|
|
|
|
Above: High school students and staff meet on the first day of school.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Don't want to receive these emails any longer? Scroll to the bottom of this email to remove yourself.
|
|
|
|
|
From the Head of School
|
What is the nature of goodness? In what ways are we, as educators, responsible for the “cultivation of goodness; for the total human being”? These were the types of questions we explored in my living room last Thursday afternoon with 16 members of our high school faculty. We were discussing Krishnamurti’s foreword to the Letters to the Schools. We met away from campus to push our perspectives beyond the functional concerns of preparing for a new school year and to delve more deeply into the intent of our school.
|
This was one of the many meeting topics we explored together as a whole staff and in break-out meetings this past week as we prepared in practical and intellectual ways for the return of our students. Collectively, we had dozens of meetings throughout the week. We looked at our school culture, reviewed the science around child development, discussed the potential impacts of AI on education, examined how we communicate with and what we expect from our parent partners, and inquired into this year’s school theme – The Wholeness of Responsibility. Regardless of the individual jobs we hold here at Oak Grove (classroom, kitchen, front office, maintenance), we are each a student and a teacher. We are all responsible for each of our students.
|
The campus is gleaming, thank you to the recent rain, the tireless work of our maintenance team over the summer, and all the families who graciously volunteered for our Work Party this past Saturday. The bulletin boards have been refreshed, floors and carpets cleaned, trees trimmed, furniture rearranged, supplies stocked, and whiteboards carefully detailed with welcome messages and introductory instructions. We wait in anticipation for the return of our students this Wednesday morning. We are ready to receive our students with affection and great care.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This week, both returning and new students started a new year at school. The returning students were thrilled to reunite with friends and teachers, and new students were welcomed into their new school environment with ice-breakers and fun activities.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our Theme for the Year
|
|
“The Wholeness of Responsibility”
Each year, Oak Grove selects an annual theme based on the teachings of our founder, J. Krishnamurti, as a provocation for classroom inquiry, professional development for staff, weekly K Discussions, and as inspiration for events like the Annual Fundraising Tea. Our theme for the 2023-24 school year is “The Wholeness of Responsibility.” Our founder discusses the need for students to cultivate a sense of responsibility extensively in the Letters to the Schools.
|
“Education is not merely the teaching of various academic subjects; it is also the cultivation of total responsibility in the student. People do not realize that an educator is bringing into being a new generation. Most schools are concerned only with imparting knowledge; they are not at all concerned with the transformation of man and his daily life. You, the educator in these schools, need to have this deep concern and the care of this total responsibility.”
|
|
The Whole Movement of Life is Learning, Chapter 8
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Our annual report is an article-rich magazine for anyone interested in Oak Grove's story over the past year. In addition to an overview of our financials, there are articles about classroom activities, theater, outdoor education, alumni, and much more.
|
|
The 2022-23 edition of "From the Oak Grove" is in a flip-book format on our website. Enjoy!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Congratulations to our second graders and their teachers, Karen Mercer and Eric Cowen, whose "Roxaboxen" student project was recognized with an Impact II award.
|
Tap below to learn more about this rich student-led project.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you're not on the mailing list for the Foundation Focus, you can view a flip-book version of it below. This KFA publication addresses current concerns, philosophical teachings from Krishnamurti, and an article from Oak Grove.
|
|
In this edition, Marie Samson speaks about her experience with the previous year's theme, "To listen with great care, attention, and affection."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K Quote
|
|
|
“We rarely listen to anybody. We are so full of our conclusions, experiences, problems, and judgments that we have no space in which to listen. To listen is possible only when you put aside your opinion, knowledge, problems, and conclusions. Then you are free to listen without interpreting, judging, or evaluating.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Socially Speaking
A recent Instagram post —
|
A summer excursion into the Sierra Mountains.
|
Follow Us
|
   
|
|
|
|
|
Upcoming Events
& Programs
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Learn more about the programs offered by the Krishnamurti Center.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
