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Philosophy & Mission

Mission Statement

The mission of Almaden Country Day School is to discover the gifts in every child. We provide a safe and affirming environment for learning, empowering children to strive, explore and build a sense of personal value. Our teachers create a rich academic foundation that corresponds with the developmental stages of childhood. We offer a wide variety of opportunities for children to extend their intellectual, social, and personal potential.

Our students become delightful people — confident, kind, concerned, and ready to make significant contributions to our world.

Students jumping in Fisher Event Center

 

Statement of Purpose

We value childhood. We recognize that each child has unique capabilities and learning styles that guide our instructional practices. We provide a wide variety of experiences to enable children to recognize, enhance and develop their innate talents, cultivate their curiosity and build their confidence.

We create a personalized learning environment that is warm and joyful, characterized by respect, courtesy, responsibility, cooperation, honesty, patriotism, good citizenship, and appreciation of diversity.

We provide an arts and sciences curriculum with a strong commitment to balance and well-roundedness: enrichment and elective classes, field trips, experiential and hands-on learning, athletics and character education. Academic expectations are high, and our graduates are successful in selective and challenging area high schools.

We invite and expect parental involvement in the life of the school.

Essential Components of the ACDS Experience

To achieve our mission, we commit ourselves to provide the essential components of the ACDS experience for the children and families we serve:

  • Dedicated and talented teachers who are free to creatively tailor their instruction to the needs and interests of their students, rather than devoting most of their energy to standardized test preparation or classroom management.
  • A safe learning environment where respectful conduct is expected and maintained.
  • Peers who are motivated and interested in learning, striving and achieving.
  • A learning climate in which studying and excelling are the norm.
  • Expectations — and preparedness — for success in high school, college and life.

To read the ACDS Guidelines for Staff/Student Interactions, please click here.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vision

Almaden Country Day School is committed to being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community of students, families, faculty, administration, and staff. As a reflective community, we will continually evaluate and adapt our practices to honor the diversity of our community’s different identities, abilities, needs, and values.