New Canaan Country School Breaks Ground on New Athletics and Wellness Center

New Canaan Country School broke ground on an Athletics and Wellness Center at its Memorial Day assembly held May 24. 

Standing near the current Watson Gymnasium, Head of School Aaron Cooper, Board President Randy Salvatore and Vice President Stephanie Bowling Zeigler ’81 joined with student representatives from each division to break ground with special shovels presented to them for the occasion. 

Mr. Cooper shared his excitement about the new facility. “This center will be so much more than a building. We have envisioned a space where our students will truly achieve their full potential — a place where they will not only hone their athletic skills, but where they will also learn valuable lessons in character such as teamwork and resilience, and where they will form the roots of lifelong friendships.”

“For the past two years, a committed group of educators has painstakingly attended to each detail to ensure that this new center will provide a physical space to match the caliber of our outstanding program, with all of the features requisite for a premier PreK-9 athletics program to serve our students now and well into the future. Most importantly, it will create a space that invites our entire community — students, faculty, coaches, parents and alumni — to come together,” said Mr. Cooper.

The new Athletics and Wellness Center will feature a two-court (which can divide into four practice courts) basketball and volleyball gymnasium with retractable spectator seating, four squash courts, improved locker rooms for all of the athletes, an expanded fitness center, multi-purpose classrooms, and nearby a new, improved Horizons pool.

“In addition to being able to bring all of our athletic and wellness programs together under one roof, eliminate off-campus travel and increase practice time, we will also be able to expand our offerings to include yoga, dance and additional fitness and wellness choices,” said Mr. Cooper. The net result will be an enhanced physical education experience for all students.

Construction will begin just after school ends, and the new center will open for the start of the 2020-2021 school year. For more information, please visit the school’s website: www.countryschool.net/futurecampus.

Ninth grade Assembly Speakers Paige Davis, Evan Hayes and Ella Zea, each of New Canaan, and Connor Walsh of Wilton, then led students, faculty and staff in presentations, Memorial Day reflections and in the singing of “One Voice.”

“As the lyrics of ‘One Voice’ tell us, Country School is a community united. One people, one voice,” said Evan. “We have been a community for over 100 years, with many changes and with many things remaining the same.”

The ceremony concluded with an all-school sing-along of “This Land is Your Land.” Seventh grader Henry Warner of New Canaan presented the playing of Taps, while the community observed a moment of silence in honor of those who served the country.

New Canaan Country School is a co-ed, independent, day school for students in Pre-K (ages 3 & 4) through Grade 9. Located at 635 Frogtown Rd. in New Canaan, the school serves families living throughout Westchester and Fairfield Counties. For more information about the school, please visit www.countryschool.net.

 

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Submitted by New Canaan, CT

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