School News

Congratulations to the 5th-8th grade Panther Flag Football Team for an incredible season! From nail-biting victories to games that came down to the wire, the Panthers played with heart, determination, and grit until the very last whistle. Their improvement this season was nothing short of incredible!

A huge shoutout to these athletes for their hard work, resilience, and passion for the game. We’re so proud of you, Panthers—what a season to remember!

Congratulations to our 8th-grade volleyball athletes! It was so amazing to see all you were able to accomplish this season and wish you luck on and off the court as you transition to high school next year. Thank you for some incredible and forever memories!

Congratulations to our 7th-grade volleyball team for a tremendous season! We are so proud of the growth they demonstrated this year. 

Small changes in the environment today can lead to big leaps in your child’s ability to manage tasks, emotions, and interactions in the future.

Welcome to Mighty Oak Fund 101—your crash course in how Oakhill Day School transforms your support into something truly extraordinary!

Thanks to everyone’s hard work, we’ve already raised $2,500, putting us halfway to this week’s $5,000 goal. Let’s keep going and reach that target by Friday!

Thank you to each member of our community—parents, alumni, friends, and supporters—for making Oakhill such a vibrant place of giving and growth.

Your support is the reason we’re able to dream big, aim high, and see our visions come to life.

We had a special visit from Neena Patel, mom to our very own Krish and Arjun, who joined us to celebrate Diwali, the Festival of Lights!

Our Lights, Camera, Oakhill Auction Vacation Raffle is officially underway, and raffle tickets should have started coming home via backpacks yesterday, November 4! 

Do you want to come to your child's school for the morning? RSVP now to be put on the schedule! 

Experimenting in Science with Mrs. Cole!

Do you know when Hispanic Heritage Month is? Our Lower School students in second grade had a social studies lesson in Art! 

Oakhill Day School invites students to embrace the season with a unique blend of fun and learning at the Living Lab’s Pumpkin Scavenger Hunt.

We’re thrilled to offer incredible prizes that make participating in our auction even more rewarding! Don’t miss your chance to win an unforgettable vacation or $2,500 in cash!

Wednesday was nothing short of incredible as we came together for our now-annual Mighty Oak Fund Call-a-Thon! With just days left in our Giving Month, we rallied an outstanding team of volunteers and staff to help close the gap on our generous $50,000 match challenge!

Middle School PE has gotten off to a great start! Check out photos here!

As of today, no tricks—all treats—we’ve reached $181,920! Yes, we've reached our halfway point, but we’re not done yet. We still have a ways to go to meet our $350,000 goal!

We are incredibly proud of the 5th-grade girl's volleyball team for their hard work and dedication during their inaugural season!

We are incredibly proud of the 6th grade Girls Volleyball team for their hard work, sportsmanship, and dedication during this exciting season!

Thank you to our amazing room parents for volunteering for the 2024-2025 school year! It is a BIG job and we couldn't do what we do without them.

Save the Date for our Holiday Hoopla! The one-day boutique shopping experience benefiting the students of Oakhill Day School will take place on Saturday, November 16 from 9am-3pm.

We have compiled a list of our faculty and staff's favorite things, along with their classroom wishlists, for you. Check it out!

We have two events coming up - one in October and one in November - to thank our teachers!

Grandparents and Special Friends Day is one of our favorite events at Oakhill and it would not have been possible without our amazing chairs!

What a fantastic evening! Thank you so much for joining us at Alldredge Orchards.

Huge congratulations to Evan Hughes-Morris, Class of 2014, on your marriage to Autumn!

At Oakhill, we understand you have a choice when deciding on the right school for your child. We also understand it is a big decision, so here is why keeping your child at Oakhill Day School can set the stage for a lifetime of learning and success.

Pablo the lion puppet has lots of friends who come to visit our Spanish classroom, and one of the all-time favorites is Bruja (the witch)!  The kids get so excited to see her and many even remember her name from one year to the next!

Attention all first through eighth-grade students! Are you ready to showcase your incredible talents? The annual Talent Show is just around the corner, and we can't wait to see what amazing performances you have in store.

In pre-K, Mrs. Crouse's friends had a wonderful time learning all about pumpkins! They engaged in a variety of activities that helped develop their fine motor skills and strengthen their math abilities. The children sorted the pumpkins from smallest to largest, measured their heights with counting cubes, and even weighed them. To wrap it all up, they documented their discoveries and observations in their Pumpkin Reports. It was a truly enriching experience for everyone!

How the Oakhill curriculum, along with other important things like taking the PreACT, prepares our students to excel beyond the walls of Oakhill Day School.

Winter sports season is quickly approaching, and we’re thrilled to offer exciting opportunities for our 5th-8th grade students! Whether your student is eager to hit the basketball court, dive into the competitive world of E-Sports, or join our new Middle School Dance team, we’ve got something for everyone this winter!

Be sure to mark your calendar for this year's talent show! All of our talented students will love for their friends and family watch them show their stuff. It's a fun night where Oakhill students shine on stage. 

Save the Date - November 14 @ 6PM

A student favorite, Foodies, returns for the 2024-2025 school year! Students who like to eat and/or discuss food can sign up to share delicious treats and delightful company. Scan the QR code!

Oakhill is embarking on exciting facility upgrades, including the addition of much-needed restrooms and a new lobby. Just like paying a mortgage while renovating your home, the Mighty Oak Fund helps cover daily operational costs even as we tackle these larger projects. We're aiming to secure donor support to kickstart construction soon and need your help to make it happen. Your contribution ensures both Oakhill’s continued success and the realization of our vision for improved facilities! 

First through eighth grade students are encouraged to sign up for the annual Talent Show!

Fall is in the air (kind of) football is in full swing - my fantasy team is injury ridden so my fantasy fame is crushed - and playoff baseball adds one more exciting layer to the best time of the year!

This year we are offering basketball for our K-4th grade students and cheerleading for our PK-3rd grade students.

Learn more about i-Ready and why we use the assessment tool at Oakhill!

Yearly fundraising goals are a part of a larger vision - our strategic plan. Oakhill’s strategic plan acts as a blueprint for the current year and beyond including all facets of what is needed for a healthy school - academics, personnel, climate, community, and finances.

Mark your calendars for October 29 because Oakhill Day School is hosting a Mighty Oak Fund Call-a-Thon!

Each year, kindergarten students perform chosen nursery rhymes in class, further developing their listening and speaking skills. This year they combined their nursery rhyme unit and technology to create a special presentation for Grandparents’ and Special Friends’ Day. Each child chose a rhyme to recite, including making and gathering their own props and costume pieces.

Oakhill is thrilled to announce the launch of the Summer Scholars Program, a challenge track designed to advance students eager to dive into next-grade-level skills and standards. This dynamic program offers a challenging yet supportive environment where students can strengthen their knowledge in math, reading, and critical thinking! 

Here are ten principles, based on Smart but Scattered by Peg Dawson and Richard Guare, to support the development of executive functioning skills. 

Early childhood teachers tend to frown at the term "crafts" when referring to activities done in the classroom.  What may look like just a craft has many benefits.

Check out some of the many, many ways parents are involved at Oakhill!

Oakhill early childhood students are so excited to
learn about Music! Ms. Ely is introducing instruments, including Xylophones, Shakers, Tambourines, and Triangles, as they are playing to the beat. They love learning new songs, singing and moving, and performing. Grandparents’ Day is coming up soon and all of our students have been having so much fun learning their songs for this wonderful event. Our students will be performing a lot throughout the year!

The Oakhill community is strong beyond school grounds and school hours, as shown at Carey's Denim Dash.

Our alumni play a huge role in making our community special, and we have some fantastic events lined up just for you.

Oakhill alumna Delaney Clawson is making impressive strides in biomedical engineering, and we're proud to see her living out "The Oakhill Way" from first grade all the way to her next chapter at Northwestern University.

The Middle School Homeroom class focuses on communication, preparation, and The Oakhill Way!

There are many opportunities each year to save on tuition at Oakhill! Read more to learn about the following ways:

• Early Pay Discounts
• Merit Scholarships
• Ambassador Program
• MOST 529 Plan
• FACTS Financial Assistance
• Sallie Mae Family Education Loans

It's not just about the pumpkin spice and cooler weather—this month is packed with exciting initiatives that will make a lasting impact on our school’s future. From doubling your donations to fueling our students' growth, here are five reasons why your support this October is a game-changer for Oakhill!

Donations in the month of October will be matched dollar for dollar up to $50,000! Join the drive to help reach the goal of $350,000 for the students of Oakhill!

Kindergarten students are growing corn with the help of the ODS Living Lab. Students are currently observing three varieties of corn and measuring their growth. Soon they will harvest the plants and use the corn to further their knowledge during a thematic corn unit.

Middle School students have the opportunity to participate in Quiz Bowl!

Middle School art students made abstract art based on the Olympics.

We are excited to tell you all about Mrs. Ely's new role at Oakhill. Mrs. Ely is teaching Pretoddler, Toddler, and Preschool music this year. She has hopes to instill a love of music in our youngest musicians here are Oakhill.  We are so happy to have Mrs. Hill continuing to be a pivotal part of our Music Department. 

Introducing Mrs. Ziegler, who joins us from a role as a substitute at Oakhill! She’s excited to work consistently with our special group of kindergarteners, bringing an extra trusted presence to guide and support them. With her love for the spontaneity and joy of working with kids, Mrs. Ziegler can’t wait to help our students grow and thrive! 

We are excited to introduce you to one of our new Teaching Assistants, Miss Lafferty. She is working in our Pretoddler classroom with Mrs. Clark. Miss Lafferty hopes to bring a comfortable and safe environment for students to learn in. We are happy to welcome her to our Oakhill staff.

Fall has arrived, bringing a vibrant season of activities and learning at Oakhill! Our early childhood classes are diving into exciting themes such as exploring life on a farm, the joys of apples and pumpkins, camping adventures, and the fascinating world of nocturnal animals. Students will engage in a variety of creative activities that promote developmental growth and curiosity. As the leaves change color and the air turns crisp, our little learners are eager to embrace all the wonders this beautiful season has to offer!

Look at these Panthers living out the "Oakhill Way"—our Class of 2020 alumni are out in the world doing great things!

Perfect Porridge definition - each student deserves, needs, and wants the perfect curricular porridge (not too easy, not too hard, but just right) and no two pots of porridge have identical recipes.

Read updates about the Upper School at Oakhill. 

Students learned about life with blindness and visual impairment, and had simulation experiences related to what they learned!

Why conferences are such an important part of your child's education. 

We are excited to introduce you to Miss Clevenger. She works as a PE Assistant, Alumni Assistant and she also works Kids Club. She is no stranger to Oakhill as she has worked as a Summer Camp Teacher and Kids Club in years past. She also is an Alumni of Oakhill. We are so excited to have Miss Clevenger as part of our Oakhill staff.

Meet Mrs. Cole, who joins us this year after a fantastic stint as a substitute teacher at Oakhill! With her enthusiasm for kindergarten and passion for supporting both students and teachers, she’s ready to make a positive impact. Mrs. Cole is especially excited for Scarecrow Day and is eager to bring her love of problem-solving and school musicals to our Oakhill community!

We are excited to tell you about Mrs. Hill's new role at Oakhill. Mrs. Hill is teaching Prekindergarten through 3rd grade Music this year. She has a passion for teaching our young singers the fundamentals of vocal music and to listening to their developing voices. We are so happy to have Mrs. Hill continuing to be a pivotal part of our Music Department. 

We are excited to tell you about Ms. Ferris's new role at Oakhill. Having worked at Oakhill for 21 years, she knew she wanted to stay involved in the Oakhill community and give back in any way she can. She has taken on a new role as our part time Community Engagement Liason. We are so happy that Ms. Ferris is still part of Oakhill.

We are excited to introduce you to one of our new Teaching Assistants, Mrs. Wheeler. She is working in one of our Toddler rooms with Mrs. Hagan. With her positive attitude and previous work experience working with children we are excited to bring a knowledgable and kind assistance into our Early Childhood Division. 

We will have Full Day Kids’ Club on October 11th from 8:00-4:00. We will also have Kids’ Club Conference care on October 24th and 25th.

Kindergarten students recently engaged in a thematic learning on Bear Day. Students made connections in math reading, science, art, music, and writing, along with their stuffed friends. 

We are excited to tell you all about Mrs. Craven's new role at Oakhill. Mrs. Craven is teaching 2nd grade this year. With her prior experience teaching 2nd grade, and her love for having her own classroom we are happy to have her back in her own classroom. Please continue reading to learn more about Mrs. Craven, and her new role.

ODS students are preparing for the school-wide spelling bee on November 12. Students can study grade-level lists to prepare for in-class spelling bees. Our ODS finalists will move on to the Mid-Continent Regional Spelling Bee in February, an official qualifying bee for the Scripps National Spelling Bee.

Come support your Oakhill Panthers as we attend a variety of events in our community AND host many more! Look forward to seeing you soon!

Thank you to all of our Mighty Oak Fund Donors to date!

Did you know you can use your 529 account to pay for K-12 tuition at Oakhill Day School? It's true!

We are excited to tell you all about Mrs. Cole's new role at Oakhill. Mrs. Cole is teaching Prekindergarten STEM and co-teaching Kindergarten science with Mrs. Thompson this year. She has a passion for science and years of experience as a specialists teacher and we are so lucky to have her in this new role this year.

I see parallels between the Chiefs and Oakhill. We strive to create, offer, and share a winning program daily - one where our students learn, grow, and thrive and where our families find connections, opportunities, and like-minded peers!

When Karen and I were asked to Chair the Mighty Oak Fund, the decision to agree was simple. We believe that the only thing we can leave the next generation that cannot be taken away or lost is an educated mind.

Read how progress reports start in early childhood and build through each division all they way up to middle school. 

Last week, classrooms across Oakhill selected their grade-level representatives for this year’s Student Council (STUCO). These elections were a great opportunity for students to step into leadership roles and represent their classmates.

Just in the 1st Quarter, we have had over 90 lifeskills recognized across the entire school… that is AWESOME! And I know that isn’t all of them. 

We are excited to introduce you to one of our new Teaching Assistants, Miss Trejo. She is working part-time in our Toddler classroom with Mrs. Stout. Miss Trejo hopes to provide a safe and positive space for the kids that she works with. We are happy to welcome her to our Oakhill staff.

We are excited to tell you about Miss Gunderson's new role at Oakhill. Miss Gunderson is now doing weekly storytime with our Pretoddler, Toddler, Preschool, and Prekindergarten students. She is teaching Innovation Lab for our Kindergarten through 3rd grade students at the Lower School. She loves to read aloud to children, something that she now gets to do many times a day!

Until you understand how your executive skills, both strengths and weaknesses, align or misalign with your child’s, it can be challenging to know where to adjust your actions and how best to support your child.

As we begin this school year, we want to share how we approach the "just-right recipe" for every child’s academic success.

As we headed back to school this year, I thought it was the perfect time for my 4th and 5th graders to set some new goals and to choose their focus word for the year. 

Students have been diligently working with Mrs. Smith to prepare their lines and choreography for the upcoming school production of The Little Mermaid Jr.!

Did you know that not only do Oakhill students work hard with academics each day but they also work on learning a variety of life skills and executive function skills? It’s the Oakhill Way!

We are excited to introduce you to our new Intermediate and Middle School Music teacher, Mrs. Smith. 

We are excited to introduce you to one of our new Teaching Assistants, Ms. Carpenter. She is working in one of our Preschool classrooms with Mrs. Johnson. Ms. Carpenter has a desire to make a difference in the lives of others. We are happy to welcome her to our Oakhill staff.

We are excited to tell you all about Mrs.Verwers's new role at Oakhill. Mrs. Verwers will be teaching Innovation Lab at the South Campus. 

Activities outside the classroom are beneficial in early childhood education.  They provide a unique opportunity for experiential learning that goes beyond the classroom setting.  Programs like Ready, Set, Cook with Mrs. Thompson and visits to The Living Lab with Mr. Cole and his 8th grade students offer our students hands-on learning experiences.

The Oakhill community had the privilege of hearing from one of our own, an alumna, Brianna Duncan (Ely) '11, who not only thrived at Oakhill but has taken the values and lessons learned here to make a difference in the world.

In these early days of the 2024-2025 Mighty Oak Fund kick-off, we would like to thank those who have already committed to this year's campaign!

With your MOScholars Tax Credit, you can direct up to 50% of your state tax liability to fund scholarships for students to receive a private education.

The more everyone understands the need for fundraising at Oakhill, the better Oakhill will be concerning academics, curriculum, programs, personnel, training, campus maintenance and improvements, safety and security, technological safety, and logistics … all facets of what it takes to run a business and provide an excellent educational experience.

Our pretoddlers spent the week learning about family!  Mrs. Clark does a wonderful job creating and implementing creative and age-appropriate lessons for her students.  Teaching pretoddlers about families is a great way to help them understand relationships and social structures.  

Kindergarten students went on a back-to-school scavenger hunt in connection with the read aloud, "David Goes to School" in order to learn how to display lifeskills throughout the school building.

The first few days of school in our early childhood classrooms have been nothing short of magical! We love having the hallways and classrooms filled with smiles and laughter. There are new friendships developing and old ones that are continuing to grow. It is wonderful to see these bonds that are being created already. From singing songs in circle time to visiting Pablo in Spanish we have done it all! Check out some of the memories that have been made already:

Welcome to Oakhill, Margaret Sarver! Read this article to get to know all about our new Intermediate & Middle School Division Director.

This year’s school theme is “The Oakhill Way - our Mission in Motion”! We will be focusing on respect, responsibility, kindness, and honesty. We will be focusing on high academic instructional/curricular expectations in all subject and specialist areas. We will be focusing on communication across the board.

Thank you for sharing your love of Oakhill to other wonderful families! We have had 24 students enroll this year because of YOU. Keep sharing your love of Oakhill and receive tuition credit!

With the start of school I wanted to talk about something you’ve probably heard before: executive skills. While the term can sound a little technical, it’s all about the brain-based abilities that help us manage tasks, stay organized, and get things done.

Welcome to the start of the 2024-2025 school year! How exciting the first few days have been!

To ensure that each student receives the individualized support they need to succeed, we use a variety of data-driven tools, including the i-Ready math and reading diagnostics and ERB's Comprehensive Testing Program (CTP). Here's how we leverage this data to create a supportive learning environment:

At Oakhill Day School, we appreciate the investment you're making in your child's education and are here to support you in managing tuition and fees.

Oakhill will have two students arriving from Guatemala in a few weeks but it is not too late! Your family can host an exchange student this fall - contact your Admissions Office for more information!

Save the date for this year's ISACS Parent Education webinar series.

Get ready for an exciting year of sports at Oakhill! Our 2024-2025 athletics program offers a wide range of activities for students from 3rd to 8th grade. Go Panthers!

Voted-based summer camp and a tangible example of why we earned this honor! See what the difference is when the staff if fully invested in providing the best summer ever, each and every day. 

Find out why we choose FLIK to provide your child breakfast, lunch, and dinner here at Oakhill! The company behind the food that our students and faculty already love. Learn more about our dining program and sign up for the full-year program today! 

There is no time like the end of summer/beginning of a new school year to talk about Optimism!

Technically, summer is still going strong … another 52 days to go until the official start of fall! But, in a school sense, summer is coming to a close and SCHOOL is starting!

Save the date for a fun day of golf as we honor our beloved Helen Wills, who taught many generations of Oakhill students and left a legacy that has forever become part of the Oakhill community culture.

As the world celebrates the Olympic Games, we're feeling a bit like Olympians ourselves! With gold medals in multiple categories, Oakhill Day School is honored to be standing on the podium, thanks to our dedicated teachers, supportive families, and amazing students.

Join us Friday, August 23 from 3:30-6:30pm at the Main Campus for our Back to School Carnival!

We hope our grandparents and special friends plan to visit during Grandparents and Special Friends Day on Wednesday, October 9 and/or Thursday, October 10 to get a glimpse of the learning at school. Schedules are ready!

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! Here's some exciting things happening at Oakhill this year!

Join us for Kids' Club for the 2024-2025 school year! We are here for your children daily from 7:15 am until 6:00 pm. While also being open for Full Day offerings throughout the year starting here soon from August 5th through the 14th. Sign up today! 

4th of July is only a few days away! How can that be? It seems as though summer has just begun, yet it is half over (is the glass half full or half empty?)!