Forge the Path Forward
We commit to:
Foster a love of learning that drives intellectual curiosity and academic excellence.
Cultivate a culture of compassion and empathy in our community that fosters listening and understanding.
Cultivate an inclusive and equitable community where every voice is valued and children and adults feel they belong.
Take responsibility as stewards of the earth and find new ways to advocate for our natural world.
Dear MCDS Community:
It’s with great joy and anticipation that I share with you Marin Country Day School’s new strategic plan, Forge the Path Forward.
For nearly 70 years, MCDS has been a pioneer in combining academic excellence and achievement with joy and creativity. The dynamic curriculum ensures mastery of core skills and builds on a foundation of self-awareness, teacher/student connections and peer collaboration. Nature and environmental stewardship are integrated throughout the curriculum.
The school partners with families to support students and foster a culture of inclusion through our active community education program. The partnership between school and families ensures that every element of the MCDS program focuses on what matters most – equipping our children with the academic knowledge and personal tools they need to live creative, impactful lives and inspire positive change in the world.
Our strategic plan explains MCDS’s priorities and commitments in four key areas that will enable the achievement of this vital goal. The success of our plan will require a financial commitment, both through traditional fundraising and through an evaluation of other non-tuition revenue sources.
Thank you to all of you for giving your input, sharing your time and resources, and helping to construct this exciting and bold new strategic vision and plan for MCDS. Now we start with the most important phase of the process–to make our plan a reality, and to Forge the Path Forward!
Warmly,
Katherine Dinh
Head of School
Our Future
Vision
We envision a world where young people work together creatively to build a more inclusive and sustainable world.
Mission
We get closer to that vision through our mission.
Our mission is to create an inclusive community of learning that inspires curiosity, empathy, and action.
Values
On our journey, our values keep us true to ourselves.
To achieve a community of action, we must:
- Take Intellectual Risks
- Stretch Your Mind and Body
- Value Every Voice
- Cherish the Natural World
- Practice Compassion
- Cultivate a Playful Spirit
Take Intellectual Risks
We hold ourselves to a standard of academic excellence, and each time we challenge ourselves to push our comfort zone, we learn more about capabilities, our world and ourselves.
Stretch Your Mind and Body
Our learning requires us to be nimble and flexible in what we learn and the way we learn it. When we allow ourselves to grow and stretch, whether in the classroom or by the creek, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.
Value Every Voice
As an inclusive community of learning, we welcome others’ experiences, ideas, and viewpoints. We want all members of the MCDS community to be— and feel—seen, heard, and valued. To that end, we seek every day to create and nurture a sense of belonging among students, families, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends.
Practice Compassion
As with any muscle, compassion must be practiced daily, so that it becomes comfortable and commonplace. With an open heart, we approach each situation as an opportunity to embrace and understand our shared humanity.
Cherish the Natural World
From the beginning, the natural world has been woven into the MCDS experience. Leveraging the outdoors as part of our classroom, we hold ourselves accountable to educate, inspire, and empower every member of our community to protect the earth.
Cultivate a Playful Spirit
We believe in fostering joy through play, learning, and community connection to nurture the child in all of us.