Cincinnati Country Day School

"With summer settling in, many school administrators turn their focus to the next school year: new initiatives, new classes, new ideas. I suppose I’m no different – at Country Day, we are always planning exciting new ways to innovate our program. But this year, amidst our centennial celebration, I thought it might be more fun to look to the past rather than to the future. What did we do in days gone by that we no longer do? Which relics from our past might serve as interesting inspiration for our future? And which past practices might be better left in the past?"

To that last point, click this link to read about a few: https://www.countryday.net/about-us/news/post/~board/news/post/kindling-a-fire-the-way-things-were.

This year, we are celebrating a remarkable milestone: the centennial anniversary of our founding. You are invited to share your favorite memories and reflections from your time at CCDS by visiting https://ccds100.com.

Cincinnati Country Day School is happy to announce the hiring of Jim Collins as the head football coach and Kiana Allen as the head girls basketball coach.

Collins brings 35+ years of collegiate coaching experience, including multiple conference titles, NCAA playoff runs, and national rankings. He takes over a Nighthawks program fresh off five straight conference championships.

“For more than 30 years, Jim has been a strong program builder and an outstanding leader of young men,” says Head of School Rob Zimmerman `98. “Jim is the ideal coach to carry forward the proud tradition of Country Day football: success on the field and character off it.”

Allen, a Summit Country Day alum and experienced player-development coach, steps in to lead girls basketball with a focus on growth and building a competitive program.

“Coach Allen has incredible basketball IQ and is a wonderful teacher of the game. She is a terrific skills development coach and connects well with her players,” says Greg Ross, associate athletic director for upper school and boys varsity basketball coach. “The girls in our program will not only become better players and teammates, but better people under her leadership. Coach Allen understands what it takes to build a program, and I am extremely excited for the future of Country Day girls basketball.”

CCDS looks forward to the experience and leadership that both Jim Collins and Kiana Allen bring to their respective programs. With a shared commitment to excellence, player development, and character, the Nighthawks are well-positioned for continued growth and success in the years ahead.

Click here to read the full story: https://www.countrydayathletics.net/landing/index. Welcome, Coach Allen and Coach Collins!

Week Two of CCDSummer brought even more adventure, creativity, and fun to campus! ☀️ From painting and creating in art camp to designing and building cardboard boats for the Cardboard Regatta, our campers have been learning, exploring, and making memories every day. Whether they were building LEGO bricks, discovering nature through hands-on projects, or enjoying time with friends on the playground and athletic fields, the energy and excitement of summer could be felt across campus. We can’t wait to see what Week Three has in store!

Dima Chernovol `28, Audrey de Alarcon `27, and Aanyah Johnson `27 enjoyed two days job shadowing with CCDS parent Dr. Riemann in his clinic in Kentucky and his surgery center in Blue Ash. Dr. Riemann is a vitreoretinal surgeon at the Cincinnati Eye Institute, the vitreo-retinal fellowship director at the Cincinnati Eye Institute and University of Cincinnati, and a volunteer associate professor at the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine.

"It was a really insightful experience," says Dima. "He's a great mentor and is amazing at what he does. The job shadow provided great insight into the medical world."

We are grateful to those in our community who offer our students the opportunity to see what careers look like in action!

We've got a movie star in our midst! Danielle Gross `07 stars in the family comedy-drama "The Breadwinner" (playing in theaters near you now) alongside the likes of Nate Bargatze, Mandy Moore, and Colin Jost.

Danielle is also known for her work in "Heels" (2021) and "Perry Mason" (2020). To read more about Danielle and her journey to and in Hollywood, check out the spring 2023 edition of Connections, where we featured her in an alum spotlight: https://issuu.com/myday/docs/connectionsspring2023-final?fr=xKAE9_zU1NQ.

Very cool, Danielle! And we knew her when...

Week One of CCDSummer is officially wrapped, and our campers came ready to learn, create, and most importantly, have fun! They stepped onto the field to learn the game of football, discovering new skills, and building confidence with every rep. They drew exciting animals and created pictures that will keep them curious all summer long. And when it was time to build, they turned simple LEGO bricks into entire worlds powered by imagination. What a great start to the summer! 🌞🌞🌞

Following a comprehensive national search, Cincinnati Country Day School has selected Michael Kruger as its next director of athletics to lead the school’s full range of athletic programs while advancing the student-centered mission that defines Country Day.

Kruger brings nearly 20 years of experience in independent school leadership, athletics administration, admissions, and coaching. He currently serves as director of athletics at Perkiomen School in Pennsylvania, where he has overseen significant growth in the athletics program, including expanded staffing, enhanced communications and branding efforts, increased opportunities for student-athletes pursuing collegiate athletics, and numerous league and state championships.

"What impressed our search committee most was not simply Mike’s record of achievement. Throughout the process, he demonstrated a deep commitment to the educational purpose of athletics,” said Rob Zimmerman `98, head of school. “He understands that athletics should challenge students to grow as leaders of character, both on and off the field. His philosophy aligns closely with Country Day's century-old belief that the lessons learned through athletics are essential components of a well-rounded education.”

Click here to read the full story: https://www.countryday.net/about-us/news/post/~board/news/post/michael-kruger-named-as-director-of-athletics. Welcome, Mike!

🏅 State Finals Success for Our Nighthawks! 🏅

We are proud to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our Track & Field student-athletes at the OHSAA Division V State Championship.

Competing against the best athletes in Ohio, our Nighthawks represented Cincinnati Country Day with determination, resilience, and excellence.

👏 State Finalists:
• Boys 4x100 Relay — 7th Place (Leon Hall `27, Nathan Kellenberger `29, Luke Schneiber `27, and Peyton Ware `29)
• Luke Schnieber `27 — 7th Place, 300m Hurdles
• William Lothmann `26 — 8th Place, 400m Dash

Congratulations to these athletes and their coaches on an incredible season and a memorable finish at the state meet. Your hard work and dedication have made the entire CCDS community proud.

💙🤍 Go Nighthawks!

"I cannot express how grateful I was for the job shadow opportunity. It was definitely an eye-opening experience for me. Not only did I learn about Cintrifuse’s current direct investment, fund-of-funds, and recent market situation (even though the market dynamic is a bit toxic), but I also got to talk to amazing people at the office. In the morning, I learned about the structure of venture capital, their current direct investments, and their current fund-of-funds portfolio. Then I sat in on a few meetings with VPs. I truly enjoyed the day! The office is a cozy and welcoming space. My biggest takeaway from the day is that venture capitalism is way more about building a community than how many deals you close." - Jessica Chen `26, reflecting on her job shadow experience with Ilana Habib `11, principal at Cintrifuse Capital

If you would like to host a Country Day student and show them the ins and outs of your industry, please comment in this post! We are incredibly grateful for all the members of our community who give our students this invaluable experience and support.