How we Started

In 1996, founding director Brad Mentzel, with support from educators Mary Crowlie and Bev Landers, developed the charter that established Chico Country Day School. Their vision was ambitious: a school where students would learn through hands-on, thematic instruction enriched by the arts, technology, fieldwork, and strong partnerships with families.

CCDS opened its doors with just 60 students: one building, three classrooms serving students in combined classes of K/1, 2/3 and 4/5. In that first year we offered an after school program, and we even had an art teacher. In our second year we grew to 100 students and  5 classrooms, including a combined 6/7th grade class. In the years that followed, CCDS continued to grow, adding portables and expanding into neighboring buildings to accommodate more students. Some of Chico’s favorite local businesses—including Spiteri’s Deli and The Music Connection—were once home to CCDS classrooms. 

Today, CCDS serves approximately 600 students in Transitional Kindergarten through 8th grade. Though our campus has grown and education has evolved, the roots of our school remain the same: hands-on learning, curiosity, creativity, meaningful work, and a community where every student is known and valued.

Rooted in Community

From its earliest days, CCDS recognized that a strong school is built on strong relationships. Many of the traditions that began during our first year weren't created simply to mark the calendar; they were designed to bring people together.

What started as 60 students gathered around a piano became All School Sing, a cherished tradition that continues to unite our community through music. The Buddy Program was created to foster friendships and mentorship across grade levels. Thirty years later it remains a student favorite. And our tradition of frequent fieldwork began in year one with the belief that learning should extend beyond the walls of the classroom and into the world around us. Along the way, families have remained essential partners through volunteering, classroom support, school events, and countless hours of service.

For 30 years, these traditions have connected generations of students, families, and educators. They remind us that learning is most meaningful when it happens in a community where every student is known, every family is valued, and every person belongs.

Looking Ahead

While we're proud of the past 30 years, our greatest work is still ahead of us. As we look to the future, we remain committed to the vision that inspired our founders: creating a school where students are challenged academically, inspired creatively, and supported by a caring community.Through project-based learning, meaningful relationships, and real-world experiences, we'll continue preparing students to become curious learners, compassionate leaders, and engaged citizens.

Throughout this anniversary year, we'll be celebrating the people and moments that have shaped CCDS through special events, alumni stories, historical highlights, and opportunities for our community to reconnect. To the founders who dreamed boldly, the educators who brought that vision to life, the families who have partnered with us, and the thousands of students who have walked our halls—thank you for being part of our story.

Here's to 30 years of doing work that matters, and to the many chapters still to come!