We’re trying to move our school from its current hillside location in San Miguel to a larger, more centralized spot in Paso Robles. To do this, we need the approval of the San Luis Obispo Board of Education. Over 100 families and faculty took the time to write letters on behalf of Almond Acres Charter School.
It’s an extraordinary and humbling outpouring of heartfelt zeal for our charter school. We thought we’d share why other parents love this school so much. Three themes keep emerging — in these authentic letters — our inclusive culture, strong community and unique and beloved educational approach. Here’s a tiny sample of the tidal wave of positive parental descriptions of our school and spirit:
The understanding that each child is an individual with different needs is key to why I am sending my children here. The inclusive nature of the school allows for much family involvement in our children’s education and school culture. The support network and friendships created during the time we’ve attended AACA goes way beyond the school gates. This is a community of invested and passionate parents, students and educators. This network is key not only for our children, but for the community of Paso Robles.
The school ethos — positivity, sense of duty, determination and passion — is seen in local small business, cultural life, and in the evolution of the city community.
AACA helped develop my son’s individual strength and is helping us develop him into an outstanding citizen. Over the last year, our son has learned to recognize 5 core values of being a good citizen and helps our entire family focus on being trustworthy, respectful, responsible, fair and caring.
My children, as most, have many different needs. Support services at Almond Acres have been so thorough, open, and consistent in their communication with me, my children, and making sure to find ways to provide exactly what my kids need to succeed and grow. They teach the kids from the beginning self advocacy and let them voice their opinions and concerns. They play an active role in their own education.
We chose AACA for the small school size and the strong focus on the students. I appreciate that AACA focuses on our children’s personal strengths whether it be heart, mind, body or soul. And that they help us identify that so we can help our children better.
Not only has AACA been good for my child, but it has helped me be a better mom. At one point I was having a hard time with my son, and Mr. B (school principal) met with me to help guide me through tools that I can use to help him be his best self. Also, throughout the year he has held Zoom calls for the parents so that he can help guide us through the challenges that parenting brings.
AACA finds how each student is smart and encourages them in that direction. That is an out-of-the-box way to think about education.
No school is perfect and certainly not a fit for everyone. Every concern I’ve had with the school over the years was talked out with staff members and they actually made swift active changes surrounding my concerns, and always follow up to make sure the new plan in place is working out for everyone involved. This open communication and willingness to make changes based on parental feedback is a huge factor in our school choice.
I have never felt so welcomed as a parent/adult at a school and the staff, faculty, and children all welcomed us. It was what we felt was “true Paso Fashion”. Since moving here there has been this wonderful sense of community. A sense of togetherness and a kindness that we see throughout our town. Almond Acres Charter Academy is just that. They are a community within a community raising good people, innovative learners, self starters, and future compassionate, loving humans.
Almond Acres Charter Academy is not perfect, but we are a team of dedicated educators and families that are striving to create meaningful education through service/project-based learning experiences. For example, in Kindergarten, we partner with Annette Lodge, a senior living facility in downtown Paso Robles. It’s a beautiful relationship built on visits, exchanging written letters and surveys between the kindergarten students and the residents at Annette Lodge. They teach us about life then and now, answer questions about life as Americans, and tell us their stories. Kindergarteners think of the seniors as “the wise people” because they have collected the most life stories.
Our structure allows us to respond quickly to the needs of our students and adapt our programming when necessary. Through the upheaval of COVID-19, AACA was able to offer a program that supported both our students and staff while maintaining our philosophy. I am very proud to share across the county the work that AACA is doing to serve students.
The fact that my son sleeps in his SCHOOL uniform two weeks before term starts each year tells me that he adores his school, his buddies, his teachers, and especially his principal, Mr. B. who directs with a kind but very purposeful manner. He knows every child by name and has the grace and patience like no other. Amy Baker, founder, is brilliant in her own right and is the silent backbone of AACA.
While distance learning was a struggle for our family, I was extremely impressed with how quickly the school was able to switch to an online platform. The teachers were amazingly helpful during the transition and helped modify the curriculum to better suit my sons’ needs.
I strongly support AACA and the school’s philosophy of growing great kids, the positive school culture, the encouragement of critical thinking skills, the acknowledgment of individualized learning styles, and the promotion of student leadership in both academics and citizenship. This school has been a real blessing to our family and the entire community.
AACA emphasizes character development — learning strong and effective social skills and the importance of teamwork. What I really appreciate about this is that students at AACA learn these with a sense that their success as students is not just a matter of looking out for themselves. On the contrary, they come to understand that they are there to learn and grow as human beings that will make a contribution to their communities as a whole.
About Almond Acres
Almond Acres Charter Academy is a public, tuition-free K-8 school that employs credentialed teachers and administers state-mandated testing to provide families in northern SLO County an additional choice in public education. The school is located in San Miguel and is open to all students in all communities. AACA’s mission is to help students succeed academically and socially by educating the whole child: heart, mind, body and soul. We grow great kids!
