The Lower Elementary Classes of Five Oaks Academy have been so passionate about helping others.  The students have so much compassion and strive to help those less fortunate in any way they can.   Along with all of the classrooms at Five Oaks Academy and South Carolina Montessori schools, the Lower Elementary classes support Ronald McDonald House Charities and Amman Imman: Water is Life.  We begin each year educating the students on these charities and the many ways we can help.

Ronald McDonald House charities provide a “home-away-from-home” for families so they can stay close by their hospitalized child at little or no cost.  The houses provide shelter, meals, and entertainment for families during a difficult time.   Our students collect can tabs all year road to give to Ronald McDonald House. In November, our classes went on a field trip to the Greenville Ronald McDonald House. Before we went, the students collected donations of items the house needed. At the house we received a tour and learned all about how the house operates and their mission.  We were also able to give back by doing community service activities such as raking, picking up sticks, sanitizing, sweeping, and sorting supplies.  On February 8^th, the students will be preparing a meal to take to the families living in the Ronald McDonald House. In addition to multiple ways we have supported this charity as a class, we have had many students donate their own money and also have had children create items to sell to family members and neighbors.

Amman Imman is dedicated to improving and saving lives among the poorest and most severely threatened populations of the world by supplying permanent sources of water in the Azawak of West Africa. Wells of Love is the service learning program of Amman Imman: Water is Life.  Wells of Love empowers Montessori students across the world to give with a caring and philanthropic spirit by engaging them to help bring water and hope to the 500,000 children and adults living in the Azawak and our students are very empowered! Throughout the year, Lower Elementary participates in a variety of fundraising activities for Amman Imman such as bake sales, water sales, craft sales and an event called The Amman-athon. The Amman-athon is an event where students each choose two events to participate in and receive monetary pledges for each repetition of their chosen skill.  Students have chosen hula hoop, basketball, jumping jacks, cartwheels, forward rolls, jumping rope, etc. This event has been a great way to build community, improve athletic and math skills while raising funds!  In addition to these in school activities, many students have chosen to raise money outside of school. We have had students sell art, toys, baked goods, crafts, fruits, hand written books, hot chocolate, lemonade, and muffins.  We have also had many students donate their own money to this wonderful cause.

The students and teachers of Lower Elementary want to thank everyone that has supported our fundraising over the years.  The students have such compassionate hearts and truly want to give back.  We are so proud of them!

Cameron and Thomas Barnhardt traveled to Chicago to cheer on their dad Jay who ran the Chicago Marathon on October 9, 2011.  It was a beautiful day and they were able to see their dad at miles five and ten in Lincoln Park and then again in Chinatown at mile twenty.  This was Jay’s fourth marathon, so Cameron and Thomas are accustomed to trooping around town to cheer him on and they love getting high fives from all the other runners!  In addition to watching the race, they rode on the El and in cabs.  They visited the Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, Millennium Park, and the Lego store! Though they hated to miss Fall Festival, all the Barnhardt’s had a great time in Chicago.  Congratulations to Mr. Barnhardt for completing the marathon!

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On Wednesday, October 5, 2011, Five Oaks Middle School students partnered with The Generous Garden Project to benefit members of the Greenville community. Located behind the Wild Radish Health Store on Verdin Street in Greenville, the goal of The Generous Garden Project is to provide local food banks with nutritious, locally grown foods that are not always readily available to such organizations. Due to necessity, many food banks store foods that have a longer shelf-life, but that are more processed and preserved. Because of this, many individuals who rely on these food banks miss out on important nutrients that fresh produce provides. The Generous Garden seeks to eliminate that problem. Not only do volunteers maintain large gardens of food, but they do so organically.  Volunteers also visit local farms to glean produce that, while perfectly appropriate for immediate use, may not make it all the way through the packaging process and to market. Instead of these goods going to waste, they are given to local families in need.

The Middle School class spent several hours with volunteers from The Generous Garden Project, harvesting tomatoes, lettuce and okra, moving their chicken coop, feeding and watering their worm farm, and fertilizing their fields.  While they visited, Middle School students also got to see local volunteers from food banks arrive to pick up the produce they harvested. Students were able to see The Generous Garden’s future plans for an aquaponic greenhouse system that will allow them to grow crops and fish in a re-circulating, mutually beneficial system. The students were able to see how their own hard work that day benefitted the volunteers at The Generous Garden Project and the community at large.

If you or your family or any other group you may be involved with, are interested in helping The Generous Garden Project, take a look at their website at www.generousgarden.org. There you can donate funds, sponsor a garden bed, find ways to share your gardening materials or discover how to give of your time and help make your community a happier, healthier place.

Five Oaks Academy and friends raised over $1,400 to help the International organization Dining For Women to promote awareness for “The Fistula Foundation”.  The Foundation concentrates on educating people on the needs of the women who need treatment worldwide.  The organization supported by Oprah Winfrey tries to provide funding for treatment and prevention of fistula.

On September 20, women supporters of the organization gathered at the Five Oaks Academy campus for an evening of fellowship and collective giving.  Several vendors were present donating profits to Dining For Women.  The women watched a video made by the Fitula Foundation that highlighted women who were suffering in Ethiopia.  For every $450 raised, a woman can have surgery which will cure her for live from the condition.

Dining for Women began in Greenville in 2002 by Marsha Wallace.  The organization focuses on improving the lives of women and girls worldwide.  Dining For women concentrates on issues that will find solutions to problems facing women through education, healthcare, and economic development.  Since it’s conception in 2002, Dining For Women has grown with many chapters nationally and internationally.  The service group has been published in The New York Times, Women’s Day Magazine, and New Adventures in Philanthropy.

Bonnie Papajohn led the Dining For Women chapter meeting and gave the presentation on fistula repair.  Several Five Oaks Academy women expressed interest in creating their own chapter.  Please see more information at diningforwomen.org and fistulafoundation.org.

Five Oaks Academy’s 1st grade student Chase Hanning had the opportunity to be with his father during the Lower Elementary Doughnuts for Dads on September 22, 2011 through the use of Skype, a software application that allows users to make voice, video calls, and chats over the Internet.   Chase’s father, Craig, is currently in Afghanistan.

Craig has been in Afghanistan since August 2011 and has not had the opportunity to see Chase’s new classroom.  Chase was able to show his dad where his cubby was located and where he eats lunch everyday.  Chase then showed his father his latest math work, a thousand bead chain which stretched out across the classroom floor.    Craig was able meet the classroom pets guinea pig Ziggy and bearded dragon Puff!   Craig made sure to eat a giant chocolate doughnut, just like all the other dads.  Later in the morning, Chase’s friends all gathered together as they located Afghanistan on the classroom wall  map.

We are continually impressed with how technology allows us to communicate with people across the world and so glad that Craig was able to be a part of our school’s celebration.

Article written by Allessandre Ponzini, Eighth Grade Student

In October of last year Maya Roberts, a Seventh grade student at Five Oaks Academy, participated in a dance convention in Greenville, South Carolina called ‘Monsters of Hip-Hop’. Participants auditioned in groups initially, then competitors were eliminated in several different rounds until the final cut. Maya was named as one of the two final dancers remaining and she won a scholarship to a dance studio in North Hollywood, California. This summer she redeemed the scholarship worth a full week of as many classes as she wanted to take at the Millennium Dance Complex.  Several famous performers such as Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake have practiced at this studio. Every afternoon and for several hours a day, Maya attended dance classes.

At most studios, dancers pay for a semester of lessons, but at Millennium they pay for each class separately. Since Maya had a scholarship, the classes she took were at no cost to her. There were classes available for children, but Maya found these classes less challenging and was allowed to take the adult classes.  Maya said the trip was a great experience and she is glad she was able to have that opportunity.

Skylar Brown has attended Five Oaks Academy since the school doors opened in 2003.  She is currently in 6th grade.  Every Friday,  Skylar organizes our Friday Pizza Lunch Program for both students and faculty.  Skylar’s duties include: surveying various pizza restaurants for the best value, processing all student and faculty orders, telephoning in orders, calculating a tip, writing a check from the pizza fund, and delivering pizzas to each classroom. Sklyar will be working with different co-managers from her 6th grade class throughout the academic year. “I am glad I have this job out of all the jobs on campus. I was nervous about getting everything right the very first time I called in an order but it’s getting easier,” says Skylar.

Upper Elementary student Kaitlyn Meade competed in the 10th Annual Tri to Cure Triathlon on August 13, 2011 as part of her Upper Elementary Summer Community Service Project. Kaitlyn’s efforts and determination awarded her first place female in the 9-10 year old age division and fourth place overall out of 254 participants. In addition to her athletic feats, Kaitlyn raised $1,110 for the American Diabetes Association Camp Independence.

Tri to Cure is an annual non profit youth triathlon held at Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina. The event includes a 100 meter swim, 2.5 mile bike ride and ½ mile run. Tri to Cure was founded by Jennifer Bennett in 2001, after her son was diagnosed with diabetes. Over the past ten years the event has provided thousands of children a fun-filled athletic experience while allowing participants to make a meaningful difference in the lives of children with diabetes.

The money raised during the event goes to the American Diabetes Association Camp Independence, a summer camp in Greenville, South Carolina. The camp is designed to give children with diabetes a traditional camp experience while meeting their unique medical needs. While at camp, participants are educated about diabetes, learn care and advocacy strategies, and have the opportunity to bond with other children with diabetes. The camp also provides excellent medical resources, including nurses and endocrinologists.

Thomas Lea, Second Grade Student at Five Oaks Academy, held a Toy Sale on Saturday, August 20, 2011 and raised $318.40.  Friends, family and neighbors of Thomas joined him at this event. There was delicious food, fun, and toys.  It was a huge success!

The proceeds from this sale were donated to Wells of Love, the service learning program of Amman Imman.  Amman Imman is dedicated to empowering the world’s most under-served and vulnerable indigenous populations by addressing their most essential needs.  Serving as a conduit between these populations and the rest of the world, Amman Imman raises awareness and engages individuals of all ages to take action.   Since 2006, Amman Imman has been supplying permanent sources of water in the Azawak of West Africa to save and improve the lives of the people living there.  Amman Imman has funded three wells, however, the Azawak needs many more wells and your students can be leaders in this grassroots cause. Please visit  www.wellsoflove.com  for additional information and resources.

Thomas said, “I learned that sometimes it is easy to make a big difference!” Five Oaks Academy is continually impressed and inspired by the initiative and enthusiasm of our students. Their compassion toward others is extremely admirable. We are so proud of all of our students!