NCCS Bulletin 2016, Our Future Campus

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“Together we will play a special role in ensuring we leave this institution in a better place than we found it for the generations of children and families that will come after us.”

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—DR. ROBERT P. MACRAE

L OO G SCH ILDIN R E U UPP ENS B V E ST

OUR FUTURE CAMPUS January, the Board of Trustees approved a comprehensive, long-range campus master plan that will serve as the guide for the transformation of the Country School campus over the next several decades.

It outlines priorities and possibilities that will be further defined during a phased implementation over the next 10 to 20 years.

“We have inherited a wonderful campus. We should be incredibly grateful to the generations who came before us,” said Head of School Dr. Robert P. Macrae. “Together we will play a special role in ensuring we leave this institution in a better place than we found it for the generations of children and families that will come after us.”

Throughout Country School’s history, the community has supported several capital improvement plans to enable the school to grow and meet the changing needs of its students. The most recent long-range plan was developed by a Master Planning Task Force comprised of faculty, administrators, trustees and parents. Their charge was to holistically examine how the school can best support existing and future programs and have the greatest positive impact on the complete education of our students.

“Great schools invest the time necessary to plan for the long term,” said Dr. Macrae. “It was really exciting to look at the entire campus and educational needs in this comprehensive way. To stay competitive and to continue to evolve to meet the needs of our students in a rapidly changing world, it is essential that our facilities match the caliber of our academic program.”

Country School has grown dramatically since its founding in 1916, when a group of New Canaan parents set out with a bold vision to provide a better education for their children. Over the past 100 years, the pillars of a Country School education have not significantly changed, but the campus has changed significantly to accommodate the school’s growth. What began in a small house in downtown New Canaan is now an approximately $27 million enterprise on a 75-acre campus serving about 625 students and 180 faculty and staff daily. discover more // countryschool.net

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THE NEW CANAAN COUNTRY SCHOOL COMMUNITY has invested significant time and energy over the past four years identifying its aspirations for the future and laying the groundwork for this plan.

The 2012 Vision Forums brought together parents, alumni, parents of alumni, grandparents, current and former faculty, students and friends to imagine the Country School of tomorrow. Through this process, what emerged was a vision for the future with three essential imperatives:

• Innovative teaching and learning • Balancing the digital and natural worlds • A connected and healthy community In 2014, the Stone House Group, a renowned facilities consultant, was retained to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the entire campus infrastructure as well as a detailed space utilization study.

In 2015, ARC/Architectural Resources Cambridge Inc., a nationally recognized architectural planning and design firm that specializes in educational institutions (including such clients as Deerfield Academy, Greenwich Country Day School, Hotchkiss School and Phillips Exeter Academy), was selected to assist in the master planning process.

A task force consisting of faculty, staff, trustees and parents was convened to take a thorough review of the entire campus, including all of its physical structures and pathways.

It was co-chaired by Randy Salvatore, P’12,’13,’17,’20, founder and owner of RMS Cos., a vertically integrated real estate

development and construction firm in the multi-family and for-sale housing as well as hotel sector. The other co-chair was alumna Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81, P’14,’17,’20. Zeigler holds an advanced degree in architecture, is a former trustee of Hotchkiss School and is currently vice chair of the board at Berea College, where she has been intimately involved with master planning.

Drawing on input from the Vision Forums, the facility assessment, space utilization studies, prior master plans, program subject studies, parent and alumni surveys, and peer review, four themes became the guiding principles for the long-range plan:

• Maintain academic excellence • Stay true to the culture and mission of Country School • Foster community • Reinforce the connection to nature The task force also identified several non-negotiables:

• Preserve the campus character • Protect outdoor spaces for learning and play • Adhere to sustainable practices • Maintain and enhance Grace House as the heart of the campus, connecting all divisions The task force was unanimous in its approach—mission first, focused on students—and easily came to consensus on the priorities of the school and the phasing in which they would be best accomplished. The Board of Trustees was also unanimous in its support of the plan.

HISTORY OF OUR CAMPUS At every critical juncture, Country School parents have come together to support the school’s growth by raising funds to complete capital projects.

In 1936, in an effort to expand and offer a more comprehensive program including athletics, the Community School purchased these buildings and 150 acres of land on Ponus Ridge and incorporated as New Canaan Country School.

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Work began this summer using existing funds to renovate the Middle School. Most of the work addresses deferred maintenance, after many years of loving wear and tear. The new features of the building include a Middle School commons, which will allow the entire division to gather and will also serve as breakout space, with opportunities for presentations and other smallgroup work.

“We know from experience in our other divisions that a central common space greatly enhances the sense of community,” said Dr. Macrae. “It will also allow for more creative academic programming.”

Throughout the building, there will be additional breakout spaces for students to collaborate. The building also lacked a clear entry point. By removing the exterior stairs to the gym, creating a new vestibule and redesigning administrative offices,

CLARIS CONSTRUCTION INC

THIS SUMMER: MIDDLE SCHOOL RENOVATIONS

the building will now offer a clear sense of arrival and a place to greet students at the start of the day.

Other Middle School enhancements include new finishes, lighting and upgrades to all common corridors, as well as heat and ventilation improvements.

These projects will directly impact each and every student and will also have a cumulative effect on overall program, the student experience and our sense of community—a hallmark of a Country School education.

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One goal for the move to Ponus Ridge was to attract older students in Grades 7–9. Under Henry Welles’ leadership, in 1940 the school restructured into our more familiar divisional structure and built this Upper School building for Grades 7–9.

1953 1940

In 1953, developing programs and increased enrollment initiated a directive from the Trustee Planning Committee for a “superlatively good school.” The plan called for this Middle School building which would house an auditorium, music and art studios, and classrooms for Grades 4–6. discover more // countryschool.net

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ALUMNA GIVES $2 MILLION TO NEW CANAAN COUNTRY SCHOOL New Canaan Country School has received a $2 million gift toward the renovation and expansion of its dining facilities as a community gathering space. This gift was made by alumna Susan Haigh Carver ’51 and her husband, John Carver.

“We are deeply honored by the exceptional generosity of the Carver family. Their gift is transformational in every sense, allowing our campus to be as expansive, trailblazing and inspiring as our faculty, students and alumni,” said Head of School Dr. Robert P. Macrae. “With their gift for this building, they have helped to ensure that Country School has the physical capacity necessary to deliver upon its mission for decades to come.”

As a young girl, Mrs. Carver attended Country School from fourth through ninth grade, and has vivid memories of riding the bus to and from her childhood home in Darien, leaving school early on Wednesdays to go horseback riding, and bringing friends to swim at Tokeneke.

“New Canaan Country School was very special,” said Mrs. Carver. “It was parental, in the nicest sense of the word.

It felt like home.”

Following her graduation in 1951, Mrs. Carver attended the Ethel Walker School and then Smith College before

marrying and settling in her husband’s native California.

The Carvers’ varied interests have included philanthropic endeavors such as Jobs for Youth, A Better Chance and the Philanthropic Ventures Foundation. Previously, Mr. Carver’s professional career included senior-level positions with the San Francisco based-retailer The Gap Inc. With stories of New Canaan Country School still receiving pride of place in Mrs. Carver’s memory, Mr. Carver reached out to the school. “Sue has always said that her time at Country School was special. When we came to her 50th reunion, we remarked that it felt so comfortable,” he said.

“We thought the cafeteria would have the most wideranging effect on the school since it touches everyone— students, faculty, staff and frequently, parents,” said Mr. Carver. “We also like that the space will support community-building, a principle upon which the school was founded 100 years ago.”

“Intellectual curiosity and an open, bold approach to life have been among the hallmarks of a Country School education,” Dr. Macrae said. “The generous gift from the Carvers is in keeping with this deeply embedded spirit. Thanks to them, Country School can ensure that physical space will not constrain our mission, but rather continue to serve as our students’ gateway to a world without limitations.”

Watch a video message from the Carvers at countryschool.net/carver

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(CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7)

NEXT UP: DINING HALL The first major project will be a new dining hall in the same location as the current cafeteria. Alumna Susan Haigh Carver ’51 and her husband, John Carver, have already made a $2 million gift toward this project. Work will begin in summer 2017 and be completed over the course of one academic year.

A new dining hall will serve as the hub of campus life and a central community space for students, faculty and parents, as well as a warm and inviting space to welcome prospective families and school visitors. Two serveries will result in shorter wait times and easier access to “seconds,” a wider variety of fresh foods due to increased storage and prep areas, and entire divisions sitting together in a less hurried environment. Equally important, the flexibility and expanded space will decrease pressure on the academic schedule.

CAMPUS GREEN AND PEDESTRIAN SAFETY A major concern identified by the Master Planning Task Force was vehicular circulation and pedestrian safety issues created by deliveries to the rear of Grace House and the existing bus loop that divides campus.

The proposed plan relocates the bus loop along Ponus Ridge, while still maintaining dedicated entrances to Thacher and the campus core. All deliveries and trash pick-up will be relocated to the east side of the new dining hall at the basement level, with a pedestrian bridge above the delivery ramp creating safe passage for all students and faculty.

These changes will begin to create a campus green between Grace House, Thacher and Welles, making Grace House equally accessible and welcoming from both sides.

A NEW ATHLETIC COMPLEX The Watson Gym was constructed approximately 50 years ago for a much smaller school population and has now reached the end of its useful life. As a result of our athletic facility limitations, many of our sports teams are transported daily to other locations during the school day, wasting both time and resources. Locker rooms are outdated, courts are not regulation size, spectator seating is lacking, and the fitness room is inadequate to house a modern-day health and wellness program.

The new plan proposes an athletic complex to appropriately serve students at all grade levels in a PreK–Grade 9 school. The upper-level main entrance will open onto a multi-court gymnasium (two competition courts that could also be configured to enable three teams to practice simultaneously) with retractable bleachers for spectator seating.

The new complex will also include improved locker rooms, an expanded fitness center, a multipurpose space for health and wellness programs, and sufficient storage for indoor and outdoor athletic equipment.

The upper level of the Athletic Complex will potentially be accessed from the new campus green, while the locker rooms and lower level will open onto the athletic fields. This new double gymnasium will eliminate the need for the current

2000 1966 Through the early 1960s Grades 1–4 were housed in three separate buildings. Late in 1966, The Long Range Planning Committee of the Board identified several key priorities including the need for a centralized Lower School building.

It was named for former Head of School Henry Welles.

The new Thacher Building opened in 2002, named in honor of former Head of School Nicholas Thacher. In order to accommodate overcrowding in the Lower School and introduce a Pre-K curriculum, Kindergarten moved to the new building and the Beginners program found a home.

Grades K–4 were expanded from two to three sections and class sizes were reduced across those grades.

Middle School gym, eventually allowing all athletics to be centralized in the same space.

In addition to the new Athletic Complex, the plan calls for reseeding and regrading all of the athletic fields, with the potential addition of a turf playing field. The baseball diamond will be relocated out of the football field, and the east drive will be reconfigured to add convenient and dedicated parking for athletic events.

PERFORMING ARTS CENTER & GRACE HOUSE UPGRADES Country School has long valued the arts as critical to a well-rounded educational experience. The performing arts in particular provide an important opportunity for expression and the chance to combine creative ideas with intellectual abilities. With its increased emphasis on theater, chorus and bands, and its highly regarded tradition of public speaking from the earliest grades, Country School seeks to honor a long-standing commitment to offer a robust performing arts program. However, with no central home on campus, the performing arts are lacking proper facilities to truly flourish.

In keeping with the goal of maintaining Grace House as the campus hub, the proposed new Performing Arts Center will be integrated with the existing auditorium space. Plans include renovations and upgrades to the existing auditorium (improved seating, sound systems and lighting), a dedicated entry lobby and art gallery space, a choral room and music tech classroom, a dance and movement studio, new

restrooms, and the addition of an elevator to make the new space ADA-compliant.

The Performing Arts Center will do more than showcase the arts; it will further enhance the community experience, already one of Country School’s greatest strengths.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE After this work is complete, the Middle School will likely have outlived its useful life and a new Middle School will be built in the current location. Following that, the plan calls for a new Lower School Building to be built adjacent or near the Thacher Early Childhood Building.

“Our campus and buildings must continue to support the intentional academic journey we have created for our students with state-of-the art spaces where knowledge can be put into action, and where groups can work together to solve complex problems in an atmosphere of creativity and collaboration,” said Dr. Macrae.

“Our campus must continue to provide a safe place for students to explore, connect and be inspired.”

—DR. ROBERT P. MACRAE

MASTER PLANNING TASK FORCE Co-Chairs: Randy Salvatore Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81

2005 The 2005 “Plan to Enhance Program and Facilities” included renovation and expansion of the Upper School facilities to achieve consolidated art and science classrooms, enhanced social and common space, and, as a result, derivative benefits to the Middle School Building.

Chris Baker Jennifer Campbell Tim Delehaunty Gary Engle Milan Galik Terry Gumz

Jeff Jacob Keri Kern Ed Kirk Kathy Kravec Rob Macrae Mark Macrides Steve Rodgers Day Rosenberg Kirsten Rosolen Lisa Sparks Karen Wood

For updates, visit countryschool.net/futurecampus

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