Oakbrook Preparatory School
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| Oakbrook Preparatory School | |
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| Location | |
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| Information | |
| Type | Private school |
| Established | 1992 |
| Headmaster | Adair Hinds[1] |
| Faculty | 70 |
| Grades | K4–12 |
| Enrollment | 400+ |
| Color(s) | Navy and Silver |
| Athletics conference | SCISA |
| Mascot | Knights |
| Information | (864) 587-2060 |
| Student Body President | Charlotte Holbein |
| Website | http://www.Oakbrookprep.org |
Oakbrook Preparatory School is a private Christian based 4K–12 school, located in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It consists of a lower school for 4K-4th graders, a middle school for 5th–8th graders, and an upper school for 9th–12th graders.
History
Founded by Rosemary Moore in 1992 as the Village School, the school and mission grew until a major expansion in 2002 extended the curriculum to k4-12 and Oakbrook Preparatory School emerged. Thanks to others joining Mrs. Moore and inspiring others, the school grew while carrying on the original Charlotte Mason philosophy.[citation needed]
The 2001-2002 school year was a year of transition for the Village School as the school transformed into Oakbrook Preparatory School.
At the end of 2005, Oakbrook's founder, Rosemary Moore, retired and was given the honorary title of Director Emeritus. In 2010 Adair Hinds joined Oakbrook Prep as the third Head of School.
Oakbrook Preparatory School's 33 acre campus currently serves over 400 students.[citation needed]
Athletics
Oakbrook Prep offers cross country, volleyball, soccer, physical education, basketball, swimming, cheerleading, and golf.
Oakbrook Prep's recent athletic success includes 2008 Girls Varsity Soccer State Championship, 2010 Boys Varsity Golf State Championship, and 2010 Boys Varsity Soccer State Championship.
Oakbrook Prep varsity teams are members of the South Carolina Independent School Association (SCISA) conference and will participate in tournaments at the end of the year. Middle school volleyball and basketball will compete against the same schools that high school teams compete and will have an end of the year tournament. Middle school for soccer and golf will participate in the CMSC conference.
Clubs
Oakbrook Preparatory School provides various clubs that students can join. Some are more educational in nature, while others do not require anything but the student's interest.
Upper School:
- Book Club
- Garden Club
- Fitness Club
- Drama Club
- Glee Club
- Sign Language Club
- Photography Club
- Guitar Club
- Debate Club
- Scrapbooking Club
- MUSE Machine (Fine Arts Club)
- Fellowship of Christian Athletes
- Junior & Senior Beta Club
- MATHCOUNTS
- Battle of the Brains
- Academic Quiz Bowl Team (Middle & High)
- Middle & High School Math Competitors
- Leadership Institute
- Middle School Newspaper
- Yearbook (Equites Christi)
- Newspaper Staff (Silver Scroll)
- Schools for Schools
Drama
Students can choose drama as their elective beginning in the 5th grade. They can continue to study drama through the 12th grade.
Students have the opportunity to attend theater competitions and present smaller productions. Out of the past two years, Oakbrook's drama team won first place in the SCISA State One-Act Play competition and won the regional title in both years.[citation needed] Students have the opportunity to audition for the annual school musical each spring. Students do not have to be enrolled in a drama class to audition. Past musical performances include: The Wizard of Oz, The Music Man, Bye Bye Birdie, Into the Woods and Beauty, and the Beast
Drama Club is also available to students interested in Drama. This club meets once per month for upper school students, and membership is not eexclusive to those in drama class.
Dance
Oakbrook’s dance program began five years ago and continues to grow each year. Students have the option of starting dance classes in 5th grade and may continue all the way through graduation.
The Advanced Dance course, offered to students by audition, is designed to emphasize and refine all main technique areas and master specific dance vocabulary related to the efficient and artful use of the body as an instrument. Advanced dance is the top performing company and in the past has had the opportunity to perform at the South Carolina Dancing Festival in 2009, do outreach events at the South Carolina School for the Deaf and Blind, and hold clinics at Oakbrook. An annual Dance Clinic is held for younger grades on a Saturday to teach basics in dance and provide ages 5-11 years the chance to perform at a home basketball game. The dance department is also in the process of becoming a charter member of the National Dance Education Organization in order to induct students into the National Honors Society for Dance.[citation needed]
Bands
The Oakbrook Preparatory School band program is part of the Fine Arts Department. The band program began in 1998 and has been under the direction of Sharon Atherton since its inception. By 2007, the program included students in grades 5-12. Ensembles include 5th grade beginner band, middle and high school concert bands, and a marching parade band. Several ancillary ensembles have operated over the years (non-consecutive at times) including flute choir, indoor guard/percussion ensembles, basketball pep band, and jazz band. In 2011, eleven Oakbrook band students were chosen to participate in the SCBDA Region One Band Clinic. Both the middle and high school concert bands have received Superior ratings for the past six consecutive years at area festivals. Annual performances include Veteran’s Day, Spartanburg Christmas parade, and various local events.
Each year dozens of band students participate in: ● Region and All-state bands ● SCBDA Solo and Ensemble Festival
Arts
Oakbrook’s Visual Arts program offers a discipline-based art curriculum with an emphasis on curriculum integration from other academic studies in our weekly lower school art classes. Meeting daily, our[who?] upper school classes focus more deeply on artistic techniques in both 2D and 3D projects with classes including Modern Art, Careers in Art, Multicultural Arts, Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, 2D Design, Mixed Media, and The Bible Through Artists’ Eyes. Also, for the highly advanced art students, we[who?] offer Advanced Studio Art as well as our college level AP Studio Art course.
Seniors
Seniors at Oakbrook Preparatory School special privileges include a special room that only seniors can enter, called The Senior Commons. The Senior Commons is equipted with wifi.
The Senior Project course is an independent study, completed during senior year and is required for graduation from Oakbrook Preparatory School. Each senior chooses a topic they are passionate about, that challenges them beyond their current level of knowledge and skills. It is an idea which they can give themselves to enthusiastically for a year. The project must involve the creation of either a service or a product. It is approved and monitored by a five member board and the Oakbrook Senior advisor. This year-long course of study is made up of five components: the Proposal, a Position Research Paper which addresses an issue within their topic, the Project itself, an online blog chronicling their progress, and a final presentation visually showing what they have accomplished.