Harbor Country Day School (“Harbor”) proudly announces the naming of the John R. Cissel Faculty Endowment in honor of the head of school’s upcoming retirement.
Prior to joining Harbor’s faculty, first as a history teacher and Head of Academic Affairs, and then in 2014 as Head of School, John Cissel has worked in independent schools his entire career. Always a teacher at his core, he has taught, coached and led as an administrator and head of school in Connecticut and upstate New York before coming to Harbor in 2011. Under his leadership, the financial position of the school has been significantly strengthened with a strong annual fund program and a $10 million capital campaign for building modernization as well as for faculty, tuition assistance and general endowments. Plans for campus expansion that will include a state-of-the-art STEAM center, art and technology facilities, two science labs, new math and history classrooms, and a dining room will be completed during his tenure, with the hope that construction can begin in the fall of 2022.
Always a great champion for his faculty, John’s greatest wish is to see the fulfillment of the school’s faculty endowment so that Harbor can continue to attract and retain the best and brightest talent for generations of students to come.
In commemoration of his retirement this June, Harbor’s Board of Trustees unanimously voted this past May to name the faculty endowment to honor John and memorialize the role he played in launching Harbor’s Capital Campaign.
About Harbor Country Day School
Founded in 1958 by conscientious parents, Harbor Country Day School is an independent, co-educational day school for children from preschool through 8th grade situated in St. James’ Village of Head of the Harbor. The school employs a whole-child approach to education, wherein its rigorous curriculum is supported by a broad program in its academic, athletic, advisory, and visual and performing arts departments designed to develop all aspects of each child's talents and interests. Harbor Country Day School’s summer camp program, Camp Harbor, is among the leading summer camp programs on Long Island. The school’s mission to “cherish childhood, cultivate wonder, and inspire confident learners and leaders” underscores every child’s experience at Harbor Country Day School and ensures that all of its graduates are prepared to lead fulfilling lives filled with wonder, confidence, and many successes.
Harbor Country Day School is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents and is accredited by and a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools (NYSAIS). It is a non-sectarian, nonprofit organization under section 501(c) (3) of the IRS Code governed by a self-perpetuating board of trustees. For more information, visit www.hcdsny.org.