Written By: Sophia Shen

The end of October marks two long-awaited RCDS events: Halloween and the welcoming of thirteen students from La Nativité to the Rye Country Day campus. Starting October 24th, several RCDS Upper Schoolers will be hosting students traveling across the ocean from Aix-en-Provence, France. Their trip to the United States is part of a larger Rye Country Day language exchange program, rebooted just last year. Last spring, groups of Upper School students studying modern languages at RCDS traveled to France, China, and Spain. They stayed with host families in their respective countries, where they were immersed in the culture, education, and language, all while building strong connections and friendships. Sixteen students studying French got the opportunity to stay in Aix-en-Provence for thirteen days, visiting landmarks, shadowing students, and practicing their French.

Soon, students will welcome their French counterparts to the United States. They are excited to reconnect with their friends while showing them around Rye and New York City. On October 24th, the thirteen exchange students, their Upper School principal, and their head English teacher will arrive in New York and be greeted by RCDS families. Thirteen RCDS students are excited to host the students, including: Lydia Sussman ‘26, Nina Bortner-Hirszman ‘26, Junjun Li ‘26, Lincoln Feng ‘26, Dana DaCosta ‘26, Julia Gallardo ‘26, Arianna Toussi ‘26, Zara Khemlani ‘27, Marshall Brown ‘28, C.C. Liu ‘28, Ailey Denson ‘28, Helena Pierry ‘29, and Olivia Pierry ‘29.

After arriving in New York on Friday, French students will spend the weekend with their host families. They will be immersed in their host family’s culture and everyday life, and several families plan to visit New York City or other local landmarks. Gallardo says that she plans to show her exchange student around Bryant Park Village and SoHo.

After spending a weekend with their host families, exchange students will get the chance to shadow their host student at RCDS for a day, during which they will get a tour of the school campus and will observe classes. After school on Monday, the exchange students plan to attend the RCDS Girl’s Varsity Soccer game. Mr. Bataille, a French teacher and Modern Languages Department Chair, trusts that the RCDS community will give the exchange students a warm welcome Monday morning. He’d like to “encourage as many members of our community to take a moment to welcome our visitors, offer a friendly word, and share what makes RCDS so special.” His goal is “for them to feel seen, valued, and inspired by the connections they build during their stay.”

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, exchange students and chaperones will spend time together in New York City. The exchange students are excited to visit an abundance of sites including the MET, Central Park, Times Square, the 9/11 memorial, a Brooklyn street art tour, and the Brooklyn Bridge.

Out of all the exciting activities that the exchange students will be able to participate in during their stay in the US, Gallardo is most looking forward to her exchange student experiencing Halloween in the US. On Friday, October 31st, students will be back at school where they will attend RCDS’s annual Halloween Community Meeting and parade. After school, they will spend Halloween night with their host students and spend the weekend with their host families again before flying home on November 3rd.

When asked about the language exchange program, Mr. Bataille reflected that “in a world increasingly shaped by technology, this program is about human-to-human learning–building genuine connections, empathy, and the kind of grit and resilience that come from real experiences.” He hopes that in experiencing new cultures, the French exchange students will feel excited and welcomed by their host families and the entire RCDS community.