I’m all in

I moved my family here to Pacifica from Oakland just for Ocean Shore School (OSS). We were looking at private schools for our oldest of 3 at the time. My godson was attending OSS and I fell in love with the school.

I had never seen a school like this before. Parents were using their skills in unison to give the students hands on learning. A tech dad was teaching coding, and still volunteers there today, and this was 20 years ago. A family of scientists taught science. Parents that were artists taught art.

Kids walked around school with dozens of parents greeting them in the halls by first names both student and teachers. Literally the magic brought me to tears that me and my children could be a part of this! I’m all in!

So we put our house up for sale in Oakland, bought one of the two homes for sale at the time in Pacifica, that we could not afford, and because it was a magnet district it didn’t need to be in Manor.

We were officially 7th on the waiting list for OSS. I went everyday to the office trying to sell myself, “I’ll work for free, I’ll drive every field trip, I have a ridiculous amount of skills to contribute.” Patricia was getting to know me.

“Well let’s see, you’re still 7th Tanya.” “That’s ok, see you tomorrow Patricia, bye Mr, Lorenzan.” I was not able to call him Mark yet. Ands that’s how it went. Two days before the school year started we officially got in, which is good because I had no backup plan.

I quickly kept my promise, becoming field trip coordinator and jumping right in. 20 years later, all four of my children have gone through this program. I continue to take on multiple volunteer jobs every year, I’ve taught the middle school yearbook team as a volunteer teacher and have taught over 200 students, who I still see, because when I said i was all in. I meant I am all in!

I still live in the same house I can’t afford. And I’ve built a life and family here, but not in the house my family sleeps in, but the house at 411 Oceana Blvd. That’s where my heart lives.

Now saying that they could move Ocean Shore’s hands on experiential learning program to anywhere, I will follow and continue to try to preserve this magic for generations to come. But breaking the program into two pieces, separating teachers that work their programs together. Because even though they are Kinder teachers and 8th grade teachers they collaborate to teach, both grades together. It shows the kinders that the oldest kids in the school are kind, gentle and will help you pick books from the library, read to you, and say hi to you on the play yard. That is a priceless gift.

The kindness, patience and compassion we have just taught both kinder and 8th graders didn’t start with us teaching our 8th graders to be kind humans. It came from 7 years prior when they were a little impressionable kinder who had an 8th grade buddy who was kind, gentle and patient and they said, I can’t wait till I’m a big kid like that. And I can’t wait be that for another student one day. They don’t know it at the time. But 7 years of that example set by the parents, teachers and peers. That is just who they become.

From the Ohana to all,
Tanya Perio Guido
Mother of Justice Dumlao 27 yrs (Alumnus and volunteer), Christian Guido 21 yrs (Alumnus and volunteer), Vincent Guido 19 yrs (Alumnus and volunteer), Dominic Guido 11yrs (6th grader ready to be that mentor like his siblings)
And adopted Auntie to 196 more Ocean Shore students