Confidence

At Academe of the Oaks, we cultivate strong academic skills in our students as well as each student’s belief in his or her ability to think, learn, and contribute to life in a meaningful way. This confidence has been noted by many college professors when they describe what sets the Waldorf graduate apart.

We are able to foster such confidence in our students by teaching in ways that are active, challenging, and relevant to each student. All students are asked to analyze in-depth content and then form and share their own opinions and conclusions. They are further led by teachers who model and encourage open communication of ideas, while believing in the unique value of each student’s perspective. In this environment, students learn how to present opposing views in a respectful manner, while developing their own voice and experiencing the value of their own unique contributions to the group.

This approach allows students to develop an ability to solve problems and think independently, but also gives them a holistic sense of confidence about their own knowledge, skills, and unique qualities. Knowing how to learn and who they are, our graduates are able to venture forward with a strong academic foundation, as well as poise and self-reliance. 

Community

Academe of the Oaks is more than a small school with a low student-teacher ratio and a rich curriculum. It is a place where students find they can really connect with teachers and with each other. There is a special atmosphere of respect, trust, and open communication, modeled by teachers. Here students find that they can be themselves, and also learn from each other’s experiences and points of view. This creates an environment in which students are able to really get to know one another, without pretense and without “cliques.” Our sense of community is further supported through the many field trips we take throughout the year, including the school-wide rafting trip at the beginning of each school year.

If you ask our students -- as we have recently -- “what makes Academe unique?” you will hear many of them refer to a closely-knit, unique environment. They say that the teachers not only challenge them, but truly listen and care about them, both inside and outside the classroom. It is a place where they have formed close, lasting friendships with other students across the grades, and a significant, memorable bond with their own class as a whole.

Curriculum

Our Waldorf curriculum is rigorous, and requires a lot of work from each student. Yet it is also designed to engage the interest of students by speaking to their experiences and addressing fundamental questions that naturally emerge in them from year to year. Lessons are presented in such a way that students are able to actually experience the subjects firsthand, rather than listening to lectures alone. This happens in part through the Main Lesson format, where each core subject is explored in-depth for a three- to four-week period during 90-minute blocks. Main lesson includes lecture and lesson, individualized research and writing, discussion, artistic projects and field experience. Courses are also taught in a way that encourages interdisciplinary understanding, so that concepts learned in one class are reinforced in other classes.  This method reveals connections and allows students to build upon what they know.

All courses at Academe are designed to encourage students to learn actively and to think independently. Students here find that, while they may have a challenging workload, they are interested and involved with what they learn. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is our teachers who bring the curriculum alive by sharing their passion for each subject, and connecting this to the life and natural curiosities of the teenager.

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