In this joyful episode, hear why Efren Renteria, the parent who produces the Blue and Gold Chat podcast, loves volunteering at the school where his son is happy, and where he and his wife make meaningful community connections.
Gayle:
Y’all, today is an extra special episode. Today’s topic is joy. I think Noble Academy is well known for our success helping students with learning differences through our academics, and that makes us all proud, but so does the joy of this community. And also, today is special because the parent behind the scenes of our podcast, who makes it possible, Mr. Efren Renteria, will not be just behind the scenes today. He graciously agreed to let me interview him about the joy that he finds, and contributes, to Noble Academy.
Gayle:
So the point of this podcast is to showcase what a special place Noble Academy is. And we've talked about this before, but I think one of the largest factors in making it such a wonderful, successful school is the people. And you and I have talked to a lot of people about their deep ties to the school and the way that Noble relationships have helped them and their families. Every story has been unique and impactful to me, and I thought today we could begin by talking about a family that particularly impressed me this year. Anytime there's a joyful event or a community effort of any kind, this family's involved, lending a hand, cheering loudly, bringing ideas, asking good questions, setting up for events, and being on this podcast. And, of course, that's your family. So I was wondering if you could begin this episode today by saying a little about each of you and your relationship and connection to Noble.
Efren:
Well, thank you, ma'am, for having me on. My son, Gabe, has been here since 6th grade, so this is his 4th year now here at Noble, and has a great time. He came from public schools, was diagnosed at the end of 3rd grade with dyslexia, dysgraphia. And he did alright in 4th 5th grade, but he had help with IEPs and 504 plans that he had there. But it was one of the things we had heard that middle school is a bit of a, you know, they get lost in, you know, the school because there's a lot of kids there that way. So we looked at something else. Found Noble, ironically, it's in our backyard. We live 5 minutes from here, so we didn't know we knew of it, but didn't know what it did. So, we toured it, loved it, and has been here ever since and has had a great time. My wife, Bea, she was the one who found it. She's a bit of an introvert in our family. I'm more of an extrovert clearly. I'm all over the place.So she wanted to be involved, but because she's an introvert, she was like, well, I'll just send you. I'll voluntold you so you can go do stuff. I said, okay. And it's one of those things that once you get in here, you, like you said, you get hooked. I mean, it's fantastic.I I enjoy doing stuff obviously for my son to be here with him, but all the kids have such a great time. They have such joy on their faces. They're so happy to be here. So it's infectious. When I come to volunteer, I end up doing one thing and then volunteer for something else and something else. And then before I know it, I'm volunteering half of my time here, and I I love it. So it's fantastic.
Gayle:
So when you talk about volunteering half your time, I know last night, I saw you at the basketball game.
Efren:
Yes, ma'am.
Gayle:
And I could hear your wife, loudest cheerleader of all.
Efren:
She was.
Gayle:
What were you doing at the game?
Efren:
So I was running the scoreboard, and also keeping the scorebook for last night for the high school team. And then since I was laughing about volunteering for something else, I got volunteered to help with a new news section group club, I think is what it is.
Gayle:
Yeah. Like sports media?
Efren:
Yeah. Sports media. And I was helping those boys with a camera getting them set up and microphones getting them set up and whatnot. That way before my volunteering duty for the basketball game started, so I was helping do a little bit of both things last night.
Gayle:
Y'all surely make soccer look like a lot of fun. You do soccer out better than anybody.
Efren:
Yeah. We had a good time. It's our first time doing soccer, at a high school level. So, you know, like you mentioned earlier, I love being an outward guy. In my free time, I'm in a little bluegrass band so I have all audio equipment and stuff with that way. And in 6th grade, I asked one of the coaches, said, hey. Do you mind if I bring music to to play this? I said, well, what do you mean?
I said, just like before the game starts and at halftime just so the kids have something to listen to. I was like, yeah, we'd love that. So that's how I started doing that. And I just carried it over to doing it with high school soccer, and we would play music before the game starts. And as the halftime goes on just to get the kids excited And just so there's not just a lull where there's just the kids are kicking the ball and stuff.
So we have a good time with them and doing those things. And even in the high school games I've started doing basketball, we'll do music during timeouts and music during halftime and stuff just to help out. Just so the kids can truly get you know, that's one thing that I know we've commented before at the podcast about what do you think they miss out on having a big high school experience of marching bands and music and stuff with that way. We don't have to have that, you know, big experiences, but we still give. I love giving the kids big experiences that way of doing starting lineup for the basketball games or doing senior nights for the high school teams and stuff and doing music for the kids just to give them that experience that, hey, we might not be at a big school, but we're gonna give you a big time. You know, I love doing that for them.
Gayle:
And I think you're leaving out something important that you do for the school.
Efren:
I do also, I'm the man behind the curtain doing the podcast and stuff with Gayle. I'm just the technical guy. I work in IT. So to me, this is no work. This is fun. I enjoy this aspect of helping out with this and getting Noble's name and what they do out there in the world.
Gayle:
Have you had any takeaways, any moments during podcasting this school year, or favorite things that you heard that really you could relate to?
Efren:
You know, a lot of times I hear these, you know, the podcast 3 or 4 times before we get out there in the public sector. But every time going back and listening to Anne and Adelle's story, you know, talking about, you know, Adele even commented this to her and Paul, her husband, you know, when her recording the video of Nicholas and sent it to her family and stuff, and they just were in amazement. And, Anne, you know, we can't be so excited about Dani getting into Salem College and then the struggles of going through it that way. It's you re-live the struggles that you've had with your child, but you get an overwhelming sense of relief that all the struggles, all the difficulties have led them to where they are today. And it's and it's an ideal spot and you feel the sense of relief for them and you're proud that they found Noble for themselves and for their child.
Gayle:
How do you feel as a dad of a high school kid listening to our alums who are young adults now in careers or whatever?
Efren:
I will definitely tell you: with me, that was the one concern that I had after Gabe got done with high school. It's like, well, how would he be out in the regular world? So it's great listening, you know, to some of the former alums like, you know, Eric Gall, who now is a teacher here who's, you know, done great. Jalen, who's an urban planner and stuff and advocating for himself at college because he got that experience here and got that confidence of what to ask for when he didn't understand something. Something even like Michelle's son, Zach, you know, talking about how he did school, but it wasn't a fit for him. But he was driven to do something that way and got his plumber certificate. So that's given me a sense of relief that, okay, well, when he gets out there in the regular world, my, you know, my sense and concern has kind of been put at ease somewhat because they've done stuff for themselves.
Gayle:
You also left out a few other things you do, like PFA.
Efren:
I do also volunteer with the PFA. Next year, I'll be the president. So that'll be another added feather in my cap, I guess, shall we say.
Gayle:
And what does PFA stand for?
Efren:That is the Parent Faculty Association. And we help the school because it's a, you know, small school, which is great. But a lot of teachers, they do enough themselves. So any shortfalls or anything that need to be volunteered for or events that need to be run or any fundraising needs to be done, we as the parents take it on ourselves to do it and help out.
Gayle:
Is there any moment in PFA that comes to mind that has been special or meaningful or impactful or something that you just really have a lot of fun with?
Efren:
I always love the two things that we do. I love doing the picnic in the fall in September, and that's always a good time to meet and greet the new parents who have never who, you know, who are new to the school and the returning parents. It's good seeing them after the summer break. That's always a fun event because the kids are joyous and they're having a good time with it. Well, I love that for the interaction.
But my favorite moment favorite moments, because I've done it now, this is the 4th year I've done it, is on the 1st day of school with the PFA, we set up a table up here at the corner of the building, and we do a coffee meet and greet for the you know, the 1st day of school is always tough for the parents. You know, you're sad because your kids are going away from, you know, from home and stuff after Summer break. And you can tell the new parents who are new to the no book experience, they don't know what to expect. So a lot of us who return as parents will tell them, hey, look. Don't worry about it.
You'll enjoy it. Your kids will enjoy it that way. And let me tell you a funny story. And they said, well, what do you mean? I said, “By October, you'll be lost because you don't know what to do.” And they are like, “Well what do you mean?” I said, “Not lost in a bad way, but you've gotten so used to advocating for your children. You get here and you don't worry about the phone call coming from school. You don't worry about – gosh, I didn't think I was gonna tear up… But, you know, you don't worry about “Is my kid okay?” because you can just be a parent.” And all the times I've done for 4 years that I've done it, every parent that I talk with, they always tear up and they get that sense of relief on their face like, “Oh my gosh. It really is like that. It really is.” That's my favorite.
Gayle:
I wonder if you getting that time back that I can relate to as a parent. You know, I have a son with a lot of learning differences, and my phone rang a lot, and I knew that panic in my body, and I know how much time it took going to endless meetings.
I wonder if that in part inspires you to give all the time you give because you don't have to have that time of all the stress that you had in public schools. Now you can instead replace those bad hours with happy hours.
You know, until listening to you now, I didn't think about that aspect, but you put it that way crystallizes it for me. Yes. Because it's one of the things that I don't have to worry about, Oh my gosh. Is my kid okay? I can truly just show up, be a parent, and do all this time to not volunteer because it is a fun environment. I enjoy being here. But you're absolutely right. It is just you can get that time back to then be a parent and enjoy the volunteering opportunities and stuff with it that way. So yeah.
Gayle:
I think that you bring a lot of joy. You, your son, your wife, your family brings a lot of joy to Noble. And if you don't mind talking about Gabe for just a minute, if you don't think he'd mind, what do you think he finds fun within the noble community?
Efren:
Well, I know the one thing with him that I remark every year, he was a bit of an introverted kid. You know, his personality was good, so he always made friends. If they put him in a situation, that's what would, you know, buoy him through his personality of being outward, so he wouldn't love those. But with school, he always got frustrated. If he wasn't gonna think he was gonna be successful at it, he wouldn't try it, which broke my heart because to me, I'm learning through experience.
You know, I just because I get to the end, that's great, but I learn through the journey of doing something. He definitely has grown more, and he's done more things with sports. You know, he's been more of an advocate for himself. Last couple of years, he's even gone and has volunteered to provide shadow visits for kids who come do visits of Noble and even given tours of to the new students who they've come in, which is something I never would have seen him do when he started because he's much more comfortable in his level of knowledge and experience of the school, and what he can advocate for the school is good. So it gives him that comfort to be out there and be like, yeah, I'd love to talk about Noble, what they've done for me, and how it'll help your son or daughter when they come to school here.
And that I love seeing that in him because, you know, most kids are shy. They don't wanna be out there, but he loves doing those things because of the confidence that it's given him being here at Noble.
Gayle:
Do you think that there's anything Bea would say she particularly finds fun in the Noble community?
Efren:
The one thing that she remarks and has commented several times to me is, finding a community amongst the mothers and the parents. You know, with me, I love talking to all their dads and stuff because we just talk about sports and stuff.
That's great. But she relies a lot on the friends groups that she's made with all the other moms of high school boys and other, you know, moms that we've had for the last 3 years of or 4 years now with Gabe being here, you know, that if something's going on where she needs a kind word, she's having a bit of struggle at work or at home or something with Gabe or just something in life, she can rely on those friends that she's made, with the other moms and stuff, you know, like Anne and Adele with the you know, each other just sometimes texting each other or even humor, just, you know, something to get you through a day.
They talk to each other all the time. And there's another boy who's a freshman that we've known for the last 3 years, and, you know, their moms are really good with, you know, really good friends with my wife. So they have a great time. So they do hang out outside of doing stuff with the boys and stuff with that way just as moms would do and his friends would do and stuff with that way. So they enjoy hanging out with each other.
Gayle:
Do you have any extended family talk about Noble, or has anybody in your extended family asked you about Noble or questioned why you do Noble? Anything like that you wanna share?
Efren:
So at the beginning when we started doing the process and a lot of the people were just like, “Well, isn't that expensive?”
I said, “Yeah. It is. But, you know, when you have kids, you'll do anything for them because that's what you do as a parent.” So that aside, we've had people just like, “Well, why take them out of public schools?” We were products of public schools, and we've done well.
And I said, “Yeah. We have done well,” I said, “but we are not our kids. You know, our kids are completely different. You know, like my son learns completely differently than I did, and stuff that way.”
And now as his experiences have come here with Noble in the last 4 years he's been here, seeing kids do certain things, carry themselves in certain ways, I find myself thinking, “Oh my gosh. I wonder if I have a bit of ADHD?” or some things that way, or sometimes I'll get troubled up or, you know, we'll get a little bit of transposing numbers or words and stuff. So I'm sure I have something in, you know, with me that way. And I stop and think, well, I'm glad that we brought him here because it's something that, you know, when we tell them the struggles that we've had and what you would get in public schools, they say, “Oh, yeah. It totally makes sense.”
And now that he's been here for, you know, going on his 4th year, and they ask him, “How's it going?” He said straight A's every year he's been here. And they were like, oh my gosh. Really? I said, yeah.
I said, “He did well in public schools,” I said, “Yeah. But if he got frustrated, you would see him shut down. He doesn't have that here. When he gets frustrated, he advocates, okay, ‘What have I got to do to make this better?’ He'll reach out to a teacher, and he'll have that communication with teachers. And they'll give him, ‘Okay, well, have you tried this way? Have you tried looking at it this way?’”
And we'll give them a different perspective to view something, and we'll relay a story to a family who questions, “Well, why do you guys take him out of public school?” We'll tell the story. Or even before we get it out, Gabe will say, “Oh, no. I love it there because I'm doing this and I'm doing these things. And in sports, I've had this opportunity to do different things.” So he advocates for himself, and he I don't wanna say, we'll quash their, you know, their questions about why you're doing it that way, but he's so excited.
And then they'll say, oh my gosh. He's much more confident. We see that that way now. We understand why you sent him there.
Gayle:
We are so glad that you are here and that Gabe is here and that Bea is here.
Efren:
Thank you.
Gayle:
Quite literally, I couldn’t tell the story of Noble Academy the way I do without Efren Renteria, and also, the story wouldn’t be the same without him, his wife Bea, and their son Gabe. For sports and celebrations and PFA and podcasting, the Renteria family is here for all the memory-making. The combination of time and love and joy that they pour into the school community exemplifies Noble pride. Thank you so much, Efren.