Last week seven of our high school seniors were notified of honors received from the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. Four students, Nolan Kornelsen, Jashan Pabla, Abhas Rajhans, and James Xu, are among the approximately 16,000 semifinalists in the 65th annual National Merit Scholarship Program. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue for some 7,600 National Scholarships worth more than $31 million that will be offered next spring. Three additional students, Shria Bulusu, Ali Rastbaf, and Anne Rickard, were named as Commended Students in the 2020 National Scholarship Program, an honor recognizing their exceptional academic promise. We are proud that 21% of our students have already been recognized nationally for their outstanding academics! Bravo Seniors!

Classes have been in full swing for the past two weeks, and Oakwood students, from both lower and upper school, have been utilizing our new Liberal Arts Center. Many ooohs and ahhhs have been heard in the halls as they enter for the first time! Click "Read More" for details.

Actress Cecelia Ticktin, the current Elphaba Standby in the National Broadway Tour of Wicked, graciously came to speak to Oakwood's Performing Arts Students on Wednesday. Ticktin recounted that at the age of ten, during a Broadway performance of Les Miserables, after feeling a connection with the lead actor, she decided to pursue a career as a Broadway actor. While speaking to the students, Ms. Ticktin relayed it was her willingness to work much harder than others, an enormous amount of perseverance, and a slight touch of delusion, that allowed her to pursue her lofty goals and finally achieve her dream role. Click "Read More" for details.

Oakwood families gathered Friday, August 23rd, for the annual Back to School Family Social. It was the perfect opportunity to relax, catch up with friends, and welcome new families. Students spent the evening riding in the Oakwood surrey, dancing, trying their luck at the Balloon Burst, and playing organized games.

Oakwood School celebrated the opening of the Gwendolyn Riches Liberal Arts Center on Monday, August 19, 2019, with a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. Students, parents, faculty, staff, trustees, Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce members, and other honored guests, gathered in the expanded quad outside the impressive new building. Click "Read More" for details!

Oakwood welcomed preschool through 5th grade students and their families for the 2019-2020 school year at the Lower School Kick-off event. Families gathered as Mrs. Shales gave the official welcome and introduced our wonderful lower school faculty. Click "Read More" for details!

Aiden Huang, an Oakwood High School student, had the incredible opportunity to play his violin at Carnegie Hall in New York City, this past May at the International Piano and String Competition 2019 Winner Recital. Aiden was invited to play by American Protégé after being chosen as an Honorable Mention Winner for the Junior category of the competition. He decided to perform "The Boy Paganini" by Mollenhauer. Aiden has participated in the San Jose Youth Symphony for the past six years. He enjoys playing violin in the orchestra setting; however, after watching his sister perform at Carnegie Hall last summer, Aiden was inspired to see if he was capable of playing solo; therefore he entered this year's competition. It was an exhilarating moment for Aiden, especially after seeing many great musicians performed on the stage. During the Winner Recital, each musician needed to deliver their performance successfully to receive the award. It was indeed a fantastic experience for Aiden. He not only was allowed to travel to New York City and play on the iconic stage but also met new friends who are also very talented violinists.

Campers in the Summer@Oakwood program had the opportunity to interact with and learn about a variety of animals during camp last week. Each day different guest animals were brought to Oakwood. The students met a pig, goat, French lop rabbit, chinchilla, ball python snake, and some chickens. With each visit a guest speaker educated the children about the animal's particular needs, proper care, and a few fun facts. Campers enthusiastically asked questions as they petted and held these exciting creatures and also shared experiences with their own pets.

During Oakwood's week-long Artapalooza Camp, students explored many different mediums of art. They created personalized ceramic mugs, and many of the campers opted for an animal theme. They spent time over a few days creating pillows by tie-dying cloth, stamping designs, and sewing them by hand. The campers also created Japanese marbled paper, designed dragon eyes from clay, tackled drawing experiments, and undertook other mediums as time allowed.This camp was an incredible experience for the students enabling them to test their creativity during each project. The final art pieces displayed the unique individuality of these young artists.

Campers in the Summer@Oakwood Travel Adventure camp had the incredible opportunity to visit some of the best destinations the south bay has to offer. From Mountain View to Monterey and back again each day the campers took on a new adventure. The week began with a hike through Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park in Santa Cruz. Tuesday was a day filled with thrill rides and wave pools at California's Great America theme park. Wednesday they headed south to see and examine the many exhibits of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The heart of Silicon Valley to the Intel Museum and a tour of the Googleplex was how they spent Thursday. The week ended with time on beach to explore tide pools and enjoy the sand at Rio Del Mar Beach. The campers came back to campus each day chipper, and full of stories of their enriching experiences.

On Thursday, May 30th, the Oakwood community, family, and friends came to witness the Oakwood Middle School Promotion Ceremony. The Harmonettes performed "Over the Rainbow" and students Jillian Bogosian, Wyatt Goldman, Emily Prunicki and Colby Mossman all gave heartfelt speeches. We are so proud of the 8th grade class and look forward to watching them grow and blossom even more during their high school years. Congratulations!

Oakwood families and friends gathered on Wednesday, May 29th, to celebrate the accomplishments of the senior class, and watch them as they progress from high school students into graduates. Highlights of the event were the national anthem sang by Jade Bautista and Brooke Murphy and the speeches given by Head of School Michelle Helvey, Senior Advisor Dr. Wilson, Seniors Jeb Goldman, Grace Chapman, Collin Moosman, and Nikhita Gopisetty and Principal Crone. We are incredibly proud of our graduating class for their hard work at Oakwood and the legacy they leave behind. We are confident that they leave Oakwood ready to face the future with boldness, but hope they return as Alumni to share their future successes! A special thank you to the Graduation Committee volunteers!

The Oakwood High School class of 2019 wore their caps and gowns for the first time as part of the Second Annual Oakwood Senior Walk! Seniors proudly walked through the Oakwood campus while students, parents, faculty, and staff enthusiastically cheered them on and celebrated their achievement. This was a special moment for graduating seniors and the younger students who look up to them. We are all very proud of our senior class!

History came alive for Oakwood 4th grade students as they started their first of three days in the Sacramento Valley at Sutter's Fort. They learned about the historic fort by touring the various rooms and talking to guides dressed in period clothing. The next stop was the EarthTrek camp in Coloma, where they listened to a talk about the arduous journey many took in pioneer times to the region, learned how to tinsmith, panned for gold, sang songs and played old-time instruments, and heard tales from a real mountain man.

Oakwood's 2nd-grade students learned that the journey to enter American for many immigrants was very historically very difficult. The children were taught about Ellis Island and immigration as part of their history unit. As the unit came to an end, students selected a country of origin from their ancestry and participated in an Ellis Island immigration simulation. Many of the students came to school wearing clothes that represented the country they were emigrating from and brought a small treasure that would help remind them of their old country to bring in their luggage. The interactive experience began with learning how crowded the ships were and also the poor quality of food for most passengers. After their simulated boat ride, they had to wait in long lines for questioning, and examinations which landed some in the infirmary and even the detention center. Students were welcomed to America, by Legal Inspector Shales. Once they had passed all of the necessary tasks, a great cheer was given as they were granted entry into the country. The students then celebrated with an international feast. Students were struck by the difficulty of the process and were touched by the differences in first class and steerage travel. All involved recognize the blessings in being here in America, and in being here at Oakwood.