LOOKING 1
BREAKING GROUND ON A NEW DINING HALL & COMMONS The entire school community gathered together at the annual
Memorial Day assembly for a groundbreaking ceremony for the
the 2018 school year, there will be enough seating for an entire
Susan Haigh Carver ’51 Dining Hall & Commons.
division to eat at one time, which will alleviate the current
Standing in front of the current cafeteria, Head of School
burden imposed on the academic schedule.
Dr. Robert P. Macrae, and trustees Steve Rodgers, Randy Salvatore,
The new Dining Hall will also have a modernized kitchen
Karen Wood and Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81 joined with student
facility with additional space for food preparation and storage,
representatives from each division to break ground with special
allowing the dining staff to serve fresher foods, increasing the
shovels that were presented to them for the occasion.
overall nutritional quality.
The initial $2 million for this project was gifted by an alumna,
Most important, the Dining Hall & Commons will be an
Susan Haigh Carver, who graduated 66 years ago with the
inviting central gathering space in the heart of campus.
Class of 1951, and her husband John. Mrs. Carver passed away
“Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom; it happens
on Nov. 29, 2016. Please see In Memoriam.
during every experience on campus,” said Dr. Macrae. “The
“She wanted her gift to help us continue to create this commu-
conversations that students and teachers have over the lunch
nity atmosphere for generations to come,” said Dr. Macrae.
table are part of their overall personal development and should
Ninth grader Nate Stevens presented Dr. Macrae a shovel
not be overlooked.”
that his grandfather, former Head of School George Stevens,
Parents, alumni and others will also have the opportunity to
used to break ground for the Stevens Upper School Building in
enjoy the new space at the many events hosted on campus.
1977 and its subsequent addition and renovation in 2006.
“A sense of community is central to our culture and our
The ceremony concluded with songs, including the school
mission, and the culture is what sets Country School apart,”
song “Audentes Fortuna Juvat” and the Middle School Chorus’s
said Mr. Salvatore.
“Take Time in Life.”
6
When the new Dining Hall & Commons opens at the start of
NEW CANAAN COUNTRY SCHOOL BULLETIN • Fall 2017