Lower School

Have you ever wondered what you would do at night if you were a snowman? 2nd Grade has really brought out their imagination! 

Our kindergarten and first grade students visited Kauffman Stadium last week with Mrs. Thompson and took part in their Scholastic Victory Program experience. Mrs. Thompson helped organize STEM focused experiences for the students that connected back to Oakhill's science and math curriculum.

A new year brings new goals and aspirations. Our Lower School division students have been busy sharing their dreams for 2026! Through read alouds, projects, discussions, writing pieces and more, Lower School students want this year to be the best ever and they have been busy creating resolutions that set the bar high!

Gingerbread traditions have also made their way into kindergarten classrooms over the last few weeks, where students have been integrating this theme in reading, writing, science, and math.

Second grade students are strengthening their listening skills by learning to notate rhythms they hear, showing exciting growth in focus, practice, and music theory! 

Number sense is an important building block that leads into other math competencies, such as composing and decomposing numbers.

Second grade students researched Balloons Over Broadway and applied what they learned to design and create their own floats for a parade through Oakhill Day School!

First grade students explored Kandinsky’s abstract art and synesthesia by creating colorful circle designs inspired by music.

Did you know there are many types of Nouns? The Second Graders put their knowledge to the test during Noun Camp! 

Foreign exchange students from Guatemala are here at Oakhill by sharing their culture, participating in Spanish classes, and helping students practice language skills!

On November 11 we hosted the our annual ODS Spelling Bee following the Scripps National Spelling Bee format for the eighth time. Twelve spellers from grades 3-8 competed and left the audience and judges in awe of their determination and skill! 

Oakhill Day School values education both inside and outside of the classroom. In the Living Lab, students have the opportunity to experience real-world, nature-based education through observation, exploration, planting, harvesting, and by being garden stewards. All students are provided opportunities to explore and learn in the Living Lab. Take a look at how the curriculum comes to life and expands as in this outdoor space from Early Childhood to Middle School. 

Oakhill students transform into chefs each month with Mrs. Thompson. Early Childhood, Lower School, and Intermediate students all help prepare easy, tasty seasonal recipes that can be replicated at home!

Need to know the Spanish Alphabet? We have some students who could help you!

We are excited to announce the upcoming Oakhill Day School Spelling Bee, an official qualifying event for the Mid-Continent Regional Spelling Bee and ultimately the Scripps National Spelling Bee. All students in grades 3-8 are eligible to participate.

First grade is learning the language Italian but with temp terms in music! 

The corn is almost as high as an elephant's eye in the living lab and kindergarten is excited to be a part of the growing process! Each year, the Oakhill kindergarten students study corn as an on-going thematic unit, incorporating science, math, and communication arts skills.

Third graders recently completed their fourth book report projects of the year. Each quarter the third grade students choose a book to read independently. Over the school year, students have created and presented cereal box reports, paper bag book reports, biography posters and most recently they created shoebox dioramas about their favorite scenes.

Kindergarten students recently wrapped up their Eggs and Chicks thematic unit. During this monthlong unit, kindergarten students put their scientific skills to use! 

The first graders recently took a field trip to the Coterie Theatre at Crown Center to see the play Cinderella: A Salsa Fairy Tale.

It was all a buzz in kindergarten this week! On April 23 the kindergarten classes hosted Cory and Katie Alsip, owners of Alsip Acres Honey and parents of Hailey and Dylan Alsip. They brought with them not only knowledge and delicious honey samples, but also the honey makers themselves, honey bees!

The kindergarten classrooms have started incubating eggs! This year there are three incubators in total with one being in the science lab for all students to see!

On Tuesday, April 1, the first graders took a field trip with Mrs. Thompson to Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area. They enjoyed learning about many creepy crawly animals and insects through the program Missouri’s Creepiest Residents.

The kindergarten students have been busy learning all about nonfiction books this quarter. Their learning began by investigating many different nonfiction books. 

Last year at this time, Mrs. Thompson and I were packing our bags for an unforgettable professional development trip to Alaska. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Mike and Karen Morris, we attended the Iditarod EDU Conference, visited veteran musher Travis Neal’s Turning Heads Kennel, watched vet checks, and even got to meet the Iditarod veterinarians who care for the sled dogs along the trail.

The Lower School students enjoyed a field trip to the Kauffman Center of the Performing Arts this week to see KinderKonzerts: Weather Ahead performed by the Kansas City Symphony and guest Chief Meteorologist Bryan Busby of KMBC.

We first sold these parties at the 2024 Auction and we are opening them back up for more friends to join in on the fun! Don't miss out!

Every Thursday, we’ll explore the latest tech trends, share tips to keep kids safe online, and provide strategies to support parents and their child’s emotional well-being.

Today at Oakhill Day School x FLIK, our students enjoyed a comforting and delicious hot lunch!

First grade students have been learning about important Midwesterners during a recent social studies unit. 

The kindergarten through third grade students have been filled with excitement as they bundle up for recess, their laughter making its way through the cold breeze.

The kindergarten students have recently been working through a thematic gingerbread unit, incorporating literacy and math skills with hands-on activities.

We are thrilled to introduce our Winter Small Group Tutoring Sessions with Ms. Manley!

Our Oakhill community values family traditions and we love when they are shared throughout the school year. Maria Diaz de la Pena, parent to Andrés and Eddie Vollenweider, recently visited kindergarten and first grade classrooms to share Advent traditions with the students.

The long anticipated wait for the dress up days is officially over. See this post to find out the exciting days for this year. 

Happy Thanksgiving! Please know that we are off school for our break from November 25-29. There will be Kids Club available on the 25-26! 

Please join us in congratulating Lucia, Andrew, and all of our Spelling Bee participants for their hard work and determination

At Innovation Lab this week we are talking about the upcoming World Kindness Day, which is celebrated on November 13. We started by reading a story called, “The Little Spot of Kindness” by Diane Alber.

Come join the Lower School Science Wizards Club once a month! 

This year the kindergarten students planted corn in the Living Lab. Three varieties of corn were planted at different times, allowing students to observe the plant life cycle in various stages. 

The first grade students have been busy building their number sense using manipulatives to represent numbers to one hundred. Number sense is an important building block that leads into other math competencies, such as composing and decomposing numbers.

Second Graders took action in their first election process while voting for a class representative for the Oakhill's Student Council. This is just their first election this year and they look forward to the next!

First grade students used the writing process to write to community heroes. They recognized their character traits and how they are real heroes to the community.

Through hands-on learning, they used their imaginations to illustrate the continuous flow of energy and the interconnectedness of nature. Learn more about the 3rd grade food chain unit in science!

Lower School has been off to a great start with our beginning of the year routines!