Clubs & Activities

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

Registration for the fall season are being accepted now, and practices commence August 31. Please contact Athletics Director Derek McIntyre for more information.

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
• 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.

Students in grades 3-8: 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 starting 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 September 25.

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 September 27.

• 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
Monday, October 1 
Tuesday, October 2
Thursday, 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.

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The 2018-19 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.

ACDS Upper Choir is a singing ensemble for students in grades 5-8. 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 - 4:30pm in the music room starting September 17. For more information, please contact Shannon Self. The cost is $225. 

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ACDS Youth Choir is a vocal ensemble for students in grades K-4th grade. 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 September 17. For more information, please contact Shannon Self. The cost is $225. 

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ACDS hosts a chess club run by Success Chess on Fridays after school in Room 10. The club involves students learning and playing chess at one of three different levels. Students in grades 1-8 can participate. Get more information and register via the Success Chess website.

The Clay Club is for students in grades 3-8 and will meet for 10 weeks on Wednesdays, beginning September 19 from 3:15-4:15pm in the art studio. 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! Cost for the 10 weeks is $250. 15 student capacity.

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Drama Club is for students in grades 3-5. Students create their own plays, learning to work together to make magic on stage. Meetings are held after school, from 3:00 - 4:00pm in the auditorium.

The Entractes (4th Grade)
Mondays, 3 - 4 pm. 10 Meetings from 9/10 - 12/10. Our final meeting will culminate in a 30 minute performance for friends and family.

Building upon the skills they've learned thus far, our Entractes will continue to sculpt their skills in improvisation, character work, and sketch writing. The ACDS Drama Club creates a safe, supportive environment for those curious about the theater to act, direct, narrate, write dialogue – all in the company of their friends and classmates. The auditorium is their playground, and, each week, the students will be presented with a theme and the tools to create short plays to present to their peers.

The Overtures (3rd Grade)
Wednesdays, 3 - 4 pm. 10 Meetings from 9/12 - 12/12. Our final meeting will culminate in a 30 minute performance for friends and family.

Welcome to the Club! In 3rd Grade, our Overtures will learn the basics of improvisation and sketch writing. The ACDS Drama Club creates a safe, supportive environment for those curious about the theater to act, direct, narrate, write dialogue – all in the company of their friends and classmates. The auditorium is their playground, and, each week, the students will be presented with a theme and the tools to create short plays to present to their peers.

The Finales (5th Grade)
Thursdays, 3 - 4 pm. 10 Meetings from 9/13 - 12/13. Our final meeting will culminate in a 30 minute performance for friends and family.

One final year to let the wild rumpus start! In 5th Grade, our Finales will bring their years of experience to the stage. The ACDS Drama Club creates a safe, supportive environment for those curious about the theater to act, direct, narrate, write dialogue – all in the company of their friends and classmates. The auditorium is their playground, and, each week, the students will be presented with a theme and the tools to create short plays to present to their peers.

Cost is $200 per student. For more information, please contact drama teacher Mr. Ian Leonard.

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The Dungeons & Dragons Club, for grades 5-8, fosters social skills, cooperation, imagination and math, yes, math (it is a dice game after all). Dungeons and Dragons has a long history of use in schools as a creative outlet for kids. D&D is in the midst of a resurgence, partly thanks to being featured in Stranger Things and the many streaming games on Twitch and YouTube. D&D is a creative hobby where role-playing and cooperation take center stage. Players learn to work together, to work as a team and to accomplish objectives. D&D can be a life-long hobby. The D&D Club is open to boys and girls and will be on the third Friday of each month from 3:30pm-5:30pm. Dice and rules will be provided.

Game sessions will last 2-3 hours and the club will meet the third Friday of each month.

Want to learn more about Dungeons and Dragons? Check out this article.

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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. Please go to the FLL website or contact Derek McIntyre for more information.

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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 - 4:15pm for ten weeks beginning the week of March 6. Girls will train on campus for a 5K run/walk event held on Saturday, May 18, 2019 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 Mrs. Amber White.

The Girl Scouts have been an after school presence at ACDS for many years. This year there will be a junior troop for 5th 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), Girl Scout Junior Troop (grades 4-5) , or a Girl Scouts Cadette Troop (grades 4-5), Mrs. Fusilero is more than willing to help you get started. It's easier than you think! For more information, please contact Mrs. Jennifer Fusilero.

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 17 in the Imaginarium. For more information, contact Anupama Natarajan.

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

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The school will offer after school math clubs for students in grades 4-5 on Thursdays and grades 6-8 on Wednesdays in Ms. Catie Robb's 5th grade classroom. These clubs will start the first week in October. Our goal is for students to see the beauty of rich, engaging mathematics. We will play games, solve puzzles, and explore options. The group might paint a picture or play a sport… always connecting it back to math! If your child is interested in joining such a club, please contact Catie Robb. Also contact her if you are interested in helping out with either club.

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