The Oakridge School

The Oakridge School. Established in 1979, Oakridge celebrates its 40th year in 2018-2019. The Oakridge School serves students and families from 36 cities and 15 countries. With 772 bright, college-bound students enrolled in fifteen grade levels, Oakridge offers a full menu of curricular and extracurricular opportunities in a dynamic, student-centered environment. A parent has described Oakridge as, “a wonderful school that is small enough to know you, yet large enough to serve you.”

This is an exciting time in the history of our school. While our primary focus remains on student success in a college preparatory setting, we continue to make other significant strides as well. Technology has become increasingly important at Oakridge, and we are particularly proud of our 1:1 program in grades 4-12, the Oakridge Classroom Environment, and the creation of several flexible classrooms – where lessons focus on creativity, communication, and collaboration. Our partnership with Lausanne Learning Institute in Memphis continues into 2018-2019 when we will host the third annual LLI Southwest, a comprehensive national conference for teacher development. Students are the beneficiaries, as they are taught by innovative guest faculty as well as some teachers from among our talented corps of educators at Oakridge.

Our campus provides students a beautiful setting for learning and exploration. Over the last few years, we renovated the Early Childhood Center and built a new Kindergarten facility, the Quinn Family Kindergarten Center. We have also remodeled spaces in all divisions to better serve the needs of today’s learners. Finally, the Oakridge Athletic Complex, our 50-acre outdoor “classroom,” is continuing to evolve. Student-athletes are currently utilizing new practice fields, tennis courts, a field hockey field, a state-of-the art track and field venue, and a football/soccer stadium.

To inspire students to seek their full potential in academics, the arts, and athletics in a challenging and nurturing environment that cultivates social responsibility, mutual respect, and personal integrity. Our Philosophy:

• We believe the role of The Oakridge School is to provide a challenging educational program that emphasizes the total development of each child, encompassing intellectual and social skills as well as cultural, emotional, and physical development, thus preparing students for higher education and life.
• We believe an environment that employs a variety of teaching techniques and learning activities best enables each student to succeed as an individual and as a member of a group.
• We believe an orderly environment, stressing personal and academic self-discipline, provides an atmosphere most conducive to success.
• We believe in academic excellence and in the pursuit of knowledge as a lifelong experience.
• We believe in high moral and ethical standards, honor, and mutual respect.
• We believe The Oakridge School functions most effectively with the involvement of students, parents, faculty, staff, and members of the community.
• We believe the graduates of The Oakridge School should be men and women of good character who have developed a healthy respect for self, an awareness of the privileges and obligations of citizenship, and a keen sense of empathy for and responsibility to fellow human beings.

The Oakridge School has an educational philosophy that forms the basis for its academic program, goals, and objectives and is organized around the following mission statement: To inspire students to seek their full potential in academics, the arts, and athletics in a challenging and nurturing environment that cultivates social responsibility, mutual respect, and personal integrity.

The decision a parent makes to enroll his or her child at Oakridge is often the final educational decision until a college selection is made. Each year, many students in the senior class earn the distinction of Alpha and Omega, having entered Oakridge in first grade or earlier. Many others enter the school during second grade or beyond and enjoy a number of wonderful years in our inspiring, college preparatory environment. At Oakridge, parents share common goals with our professional faculty and staff. We value education, and there is an understanding that each of our 800 children is college bound.