Connect with a Connections Academy Parent

During the end of summer 2003, my family and I attended one of Ohio Connection Academy’s information sessions. We were so impressed by the program that with only a couple of weeks before school started, we withdrew from the private school our children had been attending for five years and enrolled in Ohio Connections Academy. My children were entering 5th and 6th grades at the time. This fall will be our sixth year and we have loved every year. Next year my son will be in 11th grade and my daughter in 10th.

The Ohio Connections Academy high school program is very challenging and has more than prepared them for the Ohio Graduation Achievement tests. In high school they have taken advantage of the honors classes and will be taking Advanced Placement classes next fall. They have participated in the Ohio Connections Academy Academic Fair, where my daughter received a 1st place and my son a second place award in the Science Fair. My daughter went on to compete in a state-wide science fair at Cleveland University and placed 2nd.

They have enjoyed the many field trips they have attended and have really enjoyed getting to know their teachers and other students. The teachers at Ohio Connections Academy have been some of the most helpful my children have known. We consider the teachers and staff a very important part of our family and are looking forward to the years to come.

Imagine, if you will, three children, all well behaved but frustrated with school. They are doing well, but are not challenged academically. They wait for other students to behave or to follow directions. They wait to move ahead in their courses so that others may catch up, and they spend a great deal of time preparing for standardized tests.

Now imagine these three children two years later, happy with school and excelling with a rigorous, up-to-date curriculum. They participate in hands-on activities in math and science and are learning how to effectively express themselves in writing. They use technology every day in a way that is meaningful and innovative, and they have become proficient users of software programs like MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. They enjoy frequent field trips to interesting sites all over Ohio and have made many new friends.

The difference is Ohio Connections Academy!

As the mother of these three children, I am thrilled with the turnaround and am excited about the way OCA personalizes my children’s education according to their individual needs. All have access to Gifted and Talented classes, which are very different from the enrichment they were getting in our local schools. All are able to work in the style that best suits them. My oldest likes routine and does her classes in the same order each day. My middle child enjoys the freedom to make changes based on her interests each day, and my youngest likes to have direction from me, the "Learning Coach," throughout the day. All enjoy the personal connection they have with their OCA teachers, who may be contacted by telephone, WebMail, or online LiveLessons. I am very impressed with the high level of knowledge and professionalism displayed by the OCA staff.

I am very happy to have found OCA and to be participating fully in my children's education! It is a truly outstanding school filled with opportunity!