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Welcome to Country Day
Cincinnati Country Day School is a coeducational, college preparatory, private school in Indian Hill, Ohio serving students from 18 months through 18 years. Since 1926, we have been focused on providing innovative preparation to our students, so they are ready to achieve success in college and life.
Knowing the Whole Child
“World-class faculty and small class sizes allow for personalized attention that creates lifelong learners who are known and nurtured throughout their Country Day journey. The hallmark of a Country Day education has always been the journey of academic and personal self-discovery, where students find the best versions of themselves and flourish in ways they did not think possible.” Rob Zimmerman '98
Head of School
Nurturing the Possibilities
We do everything we can to ensure that we continue to attract, retain, and develop outstanding educators, prioritize learning and teaching innovation, and sustain a diverse and inclusive learning community.
Captain of the Rue Crew
Laura Rue has been captain of the “Rue Crew” (as she dubs her classroom of students each year) since 1996. After 27 years at Cincinnati Country Day School, Laura has decided to retire. Read More
Awarding Two Educators for Exemplary Teaching, Loyalty & Commitment
Amy Thonnerieux and Emily DiMatteo – the 2022-23 Pattison Award winners – embody the pillars of the award. Read More
“Unsung Hero” Wins Staff Award
This year, Jeff Spain `71, Country Day’s invaluable network administrator, was selected to receive the Cincinnati Country Day School Staff Award for the 2022-2023 school year. Read More
Teachers Travel Across the Globe for Summer Sabbaticals
Long-time teachers Elena Belfor-Sigalov and Brock Miller spent their summers on sabbatical. Let's hear from them about their travels and what they experienced. Read More
Orienting Ourselves with First-Year CCDS Teacher Sarah Wagoner
We asked Middle School teacher Sarah Wagoner a few questions about her first year teaching at Cincinnati Country Day. Read More
A Round of “Did You Know” Greg Miller
Greg Miller has just wrapped up his first year at Country Day (and first year teaching, period!) as the director of choirs. Read More
Building Relationships One Good Book at a Time
Lower School librarian Amy Thonnerieux has been instructing students, collecting books, and sharing her love of reading with Country Day students for 15 years now. Read More
Taking on New Challenges
Middle School science teacher Nate Johnston has been teaching at Country Day for 18 years, but he has a new role this year. Read More
Filling in the Blanks with Jen Faber
This year, we welcomed 24 new faculty and staff members to campus. We sat down with one of these new faculty members, Upper School history teacher Jen Faber, to get to know her a little better…fill-in-the-blank style. Read More.
A True Teacher from the Very Beginning
"I started teaching in 1995 at the age of six in the playroom of my basement, I've always wanted to be a teacher," said middle school teacher Emily DiMatteo. Read More
Positively the Best
Hired as a long-term substitute teacher over a decade ago, Jennifer Hoffman is in her second year of teaching kindergarten. With experience, she brings incredible perspective and positivity to the classroom. Read More
Beyond the Bucket Hat
Tom Powers wears a lot of hats on the Country Day campus. From calling track meets, to mowing the lawns to coaching middle school football and even becoming the self-proclaimed "Country Day Athletics Historian." Read More.
The Down-Low on Lo-Po
Lois Poe Rust is Country Day’s Jill-of-all-trades. In her 41 years as a member of the Country Day community, she's been a parent, a teacher, an event coordinator, and always the life of any Country Day gathering. Read More
Donating Leftover Food to Those in Need
This past school year, Country Day and SAGE Dining Services began teaming up with Last Mile Food Rescue to donate viable leftover food to help battle against food insecurity in the Cincinnati area. Read More
Engineering the Best Learning Experiences
Lauren Corrigan, Upper School math and computer science teacher (as well as assistant varsity cross country and track coach), just wrapped up her fourth year of teaching at Cincinnati Country Day School. Read More
Faculty Spotlight: Kathi Bagnoli, Director of Pre-Primary
Find out more about our hardworking director of pre-primary at Country Day. Read More
Inspiring Their Future
“I love that Country Day continues to help students discover who they are and how they can become forces for good as future generations of dreamers and doers.”Sarah Herrlinger '90
2021 Distinguished Alumna & Apple's senior director of global accessibility policy and initiatives
Strategic Priorities
Our students will learn real-world skills through hands-on, immersive learning that connects them to their community and their own learning.
We will become the school of choice for talented educators by innovating how teachers are recruited, retained, and rewarded.
We will leverage our campus as a source of connection to the outdoors and to our community.
Latest News
This December, the Country Day community celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Wrap-In, during which students bring a gift donation, and then older and younger students are paired to wrap the gifts to donate to local organizations who then distribute them to local children in need. This year, the gifts were donated to ProKids and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Cincinnati, with whom the school has partnered for 20 years.
Michael Barton `13 and Alexandra Pohl `19 (known professionally as “Xandra”) have both been named to the 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30. This prestigious list showcases and celebrates the achievements of talented industry leaders under the age of 30.
For the second consecutive year, Cincinnati Country Day School has been recognized by the Midwest Soccer Officials Association (MWSOA) for creating a positive and welcoming environment for soccer officials.
Uniquely positioned to further the mission of both Cincinnati Country Day School and Ruling Our eXperiences (ROX), Angela Barber-Joiner, the school’s director of belonging & wellbeing, was one of ten women of color across the country selected for the 2024 ROX Dr. Patty Diversity Fellowship.
Our students had incredible fun at the 2024 CCDS Chess Tournament in November. The weekend kicked off with a "simul" during which students simultaneously played chess master and multi-time Cincinnati City Chess Champion Russ Wilson `75 or Country Day parent and the assistant to the deputy tournament director Jez Vaughan. Saturday's tournament included 42 Country Day students from grades 1-12.
November kicks off college admissions season in earnest, with some high school seniors choosing to apply early to their favored university. In the spirit of the season, I thought I would offer a few key trends to watch out for in this ever-changing landscape.
Jamie Back, director of makerspace and innovative design, was selected to receive the Outstanding STEM Educator Career Achievement Award for 20-29 years of service at the Tri-State STEM+ Conference in October 2024.
Cincinnati Country Day School was awarded a “Platinum” title ranking in the 2024 AP School Honor Roll. This recognition reflects the school’s dedication to ensuring students have equitable access to AP courses and that they receive the continuous support needed on their path to college success.
Tthis year, we’re going to make sure we’re not just limiting screentime. We are going to maximize our students’ “greentime” every chance we get.
The National Merit Scholarship Program has named three Cincinnati Country Day School students as National Merit Semifinalists, six as Commended Students, and 10 who were honored in the National African American Recognition Program and National Hispanic Recognition Program.
On the Saturday morning of Homecoming Weekend, a record-breaking crowd gathered for the annual alumni breakfast in the school’s Dining Terrace to celebrate the 2024 recipients of the school’s major alumni awards. William H. Hopple III `71 received the Virtue in Action Award for his commitment to service, and Maya Amoils `08 (posthumously) and the Honorable Scott L. Kafker `77 received the Distinguished Alumni Award for their outstanding achievements.
We are proud to announce our first cohort of Cum Laude Society inductees for the 2024-25 school year. Congratulations to seniors Aayan Arif (Mason), Donovan Gray (Liberty Township), Louisa Joy (East Walnut Hills), Jordan Lowe (Montgomery), Vic Quintero (Blue Ash), Nik Shah (Indian Hill), and Addie Sweeney (Milford)
In today’s hyper-charged political atmosphere, schools may feel obligated or even pressured to issue statements on contentious issues in society. At Cincinnati Country Day School, we follow a different approach. Grounded in our mission, we commit to free expression and civil discourse as essential components of our educational environment.
For some, summer is a time to relax. For others, it’s a time to disconnect. And then for those like Kevin Pearson `25 and Jason Starodub `26, it’s a time to roll up your sleeves and try something new.
Cincinnati Country Day School is proud to announce the nine class scholars for the 2023-24 school year.
Tim Dunn graduated from Williams College in 1977 and later earned a master’s degree from Wesleyan University in Connecticut. He arrived at Country Day in 1986 from an east coast boarding school. He then went on to teach AP biology and chemistry while coaching baseball and football over the span of his 35-year Country Day career.
Neither Robert Kreidler `24 nor Madden Smith `24 plan on studying physics or engineering when they head to college in the fall, but both were named semifinalists (two of 15 high school students across the country!) in NASA’s Future Engineers: Power to Explore Challenge.
If you seek mastery, autonomy, and community, you will find success, meaning, and purpose – and yes, you will probably even discover your passions, be happy, and change the world. But keep in mind that these three concepts are pursuits, not destinations.
Recent Cincinnati Country Day School graduates Elizabeth and Megan Zimmerman `24 continue to add to their impressive collection of awards. United Soccer Coaches announced that Elizabeth has been named to the 2023-24 High School All-America Team. Megan Zimmerman `24, along with her sister Elizabeth, was named to the All-Region (Midwest) Team for the 2023-24 school year for her outstanding academic and athletic performance.
Melissa Teke `24 was named as one of the recipients of the 2024 Straight ‘A’ Scholarship award by the Anthony Muñoz Foundation.
The foundation seeks to recognize students who best represent their interpretation of what it means to be considered a Straight ‘A’ Student: high school students who are pursuing academic excellence and athletic achievement, are actively serving in the community while possessing strong ambition, have a winning attitude, and are able to overcome adversity.
Fast Facts
167
New students for the school year
21%
Class of 2022 recognized by National Merit or other national recognition programs
20
Countries represented in our student body
248
Parents, grandparents, and special guests attended the lower school Halloween parade
320
Marshmallows roasted during the freshman s'mores party
7,487
Views of the Instagram video regarding the girls soccer team winning state.
163
Middle School students participating in outdoor wellness classes
1,225
Service hours performed Upper School students on community service day