Hamden Hall Country Day School
Educating Students in PreSchool Through Grade 12
Academics
Signature Programs

From Our Director Catelin Fee

"It is exciting to play a role in the young learner’s life. Our Early Childhood Program nourishes and supports children’s natural curiosity and desire to learn. Our classrooms offer a safe and nurturing space where young children can explore, create, and express ideas."

A Message From a Current Parent

"My child loves going to school. The teachers, administrators, and curriculum are fantastic. The emphasis on individualized instruction combined with a thoughtfully designed curriculum is simply unmatched by any other school in the area.Critical subjects are tailored to my child's individual level and needs; where she is advanced, she is unconstrained by the level of the other children; where she needs extra help, she has as much as she needs. Students also get plenty of art, music, and physical activity, together with learning to tinker/build, garden, and speak Mandarin. Hamden Hall also fosters a sense of self-confidence and pride and is a truly special place for a young child to develop."

Multicultural Halls!

Our Early Childhood Program includes a world language component - lessons in Mandarin Chinese. Students warm up by singing the Hello Song and greeting one another with ni hao as their Mandarin class commences. Chinese numbers from one through 10 are introduced via various hands-on activities and games. Exploring new sounds through song, movement, and projects is instructive, as language acquisition comes naturally to children when they participate in engaging, language-based activities. 

A Culture of Possibility

Amid a backdrop of specially designed and designated learning environments, our curious, active learners acquire various skills and knowledge. Our Learning Garden and Tower Garden are perfect examples of the hands-on, cross-curricular learning that is fostered at Hamden Hall. Our PreSchool, PreKindergarten, and Kindergarten students even get their own Early Childhood Playscape and Outdoor Classroom in order to run, jump, explore, and play during the school day!

Every Child is a Naturalist

Young children have an innate curiosity about nature and the world around them; nature and early childhood go hand in hand. As early childhood teachers at Hamden Hall, we strive to incorporate these elements into our classrooms to support children’s intrinsic inclination to work and play outdoors. During outdoor times, children enjoy collecting small rocks, leaves, acorns, flowers, and twigs that serve as materials in our open-ended artwork. In an effort to reconnect our children with nature, our focus is twofold: we bring nature into the classrooms and bring the children outside for more outdoor learning, exploratory experiences, and hands-on discovery. 
Kindergarten is a foundational milestone, and the curriculum is designed to meet each student at their unique level, celebrate learning through purposeful play that builds upon natural curiosity, and enhance the instinct to question, discover, and participate in the world.
Click here to view a day in the life of our Kindergarten students.

Ready, Set, Swim! 

Our Early Childhood Program has launched its newest initiative with swim lessons for PreSchool/PreKindergarten students during the school day at our Beckerman Athletic Center. The program helps promote water safety and increases the comfort level of the little ones in the water. Certified instructors worked with the students to learn basic swim skills and just have some fun in the pool. We are so lucky to have all of these wonderful resources on our Hamden Hall campuses!

Hamden Hall Country Day School

About Us

Hamden Hall Country Day School, located less than two miles from Yale University, is one of the best private schools in Connecticut to enroll elementary, middle, and high school students. Our nurturing and inclusive community provides a dynamic learning environment that promotes academic excellence by understanding each child and fostering their individual growth.