Community Service

An exceptional community service program that involves all grade levels encourages empathy and civic responsibility in our students. Students participate in in-school service and out-of-school community service activities. Upper School students must meet a community service requirement as part of their diploma requirement. Country Day students volunteer with a wide range of organizations, including Ameri-Cares, Boys and Girls Club, Neighbor to Neighbor (food pantry), Greenwich Adult Day Care, Head Start, and the Greenwich Land Trust. Annual events such as the Family Day Walkathon bring together students, faculty, and parents to raise money for a variety of causes. Through community service, students gain an awareness of others’ needs and of the importance of participating in public life.

Middle School

Community Service at the Middle School

Our community service program is designed to foster this "habit of the heart" through exposure to and involvement in a wide variety of direct and indirect service opportunities.

Community service in the Middle School is comprised of four facets:

1. Daily service through the completion of school related responsibilities.
2. Participation in a variety of indirect service activities to benefit our local community and beyond.
   1. Walk-a-thon
   2. Read-a-thon
   3. Food Drives
3. Through the Middle School Community Service Day
   1. The Head Start
   2. The Children's Center
   3. The Hill House
   4. Neighbor to Neighbor
   5. The New Covenant House
   6. Concerts for the Very Young
   7. Todd's Point
   8. Planting Trees
   9. Mianus River
   10. Camp Kiwago
4. Helping Hands ~ Middle School Community Service Club

Future Projects

• Rubber Band Cars at the Stamford Boys and Girls Club
• Valentines for Local Head Start
• Middle School Band visiting

How Can You Help?

• Ideas
• Tuesday 3 to 4 pm
• Driving for Community Service Day or other Friday Activities
• Contacts at local Non-Profits 

Upper School

Why do we have a community service requirement?

Theodore Roosevelt once said, "This country will not be a good place for any of us to live in unless we make it a good place for all of us to live in." It is Country Day's mission to help our students understand how they can significantly improve the lives of children and adults in their community through first-hand exposure and shared experiences. In this way the are able to help fulfill Roosevelt's ideal in a truly meaningful way.

What is the community service requirement?

The Upper School has a community service requirement. Students must complete a minimum of 5 hours by the end of 7th grade, 10 hours by the end of 8th grade, and a total of 15 hours in order to graduate. Service options that satisfy this requirement will be available to students outside of regular school hours. Students will also have the option to create their own service project. Community service hours completed to fulfill a requirement outside of country Day, e.g., Confirmation, may not be counted toward the GCDS community service requirement. Services that your children perform for a religious organization (acolyte, ushering, teaching younger children, singing in a choir) may count toward the GCDS community service requirement, but for a maximum of 5 hours total throughout their years at Country Day. We would like to acknowledge the importance of this commitment, yet at the same time ensure that our students are exposed to other aspects of our community. Ms. Donnalley, the community service coordinator, can help students identify service opportunities. If you have any questions, please e-mail Ms. Donnalley at jdonnalley@gcds.net.