With your support, we can rebuild better than before and bring the Student Commons to the Upper Campus. We have a rare opportunity to rebuild in a manner that accentuates our identity, our connection to the outdoors, and our sense of community, while also innovating and enhancing our academic program, thus elevating OVS to a leadership position among independent schools globally.
OVS provides a challenging “learn by doing” education that is at once stimulating for students and academically rigorous in preparing them for higher education. Co-curricular activities such as athletics, riding, camping, backcountry exploration, and hands-on environmental science broaden students’ horizons while building confidence in their ability to face and master the challenges of life.
Such a challenge was the disastrous Thomas Fire that roared into our high school campus from the Upper Ojai, destroying the Grace Hobson Smith House and the Lucila Arango Science and Technology Center. In the resilient spirit of OVS the entire school community near and far made a commitment to reopen for the spring semester and continue the academic program right where it was interrupted. This determination was strongly supported by an immediate outpouring of generous contributions from alumni of every era, as well as parents and friends, to establish modular buildings as temporary dormitories and classrooms. We are grateful for the generosity of our OVS family – thank you.
While insurance will go a long way toward rebuilding the girls’ dormitory and technology center, current building requirements will add significant costs to both. We also have an opportunity to modestly expand these facilities and rebuild with a greater focus on green-building practices – advancing the school’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
As we rebuild, the Student Commons is needed now more than ever. Imagine what it will mean to Ojai Valley School to have a spacious dining room, a new library and student center set amid ensemble of academic and residential buildings at Upper Campus, providing an even better student experience for generations to come!
We hope you will join us in making this extraordinary vision a reality. A donation to the Campaign for Ojai Valley School will ensure our resident students get back in the dorm quickly and back into classrooms that will inspire and enhance their learning.
Michael J. Hall-Mounsey
President/CEO