The Country Day School does not offer an ESL program. In order for students to be successful at CDS, they must be able to demonstrate fluency in both written and spoken English. CDS is not a boarding school and prospective students ideally will have lived in Canada for one or two years. Applicants whose first language is not English may be required to complete a written test (SSAT/TOEFL) to gauge their proficiency.
Our community is diverse and the logistics of translating our documents into the many first languages of our families is not feasible or desirable for our school. Throughout our Admissions process we emphasize the need that new parents who are learning English have someone who can translate documents for them or that they integrate Google Translate or other helpful Apps to assist them in translating what we send home. We strongly feel this is the best option as their children immerse themselves in the English language as CDS students.
Please note that testing is one part of the process. Standardized test results are not always an accurate reflection of a student’s achievement or potential. However, testing offers a benchmark to compare candidates, and for a discussion with families about their student’s potential for success at CDS.