The Academic Orchard

Yesterday, was our last day of school and our 2nd Annual Field Day! We had so much fun and we will miss some of our friends that are leaving but looking to the future. More videos and photos to come! Have a great summer break!

A sneak peek at our TAO 2026 yearbook before our students receive them next week ♥️📖

Check out the "Meet Our Chickens" page in particular we created with Picaboo Yearbooks!

We’re hoping for our second yearbook award in a row with this creative and beautiful book, designed and created by our students during an elective led by our talented Director of Humanities and Academic Operations, Ms. Beth

This week our adolescents continued their exploration of local colleges with a visit to St Edwards University. We had a wonderful tour guide who showed us inside several campus buildings, including a behind the scenes look at their multimedia center and podcast studio. Students learned about the university’s academic programs and the many ways St. Edward’s supports a wide variety of learners and learning styles. The campus is also a beautiful jewel of old Austin property that was fun to explore.

A key part of The Academic Orchard’s success is the parent community, which has helped build and sustain the culture we see today.

This week, Mario came in and spoke with students as part of our literature study of Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. He shared his firsthand experience growing up during apartheid in South Africa, but what truly stayed with everyone was the story of his mother. He described her strength and determination as she involved their family in the fight to vote for change, even in conditions that were harsh, dangerous, and deeply unjust. It was a living example of sacrifice and what it means to stand for something when the cost is high.

We also had Eric from Kolbe Corp work with students on their Kolbe results. He helped them understand how they naturally approach tasks and problem solving, focusing on instinctive strengths. Students were able to see patterns in how they work, what tends to come easily to them, and where they could collaborate with those that are similar and different to them.

Grateful for these contributions and the many others this year that have helped.students grow in empathy, and develop stronger understandings of themselves as they move toward their futures.

Hard to believe we are only one month away from the end of our 2025–2026 school year! 🌱

At TAO, our gardens and orchard are bursting with spring growth, and there is so much energy across campus. Students are diving into new electives with our incredibly talented staff, playing chess ♟️, painting with watercolors 🎨, learning percussion 🥁, creating puppets and putting on puppet shows🎭, and enjoying yoga and PE at the end of each day 🧘‍♀️

Our classes are moving through the final pieces of their curriculum, with students completing projects and presentations and showcasing hands on work throughout the classrooms.

We are already reflecting on what an incredible year of growth this has been for our students and our programs, and we are looking forward to finishing strong and celebrating together as we head into summer ☀️

Last Thursday, Upper Elementary went on a field trip to Blue Hole in Georgetown. There was time for nature journaling and observing the beauty of the San Gabriel River. Special thanks to the parents who were able to chaperone.