Editor’s Note: This is the beginning of a series of stories about the history of The Country Day School. Future stories will include recollections of the early years and subsequent decades, past campaigns, and the CDS Auction.
How it All Began Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns Grow by Kim Sillcox
THE EARLY DAYS
I
T BEGAN OVER a casual dinner in early January 1971. Edmond G. Eberts and his late wife, Daphne, were hosting Moffat Dunlap and his late wife, Margo, when the topic of discussion turned to the merits of the local schools for their children. At the time, the population of the Region of York (now York Region) was steadily evolving from agricultural to residential and the local government had decided to shut down its country schools and bus primary students from King Township and other rural hamlets to one of the newer and larger regional public elementary schools. Many parents were not in favour of their children being taught in larger classrooms. Others had grown tired of driving their children to Toronto independent schools. There appeared to be a growing demand for a local co-ed alternative to the public and separate school systems, one that remained small and personal, stressed learning and demonstrated a commitment to teaching excellence. Neither the Eberts nor the Dunlaps had
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any experience in starting a school. They had, however, attended independent schools and were determined to gather the necessary information by approaching people they knew in the field to find out whether such an idea was a) achievable and b) viable. Ed approached a friend, the late John Pratt, (CDS’ first Headmaster whose obituary appears on p. 44), who had been a few years ahead of him at Bishop’s College School in Lennoxville, QC. John was quite knowledgeable about independent schools and curriculum was his area of expertise. He had taught English at Bishop’s as well as at Trinity College School in Port Hope and, at the time, was pursuing his Master of Education at Columbia University in New York City. Having grown up in the U.S., Margo was familiar with the country day school movement and sought the advice of a cousin, Robert Webster, who had been involved in starting the Maclay School in 1968. Margo suggested they call their proposed school ‘The Country Day School.’
Moffat met with Dick Howard, Head of Upper Canada College Prep School, who had been his housemaster at UCC, to ask his professional opinion. He thought it was a terrific idea and agreed to help in an advisory capacity. For the next two years Dick never missed a board meeting, which were initially held in the boardroom of the Wilson Niblett car dealership in Richmond Hill, compliments of Gord Wilson, Sr.. Gord would later become a Trustee and the first Chairman of the Finance Committee, not to mention that he and his wife, Jan, were the first parents to enroll four children at CDS! Moffat recalls Dick’s advice: “You’ve got to get a feel for the community, who’s in it and how they perceive education.” Ed suggested they take a year to gauge the level of interest and do some fundraising. In March 1971, a group of interested parents hired John Pratt to conduct a feasibility study. Upon his arrival that June, John and others arranged for one-on-one and general meetings with local families. Follow up tele-