The Habit of Helping

Country Day’s motto, "The Habit of Helping," reflects the commitment of the faculty, staff, and parents to instill in our children the values of integrity, respect for others, and responsibility to their community. Lower, Middle, and High School students complete projects ranging from participation in the area-wide Coats for Kids and fielding Sacramento's top fund-raising team for the annual "Run to Feed the Hungry," to visits to seniors at Sunrise Assisted Living of Sacramento and collection of goods for the River City Food Bank and the Children’s Receiving Home. High School advisories and the student council consistently engage in local and international fund-raisers and charity groups, and each High School student must complete fifty hours of community service as part of his or her graduation requirement.

Breakthrough Sacramento

Many Middle School and High School students volunteer for Breakthrough Sacramento, a year-round, tuition-free, college preparatory program for academically motivated, ethnically diverse students from under-resourced schools in the Sacramento area. It is also an innovative teacher-training program for talented high-school and college students.

Helping Hands: The SCDS-Rulindo Partnership

Since 2006, Country Day’s Helping Hands program has partnered with the Rulindo School in Rwanda. Helping Hands holds regular fund-raisers for the Rulindo School, with donations going toward school facilities repair, student scholarships, teacher salaries, uniform purchases, the school lunch program, a clean water tap, and much more. In 2008, High School students formed the Helping Hands Club to further support the program. In May of 2009, one student organized a play-a-thon fundraiser that raised over $4000 for the Rulindo School. Students also exchange letters in English and French, and in 2008, Country Day was honored by the visit of Rulindo head Fr. Bernardin Banituze.

Leadership Luncheon Series

Throughout the school year, High School students regularly participate in Leadership Luncheons. Each luncheon allows a High School student to make a presentation to his or her fellow students about something important to him or her. Past presentation topics have included Lao history and culture, a trip to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, basketball camp in the Dominican Republic, a visit to a Kenyan school for AIDS orphans, and summer theater programs. These luncheons allow students to practice their public-speaking skills and provide a great opportunity for them to share their experiences of community service projects, exciting trips, their home cultures, and more.