Setting Us Apart

Each year, I watch the 8^th graders blossom and transform…from middle school students to high schoolers! There are many things they take with them – confidence, character, the ability to clearly communicate, written expression, mathematical abilities, the understanding of our past and present, the ability to hypothesize, and so much more. I know Oakhill provides a solid foundation for what is to come.

When I watched the 8^th grade perform at last month's Holiday Concert, I watched their unique personalities come out on stage. In many middle schools, there are a select few who choose to participate in drama and music…maybe they choose this as an elective and maybe they don’t! Maybe they are chosen by the music and drama teacher, and maybe they aren't! At Oakhill all of our 8^th graders have the opportunity to shine on stage…to share their talent in front of family and friends…to let their confidence grow even more. Those moments are important to me as an administrator…we are producing students who believe in themselves and know who they are!

Of course, hard evidence is just as important. As parents, I know you are always looking for evidence of value…and, you should be!

I want to take this opportunity to share with you some remarkable statistics. On Wednesday, November 7^th the eighth grade students took the EXPLORE test, which is part of the ACT family.  It is written for the 8^th or 9^th grade level with a goal of getting a head start on ACT testing and making sure students are on track for high school.  Via an inventory, it also suggests careers and course direction that match the student’s interest.  The test consists of a section in English, Mathematics, Reading, and Science with a high score of 25.  The English section has two components, usage/mechanics and rhetorical skills with a high score of 12.  Each student also received a composite score with 25 being the highest.  The charts below show how our students at Oakhill compared to the national norm group. Quite impressive AND expected!

Some interesting points: (For each of the following the high composite score is 25.)

In English our students average composite score was 21.6 compared to a national average of 14.7.

In Mathematics our students average composite score was 20.8 compared to a national average of 15.5.

In Reading our students average composite score was 21.1 compared to a national average of 14.6.

In Science our students average composite score was 20.8 compared to a national average of 16.6.

Overall composite:  our students averaged 21.2 compared to a national average of 15.5!  100% of our students scored ABOVE the national average!

We are excited to share our results with the entire community.  We understand that Oakhill is an investment.  The performance of our 8^th grade students on the EXPLORE is just one of many way we can show you the dividends.

Suzanne

Welcome to my new blog!

Welcome to my first blog!

I'm really excited to be able to share with you re-caps of my In a Nutshell Articles from our school publication, The ACORN, as well as articles, web sites, and other information that I find interesting and informative. I hope you enjoy my posts! 

Now that I have your attention!

Please mark your calendars for these exciting and somewhat new events. We have changed them up to make the sessions and presentations even more valuable to you! We hope you can come to both, but in case you cannot, I want to describe both events in detail.

Fly Up Night – Lessons Unleashed

On Thursday, January 12^th, we invite you to “Fly Up Night – Lessons Unleashed”! We will meet at 6:30 pm in the gymnasium where you will hear about where we have been and where we are going. I will touch on highlights, test scores, tuition for the 12/13 school year, and campus expansion and improvement plans. We will also have a few Oakhill graduates here to speak about their transition from Oakhill to high school and beyond.

At 6:55 pm, you will be dismissed from the gymnasium and encouraged to attend next year’s grade level lesson presentations. This year (ALL NEW), you will be immersed in the learning environment…into a real lesson. The teachers will SHOW you what makes us special and EXPLAIN to you how we are different. Once again, there will be three identical sessions starting at 7:00, 7:35, and 8:10 pm. You will also find your 2^nd quarter grade cards and re-enrollment packets in the classroom, as well.

The Specialist Teachers, including Art, Music, PE, Spanish, Science, Library, and Technology, will be in the commons with displays at their individual tables. They will be prepared to share a lesson outline with you, explaining what makes our “Specials” unique and different.

Day in the Life Presentations

During designated mornings in January (listed below), grade level teachers, Mrs. Gipe, and I will meet you in the library for a 30 minute “Day in the Life” PowerPoint presentation. For example, current 4^th grade parents would attend the Middle School presentation; current Kindergarten parents would attend the First Grade presentation.

The presentations will include classroom video showcasing the curricular areas, video clips and pictures highlighting activities and Special classes, and valuable discussion and explanation from the classroom teachers. We want YOU to walk away from this presentation understanding the value Oakhill brings to you and the difference it makes. We want to share with you how this grade level is different from the previous one highlighting curricular content, teaching styles, field trips, opportunities, events, and activities. You will also have the opportunity to ask questions in a small setting!

We are excited about these new and different events (thanks to your input and feedback)! We hope to make them worth your time! Fly Up Night will give you a lesson in the life of your student, while the morning presentations will give you a day in the life of your student. Our hope is that after these two events, you will see who we are, what we do, and how we set ourselves apart!

If you have any questions or need clarification, please let me know!

Happy New Year!