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. ACS 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
• Flag Football for grades 1-4
• Volleyball for grades 3-7
• Track & Field for grades 1-4

Please contact Athletics Director Derek McIntyre for more information.

ACDS Band is offered to students in grades 3-8 at 7:2-am - 7:50am Wednesdays and Fridays starting September 27. Students 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 will showcase their hard work in a series of formal performances for the ACDS community, as well as within the larger community.

The fee for ACDS band is $425 for the year. If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Lorraine McAndrew. To register, please click here.

PEP Band, led by music teacher Miss Corinne Leary, meets on Tuesday mornings from 7:20am-7:50am for students in middle school to continue their musical experience and to support school events. Practices begin September 26. 5th grade students will be invited to join in February. The fee for PEP Band is $275. Please contact Miss Corinne Leary if you have any questions. To register, please click here.

The 2017-18 school year will include a middle school speech and debate team. Burnett Middle School will serve as a host for a sSpring middle school tournament. Students interested in joining the squad must take the Competition Speech elective during the third trimester to prepare for the contest. For more information, please contact Coach Chris Wardner.

For more information on our speech and debate program, please visit this page.

ACDS Upper Choir, formerly called ZOOM!, 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 Wednesdays after school from 3pm - 4:30pm in the music room. For more information, please contact music teacher Miss Corinne Leary. The cost is $225. To register, please click here.

ACDS Youth Choir, previously called Starmites, 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 Thursdays after school from 3pm - 4pm in the music room. For more information, please contact music teacher Miss Corinne Leary. The cost is $225. To register, please click here.

ACDS hosts a chess club run by Success Chess on Fridays after school. 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.

Drama Club is for students in grades 3-5. Students create their own plays and learn to work together to make magic on stage. Meetings are held after school from 3pm - 4:30pm. Please contact drama teacher Mr. Ian Leonard for questions. To register, please click here.

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. Please go to the FLL website or contact Derek McIntyre.

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 19, 2018 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.

The Girl Scouts have been an after school presence at ACDS for many years. This year there will be a cadette troop for middle school girls. All girls are welcome to participate even if they have not in the past. The Cadette troop leader is Mrs. Patrice Beard 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 (grades 4-5), Mrs. Beard is more than willing to help you get started. It's easier than you think! For more information, please contact Mrs. Patrice Beard.

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 ie necessary, you just have to have an interest in coding with other girls. We meet every Monday that school is in session in the Imaginarium makerspace from 3pm - 5pm beginning on September 18. To sign up click here. To volunteer to help, please contact Director of Technology Mrs. Gay.

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

We offer math clubs for students in grades 4-6. We will use material from the California Math League, as well as playing games and engaging in activities that involve number strategy and math facility. If your child is interested in joining this club or if you are interested in helping out, please contact Student Life Coordinator, Activities, Mr. Derek McIntyre. If you'd like to join, please click here.