Letter from Head of School

Robert R. Peterson
Head of School

July 1, 2010

Dear Oakwood Parents,

I certainly hope this letter finds you and your families enjoying the pleasures of summer vacation and two and half months away from school schedules. Although I am finding time to play golf and travel around North Carolina with friends and family, I miss seeing all of our wonderful Oakwood students on a day-to-day basis. The campus, though it has a splendid array of summer camp programs each week, seems too quiet!

This is the first of two summer mailings to The Oakwood School parents. The purpose of this letter is to update you on important school news and to remind you of all the necessary forms that you need to complete and return to the office. I urge you to return these forms as soon as possible; Christine Barker is in the office all summer and would like to organize for the 2010-2011 school year now so that the opening days of school can run much more smoothly and efficiently. The information contained on each form is necessary for Christine to update our database information. This year we hope to publish The Directory (family address and phone information) shortly after opening day, and we can do this only if we have your information well in advance of the start of school on August 25th. Please note that we would like to include cell phone numbers and email addresses in this year's Directory. If you do not want your cell phone number published in The Directory, please be sure to check the appropriate green box in the Database /Directory Form, which is included in this mailing.

This packet includes the following information and forms:

• Copy of the Health Form to be completed by your child's pediatrician—necessary for your child to participate in fitness and sports
• Emergency Information Form
• Pick Up Authorization and Medication Forms
• Grandparent and Database/Directory Information Forms
• Blanket Field Trip and Photo Permission Forms

Please take the time to fill out the forms this week and return them to Christine Barker in the main office. If you have any questions related to any of these forms, please call the school for assistance. I also include a checklist of items that you may find convenient as you prepare for The Oakwood School's 15th opening day. Please:

• Check the school's website for information on school supplies necessary for your child(ren). The teachers are updating this link over the summer.
• Check the detailed events calendar on the school's website for times and date for Back to School Night, The Big Step Breakfast for PK/K parents, and other important events at Oakwood.
• Complete all the forms enclosed in this packet asap and mail them back to Christine Barker at The Oakwood School no later than August 1st
• Make an appointment with Oakwood's Technology Director, Mr. Fred Austin, if your child(ren) is in the 4th – 12th grades and he/she has any laptop issues or concerns. Do not wait until school starts to do this.

I am thrilled to announce the appointments of Keyla Thompson as an Upper School Spanish, chemistry and physics teacher, Chris McDonald as an Upper School English instructor, Lisa Thomas Harner as the coordinator of the school's libraries and summer programs, and Maura Aceto as a Middle School Spanish teacher. Keyla comes to Oakwood from the Word of Life Academy in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she taught science and math for four years. Prior to this teaching experience, she taught at Victory Christian Academy in Charlotte for a year. While at Victory Christian, she also taught "Conversational Spanish" at the local community college as well. She also served as the head of the Science department at Cabo Rojo High School in Puerto Rico for three years.  Keyla is a magna cum laude graduate of The University of Puerto Rico with a BS in Biology and Human Physiology, and she also received a BA in Theology from Portland Bible College in Portland, Oregon.

Maura Aceto joins the Oakwood faculty to teach Middle School Spanish. Maura and Keyla replace Gisela Graves who left Oakwood to move to Missouri to join her husband. Maura, the parent of kindergartener, Sophia, is a native of Puerto Rico where she received her BA from the University of Puerto Rico. She also holds a Master's degree from ECU in English: Technical and Professional Communication. Fluent in three languages, Maura has served as the Parent Outreach Coordinator for The Martin and Pitt County Partnership for Children. Maura will teach Spanish part-time at Oakwood as well as continue her work with Partnership for Children.

Chris McDonald will teach English full time in the Upper School. He replaces Leigh Wagner who has moved to Washington, D.C., to be with her husband who is working with NOAA after finishing a doctorate program at ECU. Chris has taught at both the middle school and college levels. Most recently he has taught at West Craven Middle School where he was a beloved teacher and coach. Chris received his BFA in Creative Writing from St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurenburg, NC, before pursuing his Masters of Arts in English from ECU. While attending ECU he taught creative writing and English literature courses. Chris served in the US Coast Guard from 1987-1994 before entering college through the GI Bill of Rights program. Chris is an avid golfer as well as writer.

Lisa Thomas Harner replaces Heather Jenks who has left Oakwood's library to finish her Master's degree in Library Science and to work on various research projects at the University. Heather's enthusiasm and love of literature will be missed at Oakwood, yet I am confident that Lisa will fill her shoes admirably. Lisa has a Bachelors of Arts degree in Social Work from Shippensburg University as well as an MA in Social Work from The University of Pittsburgh. Lisa is a well-known face at Oakwood. She is the mother of Adra (6th) and Pierce (2nd), was a member of the PSA Steering Committee last year, has volunteered much energy and time in supporting our book fairs, and has served as an admission's ambassador at our monthly admission's Open Houses. Lisa will also organize the 2011 summer programs at Oakwood.

We are appreciative of and deeply grateful for the many good things that our departing teachers did for Oakwood. We will miss Gisela, Heather, and Leigh and wish them the very best in their future endeavors. Shanna Shoemaker is also leaving us. She served the school as the Director of Extended Day and the Summer Camps as well as supported the faculty with technology needs this past year. Shanna stepped into her roles with energy and gusto, and we shall miss her. We wish her the best as she seeks a teaching position in a local school.

I hope that all of you have had the chance to review the Board of Trustees' document, Talk Proud about Oakwood. Alicia Hawk, Board President, and Emily Prokopowicz, Oakwood's Director of Communications, collaborated to craft this informative and detailed end-of-the-year analysis of the school. I am sincerely grateful to Alicia and Emily for their work on this important article that outlines the successes of our students and of Oakwood. I hope that you will share this document with friends and acquaintances that might be interested in Oakwood for their children. Talk Proud is now linked to our website (www.theoakwoodschool.org) allowing you to easily forward it to friends.

A few parents came to see me at the end of the year concerned about Oakwood's enrollment numbers having heard about students who were leaving the school. I allayed their fears about enrollment by showing them up to date enrollment figures, and I want to update you on current and projected figures as well. Traditionally there are families who leave the school each year for a variety of reasons: moving from the area, experiencing financial burdens, seeking a different type of education for their child, etc.  Statistically, this year's reenrollment picture is no different than that of the previous three years. In fact, we have fewer students leaving Oakwood this year compared to a year ago as well as in 2007 and 2008. We are working to secure all reenrollment contracts from veteran families; this process is never easy or fast. Based on the numbers of contracts in hand along with oral commitments from parents, as well as new students enrolled we stand at an enrollment of approximately 325. This number does not include the summer admission's season, which traditionally brings in between 20 and 30 new students. If this projection plays out, we should open the year at a number higher than any year in the school's history. I am optimistic that this will be the case. If you have any questions or concerns about enrollment at Oakwood, I hope that you will take the time to call me or come in and talk with me about this.

I will send my second letter to all of you at the beginning of August detailing additional information necessary for the start of the 2010-2011 school year. Until then, I wish you and your families all the best. If you need to connect with me during the summer months, I will be in my office until July 9th at which time Gini and I will head to Eastport, Maine, for two weeks to enjoy the beauty of the coast of Maine and time with family. I will be back in the office on July 27th. Please call Christine Barker if you would like to schedule an appointment with me to discuss anything on your mind; my door is always open.

Sincerely,

Robert R. Peterson
Head of School