PRINTHistory
In September of 1926, forty-five boys assembled in a former barn near North Maple Avenue. They were there because three mothers were unhappy with the local boys' schools and decided to start their own. They enlisted Florence Rockefeller, and she had offered a building, one she had planned to use as a carriage house.
Greenwich Country Day's remarkable history spans a period of over 80 years, starting with the boom period of the 1920s and journeying through the Great Depression, World War II, the bomb paranoia of the 1950s, the radicalized political and educational thinking of the 1960s, the turmoil and change of the 1970s, and the growth and progressive thinking of the past two decades. Country Day's decision to admit girls in 1942 was a touchstone moment for the school that enabled it to grow as a truly forward-thinking country day school.
Today the eighty-acre campus serves over 890 students. From simple beginnings, the school has grown to become one that is widely recognized as a leader in the education and development of today's young people and one that has helped to shape the lives of thousands of people.
Country Day is a place where academic excellence and good citizenship are the twin pillars upholding many hallowed traditions. Students, parents, and staff continue to enjoy the Halloween Parade, Field Day, and public-speaking contests. In addition to the old traditions, equally vital new ones have been established. Today, GCDS has alumni reunions, community service requirements, and laptop computers. These innovations, impossible for the school's founders to have imagined, fit seamlessly into the classic Country Day education because as each improvement was introduced with an eye toward the future, an equally vigilant eye was kept on the past.
GCDS TODAY
Academics
High academic standards ensure students have both the knowledge and skills to succeed. Learn more >
Athletics
GCDS Athletics encourages fitness for life and prepares students for competitive high school and college sports.
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Arts
The Visual and Performing Arts bring together two of the elements we value most: creativity and community. Learn more >
