Our Own Slice of Paradise - In a Nutshell

Dear Oakhill Families,

Aloha! I am excited to share my view from our “very own private paradise”! We have just finished our 4th day of school…first day pictures were taken (thank you to Meggie McConnell) for our awesome Panther Pride decor), the daily routine is in place, expectations are being set, and Lifeskill tokens are being handed out across the campus! Happy students, happy teachers, happy times! I asked a few third graders their favorite part of today … the answers were Phys Ed and Lunch - no surprises there! : )

If you ask me my favorite part of the start of the school year, I have to say “the way we set the tone”! We kick off the year with two community wide events - one for the students and one for the parents! I consider these two events extremely important … a great way to see, hear, and feel who we are and what we do!

• The Oakhill Carnival (THIS Friday!): Join us right after school this Friday to kick off the year in true Oakhill fashion! A huge thank you to our PTO and Carnival Chairs for making this tradition happen - it’s the best way to start our year together. 
   
• Parents' Night (Next Tuesday at 6:00 PM): Mark your calendars! Join us at 6:00 PM to step into your child’s learning paradise - to meet our incredible teachers, learn classroom expectations, and see firsthand (a peek behind the curtain) how the Oakhill educational experience comes to life every day.

Having spent my entire career in the Independent School world, I can say with certainty that Oakhill truly is a paradise - for learners, teachers, families, ideas, educational practices, and innovative thoughts! We provide this incredible space and place for our community - a place to call home - a place to be themselves!

As the educational landscape continues to shift and evolve year after year, decade after decade, Oakhill will keep its eye on the present (who we are), embrace what the future holds (making sure students are prepared), and honor what our past has taught us (reflect on where we have been). This is how we learn and grow - as a school, as educators, as difference makers! What makes Oakhill special, unique, and one-of-a-kind is our absolute focus on Mission Delivery.

Oakhill’s Mission:

"Oakhill Day School's mission is to provide a community where students are challenged, known, valued, and inspired to be their best self."

Oakhill’s Core Values in Action:

• We encourage students to embrace their social responsibility through the development of strong moral values and self-discipline. - This points to our lifeskills!
• We encourage critical thinking skills in all students so they will love the process and end result of learning. 
• We support students in reaching their personal best in physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development.
• We encourage flexibility in curriculum development and teaching approaches in order to fit the makeup of each classroom and each child.
• We value respect for all people—students, staff, families, our community, and our larger world.
• We value learning and know that making mistakes is part of the learning process of preparing for the real world.

Our biggest focus this year is how we achieve our mission and live out these values daily. Every lesson plan, every sports practice, every club, every class, every performance, and every single interaction is filtered through this mission. We aren’t just teaching subjects; we are building character, confidence, and community! 

Thank you for your partnership, your trust, and for being an integral part of this unique community. Thank you for sharing your hopes, dreams, and expectations during your in-take conferences with our classroom teachersI can’t wait to see you all at the Carnival on Friday and at Parents' Night next Tuesday!

Here’s to a great school year,

Suzanne