Harbor Country Day School
Harbor County Day School (HCDS) is a highly accredited private school on Long Island, grades PreK to 8th grade. Founded in 1958. The school is located in St James on the north shore of Long Island, New York.
Harbor Country Day School is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, is accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS) and is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS). It is an independent nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service code, and is governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees.
History
In 1958, Spencer P. Kennard became the first headmaster of a brand-new country day school in Saint James. Among his many tasks was to create a symbol for the school, and rather quickly he and Mrs. Kennard, along with the board of trustees, selected the scallop shell as the school's symbol.
The scallop shell has special, layered meanings. It evokes our proximity to Long Island Sound. It is a symbol of the town of Saint James, and is the state shell of the State of New York. Thus it strongly suggests a connection with our locale and our local history. But it means more as well. It has been a powerful symbol going back at least to the Middle Ages, when it became associated with the figure of Saint James, and thus came to symbolize the virtue of charity, as well as the pilgrimage or journey—in our case, the journey of education. The scallop shell has also been used in heraldry, and appears on the family crest of none other than Winston Churchill. In one of the school's first formal documents, the scallop shell was hand-drawn - not once, but four times!
Soon after, Mrs. Kennard incorporated the scallop shell into a crest that would embody the school's nature and aspirations. She chose a shield, which suggests tradition, and an open scroll, which connotes learning, on a deep forest-green field. It's a safe bet that Mr. Kennard chose the Latin motto, Sine labore nihil - Without work, nothing, which generations of Harbor students have taken to heart. Thus Harbor's shield, with its Latin motto, its scallop shell, and its parchment scroll, together suggest tradition, charity, hard work, and the journey of education. It has been closely identified with Harbor for five decades.
Facts
2011 - 2012 School Year
- PreK- 8th grade
- Average class size is 12
- 170 students enrolled
- Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents
- Accredited by the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS)
- Member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)