The regions Country Day School offers busing from are:
Additional notes: The Country Day School operates eight daily bus routes to and from parts of York and Peel Regions, and as far north as Barrie. The 2023-2024 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
How we see The Country Day School
The 50-page review of The Country Day School is part of our series of in-depth accounts of Canada's leading private schools. It provides a unique and objective perspective on the school's academics, programs, culture, and community.
Read our in-depth reviewCompare with:
How The Country Day School sees itself
"The Country Day School is a JK-12 co-ed independent school situated on 100 acres north of Toronto in King Township. Since 1972, our dynamic and friendly community has been nurturing student talent and fulfilling promise. Emphasizing education with balance, CDS provides diverse opportunities in academics, athletics and the arts. This is a place of possibilities where students unearth their passions, both in and outside of the classroom walls, while feeling supported, known and inspired. Learn more at www.cds.on.ca."
"At CDS, we help students realize their brightest future, and equip them with the knowledge, abilities and perspectives they need to navigate their journey with empathy, fortitude and confidence.
We do this by offering an education with balance that includes outstanding academics & arts programs, excellent extra-curricular clubs and leadership opportunities (including a world-recognized Debating program), and expansive athletic offerings, all supported by our highly dedicated teachers."
"Prospective parents either hear about CDS’s warm and friendly teachers via word of mouth or get a sense of its caring community firsthand hand while touring and find themselves imagining their students here.
As well, they consistently comment on how impressed they are by our confident and kind student ambassadors when visiting our school and want their children to be part of it. We actively work at creating an environment where kids can feel comfortable and happy in their learning and it shows."
"There are probably lots of answers to this question, but the main one is how deeply rooted the sense of community is at CDS, starting with how well the teachers get to know each student. The expression Support, Know and Inspire is taken very seriously by every faculty member. Likewise, the more effort our students (and parents) make to become involved, the more rewarding their CDS journey will be. Amazing lunches in our Dining Hall, incredible facilities and a 100-acre campus also top the list!"
"While we consistently offer balance in a nurturing and supportive academic setting, we are also a university preparatory school with rigorous academic offerings that can challenge students on that playing field as well. There is an academic strength here that can challenge the mightiest of learners with a broad range of curriculum offerings and teachers who will help them soar."
"*CDS turned 50 in 2022 - old enough to be estabished, yet young enough to still be bold.
*Co-ed - where all genders and denominations are welcome, only criteria for admission is fit (academic ability, good character, English ready).
*JK-12 - we can be a child's second home for their entire academic pre-post-secondary journey.
*Outdoor Ed - 100 acres of undeveloped natural space for children to explore and learn.
*Retention of Staff - our teachers and staff love working here and happily stay."
How people from the school’s community see The Country Day School
Top-down influence on the school’s direction and tone
John Liggett, Head of School
B.A., B.Ed., MBA
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 47 students just a year later. CDS has since grown to 810 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. Once you step onto our campus for a face-to-face visit, you will witness firsthand the feeling of community I talked about earlier.
Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to meeting you soon.
John Liggett,
Head of School
Most big schools provide your extroverted child with plenty of social opportunities and the ability to interact with different peer groups with a wide range of personalities, interests, values, etc. A larger student population and more extracurriculars—including activities like team sports, arts programs, and debate—will give them a broader scope of opportunities to participate in events that scratch their interpersonal itch. “This may also give them the opportunity to hone certain skills,” say Ann and Karen Wolff of Wolff Educational Services. “For instance, they might run for student council to develop leadership and public speaking skills and learn to be a voice for other students.”
Make sure any prospective school, no matter what size, provides the right social environment to help your child feel at home, make friends, and develop confidence. This is especially important at big schools, which are sometimes more socially overwhelming and challenging for an introvert to find their bearings in. Of course, “Because larger schools usually have a more diverse student population, introverted kids are more likely to find a small group of people like them, a peer group they can relate to and find acceptance from,” says Dona Matthews, Toronto-based education consultant and co-author (with Joanne Foster) of Beyond Intelligence.
Bigger schools often have a broader scope of extracurricular activities, which is another way to help your child meet the right group of friends. “This may also give them the opportunity to develop certain skills,” say Ann and Karen Wolff of Wolff Educational Services. “For instance, they might run for student council to develop leadership and public speaking skills and learn to be a voice for other students. Remember, though, each child is different—so what works for one may not work for another.”
THE OUR KIDS REPORT: The Country Day School
Next steps to continue your research:
Continue researching The Country Day School with OurKids.net, or visit school website.