NCCS Hosts Popular Panel Discussion: Life Beyond Country School

Always a favorite for its “ask me anything” candor, a panel of recent graduates and parents of recent graduates returned to New Canaan Country School campus, Dec. 10, to answer questions and share with an audience of current parents, their perspectives on the transition through and beyond the Pre-K through Grade 9 school. Topics included the unique paths taken and reflections upon what they each felt contributed most to academic and social-emotional “readiness to launch” into secondary public, private and boarding school environments.

“During the discussion, one of the parents on the panel mentioned having been an audience member at similar presentations as far back as when her children were in our Early Childhood division,” said Head of School Aaron Cooper. “She commented that one of the takeaways for her at those past events was that she hoped her children would grow up to be like the graduates on the panel. I have to say that the parent side of me was thinking the same thing as I sat in the audience. The young alumni were poised, articulate, confident and open, and their words were just so poignant.”

President of the school’s Alumni Council, Tucker Golden ʼ90, a resident of Rowayton, moderated the event. Panelists for the 2019 Life Beyond Country School event included Finley Bean ʼ17, also of Rowayton, Mark Magnusen (Norwalk resident and parent of recent graduate Audrey Magnusen ʼ18), Sanny Warner (New Canaan resident and parent of recent matriculant Will Warner ’19) and Phoebe Casey ʼ15 of New Canaan, currently attending college.

New Canaan Country School is a co-ed, independent day school for students in Pre-K (ages 3 & 4) through Grade 9. Located in New Canaan, the school provides transportation for families living throughout the region. For more information about the school, please visit www.countryschool.net.