Established in 1929 by a group of families who wanted an alternative to the traditional public, private and parochial schooling in the New Orleans area, Country Day counted among its founders the Stern Family. The Sterns, who also are credited with the founding or advancement of Newcomb Nursery School and Dillard University, joined with several families to lure Ralph Boothby, who had briefly headed a school in Hudson, Ohio, to Country Day. A former director of the Department of Education at Antioch College, Mr. Boothby introduced pedagogical principles that were to become a hallmark of Country Day. These principles, which have evolved over the decades, are perhaps best captured by the School's Mission Statement.
- Metairie Park Country Day School is a coeducational, nonsectarian, college-preparatory elementary and secondary school, committed to education in its broadest sense.
The School's mission is to prepare its students to excel in higher education and to succeed in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse world. Country Day's cooperative learning environment encourages individual achievement, and fosters critical thinking, curiosity, creativity, and a love of learning for its own sake.
The School and the family share responsibility for the development of students' personal, moral, and ethical values. Within this school community, students develop an appreciation for the feelings, perspectives, and needs of others, and a sense of responsibility to communities beyond Country Day. Students learn to be flexible, to be adaptable, and to face the challenges of life with a sense of humor, with optimism, and with confidence.
Country Day has claimed among its graduates (and its more active parents) many of the more innovative leaders in the Greater New Orleans community and the vast world beyond. Throughout the School's history, Country Day students and graduates have shared the benefits of a cooperative partnership in education between themselves and their teachers, between their parents and their peers. In our 75th year, we continue to celebrate this spirit of cooperative learning set forth by Ralph Boothby.
The 75th Anniversary Celebration highlighted the achievements and contributions of students, alumni, parents and faculty that comprise our Country Day history. Moreover, it reunited alumni with the vibrant life of Country Day today, and celebrated the unique place Country Day has held in the Greater New Orleans community for 75 years.
