Far Hills Country Day School

Infobox School
name = Far Hills Country Day School
city = Far Hills
state = NJ
zipcode = 07931
motto = In Virtute Multi Acensus
established = 1929
grades = Preschool - 8
head of school = Jayne Geiger
viceprincipal = Rob Berkman
enrollment = 384 (as of 2005-06)
faculty = 57.4 (on FTE basis)
ratio = 6.7
website = [http://www.fhcds.org/ School website]
information = 908-766-0622

Far Hills Country Day School (also called FHCDS) is a private, nonsectarian coeducational day school located in Far Hills, New Jersey, United States. The school, founded in 1929 [ [http://infonet.fhcds.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=296&srcid=297 History] , Far Hills Country Day School. Accessed April 18, 2008.] , serves students in nursery through eighth grade on a 55-acre rural-suburban campus set on rolling hills and bordered by woods with nature trails. [ [http://infonet.fhcds.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=294&srcid=296 Fast Facts] , Far Hills Country Day School. Accessed April 18, 2008.]

As of the 2005-06 school year, the school had an enrollment of 384 students and 57.4 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student-teacher ratio of 6.7. [http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=00869138&ID=00869138 Far Hills Country Day School] , National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed April 18, 2008.]

60% of the school's 60 teachers are pursuing or hold a master’s or higher degree and over half of all teachers have more than 10 years’ teaching experience. Tuition ranges from $10,675 for prekindergarten to $23,100 for eighth grade. The school is currently undergoing construction, started in 2004, to end in 2008. The new plans involve building a new gym and an auditorium, as well as an already-built new cafeteria (built 2004) and a new lower school wing (2006). Their campaign is named "Pathways to excellence", referring to their motto "In Virtute Multi Acensus" - "There are many degrees of excellence".

Far Hills Country Day School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Elementary Schools, and is a member of both the National Association of Independent Schools and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. [ [http://www.njais.org/listing.html School Search] , New Jersey Association of Independent Schools. Accessed July 29, 2008.]

Popular culture

When alumna Christine Todd Whitman appeared on "Celebrity Jeopardy!" in 2004, one of the beneficiaries was Far Hills Country Day School.

In addition to the Whitmans, children from well-known families that attended FHCDS include: the Johnsons, (Johnson and Johnson), the Forbeses (Forbes Magazine), and the Chantecailles (Chantecaille cosmetics).

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. [Trenner, Richard. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C03EFDB1431F936A25752C1A96E958260&st=cse&sq=%22Far+Hills+Country+Day+School%22&scp=1 "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 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."]
*Steve Forbes (born 1947), editor-in-chief of "Forbes".Bumiller, Elisabeth. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9803E1D81539F932A25751C0A960958260 "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."]
*Christine Todd Whitman (born 1947), former Governor of New Jersey.
*Frederica von Stade (born 1945), mezzo-soprano. [ [http://infonet.fhcds.org/NETCOMMUNITY/Page.aspx?&pid=297&srcid=453 Hall of Honor] , Far Hills Country Day School. Accessed April 18, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.fhcds.org/ School website]
* [http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/pss/privateschoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&SchoolID=00869138&ID=00869138 Data for Far Hills Country Day School] , National Center for Education Statistics