An American School Serving the International Community

The COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL, founded in 1963, is a private, English-language, non-sectarian school providing a structured and challenging education in grades PK-12. The purposes and standards of the school are comparable to selective U.S. independent and college-preparatory schools.

Classes are small, ranging in size from 8 to 20 students. An experienced faculty drawn from the United States, Costa Rica, and several other countries is guided by a teaching philosophy that challenges and supports students to be independent learners and thoughtful citizens.

Country Day is accredited by the Middle States Association of Collegues and Schools (CSSMSA) and the Costa Rican Ministry of Education. It offers the American High School Diploma and a wide range of Advanced Placement (A.P.) Courses. It also prepares students for the Costa Rican Bachillerato Examinations.

The school campus provides excellent facilities and resources which, besides well-equipped classrooms, include two libraries, a multimedia center, elementary and secondary multimedia centers, a spacious gymnasium, the cafeteria-auditorium (cafetorium), science labs, sports fields, and swimming pool.

The school is located in the Central Valley, in the town of Escazú, about 7 km. from the center of San José.

The school offers a wide range of co-curricular programs and opportunities which include, at elementary level, arts and crafts, theater, scouts, ballet, nature club, volleyball, baseball, soccer, student government, and computer club.

At middle and high school levels these expand to include elective courses and activities in ninth period and a wide array of after-school programs covering intramural and varsity sports, student council, international club, drama, orchestra, choir, photography, newspaper, and yearbook. The school has an excellent string program, a Senior Honor Society Chapter, and an extensive community service program. Students participate widely in such annual programs as the School Picnic and the 1K-5K Fun Run.

Bus service is available to all students living in the metropolitan San José area. Every effort is made to design bus routes convenient to most families but the school does not provide door-to-door service. In some cases, students may have to be driven to designated bus stops. The only door-to-door service is available for mid-day (half day) preschool children. A late bus service (4:40 p.m.) with express routes is available at no additional charge for students who participate in after-school activites. Fees for the bus service are established on an annual basis and are billed monthly.

General school supplies, consumable workbooks, and textbooks are included in school fees. Most textbooks are loaned to students at no additional charge. Paper, pens, and pencils are given to students periodically. Art, computer, and science materials are provided by the school. There are no lab, computer, or locker fees. No additional charges are levied for Advanced Placement courses, honors courses, or for band and violin classes, except for instrument rentals.

Students are required to purchase the official P.E. and CDS school uniform. Additional charges may be levied for consumables used in courses like advanced art, for example. Students must pay for the cost of special examinations which are administered by the school, such as Advanced Placement and Pre-SAT tests.