Dear Country Day Alumni and Friends, 

Last week we began our 99^th academic year at CCDS, and at our opening Convocation ceremony, I shared some thoughts on the enduring purpose of a Country Day education. 

In sum, I encouraged our students to reject the prevailing modern view that school is merely a transaction during which a student follows a pre-planned script and obtains a longed-for credential. Instead, I urged students to view education as a journey of intellectual discovery and personal transformation

Under this transformational rather than transactional approach to education, I asked students to help cultivate a culture that joyfully seeks knowledge, that thrills at the prospect of intellectual exchange, and that is tough on ideas but gentle on people. I also suggested that students should not simply judge their successes by their grades or awards but also by those moments when their minds are alive to new ideas and their hearts are open to new experiences – when they are transformed into something they never expected. 

As I told the students, I know these moments firsthand. I have witnessed many such moments in my three years as head of school at CCDS. But I also know them as a student. In fact, I shared a particular memory from Mel MacKay’s English class that I’ve never forgotten. It was a simple moment: He read a poem. But the way he breathed life into that ancient text felt like a magic trick to me, and it revealed an as-yet unknown love of language and literature that changed my self-conception. I have no idea what grade I earned in that class, but I’ve never forgotten how it made me feel.  

When I talk to Country Day alumni, almost every one of them remembers a moment like this. So in the spirit of the new year (and our upcoming centennial) I’d like to hear your transformational moments. What moment – in the classroom, on the stage, or on the athletic field – do you still carry with you? Let us know here and I’ll share it with our students and faculty. In the process, you’ll be helping to perpetuate our unique culture of intellectual discovery and personal transformation. 

Thank you for all that you do, and stay connected!

Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21

Homecoming is less than a month away, and we cannot wait to welcome our alumni back for a fantastic weekend! Keep reading for a full schedule and details on the festivities. !

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20

Black Alumni Network Gathering

4:30 p.m.

Broadwell House

Alumni Reception

5:30 p.m.

Gordon R. Wright Tennis Complex

Homecoming Football Game

7:00 p.m.

Brian J. Bortz Family Stadium

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21

Alumni Breakfast

10:30 a.m.

CCDS Dining Terrace

Honoring the lass of 1974 and 50+ year alumni, all alumni are welcome. Includes the presentation of the Virtue in Action and Distinguished Alumni Awards.

All events are gratis, courtesy of the CCDS Alumni Association.

Mark your calendars and join us!

Reunions

The Class of 1974 will celebrate its 50th reunion year.

Classes ending in 4 and 9 will celebrate their reunions over Homecoming Weekend! If your class is celebrating a milestone reunion year and you have not yet heard about plans for a celebration, contact Peter Fossett '80, associate director of alumni and legacy giving, at 513-979-0283 or fossettp@countryday.net.

Alumni Award Winners Announced

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given each year to one or more alums in recognition of their contributions to the school, their contributions to their community, or their professional achievements. This year, the Honorable Scott L. Kafker ’77 and Maya Amoils ’08 (posthumously) will receive the award.

The Honorable Scott L. Kafker ’77 has been an associate justice on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (the state’s highest court) since 2017. Before his appointment to the SJC, Scott served for 15 years on the Massachusetts Appeals Court (the state’s intermediate appellate court, just one notch below the SJC); during his last two years on the Appeals Court, Scott was the chief justice.

Scott graduated from Amherst College in 1981 and from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985, where he was on the Law Review. After law school, he served as a law clerk to Justice Charles L. Levin of the Michigan Supreme Court, then as a law clerk to Judge Mark L. Wolf of the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. In 1987, he joined the Boston law firm of Foley, Hoag & Eliot as an associate. From 1991 to 1993, Scott was deputy chief legal counsel to Massachusetts Governor William F. Weld. In 1993, he was named chief legal counsel for the Massachusetts Port Authority (the agency that runs Boston’s Logan Airport, among other public transportation terminals).



In 2001, Scott ascended to the bench with his appointment to the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Scott taught state constitutional law at Boston College Law School from 2009 to 2015. He has also served on the Visiting Committee of the University of Chicago Law School. He is the author of book reviews, comments and articles appearing in many law reviews and journals. He is the president and dean of the Flaschner Judicial Institute, which seeks to advance the administration of justice in Massachusetts by promoting the highest possible standards of judicial professionalism. He is also a member of the American Law Institute, a group devoted to producing scholarly works clarifying and modernizing the law.

Maya Amoils ’08 personified leadership, inspiration, philanthropy, and beneficence. She lived her life to the fullest, with grace and poise, until she succumbed to ovarian cancer in 2021 at the age of 32.

One of the more remarkable things she did was create (with several CCDS friends) an organization in 7^th grade called H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Endure) to help impoverished orphaned children in a remote, rural area in South Africa, where she had witnessed the poverty firsthand. She returned determined to rally and inspire her friends to make an impact.

Over their high school years and beyond, Maya and her friends raised over $3 million through H.O.P.E. and repeatedly traveled to South Africa, where they helped transform the lives of the people in the village of Langkloof. These funds helped to bring water and electricity and ablution facilities, build a preschool and community center, a kitchen and dining hall, a playground, and vegetable tunnels with an irrigation system, add computers and a library to the high school, and make other improvements that gave the community the tools and knowledge to be self-sustaining, including the ability to feed up to 200 children twice daily for over 20 years and counting. President Bill Clinton was so impressed by the work of Maya and her friends that he highlighted H.O.P.E. – in his 2007 book on philanthropy, Giving – as a model for young people interested in helping others around the world.

Maya graduated from CCDS in 2008 and then earned her bachelor’s degree in science, technology, and society from Stanford University in 2012. Maya began her professional life at Google Philanthropy, where she worked to inspire girls and young women to embrace computer programming. From Google, Maya moved to YouTube, where she created productions with David Blaine, Will Smith, and Elton John (to name just a few!). At the end of her career, during the Covid pandemic and while on chemotherapy, Maya was instrumental in creating the health partnerships team at YouTube where she focused on mental health during this unstable time. During her career, Maya was known as an inspirational powerhouse, always goading her colleagues to greater heights.

Maya’s grace, kindness, and care for others throughout her life were especially magnified through her three years of severe illness, a true testimony to her open heart, her magnanimous spirit, and her determination to do good in the world. Maya’s commitment to helping others defined her short life and continues today in Maya’s Way, an organization formed at Maya’s request by her family to help young people struggling with cancer.

The Virtue in Action Award recognizes a member of the Virtue in Action Society – those alumni who are celebrating their 50^th or greater reunion year – for their dedication, attitude, and motivation expressed through volunteer service to their community. Recipients of this award exemplify the school’s motto, “Virtue in Action.” This year, William H. Hopple III ’71 will receive the award. 

William H. Hopple III ’71 has spent most of his life devoted to service, leading many organizations in Cincinnati and beyond.

Bill has been an integral part of the Country Day community for over 65 years. From his first day as a student in the nursery program in 1957, Bill has worn many Country Day hats: student, alumnus, teacher, coach, staff member, parent, and volunteer.

A graduate of Cornell University with a master’s degree in biology from the University of Cincinnati, Bill returned to Country Day as a science teacher in 1981. Bill soon added coaching to his teaching responsibilities, becoming head coach of the school’s new rowing team in 1982. In 1987, Bill switched hats and joined the school’s development office; in 1988, he became the school’s director of development and for the next eight years led Country Day’s fundraising and alumni engagement efforts.



In 1996, Bill returned to his science roots and devoted the rest of his career to his love of the natural world at the Cincinnati Nature Center, serving as the executive director for an incredible 23 years. Since retiring in 2019, Bill has continued to share his leadership and passions with the community and currently serves as board president of the Cardinal Land Conservancy here in southwestern Ohio and Development and Communications Chair on the board of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in western New York.

Scott, Maya, and Bill will be honored at the Alumni Breakfast on the Saturday of Homecoming Weekend – Saturday, September 21. The celebration will start at 10:30 a.m. in the school’s Dining Terrace. 

Out-of-Town Alumni Gatherings Are Back!

Country Day is hitting the road and resuming out-of-town gatherings this year, starting on the east coast this fall. Mark your calendars and please join us!

Invitations have been sent separately to those for whom we have a local address on record. If you live in the area and would like to attend, please RSVP to Kathy Paff at paffk@countryday.net or 513-979-0285.

CCDS Boys Golf Team Sets New School Record

This week, the Cincinnati Country Day boys golf team shot 149 in a match against Elder High School – a new school record for lowest team score in a 9-hole match. The team, consisting of seniors Ethan Argus (who shot 34), Marc Hayden Mann (38), and Jacob Faulhaber (38), junior Evan Ross (39), and non-scoring players Simon Smyth (senior) and Ray Chen (freshman), beat the previous low of 151 when the 1977 CCDS boys golf team played against Walnut Hills. Congratulations to these outstanding student-athletes on their stellar performance on the course!

While records are meant to be broken, congratulations must also be given to the 1977 boys' golf team who held the record for an impressive 47 years. Their legacy lives on in the new record set by the current team, showcasing the rich tradition of excellence in the CCDS athletic program. 

The 1977 CCDS boys golf team from L to R: Coach David McDiarmid, Dave Krall '79, Chip Pettengill '79, Scott Kelly '79, David Brinkman '79, Mark Linder '78, Ben Russert '81, Jeff March '80.

Connections Recap

Connections, Country Day's biannual magazine, was delivered to homes in July. Didn't receive your copy? Please update your mailing address for our records and we will make sure you receive it next time!

As well as exciting updates on life at Country Day, Connections included articles on the successes and accomplishments of our alumni and former faculty. Click on the links below for a small selection of the stories.

CCDS Alumni-Branded Spirit Wear Hits the Market

With Homecoming 2024 on the horizon, the CCDS online spirit shop is adding alumni-branded items to its collection of CCDS swag! The first four are available now in an early-release flash sale running through Friday, September 6. Each of these very desirable alumni-branded items is appropriate for men and women:

Nike Dry 1/2 Zip Cover Up in grey heather

District VIT Fleece Crew Sweatshirt in Navy

Allmade Tri-Blend Tee in grey

Imperial Performance Cap in navy

Represent Country Day in style and purchase your alumni merch now at CCDS Spirit Shop Alumni Flash Sale. A limited selection will also be offered for sale at the alumni reception on the Friday of Homecoming Weekend (September 20), but ordering today through the online spirit shop is the best way to ensure that you get the item(s) you want in the size(s) you need in time for Homecoming Weekend!

Starting on Saturday, September 7, a more extensive collection of alumni-branded items will be available through the online spirit shop. The addition of alumni-branded merchandise to Country Day’s online spirit shop is a perfect complement to the existing array of school-branded spirit wear available through the CCDS Spirit Shop. Together, these collections offer you and your family many ways to proudly share your Country Day connection!

Pictures of the Summer

This past June at Cassidy's wedding in the English countryside, Class of 2013 graduates Sam Hall, Cassidy Sachs, Luke Hall, and Sam Fossett posed for a photo retake from their school days. Country Day vibes were in full force at the wedding, with 13 Class of 2013 grads (including Cassidy) in attendance! We can only imagine the memories and stories they shared (and created)!

Nicholas Vredeveld '25, Jaemeson French '26, Ria Patel '27, and Drew Riggs '27 participated in a job shadow hosted by Country Day parent Ash Patel. By spending the day with Invest Beyond Multifamily, the students had a first-hand look at the commercial real estate industry, toured properties, and sat in on a virtual meeting.

Every week of summer was full of new adventures and possibilities for CCDSummer campers, who learned about engineering, storytelling, art, music, and much, much more!

The Country Day community, from recent alums to some of our youngest learners, came together to represent Country Day and celebrate our country in the annual Indian Hill 4th of July parade.

Mr. Woods' marine biology trip to Roatan, Honduras gives our students the opportunity to explore different cultures, learn new skills, increase their sense of independence, and interact with dolphins, turtles, exotic birds, and sloths. Sounds like the perfect way to spend the summer!

Leadership in action! These CCDS alums and current students spent the summer guiding middle school students from across the city with Breakthrough Cincinnati, hosted on Country Day's campus. They truly represented leadership and virtue in action every step of the way!

Our newest alumni, the Class of 2024, signed yearbooks and enjoyed time with faculty and friends as they were welcomed into the CCDS Alumni Association at Senior Sendoff.

The Class of 2025 greeted the first day of their last year at Country Day with one of our favorite traditions: Senior Sunrise.

It was an unforgettable 1st day of school! Here's to a year filled with learning, growth, and more memorable moments. We can't wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for us!

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