Seeking an academically-challenging school for their son, Greg, Dr. Baxter Geeting and his wife, Corinne, formulated the concept for Country Day around their kitchen table.

About that time, Dr. Geeting met Herbert Matthews, who was teaching math at a small school in Carmichael, and convinced him to join the discussion.

September 14, 1964, the school opened with 12 students in portable buildings at the Unitarian Church on Sierra Blvd.

Recent construction includes the Frank Science Center (2005), and the new Lower School building and renovation, completed in August 2008.

Over the decades, SCDS added many Advanced Placement, honors, and elective courses in addition to co-curricular programs such as Mock Trial and Solar Regatta; field trips such as Sutter's Fort, Marin Headlands, and Catalina Island; and over two dozen interscholastic athletic teams.