Clubs & Activities

The school day may end at 3 p.m. but our campus still hums with after-school activities!

Since its founding in 1982, Almaden Country Day School has understood and embraced the importance of experiential learning. Children learn and thrive when they are engaged in activities that are relevant, enjoyable, and meaningful to them. After school activities can play a crucial role in this type of learning.

Our campus is host to a variety of after-school activities that extend the interests and talents of our students in wholesome, exciting ways. The following after school activities are provided at different times during the year at ACDS.

ACDS Sports Teams

ACDS Team Sports are typically for students in grades 5-8 and provide an opportunity to play on ACDS sports teams. Team practices are after school until 4:30 pm and there will be a full season of games. Games are after school. Everyone makes the team and plays in the games. ACDS is a part of the Silicon Valley Athletic League (SVAL) which consists of similar private schools in the San Jose area.

There are five different sports played during the year:

Fall

Boys' Flag Football
Girls' Volleyball

Winter

Boys' Basketball
Girls' Basketball

Spring

Co-ed Track & Field

To register for team sports (by season), click here. Please contact Athletics Director Derek McIntyre for more information.

ACDS After School Sports Clinics

The Cougar Sports Clinics are six-week classes offered to ACDS boys and girls in grades 1-7. ACDS Athletics Director Derek McIntyre brings 30+ years of coaching experience from the youth to high school level and will teach students each sport in a fun and enjoyable environment. Each clinic is one day and week and runs from 3:15pm - 4:15pm. Clinics planned for this year are:

Soccer for grades 1-4
Basketball for grades 1-4 (Starts November 8; register here)
Futsal for grades 1-4
Ultimate Frisbee for grades 1-6
Volleyball for grades 3-7
Track & Field for grades 1-4

Please contact Athletics Director Derek McIntyre for more information.

ACDS Speech and Debate Team

The 2019-20 school year will include a middle school speech and debate team. Students interested in joining the squad must take the Competition Speech elective during the first trimester. For more information, please contact Coach Chris Wardner.

For more information on our speech and debate program, please visit this page. Do you have questions about competition Speech and Debate Team? We hope we answered them here.

ACDS Upper Choir

ACDS Upper Choir is a singing ensemble for students in grades 4-8. Students will work on more advanced vocal repertoire and techniques in this group, but beginners are always welcome! AUC performs for the school community and in the winter and spring concerts. Rehearsals are held on Thursdays after school from 3pm - 4:00pm in the music room starting January 30. For more information, please contact Shannon Self. The cost is $225.

REGISTER

ACDS Youth Choir

ACDS Youth Choir is a vocal ensemble for students in grades 1-3. If you love to sing, this is the place for you! AYC will perform in the winter and spring concerts as well as for the school community. Students will learn a variety of vocal repertoire and techniques, as well as build their confidence through onstage experience and optional solo performances. Rehearsals are held on Wednesdays after school from 3pm - 4pm in the music room starting January 29. For more information, please contact Shannon Self. The cost is $225.

REGISTER

Band (3 levels)

Students in grades 2-8: Do you want to learn to play an instrument, want to play music with others, and/or want to practice performing live? There are three levels of Band available with descriptions. All practices will be held in the auditorium.

1. Beginners: Anyone starting on their instrument or a student who played last year and felt they struggled and want to start over with the basics. Meets on Mondays 7:15 -7:50am with the exception of the first day which starts on Tuesday, October 1 with Band Camp.

2. Intermediate: 2nd and 3rd year players. Must be able to play up to #39 in the Essential Elements book. Meets on Tuesdays 7:15 -7:50am beginning October 8.

3. Advanced/PEP: Must be able to play ALL numbers up to #58 in the book at a fast pace. This group is for middle school students, but 5th graders who are interested can test into this group on the first day of their intermediate practice. Meets on Thursdays 7:15 -7:50am beginning October 10.

Throughout the year, students are allowed to test into the other groups as their skill level grows.
All band students are encouraged to practice a minimum of 60 minutes outside of class per week. 5-10 minutes a day or 20 minutes 3 days a week outside of class will help your student's skill level grow.

BAND CAMP FOR BEGINNERS
Tuesday, October 1
Thursday, October 3
Friday, October 4

Beginners will be the focus and we encourage Intermediate and Advanced students to come and help teach the beginners. [Please note: No Intermediate or Adv./PEP music will be played this week.]

All bands will perform songs together in the concert and will be able to support each other as a whole, but, ultimately this new band structure allows for students who fall into different skill levels to be with other students around their same level.

Students are able to choose to play the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, or percussion. No experience is necessary. An experienced Band Director will lead the band and students support each other in their musical development. At the end of the fall and spring, students showcase their talents in a series of formal performances for the ACDS community, as well as within the larger community. The fee for ACDS Band is $460. For more information, please contact Derek McIntyre.

REGISTER

Chess Club

Chinese Class

Starting this fall at ACDS, a fun, activity-based after-school class will be offered to K-2 children to foster their love in learning Chinese language and exploring Chinese culture. This class is taught by an ACDS parent certified and specialized in teaching Chinese to students of all levels. The after-school class will meet from 3:15-4:00pm every Tuesday and Thursday, starting September 10. Feel free to email for more information to ACDSchinese@gmail.com. $350 for a 10 week session.

REGISTER

Clay Club (Session 3 now open)

Clay Club Session 3 (3rd-8th grade)

First class: March 19
No class: April 16, Spring Break
Last class: April 30

The Clay Club will meet for 6 weeks on Thursdays, beginning March 19 from 3:15-4:15pm. The cost is $150. If you have ideas for clay projects - this is the club for you! Clay Club offers a unique opportunity to work on independent projects, and learn how to develop an idea into a finished artwork. Students will create functional pieces (bowls, mugs, platters), as well as sculptures. Finished works will be glazed and fired in the kiln. All skill levels welcome!

REGISTER

Dungeons & Dragons Club

For students in 5th grade and up
Meets January - May 2020, on alternating Wednesdays, from 3:15-5:15pm
Meeting Dates: 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, 3/11, 3/25, 4/8, 4/22, 5/6, 5/20

Dungeons and Dragons is a fantasy adventure role-playing game where players take on the role of adventurers who work together to explore ancient ruins for treasure and glory. D&D encourages improvisational acting, creativity, collaborative problem solving, and social interaction as well as helping to build basic math skills. More information can be found here: https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/51790/how-dungeons-dragons-primes-students-for-interdisciplinary-learning-including-stem

Groups of 4-5 are ideal and each group is lead by a "Dungeon Master." The number of DMs will depend on total registration. This club will meet bi-monthly, on alternating Wednesdays from 3:10-5:15pm starting January 15, 2020.

REGISTER

First Lego League Robotics (FLL)

FLL Robotics is an after school parent-led activity for students in grades 4-8 who are interested in computer programming, Lego robotics, and competing with a team. The FLL season is during the fall with a competition on a weekend in November. Teams, in general, meet twice a week after school to work on their robot and research project/presentation.

ACDS will provide space for practices and meetings. We also have NXT Lego sets for teams to borrow if needed.

Parents and students will need to form their own teams. We suggest four to five members to a team and at least two parents to coach and organize. Families need to register teams at the First Lego League website, cover registration, team competition kit and tournaments fees. Teams need to be registered by early September. Robot Games is a possibility and more information will be posted soon. Please go to the FLL website or contact Derek McIntyre for more information.

REGISTER

Girls on the Run (GOTR)

The two words that best describe Girls on the Run are "fun" and "run". Every aspect of the program is geared toward helping girls feel good about who they are physically, emotionally, and socially. We are excited to offer this great program to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders for the fifth year at Almaden Country Day School this spring!

Girls on the Run meet two days a week this spring from 3:15pm - 4:45pm for ten weeks beginning the week of March 9. Girls will train on campus for a 5K run/walk event held on Saturday, May 16, 2020 in Vasona Lake Park, Los Gatos.

Registration will be online only and is open the first week of December. Space is limited to 30 girls and girls will be registered on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more information about GOTR, please visit their website or contact Derek McIntyre.

Girl Scouts

The Girl Scouts have been an after school presence at ACDS for many years. This year there will be a cadette troop for 6th grade girls. All girls are welcome to participate even if they have not in the past. The Cadette troop leaders are Mrs. Jennifer Fusilero and Mrs. Jennifer Willis and the troop will meet twice a month on Fridays after school. The troop will also participate in community service projects and events throughout the year. There will be parent information meeting soon after the start of school so keep an eye out for more details.

If anyone is interested in starting a Girl Scout Daisy troop (grades K-1), Girl Scouts Brownie Troop (grades 2-3), or Girl Scout Junior Troop (grade 4 and 5), Jennifer Fusilero will help you get information to get started. It’s easier than you think! For more information, please contact Jennifer Fusilero or attend our Almaden Girl Scouts Ice Cream Social for more information.

Girls Who Code (GWC)

Girls Who Code is designed to nurture and support an interest in engineering and computer science that often exists in middle school, but too often fades in high school. By focusing on real-life problems and on-screen role models, Girls Who Code aims to help ensure that this interest will continue to grow in high school and beyond.

Our own chapter of Girls Who Code is open to girls in grades 5-8 and no experience is necessary. You just have to have an interest in coding with other girls. Girls Who Code will meet Mondays from 3:30-5:00pm beginning September 16 in the Imaginarium. For more information, contact Anupama Natarajan.

To learn more about this national club, visit their website.

REGISTER

Sew Crafty! (Session 2 open!)

Wednesdays | starting January 15 through March 25 | 3:00 - 4:15 p.m.

Sew, you like to sew? Join Sew Crafty! with Ms. Tamboury in the Imaginarium! In this class, students are not limited to just thread and a needle. Students will learn the basics of sewing by hand as well as craft some functional pieces such as pillows, altered t-shirts or creative pieces such as holiday ornaments, hand made beads, or pocket pets! Students with sewing machine experience may start or finish some projects on machines. Although this class has the use of three sewing machines, it is not a sewing machine class.

Cost for the 10 sessions is $200. For students in grades 3 - 8. Meets in the Imaginarium.

REGISTER

In addition to these before- and after-school activities and clubs, Almaden Country Day School offers complimentary before-school care and fee-based after-school extended care options:

Apple Tree: 3pm - 6pm for Preschool, Junior Kindergarten, and Kindergarten
Apple Orchard: 3pm - 6pm for Grades 1-4
MASH: 3pm - 6pm for Grades 5-8

A number of after-school offerings, such as music classes, foreign language enrichment, Brownies, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts, Girls on the Run, Girls Who Code, and tutorials in various subjects, depend on demand. Please contact the Student Life Office for more information about this year’s after-school activity schedule.