Country Day School - Guanacaste, Costa Rica

We warmly invite you to consider Country Day School-Guanacaste. The Guanacaste branch school was opened in August 2000 by the owners and administrators of Country Day School in Escazu, a widely respected private school, founded in 1963, and currently enrolling 850 students from over 40 countries. These schools are non-sectarian university-preparatory day schools with coeducational and international student bodies. All instruction is conducted in English, with the exception of Spanish language classes. The programs encompass all levels from pre-kindergarten through elementary, middle, and high school. The school year extends from mid-August to mid-June. In establishing our new Guanacaste location, considerable effort has been devoted to assuring Country Day School's traditions of high academic standards and attention to the individual needs of students.

Country Day School-Guanacaste is uniquely situated in Brasilito on the beautiful north Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The surrounding ecosystems provide abundant opportunities for exciting hands-on learning. Because of the agreeable climate and the exceptionally rich plant and animal life, Country Day School sought highly qualified educators known for taking learning beyond the confines of the classroom. A common belief shared by their teachers is that the best learning occurs when students have the opportunity to apply knowledge and observe its usefulness in the world around them. Although Country Day School-Guanacaste devotes considerable time to fieldwork and experiential learning, in all offerings, the school is committed to rigorous academic standards.

• Visit to an operating ranch to study natural water systems.
• Fishing trip and marine life observation.
• Leatherback turtle study and environmental protection work.
• River trip and field study of the headwaters of Rio Tempesque.
• Canas Wildlife Refuge to work with injured birds and animals.
• Estuary study of local water quality in Tamarindo.
• Geology instruction at Rincon de la Vieja volcano.
• Tamarindo National Park excursion- staff biologists teach about Costa Rica's national park system.
• Community service initiative- establishment of a local recycling program and classifying and graphing waste quantities.
• Herb farm excursion- study of Native American peoples.
• Santa Rosa National Park-Costa Rican history/ecology.