Athletics & Wellness

Oakhill Day School seeks to incorporate the education of healthy eating and positive food experiences in numerous ways including regular cooking classes, the utilization of a school garden, regular demonstrations and fun food activities in the dining hall.

Cooking Classes

Students in grades Pre-Toddler through 5th Grade will be offered educational cooking classes once or twice per month. These classes primarily include the use of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. The classes are taught by the Oakhill Day School Food and Beverage Department, our food service provider. The curriculum also offers the means to gain student acceptance for trying new foods.

School Garden

Oakhill Day School provides and cultivates a garden for its students. The garden is used throughout the curriculum. The garden allows for hands-on learning of biology and the life cycle of plants and allows students to see first-hand where their food comes from. The garden also supplements the food used in cooking classes and salad bars.

Fun Friday Demonstrations

Once per quarter, a Friday demonstration is provided in the dining hall during the lunch period. These demonstrations include presentations by local growers and farmers and allow for taste testing of fruits and vegetables, legumes, and grains. The demonstrations allow students to meet with growers from their communities and learn about the people who grow and produce their food. These demonstrations also expose students to new foods.

Learn more about our lunch program

It is the goal of Oakhill to have students fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior. Healthy, active lifestyles are reinforced during the school day through daily physical education, daily recess, before and after school sports as well as opportunities for short activity breaks between lessons when appropriate. Other active opportunities such as running club and intramural sports are offered through our after school programs.

Daily PE

Oakhill offers physical education classes for pretoddler - eighth grade students throughout the week. Students not only learn the importance of maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle but they also experience the excitement of being active. Students can expect to enjoy physical education classes according to the following guidelines:

• Pretoddler –Toddler classes participate in physical education for 20-minutes two times each week
• Preschool - Prekindergarten students participate in physical education for 20-minutes three times a week
• Kindergarten – Fourth Grade students participate in 30-minutes of physical education daily
• Fifth - Eighth Grade students participate in 45-minutes of physical education daily
• High School students have access to the Gladstone Community Center to get in daily activity when they need a break from academics

Daily Recess

All Oakhill students are offered outdoor recess every day. Teachers are encouraged to take their students outside unless the weather is deemed dangerous due to storms, excessive cold or excessive heat for anywhere from 15 - 30 minutes per day.

Before and After School Physical Opportunities

Oakhill offers a range of activities that meet the needs, interests, and abilities of all students. Oakhill’s Athletic Program offers individual and team sports activities.

Physical Activity Integration into the Classroom

Teachers are encouraged to provide short, specific physical activity breaks between lessons or classes as appropriate.

Oakhill wants both students and staff who are healthy mentally as well as physically. We emphasize prevention and overall personal well-being by encouraging mindfulness moments throughout the day and by hosting awareness/prevention training and family-oriented events throughout the school year.

In addition to having a full-time Wellness Counselor on campus, several faculty and staff members received training and are certified Youth Mental Health First Responders. Oakhill is also an active partner of the Tri-county Mental Health Northland Coalition and was awarded their Outstanding Partner in Prevention Award at the 2020 Northland Prevention Conference.

Learn more about Oakhill's Wellness Program