We seek to build upon the previous 103 years of excellence, while boldly charting a course for the next 5-10 years to keep the school pointed toward our mission of providing the very best education for children.

As we embark on a journey to write our school’s next chapter, we thank you for your partnership. Country School has always been and remains a very special school with a deep commitment to educating children in a way that cultivates curiosity, nurtures a sense of community, attends to all aspects of child development, and equips our students with the skills and dispositions they need to reach their full potential and lead lives of impact and purpose. 

Through our strategic planning process will include extensive internal and external exploration, taking into account the latest research in education and the impacts of our regional context. It will illuminate opportunities for us leverage new advances, to maximize our existing resources, and to best position the school to have the greatest impact on our students.

We have partnered with a national leader in educational strategic planning, Ian Symmonds Associates (ISA), for this project.  As we move forward, we will continue to engage the entire community as we align around our core values and begin to shape a plan for our future. Specifically, we will evaluate our research findings, identify core strategic initiatives, develop work groups for deeper exploration, articulate our shared goals and, finally, adopt and implement our plan, with an anticipated launch of Fall 2020. We will update the community regularly throughout the process. If you have a question or comment about the strategic plan, please email us at: stratplan@countryschool.net.

Three Strategic Focus Areas

List of 3 frequently asked questions.

  • Redefine childhood education for the future

    At a time when technology, uncertainty over the future, and other disruptors are impacting all parts of life, considering the future of childhood education has never been more important. Over its history, Country School has had a leading voice in the broader evolution of childhood education. Using that voice, it has had a transformational effect on the lives of the thousands of students who have been lucky enough to enroll here. This strategic area aims at determining what emphases, approaches, and programs will have the biggest influence on our children’s futures and in turn, on their ability to impact the world with purpose as they grow.

  • Cultivate our community

    A truly diverse and inclusive community of students, families, educators, and community partners focused on mental health and wellness in addition to intellectual and character development is a building block of exemplary education. Access to such a community is an essential component of making such a learning environment a reality. This strategic area looks at the role that topics of access, affordability, equity, wellness and partnerships play within our community.

  • Scale for a sustainable future

    Analyzing both internal and external factors and focusing on exploring additional avenues for revenue, this strategic area aims at the structural factors that allow us to be our best, to continue to be accessible and sought after all while stewarding our resources to ensure intergenerational excellence. 
     

Latest Updates

List of 1 news stories.

  • Strategic Plan Design Teams Shape Country School’s Future

    Nearly 70 members of the NCCS community, representing a variety of perspectives, met several times this winter to help chart the school’s strategic roadmap for the next 3-5 years. They divided into three Design Teams, each focused on a key strategic focus area: Redefining Childhood Education for the Future, Cultivating our Community, and Scaling for a Sustainable Future.
     
More Stories

Past Communications

Steering Committee

Aaron Cooper P ’23, ’21, Head of School, Co-Chair
Sarah Irwin P ’25, ’25, Vice President, Board of Trustees, Co-Chair
Brooke Arthur P ’28, ’24, Director of Marketing and Communications
Jeannie Stanton Bean ’83, P ’17, ’15, ’14, Beginners 4/5 Teacher
Yolanda Coffield P ’21, ’18, Trustee
Tucker Golden ’90, P ’26, ’22, Trustee
Kathy Kravec P ’10, Director of Plus Program; Service Learning Co-Director
Heidi Locke Simon P ’27
Hannah Liu, Upper School World Language Teacher, Advisor
Meaghan Mallin P ’29, ’25, Head of Lower School
Beth O’Brien P ’25, Head of Early Childhood
Reshan Richards P ’29, ’26, Director of Studies
Lauren Romeo P ’24, ’21, Language Arts Department Co-Chair; Upper School Learning Resources Teacher
John Ryan P ’23, ’20, Trustee
Pam Safford, Director of Enrollment Management and Financial Aid

Timeline

Spring 2019
Ian Symmonds retained as consultant
Summer 2019 
Steering Committee forms
Fall 2019
Research and data gathering 
Focus groups
Winter 2019-2020
Work groups form for each strategic focus area
Spring 2020
Plan presented to Board of Trustees for adoption

Fall 2020 
Strategic Plan launch
 
New Canaan Country School
635 Frogtown Road, New Canaan, CT 06840
(203) 972-0771