"Why give? I mean we pay tuition, right?"

Support OA - A Parent's Perspective

To say that it was a good decision to enroll my child at Orinda Academy is an understatement. It has completely changed the trajectory of my child's life.  I am an educator at a public institution. I believe in the power of education, and having only attended public schools ourselves, we parents never planned to send either of our kids to a private institution. But for years I tried desperately to work with our school district to help my child reach the potential I knew was there. T.’s problem was not behavioral. T. was not disruptive. Instead, T. was ignored and neglected, and T.’s social skills withered away even before COVID started. We were hopeful that an in-person high school could bring much needed change, but it was more of the same, this time complicated by questions around gender identity and relentless bullying. 

In November of T.’s 9^th grade year, we pulled T. out of the overcrowded public high school walking distance from our house. We briefly attempted homeschooling, but ultimately selected the school furthest from our home, which was only 22 miles in distance, but over an hour commute each way once you factored in taking both the bus and BART. After starting Orinda Academy for 10^th grade, we were pleasantly surprised that this sophomore, who had once hated mornings, was waking up early. To this day, T. believes the commute is worth waking up early.

T. finally felt engaged in math and challenged to try more. In fact, last summer T. did an intense summer math class to get ahead. T.’s favorite subject may never be history due to lingering troubles with dyslexia, but T.’s teachers have worked so diligently to bring out the best. (And quite frankly, I am impressed that Orinda challenges their students to read classics like Les Miserables and Cyrano de Bergerac instead of Hunger Games.) T. never fell too far behind because the teachers reached out to me whenever anything was amiss.

Orinda Academy is defined by more than their academics. During the first parent-teacher conferences, I realized how invested Orinda’s teachers are in the lives of their students. Hearing the art teacher talking about my child, I was deeply moved. I could tell she loves what she does and knows the importance of not just teaching students specific skills but helping them build their resilience during these challenging times.

T.’s confidence has expanded so much in just over a year. Even extended family tell me that they have seen T. smile more. T. is no longer fearful and has matured immensely under the guidance of caring and invested adults. I have no idea what lies ahead. I am not sure what college T. may want to attend or what major T. may choose or even if a gap year will be best, but I can tell you one thing...

I have hope again—and this is worth every mile and every cent. 

Please join me in giving to Orinda Academy’s annual fund-raising drive.  To help Orinda Academy continue to be that nurturing environment for your child, and to help it grow so it can be that special place for other kids in need.

~Orinda Academy Parent, Roxann Schmidt