In a Nutshell: The Oakhill Way

We did it! We started school…another year!

For some, this may be the very 1st day of their school career, and for others this may be the last day of their Middle School stage! But for all of us, it was a perfect 1st day - the welcome back signage, the weather, the excitement, the energy, the first day pictures being taken, the PTO coffees where some parents were sad to leave their child and others were VERY happy!

The students were happy to meet their new teachers; some were excited to see their teachers again after a couple of months off! Students were happy to be together again, although a couple of 8th graders seemed to need another few hours of sleep! Kids Club was welcoming, breakfast was served, routines were revisited, recess was needed, expectations were set, and lunch was a huge hit! I was sitting with Kindergarteners at lunch time, and they were eating, eating, and eating some more! FLIK, our new lunch service provider, has knocked it out of the park - all summer long and now for the regular school year! Ask your kiddos about those chicken tenders!!!!

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 focus on consistency in communication across the board! The faculty and staff spent an entire week discussing “The Oakhill Way” - from instruction to homework; from lifeskills to high expectations; from atmosphere to logistics; and from communication to consistency! Your students will likely hear about “The Oakhill Way” every day! Here are a few “ways” in which we do things at Oakhill:

• The way we create a strong parent/teacher/school partnership, maintaining open dialogue and clear expectations
• The way we focus on character, learning from mistakes, and finding that freedom comes with much responsibility
• The way we emphasize our special classes - physical education (every day even for our Middle Schoolers), Spanish, Music, Art, Library and Innovation Lab
• The way we meet the needs of all of our students with support from the teachers, administrators, Learning Services Support Team, Wellness Counselor, Health Director, and parents!
• The way we have freedom - to create curriculum, choose resources, vary assessments, meet with students one on one, challenge students academically, choose field trip opportunities, collaborate with many grade levels, and teach best practices (not what a central office or publishing company advises)
• The way our alumni lean into their gifts and find great success whether that be advanced high school classes, elevated ACT scores, colleges of choice, success in careers, or community engagement where character shines through
• The way we allocate resources into safety and security on campus; many security companies and officers have shared how safe and natural our procedures and expectations are within the school world
• The way we employ varied personalities, strengths, teaching styles, etc…to complete the Oakhill puzzle - to provide varied perspectives and approaches to school life - the Oakhill wayI could go on and on…
• The way we work hard, play hard, appreciate the food we eat, experience the Living Lab, learn to serve others in the community, recycle and compost, make visitors and families feel valued, and so much more!

I challenge you to come up with phrases regarding “The Oakhill Way”! Send phrases, send pics, send thoughts to me! I appreciate the way you trust Oakhill with your child…the way you embrace your role within this partnership…the way you help spread the word about Oakhill and how we are special to you…the way you value what Oakhill has to offer on a daily basis! YOUR personal story is worth telling - go shout it from the rooftops!

Here’s to another exemplary year,

Suzanne