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Every teacher will nourish an excellent relationship with your child, helping them to participate fully and be motivated by their interests and goals. This leads to happiness in and beyond the classroom, personal fulfillment, and outstanding academic results.
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  • EARLY CHILDHOOD
  • ELEMENTARY
  • MIDDLE SCHOOL
  • HIGH SCHOOL

EARLY CHILDHOOD

In Early Childhood, our young learners build their self-esteem, gain acceptance from peers, and explore new skills in our caring and loving environment.
Nationalities
18
Student-teacher ratio
8:1
Languages Taught
English, Spanish
Ages
2–5

elementary school

In Elementary, students develop their abilities academically, physically, socially, and creatively, as they build the skills and attitudes of life-long learners.
Nationalities
28
Student-teacher ratio
22:1
Languages Taught
English, Spanish
Ages
6–10

middle school

Our middle schoolers explore their interests beyond the classroom for their personal fulfillment alongside their academic enrichment.
Nationalities
27
Student-teacher ratio
22:1
Languages Taught
English, Spanish
Ages
11–13

high school

Our high schoolers explore a broad range of subjects from a variety of perspectives and engage in activities that further their interests or talents.
Nationalities
30
Student-teacher ratio
22:1
Languages Taught
English, Spanish, and Mandarin (an elective)
Ages
14–18
primary
  • EARLY CHILDHOOD
  • ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
  • Middle School
  • HIGH SCHOOL

A TYPICAL DAY AT CDS

Our Early Childhood days are filled with play, discovery, and socializing as we explore new ideas and information and connect with ourselves and each other.
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MORNING WARM-UPS
An energetic staff member greets us as we enter the classroom, begin morning activities with friends, or play outside together as others arrive.
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GETTING READY
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ROUND-UP
In our group morning meeting, we come together as a community by learning about each other, playing games, and setting ourselves up for the activities and lessons ahead.
COMING TOGETHER
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LUNCHTIME CONVERSATION
At our circular tables, we come together to eat our lunches and have meaningful conversations with peers and staff about our questions. We listen to different stories and chat about we did so far today.
TALKING AND LISTENING
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YOGA AND MOVEMENT
We pause in our busy day and connect with our bodies by dancing to rhythmic music. Then, we finish with calming yoga stretches that help us become centered for more activities and discovery.
CONNECTING WITH OUR BODIES
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LITERACY
Through a regular visit to the library, we develop a love for books, learn how to do research, and explore different literary genres that intrigue us.
READING SKILLS
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AFTER-SCHOOL FUN
The fun and learning don’t stop after school! We can participate in a range of activities to explore new interests and socialize with peers across classrooms. Jazz, mini vets, and cooking are popular offerings.
EXPLORING NEW INTERESTS

A TYPICAL DAY AT CDS

Our Elementary School days are filled with discovery and fascinating activities around what we learn, as we explore new information and connect with our peers and interests.
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PLAYGROUND ADVENTURES
As we receive warm greetings from staff and our Elementary School counselor, we excitedly catch up with friends and play on the playground together before classes start. This is an important time to get warmed up, as we check in with each other socially and emotionally.
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PLAYING AND TALKING WITH FRIENDS
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ROUND-UP
In a group meeting, we come together as a community by learning about each other, playing some fun warm-up games, and getting set up for the activities and lessons ahead.
COMING TOGETHER
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LUNCHTIME ACTIVITIES
We use recess and lunch time to connect with friends, refuel, and explore our interests in a free-form way. For example, after we eat, we may visit the makerspace and participate in the MIT Lego challenge or practice our instrument in the band room.
CONNECTING WITH FRIENDS AND INTERESTS
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SWIMMING STROKES
At CDS, we jump right in! We use different strokes and explore techniques of water polo in the pool to get better at our teamwork, alongside our swim instructor and PE teacher.
SOLO AND TEAMWORK
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APPLYING WHAT WE LEARNED
When we learn about the physical properties of force and motion in science, we put these principles into action by creating our own colorful carnival games that allow us to be creative.
CONNECTING WITH THE WORLD
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AFTER-SCHOOL FUN
The fun and learning don’t stop after school! We can participate in a range of activities to explore new interests and socialize with peers across classrooms. Parkour, cooking, and robotics are some of the most popular offerings.
EXPLORING NEW INTERESTS

A TYPICAL DAY AT CDS

Our Middle School days are challenging and stimulating, as we increase our independence, follow our interests, and sharpen our talents in collaboration with peers from around the world.
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READY TO SHINE
Middle school is a time of greater independence as we switch between classes and shine in our talents! We begin with high energy at 8:00 am sharp, participating in high-quality lessons and activities across different subjects that align to the US’ Common Core State Standards.
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STARTING THE DAY
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ACTING IT OUT!
In our performing arts course, we explore acting techniques that help us understand the characters of the play we’ve been reading. We’re proud to follow a special curriculum developed in collaboration with the world-renowned Juilliard School in New York City, helping us learn from the best.
CONNECTING WITH CHARACTERS
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LUNCHTIME MEETINGS
In middle school, we pursue our interests and collaborate with peers who share them. During lunchtime catch-ups, our 19 different clubs meet to discuss their activities. They explore civic leadership, environmental advocacy, student culture, and technology integration, among other things.
COLLABORATING WITH PEERS
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EXPLORE YOUR INTERESTS
Through elective classes, we can explore different topics and subjects that we want to expand upon or deepen. We can explore STEAM subjects, Architectural Design, Music Productions, and Personal Finance, for example!
ENRICHING OUR LEARNING
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STEAM POWERED!
Through science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), we’re challenged to solve complex problems and think beyond what we know. Through challenges designed by MIT, the world-renowned university, we unlock important problems posed by MIT professors.
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
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GLOBAL GAMES
At the Global Games, we perform at our best in sports against other Nord Anglia international schools in the Americas, hosted in Florida. Over 1,800 international peers compete in a variety of games — and we recently hosted the Junior Global Games for 6th graders at CDS.
PERFORMING AT OUR BEST

A TYPICAL DAY AT CDS

Our High School days stimulate us to go beyond what we know. As we prepare for the future, we pursue our passions and sharpen our talents so we can make a difference in the world.
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READY TO SHINE
We get ready for the day ahead as we listen to morning announcements from the Student Council, focused on building culture at our school. We check in with our teachers and peers before lessons.
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STARTING THE DAY
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EXCELLING IN ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP) COURSES
We challenge ourselves by picking from CDS’ 20 AP courses, getting ready for college-level studies by pursuing the classes that interest us. Nearly everyone takes at least one AP course before graduating, as we push ourselves above and beyond a standard course load.
GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND
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LUNCHTIME MEETINGS
In high school, we deepen our interests, collaborate with peers who share them, and take the lead to make a difference around us. During lunchtime, 19 different clubs meet. They explore civic leadership, environmental advocacy, student culture, and technology integration, among other interests.
LEADING WITH PEERS
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PRODUCING A PLAY
Our high school Drama Production team prepares an original dramatic work. We work together to write, direct, and produce a play to be showcased for our community at the end of the school year, in May.
WRITING, DIRECTING, AND PRODUCING
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STEAM CHALLENGES
Through science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM), we’re challenged to solve complex problems and think beyond what we know. During challenges designed by the world-renowned university MIT, we unlock important problems posed by MIT professors.
THINKING LOGICALLY AND CREATIVELY
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GET ACTIVE
After school, our sports teams practice through drills and work through strategies and techniques, as they prepare to compete throughout Central America in AASCA tournaments across basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, track, and tennis.
COMPETING AND PERFORMING

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current time in San José
08:03 AM
Monday–Friday: 7.30am–4.30pm
Current weather
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Our address
San Rafael de Alajuela,                        Hacienda Espinal,                                        Km 17.5 of the Route 27 (San José – Caldera),                                                        Costa Rica