DEMETRA CALDWELL ’97

Lower School Director of Community Engagement 

The Senior Building Porch, River Campus

“When it’s warm and sunny, there’s nothing like being on this campus, seeing the playground and feeling the breeze. I bring my laptop and folding camp chair from my office and the porch becomes my outdoor office. I know the pattern of the sun and how it creeps across the porch. During recess, kids come up and ask me about what I’m doing. We have these silly exchanges that always lift my mood. My favorite sounds are of children playing and laughing.

“I like to think about the people who lived in this house. Would children play hide-and-seek in the attic where my office is? When everyone goes inside, a quiet falls over the campus, and that’s when I can really appreciate nature. You can see all of it from the top of the campus, and you have to stop and show gratitude for the environment that we’re in, the land that we’re on, and the opportunities we have. It’s just a beautiful place.”

JASON RUFF

Art & Design Department Chair

Outdoor shop in front of the Linda M. Lindenbaum Center for the Arts, Hill Campus

“We do a lot of woodworking and welding outside the building. I love the smaller metal shop inside Lindy, but when I’m outside working, I get to see more people. There’s a little mystery to what we’re making. People don’t know exactly what we’re building, but they see us out there working. For me, the human interaction part of [creating art] is the big thing. When you are outside Lindy, you’re not segregated or siloed in your own classroom.

“In springtime and fall, there are so many colors out on the Hill. If it’s February and above 40 degrees, we’ll be outside. It’s where we create the kinetic sculpture, Lindy 500 vehicles, and Middle School Project Week projects. My dad was a welder, and I grew up learning how to weld. It’s magic for kids to weld two pieces of steel together. Seeing something come together and the process of thinking with the kids is why I do this job.”

BEN REICH ’26

Student-Faculty Council (SFC) Co-President

Bowdoin College ’30

Upper School Office, William C.W. Mow Hall, Hill Campus 

“My favorite spot is technically a waiting room in the Upper School Office. I like getting my work done there because it’s quiet and I can vibe to the music. It’s where Caitlyn So ’26, my co-president, and I go to do SFC work. I take a lot of pride in being co-president having been at Riverdale since Pre-K. I put a lot of effort into student government work. One thing SFC did this year was get student discounts at many local businesses.

“I’ve had so many different experiences at Riverdale. I play soccer and was recruited to play at Bowdoin. I do the musicals, play bass in the Riverdale Rock Band, and write for the Riverdale Review. I’m super grateful for my time here and what the School has done for me. It’s rewarding to help out, even in the smallest way. I want to major in government and legal studies or philosophy and go to law school. The dream would be to be president of the United States, but I’d love to just be a politician.”

AVANI EDWARDS ’35

3rd Grade Student

Playground, River Campus

“I love the playground, especially the monkey bars. I like to climb all over them — on top, across, and even make bridges. I like to challenge myself and try different things, and I still remember the first time, in first grade, when I made it all the way across. It was really hard for me, but I was really happy.

“I also like building things with the blue blocks and going up into the Sycamore treehouse, which is really big and fun to climb. Sometimes I go on the wave lines or the rock wall, and I like playing with my friends and showing them the things I can do. Being on the playground makes me feel proud of myself and happy because I get to try hard things and have fun.”