Our Approach
The entire staff of Oakland School is committed to creating a nurturing environment in which each student’s particular academic, emotional, and social needs are met. We recognize that every child is unique and learns differently and that an academic program must be tailored for each individual. Our goal is to encourage and help students achieve their potential, so that they will develop a love of learning as well as a firm sense of self-worth and respect for themselves and others.
Guiding Principles
Building Confidence
We unlock each child’s potential by teaching self-advocacy and empowering students to grow into successful, capable students.
Opening Doors
Education occurs beyond the classroom at Oakland, where fun, character-building extracurriculars encourage lasting friendships.
Inspiring Learners
We evaluate each student’s strengths and weaknesses and craft individualized programs designed to foster a lifelong love of learning.
Strengthening Families
A support system you can trust, we transform school from burden into blessing so you can get back to connecting as a family.
The Individual Instruction Plan
When students enroll at Oakland School, we closely examine their achievement test data across core academic areas then work hand in hand with parents to create specific goals and objectives to address the particular needs of their child. The result is the Individual Instruction Plan, a student’s educational roadmap for the year and a main component of The Oakland Way.
The plan gets updated quarterly and a new plan is written each year to continue setting interim goals for students. We keep parents apprised of their child’s progress with quarterly narrative reports, formal conferences three times a year, and open lines of communication via phone, email, or in-person conferences as needed.
Our Schedule
The school day is divided into seven 45 to 50-minute periods. Each student’s schedule is designed to balance rigorous instruction targeting his or her core academic needs with a healthy dose of movement and independence mixed in to recharge the brain for additional learning.
One-to-ones
Each student receives a one-to-one period with the teacher responsible for coordinating the student's program as dictated by their individualized learning plan. Typically, the focus is reading, but it may also reinforce math, writing, organizational, or other skills as needed.
Core Academics
Including their one-to-one instruction, students may have from three to four Reading and/or Phonics periods throughout the day depending on their skill level.
Each student has one to two Math periods daily at his or her level, the first being instructional and the second being a practice session. The small class sizes afford the teacher the opportunity to individualize lessons within the class.
Most students have a period of English. Typically, a student on or near grade level in reading will have a Written Language period.
Study Skills
Oakland emphasizes the importance of study skills. A beginning reader may not be ready for a Study Skills class but will receive study skills instruction within the reading classroom. Most students, however, will take this class focusing in social studies and science content areas.
Physical Education
As part of Oakland’s mission to develop the whole child, each student is enrolled in a P.E. class. Classes are differentiated to encourage students of all abilities, with units designed to increase movement, build confidence, and inspire students to be active . The curriculum also includes learning the rules for a variety of sports, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball.
Technology
Technology is a key component of Oakland’s academic program. Students do most writing on the computer and practice keyboarding.
We incorporate chrome books for additional multisensory instruction including various apps and games when possible to promote student interest, reinforce concepts, and provide guided practice.