to Slade, building out the larger “base of operations” was necessary before RCDS could increase enrollment in the program, and serve more mission-fit children who do not have siblings in the school.
Many families in Monmouth and Ocean counties struggle to find an adequate fit for children with language-based learning differences; some travel across the state every day for special education programs in Princeton. For the right student, the Carmody School approach – in concert with the inclusive-yet competitive RCDS atmosphere – can be a profound difference-maker. “We teach our students how to decipher their learning differences and how to advocate for their needs outside of the Carmody classroom,” explains Director of Student Services Natalie Diehl, who runs the program. “Carmody students are RCDS scholars. They receive the same curriculum as their peers, which gives them a common dialogue and social context. Children who were once feeling defeated now walk the halls with a new sense of confidence.”