Mission and Core Values

In 1956 an adventurous group of parents and educators from Marin County and San Francisco joined together to found MCDS. They believed that children should love coming to school, that learning is a lifelong process and that each child’s unique gifts should be nurtured. They believed that boys and girls have much to learn from each other. They valued equally the development of mind, body and spirit. It was no accident that they decided to start a “country day school.”

With scarce financial resources available the founders chose to invest heavily in people, seeking teachers whose passion for their craft, life experiences and deep commitment to children would help kids grow up healthy. They believed that members of a diverse school community could contribute immeasurably to the well-being of one another and established a scholarship fund in the very first year. They understood the importance of the family/school partnership, and encouraged all families to participate as fully in the life of the school as individual circumstances permitted. This participatory tradition and the very special spirit which it engenders are alive and well today.