Welcome
- An intentional education
  
  This is our mission: Aspen Country Day School, through its commitment to rigorous academics, creative arts, and outdoor education, ignites curiosity, confidence, and critical thinking. In an inspiring mountain setting, our nurturing community encourages students to strive for individual excellence and instills in them a lifelong love of learning, sense of purpose, and responsible citizenship.
Admission
- An intentional choice
  
  Aspen Country Day School brings the ethos of mountain life into an education that rivals what you’ll find at the top schools in big cities. Whether you are considering a move to the Roaring Fork Valley or have already made a home here, we’d love to meet you, welcome you to our beautiful campus, and show you what makes Aspen Country Day School outstanding.
Academics + Arts + Outdoors
- The power of three
  
  Academics. Arts. Outdoors. Each of our programs is strong on its own, but the true value of an Aspen Country Day School education lies in the synergy of the three. The families that founded our school in 1969 drew inspiration from the Aspen Idea — the philosophy that true balance comes from cultivating mind, body, and spirit in a place of natural beauty and inspiration.
People of Country Day
- An intentional community
  
  The strength of any school comes from its people: the teachers, leaders, parents, and alumni who are committed to a shared purpose. Meet the adults who challenge and nurture Aspen Country Day School children to build confidence, resilience, and joy in learning.
School experience
- A sense of place
  
  At Aspen Country Day School, children grow up immersed in a remarkable landscape that feeds the growing soul. Year after year, they become steadily more prepared for the next steps in their journey. Soon they are ready and eager for lives of meaning and purpose.

Stories from the Journey

The strength of our school community is built on the continued commitment of faculty, students, and families to support each other as they learn and grow. Here are stories of the people, places, and experiences that make up the Aspen Country Day School journey.

Nicole Gogolak

August 18, 2025

Nicole Nagel-Gogolak returns to ACDS, where she previously taught art for all grade levels in the 1990s. Originally from Flushing, Michigan, she holds an MFA in fiber from Cranbrook Academy

Mark Sumera

August 5, 2021

A Middle School faculty member since 1999, Mark has taught more than two decades of Aspen Country Day School students the beauty of the quadratic equation. He also enchants Lower

Debi Bender

August 2, 2021

Debi is originally from Wilmington, Delaware, where she taught art in public schools for a decade and was named Teacher of the Year in 2009. She is the former arts

Wes Lanich, Middle School Teacher at Aspen Country Day School, raises his hand in an outdoor class with students.

Wes Lanich

January 15, 2021

Wes moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 2019 and worked with the Aspen Music Festival & School supporting their audio and streaming projects. Prior to that he taught music

Kimberly Bakker

January 13, 2021

Ms. Kim started at Aspen Country Day School in 2003. She grew up in Holland, Michigan, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music, Art and Literature from Hope College.