Go Boldly.
New Canaan Country School, a Pre-K through Grade 9 co-ed, independent day school, serves students from diverse backgrounds living in 20 different towns/cities across Fairfield and Westchester counties.
Our Mission & Core Values
We create an active, joyful learning environment where children are challenged to think deeply, question confidently, and act generously so that they may lead lives of impact and purpose.
Henry Welles, Headmaster 1938
“Childhood is in itself an integral part of life to be lived fully and happily.”
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Community
We seek, respect, and celebrate diversity and ignite a sense of belonging so everyone thrives. -
Courage
We take risks, make mistakes, assume responsibility, and champion those around us. -
Curiosity
We explore, investigate, and discover — inspiring a life devoted to endless learning. -
Kindness
We foster a culture of compassion through our daily words and actions.
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Pre-K Through Grade 9 by Design
The ages of three through 15 are among the most crucial years of a child's academic, creative, moral and physical development. Throughout the Country School journey, students are equipped with exactly what they need to take the next leap: from subject to subject, grade to grade, and on to the nation's best high schools, colleges and beyond.
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Early Childhood
Ages 3-5 & Kindergarten -
Lower School
Grades 1-4 -
Middle School
Grades 5 & 6 -
Upper School
Grades 7-9
Hallmarks of a Country School Education
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Extraordinary Teaching
Our teachers are not only masters of their craft, they are experts in childhood development; they understand children and what they need to flourish. Our teachers bring their unique passions and personalities to our community, in and out of the classroom, on and off the sports fields, and in every interaction every day.
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Experiential Learning
“Tell me and I forget; teach me and I may remember; involve me and I learn.” This proverb is at the heart of our educational philosophy. Whether experimenting with a wind tunnel, tapping maple trees, building robots or testing levers, learning here is engaging, messy and hands-on. -
Fostering a Culture of Belonging
At the heart of the NCCS mission is a belief that children learn and grow best when they are rooted in an unshakeable sense of belonging. We seek, respect and celebrate diversity and strive to create an environment where each student thrives, and where differences and commonalities are appreciated in equal measure.
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A Broad-Based Education
Philosophers. Scholars. Artists. Athletes. Our students are all of these things and often all at once. We value both depth and breadth in learning and experience, and understand that knowledge is interdisciplinary and requires making connections, asking questions, and thinking beyond boundaries. Intellectual agility, curiosity about the world, empathy, effective communication -- these are the skills your child will acquire here.
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A Focus on Wellbeing
Students do their best work when they feel valued and connected. By attending to a child’s social-emotional development in equal measure to their intellectual development, we prepare them for a lifetime of healthy relationships while fostering a strong sense of self and resilience in the face of challenges.
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Connecting to Nature
Nearly every classroom has a door leading out to our 75-acre campus, where our fields, woods and vernal pond serve as an extension of the classroom. Students have recess twice daily all the way through ninth grade because we know that time outdoors is essential for student wellbeing.
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Cultivating Student Voice
We teach our students to be confident and courageous public speakers. As early as age 3, they lead daily circle time. By Upper School, students speak comfortably at assemblies and participate in debates, knowing that their ideas matter and their voices are heard. This prepares them for leadership in secondary school and beyond.
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Every Child is Known and Valued
It starts with connection. Our teachers guide young people through a process of continually discovering and rediscovering their best selves. This is not easy work. It requires exceptional teachers who fully understand the children they teach, because a child who is deeply known can be deeply taught.
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NCCS At a Glance
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Begin Your Country School Journey
New Canaan Country School
New Canaan Country School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin and are afforded all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, or disability in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, financial aid policies or any other school-administered programs.
