Written By: Emily Hau

The Pinkham building is the heart of daily life at RCDS. From morning classes to afternoon study sessions to hangouts with friends, the building is always buzzing with activity. Soon, Pinkham will be entering a new era. Ms. Macaffer, the Assistant Head of School for Finance and Operations, has high hopes for the upcoming Pinkham remodel. Ms. Macaffer was a student at RCDS in the 1980s and she notes the science labs are still the same from her time here, highlighting how an update is needed. Over the years the Pinkham building has had small updates, but Ms. Macaffer emphasizes how the classrooms are no longer the right size for the current day pedagogy.

Per Ms. Macaffer, the building has “good bones,” but an update is needed to match the academic environment at RCDS. One major issue she notes is that there are not enough spaces for students to study and hang out, echoing a daily frustration for students on campus. The Pinkham renovation is part of a larger plan that includes updates and new buildings across both the main and East campuses. This larger restructuring of the campus includes a new academic building built between the Performing Arts Center (PAC) and Cohen Center in the parking lot. The Pinkham science labs will be moved there, freeing up space in the Pinkham building for larger classrooms and gathering areas for students. Ms. Macaffer plans to reconfigure walls to make the classrooms bigger and plans to update the aesthetics and functionality of these classrooms to the 21st century. Many students are excited for this update, including Nina Krishnan ‘29, who emphasized, “I am really excited for this remodel and what RCDS will end up doing!” 

The Pinkham remodeling process, however, has not been without challenges. Ms. Macaffer and many others are collaborating on this project and are working with the city of Rye to gain necessary approvals. Ms. Macaffer highlights how the approval process has been difficult because this project is “like dominoes”—if RCDS does not receive approval for one building then it is hard to do any other related project. RCDS is still in the approval process, and it could take up to seven years. But there is still room for optimism. Ms. Macaffer is hoping to start some projects this upcoming summer, and says that some of the current Upper School students will be able to experience some of the changes before they graduate. Ultimately, Ms. Macaffer hopes “to match the abilities of our facility and students with the facilities they are in.”