Dedham Country Day

Step into one of our Primary School classrooms and you will hear the hum of happy students, and feel the energy of eager learners. Our experienced teachers believe in the development of the whole child, and carefully design lessons in which reading, math, language development, art, social studies, science, and multicultural education are joined. Using thematic, hands-on activities our Pre-K and Kindergarten students learn best and grow their understanding of the world around them through exploration, connection, and discovery.

Lower School Active learning has distinct energy in DCD’s Lower School You can hear it in the sounds of children working on group projects, participating in class discussions, conducting experiments, and speaking during assemblies. Faculty teams in each grade plan and teach the curriculum cooperatively, joining their academic expertise and knowledge of children’s developmental needs to foster the strengths of each child. Our understanding and respect for the many different ways by which children learn enable us to design an engaging and robust curriculum that flexes for our students’ different learning styles.

Middle School The middle school years are a journey from childhood to adolescence as students gain more independence, take on a greater sense of responsibility for their own learning, and develop their individual identities. This time of exploration begins in sixth grade with the move from a single homeroom to advisory groups and multiple classes in a growing number of disciplines which include math, science, history, English, and world language. Through this process of learning and discovery, they find what they’re passionate about, what they’re interested in, and what avenues they may want to pursue in the future. By eighth grade, they have developed into independent learners, individuals with a strong sense of identity, who feel empowered to make a difference in their communities.