Academics

Upper School

Curiosity, intellectual passion, and personal responsibility are traits that Upper School faculty foster in students on a daily basis. 
In a warm, caring environment, teachers guide students to develop the habits of mind and skills necessary to fully participate in our challenging, exciting curriculum as well as to become active members of the school and larger community. By honing skills in reading, writing, public speaking, and problem-solving, our students become active, effective participants in the vibrant exchange of ideas at LCDS and beyond.

Their engagement in lively discourse and debate helps students develop confidence and leadership skills as they broaden and deepen their understanding of the world around them. At the same time, we are careful to maintain a supportive environment - a place sensitive to the unique needs of teenagers, where they can feel safe taking on new challenges.


A variety of wide-ranging curricular and extracurricular opportunities, combined with close mentoring and small class size, enable students and teachers to thoroughly enjoy their work together in pursuit of educational achievement. Along with personalized college guidance, our students enjoy smooth passage from successful high school careers to the colleges and universities best suited to their individual goals and aspirations.


Program Specialties

  • Advanced Placement courses in 11 subjects
  • Independent Study for advanced work beyond curriculum
  • Languages: Spanish, Latin and Chinese
  • Outstanding college preparation, particularly in reading, writing, testing and discussion skills
  • International Model United Nations course for juniors and seniors that allows students to participate in an international conference each year in either The Hague or Qatar.

Upper School Staff

List of 6 members.

  • Photo of Jenny Kroncke Gabriel

    Jenny Kroncke Gabriel 

    Head of Upper School | US History Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Lindsay Deibler-Wallace

    Lindsay Deibler-Wallace 

    Assistant Head of Upper School | Science Department Chair | US Science Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Elizabeth Heim

    Elizabeth Heim 

    US Dean of Students | US Language Faculty
    Bio
  • Photo of Rita Foster

    Rita Foster 

    US School Counselor
    Bio
  • Photo of Rachel Schmalhofer

    Rachel Schmalhofer 

    Director of Learning Services | Learning Specialist
    Bio
  • Photo of Eileen Blumenauer

    Eileen Blumenauer 

    US Administrative Assistant
    Bio

List of 4 items.

  • $4.2 M

    Financial Aid awarded in 2020-2021
  • 100%

    SENIORS ACCEPTED TO FOUR-YEAR COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES
  • 11

    Average US Class Size
  • 1261

    2020 LCDS SAT Scores
    compared to 1078 PA average
Lancaster Country Day School is a preschool-12th grade, coed college preparatory school with students from Lancaster, Hershey, York and Reading.