On September 21 at 9:30 a.m., FOA students, teachers, and faculty  (as well as students from all over the state of South Carolina) gathered together, joined hands, and sang a beautiful version of “Light a Candle for Peace” lead by World Music Director, Mr. Chris Cash. This song was sung around the world for 24 hours straight on this day in celebration of the International Day of Peace. The song was followed by  observing a moment of silence and peaceful reflection.  Five Oaks Academy students were thrilled to be a part of a worldwide event that was designed to strengthen the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and people.

Our beautiful candle (borrowed from our Middle School classroom) was lit by 2016-17 Middle School graduate, Ariella A. The flame was extinguished by Ariella A., along with FOA Executive Director, Kathleen Trewhella-Grant, while surrounded by a circle of Middle School students. It was a beautiful celebration and morning of peace.

The Five Oaks Academy students, faculty, and staff send love and peace to everyone around the world today and every day.

To find out more about the Sing Peace Around the World project, view their website at http://singpeacearoundtheworld.com/.

FOA’s Upper Elementary and Middle School Chess teams competed on Wednesday, March 16 in the South Carolina Independent School Association’s (SCISA’s) State chess competition in Sumter, SC. As a team, the Middle School finished 2nd out of 19 schools and the Upper Elementary finished 10th out of 17 schools.   Two members of the Middle School team, Ranjan and Thomas, finished in the Top Ten! This was the second time our chess teams have gone to the tournament and it was a great learning experience.

Congratulations to both teams on their hard work and dedication!  We are so proud of you!

If you are considering choosing a Montessori education for your child and would like to find out more information about Five Oaks Academy, we invite you to attend one of our two upcoming Open House mornings on March 15 or April 12 at 9:00 am. Please call or email Jessica Greer at 864-228-1880 jessica@fiveoaksacademy.com for more information or to sign up for this event.

UU World of Children Montessori School, Greenville

Five Oaks Academy is the only Montessori program in the area that goes through 8th grade. The Middle School is a hybrid program that merges elements from both the Montessori program and a traditional classroom. It is thought of as a bridge program that prepares students for high school and beyond.

Cleveland Park Animal Hospital, Simpsonville

In conjunction with an excellent academic curriculum, an important element of the Middle School program is the development of self identity. Teachers guide students in examining their personal strengths and interests and then provide experiences to explore them. As a Sixth grader, students perform mentorships on the FOA campus to prepare them for their seventh and eighth grade year when they go out into the Greenville business community to participate in internships.

Greenville County Library, Simpsonville Branch

Internships give students the opportunity to shadow business professionals in areas in which they have interests and strengths.  These experiences offer them an introduction to different career options as well as the etiquette required in each of these workplaces. Students are able to see what the day to day looks like in particular employment settings that they may be considering, gaining a real world perspective on the occupation. During their last two years at Five Oaks, they will experience 6 different internships, providing insight into possible career paths.

FOA graduates are successful because of their strong Montessori foundation coupled with the unique opportunities to participate in real life activities. These experiences are just another way Five Oaks Academy prepares students for life after Montessori.

A special thank you to Guy Adamson of Guy Adamson Photography (guyadamson@charter.net) for visiting our students during their internships and photographing them in action!

Our Governor, Nikki Haley, has continued the tradition of recognizing “Montessori Week” by signing the State of South Carolina Governor’s Proclamation.  As we celebrated Montessori across the state and around the world February 22-26, we were able to reflect on the opportunities this educational method offers our students. This amazing educational environment fosters critical thinking skills, creativity, analysis of information, collaboration, problem solving, and decision making, while immersing students in a rich curriculum. With an emphasis on the individual child, teachers are able to guide students in developing their individual strengths and help them follow their passions.

Dr. Maria Montessori on the cover of Time magazine February 3, 1930

Dr. Maria. Montessori, an Italian doctor, scientist, and educator, opened the doors of her first children’s house 109 years ago. Today the Montessori method is the largest pedagogy in the world.  The long standing success and validity of this method is due to the fact that she viewed education through the eyes of a scientist and built her educational model based on human development.  The increase in popularity of her method may be in part due to the change in the skills needed to be successful in the 21st century workforce.

 
Five Oaks Academy is honored to be a part of Dr. Maria Montessori vision of a complete transformation of virtually all assumptions about teaching, learning and childhood. She believed every child is born with a unique potential to be revealed, rather than as a “blank slate” waiting to be written upon. Schedule a tour today to see how Five Oaks Academy will unlock your child’s unique potential!

Thank you Governor Haley for supporting Montessori!!

In January, the Lower Elementary students went to the Peace Center to see Doug Berky’s GEMS: The World’s Wisdom Stories. Doug Berky is a one of a kind storyteller who takes a unique approach to conveying a story to his audience.  His belief that a story should be seen as well as heard is demonstrated in his vivid visual performances using many different types of theater. A mix of puppetry, mime, mask theater, clowning and circus arts are all a part of this one man show. Doug makes his own masks, writes his own scripts, choreographs his own shows, and designs and builds the sets.

To prepare the students for this special experience, Abigail Ehlies, a teaching artist from the Peace Center, came to the Lower Elementary classrooms in early January for pre-show lessons and activities. During this interactive lesson, she read one of Aesop’s Fables and taught the children how to present scenes through tableaux, the art of making still images with bodies to represent a scene.

On the day of the performance at the Peace Center, Doug Berky took the Lower Elementary students on a journey through different time periods and cultures from around the world using his unique storytelling approach. The Lion and the Mouse, a classic Aesop fable from Greece; The Lame Man and the Blind Man, A Sufi tale from the Middle East;  and The Drip Nose Boy, a Native American (Apache) tale, were brought to life during his performance. Our students were captivated by his energy and creativity as they explored these popular historical pieces of literature.

This experience enhanced the rich cultural and literary programs at Five Oaks Academy. Field trips are one of the fun and wonderful ways that we connect our students’ lessons to the world around them.

Please join FOA for the third Parent Artisan Series event of the year on February 11 at 6:00 pm.  This lively social evening will be hosted by Ms. Jill Plumley, Art History Teacher at Five Oaks Academy. She will guide you in creating a one of a kind masterpiece by giving simple, line by line, instruction on how to sketch using vine charcoal. She will then show you interesting techniques to add paint to your project.  This class is for ALL skill levels from beginner to advanced.  It will be a fun project so you don’t want to miss out!  Space is limited!  If you would like to attend this event, kindly respond by clicking on this Eventbrite link to register https://foa-artisanseries-art.eventbrite.com .

The Middle School Program at Five Oaks Academy strives to give students opportunities to understand the business world through meaningful presentations given by experts in their specific fields. This year, our Middle School students have expressed a specific interest in computer design and technology so they contacted ScanSource, Inc, an international distributor of specialty technology products.  ScanSource’s Greg Dixon, Chief Technology Officer,  and Andrew Bougie, 3D Technology Specialist, generously shared their expertise on 3D Printing with the Middle School during a 2 1/2 hour presentation on Monday, December 14.

Mr. Dixon and Mr. Bougie’s informative presentation helped the students understand the history of the manufacturing industry to give them context for the benefits of 3D printers. They discussed how 3D printing technology can currently benefit businesses and the future possibilities of this technology.  Students learned about the layering process that a 3D printer undergoes when creating items, the different types of 3D printers, and the different materials that can be printed 3 dimensionally. They were also able to examine two 3D printers up-close and in detail.  The students were impressed by the different things this cutting edge technology is capable of printing.  They were excited to explore free software that can be used to create their own designs and options of how to outsource the actual printing to companies that specialize in 3D printing, even if they don’t have printers of their own.

Mr. Dixon ended this fascinating presentation by advising the students that rather than memorizing specific facts,  it will benefit them more in the future to develop a good attitude, strong work ethic, and a willingness to learn new things. He shared a story about ScanSource’s decision to explore 3D printing. Everyone chosen for the exploratory team had to have an attitude of adaptability, flexibility, and willingness to teach themselves the necessary details. He also encouraged the students to pay attention in Physics class, since understanding physics unlocks the universe. The Middle School would like to thank Mr. Dixon and Mr. Bougie for their time, effort and information!
As part of the FOA Middle School program, we strive to expose students to different career paths and technologies. In addition to special presentations, students have the opportunity to participate in internships in the Greenville community throughout their 7th and 8th grade years. These students get invaluable experience when shadowing business professionals in areas that interest them most.  In preparation for the internships, our students do mentor-ships on campus their 6th grade year. We invite you to schedule a tour to see how Five Oaks Academy can prepare your child for the real world!

…where students participate in World Cultural Studies that help them understand the global community and appreciate the differences among cultures.

Five Oaks Academy parent, Missy Hammer, visited the Primary classes to share her knowledge about the traditions practiced during the Jewish religious celebration of Hanukkah.  Students learned that Hanukkah spans over 8 days,  the types of food that are a part of the celebration, the symbolism of the menorah, and the tradition of lighting a new branch of the menorah each night of Hanukkah. They also enjoyed learning  and singing the dreidel song.

Five Oaks is proud of the diversity within our community; 31 countries are represented within the FOA student body. The expansive Montessori Cultural Curriculum is enhanced by these special presentations from our families who share their culture. These lessons give our students memorable experiences as well as open their minds to a global understanding of the world in which they live.

Five Oaks Academy holds “Strengths Shows” throughout the year that celebrate the individual strengths and talents of our students.  Our students are given the opportunity to select a strength they possess to share with the entire FOA student body.  We have had an array of acts over the years from singing and playing instruments to juggling, acting skits, karate skill demonstrations, magic shows, and entertaining dance routines.  After they share their strengths, the performers are met with applause and appreciation from their peers.  The Strengths Shows are a wonderful way for students to gain confidence and help them recognize the unique talents and skills they bring to our community.

The idea for the Strengths Show came from Jenifer Fox’s book, Your Child’s Strengths.  In her book, Fox challenges parents and educators to re-examine the way we are educating our children. She suggests elimination of the intense focus on testing, tutoring, and “fixing” children’s weaknesses to improve academic performance.  Fox argues that every child can find success in school, and ultimately in life, if we start focusing on the strengths they have, rather than their weaknesses.  Jenifer Fox’s call for viewing education in a different light, by examining the individual child’s needs and talents, parallels Dr. Maria Montessori’s educational method.

We invite you to schedule a tour to see how Five Oaks Academy can unlock your child’s unique potential!