The Academy

 

Ninth and tenth graders are expected to stay at Orange Grove High School only for the duration of their contracts before returning to their home schools. Our program is designed to foster a connection with school and allow students to engage in the learning process so they can successfully re-enter the comprehensive high school environment.

 

Ninth and tenth grade students remain together on the north side of campus during the school day. They are kept separate from the juniors and seniors, which alleviates behavior problems that come when younger students feel the need to impress the older ones.

 

The ninth and tenth graders are given "the wheel" for an elective, which is a modular course that introduces them to construction, drafting, and clothing. This is in addition to the core academic classes and PE. Our teachers strive to make learning relevant and engaging for these students.

 

During the 2011-2012 school year, we have begun testing our students to determine their learning modalities. The idea behind learning modalities is that people have different strengths when they are learning - some learn best by working with their hands, some learn best when presented with visual information, and so on. This is useful information for the students and the teachers - knowing how the students learn is empowering for the students and is information that helps teachers craft engaging lessons. 

 

These students are also given "advisement" periods twice per quarter. During advisement, students are made aware of the requirements for graduation from CNUSD and track their progress. By doing this, students have a clear idea of what they need to do in order to graduate, and it makes the graduation a tangible goal.

 

All of our students have access to the counselor and are able to utilize the resources of the counseling center. Each student in 9th and 10th grade needs to contact Mrs. Gonzalez, the counselor, early enough in the semester that they can successfully fulfill the requirements for readmission to the comprehensive high schools.