Congratulations to our 2018 8th grade class, which was honored at their promotion ceremony in front of friends, family, and the whole Oakwood community. We wish you the best of everything in your future as high school students! Special thank you to the Promotion Committee volunteers!

The Oakwood High School class of 2018 wore their caps and gowns for the first time as part of the First Annual Oakwood Senior Walk! Seniors proudly walked through campus while students, faculty, and staff enthusiastically cheered them on and celebrated their achievements. This was a special moment for graduating seniors and the younger students who look up to them.

Oakwood seventh grade student Ayana W. recently wrote a guest column that was published in the Morgan Hill Life. She writes about the journey to the California Science & Engineering Fair which began at Oakwood back in January. We are so proud of Ayana, who received first place in the biology category at the South Valley Science fair and moved up to the Synopsys Championship where she was awarded first place in the Biological Sciences & Engineering Category. She also won the Isabelle Stone Award for Best Seventh Grade Biological Science Project and was sponsored by the California Botanical Society. Click here to read all about it in the Morgan Hill Life.

Last Saturday, at the CCS Track and Field Semi-Finals Meet, Maryam Moghaddami was presented with the Elgie Bellagio Sportsmanship Award. The award is given to an MTAL athlete displaying exemplary sportsmanship. Elgie was a long time MTAL commissioner and the award is named in his honor.

This year, representatives from the Stevenson School Track & Field had the honor of awarding the Elgie Bellagio Sportsmanship Award. The team noted Maryam's constant positive support of her competitors, her appreciation of the fact that their efforts make her better, and her encouragement for them to improve. All of the athletes were happy and their pleasure is evident in their smiles. This was a successful end to the Track and Field season, indeed.

The first performances of Cactus Pass by Oakwood Middle School students were a big success! The cast has great chemistry and works together like a well-oiled machine. All actors invest themselves into their characters and captivate the audience. Danya B., the town sheriff , Toby S., her trusty deputy, Lester; and the entire cast run comedic roles and had the crowd laughing and chuckling. With new and unforeseen plot twists after every scene, audiences were bursting with laughter.

A Groundbreaking Ceremony was held to commemorate and officially launch the Spreading Our Roots: Oakwood School Campus Expansion project on Thursday, May 10th as part of our Spring Open House and Art Show. All students and their families were invited to join us as we marked this special moment.

The event started with a few words from our Head of School Michelle Helvey, who shared what the school and this project meant to her and why the expansion was necessary, followed by remarks from Larry Kent of Kent Construction, who built the Oakwood high school building and is completing this important project for us. Ted Helvey spoke next about the history of our school and campus and how it belongs to all of us. The administration, along with some honored guests and students, donned hard hats and shovels and ceremoniously broke ground, while confetti cannons showered participants with colorful confetti. Attendees were given Spreading Our Roots: Oakwood School Campus Expansion seed packets at mementos of this historic celebration. Oakwood high school student Ashwin Viswesvaran took photos and videos of the event and we will share his finished compilation as soon as it is ready.

This campaign will be the first of its kind for Oakwood, and will mirror what other independent, not-for-profit schools employ to fundraise for projects of this magnitude. As we ramp up our fundraising efforts to complete Oakwood's new liberal arts building, gymnasium, and playfields, ultimately advancing our school's ability to provide enhanced hands-on learning opportunities and expanded extracurricular offerings for our current students as well as sustaining this excellence decades into the future, we will look to our entire community for support.

The annual Oakwood Fund Run was a big success! This event has always been a special day for the Oakwood community to gather and support the school and celebrate our spirit. Each grade level started with a warm up and then moved on to the running path and obstacle course. The obstacle course included a climbing wall, an inflatable obstacle course, archery, basketball, and more. The course was surrounded by family, friends, faculty, and staff who cheered students on as they pushed themselves to do their best. We are proud of all of the participants who participated in this physical challenge and fundraising effort. A special thank you to all of our volunteers and donors. What a wonderful day of fitness and fun! The final donation amount and grade level winners will be announced this week!

Oakwood celebrated the many cultures of its community through entertainment and food sampling at the biennual International Festival. The festival featured musical performances representative of Scottish, Indian, Ukranian, Japanese, Mexican, and Filipino heritage. Many numbers were led and choreographed by our talented students. Students wearing traditional garb paraded across the stage proudly showcasing cultures from around the world. The festival concluded with food sampling from many countries including India, England, Italy and Middle Eastern countries. This gave students the opportunity to try many new dishes.