Summer School Enrollment Form

Orinda Academy offers two 17 day summer sessions each summer, open to students from all schools. Students may attend either or both sessions. Each session is equal to one semester of credit (5 credits) for academic classes. Orinda Academy offers a full curriculum, and all classes meet state requirements for credit and are U.C. approved. Orinda Academy is fully accredited by W.A.S.C.

Session I: June 23 – July 15 Session II: July 17 – August 8 Session Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Tuition: $700 per session, $1,300 for both sessions. Availability of class will depend on enrollment. Books are included in tuition.

SUMMER SESSION COURSES

Mathematics: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra II
English: English for grades 9-12, Composition, Literature
Social Science: US History
Middle School Basic Skills Review: Reading, Math, English


COURSE DESCRIPTIONS :

ENGLISH/LITERATURE 9-12
(5 credits each semester)
The English/Literature curriculum is threefold - reading literature (novels, plays); writing essays (descriptive, narrative, expository, analytical); and mastering vocabulary (using an SAT text). During the two sessions, there is a vast supply of literature to choose from, and the choices largely depend on what novels the students have previously read. The novels are appropriate for grades 9-12. Students are expected to read approximately 50 pages a day. There are daily quizzes on the reading.
The essays assigned also span grades 9-12, and grades are determined according to expectations for the different grade levels. Essays must be typed, and during the two sessions, approximately seven 3-5 pages essays are assigned.
The last component of the English/Literature course is vocabulary. Students are tested daily on 15 words. A semester final on all the words is also given.




U.S. HISTORY
(5 credits each semester)
Session I is equivalent to 1st semester of US History and Session II is equivalent to 2nd semester of US History. Session I covers up to 1877 and 2nd Semester covers 1877 to present. US History is a limited survey course, which features highly topical events as well as current events. Areas covered: Revolution, Federalist Era, Civil War, Progressive Era, New Deal, WW I & II, including the Vietnam War, Watergate, etc. This class consists of lecture, discussion, tests, essays and daily assignments.




JUNIOR HIGH BASIC SKILLS REVIEW
(1 or 2 sessions - No credit)
This class includes three parts: English, Literature, and Math.
Basic Skills English - In the Basic Skills English class the basics of composition and grammar are stressed. Many basic writers tend to be more vague than specific and do not revise their work. The daily writing assignments emphasize the need to use specific detail and to revise their work to make it clear, cohesive and concise. Grammar is taught within the context of the writing process. The students learn that grammar is not an end to itself, but that it is a tool that enables the writer to communicate well. The proper use of commas, semi-colons, and colons is learned, along with other basics of grammar depending upon the needs of the students. The course concludes by applying the skills learned and writing an analytical essay about the novel read in the literature class.
Basic Skills Literature - The basics of reading interpretation are stressed such as identifying the main idea and the supporting details of an essay or story. Many readers at the basic level read words and sentences in isolation from the rest of the work; thus, the need to read holistically, and contextually, are emphasized. The novel, short stories or essays to be read vary depending upon the instructor, although the literature will be chosen for its appropriateness for the students and its high interest level.
Basic Skills Math - This class reviews the basics of general math such as operations with fractions, decimals and percents. We also do problem solving and have some fun with probability and 3 dimensional geometry.



ALGEBRA 1
(5 credits each semester)
This is a traditional first year algebra course. Due to the rapid pace of one semester per 17 day session, this is not usually recommended as an alternative to taking the class during the regular school year, but rather as an opportunity to retake the course to improve one's understanding and possibly one's grade.




GEOMETRY
(5 credits each semester)
This is a traditional high school geometry course. The prerequisite for this course is a C or better in Algebra 1. As is the case with Algebra 1, this is not usually recommended as an alternative to taking the class during the regular school year, but rather as an opportunity to retake the course to improve one's understanding in the course.




ALGEBRA 2/TRIGONOMETRY
(5 credits each semester)
This is a traditional high school second year algebra course. The second semester includes trigonometry. The prerequisite is a C or better in geometry.



SUMMER SESSION CONTACT:
Debbie Parish, Director of Admissions
925-254-7553 x 305
admission@orindaacademy.org