Greenwich Country Day School (GCDS)

[Anonymous]

Can someone give me an honest rundown? DH wants to send our preK child there and I’m honestly not sold. But we also live in an area of town where 90% of our neighborhood kids go to the zoned public school and all seem to be doing well.

Thanks in advance.

[Anonymous]

My knowledge is old. If you live in Greenwich the public schools are excellent. I went to Eastern Middle and Greenwich High School. 95% of the kids are wealthy and end up at Ivy League colleges, a very tiny minority are from poorer parts of town and end up stocking shelves in supermarkets or joining the army.

[Anonymous]

Current Greenwich resident with elementary age kids. GCDS is a very good school - great teachers, great facilities and enrichments. We have several friends with kids there, all of whom are happy.

We considered it when our oldest was going into pre K but ultimate decided to try public for the neighborhood factor. We live in riverside which is a very tight knit community and have been happy there. It’s not perfect, but not sure anything is, whether public or private.

Happy to answer any questions you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current Greenwich resident with elementary age kids. GCDS is a very good school - great teachers, great facilities and enrichments. We have several friends with kids there, all of whom are happy.

We considered it when our oldest was going into pre K but ultimate decided to try public for the neighborhood factor. We live in riverside which is a very tight knit community and have been happy there. It’s not perfect, but not sure anything is, whether public or private.

Happy to answer any questions you have.

Previous PP. I grew up on Weston Hill Road in Riverside. It is very quiet and safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Current Greenwich resident with elementary age kids. GCDS is a very good school - great teachers, great facilities and enrichments. We have several friends with kids there, all of whom are happy.

We considered it when our oldest was going into pre K but ultimate decided to try public for the neighborhood factor. We live in riverside which is a very tight knit community and have been happy there. It’s not perfect, but not sure anything is, whether public or private.

Happy to answer any questions you have.

Thanks for this. Without wanting to give too much detail, I will say that we are also in Riverside/OG and only a few minutes walk away from the elementary school. It seems like the overwhelming majority of families with young kids on our block/neighborhood go to public school and seem to be happy.

What I am trying to get a sense of is how many kids eventually leave at middle/HS for private (either GCDS or Brunswick/GA), and how hard it is to make that switch?

Also when you say the public school "isn't perfect", can you elaborate on anything you wish were different?

[Anonymous]

It is not hard to make the switch. While in MS and HS the kids being kicked out of the privates for doing drugs / drinking are coming to the publics, so there's plenty of places that open up during random grades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is not hard to make the switch. While in MS and HS the kids being kicked out of the privates for doing drugs / drinking are coming to the publics, so there's plenty of places that open up during random grades.

It’s the opposite - the kids who don’t rise to the top in public are then sent to private.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is not hard to make the switch. While in MS and HS the kids being kicked out of the privates for doing drugs / drinking are coming to the publics, so there's plenty of places that open up during random grades.

It’s the opposite - the kids who don’t rise to the top in public are then sent to private.

The two scenarios are not mutually exclusive. You still get Country day kick-outs at Greenwich HS.