Elementary

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.

On Friday, March 29th the first grade students enjoyed a field trip to Natural Bridges in Santa Cruz. The weather was glorious and the students learned about the northern California coastline and spent some time investigating tide pools, which ties into their science curriculum.

Congratulations to Company 34, a team of third and forth grade students, who received a Construction Innovation award at the NorCal FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Junior Expo, held at the SJSU Event Center, on March 29th. Oakwood students in first through fourth grade had the opportunity to participate in the FIRST LEGO League Junior this year. The students have been working with LEGO WeDo robotics systems to solve problems related to lunar habitation. In this after school program coached by parent volunteers and Principal Shales, team members learned to build and program robotic models, and explored space travel and lunar settlements. The season culminated with the construction of each team's own motorized moon base and presentation poster. Oakwood's first grade (First Grade Boys Rock) and second grade (Misters and Miss Moon) teams presented their successful Mission Moon projects at Oakwood School. Well done students!

Oakwood's second grade visited Ardenwood Historic Farm located in Fremont. They received a lesson from a park naturalist called,"What is the buzz about bees?" It was an interactive lesson about pollination and why bees and other pollinators are so important to farming life. A visit to the kitchen garden was in order and they were able to see pollinators in action. They learned what they can do daily to help bees stay healthy and active. Then they were off to the barns to see spring time on the farm. Baby animals were in most corrals, including baby goats, lambs, pigs, and calves. They came back to school with appreciation for the hard work of pollinators and a warm heart from the barns.

Oakwood's 3rd grade students enjoyed making history, science, and reading connections with the outdoors! Students spent the day in the enchanted valley of Hidden Villa exploring the trails, meeting the animals on the farm, and enjoying fresh food straight from the garden. Hidden Villa's educational program is designed to inspire people of all ages to become caretakers of the environment. From exploring, to hands-on investigation of the natural world, the children learn to understand and appreciate the diversity and interconnectedness of nature.

Our second-grade students delighted their audiences during the adorable musical "It's a Jungle Out There!" This heart-warming play showed that the true meaning of happiness is not power and fame, but treasured friendships and life's simple pleasures. Special thanks to all those who helped the students prepare for and put on this wild production, and congratulations to the entire second-grade class on two well-done performances!