Far Hills Country Day School: Difference between revisions
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*[[Frederica von Stade]] (born 1945), [[Mezzo-Soprano]].<ref>[http://infonet.fhcds.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=297&srcid=453 Hall of Honor], Far Hills Country Day School. Accessed April 18, 2008.</ref> |
*[[Frederica von Stade]] (born 1945), [[Mezzo-Soprano]].<ref>[http://infonet.fhcds.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=297&srcid=453 Hall of Honor], Far Hills Country Day School. Accessed April 18, 2008.</ref> |
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[[Matthew Enslin]] (born 1996) |
[[Matthew Enslin]] (born 1996) |
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[[Lucian Skerjanec]] (born 1995) |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 19:01, 23 October 2013
| Far Hills Country Day School | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 | |
| , , 07931 | |
| Information | |
| Motto | A Balanced Education: Strength of Mind • Strength of Character |
| Established | 1929 |
| Head of school | Jayne Geiger |
| Faculty | 80% with Masters Degree or Higher |
| Grades | Preschool - 8 |
| Enrollment | 440 (as of 2013) |
| Information | 908-766-0622 |
| Website | School website |
Far Hills Country Day School (FHCDS) is a co-educational, PreK-grade eight school for 440 students that is guided by a dual mission to provide each child brilliant beginnings for success in the modern world through academic excellence and character development. The school is situated on 54 acres that include learning gardens, computer labs, media centers, state-of-the-art performing arts center, large athletics center including a climbing wall, outdoor fields, tennis courts, a ropes challenge course, meadows, ponds, and woodlands.
FHCDS is dedicated to creating an educational experience that fosters a genuine love of learning, collaboration, creativity and an engagement with family, friends, and the local and global communities. The school develops young people who excel not only in the academic world but also become extraordinary human beings with a desire to contribute and make a difference in society.
FHCDS’ core curriculum provides a foundation in reading, writing, math and science. A dedicated math specialist directs math curricula and a dedicated language arts specialist directs reading curricula. Additional subjects taught vary by grade. Both Mandarin and Spanish instruction begin in pre-kindergarten. In Upper School, Latin is mandatory and French is offered as an elective. Community Service is integrated into the curriculum at all grade levels. All students participate in physical education in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade and in the interscholastic athletics program in sixth through eighth grade. The athletic program includes basketball, cross-country, cross-fit, fencing, field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, track, and volleyball.
ERB Testing begins in third through eighth grade to benchmark students’ academic progress against other independent school students. In fourth and seventh grade, the Writing Assessment Program is used to provide a comprehensive and direct analysis of students' writing ability benchmarked against other independent school students. Upper School Students also take the SSAT, a standardized test used for secondary independent school admissions.
In collaboration with Educational Testing Service and the Elementary School’s Research Collaborative, FHCDS is also part of a pilot assessment program that measures essential skills for success in school and life. Qualities measured include teamwork, creativity, ethics, resilience, curiosity and time management.
Believing that children learn, communicate and affect the world in different ways, FHCDS’ curriculum employs a variety of teaching methods that include: small group instruction, hands-on learning, enrichment groups, service learning, public speaking, student partnerships, independent projects and class trips. An academic learning lab is designed to differentiate instruction in grades four through eight and help to customize education for students.
FHCDS’ sustainability initiatives are overseen by a Director of Sustainability and include award winning school wide recycling conservation, alternative energy and composting programs. Educational programming uses the Learning Gardens, pond and wooded campus as a classroom. FHCDS also uses local sources to support local growers, reduce carbon footprint, and to provide fresh food for healthy lunch options that include meatless entrees daily.
A full-time Director of Secondary School Counseling works with every family and student to help identify interests, strengths, and goals, and to develop a list of schools early during the eighth-grade year while serving as a guide and advisor through the entire secondary school process. Exclusive to FHCDS families, the school makes the secondary school process a positive learning experience that helps students develop important life skills such as reflexive writing, effective test-taking strategies and interview skills.
Popular culture
When alumna Christine Todd Whitman appeared on Celebrity Jeopardy! in 2004, one of the beneficiaries was Far Hills Country Day School.
Notable alumni
- Nicholas F. Brady (born 1930), former United States Secretary of the Treasury who also briefly represented New Jersey in the United States Senate.[1]
- Steve Forbes (born 1947), editor-in-chief of Forbes.[2]
- Christine Todd Whitman (born 1947), former Governor of New Jersey.[2]
- Frederica von Stade (born 1945), Mezzo-Soprano.[3]
Matthew Enslin (born 1996) Lucian Skerjanec (born 1995)
References
- ^ Trenner, Richard. "Playing, Singing, Speaking and 'Doing Politics'", The New York Times, November 15, 1998. Accessed April 18, 2008. "When a former kindergartner visits, he might be Nicholas Brady, former Senator and Secretary of the Treasury. Growing up at Hamilton Farm, his family's 5,000-acre (20 km2) estate encompassing parts of Hunterdon, Morris, and Somerset counties, he spent six wonderful years at Far Hills Country Day. Four of his children and four of his grandchildren have followed him there."
- ^ a b Bumiller, Elisabeth. "POLITICS: ON THE TRAIL;In Political Quest, Forbes Runs in Shadow of Father", The New York Times, February 11, 1996. Accessed December 11, 2007. "Christine Todd, Mr. Forbes's childhood friend from the Far Hills Country Day school, would grow up to become Governor Whitman.... His son went off to the Brooks School in North Andover, Mass., then on to Princeton, Malcolm Forbes's alma mater."
- ^ Hall of Honor, Far Hills Country Day School. Accessed April 18, 2008.