Welcome from the Head
Welcome to Crane Country Day School’s website! My name is Joel Weiss and twenty two years ago I became the Head of School of this wonderful community. So much happens within a powerful school community, so it is difficult to convey all that is Crane, but there are three characteristics I frequently use to describe this school: what we teach, how we teach, and the overall setting where everything takes place.
WHAT WE TEACH
Many traditional schools largely focus on academics. Other schools, such as art school, target the creative world. At Crane, students get both! We expect our graduates to matriculate into challenging high schools, so they need to be prepared academically. At the same time, we know that our world is experiencing a period of dramatic change; young people need to be creatively adept to capitalize on opportunities as well as to come up with innovative solutions to complex problems. It is the combination of these two domains, academic excellence and being a creative force, that is truly exceptional and our students become independent thinkers and problem-solvers.
HOW WE TEACH
Each day, I witness something astonishing – highly experiential learning that ignites curiosity and joy in our students. It is called many things—learning by doing, experiential education, hands-on experiences—but it always actively engages the students in the learning process.
THE OVERALL SETTING
For students to grow, learn, stretch, and thrive they must feel loved, supported, and safe, so a strong sense of community is vital. Crane’s educational setting wouldn’t be possible without the extraordinary people that make up our community. Staffulty (Crane’s term that acknowledges the combined force of administrative staff and faculty) provide a compassionate place for students to learn. At Crane, parents are involved in their children’s lives and participate in many volunteer opportunities. Students support one another as they grow into resilient, confident young adults.
I hope you will explore our site, and I encourage you to schedule a visit to our campus.
Head of School