Elementary

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.

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.

On May 2 and 3, Oakwood School hosted beloved grandparents and special friends who traveled from near and far to learn more about the Oakwood School experience firsthand.

Oakwood 4th grade students visited Monterey State Historic Park Association today and expanded upon what they have learned as part of their history unit of the time period when California was a part of Mexico. They broke into small groups and rotated between 4 engaging stations: cooking, branding, embroidery, and games. As a group they twisted twine into rope, enjoyed lunch in the garden and visited the historic Custom House. The tour guides commented several times on how well informed and polite our students were. Great job 4th grade!

The first grade students did an incredible job in their musical, Sing a Song of Aesop! Five of Aesop's beloved fables came to life in this fun filled, upbeat musical. The featured fables were: The Tortoise and the Hare; The Country Mouse and the City Mouse; The Ant and the Grasshopper; The Boy Who Cried, "Wolf" and The Lion and the Mouse. These young actors did a sensational job showing the audience that morals can be fun to learn!

After several weeks of training, the Oakwood Mini Mermaid Running Club ran the Run. Sweat. Love. 5K on Saturday at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. The Mini Mermaid Running Club is a six-week program of self-discovery, confidence-building, and goal-setting, where through movement, journaling, and group activities girls learn how to stand up for themselves and others, ask for help, offer help, and set steps to reach their goals. Great job mermaids!

The second grade class walked in the shoes of pioneer children. They came to school dressed like pioneers and experienced a day filled with pioneer activities that helped them learn about life in the 1800s. Mrs. Pappa shared some family history of her pioneer ancestors who relocated to California. She even brought in a full-sized wagon wheel that was from that time.

In celebration of third-grade students completing their history unit on the first Americans, and to solidify what the students learned, the class ventured on a field trip to Chitactac-Adams Park. The students enjoyed exploring the local tribal region and experienced the many ways in which the Amah Mutsun utilized the natural resources along Uvas Creek for thousands of years. They learned about the wildlife that was hunted, the native plants and their uses, and the games that were played in the Chitactac village community.