About

Preschool 2s–Grade 8 independent school education rooted in joy, kindness, compassion, community and empathy.

It is privilege to be both teacher and witness to the intellectual growth of a child. A preschooler’s musings—“How does a caterpillar crawl? Why are his eyes so big?” become, “How do plant cells differ from my cheek cells? What does that tell me about how I’m made?” in seventh grade. Chatham Day School is a place where students are inquisitively learning without the pressure that so often describes a “rigorous” curriculum. Our teachers understand that hidden talents and skills must be discovered and nurtured through meaningful relationships and inspiring lessons. With an average of eleven students per class, we are able to honor this commitment and more—we challenge and support each child as an individual learner. The intentionally small class size strengthens each student’s responsibility for their own learning and helps them to refine their self-advocacy skills. Our curriculum is designed with a growth mindset belief to empower even our youngest learners to achieve greatness with their intellect and creative spirit—we emphasize problem-based learning and inquiry and invite students to become 21st century thinkers and doers.

Why CDS?

Welcome to Chatham Day School! Within these pages you will see words like joyful, kindness, compassion, community, and empathy. CDS leads with these words front and center, and combined with our small classes, skilled teachers, and innovative curriculum, we have fostered an environment that allows students to take risks and to fully access all of their burgeoning interests.

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