Welcome to the Upper School!

The Upper School at Greenwich Country Day offers a transformative experience built on solid foundational values and designed to help our students thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Many teenagers laugh when their parents go on and on about when they were younger--a time when music was barely portable, pictures took days to develop, phones had long cords and were fixed to walls, and career paths were largely known and mostly predictable. Today's world is vastly different and far less certain. We designed our Upper School to prepare students for a future where change will be the norm and adaptability will be essential.

Our students are both consumers and creators of knowledge. Under the guidance of an extraordinary faculty, we help students find natural connections between traditional subject areas and engage in deep and joyful learning. Our students think critically and creatively across subject matter; pose and pursue meaningful questions; work collaboratively in order to problem-solve and produce high quality work; communicate with empathy, purpose, and clarity; explore interests, build purpose, and persist through setbacks; and engage independently and with curiosity in learning.

Our teachers love learning and care deeply about our students’ growth and needs. As is the case in all grades at GCDS, in our Upper School, students are known and valued. We guide our students as they develop a strong moral compass and act with the highest standards of character, integrity, and care. 

And we do all of this on our beautiful, 42-acre campus, which enhances our students’ journey every step of the way. From Orientation to Seminar class, to a yearly three-week intersession, to a Junior Thesis, our educational approach is crafted for the world students inhabit today and the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they will need for tomorrow.

Dr. Chris Winters

Head of Upper School