Mission and Values

School Motto

Fax mentis et cordis incendium gloriae.
The spark that kindles the mind and heart illuminates a lifetime.

Mission Statement

The mission of Lancaster Country Day School is to encourage each student's growth within a challenging and supportive academic environment that inspires enthusiasm for learning, the joy of accomplishment, and commitment to community. LCDS fosters the individual's thinking skills, physical and emotional well-being, and creative expression with an emphasis on personal integrity, mutual respect, and social responsibility.


Deeply committed to the intellectual, creative, physical, and emotional growth of its students, Lancaster Country Day School seeks to provide a rigorous, college preparatory academic program within a supportive environment, resulting in a community of globally-conscious, lifelong learners. Challenging students to look at the world in new ways, LCDS has high academic and behavioral expectations of its students while providing extensive support to achieve those standards. Through close relationships among students and adults, the School encourages personal growth and trust, thereby fostering confident, articulate, and thoughtful individuals who can successfully interpret a complex and rapidly changing world. As a coeducational, independent school "under one roof" for students from preschool through twelfth grade, LCDS encourages close interaction among people of diverse backgrounds, striving to reflect the world as it truly exists. Respect for self, concern for others, commitment to community, and stewardship of the environment are hallmarks of a Lancaster Country Day School education. In addition to setting high expectations for academic excellence, the School urges both students and adults to seek balance in fulfilling their many obligations while maintaining a strong commitment to their own physical and emotional health.

-January 10, 2011, The Board of Trustees