Orinda Academy

While attending Orinda Academy from 8^th grade until I graduated high school in 2009, I thrived in the supportive, friendly, and educational environment. The teachers made sure that all my needs were met, and that I was always learning through my personal learning style. My peers were from all over the East Bay, and from a diverse array of backgrounds; I learned a lot from each and every one of them.
I felt confident going to college, and then graduate school, based on my experiences at Orinda Academy. Most importantly, I learned how to be my own self-​advocate, and that has brought me great success in communicating my educational, and now professional needs.

I stand by my statements, please retire.

My son attends Orinda Academy. The school has a mixture of kids with learning differences, regular kids who want a small school environment, and a few foreign students. My son falls in the first group. Up to this point, I can’t say anything negative at all. From administrators to teachers, everyone has been very helpful, trying to meet special requests to personalize his education and pushing him to be the best student he can be. He was allowed to start his own school club. He has made some great friends. There is an atmosphere of tolerance for kids who are «different.»
As for the review below regarding an expulsion for fighting, that is a parent who should have given the school 5 stars for setting limits on that child’s behavior. Apparently no one else has done it, and he will have a miserable life if no one steps up to do it. Schools this small can’t have a kid disrupting the entire facility.

We were so excited and relieved to find that Orinda Academy was opening up the sixth grade as an option at the school last year. Our experience found committed teachers and staff and a genuine caring attitude in our son’s progress and well being. Being in a public school it was easy to get by with «good enough.» Here at OA our son is challenged to become self-​motivated and excel to his potential. His core teacher made it his mission to see our son succeed by his own efforts with challenge and humor. We knew going in that this was the first year 6^th grade was offered and when we ask ourselves if it was a good year for our son the answer is YES. He has blossomed socially, becoming a confident leader and has matured and grown scholastically receiving an award for most improved sixth grader. A small environment with teachers trained in learning differences made all the difference.
As a parent, the staff and other parents are friendly and easy to get to know and the opportunity to get involved with the school is welcomed. I look forward to seeing the improvements planned for the middle school and the expanded curriculum this fall.

Went to this school second semester freshmen year. Made some good friends. Some of my teachers were great and amazing especially my heath and geography teacher Kathy. While others not so much. The few teachers that I was really not so fond of I felt definitely had their favorites in class and it was WELL known. I also really loved the lunch lady that made delicious food and then found out she was «FIRED» for serving «too much candy» or something. She was a great person. Also the lunch room supervisor Dianne was wonderful. Very pleasant and friendly and showed a lot of love and care for the students. They have this assistant principal Norm who I was not so fond of. They also had a computer teacher for a short while that literally went off on me for saying that I believed what she was saying was not right and I spoke up and voiced my opinion and she literally called me a vulgar name and went off on me. She was later fired. They have a funky «sign out sign in «book every Student has and the teacher needs to initial it after each class. This school had many cliques and they would gang up on others and make fun of other students and the principal really didn’t take necessary steps in preventing this. They also tend to kick students out for odd reasons such as «making a FAKE my-​space page for a dance teacher» which later they found out wasn’t the student who they had already kicked out. And trying to apologize to them by saying they could come back and sending a diploma etc. Why would anyone want to come back to someplace that is so unprofessional, and can’t deal with issues well. My brother was also in this school for a VERY short time, due to the school not accommodating him for his hearing loss and Legally are required by law to provide services such as note taker interpreter which they refused. Very small classes were nice. Not that many extra activities. Also found out one of the teachers used to smoke pot with the students on the weekends and she now lives in Hawaii.

Went here back when it was known as «Northbay» for a time. I had a really great experience here and the two people who were my geometry partners I still know and am still great friends with to this day! Thats almost 10 years later!
This place was expensive back in my day and I expect it is still expensive now. However, for a highschool this place was awesome. Small class sizes, wonderful caring teachers, and great class topics. This place was run more like a college than a highschool during my time.
While I cannot comment how it is currently run I certainly have fond memories of this place.
This place gets 5 stars for the great time I had here!