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Go to child profileSituated on a 100-acre campus north of Toronto among the rolling hills of King Township, The Country Day School is a leading JK-12 co-ed, non-denominational independent school. Since 1972, the dynamic and friendly CDS community has been nurturing student talent and fulfilling promise. Our innovative approach to learning integrates leading-edge technology, sophisticated facilities and exceptional teaching. We offer a superior educational experience that is sensitive to individual needs, enables learning and equips students for life. Emphasizing education with balance, CDS provides diverse opportunities in academics, athletics, and visual and performing arts. Plus, students of all ages also love to explore our sprawling campus for outdoor education activities. This is a place of possibilities where students unearth their passions and everyone feels known, supported and inspired. This is a school where each graduate can answer the biggest question of all: Who will you be? Learn more at www.cds.on.ca.
The Country Day School (CDS) began, literally, over a dinner one evening in 1971. The region was in the process of amalgamating schools, which meant that students who had been attending local schools would be bussed to larger, more suburban ones. That didn’t sit well, in part because of the bussing involved, but also because of the sense of community that students had and, presumably, would lose by going to schools further afield. Seven families decided to do something about it, to take things into their own hands, and to build a school that would continue what had been developed in the rural, country schools that their children had been attending. (The name refers to that, as well as to the country day school movement that had been developing in the US since the late 19th century, with a period of renewed growth in the 1960s and 70s.) They didn’t have any experience building a school, but they turned to those who did, including Dick Howard, then head of Upper Canada College. “You’ve got to get a feel for the community,” was Howard’s advice, “who’s in it and how they perceive education.” And, for the next two years, that’s exactly what they did, speaking with families, and building a conceptual outline for what the school could be.
When CDS opened its doors in 1972, it was, in every way, an expression of the community that created it. The school has grown since then—enrollment has grown from 49 in that first year to over 700 today—and the community it sits within has grown and changed, too. Nevertheless, the school remains very much an expression of the families that turn to it. The size of the school allows for a very rich, robust extra-curricular program, and students are gently required to experience all aspects of it. The physical plant of the school has been significantly augmented through a recent and very sizable capital campaign. The core program continues to be underwritten by the values that the founding families intended to express, namely a sense of belonging, empathy, inclusion, and respect. The ideal student is one able to thrive in a vibrant, diverse, student-centred environment.
Virtual Open House: September 26
What does learning at The Country Day School look like now?
Overall, our plan is focused on maximizing the opportunities (and the educational value) afforded by our: *large physical facility *extensive 100-acre grounds *dedicated and talented faculty and staff *existing outdoor education program, and *already low class sizes. These favourable existing characteristics combine to allow the following features of the CDS Return to School Plan: First and foremost, our reopening plan allows our students to attend school every day with all curricular subjects being covered. Students who require remote learning for medical reasons or parents who, for any reason, wish to opt for remote learning for their children will be accommodated, as synchronously as possible, and in an age-and-stage appropriate fashion. All classrooms will be configured to adhere to 2-metre physical distance guidelines and students will be educated in an age-appropriate manner to maintain physical distance as much as reasonably possible. Students will be grouped in cohorts whenever reasonably possible in order to minimize interaction with other classes and grades. Students and staff will receive instruction on respiratory etiquette and hand hygiene. In accordance with local public health and Ministry of Education directives, all students in grades JK-12 and all adults at The Country Day School will be required to wear masks while inside the building.
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Additional notes: The Country Day School operates eight daily bus routes to and from parts of York, Halton and Peel Regions, and as far north as Barrie. The 2020-2021 Bus Service routes have been adjusted and in some cases expanded to offer improved service and to reduce travel times wherever possible. If you are interested in using the CDS Bus Service, please take a moment to review a summary of our services and routes listed here: www.cds.on.ca/busing
Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of The Country Day School.
Gallery showcasing specific locations and facilities found at The Country Day School.
Please join us for a virtual Open House event where you will have the opportunity to hear from our Director of Admissions and Directors of Junior, Middle and Senior School, as well as student ambassadors and teachers, tour our school virtually, and learn more about what a CDS Education with Balance can offer your child. We hope to see you on Saturday, September 26th!
For all grades, we recommend applying for admission at your earliest opportunity. A majority of offers to entry grades are made during Early Decision.
*Junior Kindergarten is an entry grade but is not included in Early Decision.
Candidates for all other grades are strongly encouraged to apply during this period but will be subject to deadlines and decision timelines associated with Regular Decision.
Early Decision Timeline
Online Application Deadline November 16, 2020
Completed File Deadline November 23, 2020
(all supporting documents must be uploaded/submitted)
Decisions released January 11, 2021
Acceptance/Deposit Deadline January 25, 2021
Please join us for a virtual Open House event where you will have the opportunity to hear from our Director of Admissions and Directors of Junior, Middle and Senior School, as well as student ambassadors and teachers, tour our school virtually, and learn more about what a CDS Education with Balance can offer your child. We hope to see you on Saturday, January 16th!
| Focus |
|---|
| Academic |
DIBELS Testing: This school does not use DIBELS testing to assess reading progress.
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Evolution as consensus theory | |
| Evolution as one of many equally viable theories | |
| Evolution is not taught |
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Biology | |
| Chemistry | |
| Ecology | |
| Geology | |
| Meteorology | |
| Physics | |
| Physiology | |
| Zoology |
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Acting | |
| Dance | |
| Drama/Theatre | |
| Graphic Design | |
| Music | |
| Visual Arts |
| Subject | offered |
|---|---|
| Computer science | |
| Robotics | |
| Web design |
| Flexible pacing style | offered |
|---|---|
| Subject-streaming (tracking) | |
| Multi-age classrooms as standard | |
| Ability-grouping (in-class) as common | |
| Frequent use of cyber-learning (at-their-own-pace) | |
| Regular guided independent study opportunities | |
| Differentiated assessment |
Students remain in a regular classroom for the whole day, and periodically receive break-out support (individually or in small groups) within the classroom from a qualified special education teacher.
| Subject Type | offered |
|---|---|
| Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation | |
| Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties |
| Subject Type | offered |
|---|---|
| Accommodations | |
| Modifications | |
| Extra support |
Read our guide to special needs schools and special education
| Program | offered |
|---|---|
| Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school) | |
| Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class) |
Curriculum delivery: Enrichment (The main focus is on enrichment. This means that while students may work at a marginally quicker pace than public school peers, the primary aim is to study subject in broader and deeper ways.)
| Program | offered |
|---|---|
| Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement) | |
| Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement) | |
| Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others) | |
| Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement) | |
| Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement) | |
| Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement) |
Competitive sports: 14
Recreational sports: 3
The Country Day School offers 21 clubs and extracurricular programs.
| JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | |
| Day | $30,400 | |||||||||||||
| Grade range that need-based aid is offered: | |
| Percentage of grade-eligible students receiving financial aid | 0% |
| Average aid package size | $0 |
| Percentage of total enrolment on financial aid | 0% |
| Total aid available | $0 |
This school works with Apple Financial Inc. for processing financial applications
To apply for a bursary at The Country Day School, families are required to complete a Financial Aid for Canadian Students (FACS) application through Apple Financial Services, an independent third party.
Apple Financial will review the information and make a recommendation to the School. The School’s Financial Assistance Committee then reviews the recommendation and determines the amount of bursary.
Families must apply for a bursary on an annual basis in order to demonstrate continued financial need. In order for a bursary to be renewed, the student must contribute as an active and positive member of the school community.
Unfortunately, not all requests for assistance can be accommodated and recommendations by Apple Financial are not a guarantee of a bursary. A family must be prepared to invest in their child’s education to a significant level.
Additionally, CDS offers a merit-based entry scholarships for students in Grades 9 or 10: the Eberts Entrance Scholarship.
This $10,000 scholarship is awarded annually to an incoming Country Day School student in Grade 9 or 10 who best exemplifies the CDS commitment to education with balance. The award will be renewable each year provided the student maintains high academic achievement (honour role/80%+) and contributes as an active and positive member of the school community.
CDS awards all financial assistance, including entrance scholarships, at least partly on the basis of financial need.
In addition to engaging in the comprehensive admission process, candidates are required to submit:
By applying for the Eberts Entrance Scholarship, you are also eligible to be considered for the York Scholarship Bursary.
For more details, visit:www.cds.on.ca/page/Admission/Affording-CDS/Eberts-Entrance-Scholarship| Grades | Gender | Living Arrangement | Enrolment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | JK to Gr. 12 | Coed | Day | 770 |
| Total enrolment | 770 |
| Average class size | 17 |
| % of international students (total enrolment) | N/A |
| Number of different nationalities within student population | N/A |
| Assessment | Required | Grades |
|---|---|---|
| Interview | JK - 12 | |
| SSAT | 7 - 9 | |
| SSAT (out of province) | ||
| Entrance Exam(s) | 4 - 6 | |
| Entrance Essay |
Day students: November 16, 2020
Offer mid-year entry: No
Application fee: $125
Registration fee: $3,500
Deposit: N/A
Submit completed Application Package
This is the percentage of applicants typically accepted into the school. So if 50 students are admitted out of 100 applicants, the school has an overall acceptance rate of 50%.
Student Entry Points
This shows approximately how many openings there are likely to be in each grade in a typical year, as well as the estimated acceptance rate for each grade level.
| Student Type | JK | SK | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day Acceptance (Acceptance rate) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Average graduating class size | 85 |
| Students accepted into post-secondary studies upon graduation | 100% |
| Percentage of students who attend post-secondary institutions outside of Canada | 7% |
| Students who attended a Ivy+ school Number of students in the past 5 years that that attended one of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Stanford, University of Chicago, Oxford or Cambridge (UK) | 10 |
| Queen's University | 15% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wilfrid Laurier University | 13% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University of Toronto | 10% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| McMaster University | 6% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| University of Guelph | 5% | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Country Day School Graduates’ Post-Secondary Studies:
Aggregate of All Schools’ Post-Secondary Studies:
| Career planning | N/A |
| Internships | N/A |
| Mentorship Program | N/A |
| University counseling |
What Country Day School says:
| Alumnus | Grad Year | Accomplishment |
|---|---|---|
| Victor Mete | 2016 | Victor Mete is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). |
| Mike Cammalleri | 1999 | Mike Cammalleri is a professional ice hockey player currently playing in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils. |
| Elvis Stojko | 1991 | Elvis Stojko is a three-time World champion (1994, 1995, 1997), two-time Olympic silver medalist (1994, 1998), and seven-time Canadian champion (1994, 1996–2000, and 2002). |
| Adriana Leon | 2010 | Adriana Leon is a Canadian professional soccer player for the Chicago Red Stars in the National Women's Soccer League and member of the Canada women's national soccer team. |
| John Celenza | 2001 | President and Co-founder of Biosteel Sports |
Alumni Highlights
What do I love most about The Country Day School? That’s a good question. It is the overwhelming sense of community I discovered the first time I visited.
Community still remains at the core of all that we do here at CDS. In 1971 a group of committed parents first conceived of the idea to start a co-ed private school in King and worked tirelessly to open our doors to 49 students just a year later. CDS has since grown to 770 students with offerings in JK-12 and beautifully situated in the original 100-acre country setting.
This is a place where your children can come be themselves and feel encouraged and supported in everything they do. Our tagline – Education with Balance – speaks to our balanced offerings of a wide range of individualized academics, athletics, arts and extra-curriculars that will cultivate a passion in every student and help them achieve a healthy balance. I encourage you to experience some wonderful examples of this by watching our Portrait of a Graduate videos.
Are you just starting your search for an independent school? Or are you well on your way to making a decision?
Whatever stage you are at in this important process, I invite you to explore our website and social media presence, and then attend an Open House or request a personal visit. A virtual tour will give you some insights, but can’t possibly replace the connections made during a face-to-face visit, which will allow you to experience firsthand the feeling of community I talked about earlier.
Thank you for your interest, and I sincerely look forward to meeting you soon.
John Liggett,
Head of School
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