Category: Alternative School

Search Committee Announces New Head of School Sue Porter

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On behalf of the Orinda Academy Board of Trustees, it is with great pleasure that we announce that Susan Eva Porter Ph.D. has been selected by the Board of Trustees to serve as Orinda Academy’s next Head of School. Sue comes to us from The Bay School of San Francisco, where she has served as Dean of Students. Previous to her experience at The Bay School of San Francisco, Sue worked as the Dean of Students at The Branson School in Ross, CA.

The appointment of Sue marks the end of a thorough search that began shortly after our founder Ron Graydon announced his retirement. The Search Committee was convened by the Orinda Academy Board of Trustees. After reviewing application materials from a large pool of interested parties, three finalists were invited to interview onsite at Orinda Academy. Those finalists met with various teachers, students, and parents. Everyone involved in the process was subsequently invited to provide feedback about the candidates, which information was carefully reviewed, discussed, and evaluated.

In Sue Porter, the Board believes that we have found a leader capable of growing our School through outreach and philanthropy, and of forging strong relationships with our broad Community. Those of you who have met with Sue know her to be a bright, thoughtful, and engaging leader with strong interpersonal skills. The Board is confident and enthusiastic about her commitment to honor our past and to move us forward in providing a progressive, personalized, and joyful education.

You are welcome to learn more about Sue on her website: http://www.susanevaporter.com/.

Sue’s appointment will officially begin July 1, 2018. We hope that you can join us beforehand in welcoming Sue at the Crab Feed on March 24th. Meanwhile, if you have any questions, please contact Board Chair, Laura Cottril at laura@lauracphotography.com.

Please join us in warmly welcoming Sue to our Orinda Academy community!

Very truly yours,

Your Search Committee:
Jeffrey Pozzi, Trustee and Search committee chair
Laura Cottril, Board President
Steve Podell, Trustee and search committee member

Trustees:
Dave Richardson
Collin Pugh
Trudy Hsu
Lynette Lockett

How to Improve Your Memorization Skills

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While you progress through the curriculum at your prep school, you may begin to realize that knowing how to learn is a critical step toward greater academic achievement. When you watch this video, you’ll learn about the differences between verbal and visual memory. Verbal memorization techniques include the use of acronyms, word associations, and acrostics to help students memorize chunks of information. Visual memory, on the other hand, utilizes the power of imagination and the use of the senses to preserve information.

This video provides a demonstration of each. You’ll notice that in the visual memory demonstration, the narrator often includes adjectives to bring the information to life and make it more memorable.

At Orinda Academy, our smaller class sizes in Orinda, CA, allow our dedicated teachers to provide full support to each student in accordance with his or her learning style. To find out whether our college prep school might be a good fit for your child, you can call our admissions office at (925) 478-4504.

Picking the Best Major for You

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As a student in a college prep school, you will undoubtedly hear many questions about your future plans. It’s perfectly acceptable to be undecided about your college major while you are still a prep school student. Even after you get accepted into college, you do not necessarily need to pick a major right away. It’s best to take a little time to think about the areas you’re passionate about, rather than to choose a major you might regret later.

You can hear more about selecting a college major when you watch this interview with an educational consultant. He explains some of the differences between choosing a major in an American college compared to schools in Europe. He also points out that there are a few majors you may need to apply for, such as nursing programs. However, most majors are open to any matriculated student.

Orinda Academy is a college preparatory school in California that utilizes a personalized approach to education. If an academic experience based on the student’s unique learning style sounds right for your child, you can call our prep school at (925) 478-4504.

How Orinda Academy Helps International Students Succeed

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Orinda Academy is dedicated to supporting the academic success of all of our students. We understand that international students have special needs and concerns. International students will find that our prep school offers a supportive, close-knit learning community made up of a diverse student body. In fact, about 20% of our enrolled students come from other countries, such as China, Russia, and the Czech Republic. When an international student applies to our private college prep school, we can work with outside companies to help that student arrange accommodations with a homestay family or other guardian.

Each international student at our college preparatory school is assigned an advisor. The advisors meet with their students each week and maintain ongoing communication with the international students’ teachers and guardians. Advisors are responsible for ensuring that every international student is adjusting well and excelling with our curriculum.

You can visit our website to learn more about applying for admission to our prep school in California as an international student. Or, call Orinda Academy at (925) 478-4504.

Questions to Ask Your High School Guidance Counselor

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College counselors are valuable sources of information. They can support your academic success in high school and beyond. It’s a good idea to become familiar with your college counselor as soon as you enroll in a private college prep school. The more your college counselor knows about your goals and learning styles, the better he or she can prepare you to excel in prep school and at institutes of higher learning.

 

What Courses Should I Take?
Of course, certain classes are required of every student in a private college prep school. You’re expected to take a certain number of credits in mathematics, language arts, and science, for example. However, you will have the flexibility to choose your electives and you may have access to specialized academics such as Advanced Placement (AP) classes or tests. Your college counselor can guide your course selection based on your past academic achievements, your current workload, and your career objectives. Additionally, he or she can advise you as to the courses that are most likely to impress college admissions personnel.

Which Colleges Might Be Right for Me?
Every student needs a specific learning environment to complement his or her personal needs and preferences. Depending on the way you learn best and which type of environment you’re comfortable in, the right college for your high school buddies might not necessarily be the right college for you. Your high school guidance counselor has an in-depth understanding of college environments around the country and can offer guidance when it’s time to make a choice. Consider factors such as available internship programs and experiential learning opportunities.

What Should My College Application Essay Focus On?
One of the most difficult aspects of the college application essay is arguably topic selection. Your college counselor knows what admissions personnel are looking for. He or she can help you explore your past experiences to determine which might be best suited as the topic for your essay.

Orinda Academy provides extensive student support services to help each student reach his or her full potential. In addition to one-on-one academic coaching, students at our private school in Orinda have access to personalized college counseling services. You can reach the administrative staff at our preparatory school by calling (925) 478-4504.

 

Orinda Academy

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Orinda Academy is a private college preparatory school for students 8th through 12th grade. We offer small class sizes and an open environment that encourages creativity and learning. We are now accepting enrollment for Fall 2016! Join us for our open house on April 20th or visit our website to learn more.

Extra Curricular Activities That Boost Your College Application

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Extracurricular activities at Orinda Academy

A student’s grade point average and class selection are important factors that figure heavily into the decisions of college admissions personnel, but it’s also crucial that students demonstrate personal growth beyond the classroom. One sure way to make your college application stand out is by highlighting your extra curricular activities, which will ideally reflect your persistence, dedication, and diversity of interests. Review the offerings available at your private high school and select a mixture of activities that interest you.

Student Government
Consider joining the student council at your college prep school. Taking an active role in the student council demonstrates to admissions personnel that you have leadership skills and the ability to communicate clearly with your peers and with school staff.

Sports Teams
Adding at least one sports activity to your college application will reflect your perseverance, particularly if you can demonstrate that you were on a certain team for several years. College admissions personnel understand that succeeding at these activities requires teamwork skills and good sportsmanship.

Special Interest Clubs
Membership in a special interest club or two gives you the opportunity to build new friendships at school. It also informs admissions personnel that you are an active, engaged student who prefers to stay productive during the after-school hours. When choosing a special interest club, consider possible career objectives. You might join a filmmaking or music group if your career interests lie in the arts. If you have an idea for a special interest club that is not currently offered at your college prep school, consider starting your own club. Doing so will demonstrate your strong sense of motivation and drive to accomplish your goals.

Volunteer Positions
College prep students are strongly encouraged to participate in ongoing volunteer activities. Giving back to your community is important in and of itself, but it also catches the eye of college admissions personnel. Consider volunteering in a local elementary school, animal shelter, or food pantry.

Orinda Academy is pleased to offer an enriching array of after-school activities to complement our academics in California. We feel that our focus on enhancing student life and promoting smaller class sizes encourages our preparatory school students to be engaged, active members of our educational community. Parents are welcome to call our private college prep school at (925) 478-4504 with any questions they may have.

 

More than College Prep: Success Beyond Undergrad

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College Prep School Orinda

After your child graduates, he or she probably wants to achieve some kind of success. No doubt, success comes with skill, and skill comes with practice, but the academic environment where your child spends most of his or her time contributes to his or her drive for success. Read on to learn how a college prep education can help your child actualize his or her dreams.

Dealing with Challenges
College prep classes are taught with college-level expectations; as such, students can expect a heavier workload and, by extension, stress. However, stress is not all bad—often, moderate amounts of stress leads students to perform to the full potential. And, more importantly, the presence of stress allows students to learn how to effective and healthfully manage stress.

It is easier to learn how to cope with stress at a college prep school with small classes and dedicated faculty, both of which allow students to get the help they need and establish study habits that carry into college, and then into the workplace.

Stress Management
Compare the close and supportive environments of college prep schools to universities, where classes are larger, professors may be unavailable, and new stressors enter students’ lives. With a college prep background, students are better equipped with time management habits. Time and stress management skills turn stress into success as your student manages academic obligations and extracurricular responsibilities to build an impressive resume, which in turn helps secure a job or enter graduate school after college. Orinda Academy offers mindfulness training to help students learn relaxation and focus, and to overcome stress. We also continually monitor a student's well-being and academic success to make sure that they are successful and challenged, but not overwhelmed.

Head Start on Interests
The four years of high school are some of the most influential years of our lifetimes. College prep high schools operate according to rigorous curricula that provide your child the opportunity to discover a passion, whether in technology, literature, economics, or graphic design, that they wish to pursue in college, and turn into a profitable profession.

The benefits of a rigorous education last a lifetime. The college prep curriculum at Orinda Academy prepares students in grades 8-12 for college and beyond in a supportive, positive environment, made possible by faculty, administrators, and fellow students. To find out more about the value of a college prep education, visit our website or call us at (925) 357-9727.

How Much Sleep Do You Actually Need?

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The people who need sleep the most—high school students—are often the most sleep deprived. Mental and physical grogginess impairs academic performance, which leads to stress, which can lead to illness and even less sleep, and before the student knows it, they’ve entered the vicious cycle all too common to students.

In this video, you'll learn about sleep, and why it matters for our health. As you watch, consider the changes that your or your student can make in his or her schedule to allow for more sleep. Getting more sleep, and feeling better overall, can be as simple and shutting off cellphones during study time, or using study halls as a time to study instead of socialize.

At Orinda Academy, our college prep classes allow students to learn essential time management skills in a challenging yet supportive environment. Orinda Academy starts school later at 8:40 am to allow teens to have a little more sleep, which has shown to be necessary for adolescent students. To learn more about our college prep approach, visit our website or call us at (925) 357-9727.