Oakwood School celebrated diversity and community at its first-ever OakFest, a week-long festival that showcased the school's diverse and dynamic community through fun and educational activities.

Last Friday, April 22, the Oakwood High School 1st and 3rd Jazz Ensemble, Vocal Ensemble, Guitar Performance Class, and Songwriting Club/Class held their Spring Concert and Songwriters Showcase. All the groups did a stellar job. High School Music teacher Mr. Sam Sotelo comments, "I would like to thank Michelle Helvey, Colleen Blanchard, and Mark Newton for their continuous support and all the behind-the-scenes folks that made the concert a success. It was a fun evening of great music."

Oakwood School's second grade students had a very special day of learning this week. The classes dressed up like pioneer children and participated in a variety of activities that helped them learn about life in the 1800s. They learned a sewing stitch, sang songs from the pioneer times, square danced, participated in pioneer arts and crafts, churned butter, and had a pioneer-style lunch that did not include modern materials or processed food. It was a day of learning, but it was also a fun-filled day that will be very memorable to the second-grade students.

The Oakwood High School Performing Arts musical production of Stephen Sondheim's "Into the Woods" was nothing short of magical. The show tells the story of a baker and his wife who, with help from a witch, venture into the woods to find ingredients that will break a curse set upon them by the witch. Along their journey, they encounter many famous fairy tale characters, including Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. Directed by Mrs. Colleen Blanchard, the cast and crew did an incredible job bringing this beloved story to life. Audience members were transported into a world of fairytale characters and enchanted forests from the moment they entered the theater. Amidst swirling pinks and purples, audiences were transported as they watched characters sing their way through difficult dilemmas, all in stunning costumes. In addition to the actors on stage, many student and adult volunteers were working behind the scenes to help create a truly immersive experience for both performers and audience members alike.

Congratulations to all Oakwood School students for participating in this year's Fund Run! We couldn't have asked for a better time at the event and are grateful for the overwhelming support of the Oakwood community that made this event a huge success. It was a beautiful day; we are so proud of our students running their hearts out. We saw incredible athleticism on the obstacle course and relays as we celebrated the joyous return of one of Oakwood's favorite annual events!

Congratulations to Oakwood High School sophomore Jullea Powell for winning 1st place in the Rotary's Richard D. King Annual Youth Speech Contest for both club-level and area-level competitions. This year's theme is "Serve to Change Lives." We wish Jullea the best of luck when she competes at the regional level.

Last week, Oakwood School's second grade students wowed audiences in their musical production of Stone Soup. Written by Sally K. Albrecht and Jay Althouse, Stone Soup is a well-known fable about the nature of happiness and the value of sharing, especially with those less fortunate. The students were excited to entertain friends, family, and teachers with upbeat music and fun choreographed dances. We are so proud of our second grade class for their hard work in developing and exhibiting confident self-expression in their heart-warming performances!

Oakwood's International students from China, together with International Coordinator Mrs. Vinkhuyzen, organized their annual lunchtime Chinese New Year/Spring Festival celebration with delicious Asian foods, drinks, and cultural information. The event was enjoyed by all high school students, faculty, and staff. Happy New Year, everyone!

The Middle School Performing Arts production of Moana Jr. was an overwhelming success. The actors passionately sang and danced their way through this beautiful tale of adventure, family conflict, and love. Each performance took the audience on an incredible journey. We would like to thank the director Colleen Blanchard for bringing this exciting play to the stage, the student cast and crew for their hard work and dedication to the performance, and the volunteers that made this project possible.

Thank you to all of the fans, coaches, and family members that came out to support the Oakwood High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team this season. The Oakwood Hawks made it to the Central Coast Section (CCS) (basketball tournament), where the team advanced to the semi-finals and ended with a record of 24-2. It was an incredible season with great memories. Coach Kort, and the entire Oakwood community, are proud of each player for their hard work this season! Go Hawks!

Oakwood High School celebrated its winter Senior Night with the Girls Varsity Basketball game against Trinity on Friday evening. After the game, Senior athletes from the Basketball and Soccer teams were recognized for their dedication to the sport and school. The enthusiastic Hawk Community honored seniors Zoe Chamberlain, Cassie King, Allie Purtell, Roman Moskalenko, Aleksandre "Sandro" Kokochashvili, Matthew Sorci, Arjan Sethi, Kiefer Nguyen, Joseph Gastelum, Kyle Khojasteh, Dylan Matthews, Ognjen "Ogi" Kacanski, and Baiyan "Kiran" Wei. Congratulations to our Winter Sports Athletic Ambassadors! We wish each of you many congratulations for your outstanding accomplishments, both athletic and academic! Thank you to all who came out on behalf of our seniors. Go Hawks!

Oakwood Middle School's FIRST Tech Challenge team, Build-A-Bot #18247, competed in a qualifier tournament on January 15th at Wilcox High School in Santa Clara. Against a field of mostly high school teams, Oakwood's 7th and 8th-grade students reached the elimination rounds, captained an alliance, and competed in the semifinals of the robot game. Additionally, judges assessed their efforts this season, and the team was awarded the "Motivate" award for excellence in community outreach and embodying FIRST's ideal of Gracious Professionalism. The team was a finalist for other awards as well.

Oakwood School proudly celebrated Homecoming 2022 with spirit week, daily lunchtime games for high school students, a pep rally, and exciting basketball games. Students from preschool to high school dressed up to show their school spirit each day.

The high school held its first annual HOCO Games which included a wheelbarrow race, scavenger hunt, and balloon pop. The games culminated on Friday when the Middle School and High School came together for the Homecoming Pep Rally that featured our cheer team, a trivia game, shoutouts to students who participate in Oakwood extracurricular activities, and a fast-paced relay race.

Oakwood School faculty and staff enjoyed a wonderful afternoon at the PSA-Sponsored Staff Appreciation Holiday Luncheon held at the beautiful Eagle Ridge Golf Club Grand Ballroom on Friday, December 15. Each table had its own uniquely-themed centerpiece donated by generous members of our PSA. The ballroom also featured beautiful Christmas trees to set the holiday mood. The faculty and staff at Oakwood School would like to thank the PSA Hospitality Coordinators and all of the families that donated items and volunteered their time for this incredible event for Oakwood Staff. We are truly thankful for the entire Oakwood Community!

Oakwood School high school senior Sahej Sidhu has been awarded the 2021 Citizen Award from the Santa Clara County Medical Association for her incredible work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year Sahej was very involved in helping the community and the health care workers during the shelter in place and thereafter with the Covid-19 surges. She started a community outreach program to gather personal protective equipment (PPE) for front-line workers during the first months of the Covid epidemic. This program procured over 1000 gloves, 1000+ masks, 500 face shields, 1000 hospital isolation gowns, along with hand sanitizers and Clorox wipes; these PPE items were distributed across Santa Clara county. We are incredibly proud of Sahej. She is an inspirational young woman who is genuinely dedicated to serving her community and making it a better place.