The Oakridge School – Wikipedia

Private school in Arlington, Texas, US

The Oakridge School is a private school located in Arlington, Texas, US. It educates about 800 students in age groups Preschool-12.

History[edit]

The Oakridge School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school. A non-profit institution governed by an elected Board of Regents, the school has been accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest ( ISAS ) since 1988. It holds membership in the National Association of Independent Schools ( 1987 ) & is recognized by the Texas Education calculate my age
ncy ( 1982 ). [ một ]Oakridge formed when a nhóm of parents, teachers, và administrators left the White Lake School of Fort Worth ( K-3 ), which had been established in 1971 by Fort Worth businessman và thành phố council thành viên ( 1969 – 75 ) Ted Peters. [ 2 ] The school community divided end proposed changes bự the mission, specifically that students be tested for admissions & that students wear school uniforms. During the annual board of trustees meeting on February 27, 1979, parents expressed views on both sides of the issue, with board chair Nancy O’Shea & the school’s hot nhất headmaster, the Episcopalian priest Father Peter C. Ensor, supporting progressive change. Controversy surrounding federally mandated busing added fuel béo the fire. When the White Lake board replaced Nancy O’Shea with a hot nhất board chair và voted lao dốc proposed changes, O’Shea, Charles D. Butts, Jr., & other supporters drew up articles of incorporation for The Oakridge School within a week, as announced on March 6, 1979, at Woodhaven Country Club in east Fort Worth. [ tam ]The Oakridge School opened at the Handley United Methodist Church, 2929 N. Forest Avenue, in east Fort Worth in August 1979 with 85 students và 15 faculty members under the leadership of headmaster Peter C. Ensor. Teaching assignments included one teacher per grade màn chơi ( K4 thru grade tám ), plus one teacher per subject for History, English, Science, Music, và Physical Education. [ bốn ] [ 5 ]In 1980, the Board’s Permanent Site Committee of Bill Pruitt, Nancy O’Shea, và James Shadle negotiated the purchase of 33 acres on Pioneer Parkway from dairy farmer Bruce Boswell of Arlington, who offered flexible financing for four years because, as Boswell said, ” You will either be successful or fail in four years. ” [ 6 ]In 1981, the Board of Regents named Andy J. Broadus its second headmaster. Broadus had served as associate headmaster at Jacksonville Country Day School in Jacksonville, Florida. Enrollment quickly grew béo 154 students .The Texas Education Agency accredited Oakridge in 1982, the same year NAIS granted ” mới nhất school status. ” While the school gained academic traction, it sought a permanent trang chủ. Upper School classes were held at a house on Meadowbrook Drive in 1981 – 1982. For three years, from 1982 bự 1985, Oakridge operated at the old Handley Middle School, which was razed in the early 1990 s .Due béo problems with the lease agreement with the Fort Worth Independent School District, và ongoing doubts as mập the location of a permanent trang chủ, the Board of Regents purchased the 35 acres on the south side of Pioneer Parkway & started construction on the Early Childhood Center building in 1983. This, the first building on the Pioneer Parkway campus, was ready for students in the fall of 1984 .The year 1985 was a major turning point in the history of The Oakridge School. Its first class of seniors ( 7 members of the first alumni class ) graduated in 1985. One of these pioneer members of the Oakridge Alumni Association came from the United Kingdom ( Wales ), beginning a tradition of enrolling international students that continues. To date, Oakridge students have enrolled from 24 different countries. In the Fall of 1985, Oakridge opened the Upper School Building at 5900 Pioneer Parkway .With the 1986 – 87 school year, the school completed the move Khủng the mới nhất campus with a mới ra Lower School, Middle School, & Student Activity Center. In December 1987, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ( SACS ) accredited Oakridge. [ 7 ] That same month, the NAIS granted the school đầy đủ và active membership. Several months later ( March 1988 ), Independent Schools Association of the Southwest accreditation followed suit. Among all ISAS members schools, Oakridge led with the greatest enrollment increase for the 1988 – 89 school year .In September 1989, Oakridge started the Pre-school program for three-year-olds, making Oakridge the only ISAS school in the area with such a program. ” It is chưa bao giờ too soon Khủng start laying a strong foundation, ” remarked one parent .Headmaster Andy J. Broadus was named a Klingenstein Visiting Fellow at Columbia University ‘ s Teachers College in January 1992. By then, the school’s debt had been reduced while plans were underway for expanding the Early Childhood Center ( 1993 ) & the construction of a hot nhất library & the Amon G. Carter Multipurpose Activity Center ( 1994 ). In September 1992 the National Merit Scholarship Corporation named Oakridge’s first National Merit Scholar .Oakridge successfully completed its first ten-year accreditation visit in 1997 with outstanding ra mắt by visiting teams from ISAS và SACS. This was followed by the launch of a USD 6 million capital chiến dịch for the construction of a fine arts center và information center. [ tám ] An extension lớn the Lower School was completed that summer ( 1998 ). The mới nhất Information Center opened in December 1999, followed by the John P. Flavin [ 9 ] Fine Arts Center in May 2 nghìn .In 2006, the Boswell family — the same family who sold 33 acres phệ Oakridge in 1980 — announced plans phệ sell 47.5 acres of property across the street on the north side of Pioneer Parkway. ” We had always wanted the property, ” Mr. Broadus said, but the parcel belonged lớn several family members & could not be sold. After a real estate agent pieced the land together, Mr. Broadus was pleasantly surprised béo see a for-sale sign. ” That had béo be ours, ” he said, especially in light of the fact that other Fort Worth sister schools had outgrown their space & had relocated bự build hot nhất campuses. ” That land meant [ Oakridge ] would không bao giờ have bự move. ” [ 10 ] The school acquired the additional land và mix out Khủng develop a master site kế hoạch for development into an athletic complex. [ 11 ] [ 12 ]By 2007, the ” Securing the Legacy ” chiến dịch had exceeded the USD 6 million goal. That September, the hot nhất Security Center was completed, the most expensive square footage ever developed by the school, due bự the high công nghệ needs of a secure campus .Changes in leadership came in 2007 as well. Mr. Broadus, the longtime headmaster, stepped xuống dốc from his role & assumed the tiêu đề of president & chief fundraiser và developer for the Oakridge Athletic Complex. His associate headmaster, Jon Kellam, who had first come mập Oakridge in 1993 & who had served as a bóng đá coach, English teacher, & Middle School head, stepped up Khủng take kết thúc the management of the daily operations of the school. Mr. Kellam holds a master’s from Texas Christian University, is an alumnus of Stanford University ‘ s Educational Leadership Institute, is a thành viên of ISAS’s Secondary Commission on Standards, và was selected as one of the 2014 Head of Schools fellows at the Klingenstein Center of Columbia University. [ 13 ] [ 14 ]The 2011 – 12 school year saw various developments at Oakridge that impacted students across all divisions & in Academics, Arts, & Athletics. First, the hot nhất Quinn Family Kindergarten Center opened, creating four mới nhất K classrooms & almost doubling the Early Childhood Center Khủng kết thúc 16,000 square feet. This state of the art facility was made possible by the philanthropy of William J. ( Billy ) & Stacey Quinn. [ 15 ] The former Paradise Liquor store & gas station had been purchased & refitted for use as a 10,000 square foot Wrestling Center, with bathrooms & storage for the adjacent Duggan Track. In the realm of công nghệ và public speaking, an Oakridge grandparent, Dr. Don Shelton, donated a short-range radio station : K-OWL AM 1670. After just a few months on the air, & streaming trực tuyến, Oakridge Radio had listeners tuning in across 40 states và 13 countries. [ 16 ]The 2012 – 2013 school year featured another TEDx Youth Conference & two other developments : first, the Dubliners Colloquium for Upper School English students drew not only Oakridge students but those from eight other metroplex schools. [ 17 ] Also, the Oakridge Athletic Complex opened the Tennis Complex with eight hot nhất, hard-surface courts. This allowed Tennis phệ be added lớn Middle School programs. Both the Track & Tennis courts are already serving the needs of many groups across the community, including the nearby Arlington Police Training Center .In 2018 – 2019 Oakridge broke ground on mới nhất baseball và softball fields at the Oakridge Athletic Complex và received recognition among several trực tuyến đánh giá resources. For the third year in a row, ArlingtonToday. com readers ranked Oakridge the top private school in Arlington. [ 18 ] Among K-12 private schools across the nation, Niche ranked Oakridge in the top 13 % nationally ( 296 of 2,213 ) và top 3.6 % in DFW ( 14 of 382 private high schools ). [ 19 ] Oakridge continues phệ make such gains because, as one parent observed, Oakridge does not ” mold ” a certain type of student ; instead, Oakridge encourages students bự seek the best phiên bản of themselves .

Academics[edit]

The school includes students from age tam Khủng grade 12 in four divisions, each run by a division head. The Early Childhood Center includes pre-school, pre-Kindergarten, & Kindergarten. The Lower School includes elementary grades một thru bốn. Middle School houses grades 5 thru tám, & Upper School incorporates the high school grades 9 thru 12. Each division head oversees the academic, arts, & athletic programs for the grade levels under their care .The school’s philosophy is Khủng admit students who are a ” good fit ” for its programs & who are bound for college. Parents và children are encouraged phệ attend admissions events và phệ tour campus. After the introductions are made, Oakridge staff begin bự gather academic và mạng xã hội information on each prospective student. ” We do admissions testing và request báo cáo cards …. We require current teacher và principal recommendations, which address not only academic progress, but also the student’s ability bự get along with his or her peers, teachers, và others. ” [ trăng tròn ]The Student & Exchange Visitor Program ( SEVP ) has authorized Oakridge phệ host international students from such countries as Brazil, Britain, Canada, Nước Trung Hoa, France, Germany, Hong Kong ( pre-1997 ), India, Indonesia, Iran, Nhật Bản, Jordan, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Vương Quốc Của Những Nụ cười, Ukraine, và Vietnam. [ 21 ] [ 22 ] Each year, the school enrolls around đôi mươi students from about a dozen countries .Each year about half the senior class leaves the Lone Star state for college béo such schools as University of Southern California, Vassar College, Northwestern University, Harvard University, New York University, Boston University, University of Virginia, University of Alabama, California Institute of the Arts, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, American University, Washington và Lee University, Washington University in St. Louis, và the University of St. Andrew’s. The Upper School offers 23 AP courses .

Visual Art[edit]

Since 1985, high school juniors và seniors have participated in the Twelve County High School Art Competition, referencing twelve counties of north Texas now sponsored by the University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth. The annual Fort Worth Stock Show art competition entails a broader range of grades ( 1-12 ) & includes both private và public schools .

Choir và Orchestra[edit]

Beginning in the early 1980 s, Oakridge âm thanh students performed in choral ensembles và in musical theater. Affiliation with the Texas Music Educators Association ( TMEA ), [ 23 ] which involves end 12,000 school âm thanh educators, & the Texas Private School Music Educators Association ( TPSMEA ) [ 24 ] has allowed many Oakridge âm thanh students béo enjoy chất lượng musical experiences in local, regional, & state competitions. On April 12, 1997, the A cappella choir joined with the University of Texas at Arlington A cappella choir, under the direction of Gary Ebensberger, & the New England Symphonic Ensemble performed Faure’s ” Requieum ” at Carnegie Hall. [ 25 ] Following the completion of a mới ra John P. Flavin Fine Arts Center in 2001, Oakridge added chamber orchestra béo its fine arts programs beginning in 2003 – 04 under the direction of the award-winning violinist Wendy Anuwe, a graduate of the Taipei National University of the Arts. [ 26 ] Oakridge arts programs & faculty have long cultivated an appreciation for the arts & a lifetime involvement in âm nhạc .
Drama is an integral part of the Fine Arts experience at Oakridge, starting with Music và Movement in the Early Childhood Center và continuing with Lower School music, Lower School musical theater, và the 5 th grade rotation of drama as well as choir, art, & string orchestra. Sixth graders take a semester long arts course, including either drama or art. Starting in 7 th grade, students commit phệ a fine arts class for an entire school year. Drama và Musical Theater are options for Middle School, while Acting & Theatre Production are Upper School drama options. Each year, there is a large scale high school musical performed in the John Flavin Fine Arts Center’s performance hall, which seats almost 400 audience members .In the late 1990 s, actress Betty Buckley helped found a local Tony Awards competition [ 27 ] Khủng help promote high school drama programs. Oakridge students have garnered some of these awards. [ 28 ]

Athletics[edit]

The school’s sports teams are known as the Owls và compete in the Southwest Preparatory Conference ( SPC ) along with 16 other college preparatory schools primarily from Texas. [ 29 ] Oakridge teams face a variety of schools, including public schools on occasion. Oakridge often competes against Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools or TAPPS schools .Students in grades 7 thru 12 can participate in as many as 16 different sports kết thúc three seasons during the school year. Fall season choices include : Football, Volleyball, Cross Country, Field Hockey, và Cheerleading ; Winter season : Basketball, Soccer, Wrestling, nguồn Lifting, Swimming, và Equestrian ; Spring : Baseball, Golf, Tennis, Track và Field, và Softball. [ 30 ] Oakridge Owls regularly compete against other Southwest Preparatory Conference schools as Episcopal High School ( Bellaire, Texas ), St. Mark’s School ( Dallas, Texas ), The Casady School ( Norman, Oklahoma ), và many others in Houston, Austin, San Antonio, Fort Worth, Dallas, Oklahoma City, và Tulsa, Oklahoma .” They’re just kids that we’re developing, & they’re learning it & figuring out the system, ” said Owls head baseball coach — và the Texas Rangers ‘ 1984 rookie of the year — Curtis Wilkerson. ” And they are getting better & better. ” [ 31 ]

Notable alumni[edit]

References[edit]

• Autrey, Jennifer, and Matthew Brady (May 7, 1998). “Private schools have no fear about charter’s competition”. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. pp. B7.
• Baker, Sandra (September 29, 2006). “Oakridge School acquires tract”. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Brown, Marsha (April 16, 2007). “Oakridge School acquires land”. Fort Worth Business Press, vol. 20, issue 16. p. 8.
• Brown, Travis L. (April 18, 2014). “Oakridge turning a corner”. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Coleman, Rufus (September 11, 1998). “Oakridge School breaks ground on fine arts building, info center”. Arlington Morning News.
• Coon, John (March 14, 2018). “Receiver Bronson Boyd embracing new start with Utah”. Associated Press, AP Regional State Report–Texas.
• Deller, Martha (Spring 2013). “Oakridge expands TEDx Youth Conference”. Fort Worth Business Press, special section: Private School Guide. pp. 12–13.
• Dillard, Betty (Spring 2011). “New kindergarten center takes shape”. Fort Worth Business Press, special section: Private School Guide. p. 15.
• Dillard, Betty (Spring 2012). “Student broadcasters lighting up the airwaves at The Oakridge School”. Fort Worth Business Press, special section: Private School Guide. pp. 16–17.
• Dolan, George (February 27, 1979). “Lenten message carried just a note of resignation”. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Dunlap, Pam (September 10, 1979). “New private school plans an auction”. Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
• Edgar, Kathy A. (April 8, 1997). “CORE TALENT–Choir prepares for Big Apple performance”. Dallas Morning News, section: News Arlington. pp. 1A.
• Gore, Connie (April 19, 1998). “Private school’s growth affirms founders’ idea”. Fort Worth Star-Telegram, section: News Arlington. pp. A33-34.
• Howe, Aleisha (September 7, 2009). “Real deals”. Fort Worth Business Press, vol. 25, issue 32. p. 6.
• Howe, Aleisha (Fall 2009). “The Oakridge School readies major expansion push: Athletic complex on the drawing board”. Fort Worth Business Press, vol. 24, issue 35, special section: Private School Guide. pp. 10–11.
• Howe, Aleisha (September 7–13, 2009). “Oakridge School buys location for future athletic fields”. Fort Worth Business Press.
• Howe, Aleisha (Spring 2012). “Kindergarten center opens at The Oakridge School”. Fort Worth Business Press, special section: Private School Guide. p. 18.
• McClellan, Sarah (November 14, 2003). “Oakridge: 25 years of successes”. Fort Worth Business Press, vol. 16, issue 44. p. 33.
• Nancy O’Shea & Susy Sportsman (2019). The Oakridge School History, 1979-1987. The Oakridge School, Arlington, Texas. p. 137.
• Schexnayder, C.J. (May 6, 1997). “More parents opt for private schools to meet children’s particular needs”. Arlington Morning News.
• Stewart, Andy, and Robert Ward (2016). “Going Social”. Tennessee Musician, vol. 69, issue 1. pp. 14–17.
• Warren, Mindy (April 12, 1997). “Wildlife migrating to school’s wetlands preserve”. Dallas Morning News. pp. 1A.

Official trang web

Source: https://leowiki.com