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Almaden Country Day SchoolLoving The Now. Ready For Next.

Pick-Up & Drop-Off Procedures

The principles that ACDS follows for the morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up system are:
    1.    The safety of the children
    2.    Cooperation with the faculty
    3.    Consideration of, and politeness toward, our residential neighbors

The way in which we adhere to these principles is to follow, without exception, the directions listed below. Please read the Instructions below for Arrival and Dismissal that are most relevant to your family.

Carpool Line Instruction Video

Students arriving between 7:15 - 7:40 AM

Kindergarten - Grade 8: Before-School Care

Before-school care is offered to students in Grades K - 8 from 7:15 - 7:50 a.m. Drop-off is between 7:15 - 7:40 a.m. Please park (front Trinidad lot in guest spaces or on neighborhood street) and check your student into before-school care located in the Speech and Music Center Room #76 using the Brightwheel app.

Students arriving between 7:45 - 8:00 a.m.

Pre-K and Kindergarten: PARK & WALK INSTRUCTIONS

  • Please park and walk your child to their classroom. 
  • If parking in the neighborhood, please do not double-park or block driveways, and use crosswalks only to cross the street. If entering or exiting campus on foot from the Akio side, please use the new entryway near the Edible Garden. There will be a teacher or administrator who will stop the carpool flow in order to help you and your child cross safely at the new entrance.
  • If parking in the front Trinidad lot, do not park in faculty parking spaces (they are marked) and please allow the crossing guard staff to walk you and your child across the parking lot. Please note that parking spots are first-come, first-served.

Grade 1 - 8: CARPOOL or PARK & WALK INSTRUCTIONS

As parking in the Trinidad lot is reserved for faculty and parents of Pre-K and K students, and street parking in the neighborhood is limited, we recommend utilizing carpool.

If you need to come into school (e.g. morning meeting or event), then please utilize the following park & walk instructions.

G1-8 Park & Walk Instructions

Grades 1-8: Carpool Instructions

How to enter the Carpool Lane:

  • Please place a name card on your passenger side visor, showing the FIRST & LAST name of the child and their GRADE
  • Please take Winterset, turn right onto Akio Way and access the carpool lane by making a RIGHT TURN ONLY off Akio Way into the campus to join the carpool line (see map below.) Left Turns off Akio are prohibited and U-Turns at Akio and Winterset are prohibited by the City. 
  • Please follow the directions of carpool staff. Stay along the curb and do have students exit the vehicle when instructed to do so and/or in designated areas. 
  • After entering the carpool line from Akio, please do not pass on the left by the Fisher Event Center. 

After entering the Carpool Lane:

Grades 1-5 students only

  • Please stay in the carpool line, past the Fisher Event Center (FEC) on the right, following the instructions of the carpool staff and pull all the way forward to the end of the FEC carpool sidewalk, hugging the right.
  • Please do not pass on the left by the FEC as middle school students will be exiting their cars from there.
  • Students should exit your car by the electronic sign board in the front Trinidad lot. Please have your children gather their belongings together before they exit from your car. Parents please do not exit your cars in the carpool lane. This keeps the carpool lane flowing smoothly.

Families with a mix of children in Grades 1-5 and 6-8

  • Please do not drop your middle school students next to the Fisher Event Center (FEC).
  • Instead, please stay in the carpool line, go past the FEC on the right, follow the instructions of the carpool staff, and pull forward into the front Trinidad lot, hugging the right.
  • You may unload your students by the electronic sign board in the Trinidad lot. Please have your children gather their belongings together before they exit from your car. Parents should not exit your cars in the carpool lane. This keeps the carpool lane flowing smoothly.

Grades 6-8 only

There are two safe spots to drop off your children:

  • Curbside @ the Fisher Event Center (FEC)
  • Curbside @ the front Trinidad Lot

There are carpool staff there to direct you when and where it is safe to exit the vehicle. Do not stop or exit your vehicle until instructed to do so. Please also do the following:

  • Pull Forward: For those of you dropping off middle schoolers in our MS carpool area, thank you for always pulling forward to the end of the FEC when you drop off your children. 
  • Even though it may seem a little silly to drive all the way down the sidewalk, if no one is right behind you in the morning, you’d be surprised how quickly the cars stack up. 
  • Also, our goal is to keep as many vehicles off the city streets as possible, and by pulling up you help with that. 
  • Have your children gather their belongings together before they exit from your car. Parents should not exit your cars in the carpool lane. This keeps the carpool lane flowing smoothly.

Grades 1-8: Park & Walk Instructions

As parking in the Trinidad lot is reserved for faculty and parents of Pre-K and K students, and street parking in the neighborhood is limited, we recommend utilizing carpool for all students in grades 1 through 8. If you need to come into school (e.g. morning meeting or event), then please utilize the following park & walk instructions below.

  • Trinidad Lot - The front Trinidad lot is for teachers and guests only. All parents and visitors must park in designated GUEST spots only. The other spaces are for teachers. If you cannot find a Guest space, please park on a neighborhood street.
    • Exception: During carpool the front Trinidad parking lot is only for Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten families in order to help them with drop off.
  • If parking on the neighborhood streets:
    • Do not block driveways: Please respect our neighbors and refrain from blocking (even slightly), or turning in their driveways.
    • Keep yellow curbside clear: Please keep the yellow curbside clear at all times for emergency vehicles. Do not leave your vehicle unattended along the yellow/red curb. 
    • No double-parking (even for a few seconds): Do not double park on Trinidad or Akio. It is exceedingly dangerous. 
    • Pedestrian entry is on Trinidad or Akio: If entering or exiting campus on foot from the Akio side, please use the new entryway near the Edible Garden. There will be a teacher or administrator who will stop the carpool flow in order to help you and your child cross safely at the new entrance. If taking Trinidad, please follow the sidewalk to Trinidad and proceed to the crosswalk to enter the school.
  • Please use the crosswalk to bring your child onto campus. Walk your child across the street and on to campus if you are not in the carpool lane. It is unsafe for any child to cross the street or parking lot alone. 
  • Please make sure your children stay on sidewalks, use crosswalks when possible, and do not cut through the grass, garden areas, or parking lots.

Dismissal

Pre-Kindergarten - Grade 8

  • Please pull forward all the way to the front Trinidad lot if you arrive early, even if you are only picking up a student in middle school.
  • Do not leave spaces between cars.
  • We will call your student to you at either the Fisher Event Center or the front Trinidad lot, if you pull forward to that area. 

Late Pick Up

Students remaining after 3:20 p.m. will be checked into MASH or Apple Orchard for extended care, with the applicable fee charged to parents. Please notify the office if, due to unforeseeable circumstances, you will arrive late for your child.

Carpool Map 2022