About Us

Our Board & Strategic Priorities

Country School Board of Trustees

The members of our Board of Trustees set forth the mission of the school, develop the strategic plan and policies and deploy resources to make sure that the school’s mission is accomplished. New Canaan Country School is incorporated as a parent and guardian owned corporation. All current school parents and guardians have a vote. The Board of Trustees and officers of the corporation are elected each spring.

Board Members 2025-2026

President: F. Tucker Golden ’90
Vice President: Daniel J. DiBiasio '92
Treasurer: Lauren W. Greig
Secretary: Heidi Locke Simon
Aaron C. Cooper, Head of School
Christopher L. Brigham ’78
Ryan Marie Brooks
Richard T. Dell’Aquila
Alex Figueroa
Noël K. Gilbert
Taylor B. Gould ’06
Tom Hogenkamp
Paul L. Hudson III
Jessica N. Katz
Jamel A. Keels
Sarah Young Kilcullen ’98
Jennifer L. Kline
Matthew F. LeBaron
Lacey B. Ramsey
John V. Ricotta
Elizabeth Schmitt
Rebecca C. Thornton ’92
Sarah W. Vrabac

List of 2 items.

  • The Role of the Board

    The Board’s responsibilities include: 
    • Appointing and evaluating the Head of School
    • Assessing the effectiveness of the school in fulfilling its mission 
    • Reporting to constituencies on major policy issues affecting the direction of the school 
    • Ensuring that the financial condition of the school is sound 
    • Advocating for the school
     
    Our bylaws provide for a Board of 15 to 27 trustees. In addition to current parents or guardians, the Board also includes the Head of School, two Faculty Members, the President of the Alumni Council, and the President of the Parents’ Association. The Board may also include past parents or guardians or individuals from outside the Country School community. The full Board meets regularly throughout the school year. 

  • Board Committees

    Advancement Committee
    Oversees fundraising strategy, with a focus on capital giving. Approves communications direction and policies that foster lifelong engagement with Country School.

    Audit & Risk Management Committee
    Recommends the independent auditor and oversees the annual audit. Monitors risk management, insurance, conflicts of interest, and related matters.

    Governance Committee
    Manages Board governance, including trustee nominations, bylaws, committee structure, and Board evaluation. Plans the Annual Meeting, proxy vote, and Board Retreat.

    Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
    Partners with school leadership to review policies and practices, ensuring alignment with the school’s mission of being a diverse and welcoming community of inclusion.

    Executive Committee
    Includes Board officers, trustees, and the Head of School. Conducts the Head’s evaluation and recommends compensation to the Board.

    Finance Committee
    Oversees the school’s financial health, including the operating budget, capital financing, faculty housing, and endowment growth.

    Horizons Committee
    Keeps the Board informed on Horizons at NCCS and supports the school’s fiduciary responsibility for the program.

Redefining Childhood
Education for the Future

Strategic Plan

“Childhood is in itself an integral part of life to be lived fully and happily.” —Henry Welles, Headmaster, 1938

Rooted in our founding belief that childhood is a meaningful stage of life, our Strategic Plan reaffirms New Canaan Country School’s commitment to educating children with purpose, joy, and impact.

The events of 2020 accelerated changes already underway in education—prompting us to reimagine how we teach, how students learn, and what matters most. Our plan lays out priorities that will shape learning and leadership for now and the future. 

At its core, the plan focuses on:
  • Defining student outcomes rooted in whole-child development
  • Elevating character and wellness as essential to education
  • Strengthening community partnerships
  • Aligning finances to support long-term excellence
We begin, as always, with what’s best for the children. 

Our Strategic Priorities

List of 3 items.

  • Goal #1: Our Program

    Provide best in class childhood education focused on the “best of both worlds”: an exceptional foundation in academics, athletics, and the arts combined with unparalleled social-emotional framework resulting in students who love learning, know how to lead, and are nurtured with a high level of wellbeing. 
    • Program of Study: Ensure a broad-based/well-rounded, exceptional educational foundation that prepares students for any challenge.
    • Capstone Experience: Create a unique 9th grade experience in which students explore and engage distinct and authentic learning challenges and opportunities.
    • Time and Schedule: Redefine the use of time, creating a more fluid, flexible and nimble schedule.
    • Teacher Development: Cultivate best in class teachers in order to attract, grow, and retain the strongest, most collaborative faculty possible.
    • Character Development: Emerge as a national leader in the area of character development.
    • Wellness: Expand and enhance our wellness efforts to meet the needs of a rapidly changing world.

  • Goal #2: Our Community

    Nuture and cultivate the most vibrant, connected, open, diverse, and welcoming community possible to best support student growth and belonging.
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity: Enhance and expand the diversity of our community, fundamental to our mission, and progress towards becoming a truly inclusive institution.
    • Partnerships: Develop distinct networked learning communities and education partnerships that expand our base of learners and help our students engage both locally and globally.
    • Community Cultivation: Rethink how we cultivate our school community, connections, and communication with families, their involvement in the education process.

  • Goal #3: Our Future

    Build and support the models and approaches that ensure a sustainable future.
    • Enrollment Management: Optimize our configuration and distribution of students. Revisit our pricing, financial model, and resource structure to build market resilience and to strengthen our accessibility to a larger, more diverse population.
    • Philanthropy: Enhance the culture of philanthropy, both annually and in support of special projects.
    • Revenue Expansion: Create new opportunities for alternative sources of revenue.
    • Environmental Sustainability: Pursue efforts to impact environmental sustainability in our practices and our curriculum.

New Canaan Country School

635 Frogtown Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
Phone: (203) 972-0771

Links & Resources

Accreditations

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.