Head of School Welcome

Dear Visitors,

Welcome to Seattle Country Day School (SCDS). Our K–8 program exists to serve the learning and emotional needs of gifted children in Seattle and its surrounding communities. Since 1964, we have guided and challenged students whose needs are not always met in the traditional classroom environment.

Our inquiry-based instructional program encourages creative problem-solving, requires the application of knowledge, and facilitates the generation of new ideas. Applying skills, intellect, and ideas in new and advanced ways differentiates us from most schools, where highly capable students are often given more or advanced assignments in an effort to address their learning needs. Our talented and highly knowledgeable faculty believe in depth over breadth, prioritize project-based learning, and provide our students with the time, tools, and attention they need to explore ideas, make mistakes, and try again. We feed our students’ curiosity, nurture their sense of wonder, and help them to develop the habits of mind necessary for academic and personal success.

We also understand how important it is to attend to students’ social and emotional needs and to guide students on their journey from kindergarten to high school. Our Synapse program does just that. Synapse is a social-emotional learning (SEL) program that strengthens students’ resilience, self-knowledge, empathy, and ability to collaborate, while informing their understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Each child is seen, known for their genuine self, and recognized for their potential to positively affect our world. The result is that students develop a true sense of belonging at SCDS and they know they are understood here.

Just as DEI concepts are central to our Synapse program, DEI is also central to the school’s long-term aspirations. Building on work begun in 2019, SCDS recently launched a multi-year initiative called SCDS Next that aims to create a more racially and economically diverse and inclusive campus community. The benefits are clear: When children and teachers of different backgrounds and varying perspectives come together, their conversations are enriched, their learning is deepened, and their perspectives are widened. In turn, students are better-prepared for success in a challenging, interesting, and ever-more-diverse society.

Warm and rigorous, inquiry-focused and SEL-aligned: That is Seattle Country Day School. Graduates of our program are welcome additions to high-school communities, not only because of their extraordinary intellect and academic preparation, but because of their strength of character and variety of interests. Upon graduation, they are well-prepared for the next part of their journey at whichever high school they choose.

If you are the parent of a gifted child, or believe your child might be gifted, I encourage you to contact us. We would be happy to explore if SCDS would be a good school for your family.

Sincerely,

Kimberly A. Zaidberg
Head of School