ACDS at a Glance

San Jose Private Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, Elementary & Middle School

School Profile

359 enrollment – Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade

Average teacher/student ratio:

• Pre-Kindergarten – 1:9
• Kindergarten – 1:15
• 1st through 8th – 1:20

We offer your child the benefit of small class sizes in every grade:

• Our Pre-Kindergarten each have between 10-18 students, and the teachers are both licensed Early Childhood Education Specialists. They share an aide.
• Elementary class sizes range from the low teens to the low 20s; middle school class sizes range from 10 students in electives to 24 students in homeroom.

Other notable facts include:

• Families come to ACDS from a variety of areas throughout Silicon Valley, with the majority residing in Almaden Valley, Blossom Valley, Willow Glen, Los Gatos, Campbell, and Evergreen
• Parents enjoy volunteering in an array of school activities and events, with nearly 100% of families participating each year
• All 5th – 8th grade students mentor a “Little Buddy” in Pre-Kindergarten through 2nd grade
• Approximately 20% of students receive tuition assistance

Faculty Profile

• 45 full-time and six part-time teachers
• Average teaching experience: 10 years
• 60% of faculty members hold graduate degrees
• Stable faculty: teacher attrition averages under 10% annually
• Subject-area specialists teach STEM science, technology, art, foreign language, physical education, music, library science, and drama
• 100% of faculty donate to the Annual Giving Campaign

Technology

• ACDS provides every student in grades 6 - 8 with MacBook Air laptops, which extend learning across the curriculum; iPad carts and classroom centers are provided to all classrooms across the grade levels
• Early childhood education specialists incorporate iPads into group learning center activities
• Elementary teachers incorporate iPads and laptops into group learning center activities
• All students in grades 1 - 8 engage in project-based learning in "The Imaginarium," our maker space, which is also open for student use before and after school and at lunch
• Interactive electronic whiteboards are included in nine Elementary, Middle School, and science classrooms; all faculty use MacBook Air laptops and digital projectors

Featured Instructional Programs

• Every student in grades 1 - 5 has a speaking and singing role in a class musical theater production every year; as a result, ACDS students become comfortable with public presentations at an early age
• Elementary students receive foreign language instruction with weekly French classes. Middle School students who wish to pursue a foreign language can choose Spanish, French, or Mandarin
• All elementary students attend music classes, and all students participate in physical education; these enrichment courses are taught by specialist teachers
• ACDS features hands-on, inquiry-based elementary science program starting in Kindergarten including an organic garden classroom, engineering design, coding, and robotics
• Students in all grades attend supervised field trips and day-long excursions; children in grades 4-8 participate in overnight excursions including camp-outs, Science Camp, a gold mining camp simulation, Catalina Environmental Leadership Camp, and a guided visit to historic sites on the East Coast, led by ACDS faculty members
• Middle School students choose from more than 30 electives each trimester, including speech, debate, makers classes, community service, social justice, advanced drama, studio art, graphic design, philosophy, music, and more

Before- and After-School Care, Sports Camps & Clinics

• ACDS provides complimentary before-school care from 7am to 7:55am, and after-care from 3pm - 6pm for children in all grade levels, with separate programs grouped according to student grades. Students can also participate in sports clinics, held after school, which teach them the fundamentals of a chosen sport. Sports day camps are also available during most school holidays.

Accreditation

Almaden Country Day School is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS).

Memberships

• National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
• California Association of Independent Schools (CAIS)
• Bay Area Directors of Admissions (BADA)
• International Dyslexia Association (IDA)