Mission Statement
Burlington Day School celebrates the development of each student by building a solid foundation in academics, arts, athletics, and citizenship while nurturing the unique, self-confident individual who emerges with courage, ready for engagement and success in secondary school and beyond.
Philosophy
Burlington Day School is an independent, nonsectarian, coeducational school which seeks to maintain a small school in which each student can develop individually in an academically challenging, safe and secure learning environment. Developing habits of the heart and mind which include mutual respect, integrity and positive relationships form the cornerstone of the school's program.
Why a Kindergarten – Grade 8 school? The primary, (Kindergarten through middle school), years establish the foundation for the secondary (high school) years and beyond. Well-prepared students entering high school should have established reading, computation, critical thinking, analytical, and technology skills. In addition, they should have exposure to and an appreciation of the arts. Leadership skills and social and environmental awareness should also be well on their way to being highly developed in a 21st century student.
How does this happen? It takes the combination of quality programs, dedicated teachers, committed parents, time - and the right environments. For most children, the earlier these essential skills are developed, the greater the achievement in the latter years of their schooling. Once a majority of the “hard wiring” of a child’s brain is complete, (usually between the ages of 5 and 7), it becomes tremendously more difficult to re-train. Research shows a high correlation between quality early learning experiences and academic achievement, good emotional development, and improved lifelong health. In addition, research also suggests that a child is generally on a given course by age ten. As for the middle school years: this a time when pre-adolescents/adolescents are changing, questioning, discovering investigating and taking some risks; hence the right environment is again so essential. A high-quality journey from pre-school though the eighth grade is therefore highly correlated to the likelihood that a child attains a high quality of life in adulthood.
We invite you to consider the BDS experience for your child. While cost may present an issue, we encourage you to explore our programs to determine if they are the best option for your family. If so, we will work with you through financial aid and/or scholarships to help make it a reality.
"Building the Foundation. Discovering the Potential."
