OCS Lions Legacy 2018-19 Mission Report

O A K S

C H R I S T I A N

2018-19 MISSION REPORT

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MISSION REPORT 2018-19

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OUR MISSION

To dedicate ourselves to Christ in the pursuit of academic excellence, artistic expression, and athletic distinction, while growing in knowledge and wisdom through God’s abundant grace.

OUR PURPOSE

As an independent school, Oaks Christian School provides an exemplary, college-preparatory education for 5th through 12th grade students in a Christian environment. Oaks Christian seeks a diverse student body consisting of intellectually, artistically, physically and spiritually gifted young men and women who are interested in refining their God-given talents.

The educational experience at Oaks Christian seeks to develop each student’s mind, body and spirit to the fullest potential through challenging academic training, artistic exploration, athletic development and spiritual mentoring by the finest Christian teachers and coaches in the nation.

Oaks Christian strives to develop in students a lifelong love of learning, an abiding faith in Christ, and personal integrity. We are a community based on trust, mutual respect and compassion, and we hold all members of the community accountable for upholding these values.

OUR GOALS

For each of our students, we want to: • Foster an understanding of the sovereignty of God which provides a framework for the application of knowledge; • Provide a comprehensive and college-preparatory education through diverse learning experiences within an engaging community; • Provide a challenging learning environment that fosters critical thinking, personal responsibility and persistent effort; • Promote physical fitness and refined character through teamwork and God-honoring competition; • Develop an understanding and appreciation of the arts and encourage good stewardship of artistic abilities; • Encourage a passion to love God and others through lives that reflect virtues taught and modeled by Christ including justice, wisdom, courage, service, reconciliation, grace, and humility.

S C H O O L

INSIDE

5 Portrait of a Graduate 12 Engineering Wins Solar Cup 16 A Capella Choir Debuts 26 OCS Remembers, Reflects, Responds 32 Lady Lions Win Historic Title 41 President Bush Headlines Gala

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ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

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ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

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ATHLETIC DISTINCTION

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL

A Year of Community and Compassion

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ur annual mission report, “Lions Legacy,” chronicles the year through stories and photos of our three pillars: academic excellence, artistic expression and athletic distinction.

As we approach our 20th year, each of these “pillars” stands and thrives on the firm foundation that is our Christian ethos and our commitment to Christ-like attitudes and values. Our students, faculty, and staff express these distinctives through their impressive accomplishments and achievements each year.

This past year was one where another Oaks Christian distinctive (i.e. a fourth pillar) emerged in the wake of tragic events. The words COMMUNITY and COMPASSION, and how these are lived-out at Oaks Christian School, is what characterized this past year.

Our students, staff, families, and alumni came together after the Borderline shooting in November and the devastating Woolsey wildfires that started the very next day. Then, a few short weeks later, the floods came. Our own OCS community, along with the greater Conejo Valley community, was challenged like never before. Our campus—while thankfully spared from fire damage—was closed for an unprecedented three-week period, as we set out to clean ash and soot debris from every air handler and surface of the campus facilities, buildings, and fields. It should be noted that, in addition to all the service work done by the OCS community members, the school community raised more than $84,000 in relief funds for both the victims of the fires and the family of slain officer, Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus.

During this time we were able to demonstrate with real action that our motto, “Minds for Leadership and Hearts for Service,” wasn’t just a slogan: it was what defined Oaks Christian as we helped neighbors sift through fire debris of their burnt homes, led prayer vigils, organized fundraisers, put on benefit concerts and athletic events, and countless other acts of care and compassion for a hurting community. I watched with immense thankfulness and gratitude as the OCS family led and served, first to our own families, and then to our neighbors beyond our campus.

Yet, amid all this as the 2018-19 academic year rolled on, our students were able to accomplish some amazing achievements, which we celebrate in this publication.

We cheer and applaud the hard work and dedication of our scholars, athletes, and artists, and the teachers and coaches who encourage, mentor, and enable them to succeed.

As you read through these stories, celebrate with us and realize anew what a blessing an Oaks Christian School educational experience really is and can be. This past year was a tremendous example of preparing students, not just for where they will go, but rather who they are and who they will become.

As we prepare for the 2019-20 school year, let us also realize that true accomplishments are the relationships and the community that we build which are lasting and eternal. We will continue to heal and move forward from this past year. As we do, let us do so together and in the joy and strength that God gives us.

Rob Black Head of School

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2018-19 Administration Rob Black Head of School

Mike Parkinson Chief Operating Officer Eddie Moore Chief Development Officer Dr. Matt Northrop Associate Head of School for Academics Dee Dee Mayer Associate Head of School for Spiritual Life John Huffman Vice President of Admissions Karen Coyle High School Principal Garett Freeman Middle School Principal

Lions Legacy Editor

Maria Cowell Director of Communications and Media Relations

Graphic Designer Blanca Schnobrich

Photography

Reid Chobanian, Cornerstone Photography, Maria Cowell, Tyler Hernandez, David Hessemer, High School Yearbook Staff, Marvin Jimenez, Jean Kim, Brandy Lazar, Jose Mandojana, Laura Mason, Middle School Yearbook Staff, Cindy Murray, Shaley DeHass-O’Brianit, Blanca Schnobrich, Madonna Slattery, The Acorn Newspapers, Gabrielle Tricoli

Printing

Jeff Benes The Smart Group

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

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PORTRAIT of a GRADUATE

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“Who do we want our students to be when they graduate from Oaks Christian?”

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eyond textbook knowledge, athletic ability or natural talent, Oaks Christian School seeks to graduate students with lifelong characteristics that will help them impact their community and relationships long after they cross the graduation stage.

Toward that end, the academic leadership team developed The Portrait of a Graduate model as the benchmark of an OCS graduate: caring and compassionate servant-leaders who will use their knowledge, gifts, and abilities to be positive influences in the world.

“The impetus for developing the Portrait of a Graduate framework was so that we could be as thoughtful as possible as to WHO we want our students to be when they graduate from Oaks, not just what they KNOW or what they can DO,” said Associate Head of School for Academics Dr. Matt Northrop. “It’s

easy to become distracted in education. Our mission and our model helps us measure how we are doing.”

The idea began in October 2018. A few questions were posed to the entire staff. “Who do we want our students to be when they graduate from Oaks Christian School?” “What characteristics do we want them to possess?”

During the following months, through conversations with leadership, faculty, and parents, a list with three categories emerged. An outer circle that included Biblical Worldview and Culture of Care was then added, providing a lens for education.

In the debut year of the Portrait of a Graduate model, Oaks Christian has identified four students—nominated by the high school faculty— who exemplify these qualities.

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EXEMPLARY

KNOWLEDGE and WISDOM

Willoughby Thom

Rachel Cassar

Willoughby Thom is the embodiment of the OCS Portrait of a Graduate. Despite suffering from congenital defects of her heel bones (affecting her back, hips and knees) and surgeries and intense recovery during her high school years, she exemplifies joy, integrity, and virtue in her character. She is also known for her lifelong pursuit of the French language and French culture.

An outstanding student whose thought-provoking questions always drove class discussions forward, Rachel Cassar’s outstanding academic record earned her the title of Class of 2019 Valedictorian. She is a research scholar with a passion for language, philosophy, logic, sound reasoning, creative writing, and public speaking. Yet her wisdom and knowledge go beyond the textbook and is grounded in her compassionate, imaginative, ethical, and trustworthy character.

Areas of Impact • Founder/President of the French Club • Honor Board • Leader in the FemSTEM Club, which helps to promote STEM fields to OCS middle school girls.

Headed to Notre Dame, majoring in French

Areas of Impact • Academic Prefect • Musical Theatre and OC Voices • Worship team: songwriter, singer, pianist • Equestrian Team • Track & Field • National Honors Society • Peer Tutor • Mock Trial • Food for Thought Club Headed To University of Southern California, majoring in Creative Writing and Pre-law

“I can’t think of a student as special as Willoughby. She is an irrepressible, positive force on our campus, a friend to all. One of our Bible teachers was talking about the concept of Imago Dei, and he asked students who came to mind when they think of someone who treats everyone with inherent worth.

Willoughby’s name came up in every single class. She is a ‘once in a career’ type of student.”

--Amy Krueger, Associate Director of College Counseling

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“Rather than engage the game, she has spent the last four years engaging this place. She did not take a day at Oaks Christian for granted. Nothing she did was for a grade or an award; it was because of her innate desire to seek truth, knowledge, and wisdom.”

--Kevin Lindsey, High School Academic Dean

LEADERSHIP and CHARACTER

Christian Mayer

WELL-BEING and COMMUNITY

Faith Hotchkiss

Deliberate in his pursuit of education, Christian Mayer was one of the most admired studentleaders on campus. A reliable, respectful, integrous, and kind young man, he encourages and leads others to be the same. He holds strong to his convictions while striving for greatness.

An OCS student from 6th through 12th grade, he completed over 250 hours of community service while in high school, including being a medical volunteer to Uganda and serving in Guatemala on multiple trips.

Areas of Impact • Lion’s Voice Pack Leader • TEDx Co-leader • Honor Board • Mock Trial • 9/11 Remembrance Event Organizer • Football, Basketball, Lacrosse Headed to Gonzaga University to major in criminology

Faith Hotchkiss is a mover, a shaker, and an influencer.

Her outgoing, enthusiastic, and optimistic nature draws others in, so that she is at the center of building a community of trust. She is a superstar who is wise, charismatic, and willing to take risks. When she speaks, people listen because what she has to say is important.

Areas of Impact • College Counseling Prefect • Diversity Committee • Youth Group Leader • Tutor for Disadvantaged Youth • Honor Board • Church Choir Headed to University of Southern California, majoring in public health

“Christian strives continually to do what is right and honorable. I have always admired how he constantly seeks truth and Jesus in all that he does. Christian has been a joy to have on student leadership. What I admire most about Christian’s character is how he always lends a helping hand to everyone and looks for opportunities to make his school and community a better place.”

“Faith is mature beyond her years, while still being playful and thoughtful. She’s outgoing and insightful. Inclusivity is Faith’s mission. Her goal is to help everyone feel respected and feel like they belong. And most importantly, she’s willing to challenge the status quo. Faith is a change agent.”

--Noelle Kaiser, High School Activities Director

--Curtis Nichols, High School College Counselor

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Gillis-Smith Joins

EXCEPTIONAL FACULTY

at MIT Conference

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CS Engineering and Robotics Teacher Greg Gillis-Smith was selected to participate in the 2019 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Science and Engineering Program for Teachers (SEPT) in summer 2019. Gillis-Smith joined an elite group of exceptional teachers who were invited to the MIT campus in Cambridge for a weeklong conference in July.

“I was quite honored and excited to attend the program,” GillisSmith shared. “I enjoyed learning from some incredible scientific minds and sharing and collaborating with my peers.”

Gillis-Smith’s application stood out because of the innovation, creativity, and leadership he has demonstrated in the classroom. He has been an integral part of the OCS middle school and high school engineering and robotics program and the OCS Institute of Engineering which will open this fall. In collaboration with other OCS faculty, he has also helped to prepare the new 10,000-square-foot OCS IDEA Lab (Innovation, Design, Engineering and Aeronautics) for students this fall.

The lab is unique among California high schools.

The 30-year SEPT tradition includes teachers from all over the world bringing together diverse backgrounds in science, technology, math, and education. At the end of the week, the 2019 class of SEPT teachers walked away with an experience that has been described as a “drink from a firehose.” The week-long format included hands-on sessions, lectures from MIT faculty, and introductions to the latest research.

Robotics/Engineering Robotics students concentrate on the design, prototyping, creation, and operation of robots while learning programming concepts and how to use a 3D printer in the modern makerspace facility. Students participate in the Vex competition against other schools with the robots that they have built.

In the Oaks Christian Institute of Engineering students analyze, model and design engineering systems, develop the skills to solve complex problems, and master the use of software and prototyping tools used in the industry, and cover university engineering topics.

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Aeronautics/Rocketry OCS aeronautics students approach working with rockets and aircraft as engineers. Students have worked on custom rockets, remote-control airplanes, and weather balloons capturing images at the edge of space while learning about kinematics, numerical methods, aerodynamics, atmospheric sciences, systems engineering, and project design.

Velasquez Speaks, Judges at

TEAM AMERICA

ROCKET CHALLENGE

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eronautics Engineering Teacher Juan Velasquez was selected to represent Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR) at the Team America Rocket Challenge (TARC) National Finals in late spring in Plains, Virginia. TARC is the world’s largest student rocket contest for the rocket scientists of tomorrow with over 800 teams and 5,000 students from across the nation competing every year.

Velasquez was selected to be the sponsor guest speaker to address the nearly 1,000 student finalists during the contestant briefing. In addition to serving as an industry judge at the team presentations, he also represented AR at the opening and awards ceremony, and engaged with the public and students at the AR exhibition space during the competition.

“I was really energized seeing the work of students so excited for rocketry,” he said, “When I addressed the students, I shared anecdotes about how things don’t always work as planned, but to not lose sight of the bigger picture. The Team America Rocket Challenge is about experiencing the joy of engineering, and that includes all of its challenges and learning opportunities.”

He further advised students to take advantage of the competition by building stronger relationships within their teams, talking to industry representatives about the exciting future in aerospace, and meeting peers from across the country.

Earlier in the year OCS aerospace engineering students witnessed their first rocket launch near Vandenberg Air Force Base in Lompoc, CA. Led by Velasquez, students Abby Anderson, Nathan Fedoroff, Jalan Jaffe, Alvin Ke, and Max Mitterberger watched as the SpaceX Falcon9 Rocket illuminated the area accompanied by the rumbling of the nine Merlin engines.

As the rocket traveled through the sky, the plume was illuminated by the setting sun over the horizon. This effect is known as the “twilight phenomena” resulting in an impressive view seen from hundreds of miles away.

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SPEECH & DEBATE TAKES FIRST

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igh fives and fist bumps were the order of the day as the Oaks Christian High School speech and debate team celebrated successes this past year.

The team won first place at the Cal Lutheran Debate Tournament in February with freshmen Tommy Heffernan and Brandon Villanueva, in their first year debating, setting the standard. The freshmen duo beat 50 teams at the tournament to clinch the first-place berth.

Oaks Christian fielded five teams in

a parliamentary style debate, going eight rounds with eight topics. Heffernan and Villanueva were given a new topic for each round and had 20 minutes to prepare their argument for that topic. Topics included questions about politics, culture, and current events.

Coming off the heels of that impressive win was another victory.

The team made it to the finals at the competitive Stanford University Invitational Debate Tournament which saw 250 teams vying for titles. Out of

10 OCS teams, four teams made it to the final round with the team of Allie Spaccarelli, senior, and Andrew Henson, junior, competing in the finals. They placed as the runners-up, an impressive accomplishment given that Spaccarelli had never been on speech and debate, and this prestigious and difficult tournament draws teams from 25 states.

“I am proud the debate program is coming to fruition, and is fostering the qualities of kindness, teamwork, and integrity in our students,� said Debate Coach Erika Ahn.

Language Arts A strong command of the English language enables OCS students to speak with clarity and effect, with confidence, purpose, winsomeness and pay attention to style, argument and subtlety.

Students are well-versed in cultural, philosophical, and ideological influences in order to weigh all expression and argument against the truth of Scripture.

How do you spell

W-I-N-N-E-R?

Congratulations to OCS seventh grader Matthew Kim who was the first-ever student to represent Oaks Christian School at the Association of Christian Schools National Spelling Bee. He went toe-to-toe with other wordsmiths in a spelldown at the ACSI Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., this past spring.

In late January, at the District Bee, Kim placed second and moved onto the

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Regional Bee. At the Regional Bee, he qualified for the opportunity to move to the final competition in D.C. At the finals, he placed in the top ten out of 14,000 students nationwide.

Kim was commended by Middle School Dean Rachel Morales for his high academic standards that resulted in his impressive accomplishment.

INSPIRING

EDUCATORS HONORED

T Photo: L to R: Cindy Murray, 5-Star Theatricals Executive Director, OCS High School Theatre Director Rosalind AllenEnciso, OCS Middle School English Teacher Selena Meza, David Cassidy, 5-Star Theatricals Artistic Director.

“The mediocre teacher tells.

The good teacher explains.

The superior teacher demonstrates.

The great teacher inspires.”

-William Arthur Ward

wo OCS faculty members—High School Theatre Director Rosalind Allen-Enciso, and Middle School English Teacher Selena Meza— were honored this year by 5-Star Theatricals with the “Inspiring Educator Award.” 5-Star Theatricals presented Allen-Enciso and Meza the award on opening night at their show, “Matilda,” at the Fred Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on March 22. Community members were asked to nominate a teacher who inspired them, just like the character Miss Honey inspired Matilda in the musical.

“Of the four winners, two were from Oaks Christian, which says a lot about your school,” said Cindy Murray, 5-Star Theatricals Executive Director. “The letters students wrote were pretty darn amazing. They shared how the Oaks teachers took an interest in them and actually made them like school, and instilled confidence in them no matter who they were or what their background.”

One student said of Meza: “She is an amazing teacher who works together with the child and parent to achieve a child’s full potential. She never gives up on any child, rather uses motivation and encouragement.”

Writing about Allen-Enciso, a student said: “I came to Oaks as a freshman last year and she was the first teacher I had on the first day.

I was scared and lonely, but she was sweet and welcoming.” A second student shared: “Better known as Mama E, she has an incredible love for what she does and the students she teaches…and her impact on our school has been nothing less than extraordinary.”

Murray and 5-Star Theatricals Artistic Director Patrick Cassidy visited the OCS campus to congratulate Allen-Enciso and Meza in person and present them each with two premium orchestra seats to the show, and a $100 gift certificate. Both ladies were invited on stage on opening night to be recognized and “take the bow they so deserve,” according to Murray.

For their part, both Meza and Allen-Enciso were surprised and grateful for such a show of love and support.

“It is so wonderful to be thought of by your students and their parents,” said Allen-Enciso. “It is life-affirming and it is service-affirming because I care so much about what I do, and I love the students. I wasn’t expecting this.”

For Meza, the honor is also a personal affirmation of God calling her to Oaks Christian as an educator.

“Honestly, this is such a huge surprise. I am so very grateful as we have watched the Lord order and direct our steps to be here as a family at Oaks,” she said.

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Come

SAIL AWAY With Me

Engineering Scores Big at Nation’s Largest Solar Boat Race 12

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utting their math, engineering, and physics skills to the test, Oaks Christian School students laid it all on the waterline at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District’s Annual Solar Cup race and sailed away with a boatload of awards: 1st Place Rookie Contestant, Best Rookie Public Service Message, Best Rookie Solar Endurance Performance, and Best Rookie Technical Report. Out of 750 high school students in 40 teams, Oaks Christian also placed 4th for Public Service Message, 2nd in Solar Endurance, and was 5th overall in final standings.

Solar Cup is the nation’s largest solar-powered boat competition in which students build, equip and race 16-foot, single-seat boats powered only by the sun and motors producing up to 320 watts. It is sponsored by the MWD and teams represent the five counties in the MWD’s 5,000-plus service area.

Oaks Christian was sponsored by the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District. Sponsors help equip the crafts with solar panels, batteries, steering and related systems while the MWD gave each team identical kits of marinegrade plywood to build the hull. Engineering teachers Greg Gillis-Smith and Tyler Hernandez and physics teacher Amanda Turk led the students.

The three-day competition took place at Lake Skinner in Riverside’s Temecula Valley. On the first day teams had to qualify and comply with safety and seaworthiness rules.

Day two required teams to attach solar-collection panels to the boats for two, 90-minute endurance races. The endurance winner is determined by the boat that circles the 1.6 kilometer course the most times in the 90 minutes.

On the last day, under rainy skies, the solar-collection panels were removed, and boats used the stored solar energy in the batteries to sprint race down a 200-meter stretch with some boats reaching speeds of up to 15 MPH.

OCS junior Caleb Behunin, told the Associated Press at the event and said:

“I feel like we all learned a lot – about gears, circuitry, and putting it in a real-world application. We were really a great team. Whenever I needed help or anyone else on the team needed help, we were always there to help each other.”

In addition to building the boats, teams also submitted two technical reports, and create a water conservation public service message.

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ARTISTIC EXPRESSION

PERFORM

From comedy to tragedy and every emotion in between, the Oaks Christian performing arts department illuminated the human condition through drama, music, dance and voice. Shakespeare’s classic “Twelfth Night” was presented with a modern mix, the woes and wonders of middle school life were depicted in middle school fall play, the joy of Christmas was celebrated at the annual high

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ING ARTS

school and middle school concerts, and the beauty of dance was on display at the Winter Dance Showcase and OC All-School Dance Production.

Both middle school and high school musicals, “Sister Act” and “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang,” garnered prestigious nominations and awards (see page 18 and 19).

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A Capella Choir Debuts

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t has been said that the most beautiful musical instrument ever created is the human voice.

With the surge of enormously popular a cappella groups, such as Pentatonix and Straight No Chaser, and shows like Glee, The Sing-Off, and the Pitch Perfect franchise, that axiom is proving true.

As the performing arts department at Oaks Christian continues to innovate and provide opportunities to prepare students for real world experiences, it was a natural progression that the choral department would create an a cappella choir.

In fall 2018, with the help of a generous donor, Oaks Christian School moved in that direction.

Rob Dietz, arranger and group coach for NBC’s The SingOff and an award winning producer who has been arranging, performing, and teaching contemporary a cappella music for over 15 years, partnered with OCS Choral Director Edward Rouse to train members of OCS Voices in a cappella performance.

The group debuted at the admissions Open House, delighting the audience with their rendition of Tom Jones’ Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone. They also performed at the OCS Dinner Auction Gala, and at the California Lutheran University Prayer Breakfast.

“I’m passionate about creating more opportunities for young singers to perform contemporary a cappella music at the high school level! With the success of a cappella in the media, we’re seeing more and more schools like Oaks that have awesome, established choral programs and are looking to add pop music to their curriculum by incorporating this style,” Dietz shared.

Dietz’s passion is paired with his experience. He is a founding co-director (along with Ben Bram and Avi Kaplan) of A Cappella Academy. In addition to his work with the academy, he is also the director of Legacy, an auditioned, community youth a cappella group based in Los Angeles. In 2017, the group’s inaugural year, Legacy won first place in both the Los Angeles A Cappella Festival’s Scholastic Competition, and the Southwest semifinal round of the Varsity Vocals A Cappella Open. In 2018, the group won the International Championship of High School A Cappella finals at Lincoln Center in New York City.

That passion and experience is evident in the classroom as he and Rouse train OCS vocalists. During a recent classroom practice session, students shared their excitement about the new direction for OC Voices.

“He is doing such great work with arranging in the real world, so having him come here and help us do a cappella in a pop style is terrific. The whole sound relies on the entire group so if any voice is off or not hitting pitch it really changes everything,” said junior Alexys Ahn. “For me to be able to see that in a realworld setting with my peers is what I am most getting out of this.

I want to pursue songwriting in college, so this type of arranging is personally really great for me to learn.”

In the first year, the singers learned the distinctives, nuances and best practices of a cappella performance, such as extended vocal techniques like bass singing and beatboxing that round out the sound and really change the character of the music.

Junior Sawyer Lazar was particularly thankful that Dietz is helping with vocal percussion, the ability to use the human voice to emulate instruments, such as drums, something that will give him an edge if he pursues musical theatre.

Ariel Trussell, a senior, wants to major in music performance and commercial music in college, and felt the a cappella choir gave her an advantage.

“The knowledge he passes down to us is what I am taking with me to college, even fun things like teaching us how to beat box. The entire experience is very professional and helpful as I get ready for college,” she said.

ROUSES WIN

Excellence in Arts

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aks Christian School Director of Choral and Vocal Music Edward Rouse and his wife, Dana, (former OCS middle school and Academy V choral instructor) were the winners of the 2018 City of Thousand Oaks Excellence in Arts Education Award. The Rouses were recognized for their work with Oaks Christian School and California Lutheran University music students, and as the directors of the Los Robles Children’s Choir.

The award is presented to individuals or an organization for excellent work in and significant contributions to arts education, either through enhancing the education curriculum within a school or by creating opportunities in the arts outside the school setting, both of which the Rouses have accomplished.

“Receiving this award is a true honor because of the high level of education in the Conejo Valley. To be recognized is to say that our community values the hard work and dedication it takes to make amazing choral and vocal art come alive. We are humbled that we have been singled out amongst our peers who also work so diligently to bring this art form to life in the voices of students in the Conejo Valley,” Edward Rouse shared.

Now in his 12th year on the OCS faculty, Edward’s high school and middle school vocal ensembles have consistently garnered superior and gold ratings at adjudicated festivals and competitions. He has developed a vibrant vocal music program that incorporates many different styles of vocal music and has recently become the college counselor for performing arts students.

“Ed and Dana have been amazing ambassadors of choral and vocal music in our school, community, and local churches. This is a couple of amazing integrity and character, and they will continue to inspire and ignite passion for music in both their students and audiences alike. We are so privileged to have Ed as part of our Oaks Christian performing arts faculty,” said OCS Orchestra/ Digital Recording Director and Performing Arts Chair Mary Kay Altizer.

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aks Christian theatre was honored for exemplary artistic achievement at the National Youth Arts Awards on June 2. The OCS theatre program— both middle school and high school—received a total of 14 awards and 19 nominations for productions of "Sister Act" (high school) and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and "Life in the Middle: A Night of One Acts" (middle school).

Jordan Hull And Amazing Oakes performed songs magnificently from Sister Act which won top honors as the most Outstanding Production.

Schools from Burbank to Camarillo participated in the ceremony recognizing artistic achievement of students and creative teams. NYA judges viewed close to 800 shows in the 2018-19 school year and selected the most outstanding productions for nominations.

“This event provides valuable support for the arts and gives students an opportunity to be recognized and applauded on a national level,” said Middle School Theatre Director Rachel Mikhail. High School Theatre Art Director Rosalind Allen-Enciso added, “It was an inspiring evening and we are grateful for the recognition.”

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION

SISTER ACT

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

ANNIJA TETERIS AS Sister Mary Patrick IN

SISTER ACT

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

RACHEL CASSAR LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

AS

JORDAN HULL

SISTER MARY LAZARUS IN

AS

SISTER ACT

DELORIS VAN CARTIER IN

SISTER ACT DIRECTOR

LIGHTING DESIGN

ROSALIND ALLEN-ENCISO

KENNETH MILBRETT

FOR

SISTER ACT

FOR

SISTER ACT

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

AMAZING OAKES AS SISTER MARY ROBERT IN

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SISTER ACT

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N O M I N AT I O N S • Director Rachel Mikhail for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Outstanding Production (Junior Division) "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Lead Performance (Junior Division) Allie Chobanian as Narrator 1 in "Life in the Middle: A Night of One Acts"

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (JUNIOR DIVISION)

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (JUNIOR DIVISION)

JANELLE BATISTE

DASHIELL DERRICKSON

BARONESS

BARON

AS

IN CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

AS

IN CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

SOUND DESIGN

JONATHAN HAGBERG FOR

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

• Lead Performance (Junior Division) Sammy Jackovich as Jeremy Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Lead Performance (Junior Division) Rose Krueger as Truly Scrumptious in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Lead Performance (Junior Division) Carson Lundquist as Narrator 2 in "Life in the Middle: A Night of One Acts" • Lead Performance (Junior Division) Caleb Oyelowo as Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Lead Performance (Junior Division) Makenzie Pappan as Truly Scrumptious in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Lead Performance (Junior Division) Christian Yoder as Jeremy Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Supporting Performance in a Musical Dane Swenson as Curtis in "Sister Act"

LEAD PERFORMANCE (JUNIOR DIVISION)

• Supporting Performance in a Musical Ariel Trussell as Mother Superior in "Sister Act"

TAYLOR THOMAS

• Supporting Performance in a Musical Michael Woodward as Eddie Souther in "Sister Act"

AS JEMIMA POTTS IN

• Supporting Performance (Junior Division) Allie Chobanian as Child Catcher in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE (JUNIOR DIVISION)

GRACE HOLSCHER AS BARONESS IN

LEAD PERFORMANCE (JUNIOR DIVISION)

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

RUBY REYNOLDS AS JEMIMA POTTS IN

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

ENSEMBLE (JUNIOR DIVISION)

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

• Supporting Performance (Junior Division) Athena Errico as Kasey, Lane, and Still in "Life in the Middle: A Night of One Acts" • Supporting Performance (Junior Division) Sierra Fase as Janice (Mom) in "Life in the Middle: A Night of One Acts" • Ensemble "Sister Act" • Costume Design Raquel Karoly for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Lighting Design Ken Milbrett for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" • Set Design Pete Hickok for "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" 2019 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT

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A

rtistic Excellence is showcased annually at Oaks Christian School as student artists produce beautiful and thoughtful works of art through graphic design, painting and drawing, photography, ceramics and film. These pieces—whimsical, poignant, provoking and elegant—win awards and accolades at juried local and national competitions (see story on page 23). Both our middle school and high school artists shared their work with our own OCS community at the annual High School Art Show (entitled “Insight” this year) and the Middle School Arts Extravaganza.

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Student Delegates Get Ivy League Experience at

PRESITGIOUS CSPA CONVENTION

G

etting a first-hand learning experience on an Ivy league campus, four OCS high school students ventured to the Big Apple to participate in the 95th annual Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s (CSPA) spring convention on the campus of Columbia University. This was the first year Oaks Christian sent delegates to the CSPA convention.

Hundreds of students nationwide converge annually at the renowned journalism convention, held in March, to deepen their skills through sessions in journalism, writing, photography, law and ethics, broadcast journalism, publications and storytelling.

“I was thrilled to finally get this life-changing trip off the ground for students here at Oaks Christian,” said OCS High School Yearbook Advisor Blanca Schnobrich. “For students to step onto a prestigious Ivy League campus is inspiring! They get a glimpse of what’s possible and what their hard work can achieve.”

Schnobrich—an accomplished graphic designer and skilled photographer— was also a speaker at two sessions. The first was titled “It’s All About Light,” where she helped both advisers and student journalists understand how a camera works and how to use it to achieve optimal photo exposure. The second session was titled “Keeping It All Straight: Tips for Yearbook Advising.”

The 2019 delegates who joined Schnobrich at the convention included yearbook staff member Makena Ryan, sophomore, and three freshmen students who are not part of the yearbook staff: Sofia Mena, Eden Tan, and Fiona Fortunato. The delegates enjoyed a wide variety of classes and commented on what stood out to them overall.

“I especially enjoyed the sessions on writing and speaking because I find those topics particularly intriguing. I learned about different writing styles and how to improve the variety of writing techniques I use. I also learned how to communicate my point

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more clearly and effectively,” said Tan.

“We learned about historic examples of fake news, and how to determine the difference between bias and flat-out lies. The main takeaway for me was to be careful about the sources where I get my news. If you get news on social media, pay attention to who you’re following,” said Mena.

“For students to step on to a prestigious Ivy League campus is inspiring! They get a glimpse of what’s possible and what their hard work in high school can achieve.”

-Blanca Schnobrich, OCS High School Yearbook Adviser

Mena added, “This type of trip really opened my eyes to the diversity of people and lifestyles there are. We talked to many strangers, and I noticed that all of them had a story to tell.”

Because Oaks Christian is a member of the CSPA, the school is invited to participate in this convention. Membership with this prestigious organization also offers critiques for school publications by national judges. The OCS high school yearbook, “The Pride,” is submitted annually for judging and recognition and has earned both gold and silver medals for the past several years consecutively.

O

aks Christian high school visual arts students had a fantastic year, entering and winning in local and juried art competitions. In the spring, students entered artwork in the Conejo Valley Student Art Competition (sponsored by the Westlake Valley Arts Guild), and the Hang with the Best Competition (sponsored by the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley).

With close to 200 entries, OCS students swept the photography portion of Hang with the Best, winning first, second and third place.

Senior Claire Lauer took first place honors with Together, her photograph of a child feeding a giraffe; sophomore Ella Spett captured the Southern California lifestyle with her second-place surfboard photo No Kooks Allowed, and sophomore Luke DeLeon placed third with Small Bee, Big World, Big Difference, an image of a bee on a flower taken outside High School Principal Karen Coyle’s office!

There were also three OCS winners in the ceramics/sculpture category: sophomore Morgan Fanner, second-place for 3D Sensible Man; senior Cindy Chen, third place for clay/acrylic Vision, and sophomore Alexis DiStefano, fourth place for ceramic Perfect Imperfections.

The Conejo Valley Student Art Competition is a juried show open only to juniors and seniors. Out of over 400 entries, only 100 are chosen to be put on display. From those 100, Oaks Christian had ribbon winners: junior Amelia Compton won two awards (a special judges choice award and an honorable mention), and senior Sheridan Schroeder won third place for color photography of a sea turtle on Maui.

Other students who were accepted to display were seniors Olivia Cameron and Alexandria Mora.

The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards also included OCS students: Chen received an honorable mention for “Losing Sleep,” and Compton won a Gold Key award for Western Region at Large for “Seabird Society.”

CREATIVITY SHOWCASED at Juried Competitions

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A PICTURE IS WORTH

A THOUSAND WORDS

A

picture is worth a thousand words, and sometimes even a thousand bucks!

Professional family portraits can be pricey, so not too many people can afford such an expense. Given that reality, students in OCS’ visual story telling class decided to bless some local families through a project called Help Portraits.

In conjunction with the Christmas Shoppe at Newbury Park, 20 OCS photography students set up two portrait stations with three printers and computer edit stations and worked from 6:00am to 2:00pm right before Christmas. They took portraits for 300 families who could not afford a professional portrait session.

Samy’s Camera donated the paper and ink.

The goal, according to OCS Photography Teacher David Hessemer, was to provide a keepsake for families, and to give the students a chance to bless others by using their cameras for good.

“They have learned a skill that can have a positive influence in the world…and to be able to make a difference. So far, they have exceeded my expectations,” Hessemer shared.

The visual storytelling class is a project-based class where students take on real world assignments to use their skills to help others.

Last year and again this spring, students have provided photos for local non-profits. They sold photos through a local Thousand Oaks art gallery to raise funds to buy nearly 100 goats to help women in Kenya sustain themselves through micro-enterprise.

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EXPLORING MODERN ISSUES THROUGH FILM

T

he OCS Film Department had a dynamic year of creating stories that celebrated beauty, goodness and truth through exploration of modern issues.

One of the biggest events of the year—The OCS Film Showcase—was the screening of student films at the Regency Theater in Westlake. The house was packed with movie-goers who came to see the final productions of studentproduced films about homelessness and radical ideas to end California’s housing crisis. The OCS Visual Storytelling Class piggybacked on the event and showed still stories of the journey of a pregnant teenager, and the natural beauty of California’s Big Sur coastline.

“The stories presented through film were beyond excellent— showcased the critical thinking of our students and the heart of our community here at Oaks Christian. I also loved how the stories pointed back to Scripture and to the Lord in beautiful and meaningful ways,” said Associate Head of School for Academics Dr. Matt Northrop.

The two films were the work of juniors David Meriage and Ryan Sada-Ghiani who spent eight months working on documentaries about social injustices. They spent countless hours making uncomfortable phone calls to strangers, doing interviews, knocking on doors, and asking favors to be able to tell the stories.

Sada-Ghiani's film "A Place to Call Home" has been shown in seven film festivals. He has received two impressive awards including Best Young Filmaker.

“It takes a lot of discipline, perseverance and delayed

“After the film showcase many people told me how moved they were by some of the pieces.

They brought some to tears, made others think, and challenged traditional ways of thinking about some difficult social issues.”

-Andrew Christopher, OCS Film and Video Teacher

gratification to spend that long on a project, and the films were fabulous. I am thrilled with how the event turned out,” said OCS Film and Video Teacher Andrew Christopher.

In addition to the showcase, the film department also got its first win at the Calabasas Film Festival. Senior David Saucedo took home top honors in the fall semester for his film "Unplugged." Written by alumnus Cameron Rossi, Class of ‘18, and produced by the OCS advanced film class "Unplugged" won Outstanding Film among the field of 20 short films featured in the student high school category.

The class also had industry professionals as guest speakers—Director Scott Derrickson (Dr. Strange), Actors Sean Astin and Kirk Cameron. Disney Channel actor Leo Howard and Producer Joey Scott helped recreate scenes from the show "Kickin’ It." Joey Scott helped set up a field trip to Media City Sound, and OCS parent Scott Messick helped set up a field trip to Sugar Studios LA. 2019 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT

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#TOSTRONG

OCS REMEMBERS, RESPONDS, REFLECTS

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Remembering

A YEAR OF FLOOD AND FIRE, TEARS AND TENACITY, HOPE AND HEALING

I

n unbelievable back-to-back tragedies, the Conejo Valley suffered a dual shock starting with the Nov. 7 shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks—a popular country western venue often frequented by OCS alumni, families, and friends. The shooting resulted in the death of 12 patrons and Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus who was killed protecting lives.

Before community members could wrap their minds around the shooting, just hours later the deadly Woolsey fire broke out and raged until it was contained on Nov. 22. Over a quarter of a million people were evacuated and hundreds of homes were lost. Ultimately, it burned over 96,000 acres, destroyed 1,643 structures, injured three firefighters and resulted in three civilian deaths.

OCS community members—current and former families and staff—suffered damage or loss to their homes. Many OCS families showed their tenacity and grit by volunteering and or opening their homes to fellow families, as well as community members. Students also volunteered to help.

After absorbing the blows, the Thousand Oaks and Westlake Village communities came together and dozens of organizations held food drives, organized relief aid, benefit concerts, and prayer vigils and rallied around those most impacted.

Oaks Christian set up a special Community Fund for donations to help the Helus family as well as fire victims.

Along with all the public schools in the area, Oaks Christian shut down for an unprecedented three weeks following the fires in order to clean ash debris, HVAC units and sanitize the campus. The closure necessitated the shifting of class schedules, finals week and cancellation of Grandparents Day and the Veterans Day Assembly.

Following the fires, the community was rattled by record rainfall that threatened mudslides in the denuded areas. Once again, neighbors were under evacuation orders. As before, OCS families, students and staff sprang in to action, filling sandbags and prepping homes against further damage.

In a heartfelt letter to the OCS community after attending the memorial for Sgt. Helus, Head of School Rob Black wrote:

“His father-in-law’s letter joked about Ron’s last name, 'Helus' (pronounced 'Heal-Us'). Given the state of our world, our nation and our community, perhaps we need to pause and think about the sacrifice of this dedicated officer and use the example of his life, and his faith in God to 'Heal Us.'

So, as we pick up the pieces of our broken community in the days, weeks and months ahead, let’s use the tragedies of the past 7-10 days to reflect on our priorities, our relationships, and our faith.

God desires that we live well together, in peace, in relationship with Him and with grace towards each other. May you find time in the days ahead to show some grace to others and to hold your families close as we lean on God to 'Heal Us.'"

A HERO Twice Over

OCS alumnus, Brendan Kelly, Class of '14, survived the deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2018.

Incredibly, he was also at the Borderline shooting the fateful night of November 7, 2019.

A United States Marine, Kelly immediately recognized the sound of gunfire and began protecting people around him at the Borderline Bar & Grill, throwing them to the ground for cover.

Kelly was quick to help injured victims, using his belt and his t-shirt as tourniquets for inured people and pulling others to exits for safety.

The shock of surviving two such incidents was jarring, and he attributed his safety at both and his ability to help others to God’s protection.

“The only thing I can contribute this to is God,” Kelly said. “His protective hand over me that night, on Oct. 1, (Las Vegas) and last night,” he shared with The Marine Times the day after the Borderline shooting.

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Responding

OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND SUPPORT AFFIRMS COMMUNITY

O

aks Christian School lived out its “Minds for Leadership and Hearts for Service” motto in an outpouring of action, support and love to members of the immediate OCS community and members of the community-atlarge in the wake of the Borderline shooting and the area wildfires.

OCS dad Craig Duswalt, and his non-profit organization, Band Together, donated a large amount of supplies for Oaks Christian to distribute to families who lost their homes. Some of the supplies went to Seminole Springs, a community that lost 110 of 215 homes. They received space heaters, generators, and cooking pots to help residents as they moved back.

Robotics and Engineering Teacher Greg Gillis-Smith helped lead a sifting operation at Seminole Springs. He demonstrated to faculty and students who volunteered how to assist home owners in sifting through the rubble of their burned homes to recover valuables.

High School Dean of Students Marcus Choi, High School Spiritual Life Director Rich Gregory, and Gillis-Smith served a community near Kanan Road where over 100 mobile homes were lost. Many other faculty and staff worked to serve on this project but only a select few were able to get through the barricades.

In addition, countless students responded to the call to serve at Sports Academy, which opened their doors to

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the community to provide free camps for children who were impacted by the fires. Middle School Nurse Leslie Heimbuch and Dr. Robin Sakakini from the OC Learning Center were part of the team who showed up to assist.

Right before Thanksgiving, the Cassar family opened their home to host a service opportunity event for all who could help bag sand in preparation for the rains and potential mudslides after the fires. Volunteers prepared boxes for recovery efforts for the countless families that lost their homes. A letter writing station was set up to write notes of encouragement for the families of those impacted by the shooting and the fires.

Middle school student Tony Wang painted and presented his Chinese calligraphy at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse over one weekend to raise money for the victims of the recent fires

OCS alumnus Alex Bachman, Class of ‘15, played his last football game with Wake Forest University for a cause. His custom-made cleats represented his support for his hometown, featuring flames for the fires on one side of the shoe, and the names of all the Borderline victims on the other side.

A second alumnus, Marshall Via, Class of ‘17, and his band Sir, Please, opened for REO Speedwagon at two benefit concerts at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza on Jan. 12 and 13. All proceeds were donated to the Ventura County Community Foundation for victims of the shooting and fires.

Reflecting MORE THAN A GAME

W

hile the community of Thousand Oaks reeled with the tragic Borderline shooting and the greater Conejo Valley grappled with the aftermath of devastating wildfires, OCS athletics stepped up to help a hurting community. Oaks Christian School decided to take its Division 1 semi-final football game and use it as an opportunity for the community to come together and provide tangible support to families who suffered catastrophic losses.

The OCS Lions (#4 statewide, #9 nationwide) hosted the St. John Bosco Braves (#1 state and nation) in a CIF semifinal football playoff game at Royal High School in Simi Valley.

Both schools donated 100 percent of their portion of the ticket sales to the family of Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus, who was killed protecting lives at the Borderline shooting, and to relief efforts for victims of the fires.

“We were honored to be able to use this game to help our community come together in support of those who have lost so much. Those who attended and purchased a ticket showed their support for Sgt. Helus’ family and those in our community who have lost their homes," said OCS Head of School Rob Black. “We appreciate and are thankful to the St. John Bosco family for partnering with us in this endeavor."

Those who were not able to attend the game were still given an opportunity to donate by a special fund Oaks Christian had set up online. A total of $84,000 was raised, with half the proceeds going to the family of Sgt. Helus and the other half to fire victims in the greater community.

In addition to other invited dignitaries, those in attendance at the game were: Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub, CIF Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod, Dennis Mulhaupt, President of St. John Bosco, and members of Oaks Christian’s, St. John Bosco’s and Royal High School’s senior leadership teams.

“This was not just a game.

This was about our friends and neighbors who are hurting and in need of our love, encouragement and support.”

– Rob Black, OCS Head of School

REFLECTIONS THROUGH ART Students in the high school graphic arts class, and drawing and painting class, created unique hashtags and montages to help reflect on the community tragedies. These art pieces were showcased at “Insight” this year’s high school art show. Students also shared verbal reflections of the events.

“It was incredible to see so many people assisting with things like bringing food and water for first responders. Even to the point of those people being turned away because of the abundance of food.”

– Connor Reithmayr, senior

“They (volunteers) served with kindness and humility. It was a contagious feeling that spread to everyone around the area. I was proud to be a part of the Oaks community.”

– Alyson Choi, junior

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YOUNGER GENERATIONS

O

REMEMBER 9/11

n the 17th anniversary of 9/11, Oaks Christian students joined millions of other students nationwide to pause and remember the nearly 3,000 victims and first responders who lost their lives in the terrorists’ attacks on America on Sept. 11, 2001.

While the horrific events of that day are seared in the collective national conscience, how does an individual person not even born back then, or just an infant, "never forget" something they did not experience?

That was the question that intrigued 17-year old OCS senior Christian Mayer, only four months old when the attacks occurred.

Although he isn’t old enough to vote yet, Mayer has a deep love for his country and hopes one day to serve as a United States Navy pilot. His patriotism and family history of immigrants “saved by the United States,” in post-World War II days propelled him to think deeply about 9/11.

“What’s strange to me is not that we don’t treat the day with the reverence it deserves; we do. But since many of us weren’t even alive we don’t remember. So, I think the issue is we have this mindset that if we didn’t experience it, it doesn’t affect us. I struggle with that mindset,” he shared, “My senior class is pretty much the last class to be alive during 9/11 and we cannot forget what happened. That’s how injustices of the past are repeated: people do not remember them.”

Rather than just hope his peers would not forget, Mayer decided to act.

The summer before his junior year, he attended a Young

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Americans Foundation camp along with Nikolai Arrasmith, Class of ‘17. They learned that colleges were doing flag tributes to 9/11 victims, but not necessarily high schools. The pair thought it would be moving and fitting to plant nearly 3,000 flags with each victim’s name and hometown and create a Field of Honor on the OCS lawn on the anniversary of 9/11. The logistics—where to buy flags, the cost, getting a list of those who perished, how to label them, how to organize the event—seemed daunting.

They knew they could not do it alone, so they enlisted the help of High School Spiritual Life Director Rich Gregory. Mayer assembled a team of students who spent hours after school and on the weekend prepping the flags. The first year the project debuted was in 2017 and 2018 was the second year.

“I thought we might have bought too many flags for the number of names, but we actually ran out of flags the first year,” he shared.

His hope was that as students planted a flag and read the name attached, they would realize these were real people in hometowns like ours, people who died and how serious the tragedy was.

His efforts payed off. Several freshmen, not even born on 9/11, reflected on the day.

“Seeing the photos was really sad, but it put things into perspective of how terrible the event really was and how it affected so many people and their families,” said Elise Marnell.

Betty Weaver added “I thought it was a great ceremony to learn how important this is for our country to remember.”

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATED

T

he historical achievements and contributions of women to society were celebrated at a special high school Women’s History assembly in the spring, marking the first time Oaks Christian School has participated in the global Women’s History Month (WHM) in March.

WHM is an annual declared month (initiated by former President Jimmy Carter) which highlights the contributions of women. This year’s observation marked 100 years since the submission for ratification of the 19th constitutional amendment which gave American women the right to vote. It was officially ratified in 1920.

“Throughout American history, the feminist movement has had varying degrees of approaches and responses.

Many of the founding activists were mothers and wives who were devout Christians. It’s important for Oaks Christian to understand the full historical narrative of women’s history and the Christian perspective of this development," said High School History Teacher Connie Choi who was part of the planning committee.

The special assembly in late

March was the culmination of a month of acknowledgements of women’s contributions through visual and performing arts, graphic design, literary classroom readings, and personal stories.

Special thanks went to OCS alumna Caylen Smith, Class of '13, and junior art student Sofia Vlahos for creating beautiful graphics and drawings honoring women.

a female in a male-dominated profession.

“It was tough. They wondered what I was doing and what I was trying to prove.

It wasn’t easy entering a realm where you are vastly outnumbered and are the minority, but it feels so good when you succeed,” she said.

Coyle extrapolated that anyone— young, old, black, white, tall, short—should

"The month is inclusive and to be celebrated by both men and women because we all play a role in shaping society."

-Connie Choi, High School History Teacher

High School Dean Jennifer McCurtis shared about her grandmother, Rachel, the first black college student in Texas and the inspiration she was for her family.

“It was not normal for black women to go to college. She was the first to break the color barrier at her two-year college in Texas. She loved the arts, theatre and music and she got to be a part of that program,” McCurtis said.

High School Principal and retired United States Navy Commander Karen Coyle talked about the difficulties of being

not let others limit their dreams because of their differences.

“God has blessed you with certain gifts and talents and don’t let anyone say you can’t. Because if you know this is where God is leading you, then do it with all you got.”

Some of the student comments about the month-long event were:

“It was done well, and we enjoyed seeing our peers and the staff presenting.”

“It was enlightening because we forget what these women did in history.”

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ATHLETIC DISTINCTION

Lady Lions Win Historic CIF Title

I

n a historic first for the Oaks Christian athletic program, the girls water polo team claimed a CIF championship on Feb. 16, defeating Mira Costa High School 9-8 in a sudden death, double overtime victory after battling for seven periods. The championship was solidified by OCS sophomore Gracelyn Hurst who scored the winning goal.

“When I shot the goal, I was just relieved,” Hurst told a Daily News reporter. “Of all the work we put in this season and to finally accomplish our goal was relief.”

Hurst scored four goals during the tense match.

Sophomore Ella Spett added two goals, one of which saved the Lions from a heartbreaking loss by scoring with no time left at the end of the second overtime sending the two teams into sudden-death.

The Lions were moved up this year from Division 4 to Division 3 and faced tougher competition. Even then, CIF ranked them number one in the division, taking notice of their talented roster and the team’s accomplished head coach Jack Kocur. Kocur who has coached at University of Southern California and Pepperdine University, and as an assistant on the men’s national team, also coaches the OCS boys water polo team.

The girls preseason record of 11-8 included some wins against Division I and 2 level teams. They went on to take the Marmonte League title with an undefeated record. One of the sweetest wins during the regular season was against Agoura High School who reigned as the area’s powerhouse team for 15 years.

To get to the championship game the Lions defeated Brea Linda, 17-8, Santa Monica, 15-10, and Redondo Beach, 7-6, in a tense semi-finals match.

The girls water polo players truly pushed past immense pressures and challenges and in the process made history.

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y e oV ll BEACH ON THE

A

fter many years of requests for a boys beach volleyball program, it finally happened! The challenge was getting enough boys to fill a team, but this year 10 boys came out and made it possible to fill a roster.

At the helm was head coach Carter Franciskovic, Class of ‘11, an OCS alumnus.

His goal in this first year: to build a love for the beach game and improve along the way.

“The season was incredibly successful in my honest opinion,” said Franciskovic.

He measured success, not by the scoreboard, but in seeing how far the boys had developed, especially given only two had beach volleyball experience, and three had never even played the sport at all, indoor or outdoor.

“While it wasn’t an over .500 season, and we in no way expected it to be our first beach season, we were able to steal quite a few games and showed tremendous heart and effort while building a love for the sport,” he added.

Showing great heart, the boys rallied together, got the program up and running, competed among schools with veteran programs, and had a lot of fun.

Adam Rasmussen, junior, brought several years of experience to the program having played both indoor and club volleyball, and had played in beach tournaments during the summer. He said the inaugural season as one where the boys grew as athletes and as a team.

A new player to the sport of volleyball, Chris Hance, sophomore, said he had so much fun that he’s now going to play indoor volleyball as well. He felt the beach program had a great future ahead. “We can only go up from here,” said Hance.

The hope, of course, was that the OCS beach program would grow and develop into a strong, winning program. However, it also had a positive impact on the indoor program. The sand provided great training making quick movement much more difficult. Beach helped indoor players increase their speed and agility.

“Improvement was very apparent from week to week and the boys were able to take the mechanics learned on the sand and apply them to their indoor games,” Franciskovic said.

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SCOREBOARD League Champions/1st Place Rankings 8th Grade Girls Volleyball Tri-Valley Christian Athletic League 5th/6th Grade Girls Volleyball Tri-Valley Christian Athletic League Swimming 1st place in Boys 25 free: George Scholefield 5th/6th Grade Girls Basketball Tri-Valley Christian Athletic League 6th Grade Boys Basketball Tri-Valley Christian Athletic League 8th Grade Boys Basketball Tri-Valley Christian Athletic League Boys Lacrosse Junior High Delphic League Champions Track & Field 1st place in 200m dash: Imani Clayton Boys Golf (12th year in a row) Undefeated Teams: 7th/8th Grade Flag Football and 5th/6th Grade Girls Soccer (no playoffs due to fires) 6th Grade Flag Football Tri-Valley Christian Athletic League

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MIDDLE SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Runners-Up Boys Swimming Junior High Delphic League 5th/6th Grade Boys Basketball Tri-Valley Christian Athletic 7th Grade Boys Basketball Tri-Valley Christian Athletic League Girls Track & Field 7th/8th Grade Baseball Junior High Delphic League

Playoff Appearances Tackle Football 7th Grade Girls Volleyball 5th/6th Grade Flag Football 7th/8th Grade Girls Basketball Girls Soccer Girls Lacrosse Girls Golf Boys Volleyball

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SCOREBOARD CIF-SS CHAMPIONS Girls Water Polo Boys Track & Field Girls Track & Field

CIF-SS SEMIFINALS / FINAL 4 Girls Golf

Boys Track & Field

Boys Water Polo

Girls Track & Field

Boys Football

Boys Golf

Girls Water Polo

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HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

LEAGUE TITLES Boys Football

Girls Water Polo Boys Lacrosse

Boys Water Polo Girls Softball Girls Golf

Boys Golf

Boys Swim Dive

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Alumna Returns to Lead Girls Varsity Volleyball

J

ulie (Rubenstein) Bennett is the new girls varsity volleyball coach. A 2005 graduate of Oaks Christian and former OCS junior varsity coach, Bennett now returns to her alma mater in the top coaching spot to lead the Lady Lions in 2019.

Bennett was most recently the assistant coach at Pepperdine University where she spent the last two seasons with the Waves. This past 2018 season was the program’s best finish since 2011, as the Waves advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament for only the ninth time in program’s history.

Prior to Pepperdine, she was the director of volleyball for Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks where she planned, oversaw and coached programming throughout the year.

“Julie was an exceptional OCS athlete, a caring individual who understood the importance of team culture. She is a seasoned coach and to have her return as our head girls volleyball coach is fantastic for our girls and our school,” said Head of Athletics Jan Hethcock.

A certified personal trainer, Bennett has also been a club coach at various levels, as well as the former head coach at Pacifica Christian High School in Santa Monica for five years. While there, she led the Seawolves to a 2013 CIF-SS D4a Championship and earned Coach of the Year status.

As an OCS student-athlete, Bennet garnered multiple allleague and CIF nominations in her three years of play.

After Oaks Christian she went on to play at Pepperdine University where she remains one of the top players in program’s history. She earned All-WCC honors in each of her four seasons, including the last three on the first team. She was also selected

Mr. 500: Ackermann Reaches Milestone Career Coaching Win Oaks Christian School Softball Head Coach Peter Ackermann earned his 500th career victory this spring as the Lady Lions defeated rival Newbury Park High School, led by pitcher Lexi Berg, senior, with a no-hitter.

Ackermann, who has been at Oaks Christian since 2000, has guided the team to three state titles and six section finals.

The team has won three Marmonte League titles in the last four seasons. The softball team was ranked No. 22 in the state in early spring by CalHiSports. com, and has improved to 500-107 (.824) under Ackermann’s 19-year tenure.

In 2017, Ackermann was also named the National Coach of the Year by the National Christian School Athletic Association. When selecting the coach of the year, the NCSAA looks for a coach who displays expert knowledge of the game and the ability to communicate that to players, an excellent level of coaching, a love for the players and an interest in their spiritual well-being, and development of a program that reflects sustained commitment to Biblical principles.

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OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2019

to the AVCA All-Pacific Region first team as a senior in 2008.

Bennett helped lead the Waves to the NCAA Tournament all four seasons (including reaching the Sweet 16 in 2005) and to a 73-43 overall record.

She received Pepperdine’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year award for 2007-08. In 2016, Bennett was inducted into the Pepperdine University Department of Athletics’ Hall of Fame.

After her Pepperdine career she continued training and playing with the U.S. National Team. She also played professionally in Azerbaijan and Puerto Rico.

Molina Heads Up MS Tackle Jade Molina will serve as the new head coach for the middle school tackle football program. He will lead the middle school Lions as they prepare for the 2019 season.

Molina returns to the program after a three-year hiatus, having served as the head of the program from 2010 to 2015. In 2016, he stepped away to serve as the OCS athletic chaplain and head of strength and conditioning.

He currently serves as the middle school director of spiritual life and will continue in that role while also heading up tackle football.

“Having Coach Molina return means continuing our excellence of building character and Christ-like values through our football program,” said Middle School Athletic Director Kristy Hopkins. “We will continue our motto of ‘One Team, One Purpose’ and be in alignment with our high school program, which looks to build on these important relationships with the athletes and their families.”

Affectionately known to the athletes as “Coach Mo,” Molina brings over 15 years of youth coaching experience.

A United States Navy veteran, Molina spent several years as a physical readiness coordinator for the Navy. He was also the director of performance for Elite Athletics, where he oversaw the off-season training programs for high performance athletes in the NFL, MLB, and NBA.

Expanded Partnerships, New Courses Expanded Help Move Partnerships, Online School Forward New Courses Move OCO Forward

N

ow entering its eighth year, the Oaks Christian Online School (OCO) continues to break new ground and innovate through unique course offerings and expanded partnerships, moving OCO forward as an online educational leader.

OCO had an incredible year partnering with local high schools, such as Malibu, Chaminade, La Reina, Pacifica Christian, and Westlake, as well as out-of-state schools like The Bear Creek School, Valor Christian, and Forest Lake Christian School for a total of 1,102 online students.

New courses added in just the past year include Sports and Entertainment Marketing, AP Psychology, Creative Writing, and International Business. Upcoming for fall 2019 are Anatomy and Physiology, and additional electives.

From the home campus alone the OCS 2019 graduating class of seniors took an impressive 598 online courses during their four years at Oaks Christian. Just this year, main campus students took a total of 479 online classes.

“We hear feedback from our students about how challenging our courses are and how much they’ve learned. We send our seniors off to college knowing they are prepared for the next several years,” said OCO Director of Partnerships Jennifer Rowley.

The flexibility of the OCO option is ideal for students, such as artist, actors, athletes, and entrepreneurs whose unique educational needs are better served outside the traditional brick and mortar classroom. Main campus students also benefit from the ability to take online courses outside of the traditional school day in order to meet their curriculum needs.

“We have helped many students outside the Oaks Christian main campus.

Growth is always exciting! We are hoping they gain knowledge and an understanding of time management and self-motivation.

There are many online schools to choose from, but none with the rigor and in-depth course work like we offer.”

-Jennifer Rowley OCO Director of Partnerships

2019 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT

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OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2019

W

ith a quintessential Southern California sunset streaming through the floor to ceiling windows of Air Force One Pavilion at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, over 800 OCS guests gathered as a community to celebrate the 17th annual Gala Dinner Auction on April 6, setting a historic attendance record for the event. The evening raised over 1.5 million, also another record.

This year’s event—returning for the second year to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley—was especially prestigious with the presence of George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States and founder of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, and his wife, First Lady Laura Bush (2001-2009), as the special guests.

The Bushes were greeted with enthusiastic applause and a standing ovation as they entered the main dining room and took their seats. Sharing the presidential table were Oaks Christian School founders David Price and Dallas Price-Van Breda and their spouses, Helen Price and Bob Van Breda.

The evening’s festivities began with a silent auction on the mezzanine floor and guests were able to bid on beautiful jewelry, sports items and memorabilia, vacation experiences, and other fabulous items.

President Bush Headlines RECORD BREAKING GALA

OC Voices, the school’s new a capella group directed by OCS Choral Director Edward Rouse, entertained with their renditions of “I Want You Back” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.” They performed on stage, directly in front of the Bushes, and delivered a powerful rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” while OCS alumni United States Marine CPL Aidan Kelly, Class of '14, and United States Marine LCPL Liam Kelly, Class of '17, stood at attention. All three songs were arranged by Rob Dietz.

Head of School Rob Black officially kicked-off the evening with a special welcome for the Bushes and assembled guests. He took a few minutes to highlight some of the exciting upcoming initiatives at Oaks Christian: the IDEA Lab, the residential boarding program, and the Art and Innovation, Engineering, and Global Leadership Institutes.

Premiering at the event was the “Mark this Moment” video which follows the path of three students and tells the story of how Oaks Christian enabled them to achieve. OCS Board of Trustees member Shelene Bryan and gala auctioneer Jim Nye double-teamed asking guests to help support students by donating directly to financial aid.

Legendary performer and OCS parent Paul Anka was back this year with an even funnier version of Frank Sinatra’s classic “I Did it My Way,” re-tooled for an Oaks Christian audience. He crooned about High School Principal Karen Coyle, the recent nationwide college admissions scandal, and OCS student life.

The moment guests waited for arrived as the Bushes took the stage to be interviewed by Rob Riggle, OCS parent, actor and United States Marine Lieutenant (retired).

In a wide-ranging conversation, President Bush and Mrs. Bush shared recollections of life at the White House and the challenges of leadership. They also spoke about their current work and initiatives at the Bush Center.

Following the Bushes was the live auction—a rollercoaster of excitement as Nye kept the bidding moving along at a fast and furious pace. Cajoling, humoring, and downright shaming, Nye got guests to open their wallets to bid on extraordinary items, such as an Ariana Grande VIP Tour experience, a behind-the-scenes Grammy package, a Scotland golf extravaganza, an NBA All-Star weekend, and more!

2019 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT

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Integrity, Relationships

Focus at High School Commencement

T

2 Class 0 19

98% Attending college/university to 39% Accepted Highly Selective

233

of

42

Athletes

108

Attending Different Colleges

55% Outside California 31 States 3 Countries

$7.2

16

Accepted to Different Colleges

ART Majors

Million in Scholarships

33

STEM Majors

15,000 Cumulative community service hours 42

OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT | 2019

he Class of 2019 graduated 235 strong with diplomas in hand and a challenge to “eat their Wheaties.”

The 16th senior class to graduate from Oaks Christian School boasted an impressive 98% heading to college and a collective $7.2 million in scholarship money. Among their numbers 42 are playing collegiate sports, 33 will enter STEM fields and 16 will pursue their passion for the arts.

However, beyond the numbers, members of the senior class also were honored as spiritual leaders, campus leaders, courageous individuals, and unsung heroes (see Special High School Honors box).

Jeff Dewey, OCS history teacher, was the recipient of the 2019 Atsinger Teaching Excellence Award.

Bryan Loritts, senior pastor of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship of Silicon Valley, delivered the keynote address.

He shared how growing up he admired an NFL running back who ate Wheaties cereal and endorsed the product.

“If my hero ate Wheaties, I will eat them too, even though they tasted awful,” he quipped.

But when he had an amazing opportunity at 19 years of age to eat breakfast with his idol, he was disillusioned when he realized the man did not actually eat Wheaties, and in fact, hated them as much as he did.

“I was depressed because my hero wasn’t buying what he was selling,” Loritts shared.

“The world doesn’t need more accomplished people.

Accomplished people are a dime a dozen. The world is hungry for people who will eat their Wheaties. Be people of integrity. Eat your Wheaties,” he challenged the seniors.

Valedictorian Rachel Cassar did an informal poll of her peers as to what she should speak about in her address. The number of times her classmates mentioned relationships meant they valued the bonds they had created, and so she spoke on the unique nature of relationships, their eternality, their ripple effect, and their testament to God’s love.

“Make a relationship the first thing on your to-do list,” she challenged her peers. She also shared: • “Relationships are the one thing in our lives that are completely unique to us. Someone else can finish that test, score just as many goals, win that award. But relationship is one of a kind thumb print you leave on the world.”

• “Relationships are the only eternal investment we can make on this earth.”

• “They have a ripple effect. The impact you have on people is likely to echo far beyond your lifetime. Making one person feel valued and loved can change the trajectory of many lives.”

• “God is love. This means the opportunity to love others is a clear window we have to understand His nature.”

Eighth Grade Celebration

SPECIAL HIGH SCHOOL

“When It Clicks”

HONORS

Valedictorian Rachel Cassar Salutatorian Jack Boyd Atsinger Teaching Excellence Award Jeff Dewey (history faculty) Weinberg Spiritual Leadership Award Loren Schneider Dallas Athletic Distinction Award Maya Brady (softball) Jefferson Lee and Brendan Thomas Crockett Courage Award Cristian Moore

I

n late May, 138 eighth grade students walked across the stage to earn their middle school diploma and enter high school.

Family, friends, teachers, staff and coaches gathered to applaud their accomplishments and wish them well as they continue their educational journey as high school freshmen.

The ceremony included special music by the OCS Advanced Vocal Ensemble, and student reflections by the five students who tied for valedictorian honors.

Keynote speaker OCS High School Academic Dean Marcus Choi spoke to a generation of digital natives about the great opportunities that await them “when it clicks.”

Choi reminisced about his own middle school successes and failures, and the epiphany that with a little effort school could actually be a place of growth and discovery.

“When it clicks and you suddenly understand, and the light bulb goes on, you come to realize what is important, what works, what is meaningful, and what is worthwhile,” he said.

Quoting from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, he acknowledged that “all who wander are not lost,” and that when things don’t click it is okay to reach out to teachers, mentors, coaches and parents for guidance.

“When it clicks you will understand the why, and your soul will be on fire, and you will be driven, and can accomplish so many things. But do not think that in a snap everything will get better.

Because when it clicks, now you have to put work into it. You have a host of fans ready to come along side you and help you figure it out, who you are, what your purpose is in life, where you are headed, and how to get there. Welcome to the next leg of your journey.

Welcome to high school. Now, let’s get to work,” he said.

Dallas Price-Van Breda Artistic Expression Award Hannah Arrasmith David Price Leadership Award Isabelle Zgorzelski Head of School Award Faith Hotchkiss Unsung Hero Award Megan Mosquera

Special Eighth Grade Honors Valedictorian: Five Way Tie Ethan Bergman, John Chung, Samuel Clark, Nicolas Conway, and Kayla Youhanaie Salutatorians Remi Clark-Redstar and Elizabeth Edinger Atsinger Teaching Excellence Award Kim Kelly (science faculty) Golden Lion Award Isabel Dewey Kenneth Dott

Leadership Award Allie Chobanian

Spiritual Life Award Samual Hicks

2019 | OAKS CHRISTIAN MISSION REPORT

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Supporting the

One Oaks Mission

Annual fund gifts make the most immediate impact in the life of the school because they are used in the year they were given.

The “One Oaks” Annual Fund will support the needs and priorities of the school each year and ensure excellence in ALL of our programs including:

Advancement of Oaks Christian School is a community-based effort to ensure annual funding for our outstanding programs, amazing teachers and the future of Christian education.

Annual donations impact every area of the school. We work to build trust and partnership with our parents.

The Annual “One Oaks” Fund is the foundation of fundraising at Oaks Christian. Like other independent schools, unrestricted gifts provide critical resources for students, programs and teachers not covered by tuition.

These gifts allow the forward-thinking and continuous improvement that is expected at a school the caliber of Oaks Christian.

ACADEMICS Offering innovative new institutes and individual learning pathways ATHLETICS Nationally recognized athletics program with state-of-the-art facilities that allow students to compete at the highest levels ARTS Connecting an incredible arts program with the God-given talent bestowed on our students FINANCIAL AID Ensuring the socio-economic diversity of our student body by delivering financial aid to students of highest need.

INSIDE LOOK:

Come and take an “inside look” at our campus and see the “mission in action.” If you would like to schedule a tour or talk to someone about giving to Oaks Christian, please contact our Chief Development Officer Eddie Moore at emoore@oakschristian.org or 818.575.9204.

OAKS CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 31749 LA TIENDA DRIVE • WESTLAKE VILLAGE, CA 91362 WWW.OAKSCHRISTIAN.ORG

Make your gift to Oaks Christian School at www.oakschristian.org/give or use the enclosed envelope