Type Private Principal Olaf Jorgenson Phone +1 408-997-0424 Founded 1982 Color Red and Blue | Established 1982 Enrollment 390 Mascot Cougar Number of students 390 | |
Grades Pre-kindergarten - 8th grade Address 6835 Trinidad Dr., San Jose, CA 95120, United States Profiles | ||
Almaden Country School is an independent, nonsectarian, coeducational private day school founded in 1982 by Mrs. Nan Hunter.
Contents
- Accreditation
- Mission Skills Assessment
- Overview
- Instructional Program and Enrichments
- Preschool and Pre Kindergarten Education
- Elementary Education
- Middle School Education
- References
Serving grades pre-kindergarten through eighth, the school is situated on a 9-acre campus in the Almaden Valley neighborhood of San Jose, California.
Almaden Country School follows a developmental instructional model with heterogeneous grouping and an emphasis on deepening understanding rather than focusing solely on the acceleration of learning.
The school's mission is to "discover the gifts in every child."
Accreditation
ACS is accredited by the California Association of Independent Schools using a process that includes a written study based on more than 100 standards, as well as an on-site visit by a team of educators to assess the school's programs and operations.
Mission Skills Assessment
Almaden Country School has been selected to participate in the Mission Skills Assessment, a program developed by INDEX (Independent School Data Exchange) and Educational Testing Service (ETS) to measure six student skills: teamwork, creativity, ethics, resilience, curiosity and time management. ACS was the first South Bay independent school, and one of only 10 schools in California, selected to participate in the Mission Skills Assessment.
Overview
Almaden Country School’s educational philosophy is to target instruction according to the developmental needs of students, using instructional models designed to deepen learning, rather than relying exclusively on rote memorization and extrinsic rewards.
Enrichment activities and a focus on 21st-century skills are also emphasized throughout the school’s curriculum.
ACS maintains a student/teacher ratio of 9:1, with kindergarten classes limited to a maximum of 16 students, elementary classes to 20-22, and middle school courses ranging from 6-24 students.
Instructional Program and Enrichments
Almaden Country School’s instructional program and enrichments consist of:
Other enrichment activities at Almaden Country School include:
In addition, experiential learning is a key focus and includes:
The ACS technology program features a Macintosh computer lab, a 1:1 laptop program for middle school students, iPads in every elementary classroom, Promethean classroom Activboards, and wireless Internet access campus-wide.
Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Education
Preschool and pre-kindergarten education at Almaden Country School consists of Pre-K1 (four-year-old preschool) and Pre-K2 (young 5s who are not yet ready for kindergarten).
Classes are multi-age groupings with opportunities for same-age groups, pairings, and individual and small group activities tailored to students at various developmental levels.
The curriculum is a play-centered, Reggio Emilia-influenced, developmental program based on a sequence of multi-sensory, hands-on skills.
The preschool/pre-kindergarten philosophy at ACS is to develop the whole child, emphasizing social, intellectual, emotional and physical growth.
Elementary Education
Elementary (K-5) students at ACS are enrolled in art, science, physical education, music and drama, in addition to core classes in language arts, mathematics and social studies.
The school’s reading instruction program balances phonics and authentic literature with explicit skills instruction, addressing decoding and encoding skills, comprehension strategies, and a range of writing and language skills.
All elementary students at ACS are involved in the Character and Competence program, a school-wide effort to develop a sense of community, a foundation of respect, and positive peer relationships (Character), as well as factual knowledge and achievement skills such as time management and organizational ability (Competence).
Weekly class meetings are designed to reinforce the Character and Competence program.
Middle School Education
The ACS Middle School curriculum consists of five academic core subjects, balanced by two elective courses including Spanish, speech and debate, videography, coding, website design, social justice, and others. The school day consists of seven 50-minute periods. ACS provides a Middle School Homework Center for guided study after school four days each week.
Co-curricular activities available to middle school students include: