Our "excellence in education" continues to shine and flourish!

 

In February 2007, OIS was selected to receive a California School of Character award. This prestigious recognition honors our ongoing positive character development program. To recognize our efforts, the California Partnership for Character Education will present the OIS community with this state award on Wednesday, April 11th at 10:30am in our Isola Gym. Parents and community members are invited to attend this thirty-minute ceremony. Also recognized in this event will be our Others First program which will receive a proclamation from Orinda's honorable mayor, Steve Glazer for their ongoing commitment to community volunteerism.

 

In added recognition, the Character Education Partnership (CEP) has selected Orinda Intermediate as a National Finalist in its National Schools of Character awards program. CEP, the nation's leading advocate for quality character education initiatives, chose OIS as one of the 25 finalists (from 133 applicants across the United States). Since 1998, this awards program has recognized K-12 schools and districts for their exemplary comprehensive character education programs which yield positive results in student behavior, citizenship, school climate, and academic performance. This national awards program is sponsored and administered by the Character Education Partnership and made possible by generous support from the John Templeton Foundation and the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources. As part of the program review process, OIS is planning on receiving a CEP site on Friday, April 27th. At the conclusion of the screening process, the Blue Ribbon Panel will then select and announce their 10 national winners in late May. If selected as a National School of Character, OIS will receive not only the national recognition award but also a $20,000 grant which will be used to serve as national leaders and models for other schools and districts seeking to improve their character education efforts.

 

Through our outstanding efforts in encouraging and promoting the ethical, social, and academic growth of students our Character Education program will be showcased. With our ongoing goal to have all our students mature into respectful, responsible, considerate and honest citizens, we continue to foster a conviction that OIS is more than just an academic institution.

 

We salute the dedicated work of our staff, students, parents and community members, and we ask you to share in our excitement as we open our doors and welcome our guests and dignitaries to OIS, the greatest school around!