transformation boarding school
Oak Hill Academy: East Coast Boarding School in the Blue Ridge Mountains
There is a broad spectrum of factors to consider when looking at boarding school options for your student. Just as people have unique personalities, so too do boarding schools and finding the right match requires some research that often goes beyond the website. Oak Hill Academy has a busy campus tour season that coincides with students being present on campus for our summer session running from June 20-July 22 and when families visit us, here are the top 3 things I want them to see that go beyond what is found on our website:
- The people. While our website does a decent job of relaying the tidiness and beauty of campus, only a visit can truly showcase of most outstanding feature – the people here. Our location in Grayson County, Virginia makes us one of the most rural boarding high schools on the east coast, but it has the side-benefit of helping to create an outstandingly tight-knit faculty and student body. I’ve raised my 4 children alongside my colleague’s children as they’ve grown up in faculty housing on campus. Our students rely on each other to create, in the classic sense, community – as there is no surrounding town, so each year, we create our own community. This is something that is easily felt during a tour as our students stop to speak with families throughout. Spend 5 minutes in the Alumni Campus Store and the easy relationships are evident.
- Diversity. Many boarding schools tout an international population and that is one of the classic benefits of a boarding school experience. I urge you to look a little deeper at those numbers. At Oak Hill Academy, we are not relying on a single source of international students. The result is an international population representing 16 countries. Economic diversity is another thing that is hard to convey through numbers, but Oak Hill Academy’s position on the affordable end of the boarding school spectrum is an important contributing factor to diversity on campus. Our student body does not feel entitled, instead we are a “roll your sleeves up and work together” environment.
- Mission. Our mission statement is very clearly communicated on our website. However, what this “feels” like is much more effectively communicated through a visit. Faculty sharing a snack with a student on the Alumni School Store deck after school, a college guidance counselor helping a student connect with a college admission representative on the phone, and a teacher loading a van of students to visit a local elementary school are three vignettes a recent tour noticed. As the overwhelming majority of our faculty and staff live on campus, their investment in our students knows no time clock.
The Admission Department will be conducting campus visits and interviews throughout the summer. Please contact us to discuss a good time to visit and you are urged to “go beyond the website.” It is the best way to truly know what is special about Oak Hill Academy.
Oak Hill Academy -Boarding School with late enrollment
At this time of year, many of my admission calls begin with the question, “Is Oak Hill Academy still accepting applications?” We are, and I would like to take some time to explain the philosophy of late admission and rolling admission.
A review of our school’s website will uncover that Oak Hill Academy is a small, coed, college-prep boarding school that serves the very unique niche of focusing on the student who has not been having the kind of success of which they are capable. As grades come out at the end of the school year, parents and students are having the conversation that a change is needed. For some, poor grades expose a need for a change of academic environment, a change in peer group, or even a change in home dynamics.
When a student (and family) recognizes that attending Oak Hill Academy is an opportunity to make these kinds of changes and to redefine themselves in a new environment, we want to be available. We also intentionally keep space available for families who are having these conversations early in the school year.
Please visit our website http://www.oak-hill.net to understand these opportunities in greater detail. Our enrollment cycle accounts for families who are making these decisions at this time of year – well into the summer months. As the Director of Admission, I am happy to consider applicants who are a fit for this mission and I am currently conducting campus visits and interviews. Contact me now to discuss.
Learning Differences are in Oak Hill Academy’s “Wheelhouse”
As I often say, Oak Hill Academy occupies a very unique place on the boarding school spectrum. We are college prep without being “sink or swim.” We are skilled and experienced at working with students who have the intentions but, for a variety of reasons, have not learned to execute effectively. Our kids are smart, they often just learn differently. What we find, over and over, is that once a student tastes success, they want more of it.
While I do not portray Oak Hill Academy as a specific “learning disability school,” the fact is that we have a lot of experience in this area. Oak Hill Academy’s small size and relational approach historically attracts a lot of inquiries from families with a student who may be struggling academically and are seeking a change in environment that addresses learning challenges. It is not uncommon for applicants to come to us with a specialized learning plan, or an IEP as it is commonly known, and we often find that the majority of suggested accommodations are part of our normal course of business here.
In a classroom of 8-12 students, we can do that. Individual strengths and comparative weaknesses are known, and more importantly addressed, by our teachers. Relationships based on trust and a sense of investment abound in this environment, especially since most of our faculty live on campus with their own families. The kids know us too!
This unique dynamic – students and teachers living together in a small community – also shows up in the amount of time we can dedicate to “shoulder to shoulder” coaching in addition to the classroom instruction time. Our schedule includes a dedicated “8th period” for subject-specific tutorials, organizational check-ins, and homework remediation. Our principal is also hands on through her management of the Resource Center, an administrative study hall to address executive and learning challenges across the curriculum.
Perhaps the most dynamic situation comes in the form of structure and a positive peer surrounding. While we are definitely a college preparatory school (95% college acceptance for our students over the last 10 years), we are not the hyper competitive situation many associate with boarding school. Our students like to study together and support each other’s success. It is “cool” to do well and handle academic responsibility here. Our students high-five each other as tests and quizzes are returned in class, often because they studied together!
The structure of afterschool support is complemented by the mandatory “quiet time” in the dorms where students are required to be in their rooms, independently working or in arranged peer tutoring. The library is also available for use during the mandatory evening study time.
In small classes, learning styles are also recognized. Material is presented in a variety of ways – visual, auditory, hands-on for example – before teachers move on. The predominate teaching style at Oak Hill Academy is to facilitate dynamic class discussions. The diversity of our student body makes this method particularly engaging and our students develop their “voice.” An emphasis on coaching the processes of writing across our curriculum means that they better express themselves and develop necessary skills to write well in college.
In this setting, maintaining this mission since 1878, Oak Hill Academy has developed an intentionality of working with students whose learning differences and personal habits flourish in our structured, supportive environment. If you are seeking such a “turning point” for your student, please contact the Admission Office at mrodgers@oak-hill.net or call (276) 579-2619.
The February Challenge – Learning Perseverance
I would like to share a devotion delivered this morning in our Monday morning faculty meeting today. February is known in the boarding school world as “the toughest month” historically – the long Christmas Break (which, at Oak Hill Academy, is nearly 3 weeks long) is far in the rearview mirror and Spring Break (2 1/2 weeks long here) is still off on the horizon. The days are shorter, the weather keeps a lot of outdoor activities at bay, we are in the “meat” of the curriculum, and in short, it is a tough month. It is also the time that our students get great practice in learning how to develop what is one of our biggest goals for our students – perseverance and grit. As the majority of our faculty and staff live on campus alongside our students, we are keenly aware of the challenges of February.
February 22 – Whew!
I was talking with an adult friend of mine the other evening who is taking the Real Estate Licensing test. He was explaining how difficult it was to find the time, energy and work/family balance to study. He remarked, “I wish I would’ve learned this stuff in school.” I agreed with him, but the more I thought about it – we do, or we should learn this “stuff” in school. A high school class on Real Estate Law is debatable, but one of the main things that we get out of a good education is the ability to meet the “stuff” of these kinds of challenges – balancing and persevering – in adulthood. The more I thought about this conversation, I kind of seized upon this idea that at Oak Hill Academy, at our core, this is what we are really teaching our kids. February is the month where this most obviously comes to light.
In February, we find ourselves at the corner of “Shut Down Street” and “Push Through Avenue.”
Recently, I read an article in The NewYorker by Maria Konnikova about a study that attempted to identify the source of resiliency. How People Learn to Become Resilient One of the points she makes is that it is difficult to study resiliency as it is a kind of “chicken or the egg” proposition. Is resiliency already programmed inside of us waiting to be tested, or does it develop through being tested?
In the movie, Fight Club, the main character asks, “How much can you know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?”
Jennifer E. Jones wrote a great commentary/devotional on the subject here: Battle Wounds from the Good Fight There are similarities between what happens in February with keeping our Christian Faith. Fights involve a back and forth, ups and downs. February at Oak Hill Academy is like that – we have our fun, but it also the time where we continue to push our students academically when many are trying to default to “shut down mode” and to top it off, we have several Saturday class days scheduled this month!
In the bigger picture of life, it often seems that as we attempt to grow in our spiritual walk, this world will fight us for it in this back and forth way too.
In any fight, responses seem to fall into one of three categories:
- Defaulting into negative self-talk and “beating ourselves up”
- Going on the defensive and simply covering up and just enduring the flurry
- We can get on the offensive and push through – to “fight” remembering God’s promise that no weapon formed against you will succeed at taking you down (Isaish 54:17)
Back to our students: One thing I try to keep in mind is that I (we), have way more experience with the type of “February Fight” our students are facing right now. Overwhelmingly, our students come to Oak Hill Academy with their background and main experience in life to this point being a default to “options 1 or 2.” I try to keep this in mind, especially in February.
Mark my words – the school year gets easier, the “bounce” in our step returns. I used to think it was as simple as the improved weather of Spring (I’m still sure that is a big factor). But today, I’d like to focus on the possibility that it is in large part due to the realization by our kids that they have fought through. They’ve come to know themselves a little better because they’ve been in a “fight.” They’ve pushed through. That’s powerful.
We, with some age and experience on our sides, have fought through many “Februaries of our Christian Walk” and my hope is that we can use it to grow and know ourselves better as we choose option 3, to fight through with God’s help and mercy. The opportunities to be examples and encouragers to our students who are learning more about this option are plentiful in February and throughout the school year.
I Timothy 6:12: Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
New Course Offering at Oak Hill Academy: Critical Reading for College
A new class has been added to the English Department at Oak Hill Academy in response to the identifiable needs of our students as they enter college: Critical Reading for College. This course is designed to assist students in improving their skills in critical reading specifically as it applies to types of reading they will be doing as college freshman and as applicants for college. A special emphasis will be placed on the redesigned “Evidence Based Reading and Writing” section of the SAT.
The relationship between writing skills and improved reading skills is the basis of this class. Students will review a variety of writing conventions – persuasive, research, comparative, and editorial to name a few. Due to the heavy volume of reading and writing, especially in introductory level college classes, we’ve identified this as point of emphasis in preparing our students for college. This new class represents a response to information we’ve received through a continued contact with our alumni base and feedback they’ve provided as to the most practical preparation we can offer to our students as they become college freshman. The goal with this class is continue to grow our student’s preparedness with an increased understanding of sentence structure, flow, and transitioning elements in the kind of writing (and by extension, reading) they will encounter most in college.
Oak Hill Academy – Boarding School Spiritual Life
Young’s Chapel Baptist Church, is pictured on the left, alongside The Rev. J.F. Fletcher Chapel, on the right.
I often receive questions regarding Oak Hill Academy’s religious life and the spiritual opportunities provided here. Many parents want to know what that looks like. Today, I’d like to take some time to more fully address this important facet of Oak Hill Academy‘s mission and the educational experience we provide our students.
First, some background: Many of this blog’s readers may know that I attended Oak Hill Academy – I’m a proud member of the class of ’87! I did not grow up in a traditional Sunday service attending household, so in many ways, Young’s Chapel Baptist will always hold a place in my heart as my first “home” Church. From it’s founding, Oak Hill Academy students have been welcomed to worship service each Sunday morning by the Young’s Chapel congregation and it is our gateway to the broader community around us. Little did I know the seeds that were being planted as I attended mandatory Church Service with my classmates way back then.
The fact is, our student body comes from many different faith traditions and backgrounds, including no background at all. So for our students, this is a great opportunity to explore spiritual growth in a “real world” setting. Our mandatory Church attendance on Sunday morning brings our students together in respectful attendance. Doctrine is not forced upon our students, as this would likely build walls. Our approach is not “heavy handed.” Instead, through a demonstration and acknowledgement of God’s love, we grow as a community. Along the way, many students naturally begin or continue a personal journey of faith, fully supported by those around them. Our campus minister, also the pastor of Young’s Chapel Baptist, and a faculty member (gosh we wear a lot of hats!) is a great resource for those who reach out seeking spiritual guidance or clarification. Our Youth Group, open to all interested students, is another source of spiritual growth and community involvement – it also provides a venue for leadership development. It’s not mandatory, and that probably explains some of its popularity!
The Fletcher Chapel is the site of our daily homeroom and offers another opportunity to remind students of God’s love for them and is a reminder of a life of faith. We open the day in short prayer, followed by a short devotion. This positive thought or word brings us together on a topic of character development and the feeling of community is reinforced. Typically delivered by our campus minister, faculty member or administrator, the devotion allows the students to see the personal side of us. On Fridays, members of the senior class take turns delivering the devotion and, let me tell you, some of the most profound and relatable messages come directly from the students!
I’m now 46 years old, having raised a family (really, are you ever “done”?) and my faith has played an incredible role in my adult life. Of course, I was not anticipating this when, as a 17-year old student of Oak Hill Academy, I first experienced Church in Young’s Chapel Baptist.
Oak Hill Academy between the sessions
Oak Hill Academy is in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, in the Appalachian Highlands. I live in a beautiful place. This is a fact that I often took for granted until I started giving tours in the Admission Department and seeing the campus and surrounding beauty through the “new eyes” of prospective parents and applicants changed that.
As I write this, the rushed excitement of our final school days of 2014-15 and the “pomp and circumstance” of graduation is now 3 weeks past. Campus has gotten extremely quiet and this has put me in a reflective mood. Most of the faculty and staff live on campus, but the first several weeks of summer are a time for family vacations. Have I mentioned that campus is quiet?
I am accepting applications and conducting tours throughout the summer – I’m available and keeping regular office hours. If you are considering Oak Hill Academy for your student, I encourage you to contact me to set up a campus visit as I meet with families individually and do not do “open houses.” However, I encourage you to target June 22-July 24, during our summer school session, for your visit. Our summer session brings students back on campus, allows new students a great place to start, and offers an excellent opportunity for visitors to see school in session. I’m very excited to welcome students back on campus June 22 because, as I show campus between sessions, it makes me miss the impressiveness of “who” we are. Students, I miss you, and I look forward to seeing the campus look like this again soon:
Oak Hill Academy Stories #4 Amy He class of 2015
I first met Amy as a shy incoming 8th grader from China who had a large language barrier to overcome. A short, memory-filled 5 years later, she is less than two weeks away from graduation at Oak Hill Academy. We are all very proud of the engaged, confident young lady she has grown into before our eyes. High Point University in North Carolina is next on the horizon for Amy. She chose HPU from among several great scholarship offers from several good schools. Amy is also a great example of the relationships built at Oak Hill Academy although it doesn’t take 5 years to do that.
Amy has acted in several play productions and has grown into leadership positions on campus such as student ambassador and Admission Department intern along with a long list of community service involvement. She embraced the opportunity to become part of a close-knit school community, and along with long-term support of the ESL program, is now completely bi-lingual. We now take the opportunity to check in with her before what is sure to be an emotional graduation time arrives.
As an international student, what were your first impressions of Oak Hill Academy when you arrived? To be honest, I thought it was too much in the country. I’m from the city and that took time to get used to. I remember feeling everyone was friendly and I was glad the school is not too big. I was worried that I might not fit in before I got here.
In what main ways have you grown at Oak Hill Academy? I’m not scared to try new things and my confidence has grown a lot. I’m a much better student than I thought I would become.
What are the most important relationships you’ve developed? I have a bond with Mr. Henry Crede (Dean of Student Affairs) and he has become like a father to me. I’ve felt support from a lot of faculty and staff and, especially, friends over the years if I’m having a tough time which happened more when I was younger.
What have become your favorite activities while at Oak Hill? In Shanghai, I never really had the opportunity to ride horses – the equestrian program has become a big part of my life while at OHA. I also love to dance. (Oak Hill does not have an official dance program, although cheerleading has been a good outlet for Amy) There have been many adults on campus who have gone above and beyond to help me continue to pursue dance. I really appreciate that effort to take me off campus to attend weekly dance classes and competitions. I did a devotion in home room the other day to express how much that has meant to me!
Any advice to international students that will attend Oak Hill Academy? Don’t be afraid to talk to other people. Be brave. Nobody here judges you while you are learning English. The students and teachers understand. You need to socialize with all other students to learn things outside of class. Don’t be afraid to try new things, you never know what joy it will bring to you.
What have been the biggest obstacles to overcome during your time here? Obviously learning English seemed like it was going to be hard, but it turned out to be really easy as I look back. Saying goodbye when I graduate will be the biggest obstacle for me so I’m appreciating every memory I’m making at Oak Hill Academy.
The Benefits of Small Classes at Oak Hill Academy
We have a very firm sense of who we are at Oak Hill Academy. We are a small, college preparatory, co-ed boarding school with a student population of 150, grades 8-12. This makes for some very small, personal classrooms. This is intentional because it is the small class dynamic that is most responsible for the academic engagement that leads many of our students to see Oak Hill Academy as the turning point in their academic careers.
After teaching here for 8 years prior to moving into admission, I’m very happy to speak to this aspect of our school to prospective families and applicants. Here, I would like to highlight some of the main reasons the small class-size at Oak Hill Academy benefits our students.
1. Learning styles are recognized, not ignored. Our faculty fully embraces the idea that students learn best through different methods. The predominant teaching style during a typical class is discussion-based learning. In a small class, students are freer to share their insights or questions and teachers are able to pick up when a student is grappling with a concept. In addition, small-group projects, independent practice, student presentations, creative hands-on assignments whenever possible, and writing across the curriculum enhances the traditional approach of the note-taking/lecture approach. Technology is used extensively for visual and spatial learners. Material is shared with students through a variety of methods before we move on – constantly engaging with the students during the lesson.
2. Accountability increases in a small class. Students cannot hide in a class of 8-10 students. This allows teachers to easily assess preparedness and the engagement of our students. There is no “back of the classroom” at Oak Hill Academy. Homework is treated as the basis of the next day’s lesson and it is integrated into the lesson plan of the day, so students quickly recognize that homework matters, being prepared for class matters. Our after school tutorial program supports this well.
3. Focus and personal attention increases in a small class. In addition to the important dynamics above, the fact is that small classes just feel more relaxed and engaging. Students are more confident in a small setting, distractions are minimized as teachers are not merely “managing” a classroom as happens frequently in large classes. At Oak Hill Academy, the relationship between student and teacher is one of mutual respect and trust as the student realizes their teacher is personally invested in them. Relationships between students are deeper through shared discussion and project work during the course of the year. We are the kind of school where the students love to study together (and have that opportunity in the dorms) and celebrate each other’s successes rather than being in direct competition.
If your student’s ability or motivation is not being maximized in their current school setting, it is worth considering how our small class setting can work for your student. I encourage you to contact me to schedule a campus visit or discuss this further.
Oak Hill Academy Boarding School – The Dining Hall is the Thermostat of the Campus
For a great overview of our Dining Service Partner, Meriwether-Godsey, visit http://merig.com/
It is a well-worn piece of advice, but if you want to “take the temperature” of a school, visit the dining hall. The dining hall at Oak Hill Academy is one of my favorite stops during campus tours. Besides, one of the first questions I get from prospective students is about the food. Below are my top 5 reasons that I think the dining hall at our school rocks:
5. Nobody sits alone. This is a fact that I took for granted until I began giving tours several years ago. I often hear the comments from families trailing me as we go through the dining hall and comparing it to the experiences they have in their current schools. I’m proud of the fact that there are no “clique” tables and if someone is sitting alone, it wont last long. There is no pecking order and grade level doesn’t matter when you see yourself as part of a family – our kids can comfortably sit at a different table each day.
4. The food is really good. Oak Hill’s partner in the dining service is Meriwether-Godsey. Oak Hill Academy is not in the dining business but our friends at M-G certainly are! With contracts with several small boarding schools and colleges, business institutions and a restaurant at the Botanical Gardens in Richmond and at our State Capitol, M-G has the experience to deliver fine food in a personal manner. Professionally planned menus with an eye toward nutritional balance and quality ingredients means that we don’t have the same meal twice in a two-week period (unless it is requested by the students!). Choices abound and the restaurant quality salad bar and deli bar enhances this fact.
3. The atmosphere is casual yet nice. Recent physical improvements include brand new lighting and flooring (much quieter!), first-class equipment, and a new paint scheme. The dining hall itself is an impressive, roomy structure with a very high, wood beam ceiling. It is a great place for our day to day meals and formal enough for our occasional special meals. I can’t wait to show it to you!
2. It is convenient and all-you-can-eat. The serving line, salad bar, deli bar, hot and cold drink options, waffle-makers and speciality soups makes for a very efficient dining experience. Again, choice is key. Whether you are stopping in for a quick bite or settling into a substantial sit-down meal, our dining hall has what you need. At breakfast, lunch and dinner there is a generous window of time when the dining hall is open and this accommodates our students’ and faculty’s busy schedules. Also, if nutrition is a priority, there are many intentionally healthful options available at each meal. Special dietary needs are also taken into account with vegetarian and gluten-free options available at each meal. Did I mention it is all-you-can-eat?
1. It’s where our friends are. Without a doubt, the dining hall is the heart of the school community. The students leisurely dine and socialize during this time. With many of our faculty and staff living on campus with their families, it really takes on the feel of the community. As busy as life can be for the students and faculty, the dining hall gives us all a much appreciated chance to catch up with each other.
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