The Providence Country Day School

The Providence Country Day School offers an independent middle and high school education for sixth through 12th graders. We are dedicated to inspiring lives of engaged citizenship, and living our core values every day enables us to fulfill this mission. While we are proud of the successful adults our students become, we are equally proud of the joy and inspiration they find along their journey, simply in coming together each day to talk, listen, study, play, try, fail, perform, win, lose, socialize, reflect, and start again. Here you will find a values system and community character in which high achievement is not attained at the expense of kindness and humanity.

A spark bellows into a flame; an engine comes to life with the turn of a key. In the brain, it takes a question. Questions ignite curiosity. From curiosity comes exploration—the chance to learn deeply because the path is meaningful and engaged. The more delving the question, the more invested is the learner. That means that the more purposeful the question, the more powerful the process of exploration can be.

Here at Providence Country Day School, we ask kids big questions, and we expect them to explore more than just their classroom tasks. We ask our students to think about their lessons in the context of their families, their peers, their world, and their identities. They use their schoolwork to understand who they are as individuals and to appreciate the different perspectives of those around them. They find their voices, hear the voices of others, and identify ways to engage in the world and make it better.

An admission candidate once told us that PCD was the right school because “it can help me answer my questions.” His questions continued after graduation because PCD helped him develop a habit of asking and seeking and learning. Questions—asked by teachers determined to tease out and foster individuals’ unique strengths—help students discover the joy of exploration and the pursuit of more than just answers.

Whether you’re visiting this website for the first time or the 100th, we know you have questions. We invite you to peruse, learn, gather information about PCD, and remember that we’re here to take your questions in person, too.

The mission of The Providence Country Day School is to inspire lives of engaged citizenship in an inclusive community that values the unique strengths of all students. By setting high standards for academic achievement, ethical behavior, and community participation, PCD empowers students to grow with confidence and prepare for a lifetime of learning and leadership to meet the challenges of an every-changing world. Our core values:

• Individual commitment and active participation are the personal contributions that open doors to confidence and competence. Growth is the triumphant result of surpassing one’s own expectations.
• Diversity is the wealth of our community. When we embrace the many perspectives among us, we are enriched with an increased cultural awareness and sense of belonging.
• Persistence and hard work are essential ingredients for success in all areas of personal growth and achievement.
• Honesty is the foundation of our community. Our strength is secured by trust, and that trust grows through truth in actions and words.
• Intellectual curiosity is the spark that drives us toward academic excellence.
• Respect—for oneself, for others, for ideas and for property—is the vital connection that makes every individual a valued member of our community.
• Shared experiences and teamwork embody the interdependence of each member of our school and fulfill our potential as a dynamic community of learners.

To succeed in being a lifelong learner is to succeed as a life-long questioner who embraces a sense of wonder and curiosity about the world. Accordingly, Providence Country Day faculty press for questions as much as answers. Here we champion independent learning and diverse aptitudes and present a vision of the world as a boundless, ever-changing and provocative place. We strive for balance and ask our students to do the same.