Suzana Pinsky
Principal, UMCA
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you and your family to the 2025-2026 school year at UMCA Rich Tree Academy!
A special welcome to our new students, we wish you all a meaningful, successful and enriching learning experience.
This year, we are even more excited as we welcome you to our new and beautiful location at the Kimel Family Education Center. When you will enter our new premises, you will find spacious corridors and classrooms, exciting and enriching activities, warm and welcoming staff and academic excellence across all subjects. While we have been eagerly preparing for the opening of school on Tuesday September 3, 2024, we hope that your summer has been restful and enjoyable.
I look forward to personally welcoming you to UMCA
“From the seeds of friendship, mighty oaks of achievement grow.”
UMCA began its journey in 2003 with just a few young children in preschool and the early grades. Year by year, our school grew, welcoming new families and teachers who brought creativity, fresh ideas, and a love for learning.
Together, we created memorable traditions: Anton Chekhov Week with Russian plays; shows like “How to Become a Millionaire,” and cross-curricular annual festivals engaging the entire school, including Everything about Infinity, Leonardo da Vinci, Number Pi, Ancient Greece and Mission to Mars. Our exciting fashion shows and field trips enriched students’ experiences — from an inspiring trip to Paris to a Shakespeare festival performance on stage in Moscow in 2013.
In 2014, UMCA proudly opened its high school, was granted the ability to provide official credits, and welcomed international students into our community. The number of high school courses has since tripled, attracting more students seeking a high-quality, well-rounded education.
In 2018 with the move to the bright, spacious JCC building, we expanded further — opening after-school clubs like chess, sports, computers, French Café, and extra academic support. Our community spirit grew through family events, including unforgettable graduations, sports competitions between students and parents, and art gallery events where students and families showcase their artwork. Even during COVID-19, UMCA never closed its doors, ensuring students continued online learning without interruption.
Today, over 20 years later, UMCA is a thriving school with around 350 students and more than 60 dedicated teachers and staff. From a small beginning to a strong, successful community, we look forward to the future with gratitude, vision, and confidence, continuing to inspire every student to shine. Our alumni have gone on to succeed in universities and careers around the world, based on the strong foundation they received at UMCA.
With gratitude for our past and confidence in our future, we continue to grow with a clear vision and a bright mission: to make learning a joyful, lifelong journey.
