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Save Our Beloved Berkeley School!

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Help a group of dedicated parents and teachers save their school.

The Academy—a K–8 private school located in Berkeley, CA, that has provided academic excellence to East Bay students for 45 years - is reopening this fall as a nonprofit institution. Previously operated as an LLC owned by the family of founder Marshall H. Lombardo, the Academy will now be led by an elected board of parents, teachers and local community members. When the Lombardo family recently announced their intention to close the school, this dedicated group sought to preserve the school's tradition of educating highly motivated students, and established the new 501(c)(3) entity on July 17, 2014.
This new nonprofit school will continue to encourage curiosity, open mindedness, and a life-long love for learning. The Academy will continue to offer an advanced curriculum uniquely tailored to motivated students. Class sizes are small,and allow teachers to directly address individual student needs while providing in-depth instruction on core curricula. The school has a diverse, multiethnic and multinational student body with strong social ties across grade levels. It fosters a strong sense of community, while teaching tolerance, respect and responsibility. The board of directors, comprising parents, teachers and community members, seeks to further strengthen the school and continue the legacy of sending Academy alumni to prestigious high schools and colleges.
The school is currently accepting applications for the 2014–2015 school year, and will continue to award financial aid to self-motivated, high-achieving students.
In this very short amount of time, this talented, parent-led board has provided hope and encouragement by keeping this school open. They intend to build upon an incredible foundation created by a visionary educator. However, setting these kinds of standards and providing this nurturing environment comes with a price. Therefore, we appeal to you to consider nurturing our next generation by giving a donation to the Academy to ensure that the school meets its basic required costs to run this academic year. Donations are tax deductible and will allow you to have the unique opportunity to be part of 45 years of tradition and a promise-filled future.


“I am so proud to be part of the Academy, and I’m very excited to be part of the amazing changes to come. Our school’s sense of community is now becoming a truly integrated learning environment, with students, parents and teachers working together.”

“The Academy is a place where students find their voice, their confidence, and their purpose. I’ve seen students enter in sixth grade as shy and withdrawn – perhaps here because their parents worried about them getting lost in a larger environment – and leave as well-spoken leaders, bound for a future as informed and positive contributors to society.”

Kelly Cochran, Fifth grade Teacher

For more information, please contact the Board Member, Amelia Miazad at [email redacted]

Organizer

Natalie Jones
Organizer
Berkeley, CA

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