The Almaden Country Day School Way

The mission of Almaden Country Day School is to discover the gifts in every child. The purpose of the Parent Handbook is to explain “The Almaden Country Day School Way,” or how we fulfill that mission for your child and for every student at ACDS, in partnership with our families.

You will learn what the governing values of the school are and how we apply those values in our educational program. You will learn about the resources that we draw upon. Finally, you will understand our expectations of you as a member of the Almaden Country Day School community and how your efforts will help the school and your child succeed.

This resource guide is organized into three sections.

Governing Values

The Governing Values sections set forth each of the values that govern Almaden Country Day School. What we value as a school, as teachers, as students and as parents will in large part determine how we approach the educational process. Our values will determine how we treat each other. They will determine the choices we make. They will determine the efforts we extend. Because our values ultimately dictate our attitude and our actions, it is vital that we value those things that will allow us to discover the gifts in every child.

Guidelines and Applications

The Guidelines and Applications sections explain how Almaden Country Day School acts on its values. These guidelines and applications are intended to demonstrate a few of the ways in which the values of Almaden Country Day School are applied. It is not a complete list of do’s and don’ts. The strength of these values and of the school, however, lies not in how well we outwardly follow these guidelines, but on how well we internalize the values they reflect. At Almaden Country Day School we believe the greatest growth occurs when we teach and model true principles and allow students, teachers and parents to govern themselves accordingly.

Resources

The Resources sections identify the administrative, financial, academic and physical resources available at Almaden Country Day School.