Office of the Headmaster

In 1926, forty-five boys dressed in orange and black sweaters arrived for their first day at The Greenwich Country Day School.

Today, GCDS is the largest independent elementary and middle school in the country and a leader in the field of education. A transition of that magnitude does not happen without bold vision, hard work, and tremendous generosity.

We have inherited excellence, and I believe it is our responsibility to leave GCDS even stronger for the next generation. An enduringly great school—a school that is built to last—must combine unwavering commitment to core values with the pursuit of continuous improvement.

We know that the world our graduates enter will be increasingly fast-paced, increasingly global. We know they will be faced with complex national and international issues involving technology, energy, government, finance, economic development, environmental sustainability, medicine, and human rights.

This turbulent world will need leaders who are both intellectually nimble and morally centered—individuals who can adapt to change, learn on the fly, and stay open to new ideas, while never losing their grounding in honesty, integrity, and courage. Country Day has a crucial role to play in preparing these leaders.

If you have ideas or questions, my door is always open.

ADAM C. ROHDIE   Headmaster

SPEECHES & ARTICLES

• Introduction to GCDS Strategic Plan
  June 2012
  A few weeks ago, I was driving a second grader who was "Head of the Lower School for a day" around campus. . . Read more >

• A Conversation with Deepak Chopra
  GCDS Speaker Series, February 2, 2012
  Dr. Chopra discusses his book "The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents: Guiding Your Children to Success and Fullfilment" with Headmaster Rohdie. Watch video >

• "Draw the Person Across From You": The Courage to Be Creative
  Annual Dinner Speech, October 2011
  At your table, there's an orange pencil. It's time to pick it up . . . This will be fun, trust me. . . Read more >

• Great Learning for Every Student: The Critical Skills for Success in the 21st Century
  Greenwich Magazine, August 2011
  "Facts were once dear. Now they are cheap," writes James Gleick in his latest bestseller. . . Read more >

• Skills for Learning, Skills for Life
  Annual Report 2010-11
  Imagine if we could teach students all that is known at this moment — every poem, painting, battle, voyage, sub-atomic particle, geological shift. . . . Read more >

• A Mind as Big as the World:
  The Power of Experiential Learning
  GCDS News, May 2011
  In great classrooms, we discover other countries, other times, other languages. . Read more >

• Inflection Point
  GCDS News, January 2011
  We are at an inflection point in America. Crucial questions are being raised about the role of schools and our educational system. . . Read more >

• Teaching for the 21st Century
  Annual Dinner Speech, October 2010
  Tonight I want to take you on a trip, a trip back to where you swore you'd never go: eighth grade. For me, it was American history with Dr. Murray. . . Read more >

BIO

Adam C. Rohdie was appointed as the eleventh Headmaster of The Greenwich Country Day School on July 1, 2004.

Under his leadership, the school has successfully raised $52 million in the capital campaign Reaching for Tomorrow, built a new, Gold LEED Certified Upper School and Performing Arts Center, and undertaken substantial initiatives in professional development and faculty evaluation, curricular mapping, and the integration of technology into pedagogy.

Mr. Rohdie began his career at the Pingry School in 1989 as a history teacher and a soccer, basketball, and baseball coach. During his fifteen years at Pingry, he served as Dean of Students, Head of the Middle School, and Head of the Upper School, and Assistant Headmaster.

He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, cum laude, from Wesleyan University and a Master of Arts in education from Stanford University.

A dedicated educator, Mr. Rohdie continues to teach eighth grade history at Country Day and to coach one season of basketball or soccer each year. His commitment to sportsmanship, school spirit, and TIGER PRIDE has strengthened Country Day’s sense of camaraderie and community—both on and off the field—and reignited our love of Tigers and pride in wearing orange and black.

Mr. Rohdie currently serves as a trustee at Ms. Porter’s School, Farmington, CT, and at LINK Community School, Newark, NJ. He is a founding member of the Elementary School Heads Association, a member of the Fairchester Heads Association, and a former board member of the Connecticut Association of Independent Schools.

CONTACT

The Office of the Headmaster is located in the Upper School.

Mail
Adam Rohdie
The Greenwich Country Day School
P.O Box 623
Greenwich, CT 06836-0623

Phone
(203) 863.5650

Fax
(203) 552.0911

Email
arohdie@gcds.net

Twitter
@AdamRohdie