Madison Country Day School

Madison Country Day School is a non-profit, private day school in Dane County, Wisconsin. Madison Country Day School is now located in what was the Yahara Center. The school was established in 1997 with 22 students in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and Grades 1–3. Additional grades were added one at a time. An upper school was formed when ninth grade was added in 2003 [ [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/madison.com/html/archive_files/wsj/2003/09/28/0309280105.php "New High School For Dane County:Madison Country Day School Grows"] , http://www.madisoncountryday.org/images/parentHeaders/student-life.jpgDoug Erickson, "The Wisconsin State Journal", September 28, 2003] . It is the only non-religious private high school in Dane County, with its first senior class graduating in the spring of 2007. It acclaims itself as one of the most prestigious private day schools in Wisconsin, with an enrollment of around 250 students.

History

The school was originally planned for a 46 acre site in the Town of Westport donated by PDQ convenience store founder Sam Jacobsen [ [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/madison.com/html/archive_files/wsj/1997/03/25/9703250140.php "Town Of Westport Site For School Awaits Vote: Private Academy Set On Farm Land"] , Phil McDade, "The Wisconsin State Journal", March 25, 1997] , with buildings to be designed by Robert A. M. Stern Architects [ [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/madison.com/html/archive_files/wsj/1997/02/11/9702110158.php "Ideas For Private School In Westport On The Books: Initial Draft Presented To Town's Plan Commission"] , Phil McDade, "The Wisconsin State Journal", February 11, 1997] . However, when a conditional use permit was denied by the Dane County Zoning and Natural Resources Committee [ [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/madison.com/html/archive_files/wsj/1997/06/04/9706040234.php "Madison Country Day School Blocked: County Zoning Committee Votes To Keep Rural Character Of Westport Site] , Phil McDade, "The Wisconsin State Journal", June 4, 1997] ] , the school rented quarters in a former schoolhouse in the town of Martinsville [ [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/tct/1997/08/07/9708070339.php "Lessons In The Making: Country Day Pushes Quality: Forced To Find New Site, School Makes Pitch To Parents"] ,Jason Shepard, "The Capital Times", August 7, 1997] , for initial classes. The school eventually located on 76 acres of land near Waunakee. A $3 million renovation project in 2001 converted sleeping rooms of the former Yahara Center into classrooms [ [http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/madison.com/html/archive_files/wsj/2001/08/05/0108040265.php "Country Day Renovation Near End: Project, Which Is Planned To End Next Month, Will Create 17 Classrooms From 64 Sleeping Rooms"] , Marv Balousek, "The Wisconsin State Journal", August 5, 2001] .

Also Known As

Madison Country Day School is also known among others as "MCDS", and "Country Day".

International Baccalaureate

The IB Programme preserves a number of important features of the current MCDS Upper School curriculum and adds depth to our offerings through the diploma requirements listed below. Through a prescribed book list which mirrors our own, students in English will continue to develop a personal appreciation of literature and their oral and written communication skills. Students will also continue to study a foreign language, using literature to seek a native fluency in a given language, per the MCDS founding ideal. Likewise in Science, students will continue to learn the essential topics in a given subject and further develop their understanding of the scientific method through the IB emphasis upon laboratory work. Like MCDS, the IB Programme emphasizes an intellectual approach to academics: the IB math curriculum prepares students for further studies and careers but also aims to develop an appreciation of the intrinsic beauty of mathematics. One other feature of the IB Programme is that it is proven to develop an analytical ability and habit of reflection in students that matches MCDS’ liberal-arts ideal. In History, for example, students move beyond the AP model of exhaustive details to carefully studying a number of periods and areas in greater depth. Likewise in Art, students are evaluated on both their studio work and research workbook that ensures that their own work reflects and builds upon a solid grounding in the history of art. The Music curriculum is flexible enough to allow MCDS students to continue their pursuit of ABRSM standards if so desired.

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Curriculum

MCDS has pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. Each grade has a unique set of goals for history, geography, music, math, English, Spanish, and science. Japanese, while previously required in 6th grade along with Spanish, is now only offered as an extracurricular club for middle school students. It is then offered as an option lieu of Spanish in the upper school as a full credit course. It has highly esteemed music classes with optional private lessons in piano, voice, woodwinds and strings.

References

External links

* [http://www.madisoncountryday.org Madison Country Day School Official Site]