Elementary

Mrs. Pappa's second grade students experienced the much-anticipated grand finale to the school year - Camp Read A Lot! Students came to school dressed in their camp attire ready for a fun day of reading. They brought flashlights, pillows, and sleeping bags to use in the tents that were set up in the classroom. Reading Rangers visited throughout the day to ready stories around the campfire. Students participated in activities as a fun way to review material from the school year. They wrote their own camp stories, conducted a survey about s'mores, worked with money at the "Camp Trading Post," and engaged in some friendly competition between tents. What a fun way to end the school year!

Oakwood first graders have been learning about the types of homes all around the world. As part of the unit, each student built a home to display in the classroom. Students were all very creative and materials varied with each project. Homes ranged from farmhouses, beach houses, tree houses, and traditional American modern-day homes. They also built small houses out of cardboard and created a community to display during Spring Open House which represented the Oakwood community. Well done, first graders!

The annual Oakwood Student Art Show showcased artwork that students created throughout the 2017-2018 school year. The showcase displayed art pieces created in a variety of mediums by Oakwood students in elementary through high school. Exhibits included murals, sculptures, pottery, collages, paintings, and many more impressive pieces. This year the showcase also had musical accompaniment by the Oakwood High School Vocal and Jazz Ensembles!

Oakwood faculty and staff would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the families and volunteers for a fantastic Appreciation Week. Every day was a special one and we would like to thank the families who so generously contributed to this extraordinary week. We are so grateful!

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 Words of the Month of April were "Showing Respect." Students who show respect at Oakwood received Character Awards and enjoyed a sweet treat with Mrs. Shales. Congratulations to the following students: Kindergarten – Paxson K., JC M., Maria T., Vina R., Arianna S., Else D., Hudson S., Katelynn T.; 1st Grade – Calvin B., Aliya A., Naya A., Justin G., Chelsea R., Evan G., Emma K., Nevaeh B., Lily W., Gianna P., Jocelyn V., Caroline N., Kaia W., Brechlin B., Alexa V., Gavin F., Charlotte H.; 2nd Grade - Shayan B., Abby G., Coraline C., Anayeli M., Henry H.; 3rd Grade - Kayden P., Kelly K., Leah S., Joelle N., Cayden W., Katie S., Ginger C., Zoe P., Erik G., Natalie G., Kate P., Ginger K., Addison P., Noelle G.; 4th Grade – Sunny F., Rabani S., Camille M., Austin F., Clara S., Gianna G., Eva G., Matthew F.; 5th Grade – Andrew A., Mysha B., Emma B., Lauren S., Aadjot S.

Oakwood second graders learned 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. They 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. After journeying in a crowded ship, a long line of questioning and inspections which landed some in the infirmary and even the detention center, students were welcomed to America by Legal Inspector Shales, where they were treated to 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 recognized the blessings in being here in America, and in being here at Oakwood.

Oakwood elementary students had audiences dancing in their seats at the annual Elementary Spring Concert. First through third grades barked, clucked, and mooed their way through "Wild about Animals," with songs about puppies, penguins, and even the Hawaiian humuhumunukunukuapua'a! Fourth and fifth grades wowed the crowd with a variety of Broadway songs from both classical and current musicals in "Broadway Beat!" Thank you, students and Mrs. Hanson, for an incredible performance!

Oakwood's 4th graders held their annual Book Report T-Shirt Fashion Show. Each student wrote a report on a book of their choosing and created t-shirt designs that showcased the book's main theme. They walked down their classroom runway as Mrs. Shales read a script that students wrote about their t-shirt. It's fun to see our students expressing themselves through their writing, designs, and modeling.

Oakwood 5th grade students attended Science Camp at Walker Creek Ranch in April. Their days were filled with fun and educational activities that allowed them to build a deeper connection with each other and the natural world. Hands-on activities allowed for field study of basic ecology, plant and animal identification, and human relationships with the environment. Their week included a visit to the redwoods at Samuel P. Taylor Park, a trip to Limantour Beach at Point Reyes, a night hike, a barn dance, campfires, and a hike to Turtle Pond, where they took the polar bear challenge! They returned with an increased understanding and awareness of how their choices impact the world around them and have a new-found sense of independence and maturity.