Far Hills Country Day School
Encyclopedia
Far Hills Country Day School (also called FHCDS) is a private, nonsectarian
coeducation
al day school
located in Far Hills
, New Jersey
, United States
. The school, founded in 1929, serves students in nursery
(Prekindergarten) through eighth grade on a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) rural-suburban campus set on rolling hills and bordered by woods with nature trails.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school has an enrollment of 444 students and 75 classroom teachers (on an FTE
basis), for a student-teacher ratio
of 8.1.
65% of the school's 75 teachers are pursuing or hold a master’s
or higher degree and over half of all teacher
s have more than 10 years’ teaching experience. As of the 2009-2010 school year, tuition ranges from $12,925 for prekindergarten-youngers to $28,075 for eighth grade. The school dedicates $100,000 to professional development annually, including graduate school programs, workshops and seminars, and professional conferences. The school is currently undergoing construction, started in 2004, to end in 2008. Far Hills Country Day School delivers foundation skills and 21st century skills by encouraging exploration through project-based learning, problem solving, public speaking, global partnerships, ethics, collaboration and innovation, a rich world language program, and much more – all in a family-centered environment that celebrates the joys of childhood.
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
.
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).
Nonsectarian
Nonsectarian, in its most literal sense, refers to a lack of sectarianism. The term is also more narrowly used to describe secular private educational institutions or other organizations either not affiliated with or not restricted to a particular religious denomination though the organization...
coeducation
Coeducation
Mixed-sex education, also known as coeducation or co-education, is the integrated education of male and female persons in the same institution. It is the opposite of single-sex education...
al day school
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
located in Far Hills
Far Hills, New Jersey
Far Hills is a borough in Somerset County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 919.Far Hills was incorporated as a borough based on an Act of the New Jersey Legislature passed on April 7, 1921, from portions of Bernards Township, subject to the results...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The school, founded in 1929, serves students in nursery
Nursery school
A nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
(Prekindergarten) through eighth grade on a 55 acres (222,577.3 m²) rural-suburban campus set on rolling hills and bordered by woods with nature trails.
As of the 2009-10 school year, the school has an enrollment of 444 students and 75 classroom teachers (on an FTE
Full-time equivalent
Full-time equivalent , is a unit to measure employed persons or students in a way that makes them comparable although they may work or study a different number of hours per week. FTE is often used to measure a worker's involvement in a project, or to track cost reductions in an organization...
basis), for a student-teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio
Student-teacher ratio refers to the number of teachers in a school or university with respect to the number of students who attend the institution. For example, a student-teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students for every one teacher...
of 8.1.
65% of the school's 75 teachers are pursuing or hold a master’s
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
or higher degree and over half of all teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
s have more than 10 years’ teaching experience. As of the 2009-2010 school year, tuition ranges from $12,925 for prekindergarten-youngers to $28,075 for eighth grade. The school dedicates $100,000 to professional development annually, including graduate school programs, workshops and seminars, and professional conferences. The school is currently undergoing construction, started in 2004, to end in 2008. Far Hills Country Day School delivers foundation skills and 21st century skills by encouraging exploration through project-based learning, problem solving, public speaking, global partnerships, ethics, collaboration and innovation, a rich world language program, and much more – all in a family-centered environment that celebrates the joys of childhood.
Far Hills Country Day School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...
, Commission on Elementary Schools, and is a member of both the National Association of Independent Schools
National Association of Independent Schools
The National Association of Independent Schools is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1963, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boarding, and day/boarding schools; elementary and secondary...
and the New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
New Jersey Association of Independent Schools
The New Jersey Association of Independent Schools serves independent elementary and secondary schools throughout the state of New Jersey. The Association consists of 70 member schools with a total enrollment of approximately 26,000 students...
.
Popular culture
When alumna Christine Todd WhitmanChristine Todd Whitman
Christine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
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. BradyNicholas F. BradyNicholas Frederick Brady was United States Secretary of the Treasury under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush, and is also known for articulating the Brady Plan in March 1989.-Early life:...
(born 1930), former United States Secretary of the TreasuryUnited States Secretary of the TreasuryThe Secretary of the Treasury of the United States is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, which is concerned with financial and monetary matters, and, until 2003, also with some issues of national security and defense. This position in the Federal Government of the United...
who also briefly represented New Jersey in the United States SenateUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. - Steve ForbesSteve ForbesMalcolm Stevenson "Steve" Forbes, Jr. is an American editor, publisher, and businessman. He is the editor-in-chief of business magazine Forbes as well as president and chief executive officer of its publisher, Forbes Inc. He was a Republican candidate in the U.S. Presidential primaries in 1996...
(born 1947), editor-in-chief of ForbesForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
. - Christine Todd WhitmanChristine Todd WhitmanChristine Todd "Christie" Whitman is an American Republican politician and author who served as the 50th Governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001, and was the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration of President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003. She was New...
(born 1947), former Governor of New JerseyGovernor of New JerseyThe Office of the Governor of New Jersey is the executive branch for the U.S. state of New Jersey. The office of Governor is an elected position, for which elected officials serve four year terms. While individual politicians may serve as many terms as they can be elected to, Governors cannot be...
. - Frederica von StadeFrederica von StadeFrederica von Stade is an American mezzo-soprano. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The...
(born 1945), mezzo-sopranoMezzo-sopranoA mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
. - Pamela Machold, Founder of Princeton Child Development Institute for autistic children
- Vincent Dotoli, Founder and head of Harlem Academy
- Wayne KassermanWayne KassermanWayne Kasserman is a New York city based stage and screen actor, most notable for his role in the 2008 remake of Knight Rider as mechanic Dylan Fass...
, Actor - Whitney Kasserman, Co-Founder, Youth Speak! Collective
External links
- School website
- Data for Far Hills Country Day School, National Center for Education StatisticsNational Center for Education StatisticsThe National Center for Education Statistics is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance information in the United States...