Greenville County School District announced that they are closing tomorrow (Monday, January 9) due to icy conditions across the county.
Five Oaks Academy will also be closed on Monday for the safety of our families and employees.
Stay safe and warm!
Filip P. along with co-hosts Jack Roper and Megan Heidlberg on the set of their show, Your Carolina
The second week of October was Internship Week for FOA’s Middle School Students. During this week, our 6th-grade students mentor throughout the FOA campus as they learn about the internship process. Our 7th and 8th-grade students go out into the Greenville business community to shadow business professionals in areas of interest to them.
Seventh-grade FOA student, Filip P., was excited to see first hand the way a television talk show is produced as he worked on the set of Greenville local talk show, Your Carolina with Jack and Megan.  Ranjan J., another FOA seventh Grade student, was able to emcee on Clemson’s sports station 105.5 The Roar.
Ranjan J. on air with William Qualkinbush, Clemson’s Sports radio host on 1005.5 FM The Roar
An integral part of the middle school experience at FOA is the guidance our teachers provide to our students in exploring their unique interests and developing their individual strengths. Internships allow students to explore how their interests and strengths relate to the business world. Students gain insight into possible career paths by allowing them to see first-hand the day-to-day workings of particular careers and businesses.  This intimate perspective can help students determine if  a career option may, or may not, be something they would like to pursue.  These valuable experiences are an amazing way for our students to start setting goals for their future as they begin the process of determining who they are and what they can offer the world!
“Best Fall Festival ever!!!” was sung by students and parents alike during this year’s Fall Festival. This annual school-wide event brings FOA families, friends, students and teachers together to celebrate the Fall season, recognize harvest traditions worldwide, and enjoy socializing and laughing together.
The festival kicked off with student performances from each level as they showcased their World Music and Spanish curriculum. After the performances, everyone enjoyed crafts, food, pony rides, hayrides and great music by The Drover’s Old Time Medicine Show. New this year, we welcomed Robino’s Food Truck and the King of Pops popsicle stand. It was a delicious and fun way to celebrate a new season!
Thank you to our 2016-17 Five Oaks Academy Title Partners Summers Orthodontics, Go With Garrett’s Golf Cars and Specialty Vehicles, LLC – Greenville, SC, Hopkins Eye Center, Guy Adamson Photography, and Flatrock Family Dentistry for their support of this event!
“Where do students attend high school after graduating from eighth grade at Five Oaks Academy? ” This is a question many prospective parents ask when considering FOA as a fit for their child and family. This very important question is answered by looking at the individual student. The Middle School (MS) teachers begin the conversation about high school options with students and parents early in the 7th-grade year. With the frequent changes in program options, the MS teachers maintain a relationship with guidance and admissions counselors from high schools in this area so they can help families navigate this important decision.
There are many things to consider when looking at high schools. Academic curriculum provided, program offerings in an area(s) of interest (such as specific athletic opportunities, theater or music), religious affiliations, proximity to student’s home, family values, and where a friend or family member attends(ed) are some of the considerations that help determine which high school would be a good fit for a child. It is important that parents and advisors play a role in the long-term placement for students.
The FOA Middle School prepares students academically, socially and emotionally for the rigors of high school. Academically, students are guided in learning effective note-taking, developing organization skills, and refining time management skills. Students are taught to study for a variety of test formats and to use their time efficiently in doing so. Students are taught to focus on the importance of details and how to use textbooks effectively as a resource. Additionally, students are coached in developing their problem-solving abilities and resourcefulness. Students who are academically and emotionally prepared, are given the chance to earn high school credits in several areas of study.
The social and emotional development of our students is as important as academics in preparing them for the transition to high school and beyond. The MS teachers guide students in conflict resolution and clique-busting strategies to further develop their social adaptability. Students learn about the social components of attentiveness in their classes with techniques such as the SLANT strategy (Sit up, Lean forward, Activate your thinking, Name key information, and Track the talker). Students learn how to put their best foot forward each day by being introduced to the idea of  âsnapshots,â the impressions a teacher may get of them based on their behavior when only seeing them for a single class period. These impressions may alter the teachers willingness to help a student or give them the benefit of the doubt when grading their work.
Another integral part of the MS experience at FOA is the time our teachers spend guiding our students in exploring their unique interests and developing their individual strengths. Students take the Strengthsfinder Assessment to help them more formally identify and assess their strengths. Part of this exploratory journey involves participating in internships that allow students to experience different career options. Our 6th-grade students mentor throughout the FOA campus as they learn about the internship process. Our 7th and 8th-grade students go out into the Greenville business community three times a year and shadow business professionals in areas of interest to them. These internships provide students with valuable experiences to draw upon as they start the process of figuring out who they are and what their goals are in life.
FOA will host a parent workshop Life After Montessori; An Alumni Panel on Thursday, January 19 to welcome back our alumni and allow prospective and current parents the opportunity to hear first-hand about our students’ transitions to high school and how they are prepared for their future. Please contact the school if you would like to attend this event.
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! Â 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 âMontessori Weekâ by signing the State of South Carolina Governorâs 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 Berkyâs GEMS: The Worldâs Wisdom Stories. Doug Berky is a one of a kind storyteller who takes a unique approach to conveying a story to his audience. Â 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;Â The Lame Man and the Blind Man, A Sufi tale from the Middle East; Â 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.
1101 Jonesville Road Simpsonville, SC 29681 (864) 228-1881 Phone
