La Jolla Country Day School (known informally as "Country Day" or "LJCDS") is an independent school in University City, a community of

San Diego San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the List of United States cities by population, eigh ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The school contains a lower school (consisting of nursery through fourth grade), a middle school (grades 5–8), and an upper school (grades 9–12). The school's motto is "Scientia Pacifica" (peace through knowledge). La Jolla Country Day School was voted the best private school in San Diego in 2007 by the

San Diego Union-Tribune ''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...

History

In 1926, Louise Balmer moved to California from Illinois with her four children after the death of her husband, and earned her teaching certificate. Establishing the Balmer School, she used a one-room cottage on Coast Boulevard as a makeshift schoolhouse for four students and three teachers. Balmer, an alumna of

Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr College ( ; Welsh: ) is a women's liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one of the Seven Sister colleges, a group of elite, historically women's colleges in the United St ...

, was an expert on the

Winnetka Plan The Winnetka Plan was an educational experiment held in the Winnetka, Illinois-based Winnetka School District 36.T. Corcoran, "The Winnetka School Plan," ''The Irish Monthly, Vol. 55'', No. 644, pp. 63-67 (Feb., 1927), published by Irish Jesuit Pr ...

, a learning model that advocated for innovative pedagogies in the classroom, expanding education to include creative activities and an emphasis on the socioemotional development of each child. By 1942, the Balmer School expanded, eventually holding classes in kindergarten through fifth grade in Wisteria Cottage, which had been redesigned by famed architect

Irving Gill Irving John Gill (April 26, 1870 – October 7, 1936), was an American architect. He did most of his work in Southern California, especially in San Diego and Los Angeles. He is considered a pioneer of the modern movement in architecture. Twelve ...

and is now the home of the

La Jolla Historical Society The La Jolla Historical Society is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the La Jolla community within San Diego, California that is committed to the discovery, collection and preservation of La Jolla’s heritage through collections, progr ...

on Prospect Street. In 1955, the school received its charter to teach middle and upper school classes, and in 1961 moved to its current location. The first class of high school seniors graduated in 1964. A new chapter of La Jolla Country Day School began in 1957 when it welcomed new headmaster Don Leavenworth, who brought with him new school traditions. The young

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

alumnus established the school’s official colors as white and blue (inspired by his alma mater), added a French language program, offered optional uniforms, and started a

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

sweater day on Fridays. Over the course of the school’s history, many notable public figures have visited the school, such as Theodor Geisel, better known as

Dr. Seuss Theodor Seuss Geisel (;"Seuss"
'' Jonas Salk Jonas Edward Salk (; born Jonas Salk; October 28, 1914June 23, 1995) was an American virologist and medical researcher who developed one of the first successful polio vaccines. He was born in New York City and attended the City College of New Y ...

, developer of the

polio vaccine Polio vaccines are vaccines used to prevent poliomyelitis (polio). Two types are used: an inactivated poliovirus given by injection (IPV) and a weakened poliovirus given by mouth (OPV). The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends all chil ...

, addressed the first graduating class as commencement speaker and revisited the campus 20 years later to dedicate the student-built observatory. Actor

Debbie Reynolds Mary Frances "Debbie" Reynolds (April 1, 1932 – December 28, 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman. Her career spanned almost 70 years. She was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Most Promising Newcomer for her portra ...

filmed her television special ''Debbie Reynolds and the Sound of Children'' on campus in 1969. The film featured nearly all 500 of the school’s students, along with her own children,

Carrie Carrie may refer to: People * Carrie (name), a female given name and occasionally a surname Places in the United States * Carrie, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Carrie, Virginia, an unincorporated community * Carrie Glacier, Olympic Nati ...

and

Todd Fisher Todd Emmanuel Fisher (born February 24, 1958) Abstract; full article requires subscription. is an American director, cinematographer, producer and actor of television films and documentaries. Fisher is the son of singer Eddie Fisher and actress ...

Accreditation

La Jolla Country Day School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS) and the

Western Association of Schools and Colleges The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) was an organization providing School accreditation, accreditation of public and private universities, colleges, secondary school, secondary and elementary schools in California and Hawaii, ...

(WASC). In addition, the school is a member of the

National Association of Independent Schools The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) is a U.S.-based membership organization for private, nonprofit, K-12 schools. Founded in 1962, NAIS represents independent schools and associations in the United States, including day, boar ...

(NAIS) and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Academics

La Jolla Country Day offers more than 25 Honors courses and 29 Advanced Placement courses in the Upper School. 92% of LJCDS AP students received scores of 3 or higher. In 2019–2020, a total of $5.1 million of financial assistance was given out to students and their families.

Reputation and Rankings

The Class of 2020 had over 581 college acceptances.

Campus

The campus spans 24 acres and now contains a theater, a

library A library is a collection of materials, books or media that are accessible for use and not just for display purposes. A library provides physical (hard copies) or digital access (soft copies) materials, and may be a physical location or a vir ...

, an outdoor

amphitheater An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

, a double

gym A gymnasium, also known as a gym, is an indoor location for athletics. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasium". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learning spaces in educational ins ...

nasium, a football field, soccer field, baseball field, 6

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

courts, a maker's lab, art studios, and computer and science labs.

Student life

Extracurricular Activities

La Jolla Country Day students produce publications including the annual school yearbook, the school newspaper The Palette, and a literary magazine Pegasus. LJCDS also publishes an alumni publication, 1926.

Athletics

La Jolla Country Day School won its first athletic championship in 1966. Since then, Torrey athletes have won a total of 193 championships: 115 League Championships, 57 CIF Championships, 14 Southern Regional Championships, and 7 California State Championships. Currently in 2020-2021, 69 of its graduates are competing at colleges and universities around the nation with 10 alumns at Ivy League universities and 8 alums in "Power-5" conferences. Students participate at a rate that is among California’s highest; 80 percent of the Upper School and 98 percent of the Middle School students participated in at least one athletic team in 2019–20 with 140 Upper School students playing two sports and 26 earning triathlete recognition. The school has 55 varsity, junior-varsity (JV) and club sports teams, including football, cheerleading, basketball, field hockey, rock climbing, lacrosse, tennis, cross country, track & field, soccer, baseball, softball, volleyball, swimming, surf, sailing, dance, and yoga. Athletics are divided into fall, winter, and spring sports, with some programs holding practices during all three seasons.

Visual & Performing Arts

There are over 50 performances and art exhibitions each school year such as the upper school drama performances, musicals, dance programs, marching band, orchestra, glee club, and choir. The Upper School offers 17 introductory courses in the arts and 15 AP, advanced, honors and student-run classes. The Middle and Lower Schools offer 9 after-school art programs in addition to in-school teachings. In 2020, there are 10 Artist-in-Residence Day and year-long immersive experiences.

Notable alumni

Tucker Carlson Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson (born May 16, 1969) is an American television host, conservative political commentator and writer who has hosted the nightly political talk show ''Tucker Carlson Tonight'' on Fox News since 2016. Carlson began h ...

(attended 1976),

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization i ...

political commentator, author *

Matthew Zirkle Matthew A. Zirkle was a Rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two ...

1981, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy and Chief of Staff for U.S. Naval Forces Europe/Africa and U.S. SIXTH Fleet *

Jandy Nelson Jandy Nelson (born 1965) is an American author of young adult fiction. Prior to her career as an author, Nelson worked for 13 years as a literary agent at Manus & Associates Literary Agency. She holds a BA from Cornell University as well as seve ...

1983, author of

young adult fiction Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...

including ''

The Sky Is Everywhere ''The Sky Is Everywhere'' is a 2010 young adult fiction, young adult novel by Jandy Nelson as her debut novel. It tells the story of an American high school girl, Lennie Walker, struggling to cope with the sudden death of her older sister. Lenni ...

'' and ''

I'll Give You the Sun ''I'll Give You the Sun'' is a young adult novel by author Jandy Nelson. Published in September 2014, it is Nelson's second novel. Nelson won several awards for this novel, including the 2015 Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature ...

'' *

Emma Caulfield Emma Caulfield Ford (born April 8, 1973) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as former demon Anya Jenkins on the supernatural drama television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1998–2003), which earned her a no ...

1991, actress, best known for her role as

Anya Jenkins Anyanka Christina Emmanuella "Anya" Jenkins (born as Aud) is a fictional character created by Joss Whedon for the television series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer''. She also appears in the comic book series based on the television show. Portrayed by ...

on the TV series ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

'' *

David Chan David Chan is an American violinist, conductor, and a concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He is one of the most sought-after violinists of his generation. He is a prizewinner at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, the Inter ...

1991, violinist,

concertmaster The concertmaster (from the German ''Konzertmeister''), first chair (U.S.) or leader (U.K.) is the principal first violin player in an orchestra (or clarinet in a concert band). After the conductor, the concertmaster is the second-most signifi ...

of the

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is operat ...

* Victor Cheng 1991, former McKinsey & Company management consultant *

Kate Dillon Levin Kate Dillon Levin (born March 2, 1974 in Washington D.C.) is an American Model (person), model and activist. She appeared in multiple editorials in fashion magazines, appeared in cosmetics, plus-size, and designer campaigns. She also worked with ...

1992, the first

plus-size model A plus-size model is an individual size 12 and above who is engaged primarily in Model (person), modeling plus-size clothing. Plus-size clothing worn by plus-size models is typically catering for and marketed to either Big & Tall or Tall or Overw ...

to appear in U.S.

Vogue Vogue may refer to: Business * ''Vogue'' (magazine), a US fashion magazine ** British ''Vogue'', a British fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Arabia'', an Arab fashion magazine ** ''Vogue Australia'', an Australian fashion magazine ** ''Vogue China'', ...

and a

Gucci Gucci (, ; ) is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house based in Florence, Italy. Its product lines include handbags, ready-to-wear, footwear, accessories, and home decoration; and it licenses its name and branding to Coty, Inc. for fragrance ...

campaign *

Jared Polis Jared Schutz Polis (; born May 12, 1975) is an American politician, entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist, serving as the 43rd governor of Colorado since January 2019. He served one term on the Colorado State Board of Education from 200 ...

1993,

Governor of Colorado The governor of Colorado is the head of government of the U.S. state of Colorado. The governor is the head of the executive branch of Colorado's state government and is charged with enforcing state laws. The governor has the power to either app ...

Rashaan Salaam Rashaan Iman Salaam (October 8, 1974 – December 5, 2016) was an American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons during the 1990s. Salaam played college football ...

1992, running back in the

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...

, winner of the 1994

Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

* Cassie Mogilner Holmes, 1998, professor of psychology at

UCLA Anderson School of Management The John E. Anderson Graduate School of Management, also known as the UCLA Anderson School of Management, is the graduate business school at the University of California, Los Angeles, one of eleven professional schools. The school offers MBA (ful ...

Alexandra Stevenson Alexandra Winfield Stevenson (born December 15, 1980) is an American former professional tennis player. Early life and education Stevenson's mother is Samantha Stevenson, a sports journalist. Her father is former National Basketball Associati ...

1999, professional

player; former top-20 player in singles * Diego Rovira 2000, former

indoor soccer Indoor soccer or arena soccer (known internationally as indoor football, fast football, or showball) is five-a-side version of minifootball, derived from association football and adapted to be played in walled hardcourt indoor arena. Indoor socc ...

player for the

San Diego Sockers San Diego Sockers may refer to: *San Diego Sockers (1978–1996), a soccer team in the North American Soccer League *San Diego Sockers (2001–2004), a soccer team in the World Indoor Soccer League and second Major Indoor Soccer League *San Diego S ...

Candice Wiggins Candice Dana Wiggins (born February 14, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player. Wiggins played college basketball at Stanford University, where she graduated as the all-time leading scorer in Stanford and Pac-10 women's basket ...

2004, former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player; winner of the 2011 WNBA Championship *

Chrystina Sayers Girlicious was an American girl group originally formed by Robin Antin, creator of the Pussycat Dolls, from The CW reality TV show '' Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious''. The group was originally signed to Geffen Records and composed of member ...

2005, singer, member of the

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of who ...

Girlicious Girlicious was an American girl group originally formed by Robin Antin, creator of the Pussycat Dolls, from The CW reality TV show ''Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious''. The group was originally signed to Geffen Records and composed of members ...

* Miles McMillan 2007, painter and model,

Daily Front Row The ''Daily Front Row'' is a fashion industry publication, commonly known as ''The Daily''. Brandusa Niro is the editor-in-chief. In 2011, Niro bought a controlling interest in the magazine, which was formerly owned by IMG. Niro founded ''The D ...

's 2016 Model of the Year *

Kelsey Plum Kelsey Christine Plum (born August 24, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She won a WNBA championship in 2022, when she earned her first All-WNBA Fir ...

2013, current guard for the

Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conferenc ...

; all-time career scoring leader in

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

women's basketball *

Tommy Edman Thomas Hyunsu Edman (born May 9, 1995) is an American professional baseball second baseman and shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (Major League Baseball, MLB). Born in Pontiac, Michigan, and raised in San Diego, Edman ...

2013, current professional baseball player for the

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* Charlie Brown 2017, American historian and scholar. (Not to be confused with the

Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...

character,

Charlie Brown Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the comic strip ''Peanuts'', syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world. Depicted as a "lovable loser," Charlie Brown is one of the great American ar ...

References

External links

La Jolla Country Day School
Official website
C-SPAN ''Q&A'' interview featuring LJCDS American government and history teacher Sarah Bakhiet, July 3, 2005
{{authority control Schools in San Diego La Jolla, San Diego Private elementary schools in California Private middle schools in California Private high schools in California High schools in San Diego 1926 establishments in California