About Us: School Profile

At A Glance

Orinda Academy is a private, non-profit day school in Orinda, California for boys and girls in grades 6 through 12.

We are located twenty miles east of San Francisco in the San Francisco East Bay and primarily serve students from Contra Costa and Alameda counties.

Overview

  • Enrollment: Up to 120 students
  • Student to Teacher Ratio: 9:1
  • Teachers adapt to different learning styles
  • Class instruction utilizes different modalities to reach all students
  • Accreditation: Curriculum meets state education frameworks, UC college entrance requirements and is approved by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges
  • Tuition (2011-12): $28,975 
  • Financial Aid: 24% of students receive aid
  • Head of School: Ron Graydon

Student Support Resources

  • Academic coaching to improve time management, organization, test prep, note taking, writing, research skills, paper and project planning are provided onsite on a reduced fee basis by Student Organizational Services
  • Teacher web pages, accessible to students and parents, include assignments and due dates
  • Math labs providing personal tutoring are available
  • Study hall with one-on-one or small group support for all academic areas
  • Assistance to obtain standardized testing, including SAT, accommodations
  • Personalized college counseling

Academics

  • College prep curriculum
  • Honors courses previously offered: US History, American Literature, Biology, British/Western Literature
  • Advanced Placement (AP) courses: English Literature & Composition, Spanish
  • Honor Roll status is earned with a 3.0-3.49 GPA per semester in academic courses
  • Dean’s List status is earned with a 3.5 or higher GPA per semester in academic courses

Arts

Students interested in performing arts have the opportunity to participate in:

  • Annual drama production
  • Student talent show
  • Musical performances
  • Music production (vocal, digital, and instrumental)

Extracurricular Activities

  • Yearbook
  • Student Newspaper
  • Student Council
  • Sports Teams
  • Music
  • Fitness Center
  • Dance Studio
  • Spring Arts Festival
  • Student-initiated clubs

Educational Adventures

The Educational Adventures Program provides students with learning experiences beyond the classroom. We offer trips that span the globe to enrich the curriculum. Past travel opportunities have been to Japan, Russia, Costa Rica, Greece, Turkey, Galapagos Islands, Yosemite, Big Sur, and many more.  Local day trips and classes round out the offering for those wishing to stay close to home, yet continue to expand their horizons.

Graduation Requirements

Course

Years

English (including 1 yr of Adv Comp)

4

Mathematics

3

United States History

1

Civics/Economics

1

Additional Social Science

1

Science

2

Foreign Language or Fine Arts

1

Physical Education

3

Health

1 Semester

Community Service

40 Hours


SAT Results

SAT Scores

Orinda Academy Class of 2009

National Averages*

Critical Reading

562

501

Math

579

515

Writing

570

493

*Collegeboard.com, 2009 college-bound seniors’ test score averages.

Academic Advising and Mentoring

Each student has a teacher advisor. Our distinctive advisory program combines academic advising with personal mentorship to foster a supportive learning community. Each teacher advises up to 10 students.

Learning Support Services

On-site academic coaches nurture the individual strengths and academic needs of each student. Whether students are struggling with learning differences, time management or needing extra help in class work, our academic coaches from Student Organizational Services are available for reduced fee individual or group sessions during the school day.