2003-04

In our middle school session, Melissa Hudson and I were able to share our vision for the middle years. We discussed our core curriculum, religious studies and social issues that become a big part of the needs at these ages. Parents had questions about electives, honors courses and plans for the future. I hope all who attended found it beneficial.
Rosemary Moore

Upper School Curriculum Notes from Steve Smith
As we are preparing next year for the first graduation ceremony in Oakbrook Preparatory School's history, you may be comforted to know that Oakbrook students will have earned far more than the 24 units that are required by the state for graduation. In addition to taking the core courses, our students will have had the opportunity to take numerous courses in the arts, in religious studies, and in the social sciences. Many will earn college credit through Advanced Placement or dual credit courses, and they will experience practical applications of their learning with service opportunities and a Senior Project that will allow them to develop an independent study concerning a subject area of the individual's specific interest. Government, Economics, Statistics, Criminal Justice/ Street Law, and Leadership will be among the new courses offered.
I continue to be awed by the character and the values our students reveal. Another teacher and I looked in the library the other day and I saw one of our upper school students as she tutored an elementary child ( her study buddy). To see the cooperative effort and the obvious bond that was being formed was inspirational. That moment seemed to capture what this school is all about.
I also appreciate the wonderful spirit that was exemplified by our students as we instituted our Honor Code on Monday. I hope that each student and parent will understand that we are not doing this because there is a problem, but we are doing this as a public reminder of Whom and what we represent.

Tuition Changes - Peter Nicol, Business & Facilities Manager
Proposed tuition changes were explained during the Parent’s Forum on the 20th of November. The need for these changes has occurred as a result of the growth of the number of activities and the number of students in the school. Our bookkeeper, Mrs. Wechselberger, spends more and more time allocating trivial amounts to different invoices to recover additional costs not in the budget. To reduce this unproductive manpower, we will include various costs (day trip costs, Books & Materials, an activity fee for middle & high school, and other class/grade costs) in tuition, so that we can simplify the invoicing process. In addition, tuition will increase 5% next year. Unfortunately, we see no way to include items such as lunch, special education classes, and warm-up/cheerleaders uniforms.
As before, this inclusive tuition fee can be paid in full by 15th June for a 2% discount, or split over 10 equal monthly installments. Besides the 5% increase, we will not be charging any more - only including items already being billed separately as part of the total tuition.
We are following up on some ideas raised at the forum. If anyone has any questions or concerns, please feel free to discuss these with me at your convenience.

2004-05

Lower School – A 1st grade transition team is being set up to answer the majority of the questions raised about kindergarten remaining at Covenant. Please contact Carol Whitworth (587-1101) if you are interested in helping research these details. Portable classrooms are not being used in the upcoming year for 1st grade because money should not be spent on a short-term solution when the solution (Covenant) was no additional charge. The money that was raised from last year’s Auction has been reserved for use for a lower school play area. However, a master site plan had to be developed so the playground would not be placed in the wrong area for future growth. That site plan should be complete this spring and a play area in place for this fall.

Logistics – Upper school students will be asked to “socialize” on the sidewalk closest to the lunchroom during the morning drop off hours instead of where the lower school students must walk to get to class.

Advisory teams will be set up to make recommendations on the following subjects:

car line
traffic
safe
field trip transportation 

Please contact Nancy Seay (587-2060 ext. 127) if you are interested in helping with these issues. 

Lunches – We have exhausted our supply of lunch options when you take into account cost, logistics, time, etc. Please remember that fast food lunches are optional and for your convenience. You can always send in a healthy sack lunch for your child.

Upper School --

1. What efforts are being made to have competitive sports such as baseball available? 
In 1999 the US started boys’ and girls’ basketball teams. In the last 4 years we have added junior varsity basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, cheerleaders, running, girls’ volleyball, tennis and golf. We are interested in baseball, but it is at the bottom of our list for sports for two reasons: there are fewer opportunities to play competitively with other schools and we need to provide facilities and transportation for the sports we have already begun. 

2. Will our school begin allowing our 8th graders to take the PSAT? If not, will our school get a PSAT code so that they can go to the public school testing site and take the test?
Parents decide when to take the PSAT and other College Board tests. Our College Counselor, Dr. Gibson, will be prepared for the 2003-04 school year to inform parents and students of all testing opportunities they may want to use. Students take the PSAT in their junior year of high school for the purpose of qualifying for National Merit and other scholarships. Our accrediting organization, SCISA, awards recognition for eighth graders who scored above the 90th percentile on the Stanford Achievement Test during their 7th or 8th grade years. This is their opening to summer programs for the gifted.

3. What plans are being formulated to prepare students for SAT and ACT college entrance testing?
The SAT and ACT tests measure knowledge of vocabulary, comprehension of literature and math. Students receive math preparation in Algebra II. They receive training for the verbal portion of the test in their tenth grade college planning class. Teachers in high school history and English classes use a framework for writing assignments. As soon as the new SAT framework is ready, they will employ that. 

4. Is college scholarship availability being looked into?
Dr. Nancy Gibson, who has experience as a vocational counselor and holds a Master’s and Ph.D. in Educational Research, is leading the College Planning course that all tenth graders will take. This covers understanding one’s self, career planning, investigating colleges and scholarships, and SAT Verbal practice. Our school cannot provide College Board tests on site until we have graduated our first class. In the meantime, Dr. Gibson will make the connection for students and inform them and their parents of the availability of necessary tests.

5. What do colleges expect in a high school transcript?
Colleges look for students who have made the most of their high school years. They respect the right of parents to choose public, private or home school options. OPS does not offer the wide range of courses available at a large public high school, but those electives tend to be easier courses and students have limited selection space on their schedules.
Our curriculum is rigorous; classes throughout the school are taught above grade level. We offer SAT practice in math classes, in-depth vocabulary studies in English, and ample writing opportunities in history and English. 

6. Will teachers who are certified in specific areas be hired to teach advanced high school classes, i.e., science, English, math? 
We will fill those critical positions to the best of our ability. We know what our needs are in advance and we look for qualified teachers. We are in contact with local universities; we network with other schools and SCISA, and post job opportunities on our web site. Overall, teachers enjoy teaching in the environment at our school. They appreciate the willing students and supportive parents. They love having the freedom to teach, as opposed to policing and record keeping. Our greatest deterrent is our salaries, which are below state averages for public and private schools. 

7. Will AP classes be available for students?
We are considering dual enrollment and AP. It will be the responsibility of the US Director to provide these courses.

8. What other extracurricular activities are being considered?
We now offer competitive preparation for MATHCOUNTS and Battle of the Brains; the students have a Chess Club, Yearbook Staff, Garden Club, Band, and Orchestra. We want to add: Public Speaking, Drama, Debate, a student newspaper, and Chorus.

9. Many HS offer academic assistance with after-school tutoring programs at no charge. Is this a possibility at OPS?
Our teachers’ salaries do not cover long-term after-school work. If students need a little help, they can and should see teachers during class breaks or before and after school. If the student needs consistent tutoring over a long period of time, I suggest that the student see another teacher within the school or a recommended tutor from outside. That would incur private financial arrangements.

10. Are leadership qualities being developed in our middle school and high school students with chances to use these skills, i.e. student government, clubs, etc.?
Students have not elected class officers this year, but we have a large enough student body to have an official student government next year. Class officers will be elected during Term 1.
The students assume leadership in formal ways through the structure of the clubs and informally through the find a need and fill it principle. The 10th graders just let me know that they hadn’t taken a field trip this year. They planned one with the guidance of Rev. Moseley who teaches their class on Christianity. The students planned a day to visit local churches to learn about how Christians in our community worship.
This year students in grades 6-10 have planned school-sponsored social activities. They are actively involved in preparations for a dance, hoe down, etc. All students have responsibilities connected with Adventure Week in late April. Beta Club membership requires student leadership for service projects.
When students reach their senior year, they will have an opportunity to work on an independent project, valued at one-half class credit, which will require personal responsibility and leadership.

Fundraising – John Barrett

1. Will OPS reconsider the policy on naming opportunities based on financial giving?
First of all, the school's policies and procedures are reviewed frequently to ensure that they reflect the changing needs and expectations of students, parents, and the community. Your board and the school administration will continue this practice. But it is important to understand why the school does not provide naming opportunities. Oakbrook was founded as a school for everyone. Tuition is substantially lower than other non-affiliated private schools in the area, and we will maintain that gap. Yet we offer a quality, classical, college-preparatory education that is second to none. Naming opportunities send the message that the elite or monies are more important than others. That is simply not consistent with the founding principles of the school nor with the values we wish to impart to our children.
Oakbrook is not affiliated with a denomination, but is unequivocally Christian in belief and structure. The Christian principles of giving include "not letting your left hand know what your right hand is doing." It is easy for us to take pride in giving a large gift. But we must remind ourselves that it is only through God's grace that we have the desire and mercy to give, and it is from His abundance and provision--not our own works--that we are able to give. If we want to put a name on a facility, perhaps it should be Jehovah-jirah, our Provider.
One of the great gifts of God to believers is a healthy self-esteem. That is, a recognition that we are sinners--helpless and hopeless without the covering righteousness of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The wealthy are not any different. They are sinners as well. In fact, "it is harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle." Impossible? Yes. But possible with God. Naming opportunities encourage the pride of wealth. We would be doing a disservice to the personal spiritual growth of the donor by providing naming opportunities.
Lastly, throughout the history of The Village School and now Oakbrook, God has provided every financial need. Perhaps naming opportunities would attract larger or more donations. Although the school could certainly find uses for more money, we must continue to act on faith. We must continue to trust God for our provision. Otherwise, we become just another school.

2. I feel that if we (school families) can't personally fund the school's needs, then we need to be equipped with the tools to support fundraising, individual and corporate contributions. Could the board consider offering training workshops for parents on how to be more effective in our support of the school and/or some type of incentive or recognition for parents who bring outside contributors to the school?
This question reflects a wonderful optimistic and "can-do" spirit that characterizes many families at Oakbrook. The Development Office is working on updated marketing material. That should be ready soon. We agree that a training program for parents to use this material to encourage new student enrollments, to solicit donations, etc. is a great idea and we will begin designing that training. In the meantime, there are several other ways to support the school. For example:
- a reading list is being developed at Amazon. OPS will get a portion of every sale made through that program. The same type of program could be developed at other web sites or book stores. We need somebody to head up this initiative.
- if your child's class is not full, you can recruit new students. The incremental margin or contribution from the next student's tuition will be higher than that for current students because the teacher's salary and many educational expenses do not change. By bringing in new students to a class that is not full, you can make a very large positive financial impact on the school.
- OPS is also developing arrangements with other organizations to use the school's facilities after hours. The rent adds to the school's income. If you know of some organizations that might be able to use the school's facilities without interfering with regular school activities, please let Rosemary or Boyce know.
And--we welcome your ideas about other ways to save costs or increase revenue. Please let us know.

3. What strategies are being considered to increase the school's funding base w/o increasing tuition or asking school families to financially contribute? 
Ideas could include: seek contributions of local, political, religious, business and other groups who verbalize support for Christian values in school joint fundraiser with other independent schools to attract a larger audience, share the work and then split the profits. Plans are in the works to offer our facilities to the community for a rental fee during non-school hours. Help us find groups that can pay a fee and can utilize our facilities. We are tentatively looking at having a "Recommended Reading List" with links to Amazon.com and other book stores where we would get a percentage if someone purchased a book. We need someone to develop this idea for us.

4. If both of us work and we don't have lots of extra money to give, how can we help the school?
If classes are not full, it hampers our ability to make the most of our limited space. Talk up your child's classes to increase the number of students in each class to our maximum (16 for lower & 24 for 6-12), which is still an excellent student/teacher ratio.

5. If I had $200 to contribute, would it be better to give some to the annual fund, the capital campaign, athletic boosters and parents club fundraisers or is it better to give it all to the annual fund? 
Since participation is vital to the success of both the AF and capital campaigns, please reserve some funds for these two items. The AF and capital campaigns require large participation in order encourage others to participate. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, it gathers momentum as it picks up individual snowflakes. So is it the individual snowflake that makes the difference, or the fact that all the snowflakes stick together in their mission? As for additional fundraisers, you are receiving a tangible benefit in return, (Joe Corbi’s pizza). Please participate in the Annual Fund and capital campaigns each time and help with the additional fundraisers where you can. No one is expected to buy something each time.

6. I understand that contributing to the AF helps keep tuition down and helps persuade potential donors. Are there other advantages to contributing to the annual fund? 
The AF is tax deductible. The AF gives students an “invisible scholarship” by holding tuition down. Last year that “invisible scholarship” was $189 per student. If the AF could become a larger part of the operating budget, then the overwhelming need for tuition increases would lessen. For the families that are receiving financial aid, contributing to the AF is a way for them to help support the school. The AF can and does purchase “extras” that would not have been in the budget.

7. Why did less than 50% of the parents participate in the AF? 
The AF is not over until the end of our fiscal year on June 30 of each year. Families actually have until then to contribute, but it is always best to “wrap it up” by early May. The “end of the year deadline” was for the $15,000 challenge only, which we met. Our participation challenge ($2,500 if we reach 80%) that was announced in February will hopefully spur others to contribute.

Staffing

1. Is teacher turnover with Oakbrook higher or lower than the national standard for private schools?
This year turnover is 7% at Oakbrook. The average private school is 17%; in public school the rate is 16% annually overall, new teachers leave at the rate of 46% during the first 5 years of employment.

2. Is there a “pool” of accredited substitutes available when OPS teachers are absent?
Substitute teachers: We call certified teachers first and prefer them if a teacher will be out for more than a day. Our next choice for preschool and elementary school is parents who are familiar with school routines and subject matter. For US we look for professionals with knowledge of the subject matter to be taught. We encourage teachers to be present by giving them an attendance bonus.

3. What types of professional development opportunities are available to teachers that will expand their ability to teach students with varied learning styles and personality types?

OPS provides annual training for teaching students with different abilities and learning styles. This is always a component of our August workshops. We have held workshops for this purpose at other times throughout the year. Working with varied learning styles has been our training emphasis since the inception of the school.
A committee of teachers is currently working on a plan to provide resources and improved instruction. Their long-range plans include a resource teacher and room with materials for parents and teachers. Additionally, we provide extra reading instruction in first grade for students who do not meet classroom standards.

4. What types of evaluations are currently utilized to measure our strengths and to identify opportunities for improvement? 
This would include evaluations on the performance of teachers, administrators, and staff members, the school atmosphere, student satisfaction and teacher/student ratios. 
Faculty members use a self-evaluation tool to start the bi-annual performance evaluation discussion. An administrator meets with all faculty and staff a minimum of 2 times a year. New faculty meet more frequently. When we see signs of a problem we talk about it with the people involved and try to correct it. In eleven years, I have removed two teachers during the school year. I think the greatest strength I bring to the administration is the ability to see gifts and talents within people and encourage and direct them to use their talents to serve the school. A Mentor teacher, Suzanne Putnam, trains teachers. They know before they sign a contract that they are accountable to parents, students and the school administration. This is what is important to our administration when looking for a teacher: 
— Commitment to Christ
— Personal humility and teachability
— Depth and breadth of knowledge
— Ability to relate to students and parents
— Diverse life experience to complement our current faculty
— Appreciation of and buy-in to the vision of our school 

5. What types of evaluations are used to measure opportunities for improvement?
We have surveyed parent satisfaction every few years. Last year we asked parents to participate in focus groups that were led by an independent agency off-campus. This year we are holding this Parents’ Forum. Our School Communications committee led by Alexis Mannion and Boyce Wharton planned this forum. 
We look for opportunities for improvement by remaining true to our Charlotte Mason philosophy, forming faculty and staff groups to solve problems, routinely questioning our teaching methods, and processing feedback from parents and students. This year our faculty and staff are working to solve problems with: school communication, bullying, moral development (including the writing of an honor code), improving spelling instruction, school beautification, creating community in the classroom (working with a diverse range of learners), developing high school exams, US socials and US trips. 
We do not do follow up surveys on students who transfer to other schools. The reports we hear voluntarily are always good. In regard to a survey, they are viewed as self-serving and intrusive by the families who complete them for other schools.

Tuition Questions - Peter Nicol

1. What discount or concessions will be given for those who have 1st graders who will not attend the Lincoln School Road location of Oakbrook?
We do not offer discounts or concessions based on location.

2. How much will tuition go up each year?
The Board has prepared a 5-year plan. This plan projects a 5% increase in tuition each year. Currently our teachers receive, on average, 65% of public school salaries. In some cases (recently graduated teachers), our salaries are closer than 65%. In other cases (more experienced & more qualified teachers), salary levels are less than 50% of what they would be earning in a Public School. It is the intention of the board to raise teacher salaries to 85% of average public school salaries. We do not want to take advantage of the fact that our teachers are Christians by underpaying them. Most of our operating budget (93%) is allocated to teacher salaries. It is important to balance tuition with class size and salary, in order to meet the needs of the students, the goals of the parents for their children, without compromising the quality of the teachers we need.\

3. Could there be an option to include supplies for the entire school year, which students need, in tuition?
It seems to me rather than having parents of groups of parents going out individually, that if the school would purchase in bulk the school could make a little money and the parents would not have to worry about providing this need, they could pay for it.
Elaine Hoffmann is looking into this with Office Max. All school supply lists will be posted on the website. If the Parents’ Club is able to offer school supply packs, information and order forms will be displayed.

4. Why is the discount to those who pay tuition up front and in full decreasing every year?
Interest rates have been decreasing each year. We would like to encourage people to pay in full, and offer them a fair market discount for doing so, without prejudicing all those families who are not in a financial position to pay in full. We appreciate that we have a responsibility to be good stewards of the money you entrust to us, and believe that adjusting discounts to reflect market conditions is one way to be responsible.

5. Is the tuition going to continue to go up in large increments from year to year?
We have projected 5% increases for the next 5 years. We may have to reexamine high school fees, if it becomes difficult to obtain high quality teachers with suitable qualifications, and if other costs prove higher than anticipated.

6. How big do you project the school will become?
If we eventually get to 48 students per grade, we will have a maximum of 670 students in the school. This would be the maximum our current Board and administration approve.

7. How do you expect to handle the growth?
We will continue to build new classrooms, and plan ahead, much as we have in the past. We plan to allocate areas to the different age groups, so that the children can play in a safe environment relative to their size and development. We are currently having a site plan drawn up by an architect to depict the final vision of the school after all the sporting facilities, the High School, and the Pre-school have been built.

8. Will the classes still be small?
Maximum class size will remain the same. There may be occasions as we grow when we have a slight increase over the maximum size desired. For example - It is unrealistic to expect to grow from 1 class of 12 students this year, to 2 classes of 12 students next year, and it would be uneconomical to have 2 classes of 6 and 7 students respectively.

9. Is the school capable of growth?
We have come a long way in 10 years, so the school has certainly displayed a capability for growth. This may not always have been painless, and is not likely to always be painless in the future. But with the support of our parent body, and the Lord’s guidance, great things ARE possible. No one believes that more than Rosemary because of the growth the school has experienced under her leadership.

10. Why don’t we offer discounts for families who have more than 1 student?
It costs the same to educate each child. Some large families can afford to pay for each of their children. For others this is a problem. We encourage these families to apply for financial assistance or to offer their services in paying positions around the school. I believe that there may be a real need to have a sliding scale for financial criteria to qualify for financial aid, as a family with one child earning $40,000 is certainly better off than a family with five children earning $41,000.