LAKE FOREST COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL/Woodlands Academy Of The Sacred Heart

Lake Forest Country Day School

WEBSITE: lfcds.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 400

GRADES: Age 2 to Grade 8

TUITION: $5,925-$37,710

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: John Melton, Head of School

ADMISSIONS: The LFCDS admission process seeks to identify families who value the spirit of partnership with their school and are drawn to a program that develops the whole child. For additional information, prospective families should contact the admission office at 847-615-6151.

CONTACT: Alex Sheridan, Director of Enrollment, Marketing & Financial Aid

EMAIL: admission@lfcds.org

ABOUT US: For over 130 years, LFCDS has offered a program that is rich in tradition and honors the progressive roots of the Country Day school movement. Students benefit from an experience that blends philosophies and pedagogical approaches, strikes a balance in academic and social-emotional development, and nurtures palpable feelings of belonging.

ACADEMICS: A blended approach to learning allows LFCDS to subscribe to best practice while offering a curriculum that meets each child where they are. Small by design, with classes between 12 to 15 students and 7:1 student-teacher ratio across the school, size enables LFCDS the ability to individualize and differentiate based on student interest and need.

CO-CURRICULAR ENRICHMENT/ARTS & ATHLETICS: The LFCDS program builds participation in the arts and athletics directly into the school day. Students participate in visual arts and music at every grade level, and drama is added for students in the Upper School (Grades 5-8). The athletic program is also a requirement for Upper School students, who are able to participate on three different teams during the course of the year. Teams meet at the end of the school day before dismissal, which not only gives students the opportunity to develop their skills and hone their sense of sportsmanship, but also to appreciate the value of participation and inclusion.

CULTURE AND COMMUNITY: There is a strong sense of connectedness that lives across the school’s 33-acre campus and 150,000 sq. foot building that binds the entire LFCDS community. Relationships among students, parents, and teachers live at the center of the LFCDS experience and carry on long after graduation.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: LFCDS has families from over 30 zip codes, commuting from as far south as Willowbrook and as far north as Lake Villa.

WOODLANDS ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART

WEBSITE: woodlandsacademy.org

NUMBER OF STUDENTS: 130

AGES: 14-18

TUITION: $31,900 tuition (day student)

DEAN/HEAD TEACHER: Susan Tyree Dempf, Ph.D.

RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: Catholic

ENTRANCE PROCEDURE: Prospective students and their families start the process by filling out an Admission Inquiry form on the school’s website. They can then schedule a personal tour and student visit day, allowing the prospective student to experience the spirit and energy Woodlands Academy students possess in the classroom. The next steps are to fill out an online application, apply for financial aid, and register for an entrance exam. All these steps can be completed by clicking on “Admission” at the top of school’s homepage, and then selecting “Visit and Apply.”

CONTACT: Greg Lobe

PHONE: 847-234-4300

OPEN HOUSE/TOURS: Woodlands Academy will be hosting an Open House on Sunday, Nov. 12, from noon to 2:00 p.m. Personal tours of the school are also available most days classes are in session. Contact admission@woodlandsacademy.org to schedule a visit.

CURRICULUM: Consistent with the Goals and Criteria for Sacred Heart education, Woodlands Academy’s Academic Program instills a deep respect for intellectual values, allowing students to engage in challenging experiences that inspire intellectual curiosity, a global mindset, and a life-long love of learning.

ENRICHMENT: The Woodlands Academy Center for Global Studies is a comprehensive academic and experiential program that provides EVERY student with a global education during her time at Woodlands. Students will have multiple opportunities to become culturally competent, globally minded citizens by exploring their world through group and individual exchange programs, group trips, and a locally based global-focused curriculum. Woodlands’ beautiful 41-acre Lake Forest campus is dotted with trees and green spaces, along with five newly constructed tennis courts and an enhanced athletic field. Extracurricular opportunities include a wide range of sports, two dozen student-run clubs—including competitive engineering and math clubs—multiple choirs, a theater program, and a full orchestra.

CULTURE & COMMUNITY: Woodlands Academy of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic, independent, college-preparatory, day and boarding high school designed to cultivate the gifts of each student and to allow intelligent, interested, and energetic young women to thrive. It is part of a network of 25 Sacred Heart schools in the U.S. and Canada and more than 155 schools worldwide. Woodlands is a place where young women can find a learning environment that is demanding, comfortable, joyful, and inspiring.

OUTSTANDING CHARACTERISTICS: Woodlands Academy has once again been named Illinois’ top all-girls high school in the 2023 report by Niche, an independent research company, which additionally ranks Woodlands #1 Best Catholic High School in Illinois and among the top 10 of all private high schools in the state. Woodlands was also recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a 2020 National Blue Ribbon School.