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What we teach and why
At the heart of the Harford Day School education is teaching the fundamentals. Children are guided to master, not just the process of learning, but also  the core knowledge that will equip them for the rest of their lives. The curriculum begins with the basics: language arts, math, science and social studies. Spanish and French are offered from the earliest ages. Small classes allow
for individual attention in every subject area. Art, music, and physical education are also an essential part of the school day. We believe that students can become accomplished and successful by mastering the process of learning. By learning how to study, how to organize, how to acquire information, and how to work together, students gain the techniques and strategies that serve them well in whatever they do. |
Lower School
 Our K-Prep and Kindergarten classes enjoy a beautiful space built with little ones in mind. A common room features morning gatherings, holiday sing-a-longs, and musical shows. First, Second and Third Grades enjoy sharing a Lower School Hallway in the main building, not far from the campus library. Ours is an environment where students thrive in small classes and teachers are able to
focus on each student's needs. Our rigorous curriculum develops mastery of fundamental skills and critical thinking, stimulates creativity through music and the fine arts, and features foreign language beginning in K-Prep. Our program includes age-appropriate experiential learning opportunities through community service projects and our almost monthly field trip opportunities. By the time our students leave third grade, they are competent, confident and ready for the Intermediate School. |
Intermediate School
The Intermediate Division provides the transition from Lower School to Middle School. With a strong emphasis on organization skills and study  strategies, the students begin to take ownership of their learning and develop independence in their social, emotional, and academic lives. We foster a community feeling by encouraging interaction between our fourth and fifth grade students in Town Meetings, group activities, and field trips and community service projects. The teachers in the Intermediate Division work together to provide a safe learning environment in which every child feels comfortable taking risks and learning from mistakes. During the Intermediate years, students are given many opportunities to practice positive decision making strategies in academic and social settings. Our goal is to create a supportive atmosphere that will help all students realize their potential, prepare each student to enter Middle School with the ability to meet challenges with determination, think independently, make wise decisions, to be open to others' opinions, and be comfortable with who he or she is. |
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Middle School
 The Middle School believes that rigor plus support equals success. Academic coursework begins to build on prior acquisition of facts and to encourage students to view those facts, as well as newly acquired knowledge, in a broader context. Within a highly structured framework, students are given more independence between classes and at lunch; they also enjoy more leadership opportunities as class representatives, Student Council officers, tech rangers, and organizers of various community service opportunities and activities with their
buddy classes. The Middle School is primarily housed in its own space with a commons that is used for lunches, Town Meetings, and smaller assemblies.  Advisor groups of about six students and one faculty member meet each morning, and advisors maintain a close relationship with their advisees for all three years of middle school. Advisors guide students through what
is often an emotionally and physically challenging time. The faculty strives to let students try a variety of activities both in and out of the classroom, which can be challenging as they prepare to enter a broad range of high schools.
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