Welcome to the BEST SUMMER EVER!
Giving children an upbeat and energetic environment to thrive creatively, socially, and emotionally. Developing the youth today so they can succeed tomorrow. This is what Oakhill Fully Charged will provide to over 130 campers and counting! Do not miss your chance to let your student be a part of a truly memorable summer ahead.
Our summer website contains all the information about our camp, including dates, fees, field trips, counselors, and more! Other questions can be answered by sending an email to Camp Director Taylor Clevenger.
Our first full week of camp starts June 3rd! We will be taking our first field trips, days to the pool and many other adventures around the school. Sign up online, email Taylor Clevenger, or just show up with some campers ready to have a good time!
A camper last year told us,
I think my camp is the best... because it is!
Let your child come experience why we stand by this exact statement!
We truly believe that this summer will be one your campers will never forget!
Sincerely,
The Fully Charged Team!
Help us reach our goal!
Summer is here, but it's not too late to give an end of the school year gift to the Annual Fund. The Annual Fund is an essential piece of our annual budget because it bridges the gap between what you pay in tuition dollars and the actual cost to Oakhill to educate your child. Every year, your generosity has helped us reach our Annual Fund goals. Let's not let this year be the year we don't succeed!
At this time, 52% of Oakhill Families have made a gift to the Annual Fund, and we have currently raised $76,066 of our goal of $150,000! We don't have much further to go, and we know we can reach 100% by June 30!
We understand that giving looks different for every family. It doesn't matter if you give $50 or $50,000 we want you to be 1 of our 100% of families who believe in the academics and nurturing that Oakhill provides each of its students every day. Please donate today!
If you have any questions about Annual Giving or any of the other fundraising we do here at Oakhill, please don't hesitate to ask. Contact Rebecca DiGerlamo
We will have lunch all summer camp long! Place your orders (required for all ages) through Boonli exactly like during the school year. The link is http://ods.boonli.com. You can use your existing account, you will just need to switch your classroom to Summer Camp in the account settings. New users can use the password ODS1 to sign up for a new account.
If you have any questions please feel free to email the kitchen staff!
Summer Hours and Emails
Questions over the summer?
No worries! Our team is still available to help out!
The school phone will be answered weekdays from 8 am to 4 pm.
The Administration will be in office over the summer. Feel free to send an email to the department you need to get in touch with - everyone will be checking their emails regularly!
Admissions - admissions@oakhilldayschool.org
Communications - communications@oakhilldayschool.org
Development - development@oakhilldayschool.org
Finance - finance@oakhilldayschool.org
Alerts
Summer is a great time to clear out your alerts! Chances are, you signed up for classroom, Kids' Club, athletics, or other alerts during this school year! Log into your HUB account and manage your subscriptions!
Summer Opportunities for 5th-8th Grade Girls' Volleyball
Beginning the first week of June (Wednesday, June 5th - 3:45pm - 4:45pm), we will hold Girls Volleyball Open Gyms on an every other week basis for 1-hour each session. Coach Summer is excited for the opportunity to get some of the girls who are interested in playing next fall into the gym to get some extra practice in! This is a great opportunity for our students entering the 5th grade who have not played volleyball to come and try it out before practices begin in the fall. This is also a great opportunity for all our returning players to get a head start on training prior to the first practice in August. The informational packet attached has a lot of information to answer questions you may have.
If you are interested in summer open gyms or in participating in Girls Volleyball in the fall, please click on the link below to open up the Informational Packet. Coach Summer is excited to begin working with your child and hopes to see a lot of our student-athletes over the summer.
Girls' Volleyball Summer Information
Summer Opportunities for 4th-8th Grade Cross Country
Beginning the second week of June (Wednesday, June 12th - 4:30pm - 5:30pm), we will hold Cross Country Open Runs (4th - 8th Grades Only) on an every other week basis for 45-minutes each session. Coach Clevenger is excited for the opportunity to get some of our runners who are interested in Cross Country next fall started training this summer! This is a great opportunity for our students entering the 4th grade who have not run Cross Country to come and try it out before practices begin in the fall. This is also a great opportunity for all our returning runners to get a head start on training prior to the first practice in August. The informational packet attached has a lot of information to answer questions you may have.
If you are interested in summer open runs or in participating in Cross Country in the fall, please click on the link below to open up the Informational Packet. Coach Clevenger is excited to begin working with your child and hopes to see a lot of our student-athletes over the summer.
Cross Country Summer Information
Physicals
Don't forget! If your 4th through 8th-grade student wants to participate in fall sports, we must have a sports physical on file before the first day of practice. The standard MSHSAA physical form will be accepted, as well as the Oakhill physical form, which can be found here.
It's hard to believe that the school year has wrapped up and we are getting ready for Summer Camp to open Friday! This year has been one for the record books!
I haven't been in this new role of Admissions Director quite a year, but what a great year it has been! I have enjoyed continuing to share Oakhill with new families while building relationships with our current families. As this school year closes, it is a great time to reflect on our connections at Oakhill.
With our 8th Grade Graduation last week, we had many families who are seeing a close to their time on our campus. Some of these families have been at Oakhill for almost 20 years. Some of these families have Lower and Middle School students who are continuing in their older siblings footsteps, while a few are starting again with young ones. Our 2019 Eighth Grade class consisted of 6 students who were from Board of Trustee Families and 7 students who were Oakhill staff families. Many of our graduating Alumni are getting married and some are seeing their kids look towards an Oakhill experience.
The 2018-2019 School Year saw record numbers, amazing accomplishments, and a multitude of lifelong memories. Here are some highlights:
- We had our largest student body to date!
- We enrolled 94 new students.
- We had full Toddler, Preschool and Kindergarten classes with large wait lists.
- Oakhill made the announcement of our new PreToddler program with students starting this fall as young as 18 months and the addition of a 2-day Preschool classroom.
- Our current Kindergarten students hosted the first Taste of Kindergarten to Prekindergarten students, both Oakhill and prospective.
- Our Track and Field Team took 1st Place at the City Championship.
- Our Eighth Graders helped design planning for the future performing arts center in Gladstone.
- One of our Middle School teams took 4th place at the Future Cities Regional contest at K-State.
- Our Third Graders planned, designed, and planted an amazing butterfly and native garden that the community helped fund through donations for Acorn Day.
- We graduated 22 Eighth Graders who are heading to various high schools, not only in Kansas City but also Arizona.
- We graduated 30 Kindergarten students who are excited about 1st Grade.
- The Oakhill Annual Auction not only came back to campus with rave reviews, but was also the highest grossing yet!
...and so much more!
For me personally, the 2019-2020 school year will bring many changes to my family. I have a son finishing his Oakhill career and another well into the thick of Middle School here. It excites me to imagine the families I've become close with this year through the admissions process getting to the point of their students becoming an Oakhill graduate.
When one amazing school year ends, another begins. I am grateful to be on this journey with you!
Dear Parents,
Thank you for another great school year. We all tend to get a little sappy this time of year. Sad to see the school year come to an end, happy for the students to have a fun-filled summer break, and already excited about a new school year which is only about ten weeks away!
With summer vacation actually here, I want to take this opportunity to tell you how proud I am of our students... from our "not so little anymore" Toddlers to our freshly graduated 8th graders (now high schoolers)! All of our students are ready for the transition as they move from one grade to the next, or in some cases, from one division to the next.
This time of year brings great pride, a little anxiety, quite a bit of apprehension, and a ton of excitement. I believe the end of a school year is a true measure of time, and for parents and teachers, it can be an emotional roller coaster. With another school year "in the books", please give your child a big hug and tell him or her just how proud you are!!!
Each year, at 8th-grade graduation, we say goodbye to some families who have been here for 12+ years. This year, we say goodbye to a family who has spent 21 years at Oakhill with their 4 children! To all of the families who have ended their journey at Oakhill, thank you for sharing your child/ren with us! We are truly honored.
I look forward to preparing for the 19/20 school year...more excitement and growth to come!
Suzanne
Each spring, the middle school spends one morning recognizing the achievements of its students throughout the school year.
Mission Possible Projects
The morning begins with the presentations of the eighth grade Mission Possible Projects, a year-long culmination of service learning, writing, research, and community involvement. These MPPs are the capstone of the Oakhill experience - the opportunity for our students to combine their passions, talents, and all the knowledge they have gained into a single project to share with the entire community. They have the ability to teach and inspire their peers while highlighting their accomplishments to the teachers who guided them through their Oakhill journey. Their hard work is truly impressive to see. This year's projects included Boeing, Oceana, PostSecret, the National Park Service, Polaris, Children's Mercy Hospital, and many other wonderful organizations around the world. All of the presentations have been loaded onto YouTube to be watched and shared.
Academic Award Ceremony
"Next to excellence is the appreciation of it." - William Makespace Thackery
After the MPP presentations have concluded, the entire middle school gathers in the gym for our annual Academic Awards Ceremony. Teachers from every subject come together to discuss the accomplishments of individuals to be recognized in front of friends and parents. We recognize the gifts each child brings to our school community and how grateful we have been to be a small part of their journey in life. This year's award winners can be viewed below.
Art Award: The Art Award is preset to a 7th or 8th-grade student for excellence in art. This year the award goes to Mary-Kathryn Wert.
PE Award: The PE Award is presented to a 7th or 8th-grade student that participates to the best of their ability on a consistent basis, follows the rules of the sport or game, and is a true team player. This year the award goes to Ryan Dodson.
Science Award: The science award is to be given to a 7th or 8th-grade student for curiosity and determination in scientific investigations. This student lives and breathes science. This year the award goes to Spenser Nash.
Infinity Award: The Infinity Award is presented to a 7th or 8th-grade student who has demonstrated a desire to recognize the incredible opportunities that are created by diversity, kindness, and the richness of culture across our planet. They also strive to provide a 'hand up' and not a hand-out. This year the award goes to Kylee Carlson ad Mary-Kathryn Wert.
Spanish Award: Dedicated to the entire 8th-grade class for their dedication, determination, diligence, inquisitive minds, and bravery in learning a foreign language.
Communication Arts Award: The Communication Arts Award is presented to 7th or 8th-grade students for excellence in Communication Arts. This year the award will be shared. Please congratulate Regan Miller and Ava McNellis.
Yearbook Award: This year a student has actively and enthusiastically participated for all four years of middle school. She was an excellent leader, contributed outstanding ideas, and encouraged others. We are grateful for her commitment and expertise. Please help me in congratulating Madeline Smith.
Math Award: The math award is presented to a 7th or 8th-grade student for excellence in mathematics. This year the award goes to Wain Guo.
Pioneer in Technology Award: According to the dictionary, a pioneer is a person who begins or helps develop something new and then prepares the way for others to follow. From coding to animation to video creation and editing, this year's recipient is always doing something creative and innovative with tech and is always willing to share her work and skills with those around her. Congratulations to Ava Mallams as this year's recipient of The Pioneer In Technology award.
Drama Award: The drama award is presented to a 7th or 8th-grade student for excellence in drama. This year the award is presented to Grace Clark, Addie Kimmerle, and Jonas Beckham.
Music Award: The music award is presented to a 7th or 8th-grade student for excellence in music. This year's award is presented to Mary Kathryn Wert, Addie Kimmerle, and Grace Clark.
Excellence in Social Studies Award: The social studies award is presented to a 7th or 8th-grade student for excellence in Social Studies. This year the award will be shared. Please congratulate Griffin Gregg, Shawn Walden, Ella Kramer, and Izzy Mountjoy.
Leadership Award: These two students were selected for modeling positive student leadership in the classroom, on the court, and beyond. They lead with kindness, respect, gratitude, and the right attitude. This year the leadership award goes to Kylee Carlson and Sam Brown.
Helen Wills Award for Citizenship: To be a good citizen you have to be a good person. That means that you show respect, you have a great attitude, you help others out, you are responsible, and you follow the rules. There are three students who truly live the Oakhill life-skills and are therefore our winners. They are Regan Miller, Carmela Pollina, and Mary-Kathryn Wert.
Panther Pride Award: The Panther Pride Award will be given to a 7th or 8th-grade student or students that have embraced everything Oakhill. This year the Panther Pride Award goes to Ryan Dodson, Emma Dake, and Georgia Carter.
Sunshine Award: We could all do with a little more sunshine in our lives and every day there are people who go above and beyond to brighten the lives of those around them. This year the SUNSHINE AWARD will be shared by two 8th grade students whose infectious smiles light up a room. Congratulations to Mason Brown and Ava Kirkpatrick.
Pleasant Panther Award: Friendly, respectful, lovely, good-natured, agreeable, nice, likable. These are all synonyms of the word pleasant. This year the PLEASANT PANTHER AWARD goes to Nadia Kisela-Mitchell.
Student Athlete Award: The student-athlete award goes to a 7th or 8th-grade student who has shown the ability to maintain excellence in the classroom while positively contributing to their team. This year the award with be shared. Please congratulate Lauren Holloway and Thai Nguyen.
Top Scholar Award: The top scholar award is an award given to a 7th or 8th-grade student for overall academic excellence and strong character. This year the Top Scholar Award goes to Griffin Gregg and Jonas Beckham.
Middle School Cup: We selected these girls for their humility, quiet leadership, and ability to take a tough situation and handle it with grace and dignity. See, over their MS years, these girls have had their medical challenges. The great thing is that they never ever dwelled on them or let them define them. They kept their chins up and continued to make positive contributions by sharing their many talents with our ODS community. They are friends to all and champion the underdog. They stand up for what is right, even when it is not popular. They are wise beyond their years and it is for these reasons we would like to recognize Grace Clark, Julia Holmes, and Ava Mallams as our Faculty Award – the MS Cup – this year.
Other groups recognized: iBuild Showcase finalists, Kansas City Science and Engineering Fair participants, Future City finalists, Presidential Service Award recipients, Recycling team, Quiz Bowl team, MAS Mentors, MathCounts Competition, Math League participants, Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics participants, Middle School Choir, Garage Band, Cast and Crew of the Sound of Music, Geography Bee, Debate Team, Scripps Spelling Bee, Student Ambassadors, Student Council, National Junior Honor Society, and Pep Club.
Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Classroom Grant Report
For Claudia Feaster of Missouri, William Boydston Chapter
Narrative of Spending:
It has been a goal of mine for a few years to add new resources to our Library so that our students can check out electronic books (E-books) and digital audiobooks from our Library. We have a wide range of reading interests as well as reading levels. In addition to this, students have various preferences on "how" they read ~ whether they listen to an audiobook; read the book electronically on their computer, smartphone, or tablet; or read a good old-fashioned paperbound book. Up to this point, we have only been able to offer our students actual books, with a few audiobooks on CD available as well. It is going to be wonderful to have more options for our students to read their favorite books.
I am ordering 21 digital audio books, 11 Ebooks, and 3 CD audiobooks. This will give us 35 new titles in our Library ~ some of these titles we have in book format as well, and some of them are brand new. This will give our students more formats to choose from and more fun books to read. Our total order comes to $1,042.92 and the $500 from the Helen Pouch Memorial Fund Classroom Grant will help make the whole project possible. We have some funds in our Library account that will cover the difference in the cost for all of the books. Since I am introducing something new and different with these resources, it is nice to have so many to offer from the start. It wouldn't be as much fun for them to try it out if I was only able to purchase a handful of new books. This way more students can give them a try and help spread the word.
Narrative of Impact of Grant:
I love to listen to audiobooks that I download on my phone. I have the books with me all the time and I especially love listening to them in my car. I have some CD audiobooks in the Library, but they require access to a CD player and many students don't have that. It is going to be much more convenient for them to listen to the digital audiobooks. While listening to audiobooks is certainly a wonderful way to enjoy a story, it also serves a greater purpose for students who might struggle with reading a traditional book. Listening is often more enjoyable for them and they are able to get more from the whole story when they don't have to think about the reading process and their lack of confidence in it. They can just simply enjoy the story and that is such a gift. Listening to an audiobook can also improve their comprehension of the story ~ especially when they listen as well as read the book.
I have always known and appreciated the benefits of listening to audiobooks and when I had one of my 7th-grade students write me a letter requesting that we have more audiobooks in the Library to help with students who have learning difficulties, I was inspired to complete my goal of adding new the resources. The opportunity for this grant came along at just the right time and we are so grateful for the money to get this done. These resources will be enjoyed for years to come and will be a pleasure as well as a learning benefit for so many students.
Identify the number of students and the other classrooms in your district (school) that will be impacted by your grant.
I am the Library Coordinator for both Libraries at Oakhill and I teach the 4th-8th-grade Library classes. I submitted the application for this grant on behalf of all of the students who can use these wonderful resources. We have 188 students in the 1st through 4th grades this year and these resources will be available to all of them. We will use the majority of them for our Middle School students since they will be very proficient in using the electronic and digital resources independently. Our classroom teachers will also be able to utilize these books in their classrooms.
Congratulations to Oakhill Alumna and recent Cornell College graduate ~ Gabby Ferro ~ and new fiancé Austin Dyer on their engagement. We wish you all the best!
Why choose an independent private education?
By choosing an independent private education, you have the opportunity to choose a school whose philosophy, values, and teaching style fit your child. Independent private schools can also offer your family small class sizes, excellent teachers, and high academic standards.
Oakhill Day School is a place where children discover themselves as learners in a community where they feel valued and known. We invite you to learn more about the active learning that happens here!