On August 18, 2026 Miami Country Day School marked an exciting milestone as members of our community came together to celebrate the groundbreaking of our new Upper School building. The ceremony represented much more than the start of construction; it marked the next important step in our campus Master Plan and our continued commitment to creating an educational environment that evolves alongside the needs, interests, and aspirations of our students.
Members of the Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, and staff shared this milestone with our ninth- and tenth-grade students, the first Spartans who will have the opportunity to learn and grow within this extraordinary new space. Yet the significance of the new Upper School extends far beyond the students who will one day walk its halls. As Board President Claudia Brod reflected, this building represents a legacy of excellence and progress built by generations of Spartans, a reflection of where Miami Country Day School has been, the values that continue to define us, and the bold vision that continues to move us FORWARD.
That vision will come to life in a building intentionally designed around the students who will call it home. President and Head of School Mariandl Hufford spoke of spaces that will invite students to pursue their passions, follow their curiosity, collaborate with one another, and engage more deeply in their learning. Head of Upper School Michael Culley connected those possibilities to the heart of an MCDS education: a building that reflects the mission and values that have long defined our School while opening new doors for how students learn, connect, and grow. And perhaps no one captured the anticipation of what lies ahead better than Class of 2029 President Dominic Llauger, who gave voice to the excitement of his classmates as they imagine the possibilities awaiting them, not only within the walls of their new Upper School, but in all the places their MCDS education will ultimately take them.
David Smith, Chief Advancement Officer, marked the occasion by honoring the generations of Spartans whose stories are woven into the foundation of Miami Country Day School. He reminded us that this building belongs not only to the students who will one day learn within its walls, but also to every Spartan, past, present, and future.
The groundbreaking was more than the beginning of construction, the new Upper School is more than a building for the next generation; it is a celebration of all who came before, an investment in those who are here today, and a promise to every Spartan still to come as together we all move FORWARD.