The spring varsity teams for golf, track, baseball, softball, and boys tennis represented Oakridge athletics well at the SPC state tournament.

The Oakridge boys and girls golf teams kicked off the SPC tournament week in Houston. The girls team finished in 5th place, with sophomore Kennedy Turner earning a top-ten individual overall score.

At the main state tournament in Dallas, Oakridge was well represented for track and field with both boys and girls qualifying for the meet throughout the year. Team members reached many individual personal records during the meet. Senior Trent Hall placed 2nd in the 200 meter and 3rd in the 100 meter. The 4 x 100 meter relay team of brothers Trent and Trevor Hall and Chris and Nicco LaRovere placed 6th, and Tyler Fuller placed 7th in the 110-meter hurdles.

Boys tennis earned a 5th place finish at the SPC tournament. The Owls defeated The John Cooper School 3-2 in their opening match. This victory earned the team a rematch with the top-seeded Greenhill team. Greenhill escaped with a hard-fought victory over the Owls in the quarterfinals. Oakridge bounced back on Saturday and defeated St. John’s School by a score of 3-2.

The softball team capped off their season by earning a number five seed for the SPC tournament. The girls ran into a feisty Cooper team, and dropped their opening game to the eventual runners-up. The baseball team also qualified for the SPC tournament as a number four seed. The Owls opened the tournament with a 6-5 come-from-behind win over Houston Christian. This victory earned the Owls a quarterfinal match-up with the number one seeded Kinkaid Falcons. The two teams played an epic four-hour game, with Kinkaid eventually squeaking out an 8-7 victory. The Owls lost another one-run game to St. Mark’s on Saturday 11-10 to finish in 6th place at the conference tournament.

On April 28, the students at the Early Childhood Center wrapped up their Trike-a-Thon riding toy safety week by practicing their new skills at a riding toy party. Students brought their bicycles, tricycles, and scooters to school and rode them while wearing helmets and considering safety first.

This special annual tradition at the ECC is in its 27th year, and has raised almost $100,000 cumulatively for the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The total raised for this year’s Trike-A-Thon is just over $7,000.

In addition, Oakridge welcomed a special guest to this year's event. FOX4's Shannon Murray visited at the special request of fan Libby Caldwell, a kindergarten student.

Seven Oakridge students received awards at the Student Art Contest at Mayfest, the annual festival held in Trinity Park. Recognition was distributed across all four divisions, representing excellence in art in multiple mediums.

Congratulations to these talented student artists!

Kindergartener Libby Caldwell - first place

Kindergartener Emma Whitman - second place

2nd grader Skye McGraw - third place

3rd grader Diana Nguyen - second place

7th grader Grace Crutchfield - first place

7th grader Mia Petersen - third place

9th grader Annie Li - second place

In May, seniors Mark Wright and Madison McCarty signed their letters of intent to play collegiate athletics. Mark will be playing football at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Madison will be playing volleyball at Iowa Lakes.

Madison has played volleyball at Oakridge since Middle School. A starting right-side hitter, she has been a dedicated and passionate member of the varsity volleyball team for three years and helped the team place 5th at SPC this year.

Mark is co-valedictorian of his class and a National Merit Finalist. As the kicker on the varsity football team and a cross country runner, he has balanced the demands of athletics with a challenging academic schedule that included two classes at UT Arlington his senior year.

Oakridge wishes great success to Mark and Madison next year!

On May 20, The Oakridge School held commencement for its 33rd graduating class, the Class of 2017.

With 72 college-bound seniors, the Class of 2017 received $7.8 million in merit-based scholarship offers and counted among its members:
5 National Merit Finalists,
5 National Merit Commended, and
8 committed college athletes.

100 percent of the 72 graduates were accepted to 141 colleges and universities, and 83 percent of those acceptances were to out-of-state schools. This fall, the Oakridge Class of 2017 graduates will be attending:

Abilene Christian University
The University of Alabama
University of Arkansas
Austin College
Baylor University
Carnegie Mellon University
Chapman University
Clemson University
University of Colorado at Boulder
Elon University
Emory University
Harding University
Iowa Lakes Community College
Lewis & Clark College
Lindenwood University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
University of Miami
Michigan State University
University of Mississippi
North Carolina A&T State University
University of North Texas
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma State University
Oral Roberts University
Pennsylvania State University
Purdue University
Savannah College of Art and Design
University of Southern California
Southern Methodist University
Southwestern University
Spelman College
Stanford University
Stephen F. Austin State University
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi
Texas Christian University
The University of Texas
The University of Texas, Arlington
The University of Texas, San Antonio
Trinity University
Tulane University
University of Utah
Vernon College
Wake Forest University
University of Washington
Williams College

Two valedictorians in addition to a salutatorian have been announced for The Oakridge School Class of 2017. These three students are outstanding examples of Oakridge Owls who will undoubtedly accomplish great things in college and beyond.

Co-Valedictorian Mark Wright is one of four Oakridge Owls in his family. An Alpha and Omega, he started at Oakridge in the first grade and through his studies found a passion for numbers. This passion led him to finish all the math courses at Oakridge by the end of his junior year so that he could take Multivariable Calculus, in addition to Modern Physics, at UT Arlington his senior year.

His other passion is athletics. As a member of the football team, he started working with a kicking coach in the 8th grade so that he could be the best place kicker for his team. In addition, he ran as a member of the cross country and track teams, and balanced the demands of these sports with his studies. He is known for his ability to approach any task or challenge with great focus and preparation.

A National Merit Finalist, Mark was accepted to the California Institute of Technology, Princeton University, United States Air Force Academy, and United States Military Academy at West Point, among others. He has chosen to attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he will study physics and play football.

Co-Valedictorian Amy Zhang embodies The Oakridge School’s three pillars of the arts, academics, and athletics. In academics, she challenged herself by taking all of her classes at the honors or AP level, as well as taking two college classes at UT Arlington her senior year. She is a National Merit Finalist who has been recognized for her classwork in both computer science and British literature.

In athletics, Amy was a four year member of the varsity swimming team and three year participant in the varsity track team. In the arts, she was a valuable member of the honors A Capella Choir, earning TPSMEA All Region Choir for the last three years. During her senior year, Amy started a club called Humans of Oakridge inspired by her desire to know her fellow Owls better. The club features a blog and several social media platforms highlighting Oakridge students through stories and photos.

Amy was accepted to the Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvey Mudd College, University of Southern Califorina, and University of Texas. She will attend Carnegie Mellon University in the fall, where she plans to major in computer science.

Salutatorian Evan Skinner has an enthusiasm for knowledge. Everything from 18th century literature to sports statistics can draw this National Merit Finalist into a lively debate in the commons, where he was often found helping a fellow classmate.

Evan is an academically stellar student who works hard and achieves at a high level. He challenged himself with a rigorous class schedule including all honors and AP courses. As a result of his hard work, he has received numerous academic awards in a variety of subjects over the years, including Most Outstanding AP U.S. History and Advanced Spanish as well as Most Dedicated Honors Biology. Evan has also been a key member of the varsity cross country program, serving as captain his junior and senior years, which he considers one of his most meaningful personal achievements.

Evan was accepted to University of Minnesota, University of Oklahoma, and Texas A&M University. He has chosen Purdue University where he has been named a Presidential Scholar and plans to pursue a degree in actuarial science.

On the last full day of classes in the Lower School, Oakridge students came together for a Day of Giving.

Each class selected a cause they are passionate about and thought of a way they can serve others. The message of this new tradition was to remind students that giving back is something that can be done year-round, and that even small things can make a big impact when we all work together.

Watch the LS Day of Giving video.

Items created on the Day of Giving included:
119 roadside handout care bags for the homeless
98 letters for nursing center residents
41 decorated lunch sacks for Meals on Wheels
25 bedtime bags for children in the foster care system
78 kindness rocks to be placed around town
2 banners for the Arlington Police Department and Fire Department
10 bags of trash picked up around the school grounds
20 braided dog toys for the aminal shelter
22 decorated placemats for the homeless shelter
18 appreciation awards for Oakridge helpers and 16 letters and cards for Oakridge custodial staff

The latest issue of the Oakridge Outlook magazine is now available online. This issue looks at the fine arts at The Oakridge School, from the choral program and AP Art class, to an exploration of every corner of the Flavin Fine Arts Center. View the entire issue here.

The Outlook is sent to the Oakridge community of current and alumni families. If you did not receive a copy or need to update your address, please email tfoster@theoakridgeschool.org.

The Oakridge School congratulates Andrew Stewart for being named a Top Teacher in Fort Worth magazine.

Mr. Stewart is the Director of Choirs and the Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Oakridge, where he has been growing the choral program for five years. In the article, he describes his work as an opportunity to expose students to the arts in a larger context. "Our goal isn't to make them the next great artist. Our real goal is to get them to appreciate the arts, to get them to participate or become a patron."

"We have long been aware of what a tremendous asset Andy is to Oakridge, so it's exciting to see him recognized publicly," said Head of School Jon Kellam. "He is loved and respected by our students, and his passion inspires their award-winning performances."

Mr. Stewart also contributed an article to the latest issue of the Outlook (page 9) about the stellar Oakridge choral program.

The Oakridge School is pleased to announce the addition of Michelle Vaughn to its administrative team as the new Director of Technology and Modern Learning.

Mrs. Vaughn joins The Oakridge School after 10 years at Houston Christian High School, most recently serving as the Director of Educational Technology. With an education career spanning 28 years, Mrs. Vaughn has taught at the elementary level, led educational technology for a school district, and served as an adjunct professor at the university level.

She holds a BS in Elementary Education and an MEd in Instructional Technology from Texas Tech University and the University of Houston respectively. A true independent school educator, Mrs. Vaughn can add many more titles to her resume: engineering teacher, debate sponsor, and outdoor expedition leader to name a few.

“Michelle is a seasoned educator who truly understands the importance of innovation in a student-centered, experiential learning environment," said Head of School Jon Kellam. "The addition of her breadth and depth of experience to our team will be a huge benefit for our school and our students.”

“I’m excited to apply my passion for education and technology at The Oakridge School,” said Mrs. Vaughn. “I love seeing students, faculty, and staff able to thrive in a risk-free environment of positive expectations, shared learning, open communication, collaborative learning, and continuous renewal.”

After 35 years as Headmaster and then President of The Oakridge School, Andy Broadus announced he was retiring at the end of the 2015-16 school year. The new issue of the Oakridge Outlook magazine features a special section dedicated to capturing the impact he’s made and the legacy he leaves behind. Read the entire issue here.

The Outlook is sent to the Oakridge community of current and alumni families twice per year. If you did not receive a copy or need to update your address, please email tfoster@theoakridgeschool.org.

Congratulations to five Lower School students whose artwork was recognized at the Mayfest Student Art Contest.

The following artistic owls all received first or second place ribbons in their age division and medium: Luc Nguyen, Jacqueline Hutton, Jessica Batrice, Kenedy Millikan, and Natalie Buckalew.

A team of Oakridge faculty and administrators recently returned from the Lausanne Learning Institute summer conference, where The Oakridge School was named the 2016 School Spotlight Award winner.

The Lausanne Learning Institute is an international think tank for schools focusing on 1:1 integration and student-centered learning, and the annual Spotlight award recognizes the most innovative independent school of the year. The Spotlight school then presents a series of education sessions on their best practices at the Lausanne summer conference in Memphis, Tennessee.

Oakridge presented 14 sessions over two days, with topics ranging from student collaboration across grade levels, gamification, inquiry-based learning, innovation in AP curriculum, authentic learning, disrupting school silos, and creative classroom techniques such as fantasy drafts for humanities figures and creating a virtual museum. In addition, outgoing Admissions Director Mike Cobb presented six sessions on Administrative Leadership. As part of the award presentation, attendees watched a video made by Oakridge students highlighting innovation and 1:1 integration.

Oakridge presenters included:

• Amy Alsip, Middle School English and Advanced Writing Teacher
• Jim Andersen, Associate Head of Upper School and Foreign Language Department Chair
• Katherine Arce, Upper and Middle School Spanish (presenting via Skype from Costa Rica)
• Jennifer Bonner, History Department Chair
• Mike Cobb, former Director of Admissions
• Jared Colley, English Department Chair
• Megan Elizondo, Middle School Maker Specialist
• Wesley Irons, Upper School Science
• Jon Kellam, Head of School
• Jason Kern, CIO and Director of Modern Learning
• Matt Knauf, Upper School Maker Coordinator
• Michael Millians, Middle School History
• Ashley Read, Lower School Teacher and Technology Integrationist
• Claire Reddig, Middle School English and Writing Specialist
• James Roberts, Upper School Science
• Shannon Schley, ECC STEAM Coordinator
• Amy Wilson, Technology Integrationist
• Charlotte Wiseman, Middle School Math

Also announced at the conference was that Lausanne was teaming up with The Oakridge School to present LLI Southwest on February 23-24, 2017, on the Oakridge campus. This regional conference will bring together educators to learn more about innovative practices in the classroom, Maker Space strategies, and authentic learning opportunities.

Field Hockey, Football, Cross Country and Volleyball games start this week. Come out to one of the games and support your Owls! See the Athletic site for a complete schedule of game dates and times.

We are very pleased to announce The Oakridge School has five students who have been named National Merit Semifinalists in the 2016 National Merit Scholarship Program. 

Pictured  left to right are Ryan Tan, Evan Skinner, Amy Zhang, Noah Gladden and Mark Wright

Of the 1.5 million PSAT examinees, only 16,000 achieve the distinction of National Merit Semifinalist. These academically talented seniors will have an opportunity to compete for scholarships worth more than $32 million that will be offered in the spring. Congratulations to these students!

Five Oakridge seniors have been named Commended Students in the National Merit Scholarship Program based on their scores on the 2015 PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

Congratulations to David Lonergan, Grace Andersen, Walker Emmert, Logan Muzyka, and Brayden Toulouse for this great achievement. Of the more than 1.5 million students who took the test, Commended Students are those who placed among the top 3.3 percent.

These students join the five seniors named National Merit Semifinalists earlier this year to total 10 Oakridge seniors recognized by the National Merit Program.

Oakridge student artists were recently recognized at the Texas Visual Arts Association High School Art Competition.

Seniors Syd Fagan and Taylor Alexander and sophomore Megan Marr all had works accepted in the exhibition, which was no small feat. Only 136 artworks were accepted into the exhibition of the 1,285 submitted.

Taylor and Syd then received awards for their works, comprising three out of the 28 awards in total that were given out. Taylor received the Dr. Jacob L. Kay Memorial Award for Photography, and Syd received a Dennis M. Kratz Dean's Award for one of her sculptures as well as the TVAA-Gordon B. Norris Scholarship Award for another of her sculptures.

Congratulations to these talented artists!

The latest issue of the Oakridge Outlook magazine is now available online. This issue looks at the fine arts at The Oakridge School, from the choral program and AP Art class, to an exploration of every corner of the Flavin Fine Arts Center. View the entire issue here.

The Outlook is sent to the Oakridge community of current and alumni families. If you did not receive a copy or need to update your address, please email tfoster@theoakridgeschool.org.

The Oakridge School congratulates Andrew Stewart for being named a Top Teacher in Fort Worth magazine.

Mr. Stewart is the Director of Choirs and the Chair of the Fine Arts Department at Oakridge, where he has been growing the choral program for five years. In the article, he describes his work as an opportunity to expose students to the arts in a larger context. "Our goal isn't to make them the next great artist. Our real goal is to get them to appreciate the arts, to get them to participate or become a patron."

"We have long been aware of what a tremendous asset Andy is to Oakridge, so it's exciting to see him recognized publicly," said Head of School Jon Kellam. "He is loved and respected by our students, and his passion inspires their award-winning performances."

Mr. Stewart also contributed an article to the latest issue of the Outlook (page 9) about the stellar Oakridge choral program.

The Oakridge School is pleased to announce the addition of Michelle Vaughn to its administrative team as the new Director of Technology and Modern Learning.

Mrs. Vaughn joins The Oakridge School after 10 years at Houston Christian High School, most recently serving as the Director of Educational Technology. With an education career spanning 28 years, Mrs. Vaughn has taught at the elementary level, led educational technology for a school district, and served as an adjunct professor at the university level.

She holds a BS in Elementary Education and an MEd in Instructional Technology from Texas Tech University and the University of Houston respectively. A true independent school educator, Mrs. Vaughn can add many more titles to her resume: engineering teacher, debate sponsor, and outdoor expedition leader to name a few.

“Michelle is a seasoned educator who truly understands the importance of innovation in a student-centered, experiential learning environment," said Head of School Jon Kellam. "The addition of her breadth and depth of experience to our team will be a huge benefit for our school and our students.”

“I’m excited to apply my passion for education and technology at The Oakridge School,” said Mrs. Vaughn. “I love seeing students, faculty, and staff able to thrive in a risk-free environment of positive expectations, shared learning, open communication, collaborative learning, and continuous renewal.”