Head of School | Almaden Country Day School | Private School From our Head of School Special Message Are you looking for a balanced educational experience for your child? Since 1982, Almaden Country Day School has shaped confident, motivated, capable learners who go on to thrive in high school, college, and beyond. Our approach for four decades rests on our unswerving commitment to providing children with a balanced learning experience, rooted firmly in our mission, core values, and instructional philosophy. At ACDS, we believe that: Children learn best in a high-opportunity, low-stress environment. Children are naturally curious, and they thrive when they’re given a balance of academic rigor, character education, and joy at school. In addition to mastering academic content, it’s essential that students build strong social-emotional and interpersonal skills to be prepared to lead in the relationship economy of the future. Learning should be rigorous – and FUN! When you visit campus, you’ll see our philosophy playing out across the grades: ACDS students are excited about school, full of enthusiasm and joy, and proficient in teamwork, public speaking, and relationship skills, well beyond their academic prowess. Parents who choose Almaden Country Day School seek to foster all of these qualities in their children. ACDS delivers balance by challenging, stimulating, and caring for every student, every day; by delivering character development and leadership skills along with academic rigor and joyful learning experiences; and as our mission promises, by discovering the gifts in every child we serve. By all measures, from our extensive enrichment and elective programming and emphasis on student safety and wellness, to the welcoming spirit you’ll feel on campus, to an unmatched 99% ten-year placement record for our 8th graders in the area’s private high schools, to the dynamic and fulfilling lives led by our alumni, we are succeeding. Talk with a current or alumni parent and meet our students during a visit, and you’ll see firsthand why our students flourish at our school and our graduates thrive in their lives beyond ACDS. If you want your child to blossom in a school community defined by balance – both rigorous and joyful – and to belong in a supportive, inclusive, family-friendly community, you may be a good fit for ACDS. Check out our FAQ page, visit us for an on-campus tour, and attend our open house events. Questions? Please contact Mary Jo Heindel Director of Admissions, Enrollment, and Outreach. Warmly, Dr. Olaf Jorgenson Head of School Featured Book Raising Kids: Your Essential Guide to Everyday Parenting is written by a unique team: popular San Francisco Bay Area family therapist and parenting consultant, Sheri Glucoft Wong, and Almaden Country Day School head, Dr. Olaf Jorgenson. These authors offer parents upbeat, empowering guidance that covers the what why, and how of effective parenting, providing easy-to-grasp tools and language that have already benefited thousands of parents. Buy Your Copy at Amazon.com Sheri and Dr. J would appreciate your book review once you’re done reading – please consider leaving a review for Raising Kids on Amazon.com or GoodReads.com any text here Post RSS Feeds Subscribe to Post Alerts The AI Storm, Part 2: The Role of Technology at ACDS AI is poised to end content mastery — the memorization and recall of information — as the primary goal of education. AI’s full impact on schools is still unfolding, but one thing is clear: in the AI era, mastering educational content alone will no longer meet the needs of students, parents, or the workforce. Optimizing Childhood When Mrs. Hunter founded ACDS in 1982, one of the school’s philosophical pillars was her deep and unwavering advocacy for children and childhood. Above all, we must respect and protect childhood so that children can develop as healthy, joyful, curious and confident learners and citizens. Children thrive, Nan tells us, when we keep things simple. Childhood is to be cherished, not accelerated! That said, increasingly Almaden Country Day School is a countercultural choice for parents. Our school is like a countercultural island in the frenzied pace and pressures of Silicon Valley parenting, whose norms often center on preparing children for success rather than celebrating their time to be kids. When Sheltering Children is Good for Them As debates continue around how best to prepare children for the future, this article challenges the notion that “sheltering” is a disadvantage. Instead, it explores how protecting childhood imagination, creativity, and innocence supports healthy development, inviting a reexamination of what children truly need to thrive. Education for a Fast-Changing World: Beyond Problems and Answers In a world where change moves faster than ever—and the future grows more uncertain by the day—how can we prepare children for what lies ahead? This article explores why mastering content and solving for the “right answer” is no longer enough. To thrive in tomorrow’s world, students must learn to navigate complexity, think creatively, and approach unfamiliar challenges with confidence and curiosity. As knowledge expands exponentially and artificial intelligence accelerates innovation, today’s children will need more than academic mastery—they’ll need the mindset and skills to explore, adapt, and lead. any text here Podcast: Cougar Byte Podcast, Raising Kids (Syma Latif and Cathy Shin) Podcast: The Dark Side of Rigor (Steve Barkley) Podcast: 12 Growth Mindsets for the Enrollment Crisis (Rob Norman, InspirED Video: 12 Growth Mindsets for the Enrollment Crisis (Dr. Rick Newbury, Enrollment Catalyst Protecting and Cherishing Childhood Reflections on the Coronavirus Summer Slide Response to AAPI Hate (opens in new window/tab) An Open Letter to America's Parents any text here This list of recommendations is for parents, students and community members who are passionate about education. The list will evolve and grow over time and be a resource for those who want to learn more. Explore, reflect and enjoy … Articles Books Videos Internet Safety What screen time really does to kids' brains Average kids are OK 50 apps all kids should play at least once Should student success include happiness? 57 small changes you can easily make to improve your life Welcome to the ‘pool party’ Spoiled rotten: Why do kids rule the roost? Why girls get better grades than boys Steve Jobs was a low tech parent Sports should be child’s play ‘Grit’ may not spur creative success Let ‘em out! The many benefits of outdoor play in kindergarten A link between fidgety boys and a sputtering economy Eleven things I wish every parent knew The SAT is part hoax, part fraud The overprotected kid Teenagers and social networking – it might actually be good for them Don’t blame social media if your teen is unsocial. It’s your fault How handwriting trains the brain As interest fades in the humanities, colleges worry How a radical new teaching method could unleash a generation of geniuses No child left untableted The secret of Finland’s stellar schools George Saunders’ advice to graduates Meaning is healthier than happiness Student test scores show that 'grit' is more important than IQ What makes a nightmare sports parent – and what makes a great one The consequences of great expectations Need a job? Invent it The stories that bind us The war against boys Technology changing how students learn How to land your kid in therapy Raising successful children Redefining success and celebrating the ordinary "The Blessings of a Skinned Knee" by Wendy Mogel An excellent resource for parents seeking strategies to raise resilient children. Using the teachings of the Jewish Torah and Talmud, Mogel conveys advice about helping children become independent. "The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness" by Edward Hallowell, M.D., Ph.D. What can parents do to shape children who are happy adults? The answers might surprise you in this book from noted child psychologist and speaker Dr. Ned Hallowell. "How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, & the Hidden Power of Character" by Paul Tough Paul Tough asserts that contrary to our common assumptions about why some children become successful, it is elements of their character rather than their ability that become pivotal, especially with regard to overcoming adversity (even for disadvantaged children). This book also has provocative guidance for parents, as the author raises concerns about the ideals and methods prevalent in modern parenting. "World Class Leaders: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students" by Yong Zhao What if the educational “reform” movement now underway in America, emphasizing mastery of content, high test scores, and establishing a unified central curriculum across the nation, was actually jeopardizing rather than preparing America’s children for the future? And, what sort of schools and instructional methods should we be pursuing instead, as we aim for the creative and entrepreneurial habits that students need to develop? Yong Zhao addresses both of these important questions in his pioneering work that is a must-read for parents living in Silicon Valley. Big shifts in education How to escape education's death valley Happiness advantage Schools kill creativity What the internet is doing to our brain OnGuardOnline.gov talks about kids and socializing online Common Sense Media offers 10 simple steps to internet safety Your web browser does not support the <video> tag.