Rocky Hill Country Day School

Posted: June 6, 2025

I have two children in Rocky Hill. The teachers are supportive and communicate well when there is a problem. I love the way the school embraces the environment. My children are often outside, exploring the campus with a teacher or engaging in an interdisciplinary program on the water. I wish we had more students in the Upper School, but it seems like they are trying to make that happen. But the size of the school also lets my child explore lots of interests. He can be an athlete and still try his his hand at other things like music and art. Overall, we are very happy with our choice and the reduction in tuition next year is a welcome break for us.

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

This school derives it’s legitimacy from the few students that are actually smart. The grades of students whose parents are on the board of trustees or are donors are inflated by threatening to fire teachers that do not give them grades they do not deserve. There are good teachers there, but the best are pressured to give better grades to the select few for no reason. Those with the best grades rarely have the highest grades in an objective environment such as the SAT or ACT. There are plenty of students who were kicked out of multiple private schools and this was their only option. Because the school is small their athletics teams are never able to compete so another segment is students enrolled simply because they are good at sports. Unless you are extremely wealthy it is not worth it. If you can actually afford tuition, buy your kid a house instead.

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

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Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: June 6, 2025

Posted: July 7, 2020

My child is in middle school and the amount of homework is very manageable.

Posted: July 7, 2020

I think that the middle school teachers my child has had are wonderful. They come up with inventive ideas for projects, truly know their students, and honestly care a great deal. They are very approachable. My child emails them. I've emailed them. They invite you to.

Posted: July 7, 2020

I feel like they care as much about character development as they do academics. Children are held to a high standard in that way and I think that's good for them.

Posted: July 7, 2020

Posted: July 7, 2020

Posted: July 7, 2020

My child was bullied this past year and every single teacher was made aware. They immediately took action to diffuse the situation. The counselor was amazing. The focus was very much on what my child could do in the situation and I think that encouraging her to understand she can only control herself is something that will stay with her forever. In the end, she grew in confidence and was able to diffuse the situations on her own. I will never say enough positive things about how they dealt with it.

Posted: July 7, 2020

Overall, our experience has been positive. I do wish, at times, that the classwork was more advanced in some classes. Classes are small and engaging. They spend a lot of time outside on the beautiful campus overlooking the bay, which is wonderful. I'd highly recommend at least considering it. It's not one of the flashy "big name" schools in RI, but it's a lot more low-key in comparison and I didn't want to send my child to a school where kids only care about money. Rocky Hill, while expensive, is not like that at all.

Posted: November 17, 2017

Posted: November 17, 2017

Posted: November 17, 2017

Posted: November 17, 2017

Posted: November 17, 2017

Posted: November 17, 2017

Posted: November 17, 2017

I've had my children at Rocky Hill School for four years and can't imagine them any where else. The small class sizes, the individualized instruction, and the experiential learning really set this school apart from most any other school in Rhode Island. The campus is waterfront, and many classes are conducted right in the marsh (think science) or along the waterfront. Academics are rigorous, athletics are competitive, the theater program partners with Trinity Rep, and the Lower School allows plenty of recess time for the kids to burn off energy.

Posted: December 13, 2016

4 Heads of School in 7 years
4 Directors of College Counseling in 7 years
Lack of stability in school leadership

Posted: December 13, 2016

No issues during my many years at RHS.

Posted: December 13, 2016

The ACE program seems to work really well for students who need additional support outside of the classroom beyond what their teachers can provide.

Posted: December 13, 2016

Four Heads of School in seven years. Enough said.

Posted: December 13, 2016

Posted: December 13, 2016

Some are really good (take the Holocaust course and Human Physiology), but others are to be avoided like a certain someone in the Math department who should have retired years ago.

Posted: December 13, 2016

Some classes like Honors English 10 have hours of homework per night. Some teachers think that they are "good" only if they assign WAY too much work.

Posted: June 25, 2015

Rocky Hill provides a great environment to learn and create friendships. Our daughter attended grades 9-12. While a smart student, she struggled at the larger public middle school with the numerous distractions. While every school has distractions, RHS class size is small and the Harkness Table approach allows the students to focus. She thrived at RHS and made many friends. The opportunites beyond the classroom are numerous and the campus is outstanding located on Narragansett Bay. One minor issue is the turnover of personnel in the upper school over the past few years. That may be normal for a small private school - not sure. Overall our daughter had a great experience with many excellent teachers and I would recommend the school.

Posted: November 23, 2014

One of the highlights of Rocky Hill School is its ability to provide each student with individualized attention. The faculty have a deep dedication to the progress and well-being of each student. The curriculum is supported through many community activities and hands on experiences. Additionally, student progress in the arts, sports and community activism is reinforced and publicly acknowledged. There is great communication between the school and the families and we are grateful to be a part of this wonderful community of faculty, staff and families.

Posted: March 13, 2014

This school is overall wonderful and my children love it. However, the teachers could become more proactive in helping students strengthen the emotional part in their lives. My children often tell me about struggles they face with little assistant, and even added pressures or stress. Other than that, Rocky Hill is wonderful and sending my children there was the right decision. They have become more independent and self reliant.

Posted: March 9, 2014

Rocky Hill School is an exceptional learning environment and it is also such a welcoming community. While I am always struck by the sheer beauty of the campus, it is the dedication of the faculty that makes the school outstanding. The small class size allows student's to be enriched across disciplines. My daughter has been able to explore interests in robotics, programming, sculpting and the marine environment and she is only in sixth grade. Rocky Hill is exceptional.

Posted: February 26, 2014

Rocky Hill School encourages each student to strive to achieve their personal best, in academics, sports and activities. The teachers engage students in learning and provide an atmosphere where children thrive.

Posted: February 26, 2014

Excellent staff and supportive educational environment. RH is a gem of a school that encourages participation of all students in academics and athletics.

Posted: February 26, 2014

I have a first grader and a preschooler at Rocky hill. I told the first grade teacher that my daughter skips to school. There are nine children in her class. The teacher is easy going, gives them a ton of individualized attention and teaches them to respect one another. She is easily accessible on e-mail. The teaching model is project based learning. One month, they learned about masterpieces. Each student created 3-4 masterpieces based on certain historical art figures. They spent time every day on these pieces. At the end of the month, they went on a field trip to RISD. I loved it! It taught my daughter to slow down and think about what she is creating, a lesson that will help her follow through with all school projects. Also, the kids will research a topic at the library, such as a favorite animal. They will then brainstorm on different facts, list the facts in categories, write an essay and present it to their class. My son is in preschool with 2-3 teachers and 13 children.He takes classes with specialty teachers, Spanish, music, art, science, library,and gym. My husband and I were worried about cost. However, the school offered us a fair financial aid package.

Posted: February 25, 2014

I have two children at Rocky Hill, one in middle school and the other in high school. I have found the quality of academics to be outstanding. My children are excited to learn and work hard to excel every day. They are very enthusiastic in their participation of school activities from sports to the arts and our family enjoys the extracurricular activities that Rocky Hill has to offer. My high school student is confident and doing well by all standardized measures and is preparing for college applications and will be very competitive for top schools. Both children are engaged in sports and arts. We are particularly impressed with the schools willingness to support students that want to challenge themselves over the summer and take additional advanced courses outside of the school. The location of the school on Narragansett Bay is unmatched. We have spent many wonderful afternoons watching sports matches while gazing across the beautiful landscape. We are very pleased with Rocky Hill and grateful to have such a wonderful place to send our children.

Posted: February 25, 2014

The Upper School has been doing a great job in preparing our child for college. The "Harkness" seminar format and use of computers and technology is miles ahead of public schools in this regard. The school has wonderful facilities right on the water in Narragansett Bay and makes use of its access with classes on and by the water. Our child has definately improved in self-confidence and quality of work as well as group debate and discussion.

Posted: February 25, 2014

We are proud parents of 2 children currently attending Rocky Hill School; 1 in Middle and 1 in the Upper school. We are happy to share that children of all academic capabilities fit in well at Rocky Hill School. It is wonderful to have a school with great academic rigor, REAL diversity, and flexibility. While developing socially, spiritually, athletically and theatrically they are able to develop a healthy sense of self in a well-rounded environment. We find that RHS provides a calming, quiet powerful start to their day, which helps the children to build a partnership with their teachers. It is a small school, yet large enough to accommodate different learning styles. The Harkness table model is a perfect setting where discussions are encouraged and used quite effectively. We have found it to be an exceptional learning tool when tough issues arise as the faculty addresses them immediately. The campus is well situated on the beautiful Narragansett Bay enabling unlimited educational possibilities. There is a real sense of community and this is demonstrated, as you will often see children from all three divisions collaborating and working together.

Posted: November 24, 2012

My son is in the third grade and started here this year. This is an excellent school. The teachers are wonderful and are available any time to address any concerns. For the first time, my son is not bored in school and is being appropriately challenged. This school has a great headmaster. The teachers, staff, parents and children are a close community who enjoy being part of Rocky Hill. Academics are great as well as extra curricular classes. I would highly recommend this school

Posted: May 2, 2012

Rocky Hill has proven itself to be an excellent choice for my high school child. The advisor system ensures that each upper school student has a teacher/mentor that gets to know him or her, and they stick together for the full upper school career. The Harkness Tables ensure that every student has a front-row seat in the classroom, and the integration of technology (every student has a personal laptop) is important in preparing students for college and career. Each student joins at least one academic club and one "fun" club to create a well-rounded experience. The campus is safe and idyllic, with a dock for boating and water-based science study. The new food service is astounding, and is a good match for the values of the school. The sports teams do well, and accept all interested students. Seniors participate in month-long end-of-year internship projects off campus to expand their horizons. The upper school labs, facilities, and classrooms are beautiful, well-kept, and appropriate. Learning truly does cut across the curriculum in appropriate ways. The head of school, division heads, and teachers work to involve and value Rocky Hill families.