Orinda Academy Blog
Transition to Virtual School – March 11, 2020
March 11, 2020 Virtual Learning Dear OA Families, I understand that information about a pending facility closure due to coronavirus was discussed on the OA parent Facebook page this morning. A private conversation between administrators was overheard by a student and...
Sue’s News – February 26, 2020
A blog from the Head of SchoolVol. 2, No. 1 - February 26, 2020 Recent NewsCoronavirus - Public Health officials now believe the coronavirus will have a widespread effect on the US, and so we are creating plans in the event that schools are required to close. Our...
Sue’s News – January 29, 2020
A blog from the Head of SchoolVol. 2, No. 10 - January 29, 2020 Recent News New Furniture - You know when you finish a home improvement project and the first thing you think about - just nanoseconds after the task is complete - is, what’s next? Well, that’s...
Sue’s News for November 21, 2019
Recent News November has been extremely peaceful thus far (knock wood). I don’t want to push my luck by saying more... Coming Around the Corner Winter Concert - Please join us for our annual Winter Concert on Friday, December 6 at 7:30. Open House - Our second...
Friday Flyer| November 15, 2019
Sign Up for First Semester Conferences Macy sent an invitation to a SignUp Genius to sign up for first semester conferences with your student's advisor. Conferences take place on Tuesday and Wednesday December 18 and 19. The link to sign up is also below for your...
Sue’s News for November 7, 2019
Recent News Our new generators have arrived, which means school should remain open in the event of another power outage. Our Purple Air air quality monitor also arrived, and I will install it as soon as I can figure it out (or more likely, as soon as I can find...
Friday Flyer | November 1, 2019
Air and Power: The New Normal Dear OA Community, Over the past few weeks we have been exploring solutions to what will, unfortunately, be a routine part of our future lives: power outages. Last year we missed only one day of school because of the wildfires, and this...
Friday Flyer | October 25, 2019
Special Programming: Wednesday, October 30 Wednesday, October 30 we do not have regular classes; instead, we will have special programming for all students as follows:9th grade - Habitat restoration...
Sue’s News for October 23, 2019
Recent News Narrative grade reports were sent last week. Please let us know if you have questions about your child’s report. Last week was the Great California Shakeout, and during All School Meeting, our Student Safety Officers demonstrated earthquake response...
Friday Flyer | October 18, 2019
RenWeb and ParentsWeb RenWeb and ParentsWebI want to thank those parents who have brought their concerns about RenWeb to our attention. We are working to address specific issues and welcome additional feedback about the system. We are in the process of...
Friday Flyer | October 11, 2019
Retreat - Success! Our retreat was a great success - the weather was beautiful, we hiked, climbed, beached, did yoga, lightsaber battled, played, ate, slept (?), and bonded during our two days at Point Bonita. Here are a few shots from the retreat, and you can find...
Sue’s News – October 10, 2019
A blog from the Head of School Vol. 2, No. 4 - October 10, 2019 The All School Retreat was a resounding success. Epic weather, great leadership (thanks especially to Sara Hall-Kennedy for shepherding her first retreat as Dean of Students in fine fashion), and a...
Sue’s News – September 25, 2019
A blog from the Head of SchoolVol. 2, No. 3 - September 25, 2019 Dean of Students, Sara Hall-Kennedy, hosted OA’s first ever Open Mic Night last Friday. I watched students preparing on Friday afternoon, practicing on ukuleles and crafting headgear with which to...
Sue’s News 9/11/19
A blog from the Head of SchoolVol. 2, No. 2 - September 11, 2019 OA Website and Mascot - Last Spring the community chose the Blue Jay as the new school mascot, replacing the eagle as the symbol for OA. We spent the summer working with a design team to create a...
Feeling Bad as a Parent?
Article by Sue Porter featured in the Piedmont Post on Wednesday, August 28, 2019 Almost every parent I know feels bad about their parenting. If you’re anything like them, these are some of the things you feel bad about: You feel bad because you don’t spend enough...
Approaching the college application process
Article by Sue Porter featured in the Piedmont Post on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 For parents, there are two ways you can approach the college application process: from a scarcity mindset, which inevitably devolves into competition, or from an abundance mindset, which...
The Gift of Boredom
Article by Sue Porter featured in the Piedmont Post on Wednesday, June 26, 2019 Before you schedule every minute of your child’s summer, consider carving out some time for them to do nothing. In fact, carve out enough time for them to do nothing that they get...
Learning Support Techniques For High School Students
Learning Support Strategies Ask Danielle Jaynes, Orinda Academy’s Learning Specialist, what her long-term goal for OA students is, and she’ll get a smile on her face. “By senior year you know your learning differences, you know your strengths and weaknesses, and...
Sue’s News – A blog from the Head of School
Vol. 1, No. 3 Dear OA Families, Only three weeks left until the end of year! It’s hard to believe, but school is almost over - graduation will be here in a flash. We will be headed off in many directions come mid-June, so please get in touch soon if you would like to...
Three Key Supports that Ensure Student Success
What an Independent High School can do for your child Pop quiz: What does the student support team, self-advocacy, and a cup of tea have in common? If you said Mollie Mowat, our assistant head of school for student affairs, you’re right! As head of our student support...
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(925) 254-7553
admissions@OrindaAcademy.org
Orinda Academy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Federal Tax ID 94-2692929
Our bright and creative students thrive in our nurturing, small class environment. Through a combination of academic support, executive functioning skill development, and social/emotional balance, every student reaches their full potential.
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