ACDS at a Glance

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

School Profile

355 enrollment – Preschool through 8th grade

Average teacher/student ratio:

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

Our Preschool and Junior Kindergarten each have 10-15 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 Preschool 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 makerspace, 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 (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 or French
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 ages. 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).