Woodland Country Day School Information

Woodland Country Day School was founded as St. John's Day School in 1959 by Salem and Cumberland County parents who wanted a strong preparatory education for their children. The school was located in the Parish House of St. John's Episcopal Church in Salem and was aided significantly by the vestry of the church. St. John's grew to the point that the facilities in Salem soon became overcrowded, so in 1961, the Board of Trustees purchased the historic Wood Mansion in Jericho as the new home of St. John's. In the spring of 1964, the official relationship of the school with the Episcopal Church was clarified through a change in the charter making the school non-denominational. Children of all races, creeds and nationalities were always welcome at St. John's - a tradition that Woodland is proud to continue. The academic and co-curricular programs expanded over the years to reflect the talents of many faculty members and the foresight of administrators and Board members. Art, music, drama, computer and physical education programs evolved and classroom space and equipment were furnished by the school and by the Parents' Association. In 1977, the Board of Trustees decided to change the name of the School from St. John's to Woodland Country Day School. The reasons for the change were to reflect the non-denominational status of the school and to commemorate the place of the Wood family in the historic district of Jericho. Woodland was the first independent elementary school in South Jersey to be accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools in 1984 and celebrated its 25th Anniversary at that time. A building program began the following year which added a new fieldhouse and classroom building to present campus, in addition to extensive renovations to present facilities. In 1994 the school conducted a capital campaign to fund an endowment and a computer and science learning center.