At Great Oak Academy, we cultivate growth and seek joy.  Great Oak students belong to a small, caring community where they are leaders of their own learning.  Working with one student at a time, our teachers help students explore and expand their interests through field experiences and projects. Graduates of Great Oak Academy are skilled readers, writers, and critical thinkers. Together we develop strategies to practice self-mastery, resilience, and empathy for others.   We are problem-solvers who make a positive difference in our diverse and vibrant community.

Students at Great Oak take core classes (English, Civics, Math and Stem) as well as electives. In addition, all students particiapte in Crew and L-TIE (Learning through interest and experience).  Both Crew and L-TIE provide unique opportunities for students to strengthen their relationships and broaden their learning.

Crew: Each day students spend time together for a meeting. Teachers and students determine together what norms are for their group and read through what is on the agenda. Topics range from learning more about social emotional wellness and tools, how to stay organized and on top of school assignments and current events. Students can expect to hear a witty joke, check in with each other through a variety of games and ice breakers and then have an open conversation about the subject matter at hand. This is a time to share and learn more about each other in a safe and caring environment.

Learning Through Interest and Experience (L-TIE) is a chance for students to help decide what we learn about. Pre-pandemic, we used L-TIE to take field trips and learn more about the community (hiking, visiting the farmers marker, local colleges). We provided our 8th graders with internships based on careers of their choosing. Part of L-TIE was also a time to bring community members into our school to teach us about a variety of topics that our students were most intersted in (cooking, animal therapy and art just to name a few). Now that we are learning vitually, we are continuing with L-TIE and using it as a way to build our GOA relationships. We have weekly check ins, touch on a variety of topics and even play games.