Welcome to The Country Day School, a wonderful place for young children and their families. Over 40 years ago Dorothy B. McCormick established the school as a loving, nurturing, and educational environment for young children. Located on four beautiful acres in McLean, Virginia, the school serves families in Fairfax County and other parts of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Country Day School has an outstanding staff of early childhood educators and specialists. Their primary mission is to deliver quality early childhood programs that are developmentally appropriate, sensitive to children’s individual needs, and based on current research on learning and teaching. We offer part day programs to two-year-old children through four-year-olds and a full-day kindergarten program. We also offer a summer camp program.

We invite you to learn more about our program by browsing through our website. Please contact us if you have any questions or would like a tour of our campus.

Pat Kinney, Ph.D

In 1964, Dorothy B. McCormick founded Country Day School. Originally the school was housed in her McLean home and was called the Country Play School. In 1972, she moved the school to its current location and changed the name to "The Country Day School."

The main building, which dates back to the 1850s, was recently named after Mrs. McCormick.  The McCormick building and the nearly 4 acres surrounding it are in the Virginia Historic Registry.

Today the hilltop property is held in trust, ensuring that there will always be a beautiful school for young children in McLean.

The CDS grounds are another part of what makes this school a unique and enriching environment for young children. The two buildings and nine playgrounds offer a secure and enjoyable environment for the children. The McCormick building is the home to six classrooms, a science room, an art studio, and several porches that are used as outdoor classrooms during nice weather. The Cottage houses five additional classrooms (some with adjoining porches), a multi- room, and a library.

The playgrounds are named for their trees or other significant natural features. The National Wildlife Federation has labeled our grounds as a “Certified School Yard Habitat.”

Each play area provides different physical challenges for young children. The movement program is held outdoors on the various playgrounds whenever possible. The fitness trail is integrated throughout all of the playgrounds.

The outdoor areas are also used to help enhance our science curriculum. The children can learn about different animal habitats and birds. They also grow their own vegetables and plants in the school garden. The nature trail is a place to observe the life cycles of various plants and the ecological changes to the forest.

During the CDS summer camp children have the opportunity to learn how to swim in the heated pool.